KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 11: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the 6th inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael Wacha saw Kris Bubic’s seven-shutout-inning performance and decided to try to one-up him. Wacha knew he couldn’t get the same strikeouts, but he could go even deeper into the game. In the end, Wacha was able to go eight shutout innings, striking out seven, walking only one, and allowing only four hits. The White Sox had only three at-bats with a runner in scoring position all day. No runner ever made it past second base.
As you can see in the above graphic, Michael Wacha did all of that on only 88 pitches. He threw 63 strikes – almost 3/4 of his pitches – in part because the White Sox were just swinging at every dang thing, and missing plenty often. Personally, I would have liked to see him pitch the second Maddux of the season (when someone pitches a 9+-inning, complete game shutout in under 100 pitches). But it’s reasonable that Matt Quatraro decided to go to the team’s closer, instead. Erceg had a clean ninth with a strikeout to earn his fifth save of the season.
The Royals’ offense struggled once again. At first, it seemed like they might get something going when Maikel Garcia reminded us he was related to Alcides Escobar in the first inning.
The Royals only got three more hits and a walk the rest of the day, but they added on in the bottom of the eighth. Garcia, leading off the inning again, smacked a double down the third base line and into the corner. Bobby Witt Jr. lofted a flyball deep enough to right to advance Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino went the other way to left field deep enough to easily bring the insurance run home.
You’d like to see the Royals’ offense wake up, especially because the White Sox’s pitching is not considered to be particularly good, but not panicking and manufacturing a run like that is a really good sign that the hitters are still in the mindset they need to be in. Coming into today, the Royals had the fifth-highest hard-hit rate in baseball. I’ll keep promising an imminent offensive explosion until it happens or those kinds of stats change.
The Royals have guaranteed a series split with the White Sox and have a chance to win the game with another afternoon contest, tomorrow. Noah Cameron (1.69 ERA, 3.69 SIERA) will pitch for the Royals. The White Sox have not yet announced their starter, and I can’t even find any guesses as to who it might be. The game will start at 1:10 KC time, be broadcast on Royals.TV, and will feature the new Royals City Connect uniforms for the third straight game. They’ve won every game they’ve played in them; let’s hope they don’t break that streak.
The Los Angeles Kings (34-26-19) shutout the Edmonton Oilers (40-30-10) 1-0 on Saturday afternoon to win their final home game of the season. Los Angeles continues to climb the standings and now has a great chance to move into the top three in the Pacific Division.
Strong defensive effort from the Kings, led by Anton Forsberg, gave Los Angeles their best home win of the year against the Oilers.
The opening period gave us the playoff intensity we expected, with both teams fighting for playoff seeding in the Pacific Division. Through nine minutes, it was a very scrappy game, with Los Angeles getting off three shots, while Edmonton getting just two shots up.
Los Angeles amped up its defensive intensity to start and was great at forechecking, forcing turnovers, applying pressure to Edmonton, creating scoring opportunities, and getting physical with the Oilers.
It was at the 12:26 mark when Artemi Panarin forced a turnover and got off to the races alone at the breakaway, scoring the goal, beating Connor Ingram to give LA the early advantage.
LAK Goal - Bread is on the menu!
Panarin with a steal at the defensive blue line, goes in on a breakaway and buries top shelf! 1-0 Kings.
The biggest game that Panarin has played so far has been with Los Angeles, and he's already making big plays on the defensive end and continuing his strong play on offense.
We saw a lot of physicality between the two heated rivals, with Drew Doughty and Connor McDavid getting tangled up and pushing the goal line out of the crease, resulting in roughing penalties for both players.
We knew this would be the intensity as both teams always bring that physicality against each other, especially near playoff time.
The Oilers had a chance to tie the game a few minutes later with a loose puck, but Cody Ceci came up with the unreal defensive stop, diving behind Anton Forsberg to whack the loose puck out of the crease, keeping the Kings on top 1-0.
Turnovers and struggles to get easy shots up were costly for Edmonton in the first period, as LA did a great job setting the tone in their final home game of the season.
Forbserg was once again great in the opening period, saving all 9 shots that the Oilers threw at him, bringing that defensive intensity under the crease for Los Angeles and continuing to show why he should be the starter moving forward into the postseason.
Los Angeles was also great in the faceoff, winning 61.1%, while the Oilers won 38.9% in the first period. All this was setting up an intense second period that the Kings have struggled in all season long.
We entered the second period with the Oilers going on the power play after an offensive interference was called on Brandt Clarke. Forsberg did a good job, continuing his excellent play on defense, denying Edmonton on nearly three shots that almost went in.
The early sequences of the second period were the same as the opening frame: both teams struggled to get shots on goal and couldn't capitalize on second-chance opportunities.
LA was doing a good job creating open shots, but kept shooting the puck wide to the right, preventing the Oilers from capitalizing on their poor shots. The rest of the period would go exactly that way, neither team able to score, and the Oilers, especially, playing with no urgency or physicality.
It’s been a mediocre effort by the #Oilers so far. They need more urgency, more physicality and more pucks to the net in the 3rd. Forsberg has been good but there needs to be more traffic. He likes to challenge shooters so a pass for a back door goal looks to be the best bet.
Give credit to Forsberg for the defense and to the rest of the players for making it tough for Edmonton to score. In the first 40 minutes, neither team shot on goal in double digits, with all shots single-digit.
It was smash-out physical hockey being played out there, with intense defense, and the Kings, recognizing their playoff lives were on the line, were playing with more urgency and physicality than the Oilers.
Edmonton outshot the Kings 7-6, but still couldn't get anything going on the offensive side of things. Everything was so tough for the Oilers, who had to work hard on every possession just to get a shot on goal.
What was working well for the Kings was that they were not letting Edmonton get into transition or get any rush plays down the ice, while Los Angeles was forcing careless turnovers from the Oilers, who couldn't control the puck.
The third period was the same again: Edmonton kept turning the puck over, forcing several opportunities for the Kings to get off a shot, but couldn't convert. Even with LA leading, the lead never felt safe because it was just a one-goal cushion.
The Oilers did have the puck more in the third period, but the Kings did a good job keeping it (mostly to the outside). Forbserg, once again in the final frame, was clutch.
The game never felt like it was in the Kings' favor; despite their incredible defensive effort, they couldn't extend their one-goal lead.
Still, Los Angeles was frustrating Edmonton and Connor McDavid, which was helping the Kings in that advantage in the game.
Los Angeles had an empty net for nearly a minute, but couldn't get the puck out of the Oilers' possession. Despite Edmonton holding the puck for the entire game, the Kings were very strong on defense, not letting the Oilers tie it, and the game ended with LA shutting out Edmonton.
FINAL - Kings 1, Oilers 0!
Anton Forsberg with a 28-save shutout to move Los Angeles within two wins of clinching a playoff berth.
Anton Forsberg was the big hero of this game, recording his third shutout of the season and saving 27 shots against the Oilers, definitely saving the Kings, who couldn't get anything going on offense after their first-period goal. Without Forbserg, Los Angeles wouldn't have had a chance to win this game.
Panarin scored the lone goal in the first period, which was huge, considering neither team was able to score the rest of the way. No one else was really present on offense, but the defense stepped up in this win, showing what kind of difference the Kings' defense can be.
Great win, especially on the day that Anze Kopitar will be playing the last home game of his career. With this win now, Los Angeles secures its 87th point and is now two points back of Anaheim and Vegas for the second seed and three points ahead of Nashville for the final playoff spot.
The Kings will play their final three games of the season on the road, starting on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks at 6:30 PM PT.
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.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 11: Pierre-Luc Dubois #80 of the Washington Capitals skates with the puck against Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Penguins went into full coast mode after clinching a playoff berth and their place as second seed in the division by resting several players. All of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Ben Kindel and Parker Witherspoon were held out with “day-to-day injuries” in the meaningless game.
The skeleton crew that did play only managed 12 shots on goal and dropped a 6-3 game to the Washington Capitals. Enjoy some of the highlights of the game.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 5: Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 5, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles will attempt to get back to .500 tonight against Logan Webb and the Giants. San Francisco took the first of three games last night in a 6-3 result at Camden Yards.
Chris Bassitt will look to bounce back after a rough start to his Orioles tenure. Baltimore inked Bassitt to a one-year, $18.5 million deal before the start of the season. Now, with Zach Eflin out for the year, Baltimore needs Bassitt to be the veteran innings eater that the club signed him to be. He’s currently 0-2 with a 14.21 ERA and only three strikeouts in two short appearances.
Adley Rutschman was originally in the lineup but scratched with left ankle discomfort. The Orioles moved Samuel Basallo to catcher and inserted Ryan Mountcastle as the DH.
Rutschman has been one of Baltimore’s hottest hitters, and he feels like a guy the team cannot afford to lose for an extended period of time. Basallo has struggled to find his footing early in the season, but the rookie will have another chance to breakout today.
The same can be said for first baseman Pete Alonso and today’s left fielder Colton Cowser. Leody Taveras will play center field with doubles machine Taylor Ward playing right. Coby Mayo and Jeremiah Jackson will round out the infield.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 30: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Busch Stadium on March 30, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Your first place St. Louis Cardinals will try to win the series vs the Boston Red Sox Saturday night at Busch Stadium. Game time is 6:15pm with Kyle Leahy on the mound for St. Louis vs Ranger Suarez for the Boston Red Sox. Saturday night’s game is a nationwide broadcast on Fox.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 10: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals gestures after hitting an RBI double in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats stole game one of the series in Milwaukee last night, putting up 4 runs in the 9th inning to win it 7-3. The rally in the 9th was led by 3 consecutive bunts, which resulted in hits for the Nats, much to the dismay of Brewers fans. A welcome surprise was 4 scoreless innings from the Nats bullpen after Jake Irvin went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs, with Clayton Beeter finishing the job in the 9th.
Foster Griffin toes the rubber for the Nats in game two against the Brew Crew, coming off successful starts against both the Phillies and Dodgers, 2 heavyweight lineups. There are a few alterations for the Nats against the left-handed starters tonight, with Curtis Mead shifting from DH to 1B and Luis Garcia Jr. hitting the bench, Nasin Nunez playing 2B over Jorbit Vivas, and Jacob Young returning to the lineup in CF.
For the Brewers, Kyle Harrison toes the rubber in his 3rd Brewers start, acquired from the Red Sox this offseason. There are plenty of alterations to the Brewers’ lineup, as there often is, with Gary Sanchez, Brandon Lockridge, and Joey Ortiz joining the starting lineup and Garrett Mitchell, Jake Bauers, and David Hamilton hitting the bench.
Small ball and clutch pitching got the Nationals the victory against the Brewers last night, and they’ll need it again to beat the Brewers tonight and steal the series. Foster Griffin will also face another test in a scrappy Brewers lineup that will make starting pitchers work for outs. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Less than twenty-four hours after the Diamondbacks managed to overcome a disastrous first inning from Michael Soroka, they had the chance to do it again, thanks to the kind of performance we’ve sadly become accustomed to from Brandon Pfaadt in 2026. On paper, at least, this seemed like a winnable game, and maybe even one in which we had the advantage coming in. Pfaadt hasn’t been good to start the season—he was rocking a 6.75 ERA after his first two starts—but his opposite number today was old friend Taijuan Walker, who came into the game sporting a distinctly unsexy 9.31 ERA.
Pfaadt and Walker are actually in similar positions within their respective team’s rotations, insofar as the Diamondbacks will likely be sending one starter to the bullpen once Merrill Kelly is ready to take his rotation spot, while Walker is keeping a spot warm until Zack Wheeler returns from the injured list. Walker is definitely going back to the Phillies’ bullpen when Wheeler returns; Pfaadt, meanwhile, has been looking increasingly likely to be pitching out of our ‘pen once Kelly is back on the mound. There was some question before Opening Day as to whether he or Michael Soroka would be the odd man out, but while Soroka has been getting good results (aside from that first inning yesterday), Pfaadt continues to display his unerring talent for giving up the dreaded One Big Inning.
So that was fun! Corbin Carroll, back in starting lineup today as the designated hitter, drew a four-pitch walk, and then Geraldo Perdomo moved him to along with a ground out to second. Adrian Del Castillo, behind the plate this afternoon with Gabi Moreno once again ailing, singled to center, driving in Carroll. Jose Fernandez and Nolan Arenado then struck out in succession, leaving ADC stranded at first. Still, it’s nice to take the early lead. 2-0 D-BACKS
Sadly, however, that lead didn’t last. Pfaadt pitched a great bottom of the first—two Ks, ten pitches thrown—and a perfectly serviceable second frame, pitching around a two-out walk to record a second zero. Then, alas, came the OBI.
For starters, Alek Bohm reached on a grounder to short that Perdomo booted for an error. Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford followed with a single to left, turning the lineup over. Pfaadt managed to record the first out by striking out Trae Turner for the second time in the ball game, but then gave up two consecutive long balls over his next four pitches. Kyle Schwarber launched a hanging changeup into the right field seats, and then Bryce Harper launched his own over the fence in right center. Two outs (and another walk, and a hit batsman) later, the inning finally ended, but the damage was done. 4-2 Philadelphia
And that was pretty much that. Pfaadt returned to competence in the fourth, as is often the case—in fact, he wound up going six full innings, pitching around minimal traffic in each inning—a walk in the fourth, a single in the fifth, a double in the sixth—to put up three zeroes. The bullpen did its job, too, with Kevin Ginkel pitching a scoreless seventh and Ryan Thompson a scoreless eighth. But the Diamondbacks offense couldn’t make up the lost ground, despite having plenty of chances:
Alek Thomas hit a two-out double in the second but was stranded there;
Tim Tawa TOOTBLANned his way into an out after drawing a two-out walk in the fourth;
Jorge Barrosa reached on a one-out single in the fifth, but was doubled off thanks to a Ketel Marte grounder to first;
Adrian Del Castillo singled with two outs in the sixth, but was stranded there;
Alek Thomas was drilled with two outs in the seventh, stole second and took third on an errant throw, and was left standing there when Barrosa couldn’t get him home.
We did manage to get a run back in the top of the eighth, thanks to a two-out Perdomo walk, ADC’s third single, and a Jose Fernandez RBI single that scored Perdomo and advanced ADC to third. Sadly, however, ADC is slow as molasses on the bases, so there was no chance he was going to score, and, shocking as it might be to believe, Nolan Arenado struck out on four pitches when it was his turn to try and drive in the tying run. 4-3 Philadelphia
The bottom of the Diamondbacks order had one last chance in the top of the ninth, but they sat down in order, and that was that.
The Gameday Thread seems to have been reasonably lively for a Saturday game for which the first pitch happened at 10:05am Arizona time, with 156 comments at time of writing. Sadly, my attention was taken up with getting some final stuff in order around the house in preparation for TheRealRamona’s dad, who arrived at his new home with us sometime during the eighth inning. Comment of the Game goes to MikeMono by popular acclaim, and because it shows you how it’s done with the /sarcasm font when one is critiquing the lineup and lack of timely pinch-hitting decisions:
Anyway, thanks to the Friday night result, we are still in line for a possible series victory. Join us tomorrow as Zac Gallen takes the mound for the rubber match, going up against highly-regarded Phillies prospect Andrew Painter. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35am AZ time. Hope you can stop by!
As always, thanks for reading, and as always, go Diamondbacks!
Apr 5, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
On Friday evening, the Brewers dropped an ugly one, maybe their most painful loss of the young season. After Jake Bauers hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the first inning to respond to two early Nationals runs, it felt like Milwaukee might cruise. But instead they were shut out for the next eight innings by the Nationals’ pitching staff — not exactly the ‘90s Braves over there — and fumbled the game away after a bit of a ninth-inning implosion.
They’ll look to bounce back tonight behind Kyle Harrison, one of the brighter spots in what has been a mostly encouraging start to the season. Harrison is making his third start, and each of the first two has been good. On March 30, Harrison allowed one run to the Rays on four hits and one walk while striking out eight in five innings, though Milwaukee lost that game when the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead that Harrison left with. On April 5, Harrison pitched 5 1/3 innings in Kansas City and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six. He earned his first win of the season in that one, an 8-5 Brewers victory.
Washington counters with lefty Foster Griffin, who is back in the big leagues at age 30 after spending the last three seasons in Japan. Griffin came up through the Royals’ organization and made his brief major league debut in 2020, but he was unable to nail down a spot in the majors, and after just nine big-league appearances across three seasons, he made the move to Japan, where he was a star for the Yomiuri Giants — in three seasons that covered 348 innings, Griffin pitched to a 2.51 ERA and 4.50 K-to-BB ratio. That got him a job back in the US, where he signed with the Nationals. He’s been pretty good so far and is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts. Foster does not throw hard (low-90s) but throws a whole bunch of different pitches, which keeps hitters off balance.
The Brewer lineup hasn’t looked great against left-handed pitching lately, but they’ll take another crack at it tonight. Luis Matos, however, continues to ride the pine despite being one of the few available right-handed bats; Brandon Lockridge will play left, with Blake Perkins in center and Sal Frelick in right. After a night off on Friday, Joey Ortiz is back in the lineup today, and Luis Rengifo, who hasn’t been able to buy a hit (though that’s certainly partially due to a .188 BABIP), bats second. Get well soon, Jackson.
A couple of injury notes from the organization: Quinn Priester had a good live batting practice session and is expected to get some game action soon in extended spring training. Tyler Black, who is playing at Triple-A Nashville, went on the seven-day injured list with a “shoulder impingement,” but is not expected to be out long. Cooper Pratt missed a couple of days with a sore shoulder but is back in the Nashville lineup tonight.
First pitch at 6:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
Rick Tocchet’s club has lost consecutive games just once since Feb. 26. The Flyers have gone 16-6-1 over that span and have allowed just 2.39 goals per game.
With two games to go (both at home), the Flyers have a chance to nail down their first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season (more on the race below).
The Flyers have won in their last four trips to Canada Life Centre while outscoring Winnipeg an astounding 14-2.
They split their two-game regular-season series with the Jets (35-32-12). Back in mid-October, they lost to Winnipeg, 5-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
They hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division.
The Blue Jackets beat the Canadiens, 5-2, so the Flyers remained two points ahead of Columbus. The Flyers are three points up on both the Capitals and Islanders. They gained ground on New York, which was blanked by the Senators, 3-0. Washington kept pace by beating a stripped-down Penguins team, 6-3.
And get ready for some more scoreboard watching Sunday. The Blue Jackets, Capitals and Islanders are all in action.
If Columbus wins, the Flyers will have the tiebreaker for now because they’ll have played one fewer game. The Flyers, though, don’t want to finish even with any of the three teams chasing them because they’ll fall short in the tiebreaker of regulation wins.
• Dan Vladar put his previous start firmly in the past by denying 27 of 28 shots against the Jets.
He was pulled Thursday night in the second period after giving up four goals on eight shots. The Flyers didn’t help him much with penalties and allowing a shorthanded breakaway.
On Saturday night, Vladar looked so much more like himself and the Flyers played a cleaner game. The 28-year-old added to his career high in victories with No. 28. His career high coming into the season was 14.
Connor Hellebuyck, last season’s Hart Trophy winner as the league’s MVP, surrendered five goals on 20 shots.
The Flyers stunned the Winnipeg netminder with three goals in the first period. It was a 5-1 game at second intermission after Cates scored a shorthanded goal late in the middle stanza.
Eric Comrie took over for Hellebuyck at the start of the third period and made one save on three shots.
• The Flyers really took advantage of a weaker Western Conference this season.
They went 21-7-4 against teams in the West. But they didn’t just pick on the bottom-feeders. They recorded four wins over the conference’s top three teams. They beat the Avalanche on the road, the Stars at home and swept the Wild.
How about this? If the Flyers played in the Pacific Division, they’d be a first-place team.
• Sanheim has given the Flyers a bona-fide No. 1 defenseman down the stretch.
Over the last 17 games, Sanheim has recorded five goals, six assists and a plus-13 rating. Rasmus Ristolainen, Sanheim’s defensive partner, has eight assists and a plus-16 rating in that span.
Sanheim’s goal Saturday night was his career-high 11th.
• The Flyers return home to wrap up the regular season with a back-to-back set. They host the Hurricanes on Monday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Carolina is 52-22-6 and trying to clinch the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Montreal is 47-23-10 and in a battle for the Atlantic Division crown.
The defending American League champions are feeling a little more snakebit with every passing game.
The Toronto Blue Jays, already beset by a rotation's worth of pitching injuries, lost a crucial offensive performer Saturday, April 11 when leadoff hitter George Springer suffered a fractured big left toe in their 7-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre.
The designated hitter fouled a ball off his left toe in the third inning, initially waved off Toronto's training staff, but did not come to the plate for his next at-bat in the sixth. The Blue Jays dropped to 6-8 with their seventh loss in nine games.
George Springer had to leave the game with a left toe fracture after fouling a pitch off his foot in the third inning pic.twitter.com/esUbWUhMC5
And suddenly, the Blue Jays are down the equivalent of three everyday players, with Springer, All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk (thumb surgery) and infielder/outfielder Addison Barger (ankles) all shelved.
The rash of everyday players going down comes during a spring in which Shane Bieber (forearm), Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Jose Berríos (elbow) and Cody Ponce (torn ACL) aren't able to go. Additionally, 41-year-old Max Scherzer underwent a recent MRI on his right elbow in the wake of his two-inning start April 6.
George Springer injury update
Springer is certainly a big loss. In the final year of a $150 million contract, Springer revived his career with a 32-homer, .959 OPS 2025 season, capped by the biggest homer for the Blue Jays this season, his three-run shot to clinch the pennant in ALCS Game 7. This year, he was off to a 10-for-54 start (.185) with two homers.
His bat may prove difficult to replace, given that the club let Bo Bichette walk in free agency, figuring Barger would take a step forward and newcomer Kazuma Okamoto would adjust quickly to the major leagues. Now, Barger and Springer are shelved and Okamoto is producing a .651 OPS in 13 games.
SAN JOSE – Depending on how things unfold over the next week, the Sharks almost certainly have played their final game of the 2025-26 NHL season at SAP Center.
A 4-3 shootout loss to the struggling Vancouver Canucks on Saturday was the final nail in San Jose’s season at the Tank, one that was noticeably better than a year ago but not enough to send the sold-out crowd home happy.
Star Macklin Celebrini added to his outstanding season with a shootout goal and two assists, giving him 110 points for the season — fourth overall in the NHL.
Igor Chernshov had two goals and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Sharks, while Yaroslav Askarov had 38 saves before allowing the game-winner in the sixth round of the shootout.
There’s a chance, slim as it may be, that the Sharks could be back in town to host a playoff game, but that will be determined over the next few days.
It was a strange night in many ways.
Vancouver scored its first goal by Marco Rossi in the second period. As Rossi pushed the puck toward the net, Askarov pulled the entire goal setup down and over the puck. After a short discussion by referees, the goal was upheld.
Askarov gets caught on the wrong side of the net, seemingly pulls it down, but the goal counts 😭🚨 pic.twitter.com/PTTYOjryZs
Shortly afterward, Toffoli put the Sharks back in front with his 19th goal of the season from just inside the left circle.
Vancouver didn’t go quietly, despite trailing three different times.
The Canucks made a surge and peppered Askarov with multiple shots before Jake DeBrusk fired the puck past San Jose’s goalie to tie it with 2:23 left in the second period.
Vancouver then forced overtime after scoring with one second left on the power play and three minutes remaining in the third period.
Here are the takeaways from Saturday:
So you’re saying there’s a chance
Despite their recent stumbles that pushed them to the brink of being eliminated from postseason contention, the Sharks head into their final three games still with a chance at getting into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It certainly won’t be easy. The Los Angeles Kings currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 87 points, with the Nashville Predators (86) and Winnipeg Jets (82) next in line.
The Sharks have 82. San Jose would have to make a clean sweep of their three remaining games against Nashville, Chicago and Winnipeg, and hope the Kings lose out.
Better start sets the tone
In each of their last two games, the Sharks came out flat, fell behind and never recovered. The slow starts were critical in losses to the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.
Against a Canucks team that isn’t on the same level as the Oilers and Ducks, San Jose looked much more crisp offensively during the opening 20 minutes, although Celebrini missed a breakaway attempt midway through the period.
The Sharks missed a few other close scoring opportunities before Igor Chernyshov wrapped the puck around the right side of Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen to get the crowd inside SAP Center really vibing.
The Sharks may not make it to the postseason, but they’re not just rolling over, either.
Late in the first period after Celebrini absorbed a hard hit from the Canucks, Chernyshov and Vancouver defenseman Filip Hronek got into a heated tussle, although it didn’t appear that many punches were thrown.
Dmitry Orlov later got penalized for a hard hip check in the second period.
It’s not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but for a team that simply could have shut it down for the final week, it’s good to see there’s still some fight – and pride – left in Team Teal.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 10: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves stands in the dugout during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Martín Pérez will lead the Braves against Parker Messick and the Guardians in the first City Connect Saturday of 2026.
Side note, this picture seems to be from the elaborate light show we now deploy when the opposing team makes a pitching change. They are definitely making use of those state-of-the-art lights and projections… thoughts?
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a spirited victory in the series opener, the San Francisco Giants will look to win their series against the Baltimore Orioles today, in the second game of their nine-game road trip.
The Giants are sending their ace to the mound, as right-hander Logan Webb will make his fourth start of the year. On the year, the 29-year old is 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA, a 2.65 FIP, and 15 strikeouts against just six walks in 18 innings. His last start was his best, as he held the New York Mets to one run in seven innings.
He’s up against the veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt, who makes his third start for the Orioles, his fifth MLB team. It’s been a tough start for the 37-year old, who is 0-2 with a 14.21 ERA, an 8.52 FIP, and just three strikeouts against six walks in 6.1 innings.
Apr 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Leaky Black (14) shoots the ball as Chicago Bulls center Lachlan Olbrich (47) looks on in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The Washington Wizards are wrapping up their 2026 season in Cleveland tomorrow. Here is the preview:
Game info
When: 6 p.m. EST on Sunday, Apr. 12
Where: Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network
Injuries
Wizards — Justin Champagnie (knee) is listed as DAY-TO-DAY
Cavs — Donovan Mitchell (ankle), Sam Merrill (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (knee) are all listed as DAY-TO-DAY
Game notes and more
Game 82 of the NBA season is a who’s who of “who is that?” Huge props to anyone who sits down and watches this game.
The Wizards have won fewer than 20 games for a third consecutive season and failed to improve upon last season’s 18 wins. Next year it’s time to start stringing together some wins.
The Cavs might look very different next season if they’re not able to put together a strong playoff run. They are the team to watch in the offseason if they bow out of the postseason early.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at Frost Bank Center on April 10, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama needed to play one more game to qualify for end-of-season awards. After a rib injury, many people suggested he could do 20 minutes of cardio to meet the minimum requirements. Doing the minimum is not in Wembanyama’s nature. He exploded for 40 points in 26 minutes as the Spurs handled the Dallas Mavericks 139-120.
Wembanyama will lead the player grades for the second-to-last regular-season game. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
It wasn’t just the stats Wembanyama put up, but the way he achieved them. He looked smooth on the perimeter, handling the ball and knocking down two three-pointers. He took bumps inside and still finished over the top of opposing defenders. It didn’t look like the rib injury was holding him back at all.
With 65 games in the can, Wembanyama is a lock to take home multiple awards. The Spurs’ big man is -20000 to win Defensive Player of the Year on FanDuel.
San Antonio needed a 40-28 third-quarter run to pull away from Dallas. That effort was led mostly by Fox, who had 14 of his 18 points in the third frame. Fox was a maestro with the rock while having an efficient shooting night. He also had some of the most explosive dunks we’ve seen from him in his time with the Spurs. It was a fun performance to watch, and without him, the Spurs may not have come away with the win.
Harper got exposed by Cooper Flagg a bit. Flagg went to work whenever Harper was guarding him on the perimeter. The rookie didn’t let it get to him. He fought back on the other end by getting to the basket, scoring at an efficient rate. This was one of Harper’s better passing games with six assists.
I’ve been loving Champagnie’s attacking mentality lately. As teams close out hard on him, respecting his jump shot, he’s been going right around them to get to the basket. His finishing around the basket has improved greatly from last season. He’s a real threat to score at the rim now. He’s been playing some solid off-ball defense lately, too, which will be important for the Spurs as teams try to find ways to score around Wembanyama in the playoffs.
Kornet went from dominating the Trail Blazers to playing a more subdued role against Dallas. He was still solid defensively in 18 minutes, walling up in the paint and breaking up passes near the rim. Seven boards in just 18 minutes is nothing to sniff at, either. Kornet’s performance against the Mavs was pretty typical: solid.
Vassell didn’t make much of an impact in his 27 minutes. He was cold when shooting the ball from deep, missing some open shots. He didn’t actively hurt the Spurs either. His defense remains solid, as he’s been able to accumulate some steals on the wing. He and Champagnie have been getting better and better at taking advantage of the defensive opportunities presented to them as teams look to avoid Wembanyama.
Unc was cooking on Friday! Barnes had 15 points, giving the Spurs an edge off the bench. Now Barnes needs to score 17 points or more in his final game of the season to give the Spurs their eighth player averaging double-digit points.
Johnson did what he does best against Dallas, getting to the rim and fighting on the boards. KJ grabbed 2 offensive boards on Friday. His impact on all aspects of the game has made him the leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.
Bryant continues to play great down the stretch. He’s been a sharpshooter from three in the last two games, as he’s starting to shoot them with a lot of confidence. On the other end, he continues to compete. He had an awesome block on Flagg that showed why so many believe he can develop into a real defensive stopper on the wing.
