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Hernández: Did the Dodgers figure out their bullpen issues? Roki Sasaki is only part of the story

Los Angeles, CA October 16, 2025 – Fans cheer as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) comes in to pitch in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the National League Championship Series, NLCS, at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, October, 16, 2025. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Fans cheer as Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki comes in to pitch in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A smile started to form on the face of Dodgers closer Roki Sasaki as he described his disposition in the bullpen.

“Every time,” Sasaki said, “I’m praying the starter will pitch a complete game.”

The Japanese speakers in the Dodger Stadium interview room broke into laughter.

The overwhelming performance of the Dodgers in this postseason has created an atmosphere in which even the famously introverted Sasaki feels comfortable joking in front of reporters.

With a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, the Dodgers extended their lead in the National League Championship Series to three games to none.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

They improved to 8-1 in these playoffs.

The only reason there’s any doubt whether the Dodgers will repeat as World Series champions is because of their heart-attack-inducing bullpen, and now that group has started taking shape under the guidance of manager Dave Roberts.

What felt like wishful thinking has become an actual roadmap to victory, with Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen taking down key outs late in the game before giving way to Sasaki, the converted starter with a 100-mph fastball and vanishing forkball.

The organization’s vision came together in Game 3, as the bullpen was entrusted with covering the 3 ⅓ innings that remained after starter Tyler Glasnow’s removal.

With Vesia recording two outs and Treinen taking down two more, Roberts had to find a bridge to Sasaki. He called on Anthony Banda, who pitched just once in the three previous weeks.

Banda pitched a perfect eighth inning against the heart of the Brewers’ order, retiring Brice Turang, William Contreras and Christian Yelich in succession. The night ended with Sasaki becoming the first pitcher to register each of his first three career saves in the postseason.

“The thing about our guys is they’re battle tested,” Roberts said, “and I’ve never lost faith in them.”

The truth was, he didn’t have a choice.

Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the team’s two high-priced bullpen additions from the offseason, aren’t on the active roster.

The dynamic forced Roberts to continue riding Vesia, who near the end of the regular season looked as if he could be running out of gas after making a career-high 68 appearances. Roberts also had to continue depending on the 37-year-old Treinen, who last month was described by a rival scout as “finished.”

Perhaps the most significant wager placed by Roberts and the front office was on Sasaki, who had no previous experience pitching out of the bullpen.

As overpowering as Sasaki was in his two relief appearances in the final week of the regular season, as breathtaking as he was in closing out the NL wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers couldn’t be certain what they could expect from him.

Their fears were realized in Game 1 of this series. Four days removed from a three-inning relief appearance against the Phillies in the NLDS, Sasaki nearly blew a two-run lead he inherited from Blake Snell in the ninth inning. Treinen replaced Sasaki with two outs and recorded the final out in the 2-1 victory.

Was Sasaki exhausted?

“Physically, there was no problem,” Sasaki said. “However, without me realizing it, I think my delivery probably crumbled and something was a little off.”

Sasaki said he spent the two days between Games 1 and 3 working on slowing down his delivery.

The first pitch he threw on Thursday night was a ball to Andrew Vaughn, but the pitch was clocked at 99.7 mph. He touched 99.8 mph later in the at-bat.

Vaughn was retired on a spectacular defensive play by shortstop Mookie Betts. Sal Frelick popped up. Caleb Durbin struck out.

This being Sasaki’s sixth postseason game, the performance temporarily subsided concerns about the right-hander’s ability to withstand an October workload. Dodger Stadium could resume celebrating him.

In a short time, Sasaki has become one of the team’s most popular players, with chants of “Ro-ki” frequently breaking out while he is on the mound.

He emerges from the bullpen to “Bailalo Rocky,” a song by Yoan Retro and Ariadne Arana. Sasaki revealed the song was pushed on to him by reserve infielder Miguel Rojas, who noticed that “Rocky” said with a Latin American accent sounds similar to Sasaki’s first name.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“From the start of the season, especially at Dodger Stadium, I couldn’t pitch the way I wanted,” Sasaki said. “Since I came back (from the injured list) as a reliever and started performing in a way that better represents who I am, I’ve seen the scenery gradually change. I’m thinking that will lead to something in the future.”

Not only for him but also for the Dodgers.

Considering how thoroughly they have outplayed their opponents in this postseason, how great would the Dodgers be if they had a half-decent bullpen?

With Sasaki closing, and with Treinen and Vesia in front of him, they could be on the verge of finding out.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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White Hot Avalanche Bury Blue Jackets In Second Period To Hand Columbus Their Second Straight Loss

Ivan Provorov(1) scored the only goal for the Blue Jackets, and goalie Elvis Merzļikins played very well for most of this game. Ultimately, the Blue Jackets would lose 4-1 to the Colorado Avalanche. Merzļikins would end the game, stopping 

The first period was very fast, with both teams flying up and down the ice, giving each other lots of scoring chances. Both goalies had to be sharp and were, with Elvis Merzļikins getting most of the work. The Avs put 12 shots on goal and had 30 shot attempts, while the Jackets had 7 and 20, respectively. The Blue Jackets had a power play, but couldn't convert, so the period ended with neither team being able to beat each other's goalie. 

The Jackets held on as long as they could in the second period. After Ivan Provorov scored to make it 1-0, Makar and Nelson scored 1:12 apart to crush the CBJ. The law of averages caught up to the Jackets in the second. The Avs will shoot the puck, from anywhere, from anyone, and do it in short order. The Jackets thought they tied the game late in the second period when a puck went in off of Dmitri Voronkov's chest, but it was disallowed because the referee thought he had gloved it in. He did not glove it in, but it did go in off a body part, which is illegal. The Avs then scored a third goal with four seconds left on the clock to make it a 3-1 game after two periods. That goal, at the time, seemed like the nail in the coffin. 

The third period was more of the Avs just trying to end the game more than anything. The CBJ had a few chances, but the Avs shut pretty much everything down. On a good note, the Jackets killed off an Avs power play, which is something they have struggled to do this season through three games. Late in the third, the Jackets looked to have pulled to within one goal, but again the goal was disallowed due to a hand pass. The Avs would add an empty net goal to make it a 4-1 final at Nationwide Arena. 

The Blue Jackets will be fine. It's only been four games, but it's obvious where the help is needed, and that's scoring. We saw a glimpse of that against the Minnesota Wild in game two of the season when they poured in seven goals. The CBJ goalie tandem has been playing lights out for the most part, and that's a very good sign. 

The Blue Jackets honored the great Cam Atkinson before this game. Earlier in the day, Atkinson held a press conference where he signed a one-day NHL contract and then formally announced his retirement from the NHL. After warmups, Atkinson came back to the ice, dressed in his familiar #13 Blue Jackets jersey, and made a lap around the ice as the Nationwide Arena faithful went nuts. As he worked his way around the arena, he stopped to slap the glass at fans and give fist bumps through the glass as well. At one point, he even kissed the CBJ crest on the jersey, just before pointing up the Johnny Gaudreau banner that hangs on the east side of the arena. He stopped to say hi to his wife and kids and then finished his lap, as the Avs were coming onto the ice. He stayed on the ice for the National Anthem and then disappeared down the hallway. Later in the game, a couple of tribute videos were shown, most of which featured his former teammates from years past in Columbus. After one of those videos, Cam was seen chugging a beer with a massive smile on his face. Cam Atkinson was a legend for Columbus, and the fans of the CBJ should be honored to have been able to watch him play all those years. 

Even before Cam Atkinson officially retired, the #13 was never going to be worn again, but after Cam took the ice wearing it one more time, it's safe to say that that number, although not officially retired by the Jackets, will never be worn again. 

Final Stats

CBJ APP

Player Stats

  • Ivan Provorov played in his 700th career NHL game. He also scored his first goal of the season.
  • Kirill Marchenko tallied an assist, his first of the season.
  • Zach Werenski had 3 shots on the night.
  • Elvis Merzļikins stopped 32 of 35 Colorado shots.

Team Stats

  • The Jackets' power play went 0/2 against the Avs.
  • The Columbus PK stopped the only Avs man advantage they had on the night.
  • Columbus won 45.3% of the faceoffs.

Up Next: The Tampa Bay Lightning visit Columbus on Saturday night. 

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.  

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Shaikin: Shohei Ohtani could pull off a playoff feat even Babe Ruth never achieved

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pitches during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS on Oct. 4. Ohtani will start Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Shohei Ohtani has done next to nothing in the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers could sweep their way into the World Series on Friday, with Ohtani as a footnote in the NLCS story, but baseball’s best player has a flair for the dramatic.

Bring on the latest Babe Ruth comparison!

Baseball’s contemporary two-way superstar can do something Friday that baseball’s original two-way superstar never did.

Ruth started three postseason games as a pitcher, never hitting a home run in those games. Ohtani starts his second postseason game as a pitcher Friday, looking for his first postseason home run as a pitcher.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

He could hit a home run and be the winning pitcher Friday, because why not?

“I feel like Shohei is a superhero character,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said.

In the division series, Ohtani had one hit in 18 at-bats, with nine strikeouts. After the Dodgers clinched, this was catcher Will Smith: “He didn’t do much this series. I expect next series for him to come out and hit like five homers. That’s just who he is.”

In this series, Ohtani has two hits in 11 at-bats, with five strikeouts. Over the NLDS and NLCS, he is batting .103 with no home runs, and he has struck out in 48% of his at-bats.

He has not hit five home runs in this series, as Smith had optimistically anticipated.

“I’m hoping he will tomorrow,” Smith said Thursday.

If a player has a rough week or two in June and changes up his routine, you might hear about it for a couple of minutes on the pregame show. Ohtani had a rough week or two in October and decided to take batting practice on the field instead of in the indoor cages Wednesday, and it became MAJOR BREAKING INTERNATIONAL NEWS.

Not just for fans, the ones that have made his jersey baseball’s best seller, and the ones set to flock to the grand opening of a Tokyo pop-up gallery Friday, featuring vinyl albums that pay homage to the walk-up songs and anthems of Ohtani and other major league stars.

Ohtani’s teammates came out to watch that rare outdoor batting practice. The sound guys cranked up an extra dose of Michael Bublé. And, because it was Ohtani, he hit a ball off the roof of the right-field pavilion.

So, no, the Dodgers aren’t worried. And, no, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t about to move Ohtani down in the lineup.

“Obviously, Shohei's not performing the way he would like or we expect,” Roberts said. “But I just know how big of a part he is to this thing.

“We've got a long way to go. But I just like the work he's putting in. And I'll bet on him all day long.”

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani runs the bases on a leadoff triple against the Brewers in the first inning of Game 3.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani runs the bases on a leadoff triple against the Brewers in the first inning of Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

For Ohtani’s hitting, pitching has been his kryptonite this season. In his 15 starts, including the one in the NLDS, he is batting .207, and he has struck out in 43% of his at-bats.

“I don't necessarily think that the pitching has affected my hitting performance,” Ohtani said Wednesday. “Just on the pitching side, as long as I control what I can control, I feel pretty good about putting up results. On the hitting side, just the stance, the mechanics, that’s something that I do. It’s a constant work in progress.”

There was some progress Thursday, when Ohtani tripled to lead off the first inning. On the next pitch, Mookie Betts doubled him home.

“It’s kind of like the Bulls playing without Michael Jordan sometimes,” Betts told TBS after the game. “So we get him going and then it’s really going to be hard to beat. You see what happens immediately. As soon as he gets a hit, good things happen. But he’s going to be there.

“He’s going to be there when the time is right. We all trust and believe in Shohei.”

Before the NLCS, Roberts was blunt about Ohtani’s offensive struggles.

“We’re not gonna win the World Series with that sort of performance,” Roberts said.

That sort of performance has continued, and the Dodgers are undefeated since then. That makes it easier to believe in Ohtani, and in what he might deliver on Friday.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“I’m expecting nothing short of incredible,” infielder Max Muncy said.

“All in all, I’m expecting Shohei to pitch a great game, and whatever he does offensively is just kind of icing on the cake at that point. It’s a tough thing to pitch and hit in the same game, especially in a postseason game. He’s going to be fine.”

The Ruth comparison only goes so far. When he pitched in the postseason, he was primarily a pitcher, twice batting ninth. He made 145 pitches in his first postseason start, a 14-inning complete-game victory.

That is about all we can say Ohtani will not do. The Dodgers are so deep that, Roberts’ fear notwithstanding, they could win the World Series with a slumping Ohtani. They did that last year, in fact.

However, with one mighty swing, Friday’s storyline could be less about what he did not do and more about what Ruth could not do. Champagne showers are in the forecast.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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‘Great day for the region’: York join Toulouse in 14-team Super League

  • London Broncos’ big names will play in Championship

  • Door open for them in 2027 if they can raise grading

York Knights’ owner, Clint Goodchild, believes the club’s historic promotion to the Super League for the first time is a watershed moment for the whole of North Yorkshire, after they and Toulouse were granted admission to the top flight in 2026 and London Broncos missed the cut.

The Knights will play in rugby league’s highest division for the first time since 1986 after they were selected by an independent panel alongside Toulouse to join the top 12 from Thursday’s IMG gradings and expand the Super League to 14 teams for the first time in more than a decade.

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Why Draymond Green won't troll ex-Celtic Al Horford for Dubs' 2022 Finals win

Why Draymond Green won't troll ex-Celtic Al Horford for Dubs' 2022 Finals win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is excited to play with former rival Al Horford on the Warriors during the 2025-26 NBA season.

Which is why the four-time champion won’t be bringing up Golden State’s 2022 NBA Finals victory over Horford’s former Boston Celtics any time soon.

Green hilariously explained his reasoning for not pushing Horford’s buttons in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke.

“Absolutely not,” Green told Burke. “No chance. Not necessary. Al’s a champion. It’s unfortunate for him, you know, [that] he had to play the Dubs. But there won’t be no reminders from me. 

“I am excited to learn from him, excited to have him as a teammate — lucky to have him as a teammate. I’ve lost some championships, too, so I wouldn’t want someone coming in reminding me of my losses. I won’t be the one to remind him of his.”

What a gesture.

Golden State outlasted the Celtics in six games en route to hoisting the franchise’s fourth Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in eight seasons. The Warriors even closed the series out on Horford’s old TD Garden hardwood.

In that series, Green averaged 6.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists. Horford, who officially signed with Golden State on Oct.1, averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

And his new teammate, Warriors superstar Steph Curry, was the 2022 Finals MVP after averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Green truly is making a team-first decision by not trolling Horford about the past. It truly is admirable when considering his genuine love for trash talk.

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Three bold-ish predictions for Warriors heading into 2025-26 NBA season

Three bold-ish predictions for Warriors heading into 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Clearly, the softest word in sports media’s love for bold predictions is “bold.”

Bold prediction: Gui Santos scores 48 points on Christmas!

Bold prediction: Trayce Jackson-Davis makes seven 3-pointers in a game!

Bold prediction: The Warriors go on a 17-game win streak!

Now we’re talking. Every one of those predictions falls into the category of absurd, but hey, they sure are bold. Venturing off into that kind of crazy is a walk too far on the wild side, so we’re cranking it down a notch. 

Instead, here are three bold-ish predictions for the Warriors ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Steph’s New Career High In … 

*Drum roll, please* 

*Keep drumming* 

*Keep drumming* 

Free throws. Well, free throw attempts per game. That’s how important the new high-five rule can be for Curry.

He led the NBA in 3-point attempts per game and made threes per game for the second straight year last season. Curry, for the fifth time in his career, also was the league leader in free-throw percentage at 93.3 percent. But Curry shot his fewest number of free throws per game (4.3) in six years when he took 4.2 per game in 2019-20.

How different would those stats look if opponents didn’t paint a target on Curry’s arms and swiping across his hands on his follow-through? Defenders can no longer do so in an attempt by the league to better protect shooters. 

“To me, it was kind of overdue,” Curry said of the new rule. “It was a conversation of, ‘When you’re shooting, how you protect the shooter.’ For me, I flail a little because I don’t want to roll my ankle. It’s kind of like a natural instinct. 

“But when it became something where guys were attacking hands, doing not like a closeout but a second motion, going at arms and hands and stuff like that, that’s not basketball. It has nothing to do with affecting a shot. It’s more just putting people in danger, that type of thing. 

“It’s avoidable. You can still play great defense and avoid doing that.”

As the NBA’s still most feared shooter, defenders will go to all lengths to slow down Curry. Doing so is hard enough, and it just became harder. Curry already had a four-point play in the Warriors’ second preseason game because of the new rule, and opened their fourth preseason game getting fouled on a 3-point attempt too. He ended the latter with 13 free throws, making 12, after reaching that number of attempts once all last season. 

Pre-Jimmy Butler Curry averaged 3.4 free throws per game last season. Post-Jimmy Butler Curry averaged 5.2, and he’s at 5.7 in three preseason games going into the finale while playing just 19 minutes a night. His career high is 6.3 in 2020-21 when Curry won his second scoring title, and he’s about to leap that number. 

How Buddy Beats Steph

If the thinking is the new rule is going to be a big benefit to Curry’s free-throw totals, it should also be a boost to his 3-point percentage. The thinking is fair, because it will. Curry was under 40 percent from three in a full season for only the second time ever, just missing the mark at 39.7 percent.

He’ll be back over 40 percent this season. But like last season, when Quinten Post technically edged him out, Curry won’t be the Warriors’ most accurate 3-point shooter. Buddy Hield will, leading them in 3-point percentage. 

This should lean on the bolder side of the scale. Hield’s 3-point percentage dropped for the second straight season. He fell to 37.0 percent, which was lower than Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, plus the six games De’Anthony Melton played. So why believe Hield will see such an uptick? 

Consistency over his career, what he just did in the playoffs and how Hield feels after one season of loving life as a Warrior.

“I’m saying this humbly, but this is probably the best summer I probably shot like, working out,” Hield said at Warriors Media Day.

These were Hield’s 3-point shooting percentages by month last season: 50, 41.4, 30.5, 31.5, 37.7, 37.9 and 35.8

These are Hield’s 3-point percentages by month for his career: 40.1, 37.9, 40.2, 40.8, 38.8, 40, 40.6 and 40.2

December and January were historically bad shooting months for Hield last season. He can be streaky, sure. After being an afterthought in the playoffs the year before with the Philadelphia 76ers, Hield shot 42.9 percent from three for the Warriors in them. That’s much closer to where he’ll be in his second season with Golden State.

Top-Four Seed

The boldest of the three? Perhaps. Not for me to judge. 

Since the Warriors won their most recent title in 2022, they have been the No. 6 seed, No. 10 seed and No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. Yet they’ve increased their wins every season, going from 44 to 46 and then 48 last season. The trend will continue again, meaning the Warriors will win at least 50 games. 

Which wasn’t enough to promise a top-four seed in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers all won exactly 50 games, making them the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 seeds in the West. Let’s be bold and predict a three-way tie isn’t going to happen again. Either way, it really won’t matter for the Warriors. 

Golden State was on a 61-win pace after trading for Butler. Projecting such a number is too bold for this keyboard, but the balance of these Warriors has them most suited for the regular season and the playoffs since the 2022 championship team. 

The Warriors have made the NBA Finals all six seasons they’ve won 50 or more games under Steve Kerr, and to put a cap on being bold, we’re at least predicting they’ll have between 50 wins and the 53 from that last title team, giving the seasoned group home cooking to start the playoffs.

“Like I say, you always have a chance when Steph is on your team,” Butler said at media day. “So to be able to be running alongside him, Draymond, and the crew that we have, I think we’re going to be in really, really, really good shape.”

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Warriors star Draymond Green details why he gets along so well with Jimmy Butler

Warriors star Draymond Green details why he gets along so well with Jimmy Butler originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

When Draymond Green talks about his bond with Jimmy Butler, it’s not just about basketball — it’s about trust, care and a shared sense of purpose.

“We have a lot of mutual interests. We’re a lot alike,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke. “We are both the caregivers of people. And I think when you meet someone that’s trying to give you the care that you give others, it just hits home.”

Since Butler arrived in San Francisco, the two have built an easy chemistry — one that extends well beyond the locker room.

Off the floor, they’ve discovered just how much they have in common.

“We’re both great at dominoes, so that helps,” Green joked. “We both love wine. We both love to travel. We share a lot of mutual interests.”

Burke pointed out their shared competitive fire — but for Green, what really matters is the personal connection.

“The personal stuff is so much more important than the competitive,” Green explained. “It’s way easier to adjust to someone on the basketball court than it is to get along with a person.”

Green emphasized how that sense of understanding naturally carries into how he and Butler play together. The trust built off the court makes everything on it feel more instinctive.

“On the basketball court, he’s smart as hell, and I like to think I know a few things,” Green added. “We both make it easy to play with each other. It’s easy to understand each other — like we speak each other’s language.”

For Green, it’s simple — when the foundation is built on respect, the basketball takes care of itself.

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Botham’s beef over not enough cricket is latest broadside in ever-earlier Ashes silly season | Emma John

Lord Beefy has ruffled feathers with his comments on England’s schedule and he has a point – just not the one he thinks he’s making

It was a shock to hear, this week, that Ian Botham had launched a new podcast. But only because I had assumed he already had one. It seemed impossible that the life peer was the last purveyor of strong opinions to have no permanent platform on Acast. Perhaps he has simply been too content to vent: after all, Brexit is a triumph and cricket is racism-free.

But perhaps he was cannily waiting for the dadcasting trend to peak and usher in the age of the granddadcast. This new venture with his old Question of Sport buddy Bill Beaumont will, undoubtedly, appeal to a certain demographic (myself included) who grew up watching the pair josh with each other across a perennially indulgent David Coleman.

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Former NBA MVP Westbrook joins Sacramento Kings

Russell Westbrook looking on in a Denver Nuggets top
Russell Westbrook was NBA MVP for the 2016–17 season [Getty Images]

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook has signed with the Sacramento Kings, as he enters his 18th season.

The 36-year-old played the 2024-25 season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 75 games.

The nine-time All-Star signed for the Kings after becoming a free agent in June, once the Nuggets were eliminated in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Westbrook holds the NBA record for most triple-doubles with 203 and led the NBA in scoring in 2015 and 2017. He joins his seventh team since being drafted in 2008 by the Seattle Supersonics.

He has also played for the Houston Rockets, the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Russell embodies the identity we're striving for in Sacramento," said Kings general manager Scott Perry.

"His resume speaks for itself and I'm excited to work with someone so accomplished, who is fully committed to competing and winning. We expect him to strengthen our point guard position and provide leadership both on and off the court."

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Alexander Nikishin Scores First Career NHL Goal

Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin has scored his first career NHL goal, just four games into his regular season career.

The highly touted Russian blueliner has been close quite a few times, especially when he hit the goal post on a 2-on-1 on Tuesday, but he finally got his.

Early into the third period, Nikishin found some soft space in the slot as the Hurricanes' top line was going to work and Sebastian Aho quickly found the activating defenseman.

Nikishin made no mistake, rifling the puck past Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal and you could tell how much that first one meant to him.

Here's to many more, Niki!

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William Karlsson Scores Twice, Pavel Dorofeyev Scores Sixth Goal, Jack Eichel Nets Fifth And Golden Knights Top Boston Bruins, 6-5

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights got at least one point from 11 skaters Thursday night, led by William Karlsson's two goals, as Vegas defeated the Boston Bruins, 6-5.

"This was one of our more - it might sound funny - complete games, especially offensively," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I thought we were the better team most of the night. We gave up the first goal again, but answered right away. And then I thought we took it to Boston in a lot of different areas."

Vegas has given up the first goal in 15 straight games dating back to last postseason, through the preseason and over the first five games of the regular season.

"I thought the score was a little more complimentary than the game myself," Cassidy said. "I'm sure they may feel differently, but that's how I felt as a coach, and that's a good thing. That means we're moving in the right direction.

"Do we have some things to fix? Of course, you do. It's game five. It's the middle of October. We'll have things to fix for a while, but I'd like the direction the game went tonight. We're just going to keep emphasizing better starts. Some of that's puck management."

Jack Eichel became the first player in the NHL to hit double digits in points this season as he finished with a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening point streak to five games.

Eichel leads the league with 11 points, including five goals.

Captain Mark Stone finished with three assists, upping his season tally to a league-leading nine helpers.

Pavel Dorofeyev scored his sixth goal of the season and moved into a league-leading tie with Ottawa's Shane Pinto.

Cole Reinhardt scored his first goal as a Golden Knight, while Tomas Hertl also scored for Vegas.

"We got four lines that can do a lot of damage in various ways," defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. "I don't want to specify anyone, because everyone has some things that they do really well that other lines don't necessarily have their identity as, but they can all score and create problems down low, especially off the rush.

"I think we're a good team creating off the rush, especially when we're breaking pucks out well. And I've said it all the time, as long as we get our forwards going with possession out of our own zone, more often than not, they're going to do a great job creating up the ice and managing pucks."

Karlsson finished with two special teams goals, one short-handed goal near the end of the second period and a power-play goal early in the third. It was the latter that not only ended up being the game-winner, but that also moved him within one point of his 400th point as a Golden Knight.

Goaltender Akira Schmid improved to 3-0-0 after stopping 19 shots in what was his third appearance but just his second start of the season.

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Devils Celebrate 3-1 Victory Over Panthers In Home Opener

Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, and Nico Hischier scored, and the New Jersey Devils won their home opener, 3-1, against the Florida Panthers at Prudential Center on Thursday.

Evan Rodrigues scored Florida's lone goal, and Daniil Tarasov made 31 saves for the Panthers. 

"I felt we stayed with it," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "(It was a) funny game, lots of special teams, all that kind of stuff, especially in the early going, but we stayed with our game. We built our game as we went through. Power play finally came through after a ton of chances, so that was good. Penalty kill was outstanding, and we built our lead in the third period." 

Rodrigues opened the scoring at the 1:59 mark of the first period. Brad Marchand fired two quick shots on Allen before his linemate capitalized, scoring his fourth career goal against New Jersey.  

Jack Hughes tied it 1-1 with a power play goal at 5:48 of the second period. Devils team reporter Sam Kasan perfectly described the goal, "When puck carriers get near the goal line, goalies are taught to use the Reverse VH (down on a knee with body against the post). That leaves them vulnerable up high if you can make a great shot. Jack waits for Tarasov to drop and then picks the corner."

Jesper Bratt's primary assist on Hughes' goal marked the 300th of his NHL career. It ranks 10th all-time for franchise history behind Aaron Broten's 307 (ninth). 

Meier put the Devils in front 2-1 at 6:21, redirecting Simon Nemec's shot from the blue line. Brenden Dillon picked up the secondary assist. 

"I was hoping," Meier said postgame when asked if he thought Nemec was going to take that shot. "I think that is something we can work on. Get more pucks to the net and types of goals like that. More guys at the net to get more goals like this."

Nico Hischier extended the Devils' lead with his second goal of the 2025-26 campaign. Dawson Mercer showed tremendous effort, diving to poke the puck over to his linemate. 

"It was important to treat our fans to a good game, especially in the first one of the season," Meier continued. "I thought the guys got better as the game went on; it was impressive."

The Devils' next game is scheduled for Saturday afternoon against the Edmonton Oilers at Prudential Center. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Sabres' First Win Of Season Shouldn't Cause Buffalo Fans To Think Sabres Are Out Of The Woods

Ryan McLeod (left); Claude Giroux {right) -- (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA Today Images)

The Buffalo Sabres finally won a regular-season game Wednesday, beating the Ottawa Senators to get their record to 1-3-0. But if you think the Sabres are out of the woods now, think again. The Sabres are still going to have to play extremely hard to recover in the Atlantic Division standings.

Why? For one thing, lust look at the current standings position of the Senators team the Sabres just beat. Ottawa has put up a 2-3-0 record out of the skate, with the Sens being outscored 18-7 in those three defeats. So we know the Sabres weren’t taking on an elite Ottawa team Wednesday. 

The Sens will be a much better squad when they get star forward Brady Tkachuk back from injury, but as far as the Sabres go, they’d best believe Ottawa will give them a far tougher test than the one they had Wednesday.

These inter-divisional games are so important to win, so that was heartening for the Sabres. But they didn’t play a perfect game Wednesday. Far from it. Because even in a winning game against the Sens, they still gave up four goals. That means Buffalo has allowed 14 goals in its four games this season. And that’s not acceptable.

The margin for error in Buffalo is as thin as a wasp’s wing. But the biggest thing – as crazy as it sounds – is that the Sabres can’t get complacent. To get back in the race for a Stanley Cup playoff spot, they’re going to need many more wins to be in the playoff conversation. 

More Misery For Sabres As Buffalo Loses Third Straight Game To Start New SeasonMore Misery For Sabres As Buffalo Loses Third Straight Game To Start New SeasonAny way you want to frame it, losing three straight games to start the season is a disaster for the Buffalo Sabres. <a href="http://thn.com/buffalo">The Sabres</a>' third straight defeat came Monday at the hands of the <a href="http://thn.com/colorado">Colorado Avalanche</a> -- a legitimate Stanley Cup frontrunner -- and once again, offense was a problem for Buffalo.

Judging by last season, you need 40-44 wins just to get into a wild-card. So you can see why the road ahead is so tough for the Sabres. Their poor start to the current situation had fans anxious, but to be honest, they should still be anxious for this team for quite some time. It’s going to take a consistent effort to get this Sabres team across the finish line as a playoff team.

And if they can’t do it, change will be on the horizon in Buffalo. 

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Malkin Hits Two New Milestones Thursday In LA

Regardless of how the season shakes out for the Pittsburgh Penguins, there are sure to be a good bit of milestones courtesy of their future Hall-of-Famers.

And one of them has climbed two all-time lists with one goal.

On Thursday, 39-year-old center Evgeni Malkin scored a second-period power play goal against the Los Angeles Kings, which puts him at 515 for his career - tying him for 41st on the NHL's all-time list with Pierre Turgeon. 

In addition, Malkin tied Guy Lafleur for 29th on the NHL's all-time points list at 1,353. He is now just one point shy of tying Brendan Shanahan for 28th on the list.

Last season, Malkin became just the 48th player in NHL history - and fourth active player - to reach the 500-goal mark. He needs just four more goals to surpass Dale Hawerchuk for 40th all-time in goals.

  

Despite Healthy Scratches, 'Development Plan' Could Be Good Sign For Two Top Penguins' ProspectsDespite Healthy Scratches, 'Development Plan' Could Be Good Sign For Two Top Penguins' ProspectsEven if the Penguins sideline top prospects Brunicke and Kindel for "development," this strategic move signals a long-term commitment - possibly defying expectations of a return to juniors for both players.

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