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Canadiens: Dobes Shines In Big Win

After a disappointing loss against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, Martin St-Louis decided to go back to the drawing board for the second game of the back-to-back, and it was with different lines that his Montreal Canadiens took on the Winnipeg Jets. Before puck drop, the organization took the time to honour former blueliner Andrei Markov, a man who bled red, white and blue, but we’ll discuss this in a separate article.

Unimpressed by his team’s defensive play against Ottawa, the coach felt it was time to make some adjustments to maximize his chances of having effective five-man units on the ice at all times. Juraj Slafkovsky was back with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, while Zachary Bolduc went from the top line to the fourth one. As for Brendan Gallagher, he was back with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson, while Alexandre Texier got a first top-six look. As for Florian Xhekaj, he made way for Jared Davidson, who completed a line with Joe Veleno and the aforementioned Bolduc.

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Confidence Starts In The Net

Jakub Dobes was back in the net on Wednesday night, and the way he handles himself between the pipes is quite different from that of Samuel Montembeault. He’s clearly more confident and moving much better. Even if it’s not always elegant, his desperation dive to one side after colliding with Jonathan Toews was spectacular. While he arrived before the shot, he still managed to recover and freeze the puck when it fell in the crease.

His glove hand is sharp, and he doesn’t have the same issue as the Becancour native when it comes to long-range shots. His puck tracking was also excellent, and he doesn’t end up on the wrong side of wraparounds.

In the first frame, he stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced, and the one that went in came from yet another defensive breakdown. Mark Scheifele walked right into the slot with nobody even attempting to cover him. He had all the time in the world to pick his spot to beat the Czech goalie.

Throughout the game, he made multiple saves, including some key ones late in the third and in overtime, before not allowing a single goal in the shootout. He did everything he could tonight, and he’s a massive part of the reason why the Canadiens skated away with the two points. It's also worth mentioning that he communicates with his player very well, whenever a defenseman was pinching and no one was going back to cover for him, you could hear Dobes smacking the ice with his stick until the situation was corrected.

A Winning Second Frame

For the first time in what felt like forever, the Canadiens actually finished the second frame with a positive differential, scoring two goals and only allowing one. That’s not to say it was a perfect frame, though. The young Habs are still prone to panic when things go awry, for instance, when they had to defend with one less stick, the Jets knew precisely how to take advantage, passing the puck around until they were dizzy to take a temporary 2-1 lead.

But, still, there were more good than bad plays in the middle frame; the power play only needed less than 30 seconds to score the Habs’ first goal of the game, thanks to a perfect tic-tac-toe passing play completed by Slafkovsky.

As for the second goal, it was achieved thanks to Demidov’s combativeness. He chased the puck that was sent in deep by his linemate, battled hard with Josh Morrissey, outmuscled him and sent a perfect pass to Kapanen, who sent in a one-timer. It wasn’t the first fantastic set-up done by Demidov, but he finally converted on that one. With his eighth goal of the season, the Finnish forward rejoins Matthew Schaefer as the joint leader in goals scored amongst rookies. Meanwhile, the pass allows Demidov to join Beckett Senecke in the rookie scoring race and to reclaim sole lead in assists.

That build-up didn’t go unnoticed by the coach, who said:

When he’s involved physically, winning a battle, that’s a situation where you need to use your body, and he’s good at using his edges when there’s not a lot of space and to use a bit of physicality. If you want to produce in this league, you’ve got to be involved physically; you can’t be afraid of robust play.
- St-Louis on Demidov

Tonight, the young Russian spent 19:29 on the ice, by far the most ice time he has ever had, and he thrived with the added time. You can’t rush a young player’s development, but at the same time, it’s apparent that he’s so much further along than Slafkovsky was in his first season; it’s impressive to see.

A Big Fight For Xhekaj

After being criticized by some outlets for not fighting Kurtis MacDermid in Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, Arber Xhekaj dropped the gloves on Wednesday and took on Jets’ captain Adam Lowry. If the gritty defenseman has had trouble with winning his fights lately, it wasn’t the case tonight as he easily won the decision and skated away while pumping up the crowd.

He was still the blueliner St-Louis used the least, playing 13:41, but he had a solid game:

He played a good game, just like he did in the last game. That’s what we want, for him to give us quality minutes. When he does that, it forces us to give him more minutes. I’m happy with his game, and the fights and that, that’s his job, and it’s not an easy one, but he did it very well.
- St-Louis on Arber Xhekaj

This 3-2 shootout win will be great for the Canadiens’ collective confidence, but also for Dobes, who really stood out. With another back-to-back on the horizon this weekend, it will be interesting to see which goaltender gets to play the Maple Leafs in Toronto and who will take on the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre on Sunday.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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Panthers set to host Nashville looking to break out of recent funk

The longest homestand of the season is not going particularly well for the Florida Panthers.

Over the past week, Florida has dropped each of the first three matchups on their season-long six game homestand, one that continues on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators.

When adding the Cats’ 6-3 loss to Edmonton that occurred a couple weeks ago to the mix, the Panthers home losing streak is stretched out each of their past four games.

It’s a less-than-ideal situation considering Florida is already navigating the season without a plethora of key players, including captain Sasha Barkov, emotional leader Matthew Tkachuk, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and forwards Eetu Luostarinen, Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich and Cole Schwindt.

Entering play on Thursday, the Panthers are in the unfamiliar spot of dead last in the Eastern Conference.

Florida holds a 12-12-1 record through 25 games, sitting five points back of third place in the Atlantic Division and six points behind the second Wild Card spot.

The longer it takes for the Cats to snap back into gear, the more difficult it will be for them to leapfrog half the conference to climb back into a postseason position.

One positive for the Panthers is that they should have Carter Verhaeghe back in the lineup after he missed Tuesday’s loss to Toronto to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

Another plus is that Florida will be playing Nashville, one of the three Western Conference clubs with less points than the Panthers.

This will be the second and final meeting between the Cats and Preds this season following Florida’s 8-3 dismantling of Nashville last Monday.

We’ll see if Florida can recapture some of the moxie they showed that night when the two teams lock horns Thursday in Sunrise.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s party with the Predators:

Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

Jesper Boqvist – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer

Noah Gregor – Jack Stucnicka – Luke Kunin

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Nov 24, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Donovan Sebrango (6) skates with the puck against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)

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Shaikin: It's past time to elect Fernando Valenzuela to the Hall of Fame

Fernando Valenzuela with children dressed in Mexican outfits during a Dodger clinic in East Los Angeles on May 16 1981.
Fernando Valenzuela brought many new fans, young and old, to baseball. (Rick Meyer / Los Angeles Times)

In 2023, the Dodgers finally retired the number 34, worn with distinction by Fernando Valenzuela. It had been 42 years since the season of Fernandomania, 26 years since Valenzuela last threw a pitch in the major leagues.

Better late than never. The Dodgers generally do not retire the numbers of players not selected for the Hall of Fame, but it is never too late to do the right thing.

On Sunday, a committee is set to vote on whether Valenzuela should be admitted to the Hall of Fame. To the committee members: We commend Valenzuela to you with that same adage — it is never too late to do the right thing.

“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” said longtime Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, himself a Hall of Famer.

“The Hall of Fame is a special, special place, of course. But, what Fernando did for baseball, very few have done.”

Eight players are on the ballot, given a second chance at Cooperstown after the Baseball Writers Assn. of America passed on them all: Valenzuela, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Gary Sheffield.

The 16-person committee includes seven Hall of Famers, two owners (the Angels’ Arte Moreno is one), four former general managers, two writers and one statistician. Each committee member can vote for up to three players; 12 votes are required for election.

By the numbers alone, Valenzuela’s candidacy is borderline. Sandy Koufax or Clayton Kershaw, he was not.

Still, of the 90 pitchers in the Hall, according to Baseball Reference, Valenzuela had a better earned-run average (3.54) than 11 of them. One of them, Jack Morris, had a 3.90 ERA. He was elected by a committee just like the one that will consider Valenzuela.

Morris was a workhorse and five-time All-Star best known for one game: a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. But Valenzuela, a workhorse, Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star, threw a 147-pitch complete game in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series, with the Dodgers at risk of losing the first three games of the series. The career postseason ERA for Valenzuela: 1.98. For Morris: 3.80.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Jaime Jarrín discusses Vin Scully, Fernando Valenzuela and Muhammad Ali

If you’re evaluating Valenzuela on the numbers alone, you’re missing half the story, and the legacy of a player that transformed a city and a sport.

The Dodgers built their stadium on land that was previously home to three Latino neighborhoods. The city of Los Angeles had envisioned grand housing projects there and kicked out the residents, long before the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn. The projects never were built, but many Latinos considered the destruction of the neighborhoods and removal of the residents as something of the Dodgers’ original sin and vowed never to set foot inside Dodger Stadium.

Until 1981, that is, when a shy, modestly pudgy and virtually anonymous Mexican 20-year-old showed up, looked to the heavens before every pitch, and started his rookie season with eight consecutive victories, including seven complete games and five shutouts.

That was the origin of Fernandomania.

Shohei Ohtani lures baseball fans from everywhere. Valenzuela lured humans from everywhere.

“People who hadn’t really thought about baseball, or Dodger Stadium,” said Peter O’Malley, who became the Dodgers’ president in 1970 and then owner from 1979-1998. “Suddenly, they were coming. They were flying from all over to see him.

Los Angeles, CA - 1980: Starting pitcher Fernando Valenzuela #34 of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fernando Valenzuela looks up before throwing a pitch. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Los Angeles Times)

“He captured the imagination of everyone. It was the most exciting time for me on my watch.”

If they didn’t come to Dodger Stadium, they came to see him somewhere else. President Reagan invited Valenzuela to a White House event with the president of Mexico.

“He was able to create such interest in baseball — not only in the Dodgers, but baseball in general,” Jarrín said. “In St. Louis. In Atlanta. In New York. In Chicago. They went wild when Fernando was throwing — 10,000 extra people at the ballpark when he was pitching.”

The Dodgers hurriedly set up a radio network in Mexico, so Jarrín’s broadcasts of Valenzuela’s games could be heard south of the border.

And talk about bringing the city together: In Los Angeles, half the television sets in use were tuned to a Valenzuela start on one Friday night, 60% on one Sunday, The Times reported.

“It was like watching the pope,” actor Danny Trejo said in the Times’ 12-part Fernandomania @ 40 documentary series. It’s worth watching, especially if you are one of the committee members voting Sunday.

The series did not focus on interviews with players, or with fans. Valenzuela’s impact on the community was told largely through the words of a playwright, a filmmaker, a historian, an actor, a singer, a songwriter, and a mayor.

Said O’Malley: “He has never gotten the credit he deserves for the impact he made on baseball — not just on the Dodger organization, but on Mexican baseball, international baseball, and the community.”

Read more:Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela, who changed MLB by sparking Fernandomania, dies at 63

Valenzuela belongs in the Hall of Fame because his legacy outlasted his career.

The Dodgers did not draw 3 million fans in any of their first 20 years in Los Angeles. They drew 3.6 million in Valenzuela’s first full season, 3.5 million in his second, and now 3 million is a disappointment rather than an aspiration.

Jarrín said the Dodgers’ Latino fan base had grown from “8, 9, 10%” when he started calling their games in 1959 to close to 50% now.

And, when Valenzuela debuted, O’Malley said international baseball was “a nonexistent subject” in league meetings. In the wake of a World Series that set record ratings in Canada and Japan, and in anticipation of the World Baseball Classic three months away, Valenzuela’s election to the Hall of Fame would be not only worthy but entirely fitting.

Fernando Valenzuela in 1982.
Fernando Valenzuela in 1982. (George Rose / Los Angeles Times)

The Hall of Fame includes players born in Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands and Venezuela.

Valenzuela would be the first player from Mexico. The Hall of Fame’s motto: “Preserving history, honoring excellence, connecting generations.” Who better fits?

“A whole nation is very aware of the Hall of Fame,” Jarrín said. “I’m sure they would declare a holy day on the day Fernando gets in.”

And we know what we would say: If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky.

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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Wilfried Nancy’s move to Celtic means as much for MLS as it does for him

New Celtic manager may not be a big name but he won over the US league with leadership style and attractive football

Other managers won more in Major League Soccer than Wilfried Nancy. Bruce Arena, say, certainly has a fuller trophy cabinet. Nancy, however, lifted more than just trophies. He lifted standards. At Columbus Crew, he set a benchmark for the rest, showing what was possible even with limited resources. Columbus didn’t have Lionel Messi or Son Heung-min, but they had Nancy as head coach, and that was often enough.

For the past three seasons, the Crew have been the most dynamic, boundary-pushing team in MLS. Nancy’s CF Montreal team weren’t bad either, establishing the style of play that would come to be known as Nancyball. He changed MLS’s managerial landscape for ever. It was only a matter of time until a call came from Europe.

Continue reading...
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Bruins must fix this glaring issue ASAP to remain in playoff race

Bruins must fix this glaring issue ASAP to remain in playoff race originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have exceeded expectations to this point in the 2025-26 NHL season. Many experts and analytics models predicted the B’s would miss the playoffs for the second year in a row and possibly even finish among the bottom 10 teams again.

While that scenario could still play out, making the playoffs is actually a realistic goal for this group.

The Bruins are one of three teams tied for third place in the Atlantic Division. The early-season struggles of the Toronto Maple Leafs and two-time defending champion Florida Panthers have made the division race pretty competitive. First place and sixth place are separated by just seven points as of Thursday morning.

If the Bruins are going to remain in the playoff race until the end, there are a couple things that must improve ASAP, and one of them is overall team defense.

The Bruins are making their goaltenders’ jobs much tougher than it needs to be with the way they’re defending.

For example, the Bruins have allowed the most shot attempts (1474) of any team at even strength. They’ve also given up the fifth-most shots on net (667), the fourth-most high-danger chances (300) and the second-most scoring chances (696) at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick.

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Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit was a good example of Boston’s lackluster defense.

The B’s allowed 31 scoring chances at even strength, their fifth-highest in any game this season. They also allowed 13 high-danger chances during even strength play, and the Red Wings scored on three of them. It was a particularly tough game for veteran defenseman Andrew Peeke.

So if the Bruins are defending so poorly, how are they still in the playoff race?

Well, their special teams have been strong. They have the sixth-best power play and the eighth-best penalty kill.

Jeremy Swayman also has improved a lot after his disappointing 2024-25 campaign. The star goaltender went 8-2-0 with a .935 save percentage in November.

He also ranks No. 2 among all goalies with 17.1 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. He has given up 50 goals with an expected goals against of 67.1 through 18 appearances. This means he’s bailing out a lot of the defensive mistakes that the Bruins are making in front of him.

Swayman didn’t play well Tuesday against the Red Wings, but overall, he’s been one of Boston’s top players.

The loss of Charlie McAvoy is a tough setback for the Bruins’ defense. He’s an elite top-pairing defenseman who plays in all situations. Henri Jokiharju also missed Tuesday’s game, and Mike Callahan left in the first period with a lower body injury. But even with these injuries, the Bruins should not be this bad defensively.

The Bruins have been better offensively than expected and currently rank 11th in even-strength goals, in addition to their top-six power play. They are also getting a bounce-back season from Swayman. Many of the ingredients for a playoff push are present, but the defense must improve or the losses could start to pile up.

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Longtime MLB coach, manager Ron Washington finalizing deal to join Giants' staff

Longtime MLB coach, manager Ron Washington finalizing deal to join Giants' staff originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — There’s never been a Major League manager with less experience than Tony Vitello, but the Giants are on the verge of adding another coach to his staff who will fill some of the gaps as he makes the transition from Tennessee to the big leagues.

During an appearance on KNBR on Thursday morning, general manager Zack Minasian confirmed a USA Today report that the organization is finalizing a deal with longtime coach and manager Ron Washington, giving Vitello another experienced voice, and giving the Giants one of the best infield coaches around. 

Washington, 73, was most recently the manager in Anaheim, where Minasian’s brother is the general manager. He has 10 years of big league managing experience with the Angels and Texas Rangers and has been a coach for the Athletics and Atlanta Braves. 

The Giants still are in the process of finalizing exact roles for their incoming coaches, and Minasian said it’s possible Washington gets in the mix as third base coach. But at the very least, he will coach up the infielders, and few have ever been better at that. With Washington and Ron Wotus in the organization, the Giants will have two of the most respected infield coaches in the industry. 

Minasian said Washington’s name was brought up by Vitello, who is putting the finishing touches on his first big league staff. He also will lean on Jayce Tingler, who has been hired in a to-be-announced role. Tingler has previous big league managing experience, as well. 

The Giants also have Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker on hand as advisors. Between those two, Washington and Wotus, and Tingler, there will be no shortage of experienced minds around to help Vitello navigate his first season. Minasian said the entire group will get together for the first time at next week’s Winter Meetings and the Giants hope to officially announce their hires in the coming days. 

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Antetokounmpo injured as Bucks beat Pistons

Giannis Antetokounmpo sits on the floor of the court with a pained expression on his face after picking up an injury
Giannis Antetokounmpo was a first round pick for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2013 NBA draft [Getty Images]

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 113-109 despite losing the NBA's two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo to injury early in the match.

Antetokounmpo, 30, fell to the floor in the third minute and had to be helped off court by his team-mates.

The Bucks trailed by 18 points in the first quarter, but fought back at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum to claim just their second win in 10 games.

Kevin Porter Jr registered 26 points for the Bucks, with Ryan Rollins adding 22 and AJ Green scoring 11 of his 19 in the fourth quarter to fuel the comeback.

"It was a hell of a win," Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said.

"We get down early, miss wide open, great shots, but we just couldn't get anything to fall.

"And Giannis gets hurt... to fight back, it just shows a lot of stuff about this team."

Detroit remain top of the Eastern Conference after their fifth loss of the season, with Milwaukee sitting 10th.

The Bucks initially thought Antetokounmpo had strained his right calf, but are awaiting confirmation after the Greek power forward had an MRI scan.

Before the match, rumours had emerged via ESPN that Antetokounmpo was "mulling his future" with the franchise.

But Rivers said there had been "no conversations" about a possible trade.

Elsewhere, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard combined for 48 points to help the Los Angeles Clippers end a five-game losing streak with a 115-92 win at the Atlanta Hawks.

Jamal Murray scored a season-high 52 points as the Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers 135-120 in Indianapolis.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo leaves Bucks game with right calf strain, undergoes MRI

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the talk of the NBA on Wednesday, but the reason he was on everyone's lips Wednesday night was different and very concerning.

Antetokounmpo fell to the ground, grabbing his calf during the first quarter on Wednesday against the Pistons. He eventually was helped up, limped back to the locker room and did not return with what the Bucks said was a calf strain. Coach Doc Rivers said postgame that Antetokounmpo was undergoing an MRI but they did not believe he damaged his Achilles tendon.

The incident happened just a couple of minutes into the game. Antetokounmpo drove the baseline against Jalen Duren before finding AJ Green with a pass for a lay-up. Antetokounmpo started to run back up court, appeared to slip on a wet spot, fell, and then grabbed his calf. After the game, Rivers said he thought it was the contact with a Pacers defender when Antetokounmpo drove the baseline that caused the injury.

Antetokounmpo missed the 2024 playoffs due to a left calf strain.

This injury came on the day news leaked that Antetokounmpo and his agent met with the Bucks’ front office to discuss his future with the now 10-13 team (which beat the Pistons despite Antetokounmpo's absence). That sparked rounds of Antetokounmpo trade talk both around the league and among fans. Rivers, for his part, said that there had been no conversations along those lines.

"Giannis has never asked to be traded — ever," Rivers said, via the Associated Press. "I can't make that more clear."

That talk took a back seat on Wednesday night to concerns about Antetokounmpo's health.

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Knicks Notes: Karl-Anthony Towns dominates Hornets, Josh Hart's return to starting lineup

After failing to ward off the Celtics in Boston on Tuesday, the Knicks were not going to let the same happen against the Hornets at home the next day.

Although the Hornets pulled within three after a one-sided second quarter, the Knicks hunkered down and took care of business, defeating Charlotte 119-104 on Wednesday night. 

New York started the second quarter up 15 points, but by the end of the first half, they had just a six-point lead. On the second of a back-to-back, the Knicks could have let the Hornets' get to them, but Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns weren't going to have it. Brunson scored 26 points on 56 percent shooting, a nice bounce back from his season-low performance against the Celtics.

While the Knicks big man scored a game-high 35 points and added 18 rebounds. 

"JB draws a lot of attention. Our team did a good job of utilizing the gravity when he was on the court and getting some good looks, getting some turnovers," Towns said of the team's effort. "I thought we did a great job defensively, making them speed up their game and playing Knicks basketball, which is translate turnovers to offense." 

"We could have easily chalked it up and said we tried," Brunson added. "Continue to fight, continue to stick together. Find a way to make plays defensively, got out in the open court, a good way to bounce back tonight."

Towns shot 13 of 23 from the field (3-for-7 from three) and often dominated the smaller Hornets lineup. But gave credit to the Knicks captain for his offensive outburst.

"When you got one of the best players league like JB, like I said, the gravity he attracts, it allows us a chance to do something special," he said. "Taking opportunities the defense was giving me, while doing that, being aggressive, whether it was scoring or passing to my teammates." 

Dec 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) and New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) fight for a loose ball in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden
Dec 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) and New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) fight for a loose ball in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Reason for Josh Hart starting

Wednesday was Hart's sixth straight game starting. With OG Anunoby out of the lineup due to a hamstring injury, head coach Mike Brown has decided to shift Hart into the starting lineup, but it took some time for the first-year Knicks coach to pull the trigger.

Hart started most of the games last year, but began the season as a bench player. The combo guard/forward has accepted whatever role Brown gives him, but the Knicks coach said the decision was thanks from a push by his staff.

"I rely on my staff. I had reasons why I started [Hart on the bench], but my staff, all of them, was like ‘hey, these are the reasons why it would be better,’" Brown explained. "The reality of it is, I just listen to my staff. If I’m the only one thinking it would be better at that time, then maybe I’m wrong.

"I’ve been wrong before and I’ll be wrong again in the future. That’s what I love about my staff, we have guys who are not afraid…to tell me what they think. I’m not always going to listen to them, but if my whole staff is telling me something, I better open my eyes and ears and figure out what they are really trying to say and maybe follow their lead instead of my lead all the time."

Hart scored 15 points on 4 of 11 shooting with eight rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes on Wednesday. He's averaging 17 points per game since he was inserted into the starting lineup, while he scored just 12.5 points per game while on the bench this season.

Yabusele's changing role

Guerschon Yabusele has been a solid bench piece in his first year in New York, but his role has seeming changed as the season has gone along. Brown was asked about Yabusele not being used as a ball-screener like he was in the beginning of the season, and the head coach had an explanation for it. 

"Our five is usually the one that’s setting the screens. He’s playing the four right now," Brown said. "There’s a lot of ways he can get involved as the four. For instance, on a made bucket, if he takes it out he’s going to be involved in the action right away. It all depends on where he is and where he’s sprinting to as we’re going down the floor determines how much he’ll be involved. It’s hard to get pick-and-pop stuff with the way we play if you’re not playing that center spot." 

 

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Is Tristan Jarry's Early Season Success Sustainable?

When Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was placed on waivers last January, it felt like his Penguins' tenure was over. 

He was really struggling, fresh off back-to-back performances with an .824 save percentage. Overall, he had an 8-8-4 record with an .886 save percentage and a 3.31 goals-against average. The Penguins reached their breaking point and waived him before he was sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as no team claimed him on waivers. 

Jarry was down in WBS for almost two full months before he was recalled in early March due to Joel Blomqvist struggling in the NHL. This was Jarry's second stint in WBS after he was sent down on a conditioning loan last October. 

After Jarry got called back up, he played better in March, finishing the month with a .907 save percentage. He played in nine games and finished with at least a .903 save percentage in six of those games. He even won his first four starts to open the month before earning a shutout against the Ottawa Senators in his final start of March. 

Jarry appeared in five games in April, finishing with an .898 save percentage for the month. He won three of his five starts that month and had at least a .903 save percentage in three starts. Jarry looked more confident, was more aggressive in challenging shooters, and was much calmer and composed in the crease. The stakes were low since the Penguins were well out of the playoff race by the end of the season, but he at least played well. 

Fast forward to the first two months of the 2025-26 season, and he has been the best goaltender on the team. He is 8-2-0 with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Jarry has also saved 8.2 goals above expected, which is 17th among all goaltenders in the NHL. 

He made his first start of this season against the New York Islanders, and despite a shaky moment or two, he was lights out, especially in the third period when the Islanders were pushing for the tying goal. He made a lot of saves in tight situations towards the end of the game. He carried that momentum for the rest of the month, winning four of his next five starts. 

Nov 28, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) celebrates on the ice after his team’s win against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the overtime period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Jarry got hurt during the Nov. 3 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs when the Penguins melted down in the third period and coughed up a 3-0 lead. He missed the next three weeks before returning last Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres and hasn't missed a beat, winning three of his last four starts. 

Penguins head coach Dan Muse has started to move slightly away from the goalie rotation he had in place due to Jarry's strong play. It also has something to do with Arturs Silovs not playing well in his last couple of starts. Still, Jarry has made many timely saves for the Penguins this season and continues to ooze confidence. He's also still at the top of the crease, playing aggressive and challenging shooters. 

Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Provides Injury Updates On Key PlayersPenguins' GM Kyle Dubas Provides Injury Updates On Key PlayersFor the first time in a while, there is now some clarity on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' injury situation.&nbsp;

The biggest question will be whether he can keep this up for a full season. If you look at Jarry's career splits, he has posted save percentages between .911 and .920 from October to December. Still, once the calendar flips to January and continues through the rest of the season, his save percentage has been between .897 and .905.

If Jarry can stay consistent, he'll help keep the Penguins in the playoff race, something that almost nobody thought they'd be in this season. He'd also continue to boost his value since the Penguins have a surplus of goaltenders. Kevin Weekes tweeted last week that Jarry is among the goaltenders drawing trade interest as an option for the Edmonton Oilers, who have gotten rotten goaltending from Stuart Skinner and Cal Pickard to start the season. It's a significant reason why they're not in a playoff spot right now, just one season after losing in the Stanley Cup Final again.

Let's see what the rest of the season brings for the former 2013 second-round pick.

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Knicks praise Ariel Hukporti's bench efforts, despite fouling out in just 13 minutes against Hornets

While the Knicks haven't carved out much of a role for Ariel Hukporti off the bench, the second-year center discovered an unconventional way to appease his coaches and teammates on the court.

It was Hukporti himself who capped his playing time in the Knicks' beatdown over the Hornets on Wednesday night, as he fouled out in just 13 minutes of action. And the stat line wasn't pretty -- he scored zero points, committed two turnovers, and failed to record a defensive rebound.

But jammed in between the excessive fouls were a few strong efforts in the paint from Hukporti. To his credit, he blocked a pair of shots from Hornets leaders LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel, and Knicks head coach Mike Brown praised the unusual performance by giving him an amusing accolade.

"I don't know if I've ever done this before, and I've been doing this a while, but our defensive player of the game was Ariel," Brown said after the win. "And he had zero defensive rebounds and fouled out. Interesting. Having said that, his impact was huge. He had a couple blocks, 50-50 balls. He went vertical a couple times and changed shots in the paint."

Hukporti's limited production -- he wound up logging a plus-minus of plus-6 -- was also acknowledged by Karl-Anthony Towns, who manhandled the Hornets with a team-high 35 points and 18 rebounds. Towns appreciated his teammate not wasting a single second of an opportunity.

"He used every one of those fouls. I appreciate that," Towns said of Hukporti. "He was special. His ability to come into the game, always staying ready, being a professional, always working on his game. It was a night we needed him. I don’t think we win this game without him making the contributions that he did."

Hukporti, who's actually started twice for the Knicks this season, is only averaging 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 points across 12 games. But, as he demonstrated against the Hornets, some valuable court activity isn't always accounted for.