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Kodai Senga ‘lacked a bit of calmness’ in first outing for Mets of 2025 season

Kodai Senga’s first start of his 2025 season got off to a horrible start – allowing two runs on two hits in just four pitches – but the Mets' right-hander settled into deliver a commendable effort in a 4-2 loss at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.

“I think I lacked a little bit of calmness, just kind of giving them easy pitches to hit,” Senga said of the two extra-base hits to start the game. “I was just a little relieved to be back out there in a big-league game after the year that he had last year and that lead to bad results.”

The first inning has been the bugaboo his entire career, as he has a 4.65 ERA in that frame, the highest for any inning. But after that, the right-hander really went to work and toyed with the Marlins lineup.

Senga got the first two batters of the second inning swinging through forkballs before the forkball got all three batters swinging in the third inning.

Carlos Mendoza called the first two batters a “wake-up call” for the right-hander. “Other than the first two batters of the game,” he said. “He was really good.”

The starter concurred with the manager: “After that, I was able to sort out through my head what I need to do, all the data on how to approach the hitters, and that turned out to be effective.”

Overall, he threw 77 pitches through five innings, with 22 forkballs and 22 four-seam fastballs toping out his mix. But the forkball was most effective, getting nine whiffs on 15 swings.

But Senga is a harsher grader than most: “It was not bad, not great, but not bad,” he said of the forkball.

“First time throwing to [Luis] Torrens in a big league game, so I think there are some adjustments that are going to be continued to be made and I think he did a great job using it and that’s why I was able to perform decently," he said. “I think it’s gonna be better throughout the rest of the season.”

Despite the harsh self-critique, there were positives to take from his first outing of the season. Senga said he was able to “get his rhythm” and settled in very nicely to put the first four pitches behind him.

"I only threw about five innings in a big league game last year, and that's why a lot of the rythm part... was gone," he said. "How much to push and step on it earlier on in the game. And I think you could see my velo was a little bit higher toward the end of the game.

"I was able to grasp a little bit of that and able to get a lot out of this outing."

Senga closed on a high note, blowing a 97 mph fastball past Kyle Stowers for his eighth strikeout, making his final pitch the fastest he threw of the night by 1.2 mph.

Tuesday marked his first regular season start since July 26 last season and a pair of ill-fated outings at the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ALCS that October. Against that backdrop, Mendoza's assessment rings closer to reality: “The slider, sweeper, the split was really good. And then the way he was using the fastball."

But mistakes loomed large for the right-hander. 

The second pitch of his debut was a 94.4 mph four-seam fastball that was right over the heart of the plate and smacked to right-center for a double off Xavier Edwards' bat. Two pitches later, he threw a 93.4 mph four-seam fastball that was middle-middle, and Stowers launched it 421 feet to center for a two-run home run.

“It all comes down to not winning,” Senga said. “I wasn’t able to put my team in the best position to win, gave up two runs quick against their ace. Our team got those two runs back, and then I let up the lead again.” 

In the fourth, with two outs and a runner on first base after a Francisco Lindor error in a tied game. And here is perhaps where Senga's critique is harshest: Back-to-back forkballs failed to induce a swing from Jonah Bride, with the 3-2 offering not even close or tempting at all, came back to haunt the righty. 

“They weren’t executed very well,” he said of the two forkballs. “They weren’t perfect pitches, mistake on my end, they could have been better.”

Senga then left another pitch right in the middle of the plate (this time a 90.4 mph cutter), and Graham Pauley cranked a two-RBI double to the opposite field in left-center to break the tie and proved to be the difference.

“We gave ‘em some extra outs, some extra bases, and they made him pay,” Mendoza said. “The two-out walk and then left pitch up. Just didn’t make a play there.”

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Ovechkin scores, needs 4 more to pass Gretzky for NHL record, and Capitals beat Bruins 4-3

NHL: Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins

Apr 1, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; With Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) out of the goal, Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) scores during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

BOSTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his 891st career goal, moving him four away from passing Wayne Gretzky's NHL record, and Dylan Strome broke a third-period tie on Tuesday night to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins.

Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington. Charlie Lindgren made 21 saves to help the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals snap a a three-game losing streak.

David Pastrnak had two goals, Vinni Lettieri scored one and Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots for Boston, which lost its ninth in a row.

Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first period, pushing a cross-crease pass from Strome into an open net. He has 12 goals in his last 18 games and eight games remaining this season to catch Gretzky.

The 39-year-old Russian also shot wide on an empty net in the final minutes.

The Bruins came back in the second, getting a goal from Lettieri six minutes into the second and then the tying score by Pastrnak with three minutes left in the period. But Strome gave Washington the lead midway through the third, grabbing a rebound off the back wall and slipping it past Swayman.

Capitals: Ovechkin is averaging a little less than two goals every three games. At that pace, he would pass Gretzky in the penultimate game of the season, at the New York Islanders on April 15.

Bruins: The fans got what they wanted from their draft lottery-bound team: A goal from Ovechkin and a competitive game.

With five minutes left in the second period, Boston's Jeffrey Viel and Washington's Dylan McIlrath squared off for a fight that seemed like it might be the highlight of the night for those fans actually rooting for the Bruins.

Two minutes later, Pastrnak redirected a slap pass from Morgan Geekie into the net to tie it 2-all.

Capitals forward and Massachusetts native Ryan Leonard played his first NHL game. The Hobey Baker Award finalist had back-to-back 30-goal seasons at Boston College, which was eliminated from the NCAA hockey tournament on Sunday night.

The Capitals are in Carolina to play the Hurricanes on Wednesday night and the Bruins visit the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

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With The Season On The Brink, Islanders Fall To Lightning 4-1

© Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The New York Islanders knew that Tuesday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning would be pivotal in their uphill climb towards the postseason.  

But with their backs up against the wall the Islanders were unable to muster what it takes to defeat the Atlantic Divisional power, losing 4-1. 

The Isles began the first period creating a number of opportunities, however Tampa goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy stood tall including stopping Bo Horvat on a breakaway. 

Soon after, the Islanders got caught in their own zone after a few failed exits, and Oliver Bjorkstrand deflected a shot from the point to give Tampa a 1-0 lead with 11:14 to play in the first.

Casey Cizikas then took a slashing penalty, with 10:53 to go in the first. 

Incredibly, Horvat cashed in shorthanded, tying the score at 1-1 with 9:03 to go in the first.

The teams went to the dressing room locked up 1-1 after one, with both sides getting Grade-A opportunities. 

In the second, the Lightning showed their skill. 

Jake Guentzel scored his 38th goal of the season 8:09 into the 2nd, finishing a neat pass from Nikita Kucherov out of the corner.

Minutes later Victor Hedman put the Bolts ahead by two, as Kucherov set up the big defenseman for his 14th goal of the season. 

At the second period's buzzer, Anthony Cirelli was called for tripping, and so the Islanders ended the third frame on a power play. In the second period, the Isles held Tampa to only six shots, however two went in and the Lightning entered the third with a 3-1 lead.

Only :24 seconds into the third period, Anders Lee was called for slashing setting up 1:37 seconds of four-on-four action, negating the Islanders power play.  In an effort to get back into the game, the Isles were unable to utilize the open ice to their advantage, and the teams returned to five aside.

3:59 into the second, Pierre Engvall was called for tripping, giving the Lightning their fourth power play of the night - - however, the Isles successfully killed the penalty.

Then with 6:39 remaining in the game, Yanni Gourde and Cizikas dropped the gloves -- possibly an attempt by Cozies too get the Islanders emotionally back into the game.

However, with under four minutes remaining, coach Patrick Roy pulled Sorokin, and with 3:31 remaining, the Bolts sealed the deal, as Nick Paul scored the empty net goal making the score 4-1.

The Islanders will be back in action on Friday when they host the Minnesota Wild at 7:30.

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Yankees' bullpen implodes, drop first game of season in 7-5 loss to Diamondbacks

The Yankees were on the verge of victory, but the bullpen's eighth-inning implosion led to New York's 7-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

With the Yanks nursing a 4-3 lead in the eighth, reigning NL Player of the Week Eugenio Suarez launched his MLB-leading fifth home run -- a grand slam -- off of Mark Leiter Jr. to give the D-backs a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Prior to that inning, Yankees pitching allowed just two runs on one hit.

Here are the takeaways...

-The fated eighth inning was the stuff of nightmares for the Yankees. With Devin Williams out on paternity leave, Luke Weaver was not available for the inning, so manager Aaron Boone went with Tim Hill to start. The southpaw allowed a double and single to start as Arizona cut the Yankees lead to 4-3. After Corbin Caroll ground out, Boone went with Leiter Jr. The right-hander walked Ketel Marte and Pavin Smith before striking out Josh Naylor. He was one pitch away from getting out of the inning before his splitter stayed out over the plate and Suarez launched his grand slam 376 feet over the left field wall.

Before that, the Yankees' bullpen was great. Fernando Cruz struck out four in two perfect innings and newly acquired RHP Adam Ottavino allowed just one walk over his 0.2 innings.

-Will Warren, making his season debut, started off strong, getting through the first two innings in order with three strikeouts. He wouldn't allow a baserunner until two outs in the third inning (a walk). Warren threw five straight balls before he grooved an 87 mph changeup over the plate to Carroll, who deposited it over the right field wall to put the D-backs ahead, 2-0.

Those location issues continued in the fourth as Warren walked his first two batters. A mound visit from pitching coach Matt Blake seemingly settled Warren down, who induced a 4-6-3 double play from Suarez and a ground out from Gabriel Moreno.

The young right-hander had to work to get the requisite five innings to qualify for the win. After giving up a lead-off walk, Warren got the next three batters out, including striking out Carroll swinging on a curveball in the dirt.

The 25-year-old had a 10.32 ERA across six games (five starts) a season ago and showed that his impressive spring was not a fluke. Warren threw five innings (85 pitches/46 strikes) while allowing two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out four.

-Cobrin Burnes entered Tuesday's start with a 0-2 record against the Yankees but a minuscule 1.42 ERA in three career starts against the Yankees. In his first game as a Diamondback, the former CY Young winner was cruising until the third inning when he allowed a leadoff homer to Jasson Dominguez that went 377 feet over the right-center field wall. Ben Rice followed with a double, and then Oswaldo Cabrera walked, but Burnes got Paul Goldschmidt to pop out, before striking out Cody Bellinger and getting Aaron Judge to ground out to end the threat.

The Yankees were close to squandering a golden opportunity in the fourth. With men on second and third and one out, Rice struck out before Cabrera hit a weak grounder to Naylor. The former Guardians first baseman -- who has plenty of history with the Yankees -- airmailed a toss that went over Burnes' glove, who was covering first. That allowed the two go-ahead runs to score.

-Dominguez was one of only a few Yankees to not go deep this season, but he got off the schneid with his blast. The young left fielder finished 2-for-3.

Anthony Volpe's fourth-inning blast went 418 feet and broke the MLB record for most home runs through a team's first four games, which was set by the 2006 Tigers. It would be the shortstop's only hit (1-4), but he struck out twice.

Rice would tack on his second home run of the season in the ninth to extend the Yankees' new record to 18.

-Judge, Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Jazz Chssiholm Jr. went a combined 0-for-15 with a walk and nine strikeouts. Chisholm struck out four times. The Yankees as a team struck out 14 times.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees and Diamondbacks continue their three-game set on Wednesday night in The Bronx.

RHP Zac Gallen (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will take the mound for Arizona, while the Yankees will see LHP Carlos Rodon (1-0, 1.69 ERA) on the bump for the second time this season.

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OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson lead shorthanded Knicks past 76ers, 105-91

The Knicks won for the fifth time in their last six games, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers, 105-91, on Tuesday night at The Garden.

Here are the key takeaways...

-The Knicks came into the game shorthanded in the backcourt, with Jalen Brunson, Cameron Payne, and Miles McBride all out, but they ended up being without a key piece up front as well, as Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out just before tip-off due to left knee soreness. Mitchell Robinson got the start at center, just his second of the season.

-Early on, it was aggressive play from Robinson and OG Anunoby that set the pace. Robinson caused his typical havoc on the glass, pulling in five rebounds and adding six points in his first seven minutes before getting a breather. Anunoby led the way offensively, attacking the rim early and often and stepping outside for a pair of threes as he scored 13 points in the quarter.

In the second, Robinson picked up a loose ball around midcourt, galloped down the court and threw it down, sending the Garden crowd into a frenzy. Robinson scored 14 points and added eight rebounds and a block in the first half.

Anunoby, who had a monster and-one slam early in the fourth quarter, would go on to lead the Knicks in scoring, finishing with 27 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Robinson, meanwhile, finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks in 21 minutes.

-Tom Thibodeau said before the game that he knew the Sixers -- in the midst of a lost season and playing without stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey,and Paul George – would look to shoot a lot of threes, but it was the Knicks who gave them a taste of their own medicine in this one. As a team, the Knicks hit seven of their first 16 three-point attempts.

The Knicks led by 17 points at the half, but the Sixers clawed their way back in the third, as Quentin Grimes threw down a dunk to bring the Sixers within five. Mikal Bridges quickly answered with a three-pointer, which helped New York get back into rhythm, and Landry Shamet hit another from long range to push the lead back to double digits. By the midpoint of the fourth quarter, the Knicks' lead had ballooned to 21 points, thanks in part to their prowess from beyond the arc.

Overall, the Knicks shot 38.7 percent (12-of-31) from three-point range, with Shamet going 6-of-9 from three, finishing with for 20 points.

-The Knicks were down to only Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek at the point guard spot, and Wright had a strong game, pushing the pace, driving the lane, and finding open teammates.

Wright finished with 12 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

Who was the game MVP?

The trio of Anunoby, Robinson, and Shamet combined to score 61 points, but we'll give MVP honors to Anunoby.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks take on the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers in Cleveland for the second game of a back-to-back. Tip-off on Wednesday night is set for 7 PM.

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Panthers blow another late lead, fall 3-2 in overtime to Montreal

Apr 1, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers during the first period at the Bell Centre. (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

It certainly felt like a playoff game on Tuesday night in Montreal.

The back end of a home-and-home between the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens had a little bit of everything, but it was the hometown Habs who came out on top.

A late goal and an overtime goal gave Montreal a resounding 3-2 victory and Florida more questions to answer.

For the second game in a row, it was Montreal striking first.

Josh Anderson got positioning in front of the net on Uvis Balinskis and deflected a shot by Kaiden Guhle past a screened Vitek Vanecek to put the Habs up 1-0 just 4:43 into the game.

About five minutes later, a faceoff in Montreal’s end led to the Panthers’ first goal of the game.

Anton Lundell won the draw back to Niko Mikkola, and his shot tipped off the end of Habs defenseman Jake Evans’ stick and over the goal line.

Florida briefly through they’d taken the lead but the goal was quickly waived off.

Uvis Balinskis fired a shot that went off the post and directly into A.J. Greer's skates.

Greer dragged a skate that pushed the puck into the net, and officials initially said no goal, then changed their call after chatting with each other and went to video review, which ultimately led to a no goal call.

It took a little while longer but the Panthers did eventually their first lead of the game, and of the season, over Montreal, and it came on Florida’s first power play of the night.

Rookie Mackie Samoskevich sent a wrist shot right along the ice that hit off Guhle on its way underneath Sam Montembeault with just 1:13 left in the middle frame.

Florida was able to hold on to the lead until quite literally the game’s final seconds.

A failed clear attempt at the Panthers blue line led to the puck being sent toward Florida’s net by Lane Hutson. The bouncing shot went through Sam Reinhart, who went down to his knees in an attempt to block it and instead ended up on the tape of Nick Suzuki with nothing to stop him from scoring with just 8.4 seconds left.

It was the first shot on goal for Montreal in over eight minutes.

Their next shot would end the game.

Never relinquishing possession after the overtime faceoff, it was Suzuki scoring again, this time on a wraparound goal.

This one is going to sting.

On to Toronto.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Lundell’s primary assist on Mikkola’s goal was his first helper since Feb. 27 against Edmonton.

Seth Jones has points in four of his past six games after assisting on Samoskevich’s power play goal.

It was the first tally for Mackie in seven games, his longest stretch without a goal since the end of January.

The goal was also the fifth game-winner for Samoskevich this season.

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NFL Draft: RB prospect Omarion Hampton, Broncos would be a match made in fantasy football heaven

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

Based on the insightful conversation between Matt Harmon and Dan Pizzuta (of the 33rd Team) on the latest Yahoo Fantasy Forecast, there are compelling reasons why the Denver Broncos should consider drafting North Carolina Tar Heels running back prospect, Omarion Hampton.

Firstly, both Harmon and Pizzuta agree that the Denver Broncos boast arguably one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Not only were they ranked first in both pass block win rate and run block win rate last year, but they also have demonstrated a solid foundation that sets the stage for significant offensive improvements. The Broncos' offensive line can create ample opportunities for a talented running back like Hampton to excel and elevate the ground game.

The Broncos' running game is a key area that stands to benefit significantly from a dynamic presence like Hampton. With Hampton's strength in breaking tackles and generating yards after contact, he possesses the explosive potential that the Broncos currently lack. Pizzuta emphasizes that Hampton only averaged 1.5 yards before contact per rush last year but still ranked sixth in yards after contact per rush, showcasing his ability to turn poor conditions into positive plays.

With Sean Payton as the head coach, the Broncos have an offensive mind that can effectively utilize a powerful and explosive runner. By adding Hampton, the Broncos can maximize his capabilities and fully leverage the offensive line’s strengths. This potential addition would not only give Denver an edge in the run game but also add another layer of depth and versatility to their offensive playbook.

Furthermore, the complementary role that Hampton can play alongside the existing offensive talent — led by Bo Nix coming off a successful rookie season — provides a seamless fit for the Broncos. Having a back who can make a defender miss five yards past the line of scrimmage rather than at it means more big plays and a consistent offensive threat.

Hampton's skills and the Broncos' already strong offensive line provide a formula for him to succeed if he lands there — and for fantasy football managers to have another intriguing back with opportunity and upside to consider come draft season.

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Sloppy fielding, quiet bats sink Mets in 4-2 loss to Marlins

Kodai Senga delivered eight strikeouts over five innings of work, but the Mets’ errors and stimied bats spelled a 4-2 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday night in Miami.

New York managed just one base runner after the third inning until Juan Soto started the ninth inning by working a walk against left-hander Anthony Veneziano. After a fielder’s choice, Brandon Nimmo's single brought the go-ahead run to the plate. But righty Anthony Bender came on for Miami and got Mark Vientos to fly out to right and Jesse Winker to ground out to first to end the game.

Here are the takeaways...

- Senga opened up his 2025 campaign by allowing a bullet of a double (99.5 mph off the bat) into the gap in right-center by Xavier Edwards before Kyle Stowers drilled (104.5 mph) for a 421-foot two-run shot to center. The two hits both came on four-seam fastballs (94.4 mph and 93.4 mph) that were up in the zone and right over the heart of the plate.  After the awful first four pitches, Senga's next 12 got his first three outs, but his career ERA in the first inning went up to 4.65, the highest of any inning. (His ERA in all other innings: 2.60.)

And then Senga started getting everything working. The right-hander’s spooky forkball got back-to-back swinging strikeouts to start the second and then three straight in the third.

The righty worked around a leadoff error in the fourth, but a two-out walk put two on for Graham Pauley. And Senga left a 1-0 cutter right over the heart of the plate and was punished for a two-run double to the gap in left center.

Senga closed his day with a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 fifth inning, blowing a 97 mph fastball past Stowers for his eighth strikeout of the evening.

- Out of the bullpen, Max Kranick entered a lower-stress situation than his first outing of the season and needed just six pitches for a 1-2-3 sixth with a strikeout. The right-hander allowed a pair of hard-hit balls, but 10 pitches saw him through his second perfect inning of the evening. Manager Carlos Mendoza saw no issue with the reliever going back out there and neither did Kranick, who got his third straight perfect frame in the eighth, needing just five pitches.

- Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara looked every bit the real deal again, getting three groundouts against the Mets’ top trio on just nine pitches in the first. While changeups got the two lefties in the first, Nimmo cranked a 2-1 changeup 388 feet for a solo shot to right, 108.3 mph off the bat. Alcántara, working his way back from Tommy John in late 2023, went 5.0 innings with two runs on three hits and four strikeouts.

Nimmo, who added his second homer of the series, finished the day 2-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts looking.

- Luisangel Acuña, getting the start at second against a right-hander ahead of Brett Baty, slashed a ground-rule double to right, going with an Alcántara 98 mph fastball on the outside corner.  Acuña proved he was a plus-plus defender, including making a nifty play fielding a hot shot in the seventh.

Baty would pinch-hit for Acuña to lead off the eighth and grounded out to second in his only at-bat.

- Francisco Lindor, in his return to the lineup after the birth of his first son, was charged with an error in the second but made up for it the next half inning with an RBI single up the middle to past a drawn-in infield to plate Acuña. The hit snapped a 0-for-12 start to the season for the shortstop. The shortstop committed a second error to lead off the fourth. He finished the day 1-for-4 with a strikeout and RBI.

- Soto hit a ball right on the screws his second time up (104.8 mph, 348 feet), but right at the center fielder. He finished 0-for-3, with a walk to start the ninth. The on-base king has now reached base in every game this year.

- Pete Alonso had a quiet day going 0-for-4.

- Luis Torrens showed he was no fool when he nailed the speedy Dane Myers at second base to close the second inning with a perfect throw to Acuña. The catcher looked like he tied the game in the seventh, but his deep drive to center (103.5 mph off the bat) traveled just 394 feet to the warning track.

- Vientos committed a big no-no his second time up when he slowed down about 15 feet from first base on a grounder. Had Vientos run as hard as he did the first 75 feet, he would have easily reached as the Marlins' third baseman bobbled the ball. Instead, he was out by a half step. He finished 0-for-4.

Game MVP(s): Senga and Kranick

With Senga still building himself back up to his full strength, he showed off a devastating forkball and a good arsenal of pitches to finish his season debut with a final line of 5.0 innings, four runs (two earned), three hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts on 77 pitches (49 strikes).

The two Mets pitchers combined to throw just 99 pitches (66 strikes) on the night. Hard to find too many faults there.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets wrap up the three-game set in Miami with a late-afternoon first pitch of 4:40 p.m. in Miami before returning home for Opening Day at Citi Field on Friday.

Right-hander Clay Holmes will look to do better in his second start of the campaign. He'll face off against Marlins righty Connor Gillespie.

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Nikita Grebenkin Continuing Torrid Start to Life in Flyers Organization

Flyers prospect Nikita Grebenkin already gained valuable NHL experience with the Maple Leafs this season. (Photo: John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images)

The Philadelphia Flyers knew Nikita Grebenkin was a stud prospect when they acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but were they expecting this?

Grebenkin, 21, failed to score a point in his seven NHL appearances with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

In 39 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies, Grebenkin was averaging a goal every four games and joined the Flyers organization with nine goals, 12 assists, and 21 points under his belt.

But, since arriving from Toronto in the trade that saw the Flyers send Scott Laughton the other way, all Grebenkin has done is produce

The 6-foot-2 Russian winger has already shown his chops in front of the net, from both in tight and long range.

Already with three goals and two assists since joining up with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Grebenkin's latest exploits saw him dance a defender in the neutral zone before finding the middle of the ice, loading up, and ripping a shot past the glove of Laval goaltender Connor Hughes.

Known best for his enthralling blend of size and skill, Grebenkin still needs to work on skating through and navigating traffic and, sometimes, playing through contact, even for a bigger player. 

Skill can only be taught to a certain point, especially at the NHL level, whereas strength and a more aggressive mentality can come with experience and further time spent in the gym.

Because the Flyers already used their fourth and final post-trade deadline call-up on rookie goalie Aleksei Kolosov, Grebenkin will only see NHL ice again this season if the squad suffers a rash of injuries.

Winger Garnet Hathaway just returned from a long layoff, so with the Flyers only getting the healthier, the chances of Grebenkin making his debut with the Orange and Black this season are virtually nil.

Flyers fans can, however, excitedly look towards the near future.

Grebenkin, Kolosov, Jett Luchanko, and others are all set to help lead the Phantoms in their Calder Cup playoff campaign.

Ty Murchison just joined the Phantoms on an amateur tryout offer, Alex Ciernik has yet to make his debut, and there's a chance Alex Bump can join the fold, too.

Grebenkin is already playing like a beast for the Flyers organization, and the excitement amongst fans is understandably reaching a fever pitch.

Extra seasoning in the AHL never hurt anybody, plus, this is the perfect opportunity for Grebenkin to build chemistry and familiarity with someone like Luchanko, for example.

Watch this space.

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Richard Pitino relishes challenges ahead at Xavier

Richard Pitino said he needed the right situation to come along for him to leave New Mexico. Pitino was introduced as Xavier's new coach on Tuesday. With Xavier's past track record of hiring coaches who were former assistants or who had ties to the program, Pitino thought his chances of getting a call from athletic director Greg Christopher would be slim until it happened last week.

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Nashville Predators Pummeled in 8-4 Loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

The Nashville Predators (27-40-8, 62 points) suffered their fourth consecutive loss – an 8-4 rout at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets (34-30-9, 77 points) – Tuesday at Nationwide Arena.

Kirill Marchenko scored three goals and an assist for Columbus, while Adam Fantili and Sean Monahan added two goals apiece. Filip Forsberg, Michael Bunting, Justin Barron and Jordan Oesterle each tallied a goal for the Predators, and Luke Evangelista led all Nashville skaters with two assists.

The loss marks the sixth time that Nashville has allowed six or more goals in a single game this season, with eight goals against representing a new season high. 

Predators goaltender Juuse Saros allowed seven goals on 26 shots for a .731 save percentage before pulled from the game after the second period. Justus Annunen made 10 saves on 11 shots in relief.

Marc Del Gaizo, Nashville Predators

How the Predators Lined Up vs. Columbus

Forsberg-O'Reilly-Stamkos
Bunting-Svechkov-Evangelista
Smith-McCarron-L'Heureux
Bellows-Vrana

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Barron
Englund-Stastney
Oesterle

Saros
Annunen

Extra: Sissons (week-to-week, lower-body), Marchessault (day-to-day, lower-body), Wood
IR: Josi, Wilsby, Lauzon

While navigating multiple injuries to their forward group, including Colton Sissons (week-to-week, lower-body) and Jonathan Marchessault (day-to-day, lower-body), the Predators went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the second night in a row.

Matthew Wood, who signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the Predators on Saturday, has yet to make his NHL debut.

Predators at Blue Jackets: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 1, CBJ 3)

It took Columbus just over a minute to open the scoring in this one, with Zach Werenski capitalizing on a Predators turnover and finding Kirill Marchenko alone in front of the net for the score at the 1:15 mark of the first period.

The Blue Jackets struck again at the 16:34 mark, when Denton Mateychuk's slick cross-zone pass found Fantilli for a one-timer from the right circle to extend the lead to 2-0.

It took less than two minutes for that lead to become 3-0, when an Andreas Englund holding penalty gave the Blue Jackets their first power-play opportunity of the game. Sean Monahan capitalized on that opportunity, receiving a feed from Kent Johnson and sending a one-timer far side under Saros' blocker at the 18:10 mark.

Filip Forsberg managed to get Nashville on the board with a top shelf wrist shot in the final minutes of the period, cutting the deficit to 3-1 heading into the first intermission.

Second Period (NSH 3, CBJ 7)

Columbus quickly regained the three-goal lead in the second period, when Marchenko fired a wrist shot past Saros in transition at the 4:12 mark to make it 4-1. The goal was Marchenko's 30th of the season, making him the first Blue Jackets player to score 30 goals in a season since Cam Atkinson scored 41 in 2018-19.

Michael Bunting had a quick response for Nashville, firing a puck into traffic that found its way to the back of the net at the 5:43 mark to cut Columbus' lead to 4-2.

It took just 43 seconds for Justin Barron to make it a one-goal game with a clapper that beat Merzlikins from the right circle at the 6:26 mark.

Fantilli squashed the Predators' momentum with his second goal of the night when he capitalized on another costly Nashville turnover and blew up the ice, past Fedor Svechkov, and fired home a wrist shot to restore the two-goal lead for Columbus at the 12:00 mark.

Monahan scored his second goal of the night – both on the power play – when he scooped up the rebound of a Marchenko shot and tucked it around a sprawling Saros at the 16:47 mark of the second period to put Nashville in a three-goal deficit for a third time.

Former Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro gave the Blue Jackets their first four-goal lead of the game with 18 seconds left the second period. Fabbro, whom Columbus claimed off waivers from Nashville in November, fired a shot from the point that beat Saros and extended the Blue Jackets' lead to 7-3 heading into the second intermission.

Third Period (NSH 4, CBJ 8)

After Nashville allowed a season-high seven goals against through the first 40 minutes, Justus Annunen came in to replace Saros for the final 20.

Marchenko completed the hat trick at the 5:32 mark of the third period with a one-timer from the left circle that gave Columbus an 8-3 lead.

Jordan Oesterle cut it to 8-4 when he one-timed a pass from Cole Smith to beat Merzlikins far side at 9:02 for his first goal as a member of the Predators.

Annunen and the Predators managed to hold Columbus off the board for the remainder of the period, and 8-4 stood as the final score. Nashville will wrap up a three-game road trip Thursday in Dallas.