Schmid Makes Momentous Save To Help Golden Knights Top Rangers, 3-2

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights got two power-play goals, including one from rookie forward Braeden Bowman, and held on for a 3-2 win over the visiting New York Rangers.

The Knights, who recently endured a 0-2-2 four-game skid, have now won two of three, going 2-0-1.

The win moved Vegas (24 points) into a second-place tie with the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division, both one point back of the surprising Anaheim Ducks.

Ben Hutton and Shea Theodore also scored for the Knights, while Akira Schmid made 17 saves to improve to 7-1-2 on the year, having earned seven of Vegas' eight wins.

Hutton's goal was his first in 609 days.

Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XVegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XHUTTY WAS HYPED TO GET HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON 🤩

Theodore, a cancer survivor, scored the game-winning goal on Hockey Fights Cancer night in Vegas.

Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XVegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on Xthe power play has been on FIRE tonight 🔥

The Rangers got goals from Jonny Brodzinski and Vincent Trocheck, while goalie Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.

Pavel Dorofeyev’s assist on Hutton’s second-period goal marked his 100th career point. Dorofeyev, who ranks fifth on the team with 15 points (11 goals, 4 assists), is the fourth player in franchise history to record his first 100 career points with the Knights.

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KEY MOMENT: With Vegas on the power play, Schmid found himself facing a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush with the Knights clinging to a 2-1 lead. As Schmid squared up to defend Trocheck coming down the right side, a quick pass to Will Cuylle shifted the play. Schmid shifted quickly to stymie the effort and keep momentum in Vegas' favor. Moments later, Theodore buried what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

"Critical moment," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "That is how you turn a one-goal game into a win as opposed to a loss. ... He makes the save to give us a little bit of life. We got through it, let's keep pushing. We did, and we got the next goal. Ends up being the game winner."

KEY STAT: 0-for-9 ... that would be the stretch of games in which Vegas star Jack Eichel has not scored a goal. Eichel, at one point, led the league in points after opening the season with 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) through Oct. 28. Since then, Eichel has five assists and is -2.

WHAT A KNIGHT:Bowman continues his impressive play after just four games. The 22-year-old made his debut Nov. 13 against the Islanders. In his second game, on Saturday in St. Louis, he scored the first goal of his career, also on the power play.

"He's given us good minutes. The things we're looking for are, can he keep up the pace and strength of NHL hockey night after night. In four nights, that has not dropped off. That's a good sign, because that's the challenge for all the newbies in the league."

Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XVegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XBraeden Bowman on the power play is a cheat code 🎮

UP NEXT: The Golden Knights open a three-game road trip at Utah on Thursday.

PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid (40) makes a save against New York Rangers left wing Will Cuylle (50) during the third period at T-Mobile Arena.

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No. 17 Michigan State drains 11 3-pointers in 83-66 win over No. 12 Kentucky

Kur Teng hit three of Michigan State’s season-high 11 3-pointers on the way to scoring a career-best 15 points, and the 17th-ranked Spartans beat No. 12 Kentucky 83-66 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in the opener of the annual Champions Classic. Michigan State (4-0) made half of its 3-point attempts after entering the game shooting 21.7% from long range — fourth-worst out of 361 Division I programs — with just 14 total through its first three games. The Spartans outrebounded Kentucky 42-28 and never led by fewer than 10 after Teng’s baseline fadeaway jumper deep in the corner with 2 seconds remaining in the first half.

No. 19 UCLA turns new look into 79-48 victory over Sacramento State

Eric Dailey Jr. had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Xavier Booker scored 12 and No. 19 UCLA rode a new-look starting lineup to a 79-48 victory over Sacramento State on Tuesday night. Trent Perry, Jamar Brown, Steven Jamerson II and Brandon Williams all started for the Bruins (4-1) after making just two starts between them in the first four games of the season. Booker, Tyler Bilodeau, Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark all began the game on the bench.

Rangers unable to get much going in 3-2 loss to Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rookie forward Braeden Bowman scored his second career goal and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Ben Hutton and Shea Theodore also scored for the Golden Knights, and Akira Schmid stopped 17 shots. Vegas improved to 2-0-1 in the past three games following an 0-2-2 stretch.

Two of Vegas’ goals came on the power play. After a 3-for-34 skid, the Golden Knights have scored five times with the man advantage in the last three games.

Jonny Brodzinski and Vincent Trocheck scored for New York. Another would-be goal by Brodzinski in the third period was wiped out following a replay review when center Mika Zibanejad was ruled offside after Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy challenged the play.

Trocheck’s deflection during a 6-on-5 with 2:43 left cut the margin to one.

Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves for the Rangers.

Bowman, playing his fourth NHL game, scored his second power-play goal in four nights. After making a pass to the top of the slot for Mitch Marner, whose shot deflected off Shesterkin’s pad, Bowman was there to one-time the rebound into the net midway through the first period.

Hutton gave Vegas a 2-0 lead when he scored his first goal in 609 days, beating Shesterkin from the left dot early in the second.

Brodzinski cut the lead in half when he banged in the rebound of Will Cuylle’s shot on a 2-on-1 later in the period.

Theodore, who underwent surgery to treat testicular cancer prior to the 2019-20 season, scored the game-winning goal midway through the third on Hockey Fights Cancer night at T-Mobile Arena.

Up next

Rangers: Will visit Colorado on Thursday.

Golden Knights: Play at Utah on Thursday.

Brewers say Brandon Woodruff's return doesn't mean a Freddy Peralta trade is imminent: 'Independent decisions'

The Mets need starting pitching, and there are options this offseason, whether it's in the free agent or trade market.

However, the Brewers are making it known that ace Freddy Peralta being dealt isn't inevitable. 

After Brandon Woodruff was one of just four players to accept the $22 million qualifying offer to return to Milwaukee, many believed it was a precursor to the Brewers trading Peralta -- who is on an expiring contract -- to recoup assets. ESPN's Jeff Passan cited executives with interest who believed the chance for a Peralta trade would "drastically increase" if Woodruff took the qualifying offer. 

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and president of baseball operations Matt Arnoldcommented to The Athletic late Tuesday that one decision doesn't impact the other.

“Independent decisions Matt and his group will make,” Attanasio told The Athletic. “We’re certainly excited about our rotation now.”

Peralta is set to make just $8 million in 2026, a very team-friendly deal that the Brewers could afford, but with the threat of losing their best pitcher to free agency at the end of the season, it could be the best chance to get the most back in a deal, especially after the year the 29-year-old just had. The 2025 season was arguably Peralta's best as a pro. In 33 starts, he pitched to a 17-6 record and a 2.70 ERA. He made his second All-Star team and was fifth in Cy Young voting. 

Currently, the Mets' starting rotation is in a state of uncertainty. Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga and Nolan McLean are expected to be a part of the mix while Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns looks to add and remake the rotation this offseason.

What pitcher or pitchers he can obtain is not yet known as Stearns navigates the ever-evolving offseason.

"There are teams that are still feeling out where they're heading this offseason," Stearns told SNY's Andy Martino at the GM Meetings. "I have experience and recognize that positions at the GM Meetings may not always be the position a club takes at the Winter Meetings and may not be the position a club takes at the end of January. These things can evolve at the end of the offseason and be really challenging for me to predict at this point...what we try to do is stay involved in the conversations and make sure we're informed as much as possible and that allows us to make the best decisions."

Aside from Peralta, the Mets could try and pry other top-line starters like Tarik Skubal from their respective clubs. They have the young talent like Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat that they can use as trade chips, but it's not the only avenue Stearns has to add to the Mets rotation. 

Other arms like Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez and Michael King are available via free agency.


Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson to have his hamstring injury re-evaluated

A lingering hamstring injury caused Darryn Peterson to miss a third consecutive game for Kansas, and coach Bill Self is not sure when the nation’s top recruit and potentially the top pick in next year’s NBA draft might be ready to play again. Peterson has not played since getting hurt during a pregame shootaround on Nov. 11. Self said the team feels good about how it is handling Peterson and doesn't expect the absence to be “long at all.”

Connor Bedard Scores Another Hat Trick; Blackhawks Defeat Flames 5-2

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Calgary Flames at the United Center on Wednesday in their 19th game of the season. This is the second meeting between the two clubs. 

The Blackhawks came in feeling good about themselves after a big win over the Toronto Maple Leafs over the weekend. The Flames arrived in Chicago with the worst record in the National Hockey League, so they were looking for a spark in any way they could get it. 

Earlier this season, the Blackhawks and Flames met up in Calgary. It was a 4-0 shutout victory for Chicago, and it featured a lot of physical play, including multiple fights. 

At 15:05 of the first period, Ryan Donato ended a little bit of a scoring slump by giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. On the goal, Louis Crevier earned another assist, giving him 8 on the season. Oliver Moore also picked up an assist. 

Almost a full period later to the minute, at 15:11 of the second, Connor Bedard scored with a high-effort play. He used his newfound extra burst to reach the puck and poke it into the net through the wickets of goalie Dustin Wolf. Sam Rinzel earned the helper on the goal with his nice puck-clearing pass from the defensive zone. 

Late in the second, the Calgary Flames scored their first goal of the season against the Blackhawks. It almost took them five full periods, but Matt Coronato's goal pulled them within one. 

Eventually, in the third period, the Flames found a way to tie the game. Rasmus Anderson ripped one past Arvid Soderblom to even things up at two goals apiece. 

Not even two minutes of game clock later, Connor Bedard scored again with a snipe of his own. Ryan Greene made a perfect pass to find him, and Bedard didn't miss. 

Oliver Moore later scored his first goal at home, and second of his career. That gave the Blackhawks some insurance, which Moore made mention of after the game as a reason to be extra proud of the goal. 

With the net empty for Calgary as they tried to come back, Connor Bedard launched one from his defensive zone into the vacant cage for the hat trick. It is his second hat trick of the season. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xgood night Hawks fans❤️❤️❤️

Bedard is now up to 13 goals and 29 points in 19 games played. The run that he is on is special, as he continues to make his case for Team Canada at the Olympics. 

The 5-2 score following Bedard's hat trick stood as the final, and the Blackhawks are now 10-5-4 with 24 points in the standings. They are getting awfully close to being in a playoff spot on American Thanksgiving, which is a noteworthy checkpoint in the NHL. 

Watch Every Blackhawks Goal

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xdelivering you this beauty🤩Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xjust tap it in, tap tap tap it inChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XConnor Bedard what a shot😮‍💨Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xgood golly, Ollie‼️Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xsecond career hat trick✅

Next Up For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks will return to the ice on Thursday night for a date with the Seattle Kraken, who are not off to a terrible start themselves. Earlier this month, the Blackhawks and Kraken met up in Seattle, with a 3-1 decision in favor of the home team. 

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Islanders blast Mikko Rantanen for 'disrespectful' boarding penalty on Alexander Romanov

The Islanders held on for a 3-2 win over the Stars in Dallas on Tuesday night, improving their record on this hellish road trip to 5-1-0, but the first thing on the team's mind was for Alexander Romanov.

With time running out in the third period, Stars forward Mikko Rantanen hit Romanov from behind, leading to the Islanders defenseman sliding face-first into the boards behind New York's goal. Romanov was a heap on the ice as officials stopped play with just 27.3 seconds remaining and waved to the benches to get medical personnel to tend to him.

Rantanen was assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for the hit.

"I hope he's going to be ok. At this moment, I don't know exactly what it is," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said after the game. "But all I'm going to say is, when you see the numbers, you have to lay off. Everybody knows that. I mean, you don't go through the guy. I'm proud of the way that our guys handled it afterwards. No one was happy to see someone get hurt like this. And like I said, to me, it's disrespectful for our guy."

Roy, who was the Avalanche head coach when the team drafted Rantanen 10th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, said he knew it wasn't intentional, but that doesn't excuse the hit.

"I was in Colorado when [Rantanen] was drafted there, and it's not his style," he said. "But at the same time, that should not be part of our game."

Newsday's Andrew Gross reported from Dallas that Romanov was still in the arena at the time the game ended and did not have to be transported to another facility for examination, and that the mood with the Islanders is equal parts concern and anger.

"I hope he's doing good," said Calum Ritchie, who scored his first goal as an Islander on Tuesday. "That's a tough play there at the end and thankfully, we ended up getting the win for him."

"Hopefully he's alright," Ryan Pulock said. "Wasn't pretty from the bench."

"A lot happens. We're not happy to see one of our best defenseman. Hopefully, he's fine. It's dangerous," Jean-Gabriel Pageau said of the play. "We all saw it from the ice, I'm sure you guys have a different view and the replays and stuff, so you guys make your own statement on it. And for us, it's one of our friends, one of our teammates. Never fun to see that."

Pageau was asked if the play overshadowed their win on Tuesday, and the veteran center said that their thoughts are with their teammate.

"Put yourself in my shoes, one of your friends gets hurt on the ice, it's way more important than hockey to me," he said. "Obviously, we get two points... we're happy about that, but our first concern was Romy and the rest took care of itself."

Placing all 30 MLB teams in free agency tiers, from biggest spenders to 'Broke Boys'

The "Baseball Bar-B-Cast” is here to help guide you through this winter of MLB free agency, which began with a minor splash from the Seattle Mariners, who re-signed first baseman Josh Naylor to a five-year, $92.5 million deal.

On top of that, a record four players across the league agreed to qualifying offers of one year, $22.025 million. While the biggest fish in the free agency sea are still there for the taking, only a small number of teams are realistically in play for prized players like Kyle Tucker or Alex Bregman. Simply put, not many teams are willing or able to afford the mega contracts those players will demand.

That’s why, in the latest episode of “Baseball Bar-B-Cast,” Yahoo Sports’ Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz divided all 30 teams into nine different tiers based on how they plan to approach free agency, from the biggest spenders (Funny Money) to the most frugal franchises (Broke Boys).

Tier 1: Funny Money 

Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets

These two teams are willing and able to spend with essentially no limit, luxury tax be damned. For the Dodgers, the strategy has already paid off massively with back-to-back World Series titles. Their enormous payroll has sparked conversations about the spending gap in baseball and could lead to heated collective bargaining negotiations and a potential lockout in 2027.

"I'm interested in how evil do they get, right?” Mintz said of the Dodgers. “They have now won two in a row. The lockout is approaching. We could be operating under a new financial system in, you know, a year's time. Does that impact the way the Dodgers approach this winter where they're like, 'This is our last chance to really go nut nut, and maybe Kyle Tucker's contract is grandfathered in, let's get him on our roster.'"

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 01:   Shohei Ohtani #17 and manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after winning Game Seven of the 2025 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Saturday, November 1, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Is a trilogy next for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and superstar Shohei Ohtani? (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Daniel Shirey via Getty Images

The Mets, on the other hand, have spent big without much to show for it so far.

"I'm most interested in which of the two guys do they bring back: [Pete] Alonso and [Edwin] Díaz?” Mintz asked. “And beyond that, how do they seek to supplement the roster? They have some money coming off the books, but if they try and keep Alonso and Díaz, it's less money than you think.”

Tier 2: Rich Men North of Richmond

New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays

While this group isn’t afraid to open up the checkbook, they’re a tier behind the Dodgers and Mets. For now.

“Let's not pretend like the Yankees are not still capable of spending more than everybody but the Dodgers and Mets, and maybe even outspend the Dodgers and Mets in some circumstances,” Shusterman said.

If the Yankees want to sign a big name in free agency, they might have to compete with a Blue Jays team that came within one win of a World Series title.

“Do they act like a behemoth?” Mintz asked of Toronto.

The Phillies, meanwhile, may have to spend all their money just to keep the band together.

“Because of the state of the roster and kind of the direction of their franchise, [the Phillies] arrive at an interesting point here where [Kyle] Schwarber is, of course, the top priority. [J.T.] Realmuto as well,” Shusterman said. “Is there another move? Is there a move on top of that other than just keeping this group together? Is it a Kyle Tucker?”

Tier 3: Have Employed or Do Employ Rafael Devers

San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox

By executing a massive midseason trade in June to acquire Rafael Devers from the Red Sox, the Giants showed they’re willing to make aggressive moves to get better. Yet San Francisco missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season anyway, while Boston surged to the postseason.

“The Red Sox, from a roster standpoint and a free agency standpoint, I think is more compelling because the guys they need to try and keep,” Shusterman said. “And the Giants, it's just like, what are you going to do to move this forward?”

Tier 4: You Have Spent But Where Are You?

San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels

This collection of clubs have handed out huge commitments to big-time players, with varying results, including San Diego’s Fernando Tatis, Texas’ Corey Seager, several extensions to Braves players or even the Angels’ deal with Anthony Rendon. But for multiple reasons, Shusterman said he’s confused and intrigued about where these teams are at.

The team in this tier that feels like it should be a notch higher? The Cubs.

“This team should be a real behemoth with the amount of money they bring in,” Mintz said. “And until they start acting that way, they will be here grouped together with the Padres, Astros, Braves, Rangers, Angels.”

Tier 5: Why Don’t You Just Meet Me in the Middle

Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies

As we mentioned, the Mariners already signed Naylor to a sizable deal. But if they don’t make any other big moves beyond that this offseason, they’re still firmly in baseball’s middle class. Despite these teams slotting into roughly the same spending tier, there’s clearly a wide range of on-field performance here.

“These clubs, five of them actually are in relatively similar points where they're trying to contend and one team is the Rockies,” Mintz said. “But we feel like the Rockies had to be grouped here because if [newly hired president of baseball operations] Paul DePodesta went out and signed Dylan Cease, I would be both surprised and I would be like, ‘that's the Rockies.’”

Tier 6: Too Smart To Spend

Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians

They draft well, develop well and know how to get the most out of inexpensive rosters. But how do they get over the hump to succeed in the playoffs?

“They have earned both the benefit of the doubt and also kind of the collective frustration of, ‘Hey, you're doing a lot of these other things really well, what if you just spent some more money on, like, really good baseball players?’” Shusterman said.

Tier 7: The Reds

Cincinnati Reds

They were good enough to make the playoffs, but it ended quickly with a lopsided series sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.

“They at least have more good things going on that you can be like, ‘Maybe you are just a couple players away.’ I think that's maybe the most complimentary way I can phrase the Reds’ situation,” Shusterman said. “But also, maybe they don't want to spend any money because they're the Reds and that also happens often.”

Tier 8: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals

These are teams that have spent real money at various points in their histories, but that won’t be the case this winter as they all embrace some degree of rebuilding.

“There's not going to be a whole lot of sexy stuff at the big league level this year,” Mintz said of the trio of teams. “There'll probably be some trades of veteran players away for prospects and as for that reason, anything beyond a one-year deal would surprise me.”

Tier 9: Broke Boys

Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Athletics

Could one of these teams break out of the bottom tier? Maybe the A’s signing Luis Severino to a franchise-record deal of $67 million for three years last season is a sign of things to come. Or maybe it’s an anomaly.

“Until they prove us wrong the way that the A's sort of did last year with Severino, to some degree, we have to expect them to not spend money. … history tells us that they are not going to spend real money in free agency. So if they, if they want to change that, we'll talk about it,” Shusterman.


Bo Horvat nets 13th goal before ejection in Islanders' 3-2 win over Stars

DALLAS (AP) — Bo Horvat scored his 13th goal of the season in the second period before being ejected for high-sticking in the third, and the New York Islanders held on for a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.

Calum Ritchie and Kyle Palmieri also scored and David Rittich made 22 saves for the Islanders, who are 5-1 on their seven-game road swing.

Jason Robertson scored twice for Dallas, and Jake Oettinger finished with 19 saves.

Robertson, who has eight goals in his last four games, scored on a 6-on-5 backhander with 1:59 left to cut the deficit to one for the Stars, whose five-game winning streak ended.

The Stars, with Oettinger pulled, lost their man advantage with 28 seconds remaining when Mikko Rantanen was ejected for boarding Alexander Romanov, who was injured after going face-first into the boards and had to be helped off the ice.

Then Wyatt Johnson stunningly tied the game with 0.1 seconds, but his goal was waved off by official review for goaltender interference because Robertson collided with Rittich in the crease and knocked him over.

After a penalty-free first and second periods, the whistles came out in a tense third period. Islanders coach Patrick Roy was livid after the boarding by Rantanen, yelling at the officials and at the Stars bench. There were 35 penalty minutes doled out, with seven penalties in the third, including a double-minor and game misconduct for Horvat, who moved into a tie for second in the NHL in goals.

The Stars welcomed back captain Jamie Benn from lung surgery in his season debut. He played 19 shifts, with one shot and four hits.

Ritchie had his first goal and Palmieri had his first short-handed goal as members of the Islanders.

Up next

The Islanders play at Detroit on Thursday, when Dallas visits Vancouver.