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Bump shows flashes as Flyers drop to Canadiens in preseason

Bump shows flashes as Flyers drop to Canadiens in preseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers fell to the Canadiens, 4-2, in preseason action Tuesday night at Bell Centre.

Anthony Richard and Owen Tippett provided the Flyers’ goals. Travis Sanheim nearly tied the game in the third period on a shorthanded breakaway, but the defenseman was denied by Montreal netminder Kaapo Kahkonen.

The Canadiens’ fourth goal came with the Flyers on a power play and their net emptied.

The trip to Montreal was the second of seven preseason games for the Flyers, who are 1-1-0 so far. They beat the Islanders, 3-2, Sunday night in a shootout.

• Alex Bump made his preseason debut Tuesday night and played a real noticeable game.

The young roster hopeful didn’t score, but he was active and you could see his ability to complement NHL talent.

In the first period, he stripped a Canadien and got a shot on net. In the third period, he had a nice move on a semi-breakaway, but couldn’t quite finish.

Bump did take a couple of hits on the night, but popped back up each time.

The 21-year-old winger didn’t hurt his chances at making the Flyers’ season-opening roster.

Jett Luchanko, another youngster trying to open eyes, made some subtle, effective plays.

• Samuel Ersson played the first period and surrendered two goals on nine shots.

The first was a Cole Caufield blast as Montreal flipped a Sean Couturier turnover into a 3-on-2 opportunity. The second was a Florian Xhekaj shot that Ersson probably knows he can stop.

Aleksei Kolosov converted 12 saves on 13 shots over the final two periods. The 23-year-old has made 27 saves on 30 shots through two exhibition outings.

• Rick Tocchet gave Rodrigo Abols a second straight look after the 29-year-old forward impressed in the preseason opener.

“I really liked his first period last game, I thought he was really good,” the Flyers’ head coach said Tuesday morning. “He’s a big guy who can skate. I don’t know him, but from watching him, I love big guys that can skate like that.

“Can he fit a role? When you’ve got a guy like that, I want to see how he can play two, three games in a row. The hardest part, I find, for the guys that come up from the minors, they give you a good game and then they fall off.”

Abols fared well against the Canadiens. He played with physicality and had a team-high three shots.

Richard, who’s pushing for a bottom-six job like Abols, showed off a great burst of speed to put the Flyers on the board in the second period.

• Tippett drew the Flyers to within 3-2 in the middle stanza when he didn’t hesitate to fire a shot from the circle on the power play.

“Whatever the team gives you and it’s a Grade A, you take it,” Tocchet said last Friday. “We’re not looking for tic-tac-toes. If they’re there, take it. To me, be aggressive. The best power plays are the teams that break pressure and they attack, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

• Dennis Gilbert, who is vying to be the Flyers’ sixth or seventh blueliner, played a reliable game. He picked up an assist on Richard’s goal and delivered some hits.

“You notice him out there even when you coach against him,” Tocchet said last Saturday. “He’s a physical guy, he’s not afraid to stick up for his teammates. If he can play a solid game for us, the way we want him to play, I think he has got a good shot at making our team.”

• The Flyers will be on the ice Wednesday in Voorhees, New Jersey before they resume preseason action Thursday against the Capitals at Giant Center (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

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Phils waste Sánchez gem, bullpen falters in rain-soaked loss to Miami in extras

Phils waste Sánchez gem, bullpen falters in rain-soaked loss to Miami in extras originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For seven innings, it looked like business as usual. Cristopher Sánchez dominated, the Phillies homered twice, and a home crowd braced for another routine win.

Instead, the bullpen unraveled, a rain delay muddied the finish, and Miami walked away with a 6-5 comeback victory in extras that left the remnants of the Philadelphia crowd deflated.

Sánchez continued his Cy Young-caliber season with seven scoreless frames of three-hit ball, carving through a Marlins lineup stacked with right-handed bats. He struck out six — notching his 200th strikeout this season — and looked every bit the stopper Rob Thomson has leaned on all year.

Meanwhile, the offense got its usual jolt from Kyle Schwarber, who opened the scoring in the first with a 112 mph moonshot into the right-field seats — his 54th of the year, now just four shy of Ryan Howard’s franchise record.

Otto Kemp added a two-run shot in the second, padding the lead to 3-0.

But that was all the Phillies managed with Sanchez on the mound and it wasn’t enough.

Rob Thomson went to David Robertson in the eighth and Miami pounced.

Griffin Conine launched a cutter for a solo homer, Otto Lopez and Liam Hicks singled, and a Harrison Bader throwing error gifted another run. Suddenly, the lead was down to one. Tanner Banks briefly steadied things with a big strikeout of Jakob Marsee, but the ninth brought disaster.

Jhoan Duran coughed up a game-tying homer to Heriberto Hernandez, silencing the crowd in an instant. Just before the blast, the game was delayed when J.T. Realmuto took a foul tip off his right hand and exited with what was later diagnosed as a contusion.

“That was quite a blow to his finger,” Thomson said. “But X-rays are negative. We’ll check him out tomorrow.”

Sánchez also made sure to underline Realmuto’s importance. “He’s super important to us. He’s one of the best catchers in the game. We’re basically not there without him.”

Then, came the rain. A sudden downpour forced a one hour, nine minute delay before the Phillies could finish batting in the bottom of the ninth, freezing any momentum.

After the Phillies were blanked when play resumed, the game went into extras. Miami scored twice in the 10th — one on a broken-bat single from Hicks, another on a Marsee fielder’s choice — to take a 5-3 lead.

The Phillies fought back. Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos delivered RBI singles to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th, with Castellanos grinding out an eight-pitch at-bat to keep the night alive.

“It’s difficult,” Thomson said of Castellanos adjusting to a part-time role. “He’s been playing every day his entire life, so you have to take your hat off to him for the job he’s doing.”

But in the 11th, Lou Trivino gave up a sacrifice fly that proved to be the difference. The Phillies went down in order to end the three-hour, 26-minute affair.

The Phillies dropped to 92-65 and missed a potential chance to officially clinch a first-round bye, needing either a Dodgers loss or a steadier bullpen to seal things themselves.

For a team that has thrived on power and pitching, Tuesday’s meltdown was a reminder that October will demand more than just strong starting pitching.

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Giants frustrated after wasting 2025 MLB season that once held so much promise

Giants frustrated after wasting 2025 MLB season that once held so much promise originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The first vote of confidence came on Dec. 10. 

As an organization, the Giants do not believe in rebuilding. But Buster Posey, a franchise legend who was hired to lead baseball operations after three consecutive disappointing years, could have talked ownership into a change of course if he felt it was right. Instead, Posey made an early strike in his first offseason, signing Willy Adames to the largest contract in franchise history. 

The second vote of confidence came on June 15. Posey stunned the baseball world by trading for Rafael Devers, an all-in move for a team that was 11 games over .500 at the time.

The third came on July 1 when the Giants, losers of six of seven, picked up the 2026 option on manager Bob Melvin. It was a very clear signal to an embattled coaching staff, but also an underperforming roster.

The 2025 Giants, at every turn, thought they would make the postseason. On Tuesday, they were eliminated with four games to go in the regular season.

This is the eighth time in the last nine seasons that the Giants have missed the MLB playoffs, the lone exception being a magical 107-win campaign in Posey’s final year as a player. The front office, coaching staff and roster have undergone massive changes since that retirement ceremony, but there has been one constant. For four years, there has been a magnet constantly pulling the Giants back to .500.

This time, there is work to be done just to get to that mediocre mark. After a 9-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, the Giants fell to 77-81.

The face of the franchise unfortunately has had to get used to losing seasons. After watching his 15th win disappear because of a late bullpen collapse, Logan Webb said this year is “probably the most frustrating” one yet. 

“No offense to the teams we’ve had before, but this is the most talented team I’ve been on,” Webb said. “I think there were a lot of expectations and it sucks.”

Webb noted that the Giants briefly slid into first place with a win at Dodger Stadium in June. Two days later, they acquired Devers. Somehow, they’re 36-50 since the blockbuster.

“We were excited,” Webb said of that trade. “It’s kind of hard to pinpoint [what has happened]. When things go wrong it just unfortunately seems like we’ve let it stay wrong for a long time, and that’s not a very good recipe for success. Unfortunately it seems like it’s four straight years where it’s been like the exact same thing. Yeah, it just sucks.” 

This year’s group initially had the look of one that would change all of that. 

It is a close-knit and loose clubhouse and has been even in the down times, and for most of the season, the Giants have benefited from tremendous health compared to the teams around them in the standings. But the 2025 Giants also proved to be flawed in important ways. 

They entered Tuesday ranked 18th in starting pitcher ERA, and after talking of their depth all spring, they ran out of options. Kyle Harrison was traded for Devers, Hayden Birdsong lost the strike zone and Landen Roupp’s breakout year ended with a knee injury. Jordan Hicks pitched his way out of the rotation and into a trade, and the anticipated depth in Triple-A never materialized. 

If you had told Melvin in March that he would get All-Star seasons out of Webb and Robbie Ray and 28 starts out of Justin Verlander, he probably would feel like a lock for October. But it wasn’t enough, and Webb and Ray had their worst weekend of the year at a bad time, losing back-to-back games against the Dodgers earlier this month after the Giants briefly moved into a tie for the final wild-card spot. 

The bullpen was the best in baseball for much of the first half, but fell apart in some big games down the stretch, including Tuesday, when Ryan Walker blew the save in the ninth. That part was at least somewhat understandable given the personnel losses. 

As they look back at all of the bitter losses, the Giants likely will zero in on an 0-6 homestand against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates right before the MLB trade deadline. The front office hoped to add starting pitching; instead, Posey reacted by flipping Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval for prospects. A few weeks later, Randy Rodriguez found out he needed Tommy John surgery, joining Erik Miller on the IL.  

The Giants will spend most of this offseason rebuilding the back of their rotation and the leverage spots in their bullpen. The lineup should return just about fully intact, but that group will need to be much more consistent in 2026. 

The overall numbers will look fine for most of the team’s highest-paid hitters, but with the exception of a brief run in late August and early September — after the Giants practically were eliminated — there never seemed to be more than one or two players going at the same time.

The Giants are in the bottom half of the league in runs, homers and wRC+. When the season slipped away right before and after the deadline, the lineup scored fewer than three runs in 12 of 16 games at Oracle Park. Not surprisingly, the Giants lost 15 of those games, a historically bad stretch. 

When the going got tough on the mound and at the plate, there was nowhere else to turn for an edge. They have not been a good defensive team, particularly in the outfield. They’re last in the NL in stolen bases, an ongoing theme for the organization. 

Webb wasn’t just blowing smoke. This is a talented roster on paper, one that saw a fourth player reach 20 homers on Tuesday night, with the hope that newcomer Bryce Eldridge dwarfs that number for years to come. 

But Posey still has plenty of work to do, and it will start right away. Melvin might be under contract, but this second-half collapse will have to fall on somebody, and it’s not out of the question that the Giants embark on a second managerial search in three years. At the very least, the expectation for many within the organization is that there will be a few notable internal changes.

It was about a year ago that Posey decided he was ready to lead the organization. He has spent the last 12 months observing and listening. Now it’s time to find a way out of this loop that the Giants seem to be stuck in. 

“If there’s one thing about Buster Posey, it’s that I don’t think he’s okay with losing, I don’t think he’s okay with even being .500,” Webb said. “He wants to win. I’m not going to play his job because that’s not my job, but I don’t think he’s okay with this. I don’t think there’s a lot of people okay with this in this clubhouse.”

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Top NHL Draft Prospect Ryan Roobroeck Named To Team CHL For Upcoming Prospect Showcase

<i>Niagara IceDogs forward Ryan Roobroeck. Photo credit: Natalie Shaver/OHL Images</i>

Niagara IceDogs forward Ryan Roobroeck is one of the first three members named to Team CHL’s roster for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. 

Roobroeck is projected to be a top ten pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, with many outlets ranking him in the top five of their preliminary rankings. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy had him as high as the second-best prospect, right behind the projected unanimous first-overall pick Gavin McKenna. 

The Niagara star forward is one of the most exciting prospects coming up, due to his combination of size, high-end offensive skills, and an elite goal-scorer’s release, which forecasts him as someone who could tuck home 30 goals year-round in the NHL. He exploded for 87 points (41 goals, 46 assists) in 64 games last regular season, and was a major factor in Canada’s gold medal victory at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (9 points in 7 games). 

Roobroeck was drafted second overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection by the IceDogs. When he was drafted, he was listed at 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds. He has bulked up and grown over the last couple of years, currently standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 215 pounds. Every scout at a Niagara game this year will be watching the London, Ontario native. 

Offensively, he has impressed at the junior level already. Continuing to be that dominate threat this year in the OHL is of course important, but scouts are more focused on the development of his all-around game and play without the puck, which can be lackluster at times. 

The showcase between the top draft-eligible CHL prospects and the U.S. National U18 Team is set to take place on Nov. 25 and 26 in Calgary and Lethbridge. The inaugural event was held last November in London and Oshawa and was a resounding success. Of that 2024 team, five OHL players went on to get selected in the top ten of the 2025 NHL Draft: Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, and Jake O’Brien. 

Defensemen Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants in the WHL and Xavier Villeneuve of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL were the other two players named to Team CHL’s roster. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

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Casey Making His Case: Devils Prospect Fighting for NHL Role

One of the biggest names to watch for the New Jersey Devils ahead of the 2025-26 season is Seamus Casey.

The 21-year-old defenseman, a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been working toward securing a permanent spot with the team.

Last season, Casey split time between the NHL and the AHL. In 14 games with the Devils, he recorded four goals, four assists, and eight points. With the Utica Comets, he tallied three goals and 18 points with a plus-1 rating over 30 games.

At five-foot-ten, Casey isn’t the biggest blueliner, but his strong two-way play has stood out. He impressed at the Prospects Challenge this fall and continues to build on the momentum he created last year. In the 2024 preseason, Casey made his NHL debut in Prague, where he scored his first career goal in just his second game.

Offense has always been a key part of his game. Speaking with the Comets before training camp, Casey said:

“I love to play offense too and help out whenever I can. I love to play with the puck on my stick and in the offensive zone with my teammates. Things went well on the offensive side last year and I’m looking to keep that up, but you have to be a complete player around all sides of the puck.”

Casey opened camp strong but is currently dealing with a minor injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe provided an update Monday:

“He tweaked something in that practice Saturday. He’s doing a lot better. I just felt giving him a couple more days would be the smart thing to do. I would expect to see him Friday if he continues on the path that he is here now.”

Despite the setback, Casey’s mindset hasn’t changed. He’s determined to prove he belongs in the lineup:

“Not being one of the biggest defensemen out there, there’s always room to focus on being more physical. I never want there to be any doubts there. It’s just about being as consistent as I can be in all areas, which comes back to the help of the coaching staff and some of the older guys. Those daily habits on the ice might seem trivial, but you have to be able to do the little things right.”

Casey won’t dress for tonight’s game, but Keefe expects him back Friday. When he returns, he’ll have another chance to show the organization why he deserves a full-time spot on the Devils’ roster.

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Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Will We See A Major Improvement In Play From New First-Line Winger Benson?

Zach Benson (Bob Frid, USA TODAY Images)

We’ve nearly made it to the start of the NHL’s 2025-26 regular season, and here on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve worked our way through our player-by-player series in which we analyze expectations for each Buffalo player this coming year.

We’ve moved through Buffalo’s players at all positions. And in this file, we’re wrapping up the series with an examination of winger Zach Benson. The 20-year-old has been consistent in his first two NHL seasons, but as we’ll explore below, more is going to be asked of him in ‘25-26.

That said, let’s move on to our breakdown of Benson and what’s fair to expect from him this year:

Player Name: Zach Benson

Position: Left Wing

Age: 20

2024-25 Key Statistics: 75 games, 10 goals, 28 points, 14:49 average time on ice

2025-26 Salary:$950,000

2025-26 Expectations: If there’s one thing you can’t fault Benson for, it’s consistency. In his first year in the NHL, Benson played 71 games and generated 11 goals and 30 points while averaging 14:31 of ice time; in his second year, Benson slightly regressed, putting up 10 goals and 28 points while averaging 14:49 of ice time. 

To be sure, those aren’t horrible numbers for a secondary scorer on the fourth line. But Benson is currently slotted in as Buffalo’s first-line left winger. And that means expectations on Benson this season are going to rise significantly.

Earning slightly less than $1-million per-season, Benson could prove to be a great bargain, even if he fails to live up to the standard associated with being selected 13th-overall by the Sabres in 2023. He’s entering a contract season, but Benson showed enough last season to be given a bigger opportunity by coach Lindy Ruff. And Benson’s doggedness on the puck could be just what projected top-liners Tage Thompson and Josh Norris need to thrive and generate sufficient offense to win games.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Newcomer D-Man Jones Has Opportunity To Estalish Himself As Everyday NHLerSabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Newcomer D-Man Jones Has Opportunity To Estalish Himself As Everyday NHLerThe NHL’s 2025-26 regular season is nearly here, and here on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re approaching the end of our player-by-player series in which we break down expectations for each Sabres player this coming season.

Benson had to make a huge jump from the Western League to the NHL in 2023, but he stuck the landing because of his hockey instincts and determination. Now comes the harder part for him – establishing himself as a top-six forward and one who deserves a major raise when he becomes an RFA next summer. 

Benson will be playing with above-average talent in center Norris and right-winger Tage Thompson to start the season, and he needs to respond with an above-average performance. Buffalo has a slew of young wingers they could turn to as an alternative to Benson if he doesn’t do well out of the gate, so Benson’s opportunities could fall off a cliff if he doesn’t produce.

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Benson is now in his third NHL season, and although he still isn’t old enough to drink in many NHL areas, the pressure on him is going to be intense. The Sabres clearly have to see something promising in him as a developing young player that should get first-line time. But the catch is that promise has to be realized.

Otherwise, Benson is going to be the latest in a long list of players who couldn’t make it work in Buffalo.

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Red Sox get helpful result in AL Wild Card race after Guardians beat Tigers

Red Sox get helpful result in AL Wild Card race after Guardians beat Tigers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox are another step closer.

Boston opened its three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-1 victory at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night. The Red Sox currently hold a one-game lead for the second American League Wild Card spot, and are another win closer to their postseason goal.

Alex Cora and company received help elsewhere, too.

The Cleveland Guardians earned a 5-2 victory against the Detroit Tigers in their series opener at Progressive Field. Cleveland now sits atop the American League Central after having won 11 of its last 12 games.

Detroit, meanwhile, is a half game up on the Houston Astros for the third AL Wild Card spot.

Boston should benefit from Detroit’s slide of seven straight losses. The Red Sox host the Tigers in a three-game series this weekend and thus have the opportunity to gain further ground in the standings.

The Red Sox remain four games back of the New York Yankees, who earned a 3-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox and thus kept a stranglehold atop the AL Wild Card standings.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora managed Tuesday’s game like a postseason matchup.

With starting pitcher Lucas Giolito sitting at 98 pitches and allowing a two-out walk to Alejandro Kirk, Cora pulled the right-hander with two outs in the fifth inning. He went to the bullpen, and the group stepped up.

Justin Wilson, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Aroldis Chapman combined for the final 4.1 innings and did not allow a single hit in relief.

The Red Sox will face the Blue Jays in the middle game of the three-game set on Wednesday night.

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What we learned as Giants eliminated from playoff race with loss to Cardinals

What we learned as Giants eliminated from playoff race with loss to Cardinals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The end was all too familiar for the 2025 Giants. 

Their bullpen, torn apart by trades and injuries, fell apart in the late innings at Oracle Park. The lineup, so inconsistent all year, failed to bring in a runner from scoring position in the bottom of the ninth. 

With their 9-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, the Giants officially were eliminated from the MLB playoff race. They will miss the postseason for the eighth time in nine years, and this is one of their worst collapses yet. They were 11 games over .500 when they acquired Rafael Devers in June, but they’ll need to win out just to finish at 81-81. 

The elimination number was two entering the day, and that got cut in half when the New York Mets staged a big comeback at Wrigley Field. The Giants needed a win to stay alive, and for a while it seemed they would get it. 

Logan Webb got off to a nightmare start, allowing five hits and three runs in the top of the first. It would have been worse, but longtime Giants-killer Nolan Arenado bounced into a double play after the night started with three consecutive hits. 

Webb settled in from there and the Giants gave him the lead with a five-run outburst in the third. With the bases loaded and no outs, Heliot Ramos hit a chopper to third. Arenado went home but his throw hit Patrick Bailey, who had veered pretty far onto the grass, and bounced toward the dugout. That brought the first two runs across. 

The Cardinals scored four runs in the seventh to get within a run, but Joel Peguero survived two deep fly balls in the eighth. In the ninth, things quickly unraveled. 

Ryan Walker gave up a leadoff single to the No. 9 hitter and then a game-tying double. After a groundout, Alec Burleson lined a go-ahead single to right, handing Walker his seventh blown save. 

After a one-out double by Willy Adames in the bottom of the ninth, Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores struck out. 

Mr. 200

In the top of the fifth, Webb clinched his third consecutive 200-inning season. He already reached 200 strikeouts for the first time, and he has a pretty good chance to lead the National League in both categories.

Webb currently leads the majors at 201 2/3 innings, which is 4 1/3 ahead of Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet and 5 1/3 ahead of Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Christopher Sanchez. Crochet will pitch Wednesday and Sanchez is on track to pitch again Sunday, but both players could be lining themselves up for playoff series by the weekend. If Webb finishes ahead of them, it’ll be his second time leading the majors and third straight year leading the NL. 

Webb struck out five on Tuesday, getting to 216 on the season. He currently is seven ahead of Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes, who will make his final start of the year on Wednesday. If Webb leads the league in both, he’ll become the first to do it in the NL since Zack Wheeler in 2021.

Webb already has become the first Giant to reach 200 innings and 200 strikeouts since Madison Bumgarner in 2019. Bumgarner also is the last Giant to throw 200 innings in at least three straight seasons; he went six straight from 2011 to 2016. 

Bailey Bounceback

Aside from his slick baserunning, Bailey had a single, double, two runs and an RBI. The night continued what has been a strong finishing push for a player who seemed to run out of gas the past two seasons. 

Bailey entered the night with a .295 average and four homers in September, and he’s among the NL leaders with 16 RBI this month. His OPS for the season is up to .609, which isn’t what he hoped for in his third big league season, but is much easier to swallow than the numbers he was putting up most of the summer. 

20 Club

The eighth unanswered run left the yard in a hurry. Heliot Ramos hit one out to left at 110.5 mph, giving him 20 on the season. The Giants now have four 20-homer hitters in their lineup, with Ramos joining Devers, Adames and Chapman. 

Ramos has reached 20 in back-to-back years, but because he has played exclusively left field this season, he ended a long drought. He became the first Giants left fielder to reach 20 homers since Barry Bonds in 2007. 

The Giants have started a different player in left field every year since, although Ramos should end that next season. Another streak might keep going, though; Adames has been stuck on 28 homers since Sept. 9. 

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Plan for NHL regulars comes into focus as Panthers camp, preseason slate continues

It was a busy day on Tuesday at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale as training camp continues for the Florida Panthers.

On Wednesday, the Panthers will head up to Raleigh for a preseason matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.

Making the trip to North Carolina for the Cats will be group that will not feature any of the team’s returning NHL regulars, a similar situation as to over the weekend when Florida played a preseason doubleheader in Nashville against the Predators.

The players who will participate on Wednesday in Raleigh were on the ice for a formal camp practice Tuesday afternoon.

For many, it’s all about trying to make a good impression and prepare yourself for the season to come, but at the end of the day, as long as the effort is there, the coaching staff understands that it’s a long road to the NHL.

“That's really what I'm looking for,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “If any of these young guys that came out and, let's say, I thought they were all fine, you know, real good idea of, like, either why we drafted them or why we brought them to camp. But if they're young, and they had a tough camp, I won't think about them again. I won't assess them, because they’ve got years before (they’re expected at the NHL level). So if a guy had a tough camp, that doesn't mean his career is over at all. He's just got to go back to play junior, or if it’s his first year pro, or whatever that is, get another year, and then you come in. So you really do go through the stages here, especially because we haven't drafted a high, first round pick that comes in has a legitimate chance to make our team. We don't have those players. All our first-round picks are playing on our team.”

Roster-wise, it will be a similar situation when Florida’s next road preseason game arrives, which will be next Tuesday when the Cats face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Orlando.

For that matchup, expect the Panthers to bring another mostly-young group to the neutral site showdown with Tampa.

However, the night before, when Florida hosts Carolina on Monday in Sunrise, we’ll get our first look at some of the NHLers expected to be on the Opening Night roster.

It’s all part of the process as Maurice and his staff evaluate everyone, new and returning, to see exactly where the players shape up as they prepare to mold a new roster for the upcoming season.

“All of the new guys, I'm just trying to learn their game, trying to find out what I think they do for a living,” said Maurice. “What are they good at? That's a really important question to ask. What's that guy good at? How do I fit him in? The returning players that we've had year over year, I'm just trying to anecdotally measure how much better they are. Do I think they're fitter? Are they stronger? Are they grasping what we've done? We're looking for progression and trying to measure that. And then there are a band of players that you're looking at saying, okay, that guy's a potential call-up, how would I play him? First of all, can I make him better? Can I help him get better? Early on, I just want them to learn our game, try to play it, and see if you can, and then we'll shape you a little bit. You've got to be more physical. You can be less physical. You're running around. We need to get the little details, where you take each individual player and try to shape them into our team.”

Before Tuesday’s formal workout in Fort Lauderdale, a large group of the Opening Night Panthers held a skate and scrimmage.

On the ice were Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Bennett, Eetu Luostarinen, Dmitry Kulikov, Sasha Barkov, Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones, Anton Lundell, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Uvis Balinskis, Mackie Samoskevich, Carter Verhaeghe, A.J. Greer, Gus Forsling, Jesper Boqvist and Jeff Petry.

They are all expected to join the regular camp practices later this week ahead of Monday's game against Carolina. 

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Photo caption: Sep 19, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice speaks to center Gracyn Sawchyn (59), forward Tyler Motte (14) and forward Noah Gregor (18) during training camp at Baptist Health IcePlex. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Pre-season Offers Sneak Peak At Potential Future Defensive Pairing

When in the early stages of NHL training camp, it's not often wise to read into too much.

There are a lot of players at training camp for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. Talent is spread out among groups. Players typically get reps with a lot of different people in the earlygoing. When there is an entirely new coaching staff, that means new systems are adapted, and it's difficult to discern much early on.

But one thing that has remained consistent throughout camp practices - and carried into Monday's pre-season-opening 2-1 shootout loss against the Montreal Canadiens - is the defensive pairing of prospects Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke.

And if folks have been paying attention to the Penguins' prospect pool within the last calendar year, this very well could be a pairing to keep an eye on as the Penguins move toward the future. 

On Monday, Pickering and Brunicke suited up on the third pairing for the Penguins, and they did not disappoint. Brunicke quarterbacked the second power play unit and registered the secondary assist on Tristan Broz's power play goal in the first period, and Pickering made some key defensive plays throughout the evening. 

Head coach Dan Muse was happy with the pairing's performance.

"That pair… I thought you saw a lot of good things on both sides of the puck," Muse said. "In the offensive zone, you can see that both guys can get moving a little bit, which creates confusion for the opponent. And there [were] some shifts there where they were really able to do that, some of the shifts where we were able to extend time there in the offensive zone. Also, the puck movement, the breakouts… I think at the beginning of the game, the breakouts were really good, and they were a big part of that.”

Pittsburgh Penguins' Group 1 Practice. (Kelsey Surmacz - The Hockey News)

Pickering, 21, was selected 21st overall by the Penguins in 2022. He surprised many last season when he earned an unexpected NHL call-up in November after putting on a solid performance to kick off his first full season in professional hockey. The 6-foot-5, 206-pound blueliner registered a goal and three points in 25 games with the big club before being re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) in January.

Pickering has aspirations of remaining on the NHL roster this season for good, and it's something that was the ultimate goal for him all summer long. The same goes for Brunicke, too.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound young defenseman turned heads in training camp last season - just 18 years old and fresh off his 44th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft - with his top-of-the-line skating ability, hockey smarts, and two-way prowess. His high level of play earned him a stay through the end of training camp, and he may just have gotten that nine-game trial had it not been for the injury situation on the forward front.

Now 19, Brunicke is partaking in a crucial camp for his development, as he wants to avoid the binding assignment back to junior hockey by cracking the NHL roster this time around. And part of what has helped both he and Pickering is that they have seen much of their camp repetitions alongside guys like Sidney Crosby and Ville Koivunen and against guys like Erik Karlsson.

"Me and Owen have spent a lot of time with Sid, Koivy, [Justin] Brazeau, all those guys," Brunicke said. "So, it’s cool to be a part of that, and we’re learning each day and taking it step-by-step."

As mentioned earlier, Pickering and Brunicke have been paired together consistently from the onset of camp, and the duo is something that goes back to last season. At the conclusion of his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers - where he put up five goals and 30 points in 41 games - Brunicke was awarded an AHL stint with WBS. In 10 regular season games, he registered two points - he also put up a goal and two points in two AHL playoff games - and he saw some time with Pickering then. 

Penguins Hold Strong, Fall To Canadiens In Pre-Season ShootoutPenguins Hold Strong, Fall To Canadiens In Pre-Season ShootoutOn Monday, Pittsburgh Penguins' hockey officially kicked off for the 2025 pre-season. 5 Observations From First Week Of Penguins' Training Camp5 Observations From First Week Of Penguins' Training CampOn Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins officially opened training camp for the 2024-25 season. And through three days, there has been a lot of action. For One Penguins' Top Prospect, New AHL-CHL Rule Could Prove CrucialFor One Penguins' Top Prospect, New AHL-CHL Rule Could Prove CrucialOn Tuesday, the NHL released its transition schedule for the new rules under the Collective Bargaining Agreement that is set to take full effect during the 2026-27 season. 

Pickering's size, reach, transition game, and shutdown ability complement Brunicke's ability to activate, skate with the puck, and use his skating ability to create offensive opportunity. But neither of their skillsets are limiting, as each of them have a pretty strong two-way game and are able to both generate chances and stymie opposing breakouts.

Both players alluded to how well they read off of each other, and their off-ice friendship has also led to on-ice chemistry.

"I think we play well together, complement each other," Pickering said. "We’re also just good friends and understand the other pretty good. So, yeah, we’re having fun.”

Brunicke echoed that sentiment, adding that they are learning from each other as well.

"We’re taking it each day, just learning and growing together," Brunicke said. "So, it’s been a lot of fun. We’re creating some chemistry here, and we’ll look to keep progressing.”

Pittsburgh Penguins' defensemen Harrison Brunicke (45) and Owen Pickering. (Kelsey Surmacz - The Hockey News)

Of course, the path to the NHL roster for both of them isn't exactly going to be easy. The Penguins have a lot of defensemen on both sides vying for few spots, and even if GM and POHO Kyle Dubas's comments on youth earning roster spots are to be taken at face value, there's still a lot of veteran movement that would have to happen in order for both of them to make the roster.

In an ideal world, though, they both would. This is a pairing that could very well be a large part of the Penguins' future and their hopes of contending for another Stanley Cup championship, and playing at the NHL level now may just be what is best for their development moving forward. Pickering's left side is a bit more open a battle than Brunicke's right, but - either way - they want to make decisions difficult for Penguins' brass when final roster cuts are being made.

And, for Pickering, it all comes down to staying within himself and putting his best foot forward.

“I feel good," he said. "I'm just trying to compete and, hopefully, make the team.”

'The Young Guys Are Coming': 3 Observations From Dubas's Pre-Season Press Conference'The Young Guys Are Coming': 3 Observations From Dubas's Pre-Season Press ConferenceOn Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their 2025 training camp with a few words from general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

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Mets' Tylor Megill undergoes Tommy John surgery

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that right-hander Tylor Megill underwent Tommy John surgery on Monday.

Mendoza was unsure if Megill underwent the standard version of the procedure, or the internal brace version, which often has a quicker recovery timeline. 

The typical recovery timeline for the standard surgery is somewhere around 12-18 months, while the internal brace can cut that time down to around 6-8 months. 

Megill hadn't pitched in the majors since June 14, landing on the IL soon after due to a right elbow sprain. 

After making a handful of rehab starts, Megill was shut down from throwing earlier this month after experiencing tightness while throwing his secondary pitches.

The 30-year-old, who is under team control and arbitration eligible through the 2027 season, pitched to a 3.95 ERA this season across 14 starts, striking out 89 hitters in 68.1 innings. 

Tyrone Taylor could be activated on Wednesday

Elsewhere on the injury front, Mendoza said that outfielder Tyrone Taylor, who has been on the IL since early September with a hamstring injury, could be activated on Wednesday if all goes to plan.

"He’s going through a full workout again today. Running again at full intensity," Mendoza said. "If everything goes well, there’s a chance that he could be active tomorrow."

If and when Taylor is activated, the Mets will have to clear a roster spot for him, which could mean DFA-ing either Jose Siri or Cedric Mullins.

But as Mendoza said, the team is taking things one step at a time before making any decisions. 

"Obviously, we’re going to have to make a decision, but we’re gonna have to get through today, we’ve got to make sure that TT is ready to go, and then we’ve got to make some decisions," said the skipper.

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Milan Lucic Possibly Tweaks Groin; Given 50/50 Chance To Participate In Next Blues Practice

St. Louis Blues PTO attendee Milan Lucic exited practice early today after tweaking his groin and has been given a 50/50 chance of participating in tomorrow's practice, per Jeremy Rutherford.

Lucic skated in the Blues' second pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, recording an assist and two hits in 15:26 of ice time.

Lucic was brought into St. Louis on a PTO with the possibility of joining the team as a physical presence. The 37-year-old comes with plenty of NHL experience, scoring 233 goals and 586 points in 1177 games. 

Lucic hasn't played much hockey recently, last playing in the 2023-24 season, where he recorded just four games with the Boston Bruins. The Blues have plenty of options for their bottom six, but none have the skillset Lucic can provide, which is a 6-foot-3, 236-pound frame and several NHL fights under his belt. 

It's not a forgone conclusion that Lucic will sign with the Blues, but GM Doug Armstrong has stated that he is open to giving players a second chance, and if Lucic can snag it, he'll give it to him.

Milan Lucic Latest In Milan Lucic Latest In "Second Chances" For St. Louis Blues Under Doug ArmstrongMARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues have been down this road before, and general manager Doug Armstrong is quite familiar with them.
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Blackhawks Prospect Is Big Player To Watch

Colton Dach (© Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks have several young players eyeing NHL jobs with the 2025-26 regular season right around the corner. One of them is Colton Dach, as the 22-year-old forward is a candidate to earn a bottom-six spot in Chicago's lineup at the start of the season. 

Dach played in a career-high 25 NHL games this past season with the Blackhawks, where he recorded two goals, seven points, and 86 hits. Overall, the 6-foot-4 forward undoubtedly demonstrated that he is not afraid of the physical side of the game and did provide a little offense along with it. Thus, the possibility of him getting more chances on the Blackhawks' roster this season should not be ruled out.

Dach will be in the lineup for the Blackhawks during their Sep. 23 preseason contest against the Detroit Red Wings. With this, Dach will certainly be looking to stand out with a strong night, as it could very well increase his odds of making the NHL roster out of camp. 

It will be very interesting to see what kind of performance Dach can put together for the Blackhawks against the Red Wings from here. He is undoubtedly one of the youngsters to keep an eye on during this contest. 

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Recently Signed Wild Goaltender Will Make His First Preseason Start Vs Dallas

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced its starting goaltender for Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars in Dallas

Cal Petersen will get the start between the pipes for Minnesota in Dallas for the Wild's first preseason game. The Stars are playing a very heavy veteran lineup tonight. It should be a good test for Petersen.

Petersen, 30, was signed on a one-year deal worth $775,000. He went 13-15-3 with a 3.14 goals-against average (GAA) and .885 save percentage (SV%) in 31 games last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.

The native of Iowa has played in 106 NHL games in his career across six seasons. He is 46-44-10 with a 2.96 GAA, .903 SV% and has four shutouts.

He was signed as some extra insurance if Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt get injured. Gustavsson will back him up on Tuesday in Dallas.

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