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Simulated World Series 2026: Peerless pitching propels Rays in Game 5

How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.

In real life, the Milwaukee Brewers have three more chances to close out the 2026 World Series, so the pressure won't really start ramping up unless they have to return home still looking for that clinching victory.

In USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series, the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are on much more even footing, with each team winning twice on the other's home field. Game 5, in this sense, is more pivotal than it is a potential endpoint.

Also in our version of the series, the Rays have ace Drew Rasmussen available to pitch on full rest after starting him in Game 1. The result was a classic pitcher's duel against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, with both pitchers putting up goose eggs ... until Tampa Bay broke through in the eighth for a 3-0 win.

Rays vs Brewers World Series Game 5 simulation

The stage was set for a classic pitching matchup, with Rasmussen and Misiorowski fully rested − and with fresh bullpens behind them thanks to a blowout Brewers win in Game 4.

For seven innings, the bullpens remained quiet as the two aces carved up hitters with ease.

The Rays got two runners on base in the first, but Jonny DeLuca was no match for the Miz and grounded out.

Meanwhile, Rasmussen was super-sharp. He pitched around an error and a stolen base in the Milwaukee fourth when the Rays retired lead runner Jackson Chourio at third base on a poor bunt by Brice Turang.

The Brewers didn't get a hit off the Rays right-hander until the sixth inning, when Sal Frelick roped a one-out single to right field. But he was cut down by Fortes trying to steal second. Rasmussen got out of a jam later in the inning after David Hamilton singled, stole second and went to third on catcher Nick Fortes' throwing error. Chourio grounded out to end the threat.

The Rays finally cracked the ice in the eighth against lefty reliever Aaron Ashby, who had just entered the game for Misiorowski. Second baseman Nick Madrigal led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Walls. After Yandy Diaz walked, Jonathan Aranda grouned a left-on-left single to right, but Madrigal was cut down at the plate on a perfect throw from Sal Frelick for the second out.

With runners on the corners, pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade plated the game's first run with a clean single to center. And Junior Caminero provided the exclamation point with a two-run double off Trevor Megill for a 3-0 lead.

A screenshot on Dynatsy League Baseball online of Junior Caminero's two-run double in the eighth inning at Tropicana Field that sealed the Tampa Bay Rays' 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 5 of USA TODAY Sports' 2026 Simulated World Series.

The Rays wouldn't even need closer Bryan Baker to finish things out. Rasmussen remained in the game for the ninth inning to retire the Brewers in order and complete the shutout.

BOX SCORE:  Rays 3 Brewers 0

FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Rasmussen dominant in 3-hit shutout

What to watch in (the real) Game 5

▶ Misiorowski obliterates lefty hitters. Expected NL Cy Young award winner Jacob Misiorowski had a historically dominant season in 2026, allowing the fewest baserunners per nine innings since Pedro Martinez in 2000. One of the most eye-popping stats is his overpowering success against left-handed batters. He held them to a .114/.189/.189 slash line in 366 plate appearances.

There's not much the Rays can do about that, except maybe sit first baseman Jonathan Aranda or left fielder Chandler Simpson. In Sim Series Game 5, both of those lefty hitters started with the only lineup change from Game 1 being Ben Williamson starting at second base over switch-hitter Richie Palacios.

▶ Ashby finally falters. Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby has emerged as one of the stars of this postseason, tossing a record 17⅔ scoreless innings. His overpowering presence has helped the Brewers lock down any lead, no matter how small, in the late innings.

In Sim Series Game 5, the Brewers turned to Ashby with the score 0-0 in the eighth. He'd been perfect so far in this series as well, allowing no hits and no runs over three appearances and 3⅓ innings. But this time, the Rays cracked the code. An unlikely leadoff single from backup infielder Nick Madrigal (who didn't even make the Rays actual World Series roster) started the winning rally. Yandy Diaz walked. And even more stunning, Jonathan Aranda pulled a single to right field. (Ashby yielded just a .215 batting average to left-handed hitters during the regular season.)

Ryan Vilade, the Rays' best weapon off the bench against leftt-handed pitchers (.272/.341/.477), had the big hit here with an RBI single that scored Diaz and ended Ashby's outing. Should the Brewers have brought in right-hander Trevor Megill to counter Vilade? Perhaps so in hindsight.

Megill did come in one batter later to face Junior Caminero, who sealed the deal with a two-run double.

▶ Rasmussen's availability. Although Rays ace Drew Rasmussen wasn't at his best in the real Game 2, a second chance for redemption would be welcome. He was outstanding once again here in the Sim Series, going the distance and only allowing three hits and two walks, while striking out seven for his second win. (He tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the opener.)

In real life, the Rays still need to win three in a row, so there isn't much difference in Rasmussen pitching Game 5 or Game 6. But after they used Game 1 starter Nick Martinez in relief and will likely need to go to a bullpen game, they might be wishing they had their ace on the mound − and an extra day of rest to refresh the bullpen.

▶ Baserunning blunders. In an attempt to break through against Rasmussen, the Brewers ran themselves out of a couple innings, with Chourio getting caught trying to advance to third base on Turang's bunt in the fourth. Turang was also caught in a rundown on a steal attempt immediately after that.

Also in the sixth, Sal Frelick was cut down trying to steal second with one out.

Rays catcher Nick Fortes was almost exactly average in throwing out runners during the regular season with 15 outs in 75 attempts (20%). The Brewers' William Contreras was much better, going 15-for-54 (28%). Dynasty League Baseball accounts for the proficiency of each catcher in throwing runners out. Fortes has a zero arm rating (average), while Contreras is a -2, which is above average. (The ratings range from +4 to -4.)

Through the first five games of the Sim Series, the Rays have not attempted a stolen base on Contreras, while the Brewers are 6-for-9 on their attempts vs. Fortes.

Previous 2026 Sim Series results

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Simulated World Series 2026: Peerless pitching propels Rays in Game 5

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One Possession: Jayson Tatum is giving the game what it needs

One Possession: Jayson Tatum is giving the game what it needs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Most will focus on the game-winning mid-range jumper that Jayson Tatum delivered at the final buzzer of Boston’s gritty-but-not-always-pretty 125-124 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night at TD Garden.

But we think it was what he did over the previous 42 minutes, 19 seconds of floor time that might have been even more noteworthy.

With the Celtics operating on the second night of a back-to-back for the first time this season, it was fair to wonder just how much Tatum, still working his way back to full health after the Achilles surgery 18 months ago, might play. But instead of treading cautiously, Tatum logged six more minutes than any other Boston player (and that was 36-year-old Paul George racking up an impressive 36 minutes of his own).

Tatum piled up a team-high 88 touches and delivered 56 total passes but didn’t commit a single turnover in his floor time for a Boston team that has struggled with ball security through the early portion of the season. Tatum handed out eight assists leading to a game-high 17 assist points, meaning his fingerprints were on 45.6 percent of Boston’s 125-point output.

And, if we’re being honest, the dime he threw Derrick White for an and-1 dunk in the final moments of the fourth quarter *probably* should have been enough to salt away the win. The Celtics did everything they could to allow the Nets to generate overtime and nearly steal the victory, but Tatum’s late-game heroics ensured Boston emerged with the win.

Through four games, Tatum is tied for fifth in the NBA in assist points created (83). Only Trae Young (101), Tyrese Haliburton (90), Jalen Johnson (88), and Luka Doncic (85) have created more scoring for teammates.

What’s more, Tatum ranks ninth in potential assists (56) and is tied for fifth in total assists with Cade Cunningham (32 apiece).

Typically, all the attention Tatum draws leads to multiple 3-point makes from wide open teammates on the perimeter. On Tuesday night, seven of Tatum’s eight assists led to 2-point baskets and showcased his vision.

Yes, Nets rookie Mikel Brown lost White on the key sequence late in the fourth quarter, but Tatum delivered the ball through traffic to a spot leading White to the rim, which was key in allowing him to finish before Noah Clowney fouled White on the play.

Tatum is simply giving the game what it needs. After limited free throw attempts through Boston’s first three games, Tatum generated an NBA-best 22 free-throw attempts on Tuesday night (connecting on 18 of them).

But the attention that opponents commit to him is going to repeatedly create opportunities for teammates. It’s on Boston players to knock down shots when Tatum generates those open shots for them.

And that big fist pump that Tatum delivered after assisting on White’s fourth-quarter layup shows his own appreciation for making the right play. The Celtics need Tatum to continue to give the game what it needs.

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What Is ‘Tagging’ And How Is It Affecting The Maple Leafs' Roster Management?

SEATTLE — John Chayka was busy this summer. The Toronto Maple Leafs GM was reshaping a club that had missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Landing some of the bigger names was going to command a ticket with some years attached. But what was a bit surprising was how many depth players were signed to multi-year deals. Outside of Vinnie Lettieri, Bo Groulx and Dakota Mermis, no other Maple Leaf is on an expiring deal who has played a game this season.

This really did not matter until Chayka made one of his biggest swings just before the season began. That’s when he traded Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets and acquired Kirill Marchenko. But signing Marcheno and extending him was going to be a challenge.

The Leafs were up against a permitted threshold where you are only allowed to be at 10 percent above the existing salary cap in future years. ‘Tagging’ as it’s known in the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, pertains to the amount of room a club has to add to its future-year commitments. It prevents teams from overloading contracts in future years so that they don’t get stuck in a situation where they are unable to become salary cap compliant in the following year. That number right now is $114.4 million and that includes all of your signed standard player contracts on one-way deals, buyouts, retention and pro-rated two-way deals that extend into the next season.

Getting rid of Knies’ $7.75 million cap hit for Marchenko’s $3.85 million cap hit in 2026-27 had short-term savings, but that $12.5 million AAV extension Marchenko inked that begins in 2027-28 carried a $4.75 million increase on what Knies occupied, complicating the deal from a central registry standpoint. That’s why the Leafs took on the injured Elvis Merzlikins and his $4.428 million cap hit (even though he’s on long-term injured reserve) because it expires this year. It’s also why the Leafs had to part with young defenseman Emil Andrae, who was acquired by Toronto earlier in the summer and signed to a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.55 million (although they absorbed a higher cap hit in Miles Wood based on Columbus’ ask). 

Based on all the calculations, they currently only have approximately $625K in tagging room left, which means any player who is projected to make more than that at the NHL level and isn’t on a one-way deal can’t be squeezed onto the Leafs active roster without some sort of corresponding move to remove the commitment.

That’s where not being able to call up Ben Danford comes into the equation.

Danford can't be called up right now even if the Leafs wanted to do it.

Because Danford is on an entry-level contract (which is two-way), the Leafs can’t call him up right now if they wanted to because his $936,056 AAV in 2027-28 exceeds Toronto’s tagging room of $625k. It doesn’t sound like the Leafs have the desire to call him up right now anyway, but the reality is they can’t.

And if the Leafs do want to make another big swing elsewhere, they’d have to find a way to get rid of players with a financial commitment through 2027-28 to get it done.

The Leafs signed a bunch of depth forwards to two and three-year deals on July 1, eating away at their tagging room. They have the least amount of it off any NHL franchise as a result. It didn’t really become a problem until they acquired Marchenko and now it might be an issue again if the Leafs want to call up a Danford or make another bigger swing with term at the deadline.

Otherwise, they may have to settle on rental players as a means of clearing out the tagging room.

It’s not clear why this happened. But one thing is interesting to point out. This was really the first time NHL GMs had three years’ worth of projections to work with. The NHL never used to give those kinds of numbers out. But they wanted to flex the growth of the business and when you know you have $113.5 million projected for 2027-28  more than one year out, it’s kind of understandable to see how tagging may have been missed. 

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Flyers Doomed by Immaturity, 'Unusual' Lifeless Start in 4-3 Loss to Blue Jackets

Although the Philadelphia Flyers seemed as though they might have been turning the corner, winning three straight after starting the season winless through nine games, their last six periods of hockey have told a different story.

After leading 2-0 and 3-2 against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, the Flyers blew the game and lost 5-4 in regulation, then followed that up with an awful first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Taking full advantage, the Blue Jackets quickly piled on a 3-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes while out-shooting the Flyers 7-2.

In the locker room after the game, the Flyers unanimously agreed that the dismal first period doomed them in what ended up being a 4-3 loss in overtime.

"It just felt like a weird start to the game, energy-wise, and didn't seem like really any guys had jump, which is unusual," Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim said. "Usually, you have a few guys going, and credit to the guys to find our legs and get going after a while, but it's nice to start on time."

The Flyers mounted a furious comeback over the final 40 minutes, out-shooting the Blue Jackets by a whopping 28-6 margin.

Noah Cates hounded down a leaky rebound in the blue paint behind Blue Jackets goalie Cam Talbot to get the Flyers on the board in the second period, and late in the third period, Trevor Zegras banked a shot off Talbot's midsection to pull the Flyers within one amid their late surge.

Tying the game at 3-3 in dramatic fashion, Jamie Drysdale steered in a Tyson Foerster pass with 11 seconds left on the clock and goalie Dan Vladar pulled for the extra attacker.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Interested in Top Blackhawks ForwardNHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Interested in Top Blackhawks ForwardAccording to a report, the Philadelphia Flyers are admiring Chicago Blackhawks center Frank Nazar from afar.

Momentum certainly seemed to have shifted in the Flyers' favor heading into overtime, until overtime actually happened.

The Flyers ceded a 2-on-0 breakaway early in the overtime period, with Matvei Michkov getting stripped behind when attempting to posture for a shot in the offensive zone.

Vladar made a phenomenal pad save to keep the game going for Philadelphia, and Michkov stayed on the ice in an attempt to remedy his error.

However, the late shift ended up punishing Michkov and the Flyers, as defenseman Cam York, in his first game back from injury, attempted to drive to the net for a scoring chance.

Michkov had been covering up high for York, but decided to crash the net for a rebound.

Unfortunately for him and the Flyers, York's move was stymied and the puck never made it to a dangerous area, instead springing Blue Jackets forwards Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson the other way with nobody back defending.

That time, Vladar wasn't able to play hero, and the Flyers' heroic comeback died where it stood.

A point is a point, but the Flyers lost 4-3, and have lost 11 of their first 14 games this season.

Maturity is still an issue for the Flyers; Michkov didn't need to extend his shift in overtime, and York, who has struggled all year, tried to make a low-percentage play in an overtime period with little margin for error.

"I can't keep coming here to the mic saying 'learning lesson, learning lesson'. I mean, it's a broken record. I'm just disappointed," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said after the loss. "The first, and then this overtime. Some the guys, I don't know what they're doing. We had a meeting about it. We sent a video on it. It's all puck possession. It's being smart. We give up two 2-on-0s. That's unacceptable."

You are what your record says you are, and right now, the 3-7-4 Flyers are the fourth-worst team in the NHL, with the third-worst points percentage.

The nine-game hole they started the season in already looked insurmountable, and foolish mistakes prevented a three-game win streak from becoming a five-game win streak. So, instead, they added two more losses to the record, wasting rare decent offensive performances from the collective group.

On Wednesday night, the Flyers will play their second leg of this back-to-back against the Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m., and the outcome of that game will complete the picture being painted, one way or another.

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Early season trends and analysis

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 26: Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on October 26, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Hawks are 2-2. It’s a slightly disappointing turn of events after dismantling the Charlotte Hornets to a franchise-best game margin two games in.

The hope is that the Houston Rockets turn out to be a great team this season to make the recent sweep at their hands look less dispiriting in time.

But there are still 78 games left to go even if not. It’s way too early to press the alarm button.

It’s also difficult draw any real conclusions for this Hawks team, but I’ll try anyway from a statistical point of view. Let’s touch on a few points of emphasis I noticed four games in.

Pace and three-point rate check-in

What kind of team are the Atlanta Hawks, really?

Well, some things are hard to tease out with such a small sample size of the season. However, pace and three-point rate are two things that stabilize quite early on from year-to-year.

The Hawks pace over the past two seasons has been juiced by their high turnover rates on defense, giving them plenty opportunities to score in transition. As of the end of play Tuesday, their defensive turnover rate (TOV%) is 17.9, good for second in the association. Or in other words, out of every 100 defensive possessions, they are forcing around 18 turnovers.

This has led them to being a top 10 team in pace (102.5 possessions per 48 minutes) so far this season — wholly unsurprising considering their quick-paced teams of late.

A lot of this is driven by the Great Barrier Thief, Dyson Daniels, who has 14 steals (!) in four games which leads the NBA. He’s also leading the NBA in total deflections (26) and deflections per game (6.5). Those opportunities quite often lead to Alexander-Walker flaring to the wing for open threes or Jalen Johnson run out dunks.

As for the three-point rate, the Hawks are putting up 44.6% of their field goal attempts from behind the arc, slightly up from last season’s 42.9% rate. Both marks had them 11th in the NBA respectively.

The offense is built to move the ball and seek high value shots like catch-and-shoot threes — but oddly those attempts aren’t coming from the corner to this point. The Hawks have the 27th corner three-point rate with 18.3% of threes from that location — the most efficient three-point area due to its slightly shorter distance.

That might help explain their poor shooting so far this season, hitting just 33.1% long range of total attempts, down from their top five finish in 2025-26 (37.1%).

But in reality, this is likely noise and a touch of bad luck. Three-point shooting is one of the last major metrics to statistically stabilize, so there’s no reason to worry yet (including with respect to the center pairing discussed below).

Dyson Daniels, still indispensable — on both ends of the floor

We know Quin Snyder likes to spread the ball handling duties on offense in the post-Trae Young pivot they made over roughly the past calendar year.

A big key to this is getting the other guards to screen and cut off the ball. It helps to have good perimeter size and physicality at all the backcourt spots when possible, and one guy above all accentuates this aim.

Dyson Daniels is an all-world defender, and his tape over the past four games looks just as good as it did during his runner-up finish in the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year campaign.

But let’s talk about the other side of the floor for a bit.

Daniels is often a lightning rod for discussion, largely over his inability to stretch the floor despite (ostensibly) being a guard. But he’s among the best guards in the entire NBA at screening and cutting, often getting the ball around the free throw line giving him the option to shoot his patented floater or kick to corner shooters.

I call him a false center on offense because his role resembles that of your standard pick-and-roll big man, just in a 6’7” package. The threat of a pass out of the short roll is usually all he needs to get his flip floater shot over defenders.

Also, he’s dished out 14 assists this season against just three turnovers — efficient but notably playing less on the ball with Aaron Wiggins and Kingston Flemings joining the fold.

In this manner, he’s incredibly valuable to threatening the rim and giving a bit more space to shooters like a traditional above-the-rim center would be. Just like last season, the offense is better with him on the floor than off (albeit a drop from around seven to two points per 100 possessions from last season to this one).

So while it sure would be nice for him to hit more than one three in four games, the offense is far from reliant on it.

The shooting centers need to keep shooting

Related to Dyson Daniels’ shooting woes, with the Hawks running the inverted offense where Daniels is screening and cutting, it’s important to get floor spacing from the other positions.

The two centers (Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale) spacing the floor is rather key to allow these actions to flourish.

However, through four games, Okongwu and Landale are a combined 4-for-28 (14%) from three — including a 1-for-15 (8%) mark across the two-game Rockets sweep.

I don’t have a lot to add for this one other than the shooters need to keep shooting. It’s as simple as that. Turning down open threes will just junk of the Hawks offense even more.

Okongwu and Landale are fairly limited in other areas, including defensive rebounding (see below), so their value as a stretch center is paramount to let Daniels play his funky offensive game.

Shots will fall. Okongwu shot 38% from three last year, including hitting the most threes by a Hawks center in franchise history. Landale shot 38% from there last season as well.

There’s no reason to change boats midstream.

The Hawks might have a defensive rebounding problem

There was a possession in the Saturday home game against the Rockets when the Hawks had three chances to secure a defensive rebound. They failed all three times, giving Houston points on their fourth shot of the possession.

I mean, they let 6’2” Reed Sheppard outwork them. Not a good scene.

Through four games, the Hawks are securing 68.3% of available defensive rebounds — a mark good for just 27th in the NBA.

Some of it was going against an elite rebounding team twice in the Rockets. But they’ve also had to downsize a bit in the wake of the Mouhamed Gueye injury. 6’4” Luguentz Dort has been a primary backup at power forward when Jalen Johnson sits.

Dort is a very solid rebounder for his size, but that’s a huge caveat. Okongwu gets heat for his size as well as a starting center, but again he’s a solid rebounder regardless of size — although not elite.

Okongwu had a healthy 20.3% defensive rebound rate last season (8.7 defensive rebounds per 100 possessions). The team has been slightly better at pulling down defensive rebounds when Okongwu was on the floor the last two seasons. In that aspect, he pairs well with elite defensive rebounder Jalen Johnson.

This is something of a worrying trend for the early reversal of fortunes this season, unlike poor three-point shooting that will certainly come around in time.

The team needs a bit of time to incorporate Dort and reincorporate Landale into their collective glass crashing pursuit. The effort can be a bit better after some film review. But it’s possible that there’s a personnel issue at play.

If this continues, there may be a growing fan push for a center upgrade towards the trade deadline.

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Takeaways from Tatum taking away a win from the Nets

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 27: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after making the game-winning shot against the Brooklyn Nets on October 27, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics were 38-15 under head coach Joe Mazzulla. And thanks to Jayson Tatum’s game winner in overtime to beat the Nets 125-124, that’s now 39 wins. Mazzulla would later say after the game that when the team hits the film room tomorrow, they’ll treat it as a loss after another turnover-plagued game with multiple mental mistakes. But hey, you can’t win-lose them all.

Why the Celtics won

Not unlike Monday night’s Bulls, the 0-3 Nets are also a rebuilding team trying to define themselves. After selecting four first round draft picks in 2025 and another this summer, nearly half of their roster are rookies and sophomores.

Brooklyn does however have two capable scorers in Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. Before the game, Joe Mazzulla spoke with NBC Sports Boston’s Drew Carter about Brooklyn’s vets. “Their off-ball movement is huge,” Mazzulla said. “Porter is one of the best reading body position, whether it’s back cuts, whether it’s creating separation coming off screens and dribble handoffs. We’ve had our difficulties guarding him over the last couple of years. Obviously, Randle’s ability to get to the free throw line.”

Mazzulla’s scouting report couldn’t have been more prophetic, particularly concerning MPJ. The former champion was 4-for-7 from behind the arc, curling off down screens and coming off of dribble hand offs. It didn’t matter who was guarding him. He finished with a team-high 27 points hitting half of his dozen triples.

Fortunately for the Celtics, they got hot from three, too. After making just 2-of-16 and falling behind by five points in the first half, they caught fire in the third quarter. Five consecutive makes from Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Tatum gave Boston the lead heading into the final frame.

In the end, they shot well under their league-leading efficiency from 3 (42.4%) by making just eleven of their 41 attempts, but when they needed it most, they dialed up their calling card to put them over the top.

Numbers game: 22

That’s how many free throw attempts Jayson Tatum had in the overtime win. That’s the highest total of trips (22) and makes (18) of his career.

Love them or hate them, FTs are the mark of the NBA elite because on a night where he was mortal from the field (10-of-20 and 2-of-7 from 3), those points from the charity stripe padded a 40-ball. He also had eight assists and zero turnovers with maybe his biggest dime below.

Must C’s

In a win like last night’s, let’s allow for two plays of the game courtesy of Jayson Tatum.

In what should have ultimately been the game winner, Tatum hit Derrick White on a back cut for an and-1 dunk.

That should have sealed the game in regulation, but some missed free throws — including one from Tatum and two from Mitchell Robinson — pushed the game to OT.

That just set the stage for this:

Tatum to White. White to Tatum.

After playing 42 minutes — the most he’s played in the regular season since returning from his Achilles tear — Tatum put the cherry on top of another near triple-double. If his PR team is trying to make an MVP case, this was Exhibit 1.

Who said what

“Throughout the game, I thought he was playing the right way. I thought he trusted both ends of the floor. He was patient. He was getting downhill. Some of the shots he missed, I thought they were great shots. Defensively, he was active getting rebounds.

I thought he gave the game exactly what it needed and stayed present in the moment and you got to see his greatness.” — Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum

After raising their record to 3-1, the Celtics are now in a four-way tie atop the Eastern Conference with the Pistons, Hornets, and 76ers. They’ll next host the Bulls again on Friday in the first contest of the NBA Cup before heading out on the road for another back-to-back in Orlando and Houston starting on Sunday.

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October Penguins prospect update

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 09: Michael Hage #19, Will Horcoff #44, Jayden Perron #18 and Malcolm Spence #27 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrate Perron's third-period power-play goal against the Denver Pioneers in a semifinal game of the NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship at T-Mobile Arena on April 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

October is the usual first full month for many hockey seasons around the world. With all the interest in the Penguins burgeoning and growing prospect pool, we’re going to use today’s off day in the NHL to put the attention on how things are going across the organization for their prospects and young players, based off last summer’s list of the top 25 young players and see how their seasons have started out across the globe.

A player that didn’t even make the Pensburgh Top 25 deserves a special spotlight right off the bat. Carter Sanderson (sixth round pick, 2025) has been lighting up the WHL with a league-high 15 goals in 11 games. Sanderson is second in WHL scoring with 21 points. Major junior hockey isn’t now what it once was due to all the talent going south to the NCAA, and at 19 Sanderson is one of the older players at that level, but that type of production is enough to still stand out as a big deal. Add in a strong showing at the USA’s summer showcase and Sanderson has a real chance at making the World Junior team in a couple months. Really nice glow up for him lately, he’s definitely one of the fast-rising draft picks within the organization these days.

Sanderson is committed to play at the University of North Dakota in 2027-28, where he would be a teammate of the Ruck brothers if all comes to pass and the three end up going through with that plan.

In other news, Joona Vaisanen (who missed most of last season with a major injury) is back at Western Michigan and has seven points (2G+5A) in five games. Vaisanen dropped out of the Pensburgh rankings due to the unknown around his injury, it’s nice to see him on the path to play his way back into the picture with a strong start and get back to his form from 2024-25 when he was quietly one of the top defenders in college.

With those very deserving honorable mentions out of the way, let’s go back to this summer’s Top 25 Under 25 list and catch up with the young players early in the 2026-27 season.

#25: Chase Pietila (Wilkes-Barre, AHL) — Modest stats in Wilkes-Barre (0G+2A in five games), earned his first call-up to the NHL recently, though he’s yet to play. Arrow looks to be pointed up as the organization keeps seeing progress from the 22-year old with his defensive work and physicality.

#24: Ryan Miller (University of Denver) – Has been playing mostly third line left wing so far in his freshman year. Not much statistically to speak of (1G+1A in six games) as he gets started in his college career. The positive for him should be working with head coach David Carle and one of the top programs in the country.

#23: Finn Harding (WBS, AHL) — A two-point game over the weekend has Harding up to four points (1G+3A) in seven games in the AHL. While his style of play doesn’t draw a ton of attention, quietly he’s become a key figure for the AHL club.

#22: Peyton Kettles (Kelowna, WHL) — Shoulder surgery robbed most of Kettles’ 2025-26, he’s back and looking pretty decent (1G+5A, a fight) in his return early this season.

#21: Zam Plante (Minnesota-Duluth) — Nine points (4G+5A) in eight games is good but below last year’s rate of production (51 points in 40 games). Zam’s Hobey Baker winning brother Max has only played two games on the season, they’ll likely get rolling more as the year goes along.

#21: Brady Peddle (Michigan State) — MSU is stacked with a lot of highly drafted talent. Peddle has a couple assists in five games, he has been playing on the second pair and partnered with seventh overall 2026 pick Chase Reid. Looks like a good place for Peddle to gain experience as he gets his collegiate career off the ground this year.

#20: Melvin Fernstrom (WBS, AHL) — Fernstrom is back from the shoulder injury that ended his 2025-26 season and kept him out of training camp. Hasn’t done much (1G+0A in five games) so far this season but is still just getting going and been in a lower line, limited role as he gets up to speed with what will be his first extended action at the AHL level.

#19: Tanner Howe(WBS, AHL) — Only one goal and one assist for Howe to start this season, he was playing mostly in a third line role for Wilkes so far and now is injured with an unknown return time. Injuries have unfortunately been a big part of Howe’s career story so far, it looks like more adversity could be ahead.

#18: Tomas Galvas (Liberec Bili Tygri HC, Czech) — Galvas has no goals and just three assists in his first ten games back in Czechia this season. Given how deep the Pens are in the minors at defense it’s understandable why they’re giving him an extra year to develop overseas, especially now that he hasn’t produced at the same rate as last season. Still early yet, but you’d like to see a little more there as a runway to join the AHL club by the end of the season.

#17: Pierce Mbuyi (Owen Sound, OHL) — Mbuyi (10G+9A in 14 games) is seventh in scoring in the OHL at the end of last weekend. He’s been dangerous and doing his thing as an offensive weapon to an impressive degree at the start of the season, very nice start to the year for him.

#16: Jake Livanavage (WBS, AHL) — Livanavage (2G+5A in seven games) ranks second among AHL rookie defensemen in scoring. Impressive start to his first full season as a pro.

#15: Owen Pickering (WBS, AHL) — Pickering scored a GWG over the weekend to boost his statline (2G+1A) on the season. Has been playing lately with team captain Phil Kemp in a more defensive role. In the big picture he seems to be behind Ilya Solovyov and Ryan Johnson on the depth chart as he continues his crucial draft+5 season off to the side as far as the NHL outlook goes.

#14: Tristan Broz(WBS, AHL)— It’s the story of Broz’s career, good AHL stats (3G+5A in eight games), still a bit off the NHL radar at the moment. That could change in an instant, for now it’s nice to see that at least Broz is holding up his end of the bargain and doing well in Wilkes. The challenge for him now is to keep that up and see when or if he gets an NHL opportunity.

#13: Avery Hayes (WBS, AHL/PIT, NHL) — A great AHL start of nine points (4G+5A) in six games plus injuries on the wings in Pittsburgh opened up an NHL look. Might be short-term this time around but it looks like Hayes is on track to become an NHL regular sooner or later by the end of this season given how things are going for him.

#12: Ville Koivunen (PIT, NHL) —The Pens have been patient with the $32 million man, giving him some games in a decent role and he’s starting to come through. Production was a problem last season (2G+5A in 37 games), Koivunen is almost to that level already (2G+3A in ten games). Koivunen is showing more frequent glimpses these days of why the Pens were willing to place a long-term bet on him. Has to be one of the more encouraging opening months of the season for all their young players in the organization.

#11: Hendrix Lapierre (PIT, NHL) — Interesting season for Lapierre as the Pens try to figure out what they have with him. He’s been a healthy scratch for four games and at times deep depth. Lapierre also has six points (2G+4A) on the season in just eight games and now is getting more looks. Where he might fit if/when the team gets healthier is still to be determined. driven largely with what he makes of the current chance to play.

#10: Markus Ruck (Medicine Hat, WHL) — The second round Ruck leads currently leads Medicine Hat in points (4G+9A in nine games). The scoring rate is down a bit from last year, but this season isn’t going to be much more than placeholder in the big scheme of things for the twins with a step up in competition expected next year at NCAA North Dakota.

#9: Mikhail Ilyin (WBS, AHL) — Ilyin has been productive (2G+5A in eight games) in his first full season in North America. Given his age (21) and ability, this will be a nice development season for him and it looks like it’s going pretty well so far as he gains experience and is working into becoming a key player at the AHL level.

#8: Joel Blomqvist (WBS, AHL) — Kyle Dubas admitted the shortened preseason “sucked” for someone in Blomqvist’s position. He’s off to a poor start in the AHL (1-2-1 record, 3.26 GAA, .871 save%) by the standards of his typical output down there. Doesn’t look like he’s pushing to get into the NHL picture any time soon.

#7: Liam Ruck (Medicine Hat, WHL) — The first round Ruck only has 2G+5A in nine WHL games. Not terribly impressive, but not the biggest deal at this point either since 2026-27 isn’t going to reveal a lot about the Ruck twins for the future. The lack of a great statistical start will make it easier to keep him off Canada’s WJC team, to which he was already on the outside of the equation by not being invited to the summer camps.

#6:Will Horcoff (U of Michigan) — Scoring a goal with 0.1 seconds left in a game is pretty cool. Horcoff has been playing first line left wing for most of the season, has a solid point-per-game average (3G+4A in seven games) to start his draft+2. Horcoff is an interesting prospect in that he doesn’t drive possession or often stand out as a top player, but he also has very good hands and offensive ability and still finds a way to make an impact more often than not, perfectly exemplified with this highlight goal.

#5: Bill Zonnon (WBS, AHL) — Decent output so far (3G+2A in eight games) for a player who has been put in a third line center role as a young 20-year old rookie in the AHL. Zonnon’s progressing according to plan, he just needs more time to keep growing and gaining experience for the time being. He’s getting that in spades right now down in Wilkes, exactly what one would want and hope to see.

#4: Rutger McGroarty(WBS, AHL/PIT, NHL) — McGroarty was dominant at times in the AHL (nine points in six games) and earned an NHL call-up when some recent winger injuries have hit. Now is the time for him to impress and stack some good games to enhance his position within the organization, it might take some more time still but you would figure he’s in a spot where he’ll get a long look in the second half of 2026-27 if the team remains outside of the playoff picture.

#3: Sergei Mursahov (PIT, NHL) — Murashov has settled into more of a backup than 1B type of role early in the season, but he’s still in the NHL and doing decently well. Something to be said for that as a goalie at age-22.

#2: Harrison Brunicke (WBS, AHL) — Brunicke only has two points (0G+2A) in his first eight AHL games. He’s been moved around the lineup on different pairs and roles. For a guy who made the NHL out of camp at age 19, nearly made it at 18 and was a final cut this season, it’s had to have been difficult to go back to the AHL and seen other defenders like Pietila get called up first (though he hasn’t played NHL games). Patience and more time looks required in this situation.

#1: Ben Kindel (PIT, NHL) — Kindel started the season injured, returned looking great, fell off a little and then had to go through a medical incident on the team plane. Tumultuous year, the least of which has been a rotating (and often time not that talented) group of wingers being placed by him. Here’s to hoping for good health news and him getting to settle in for the next month of the season.

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DitD & Open Post – 10/28/26: Lost Tooth Edition

DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 27: Left wing Joel Kiviranta #22 of the Dallas Stars shoots as defenseman Luke Hughes #43 and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the New Jersey Devils defend in the third period at American Airlines Center on October 27, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

Connor Hellebuyck gave up just one goal in a strong debut on Tuesday as the Devils took a dominant 5-1 win over the Stars. [Devils NHL]

Connor Hellebuyck talks after the game:

Poor Jack:

“The last time Jack Hughes played in front of Connor Hellebuyck, back in February at the Winter Olympics, he had his teeth knocked out by a high stick, returned to score a goal and helped his team win. Eight months later, in Hellebuyck’s debut for the New Jersey Devils, Hughes repeated the feat. Unfortunately for him, every last bit of it.” [The Athletic ($)]

“It’s early, but the team looks different than the past couple of seasons. They’re controlling play at five-on-five and outshooting their opponents by significant margins. It’s not just the Devils’ top players who are excelling, either. Their depth is contributing plenty. With that, let’s look at 10 stats that have stood out from the Devils’ start to the season.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

Hockey Links

Five minutes!

“Larkin, who has a full no-trade clause, has opened up the list of teams for which he would waive it to include 10 destinations: the Devils, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche. And on its face, that’s a decent number of teams. The issue for the Red Wings: Which of those teams are in a position to make a deal for Larkin? And of those who can, how motivated are they to do so?” [The Athletic ($)]

Which teams around the league have the most interesting goalie situations? [Sportsnet]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

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Meleek Thomas isn’t afraid of the moment: ‘I got everything that I need’

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 26: James Harden #1 speaks with Meleek Thomas #15 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Utah Jazz on October 26, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

CLEVELAND — It takes a certain level of confidence to proudly proclaim to a room full of Cleveland media members that you’ll unashamedly be rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend. Then again, nothing about what Meleek Thomas does on and off the court lacks confidence.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a frustrating start to their season. They’ve simultaneously shown how dangerous they can be by building large leads against the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, but have also demonstrated they’re far from a finished product by losing one of those games and nearly blowing the other.

The Cavs found themselves on the back foot on Monday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves — arguably the hottest team in basketball. The Timberwolves were the aggressors in the first few minutes, and the Cavs couldn’t make enough shots to stem the tide.

Instead of turning to a more veteran presence in Craig Porter Jr., head coach Kenny Atkinson went with Thomas midway through the opening frame for his first NBA minutes. The Pittsburgh native didn’t know that he was getting into the rotation beforehand, but he was prepared for the moment. And it was exactly what the Cavs needed.

“We didn’t have energy, we’re flat, we’re playing the wrong way, we weren’t doing the right things. For him to be the spark in his first game of the year is not normal,” Donovan Mitchell said. “That speaks to his confidence, his concentration, attention to detail.”

Thomas looked like an established veteran in his career debut. He didn’t hesitate when the ball swung to him on the perimeter. If there was an opening, he was going to take it without hesitation. He was decisive in his cuts to the basket both on and off the ball. This allowed him to put up 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, which included knocking down two big threes in the third quarter to help the Cavs retake the lead.

“He was a big part of why we ended up getting this win,” Mitchell said.

Both Thomas and Atkinson have talked about him needing to focus on the defensive end in the lead-up to the season. Whether or not he would get rotation minutes relied on that.

This has caused Thomas to focus his energy on and off the court on getting better defensively any way that he can — even if that means reaching out to an established veteran like Mitchell.

“He texts me all the time saying, ‘All right, what about this clip?’” Mitchell said. “He says, ‘Why’d you rotate here? Why did I do this? Should I do this?’ This morning, he was working on shows. Like, what rookies are working on shows?”

This desire to improve has led to Mitchell taking Thomas under his wing.

“I think Donovan has taken a special liking to Meleek,” Atkinson said before the season. “He almost feels like, ‘I have to build that relationship, build that trust,’ and then coach them up.

“Player development coaches get way too much credit. It’s having really good, smart vets that elevate guys. We do our little part, and I think we try to put them in the right places. It’s really the coaching from your best players that elevates younger players.”

There are some parallels between Mitchell and Thomas’s games — particularly early in Mitchell’s career. Both are score-first two guards, who weren’t expected to make a huge impact on their teams as rookies. Mitchell wasn’t a fixture in the starting lineup at the start of his career with the Utah Jazz, but proved early on that he was destined to be a star.

We don’t know what the future holds for Thomas. What we can say now is that Mitchell seems invested in Thomas’s growth. And that means something to the rookie.

“For them to take me under their wing and give me all of the game and just constantly help me, constantly stay in my ear, it just goes to show that they see the potential that I see in myself,” Thomas said. “It means the world to me.”

From the outside, a rookie second-round pick coming in and making an immediate impact in their career debut would’ve been surprising. Yet, no one on the Cavs was, especially not Thomas. He carries himself like someone who’s been there before and expects to be a mainstay on this stage.

“Confidence really don’t come from nobody else,” Thomas said. “It’s either you got it, or you don’t. You got heart, you got dog in you, or you don’t. And I got everything that I need. It’s just a matter of time before it’s shown.”

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Orioles news: Jared Banner is introduced as new GM

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28, 2026: President of baseball operations and general manager Mike Elias of the Baltimore Orioles looks on prior to a game against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Good morning Birdland,

The Orioles year-long hunt for a new General Manager to sit underneath Mike Elias in the front office came to an end last week, when they announced the hiring of Jared Banner. The 41-year-old Banner was officially introduced to the media and fan base in a press conference on Tuesday.

Banner comes to the Orioles with 18 years of baseball operations experience. He has spent the last six seasons with the Cubs organization, including the last two being spent as their assistant general manager.

Elias will continue to be the boss. However, he made it clear in the press conference that Banner’s role is going to be significant:

“Our setup right now is that Jared will take over everything to do with our internal players, our internal coaches, player development, performance, healthcare, all of that is going to fall under his umbrella,” Elias said. “I will then work more directly on the scouting and acquisition side of the equation — pro, international, amateur, contracts, things like that. But we will be running the whole team together and working in concert with one another. But that’s sort of the general division of management duties.”

“I think that Jared is very tremendously experienced in those areas, very successful in those areas. I think he’s better than I am in those areas. And this will also allow, hopefully, the club to leverage me a little bit better and allow me to spend more of my time on the acquisition side of things.”

That’s a big job ahead of Banner. The responsibilities being handed to him are in many of the areas in which the Orioles have struggled under Elias. And he is taking it on with just about a month before the current CBA expires. Without a new deal, clubs and players on the 40-man roster cannot communicate. So, any sort of offseason training will need to be mapped out ahead of time. No matter how experienced the new GM may be, that is a lot to sort out in just a few weeks.

It is possible that additional shakeups will be coming in the organization’s player development structure, though nothing was revealed on that front. Obviously, Matt Blood, the team’s former vice president of player and staff development, left the organization last month. Banner seems to be coming in, absorbing Blood’s old responsibilities, and likely taking on a few more.

Elias said a few weeks ago that he expected to expand the front office this offseason. Adding Banner while losing Blood would not seem to represent an expansion itself, so something more could be coming. Whether that means allowing Banner to fill out a bigger developmental staff, or if Elias himself gets more deputies on the player acquisition side. It remains to be seen.

No conclusions can be made about Banner or the decision to hire him. Many in the fan base think the clube needs someone other than Elias to lead them. Clearly, ownership disagrees. At the very least, it is good that the Orioles identified weaknesses. They believe that Banner can help solve them. Whether that is true or not won’t be evident until the team starts playing baseball again. Right now, we don’t know when that will be.

Links

Banner excited to be new O’s GM: ‘We’re going to build a winner’ | Orioles.com
The American League is ripe for a team to rise above the mediocrity. If the Orioles are as talented as they seem to think they are, there is no reason it can’t be them.

Jared Banner is here to kickstart Orioles’ player development, plus other takeaways | The Banner
More on how Elias’ and Banner’s roles will differ. It is a little reminiscent of The Office arch where Michael and Jim become co-managers. Michael handles the “big picture” plans while Jim handles the “day-to-day” items. It won’t be as funny if it doesn’t work out for the Orioles.

Orioles Notes: Front Office, Rotation | MLB Trade Rumors
Elias says, once again, that the rotation is a priority going into the offseason. It is true that every team wants more starting pitching. But it is a tad annoying that the Orioles are trying to find an ace or ace-adjacent arm every single winter. If you have to say you’re looking for that kind of player every year then you failed to find them the previous year.

Some leftovers on Banner’s hiring as Orioles general manager | Roch Kubatko
Banner is saying all of the right things as he steps into this new role. He has a positive outlook. He seems excited to be hear. And his resumé speaks for itself.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

  • Corban Joseph turns 38 today. The utility man played for five teams across parts of three big league seasons. That included a 14-game stay with the Orioles in 2018.
  • Nate McLouth is 45 years old. Signed in the middle of the 2012 season, McLouth stepped right into the Orioles left field role and help the organization back to the playoffs for the first time since 1997. He stuck around for 2013, where he was worth 1.9 bWAR.
  • Juan Guzmán is 60 today. The Orioles acquired him from the Blue Jays at the 1998 trade deadline. Over the next year he made 32 starts and was then traded to the Reds at the 1999 trade deadline. That swap with the Reds would land reliever B.J. Ryan in Baltimore, where he would develop into one of baseball’s better closers.
  • Bob Melvin is 65 years old. The former catcher had a three-seasons stint in Baltimore from 1989-91. He may be better known by modern fans as a manager, a role he held for several clubs between 2003 and 2025.
  • The late Sammy Stewart (b. 1954, d. 2018) was born on this day. He was an important member of the Orioles pitching staff from 1978 through ‘85. In that eight-year span he threw 866 innings, a mix between the rotation and the bullpen, and even led the league in ERA (2.32) in 1981.

This day in O’s history

Nothing of note has happened in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. So, here are a few things that have occurred outside of Birdland:

1886 – The Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland.

1919 – U.S. Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto. This paves the way for Prohibition to begin the following January.

1942 – The Alaska Highway first connects Alaska to the North American railway network at Dawson Creek in Canada.

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Chicago Cubs history unpacked — October 28

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Esmailin Caridad, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 2016 – In the first World Series game played at Wrigley Field in 71 years, the Indians eke out a 1-0 victory over the Cubs in Game 3 of the 2016 World Series. Pinch-runner Michael Martinez scores the only run in the seventh when he is driven in from third base by pinch-hitter Coco Crisp‘s single. Cody Allen ends the game by striking out Ben Zobrist with two runners in scoring position, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

Cubs Birthdays:Jake Woodford, Justin Hancock, Esmailin Caridad*, Larry Casian, Lenny Harris, Luis Márquez, George Hennessey, Percy Jones, Bill McCabe, Ed McDonald.

Today in history:

  • 1793 – Eli Whitney applies for a patent for his cotton gin machine, used to pull cotton fibers from the seed.
  • 1831 – British scientist Michael Faraday demonstrates his dynamo invention, an electric generator.
  • 1886 – The Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland and is celebrated with the first confetti (ticker tape) parade in New York City.
  • 1900 – Summer (Modern) Olympic Games in Paris end after five months; no opening or closing ceremonies are held.
  • 1904 – St. Louis police try a new investigative method, fingerprints.
  • 1954 – Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to Ernest Hemingway.
  • 1962 – NY Giants quarterback Y. A. Tittle passes for seven touchdowns vs. Washington in a 49-34 win.
  • 1965 – The Gateway Arch, 630 ft (192 m) tall, is completed in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • 1978 – Bobby Orr scores his last career NHL goal against Detroit Red Wings

*pictured.

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Phillies news: Peter Fatse, Randy Arozarena, free agents

Fort Myers, FL - February 16: Boston Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse watches Reese McGuire take some swings in the cage. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images

We’re going to hear so many different names connected to the Phillies during the offseason, but without knowing how much money they can spend, it’ll be tough to guess. Usually, we know that they didn’t want to extend beyond the final luxury tax threshold, but will those even be a thing in the post-CBA world? We’ll have to wait and see.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

MLB news:

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Steven Adams to miss time for Rockets

After Houston’s win over the Atlanta Hawks, we finally got a long-awaited update on Steven Adams’s availability. In the post-game press conference, Ime Udoka said: “Marcus is day-to-day, game-to-game. We’re hoping to have him back, possibly next game. Steven will be out for at least a week or two.“

This means that Adams would return sometime between the Celtics game on November 2 and the Nuggets game on November 9.

This raises an interesting question: Can the Rockets trust Steven Adams to be a reliable piece of the rotation? This is the third season he’s missed time with injury, but for more, check out James’s piece here.

If you want my opinion on the matter, I feel that it is complicated. Houston should not be relying so heavily on a 33-year-old Steven Adams in the first place, and it was Rafael Stone’s job to acquire another backup center during last year’s trade deadline or offseason if he can’t trust Clint Capela to play a similar role. But then again, the NBA is not NBA 2 K; you can’t just throw a trade together, snap your fingers, and have it work. There are logistics to the matter that are unfathomable to the average fan from a contract perspective.

Additonally, I love Steven Adams and have enjoyed having him on the team, but my desires don’t exactly matter when the purpose of the NBA is to win a title, which is likely a good thing because a team of “guys Holly likes” would likely consist of players such as Adams, Gerald Green, and Victor Oladipo.

To try and conclude my jumble of emotions and thoughts, my opinion on the Adams injury is that it is unfortunate for both the team and for Adams himself, as being injured SUCKS!

Houston will be back in action next versus the Milwaukee Bucks, but in the meantime, let me know what you think about the Adams injury, and as always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for all things Rockets news.

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Canadiens' Fowler Blanks The Blues

The Montreal Canadiens were facing the St. Louis Blues in the third game of their four-game road trip on Tuesday night. Once again, Martin St-Louis elected to give the net to Jacob Fowler, who had won his last five games. Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes was sitting out and hasn’t played since his ill-timed penalty against the San Jose Sharks a week ago at the Bell Centre.

For the third time in the last four games, Detroit Red Wings assistant manager Kris Draper was watching the Habs’ game. With Adam Engstrom inserted into the lineup, some wondered whether that was for his viewing pleasure. For Josh Anderson, it was NHL game number 700. The power forward has been one of the bright lights so far this season, and he fully deserves the A stitched to the front of his jersey. Speaking of which, in Nick Suzuki’s absence, Cole Caufield also wore an A tonight, taking over for Jake Evans.

Could The Rangers Circle Back To The Canadiens?
Game 12 – Canadiens vs. Blues: Dobes’ Homecoming?
Caufield’s Big On Canadiens’ Fans And Market

Timely Saves

After Zach Bolduc gave the Canadiens the lead a little under nine minutes into the second frame, the Blues attacked desperately and had the Habs on their heels, running around the defensive zone. St. Louis had eight attempts on goal in under two minutes; Fowler stood tall and made four big saves, protecting the lead and helping the Habs regain their composure.

Having a goaltender who can shut the door in crucial moments is invaluable. When an opponent comes right back after you score, momentum swings back their way instantly, and you don't get the full effect of taking the lead. After 40 minutes, Fowler already had 22 saves.

By the end of the game, though, he had more than doubled that number. As the Blues attacked relentlessly in the final frame, he stood on his head when needed and stopped all 24 shots. As for the Habs, they had only three shots in the third as they struggled to get out of their zone.

Going Nowhere Fast

The Canadiens’ top unit may be missing both Suzuki and Demidov, but they still have talented players on the ice and should capitalize on opportunities. Caufield and Lane Hutson still look loose and confident, but Juraj Slafkovsky and Oliver Kapanen look like they panic at times and try to make high-risk plays. Those no-look backhand passes must be driving the coach crazy, since they are the “almost” plays the bench boss mentioned last week.

It’s all about reading the play, and on paper, a power play gives you extra time to make those reads, even if the penalty killers turn up the pressure. Furthermore, you can’t score if you don’t shoot. After three power plays in two periods, the Habs only had two shots; that’s not enough. And with a player like Chris Kreider who has mastered the art of deflection, you have to give him the chance to do what he does best. He hasn't found the back of the net this season, and the Habs’ reluctance to shoot and tendency to pass over and over is a big factor.

Xhekaj Opens His Account

The Habs led 1-0 at the start of the third frame, and while one Xhekaj watched the game from above, the other, Florian, was on the ice. In just his ninth career game, the 22-year-old doubled his team’s lead. `

While a video review was needed to confirm he hadn’t tipped the puck too high, the tip wasn’t the only good thing about that play. The goal came because Xhekaj hit Adam Jiricek, not only knocking the puck loose but also immediately going to the front of the net to obstruct Jordan Binnington’s view, and it paid off. It was a textbook play and the kind of performance that will help him stay in the lineup.

In the end, the Canadiens won 2-0, improving their record without captain Suzuki to 3-0-0, something nobody would have predicted. It’s Fowler’s sixth straight win and his second shutout of the season. He was in the net for all but one of the Habs’ wins so far. Montreal will now head to Dallas to take on the Stars on Thursday before heading back home for a Halloween tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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

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