The Chicago Blackhawks selected Nick Lardis in the third round, 67th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft. He then became a prolific goal scorer in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs.
In his final season with Brantford, Lardis scored 71 goals in 65 games played. This was a massive jump from the 29 goals he had one year prior. When the 71-goal season ended, it was clear that Lardis had a knack for finding the back of the net, but would it translate to pro hockey?
Lardis started this season with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, and he was one of their best rookies. In 35 AHL games, Lardis scored 18 goals. He also had two stints in the NHL, totaling 41 games, exactly half of the regular season.
In those 41 games, Lardis scored 10 goals. A 20-goal pace as a 20-year-old rookie, one who was selected in the third round, is excellent. His ability to score has followed him at every level. He won’t score 70 in the NHL, but becoming a solid contributor to their middle six is an incredible ceiling. His first year was outstanding for his development.
"I think I learned a lot,” Lardis said. “Not just on the ice, but also on how to be a pro off the ice. I think that's important. There are a lot of great leaders here, and even in Rockford, too, when I was down there. They showed me the ropes a little bit and how to be a consistent pro hockey player. I thought that was big, too."
Lardis knows that he has what it takes to be a great goal-scorer. He is ready to learn from this season and apply what he learns to his future. He also soaked in what he might need to do to improve as the years go by.
"I think a big thing for me in my first pro year is learning,” Lardis said. “I think there are a lot of little details that [Blashill] wants me and the other guys to improve on. I think for this summer, my overall strength, I want to be a lot stronger and win more puck battles next year, just making sure I'm winning a lot of battles and improving my strengths."
Being a double-digit goal scorer in 41 games played as a rookie is telling. As of now, it is hard to argue that he isn’t a top young goal-scoring player in the organization. That start to his career should give him the confidence to come in next year knowing for a fact he should be on the team. Once the games begin, he doesn’t have to wonder if he belongs because of his totals from the previous year.
"It helps, for sure,” Lardis said of reaching the 10-goal plateau, giving him more confidence. “But, I'm not going to think about it too much, honestly. I still believe in myself that I can be a great goal scorer in this league. It helps with confidence going into the summer. But next year, I'll have bigger goals. It just motivates me more to want to get more than 10 next year.”
Is Lardis a lock to make the team out of camp? That’s a lot to assume, but he will definitely be on the inside track coming into the preseason because of what he accomplished in his first year pro.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
When it comes to their trajectory, the Vancouver Canucks are in an interesting situation. On one hand, their potential is bolstered by a crop of talented young players all in their early 20s. On the flip side, their supposed ‘veterans’ are, for the most part, still slightly under 30, though the younger ‘veterans’ all have a good chunk of NHL games under their belt.
Max Sasson is one of a couple players who don’t quite fit into either of the two categories. While the 25-year-old did play in 29 games with the Canucks last year, he spent the majority of his time with the Abbotsford Canucks and played a key role in the team’s Calder Cup run back in June. The 2025–26 season was his first full stint in the NHL, during which he put up 13 goals — tied for sixth-most on the team — and six assists in 66 games. Having said that, since the start of the 2024–25 season, Sasson has played in some of the most games of all current Canucks; 162 in both the NHL and AHL.
A full off-season to properly rest and train will go a long way for him personally, Sasson explained during Friday’s end-of-season media availability.
“Last summer, I got home on July 1, and I was back here like August 20-something. So using this full off-season to obviously, you hear the answers that train and which obviously, 100%, I’m going to use this to be more mobile. I think there’s areas of my game that I can clean up with my wall play, my puck touches. I also think I can transform myself with this long off-season into more of a, I say NHL third-line body, where you’re not getting pushed off the puck as easy.”
One distinct characteristic of Sasson’s game through his first two NHL seasons has been the speed he can exhibit while cutting into the O-zone. It’s something that, despite being so noticeable, the forward believes he can still work on for the coming season.
“I want to continue to work on my speed. I don’t think you can ever be fast enough.”
Sasson’s speed went on full-display towards the back-end of the season, when he was moved to wing after playing mostly at centre. This slight shift in position is something that the forward isn’t entirely opposed to as his career progresses — if anything, he’s intrigued by it.
“I played a little bit of it last year here, but for the majority of my three seasons, I’ve been a centre, but yeah, I think I have embraced it. And I think there are chances for me to use more of my speed, especially maybe not having to work as hard in the D-zone, and maybe using my energy to push the pace up-ice and getting more foot races. Do I see that as a path forward? Honestly, I feel comfortable with both. However, I think in the second half, the majority of games were at the wing, and I think I proved that I probably can be a pretty good winger in this league.”
Jan 19, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Max Sasson (63) skates against the New York Islanders in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The mental side of the game is another part that Sasson is planning on working on during the off-season. Keeping focus on what’s going on internally is something that, he admitted, he has noticed more at the NHL level.
“I feel a lot of times that when guys are thinking a lot, and they have a lot going through their mind, you can see it on the ice. And when a guy’s playing free and playing with confidence, it’s very noticeable.”
Despite picking out a few things he’s hoping to work on this off-season, Sasson acknowledges that everyone on the team needs to put in the work in order for the team to keep themselves on the path to future success. Sure, Vancouver may be in the rebuilding stage of their process, but as Sasson said, that shouldn’t stop them from coming into training camp with a healthy level of compete.
“No player in here is thinking rebuild. We’re all going to train our butts off this summer and come into camp and try to compete for a playoff spot. But when you hear rebuild, I think you can think of some excitement and look around the league at some of the teams that have done it. And you know, you see Willy (Willander), you see Zeev, you see Öhgy (Öhgren), you see all these really young players. That should be exciting for fans to see, because the potential is endless with these guys. I think when, if [a rebuild]’s done right, you can be one of the best teams in the league.”
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 18: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 18, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES – Saturday’s Game 1 between the Lakers and Rockets saw the Crypto.com Arena crowd will the purple and gold to victory behind the unlikeliest of leading men.
Midway through the fourth with LA leading by 12, the Lakers ran an action to get their lead guard his fifth three of the night and put the nail in Houston’s coffin.
No, it wasn’t Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves, the high-scoring duo originally expected to lead LA in postseason scoring. With both stars still out, Luke Kennard stepped up huge, putting up a playoff career high of 27 points on 5-5 shooting from the 3-point line.
It started early for the Duke product playing in the 29th playoff game of his career. A sign of utmost respect, the Rockets attached arguably their best perimeter defender, Amen Thompson, to Kennard.
LA used multiple screens and actions to shake him free from the first-team All-Defense opponent. Watch below as he comes off an ATO, curling around a Deandre Ayton screen with Thompson in chase mode.
Known for his 3-point shooting, the 59% mid range shooter collects his first two points. A couple possessions later, he curls off another screen in the middle of the floor and drives with a pretty off-hand hook shot that softly banks in. He finished the first quarter with 12 points on 5-6 shooting.
A major question entering the series was how the Lakers’ guards would handle the on-ball pressure Houston presents, especially in lineups without LeBron James.
Even while committing three turnovers, Kennard provided much-needed shot creation and showed off his underrated handle. Watch below as he snake dribbles off the screen and hits a pull-up over Alperen Şengün in drop coverage.
He stayed aggressive, not only taking threes but seeking them, including one over Thompson’s contest shown below.
“I just liked that he was aggressive shooting threes,” head coach J.J. Redick said postgame. “He played a fantastic basketball game…he just played really aggressive tonight.”
While the Lakers can’t expect 27 points every night, they will need this level of assertiveness every game of the series to contend. He’s become a primary option and the gravity of his movement is a vital cog in the Lakers’ opening up shots for others.
It’s not a large sample size, but once Luka and Reaves went down, LA quickly moved Kennard up the hierarchy. The two-man game with LeBron has blossomed all season and continued Saturday as they surgically hunted mismatches of big man Şengün and young guard Reed Shepherd.
Kennard’s usage on the Lakers before the injuries was just 12.8%. In the final five games of the season, it jumped to 19%. On Saturday, it was a steady 20.2% as one of the main go-to scorers and facilitators.
The Rockets will likely make adjustments going forward, adding more aggressive coverages and mixing up defensive rotations. The Lakers reps have been building towards this moment, and he took full advantage of the opportunity, looking prepared to continue doing so.
“Honestly, I feel like those games leading up to right now, I developed a rhythm kind of playing in that role,” Kennard said post-game. “It gave me confidence going into the playoffs of doing more and being controlled, poised, and looking for my shot when I can. So tonight, there was no difference. Shots went in.
“Again, it’s just having that mentality of getting everybody organized when I can and then looking for the best shot available and just being aggressive.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 11: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 11, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Thunder defeated the Suns 136-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Josh Manson wasted no time setting the tone, flipping the switch on his physical game early and delivering a crushing reverse hit on Scott Laughton that sent the longtime Flyer sprawling to the ice in a heap. It was the kind of jolt that instantly raised the temperature inside the building.
Momentum briefly tilted Colorado’s way midway through the period when Los Angeles forward Jared Wright was whistled for slashing Gabriel Landeskog at 10:54, handing the Avalanche their first power play of both the afternoon and the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite a few controlled entries and some perimeter movement, Colorado couldn’t crack through, and the Kings’ penalty kill held firm.
13 minutes in, the game remained locked in a tight, scoreless battle, with the Avalanche holding a slight 5–3 edge in shots. By the end of the opening frame, nothing had changed on the scoreboard—still 0–0—but Colorado carried a bit more of the play, outshooting Los Angeles 9–5 while establishing an early physical and technical edge.
Second Period
The second period opened with an unintentional bit of comedy. Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin was still jawing at the officials after a whistle, clearly frustrated as he picked himself up off the ice. But when the replay hit the jumbotron, the crowd got the punchline—Dumoulin hadn’t been taken down by an Avalanche player at all. It was his own teammate who sent him tumbling, taking the edge off his argument in a hurry.
Colorado got another opportunity to seize momentum at 3:05 when Mathieu Joseph was called for interference on Jack Drury, handing the Avalanche their second power play. There was a little more bite this time—some net-front hacks, a couple of dangerous looks—but the finish still wasn’t there. The Avs slipped to 0-for-2, and you could feel a bit of frustration starting to creep in.
For Dumoulin, the period only got worse. Just over six minutes in, he went down awkwardly and stayed there, clearly in discomfort. After a pause, he needed help getting off the ice, favoring his lower body. It looked serious in the moment, though he would later return—an early scare in what had already been a rough stretch for him.
Then came the kind of sequence that leaves everyone shaking their heads.
In what felt like the latest installment of “What Exactly Is Goaltender Interference?”, Drury was tripped by Drew Doughty and sent crashing into Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg just as Logan O’Connor fired the puck into the net. The Avalanche celebrated what looked like a 1–0 lead—but the officials immediately waved it off. No goal. Interference.
Colorado challenged, hoping for a different outcome, but the ruling stood after review. Instead of a lead, the Avalanche found themselves shorthanded with a delay-of-game penalty. Confusion turned into frustration in a matter of seconds.
The chaos didn’t stop there. With 9:36 remaining, Artemi Panarin found himself staring at a wide-open net at the top of the crease, but in a split-second defensive play, Sam Malinski lifted his stick just enough to throw off the shot, sending it wide at the last possible moment.
Ten seconds later, the Avalanche were right back on the power play after Quinton Byfield tripped Nathan MacKinnon. It felt like another chance to finally break through—but it evaporated almost instantly. Just 41 seconds in, Martin Nečas was whistled for holding, and the ice tilted back to even strength.
Finally, the breakthrough came—and this one left no doubt.
With 4:31 to go in the period, MacKinnon threaded a slick pass to Artturi Lehkonen, who drove into space and snapped a shot past the outstretched right leg of Forsberg. Clean. Clinical. No debate this time.
After all the chaos, controversy, and missed chances, Colorado had its lead—1–0, and one that actually stuck.
At the end of 40 minutes of play, the Avalanche held a 1-0 lead with a 22-17 advantage in shots on goal.
Third Period
This time, it counted for Logan O'Connor. After taking a pass from Jack Drury, the hard-charging Av skated hard down the right wing, skated past a defender, and ripped a top shelf wrister that beat Forsberg and gave Colorado a 2-0 lead.
Texas Rangers lineup for April 18, 2026 against the Seattle Mariners: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Bryan Woo for the Mariners.
This is the final game of a long, grueling, ten game road trip.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Seager — SS
Langford — LF
Burger — 1B
Pederson — DH
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Smith — 2B
Jansen — C
3:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +120 underdogs.
Sunday brings another slate of playoff openers in the NBA, with some of the biggest young stars in the league seeing action tonight.
That includes both Paolo Banchero and Victor Wembanyama, both of whom I’m picking to have big games for their teams in my NBA player prop picks for tonight.
Keep reading to see my favorite NBA picks from Sunday, April 19.
Prop #1: Paolo Banchero Over 33.5 points + rebounds + assists
-115 at bet365
The Orlando Magic needed to win on Friday to finally clinch their playoff spot, doing so in style with a 121-90 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Paolo Banchero was at the heart of that victory, scoring 25 points and putting up 36 total PRA.
That’s nothing unusual for the Magic star, who averaged 35.8 PRA for the season and surpassed his total for tonight’s game in four of his last five regular-season games, including a 31-point, 37 PRA performance against the Detroit Pistons earlier this month.
Orlando will need more performances like that to have a chance in this series. I expect the Magic to lean heavily on Banchero, making him an excellent choice to hit his PRA total tonight and throughout the series.
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC
Prop #2: Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds
-130 at bet365
Victor Wembanyama put together perhaps his most complete season this year, playing 71 games and continuing to dominate defensively. Wembanyama averaged career highs of 25 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, all while the San Antonio Spurs have carefully limited his minutes, letting him play just under 30 per night.
We won’t see those kinds of restrictions or careful usage in the playoffs. Wemby finished the regular season strong on the boards, collecting 13+ rebounds in seven of his last eight.
There’s no reason to expect anything less from the 22-year-old now that the Spurs are pushing to make a deep playoff run, and I love Wembanyama’s rebounding Over tonight.
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC
Prop #3: De'Aaron Fox Over 1.5 made threes
-120 at bet365
De’Aaron Fox has been an important complementary piece for the Spurs this year, averaging 18.6 PPG on 48.6% shooting. That includes solid shooting from deep, hitting 33.2% of his threes for the season.
We saw Fox shoot more freely from deep in the final few games of the season, hitting 2+ from beyond the arc in each of his last three games.
And with the Portland Trail Blazers certain to focus on preventing Wembanyama from singlehandedly beating them, that should make it easier for Fox to get open and to fire away from deep. With his made threes total at a modest 1.5, I like the Over.
Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout!
Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!
Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review!
Sign Up Now atimg src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/2/bet365.svg" alt="bet365" width="100" height="28" style="vertical-align: middle;"
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 14: Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) sin the visitors' dugout during the MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and Houston Astros on April 14, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Last night the Colorado Rockies accomplished something that they took until August last season to do: defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies finished the 2025 season with a 2-11 record against their dreaded big brother in the National League West. With a win this afternoon the Rockies can not only cement at least a series split, but also tie their win total against them with plenty of season left to go.
Making the start for the Rockies this afternoon is the right-handed veteran Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen’s season has been extremely hot or cold thus far. He’s made it through five innings just once in four starts, and two of those starts got ugly fast. He currently holds the worst ERA on the team at 8.10 and is worth a rough -0.8 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference.
His last time out, Lorenzen pitched just 2.2 innings and faced 18 batters. He gave up seven runs—two of which were earned—with three strikeouts, one walk, and a balk.
Similarly struggling out of the gate this season is Roki Sasaki, who will be making the start for the Dodgers today.
The Japanese righty holds a 6.23 ERA over his first three starts. In 13 innings he has nearly half as many walks given up (10) and home runs allowed (3) that he yielded over 36.1 innings in his 2025 rookie season. His last outing came against the Texas Rangers, where he walked five batters compared to six strikeouts over four innings of work and gave up two earned runs on five hits.
The Rockies have never faced Sasaki before. Sasaki is currently utilizing a three pitch mix consisting of a four-seam fastball, a slider, and a split finger. Opposing batters have been hitting the fastball, which averages 97 MPH, at a .381 clip. However, he has gotten much better results from the slider and split finger. Both pitches currently carry a whiff rate over 30%.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 11: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves walks in the dugout before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Select folks in the Battery Power community (in our comments and Feed) and the FOX broadcast last night seemed to be of a similar mindset – underestimating the boys from Cobb County. Pitching matchups favoring PHI, the stars in their lineup on the verge of breaking out, and the home turf advantage / house of horrors disadvantage of Citizens Bank… some folks posited it would be understandable and okay if we left Pennsylvania with one win.
Yes, it’s an April series. Yes, we’ll see them again in less than a week when they come to town. But if we’re to wholeheartedly believe in these 2026 vibes and this league-leading run differential, it felt important to take care of business, particularly when it’s of the NL East variety.
And here we are: one run given up in 18 innings and poised to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies at their own ballpark. Let’s get greedy!
Following last night’s marquee matchup, Grant Holmes and Andrew Painter will face off tonight on Peacock.
It feels like we’re always saying this about our starters, but Holmes (1-1, 3.32 ERA) will really be looking for a bounceback outing after his last one. He was pretty vocal about his incredibly short leash against the Marlins (59 pitches in four innings, 24 for strikes). And to his point, things were looking good after three perfect innings… but a BABIP one from hell would end his day. Weiss, after smoothing things over with his pitcher, attributed some of it to the righty’s workload in his last start in Anaheim, where he threw 99 pitches.
Holmes last started against Philadelphia on April 5, 2025, where he went four, walked four, and fanned six in an eventual Braves loss. No one has more than 4 ABs against him, but the ones with a single hit to date are Adolis García, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh. Harper has walked twice.
Phillies #2 prospect and rookie Andrew Painter (1-1, 3.77 ERA) will toe the rubber for the other side, making his third career start. His last outing was five innings of one run ball, limiting Arizona to three hits, one walk and striking out seven. The kicker? It was all in relief – he did all of that after waking up with a gnarly migraine and throwing up several times before the matinee game. Despite the late scratch, he recovered enough to enter in the third and do his part, even if the Phillies would go on to lose 4-3.
Painter’s fastball can touch 97 mph while he mixes in sliders, sinkers, and curveballs. Don’t be surprised if he sprinkles in the occasional sweeper.
We’re hoping to see the Braves staff pitch out of their minds like they have so far. Should something happen to Holmes early, a well-rested bullpen awaits the call (likely minus Suarez, and Iggy’s status dependent on how he slept last night).
But a dominant offensive performance like Friday night’s would also be very welcome. Fresh in my mind is the Braves doing very little against a different stellar rookie in Cleveland’s Parker Messick. However, the Braves dinked and doinked three unearned runs on their way into delivering Cristopher Sanchez his first loss of the season, so truly anything feels possible.
Rayan Cherki scored one of the goals of the season but Gabriel had a game to forget and could have seen red
Gianluigi Donnarumma Nighmarish howler allowed Havert’s equaliser. Redemption – a little – came in the second period with point-blank save from the same player. 4
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres makes a catch and avoids a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 as he robs Yoán Moncada #10 of the Los Angeles Angels of a home run in the second inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 18, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres wasted no time putting one back into the win column with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels last night. It was a late-inning win with the Friars waiting to put up their first runs (and the first of the game) until the eighth.
Both starters pitched scoreless outings, with Germán Márquez going 5 2/3 innings while allowing only two hits. The Padres managed to get five men on base against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (4 H, 1 BB), but they couldn’t convert any into runs.
Overall, although a good win for the Friars, they seemed to be making it harder on themselves than they needed to. Jason Adam pitched the eighth inning in relief and allowed his first run of 2026. He gave up back-to-back singles before getting two outs. Then he struck out Nolan Schanuel to end the inning… until he didn’t.
Strike three was overturned for ball two and Schanuel singled to score the only Halos run of the game. Adam finally ended the inning by winning a seven-pitch battle against Jo Adell, inducing a groundout to Manny Machado. It was a nail-biter frame given that the Padres only had two runs at the time.
They scored two more in the top of the ninth to add insurance for Mason Miller. It was insurance he wouldn’t need (and hasn’t all season) despite having the first “rocky” outing of 2026. He gave up a hit to Yoán Moncada and a walk to Vaughn Grissom but kept his scoreless streak intact and now is tied for the lead in saves across MLB (7).
That might feel like a lot, but it’s an important backdrop for tonight’s rubber match as the Padres look for their fifth straight series win after dropping the first two of the year.
Taking the mound
Reid Detmers (LAA) v. Michael King (SD)
Detmers has been a solid starter for the Angels. If not for the emergence of José Soriano as an absolute ace, he would be the Halos best starter. He’s pitched to a 3.57 ERA and limited the New York Yankees to one run on four hits in his last start.
He’s done a good job of limiting walks, focusing on commanding his pitches well. The Padres have faced him sparingly, but in what they have seen, they’ve hit him quite well (.363 BA, 31 ABs). If they can wake up their bats tonight after a cold series (four runs scored), it should be an easy win.
That peaceful easy feeling is due mostly to who’s on the mound for San Diego. King’s return to bona-fide ace-dom has been a welcome one for the Friars. He’s authored a 2.78 ERA across 22 2/3 innings this season, limiting opponents to a .205 batting average.
King will look to continue that tonight against a relatively potent Angels lineup. Márquez stifled that lineup last night so King shouldn’t have trouble. But, if he does, the bullpen has enough availability to pick him up.
Batter up!
Freddy Fermin had an encouraging return to the lineup after a brief concussion scare. He went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored two runs. That being said, Luis Campusano will probably get the start in today’s game.
Nick Castellanos will also probably start with the lefty Detmers on the mound. His splits are much better against left-handers than Gavin Sheets. That would have the lineup looking like this:
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Miguel Andujar, DH
Nick Castellanos, 1B
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Andujar had a great day yesterday, going 2-for-3 against the Halos. He’ll probably start against Detmers given his splits are similar to Castellanos against left-handers.
Relief corps
The Padres spent all of their high-leverage options last night, using Adrian Morejon, Adam and Miller to record the final 3 1/3 innings. Morejon was his usual self, dominating the Angels.
Adam struggled somewhat, as did Miller (though calling Miller’s outing a struggle simply for allowing two baserunners for the first time this year is a little silly).
Tonight, the Friars will have Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez to turn to following King.
Miller could also come out to close given the off day tomorrow before the Padres’ series opener against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals continue their strong start to the 2026 season going for the sweep versus the Houston Astros Sunday afternoon. Matthew Liberatore (0-1 with a 4.29 ERA) starts for St. Louis and Mike Burrows (1-3 with a 6.54 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros. First pitch at 1:10pm.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks reacts during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you ever doubted the Knicks…
…you better get outta here.
Only three first-round postgame Bulletins coming after this one. You know the reason. Knicks in four.
"Whosever phone this is…when you get a text it interrupts the press conference…" pic.twitter.com/ljJp2Ux4KL
On the team’s sacrifice and depth: “We feel like the team is deep and anybody can get going at any time. For us, it’s about sacrificing and not worrying about shots, minutes or anything like that. Just try to go do what you can to help the team win.”
On Brunson’s Game 1 start: “It’s big. He stepped up to the plate like he should have done, and he hit some big shots for us early to help us get out front.”
On cleaning up transition defense: “Transition — they shook free in the first half and the way we chart it, they had 18 fast break points. We talked about it at halftime and we did a little better job in the second half.”
On defending Atlanta’s small-small pick-and-roll: “We did a nice job in the second half with our transition defense. Their small-small pick and roll also is a problem, and our guys did a pretty good job of defending that the right way in the second half.”
On handling Atlanta’s Hack-A-Mitch: “We’ll see how the game goes, and we’ll leave him in until we think we need to make a sub. And whenever we feel like we need to make a sub, we will. But we’re gonna give him a chance.”
On using the bonus to counter fouling: “If they wanna start fouling, then that would get us closer to the bonus. So it’s a time for us to go back to him.”
On OG Anunoby’s impact: “OG hit some big shots.”
On preaching sacrifice and Brunson’s command: “We have capable guys. We feel like this team is deep, and anybody can get going at any time. For us, it’s about sacrifice and not worrying about shots or minutes or anything. [Jalen] was good defensively; he was good commanding a double-team. It’s something we’re going to face the entire playoff, and we have to make sure we continue to be on point about it.”
On Towns’ second-half surge: “The ball went in for him in the second half.”
On playing through Towns early: “In the first half, he facilitated a lot. We played through him. He made some great passes for some easy buckets, and so we’re just trying to mix it up for him.”
On Mike Brown’s coaching: “Intense, smart, challenges us as players. Makes some really good adjustments. His communication throughout the year has been really good with us. From meetings, talking to us, finding out what we see, doing different things (based on player feedback). He’s done an amazing job.”
On Brunson’s breakout in Utah: “It wasn’t like he wasn’t on the scouting report, but I don’t think us as a team thought he was going to perform the way that he did. It was like his coming-out party. He was just busting our ass, for real.”
On OG Anunoby’s ankle and spiritual healing: “We need OG out here, so we’re gonna make it happen. He came over to the bench and asked me if I could do (the spiritual healing) for his ankle; then he sat over there for a second, came back in the game and finished the game. Like I said, we need him on the floor so whatever I gotta do to keep it going… sprinkle a little magic on him.”
On facilitating early in Game 1: “I wanted to make sure get them going early and facilitate.”
On reading Atlanta’s game plan: “I wanted to know — they had a week of practice — to see what their game plan was. Seeing the pressure, when you’ve got someone like [Brunson] and the amazing teammates we’ve got, I wanted to make sure to get them going early.”
On team trust: “We’ve got an amazing team that, not only our starting five, but everyone on the team could impact winning and can go out there and do an amazing job. So, just us continuing to trust each other and us going out there as a team and winning as a team is the most important thing.”
On his father returning to the Garden: “To have someone who I would say is the most important person in my life, it’s really awesome to be able to have him back in Madison Square Garden supporting me. I feel like any son out there who plays basketball or plays any sport, you get to see your father there at your competition, you always have a sense of pride, and you want to make him proud.”
.@JLEdwardsIII "4 years ago today you scored 41 for Dallas vs Utah…Jordan Clarkson said he thought that was your coming-out party" … Jalen Brunson "Everyone sees that but 1st couple years…chipping away…every day…summer…[then] opportunity…stay ready…v thankful…my… pic.twitter.com/28H5kOUCqs
On the Game 1 win: “It was a hard-fought win. It was physical. It was a grind-it-out game.”
On fighting through highs and lows: “It’s really important, you never know what’s going to happen. There’s going to be highs and lows of a season, highs and lows of a game, and to be able to fight through and still find a way to impact, is very important for us, especially this point of the season.”
On growing chemistry with Towns: “The longer we’re on the court together, our chemistry’s better. I think we’ve grown as teammates, grown as friends.”
On moving past the McCollum incident: “It wasn’t purposeful, so we move forward.”
On the second-half defense: “I feel like they were getting out and they were winning a space battle (in the first half), getting open, getting to their spots and I feel like in the second half, we really cut that off. We made catches difficult, and we got to loose balls.”
On the need for steady defensive consistency: “Every single night. It’s nonnegotiable; we have to bring it every single night and be locked in.”
OG Anunoby twisted his ankle and asked to come out of the game.
Declined treatment from a trainer, re-tied his left shoe.
Here’s Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado using ancient forgotten healing methods on him: pic.twitter.com/qSLGE50m9Z
On his ankle: “It’s OK. I just rolled it; it just happened.”
On his performance: “I think I played good. I could always be better.”
On improving for Game 2: “Everything.”
"He's going to have quarters where he gets going"
Quin Snyder talks about Jalen Brunson's big first quarter and the Hawks' defensive strategy against him moving forward in this series: pic.twitter.com/uqO14Igqdf
On the Towns matchup: “That’s a challenge for us right now. It’s a little bit of pick your poison, you know? How do you handle him on the post with a mismatch? Do you just guard him? How do you handle pick and roll? How do you handle him and Brunson on pick a roll? I think for us to be prepared for all those situations, you can adjust every time down the court. Obviously, we will be doing that. That’s no secret. That’s what, you know, great offensive players demand.”
On Atlanta’s center depth: “We picked up Tony Bradley [who was on] our G-league team last year. Mo Gueye has been playing the five, which hasn’t been his primary position this year and then obviously spent time guarding [KAT]. So hopefully we can do a better job guarding him than we have. There’s times where it’s good defense, better offense. One of the biggest things is we’ve got to keep him off the foul line. There’s some ways that he scored against us I think are real. Trying to focus on that and make him do something different. I say that he can do a lot of things that are different, so we’ll just lock in, try to make it work.”
On Towns’ rebounding and pick-and-roll: “He’s always just been a gifted scorer. I think the thing that maybe gets overlooked a little bit at times is his rebounding. That’s another layer to it, because even when you feel like you’ve impacted him and he doesn’t score, he’s on the glass. The situations that he’s in [in New York] are a little different, especially the pick and roll with Brunson. That’s a layer that it’s hard to deal with when you have two players that are that gifted individually and then, when they’re connected as well, it presents more problems.”
On guarding Towns on the perimeter: “Like any player in the league, they get better as they’re in the league, but I think having him in trail as much as he is and the range that he has, those closeout situations — if they’re long, you think you’re on them and then you realize they’re seven feet tall, you’re not. Then you think you’ve done a good job at that, and he makes a quick read and jabs, shot fakes and goes around you. So do your best. But I think he’s gotten better.”
On not manipulating playoff seeding to face the Knicks: “That was completely bogus — our focus was totally on us coming into [the season finale]. If we were fortunate enough to be playing in the playoffs, I think that was the goal for us, and then to be healthy. We had lost Jock a short time prior to that, too. The focus for us was on our health. There was no easy matchup, and we weren’t concerned about that as much as we were ourselves.”
CJ McCollum accuses Jalen Brunson of flopping
and the president of the players union would never make false accusations much less do anything dirt— pic.twitter.com/Qij4lF6x3w
On the technical and Brunson’s reaction: “I shot a jumper, and Jalen thought we were at a Broadway show. He acted it out until they reviewed it. It’s a normal jump shot. Nothing there. Unnecessary, and I look forward to getting my $2,500 [fine] back.”
Danny Green, a three-time NBA champ (who won a title with OG Anunoby), backed off his prediction of Knicks winning the East because of “rumblings” of a fractured team.
Here’s what Green said in media conference call yesterday with ESPN, where he works as an analyst:
On the Knicks’ late-season form dooming them: “Simply because the fact that the Knicks this year, especially late in the season, they looked very up-and-down. They looked like they were disconnected. The chemistry wasn’t there.”
On rumblings of a players-Brown clash: “There are rumblings about some guys don’t like Mike Brown or work with the coaches. There are rumblings that some guys are feeling they’re not getting touches or there’s over usage of Jalen Brunson. That seems to me like a team that could self-implode.”
On giving Boston the edge: “Originally at the beginning of the year, I had the Knicks. The Knicks probably had the highest expectation, the most pressure on them. They made it to the Eastern Conference finals last year. Indiana dropped out with injuries. Boston had dropped down with injuries but came back, and they’ve been playing well even without Jayson Tatum for most of the year. Detroit is good. They’re just young and inexperienced. That’s why I couldn’t give the edge to Detroit. Boston and New York have to face each other in that second round at some point. The winner of that matchup is the one that’s going to get to the Finals. Right now, I’m giving the edge to Boston, even though the Knicks have played well against Boston.”
LeBron James, during his illustrious NBA career, has played in more than 1,900 games. He’s said the craziest thing probably happened in his latest one – in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets, 107-98, in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series Saturday, April 18.
In the second quarter, James shared the court with his son Bronny for four minutes. It’s the first time a father and son have played together in an NBA playoff game.
"That’s probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in my career," James, a four-time NBA champion, told reporters after the game. "It was just so cool to be out there with him, and his brother and his sister and his mom in the building. And his grandma.
"You know, like, that’s just insane. You know, like, my mom get to watch her son and grandson during the playoffs. Now that’s crazy,"
Statistically, it was not a memorable four-minute stretch for Bronny James. He had a turnover and two personal fouls and did not attempt a shot.
Now in his second NBA season, Bronny James scored double figures in three of the Lakers’ final six regular-season games. He averaged 2.9 points in 42 games during the regular season.
His father turned in a a scintillating playoff performance in the first game of the best-of-seven series against the Rockets. LeBron James had 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds while helping the Lakers overcome the absence of Luke Doncic and Austin Reaves, both who missed the game because of injuries.
Strategy and coaching decisions are a big factor when the playoffs roll around, and line-matching plays a crucial role in taking advantage of your opponent.
As massive underdogs against the Colorado Avalanche, the Los Angeles Kings and interim head coach D.J. Smith will need to take line-matching seriously and give it careful consideration.
Offensively, the Avalanche's top-three forward lines can really inflict damage. With Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas on the top line, Brock Nelson on line No. 2, and Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog listed on the third line, Los Angeles will need to spread out its defensive expertise.
So Smith should be asking himself, 'Who will be matching up with MacKinnon, Nelson and Kadri?' Luckily for the Kings, especially the centers on the team, they thrive in a shutdown assignment.
Colorado's top-three centers are met with Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield, and newcomer Scott Laughton.
Laughton will likely get the assignment of looking after Kadri when the two third lines meet on the ice. Kadri and Laughton both share a nasty and physical edge to their individual games, which could create a fiery matchup.
More importantly, Laughton excels in the defensive side of the game, particularly in the faceoff dot and on the penalty kill. Among players who take faceoffs regularly, Laughton leads the team in faceoff percentage at 59.4 percent.
That just leaves two-time Selke Trophy winner Kopitar and Byfield to supervise MacKinnon and Nelson.
Based on overall defensive talent, Kopitar would have the edge on Byfield with the aforementioned awards and legacy that the Kings captain has imposed.
However, there's a little more to it when dealing with the Rocket Richard Trophy winner and Hart Trophy candidate, MacKinnon. And one of MacKinnon's biggest assets is speed, which would make Byfield a sensible matchup for the Avalanche superstar center.
Byfield has proven to be not only one of the best skaters on the Kings but in the entire NHL. According to NHL Edge, Byfield is in the 98th percentile in speed bursts over 20 mph and skating distance. He's also ranked in the 89th percentile for max skating speed, reaching 23.16 mph against the Chicago Blackhawks back in December.
Furthermore, next to Byfield are Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere, who are both very strong skaters. That'll be key when MacKinnon is likely paired with Necas on the top line, also a speedster who reached 100 points for the first time in his career this past regular season.
Nathan MacKinnon (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
That leaves an appropriate matchup of Kopitar's line going up against Nelson's line. Kopitar and Nelson are a bit slower and are aging, with Kopitar being 38 years old and Nelson being 34.
Aside from the idea of shutting down the opposition, putting Kopitar's line with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe on his flanks could benefit the Kings offensively. Reports say that Nelson is joined by Valeri Nichushkin, who is a strong offensive player but not known for his two-way game, and Parker Kelly, who has spent most of the year on Colorado's bottom six.
In the end, the home team's coach will have the upper hand in terms of getting the matchup they like, but it's always fascinating to see specific assignments.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Paolo Banchero
Victor Wembanyama
