The season finale at MSG means nothing for the Knicks, who are locked into the third seed with no wiggle room.
Not surprisingly, they’re sitting four of their five starters Sunday — minus consecutive-games king Mikal Bridges — against the Hornets, who remain motivated to secure the ninth seed.
But the out-of-town scoreboard warrants close monitoring for the Knicks. Their first-round opponent will probably be the Raptors, but it’s not set in stone and ultimately hinges on up to four results — all sharing the Knicks’ 6 p.m. tipoff.
Here’s a breakdown of scenarios:
Most likely
The Knicks draw the Raptors in the first round.
Og Anunoby drives to the basket between Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson and Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram during the first quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors on April 10, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
This happens if on Sunday:
Toronto beats Brooklyn; Atlanta beats Miami
Or
Toronto beats Brooklyn; Miami beats Atlanta; Orlando beats Boston
Or
Brooklyn beats Toronto; Miami beats Atlanta; Orlando beats Boston
The tanking Nets are almost certain to lose to the Raptors even though it probably won’t help their lottery odds (Brooklyn can only catch the Pacers at the bottom of the standings, and Indiana would also have to lose to the Pistons). So assuming that result, the Raptors will clinch the fifth seed if Atlanta beats Miami (not likely since the Hawks are resting players) OR the Magic beat the Celtics (which is a likely outcome since Boston is resting players).
The Knicks can feel fairly safe scouting the Raptors.
Toronto beats Brooklyn; Miami beats Atlanta; Boston beats Orlando
Tough to see this happening because it requires a result — Boston beating Orlando — that goes against the odds. The Magic are highly motivated to win Sunday since there’s a chance they can move out of a play-in spot (while the Celtics, who are locked into the No. 2 seed, are resting several players).
Why would this happen if three teams could tie for sixth in the East? If the Raptors and Magic win — and Hawks lose — they’d all have 46 wins, and the three-way tiebreaker means Atlanta stays at No. 5, Toronto stays at No. 6 and Orlando goes to No. 7.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks drives against CJ McCollum of the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
Unlikely
The Knicks draw the Magic in the first round
This happens if on Sunday:
Brooklyn beats Toronto; Atlanta beats Miami; Orlando beats Boston
Anything involving the Nets winning Sunday is highly unlikely.
The unlikeliest
The Knicks draw the Sixers in the first round
This happens if on Sunday:
Brooklyn beats Toronto; Boston beats Orlando; Philadelphia beats Milwaukee
Again, the Nets would have to win against a motivated opponent — the Raptors want to avoid the play-in — which is hard to envision. Plus, the Celtics are resting their players.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar left Saturday's 5-3 loss to St. Louis after he was hit in the face by a puck.
Nazar dropped his stick and discarded his gloves in frustration as he made his way off the ice after the play occurred about 3 1/2 minutes into the second period.
“I think Frank's going to be all right,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He had to get some dental work done, but I think he'll be all right.”
The last-place Blackhawks (28-38-14) have two games left in the season.
The 22-year-old Nazar was sidelined for a month after he broke his jaw when he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20. He returned on Jan. 22 at Carolina.
Nazar, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, has 15 goals and 26 assists in 64 games in his third NHL season. He agreed to a $46.2 million, seven-year extension with Chicago in August.
Forward Andrew Mangiapane departed in the third period after crashing hard into the net with 9:17 left. Blashill said Mangiapane is day to day.
Ethan Del Mastro was scratched because of an unspecified injury. With Del Mastro sidelined, veteran forward Sam Lafferty was inserted into the lineup as a defenseman.
“(Lafferty) has played D with our team in practice a decent amount in the last three, four weeks,” Blashill said. “(Lafferty) has been committed to this team all year. ... He played D in college, so it's not like he's foreign to it. I mean he actually knows our systems probably as good as anybody.”
DENVER, CO - APRIL 7: Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) hits a second inning solo home run during a game between the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Christian Walker is not in the Astros starting lineup tonight. He appears to tweak something in last night’s game:
A trainer and manager Joe Espada just went to check on Christian Walker after he grounded out to end the 8th. Walker is staying in the game.
Through 14 games and 53 AB, Walker is batting .321 with a .390 OBP and .994 OPS. He leads the team with 17 hits and 6 doubles. He is tied for the team lead in RBI with 13.
New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer looks on during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at UBS Arena, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Elmont, NY.
Technically, the Islanders were not eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday with a 3-0 defeat to the Senators.
But the first word in that sentence is doing some heavy lifting.
The only pathway for the Islanders now is to win their last two games — against Montreal on Sunday and Carolina on Tuesday — and get significant help.
Head coach Peter DeBoer looks on during the third period of the Islanders’ 3-0 loss to the Senators at UBS Arena on April 11, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
For starters, the Flyers need to lose their final two game against Carolina on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday. The Islanders also were passed by both Columbus and Washington, which both were victorious late in the day.
So they need not only the Flyers to lose, but also the Blue Jackets and Capitals.
“We gotta control what we can control,” captain Anders Lee said. “Let’s have a good response tomorrow. Win our games. We’re gonna need some help but all we can do now, this game’s over, unfortunately. We just gotta respond with our own game.”
Had the Islanders beaten Ottawa, they would have suddenly felt quite good about their playoff chances. With the Flyers not playing until later Saturday, the Isles would have gotten back into a spot for at least a few hours, putting significant pressure on Philadelphia.
So much for that. The Flyers later won, making matters worse.
It took eight losses in their past 12 games, all of which came in regulation. But after being in a playoff spot uninterrupted for more than three months, the Islanders are on the brink of completing a monumental collapse.
“It doesn’t feel great right now but we’re still alive,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We gotta win our last two games and make somebody earn that last spot.”
Lee said that he asked Brady Tkachuk to fight off the opening draw, with the Ottawa captain reciprocating after Lee had acceded to his request last month in the Canadian capital.
“Want to get the crowd going. I thought we had a great response,” Lee said. “Our guys were ready to go. They didn’t need that. They didn’t need that to get going tonight. But thought we could do it again.”
Max Shabanov was out with an upper-body injury and called day to day. Kyle MacLean reentered the lineup, taking his usual spot on the fourth line while Ondrej Palat moved up to the third.
Should I be unhappy because they lost, and part of the reason was a player playing his first game at first base — ever?
Or should I take some solace in the fact that they came back from a 3-0 deficit with a stirring ninth-inning rally, and Cubs pitching held the Pirates down after the third inning? (Well, at least until that ugly 11th.)
It’s kinda both, but this one does leave a sour taste.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Edward Cabrera wasn’t as sharp as he had been over his first two starts, and issued three walks in addition to allowing eight hits. That gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead after three, and it could have been more, but they left several runners on base early and the Cubs turned a double play in the second.
Meanwhile, Braxton Ashcraft kept the Cubs completely off balance for the first four innings. They had three singles over that time, with none of the runners getting past first base.
The Cubs broke through in the fifth. Michael Conforto walked with one out and went to third on a single by Dansby Swanson, and Swanson took second on the throw in. This might have been a big inning, but the Cubs simply aren’t taking advantage of those situations. Conforto did score on a ground out by Nico Hoerner [VIDEO].
That made it 3-1.
Cabrera finished five innings, and his line isn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. More from BCB’s JohnW53:
Edward Cabrera became the 52nd different Cub to allow no more than total three runs in his first three starts of a season. Dick Ellsworth, Shota Imanaga, Jon Lester and Steve Stone each did it twice.
Cabrera is the 33rd season of three such runs, including ones by Ellsworth, Imanaga and Stone. There have been 19 seasons of two runs, two of them by Lester. Imanaga and Stone are among the five who gave up one. The three others were Rich Hill, Carl Lundgren and Mike Prendergast.
Ben Brown came in and threw the sixth and seventh and did a nice job, despite allowing a couple of hits. He struck out three and induced a double-play ball. Brown seems to be taking to this long-relief role.
So, rallies are going on, but even with RISP the Cubs are only scoring on outs.
Jacob Webb threw a scoreless eighth, including a pair of strikeouts. That’s good after Webb has struggled in the early going. Hoby Milner then threw a 1-2-3 ninth that included an odd play, a ball that bounced off his foot that was picked up by Amaya, who threw Brandon Lowe out at first. You don’t see a 1-2-3 play very often:
Then, the bottom of the ninth, with the Cubs trailing 3-2. Swanson walked with one out. Then Swanson moved to second on a passed ball. One out later, Carson Kelly also walked, and Shaw replaced him as a pinch runner.
That was a real nice piece of hitting, going the opposite way on an 0-2 sinker. Shaw took third, representing the winning run, but Ian Happ flied to right and thus we were off to the Cubs’ first extra-inning game of 2025.
Daniel Palencia, who hadn’t thrown since Sunday, came in for the 10th. He got the first two outs on routine fly balls, issued a walk, then retired pinch-hitter Nick Gonzales on a ground ball to third, giving the Cubs a real chance to win it in the bottom of the 10th.
The pitch was pretty clearly in the zone, but that wasn’t a bad place to challenge. Worth using it at that point, I thought. Both runners then moved up on a wild pitch, putting the winning run on third with two out. Conforto walked to load the bases, but Swanson grounded out to end the inning.
In the 11th, Caleb Thielbar entered, coming off a bad outing Friday. But he struck out the first two batters he faced, before issuing an intentional pass to Oneil Cruz, who had a four-hit afternoon. I agree with that choice, too, setting up a possible force at second or third.
Well, I dunno. You tell me. No, that wasn’t a good throw by Thielbar, who was charged with an error. But does a more experienced first baseman knock that down and keep the lead runner at third? Or throw him out at the plate?
I guess we’ll never know. The Cubs opted to pinch hit for Michael Busch with Kelly in the seventh. Busch has really been struggling with the bat, so I don’t necessarily argue with that move. But the thing is, the Cubs don’t have an experienced backup first baseman. Shaw had literally never played the position, except for Spring Training, before this game. Kelly, who replaced Busch, had never played first base before this year either. This was just his second appearance at the position.
You can see how important first base defense is with this one play.
Anyway, that run was all the Pirates got, and turned out that’s all they needed. Swanson was the placed runner in the 11th. Nico hit a comebacker that Yohan Ramirez threw away for an error, putting runners on second and third with nobody out.
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Cubs got to scoring in the 11th. Shaw hit a line drive to right that was too shallow to score the tying run. Bregman popped up to first. Happ was intentionally walked to set up a force at any base, but Suzuki also popped up to end things.
The Cubs went 1-for-15 with RISP and left 16 (!) runners on base. That’s pretty awful. The Pirates weren’t much better, going 2-for-19 with RISP and stranding 13. This was an ugly, ugly game in what’s now an ugly, ugly series.
Eventually the Cubs offense will get untracked. These hitters are too good to keep doing this for much longer. Maybe Sunday, when the weather is supposed to be better (sunny, in the 70s). Jameson Taillon will try to help the Cubs salvage one win in this series. Bubba Chandler goes for the Pirates. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Ahead of the Sixers’ final game of the regular season Sunday night vs. the Bucks, below is a refresher on the No. 5 through No. 10 range of the Eastern Conference standings. The first through sixth seeds will advance to the playoffs. The seventh through 10th will compete in the play-in tournament for the East’s final two playoff spots.
5. Hawks 46-35
6. Raptors 45-36
7. Magic 45-36
8. Sixers 44-37
9. Hornets 43-38
10. Heat 42-39
And here’s a look at how things could shake out for the Sixers:
For Sixers to finish sixth
The one scenario in which the Sixers would finish sixth is: Sixers win, Raptors and Magic lose.
In that case, all three teams would be 45-37 and the Sixers would win the tiebreaker.
Is that series of events plausible? It could happen, but the odds appear quite small. Orlando will face the 55-26 Celtics and Toronto will take on the 20-61 Nets. Boston’s locked in as the East’s No. 2 seed and Brooklyn’s next major event on the calendar is the NBA draft lottery.
Unsurprisingly, both the Celtics and Nets have long injury lists. Brooklyn’s many absences include Nic Claxton, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, Terance Mann and Egor Demin. The Celtics will sit plenty of regulars, among them Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Neemias Queta.
On a positive note for the Sixers, the Bucks are shorthanded and nowhere near postseason contention. They should beat Milwaukee at home.
For Sixers to finish seventh
The Sixers need a win to have a shot at the seventh seed, which would mean hosting the first game of the play-in tournament instead of traveling.
The following two scenarios would lead to the Sixers being No. 7:
Sixers win, Raptors win, Magic lose
Sixers win, Raptors lose, Magic win
The first outcome would mean that the Sixers play the Magic in that No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup. The second would mean that they’d host Toronto.
Again, the only two other games that matter to the Sixers are Raptors-Nets and Magic-Celtics. The reason the Sixers can’t fall lower than eighth is they’d win the tiebreaker over the Hornets if both teams ended at 44-38.
Either of these results would equal the eighth seed for the Sixers:
Sixers lose (other games become irrelevant)
Sixers win, Raptors win, Magic win
As outlined above, neither Orlando nor Toronto look at all likely to lose. Still, anything’s possible and the Sixers surely wouldn’t mind a surprise or two outside of Philadelphia on the season’s final day.
Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
ATLANTA — Injured starter Spencer Strider took another step toward returning to the Atlanta Braves’ rotation on Saturday by throwing three innings of batting practice at Truist Park.
Braves manager Walt Weiss said Strider felt good after throwing three simulated innings and said the 27-year-old right-hander will likely make a rehab start on Thursday and throw 40-45 pitches. Strider has been on the injured list since March 22 with a Grade 1 left oblique strain.
“He’s on the right path,” Weiss said before the Braves faced Cleveland. “With starters, it takes time. We’ve got to build him back up now.”
Weiss does not anticipate Strider rejoining the Braves before the end of the month.
Strider hit 95 mph during his three innings against batters. He was in full uniform, wearing the new Braves City Connect outfit.
“That’s no adrenaline, right?” Weiss said of the mid-90s fastballs. “I don’t think he had adrenaline for BP, but you never know with Strider. All signs are pointing in the right direction. Physically where he’s at, mentally, emotionally, he’s handled this very well. All things point the right way.”
The Braves are missing projected starter Spencer Schwellenbach, along with Strider, yet lead the NL East at 9-5 and have had seven quality starts in their first 14 games.
The Vancouver Canucks will play a significant role in whether or not the San Jose Sharks make the post-season with their matchup tonight. Ironically enough, if San Jose is able to make it to the playoffs, they’ll be one of four teams that currently has the league-high in former Canucks currently on their roster. All four of these teams have yet to officially clinch a playoff spot, meaning that 16 former Canucks’ post-season hopes will be dictated in the next few days.
As it stands, the Sharks currently have four former Canucks on their roster: Kiefer Sherwood, Vincent Desharnais, Adam Gaudette, and Tyler Toffoli. All but Toffoli played in at least 30 games for the Canucks, with Gaudette recording the highest number of games played for Vancouver with 153. Despite feeling like a much bigger part of the team that went to seven games of the 2020 Pacific Division Finals, Toffoli only ended up playing in 10 regular-season games for the Canucks in 2019–20.
Around the rest of the league, there are still three other playoff-bound and playoff-hopeful teams that have four former Canucks on them. The Edmonton Oilers have Vasily Podkolzin, Jason Dickinson, Curtis Lazar, and Riley Stillman (brother of current Canucks prospect Chase Stillman), though the latter has only played in four NHL games for Edmonton this season. The Oilers have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot tonight if the Winnipeg Jets lose in regulation or overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers, though they would have secured this spot if they'd recorded at least one point against the Los Angeles Kings today.
In the Eastern Conference, one Atlantic Division team and one Metropolitan Division team each have four former Canucks in their organization. The Boston Bruins were in a similar position as the Oilers heading into Saturday’s matchups, with Boston able to secure their spot in the playoffs with a win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, the Bruins ended up losing 2-1 earlier today, meaning former Canucks Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Lukas Reichel, and Michael DiPietro will have to look to the New Jersey Devils in hopes of a clinch today. The other clinching scenario for the Bruins today would see the Devils defeat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation.
Apr 8, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) and San Jose Sharks left wing Kiefer Sherwood (44) collide after going for the puck in the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
The final team with four former Canucks in the organization is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are also pushing for a playoff spot but currently trail the Red Wings (91), the Washington Capitals (91), and the New York Islanders (91) for the second Wild Card spot currently occupied by the Bruins (95 points). Having said that, Philadelphia currently occupies third in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points, which would make for a much easier target for Columbus, who currently have 90. Former Canucks Conor Garland, Danton Heinen, Erik Gudbranson, and Brendan Gaunce will look to help push the Blue Jackets into a playoff spot in the coming days.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Dec 27, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) collides with Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) after scoring a goal during a shoot out at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The Colorado Avalanche, fresh off a Presidents Trophy-clinching performance on Thursday, play their final weekend game of the regular season tonight.
After a three and a half month hiatus, they will wrap up the season series against the Vegas Golden Knights, who pay their only(?) visit to the Mile High City this spring.
Colorado Avalanche (52-16-10)
The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (36-26-17)
Time: 6:00 P.M. MDT/8:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ABC, ESPN (US National Broadcast), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Outside Colorado and Vegas broadcast areas – Canada)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
As mentioned above, the Avalanche secured their rightful place as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings in their 3-1 defeat of the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Gabe Landeskog would open the scoring late in the first period, and Martin Nečas scored on a pretty play as he skated through the Calgary defense to double the lead in the second period. A sleepy third period (and an extra skater in place of goaltender Dustin Wolf late in the frame) cracked open the door for Calgary, who had a tying goal wiped out due to a successful offside challenge by Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. Nathan MacKinnon would ice the game on an empty net goal late in regulation for his League-leading 52nd goal of the season, ensuring that Colorado would claim the fourth Presidents Trophy in franchise history. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 28 of 29 shots for his 22nd win of the season.
With the win, Avs locked in home ice advantage throughout the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. With their position as the top seed in the playoffs now secured, Bednar has the option to rest players up and down the lineup. Speaking on the option to rest some players leading up to the end of the season, he said, “I’d like to see all of our guys play games yet before the playoffs […] If they’re able to play, we’ll get them as much rest as we can in between games, and then some guys, I’m going to try to get some guys a little bit of a breather that, I think, could probably benefit from it.”
Tonight wraps up the three game series against Vegas, with the Avs having won both of the previous two games. The last time both teams met was coming out of the holiday break back on December 27 at T-Mobile Arena. With Vegas leading 4-2 at the beginning of the third period, Nečas and MacKinnon would score to pull the Avs back on even footing, and despite falling behind with four minutes to play in regulation, a goal from Artturi Lehkonen with under two minutes pushed the game to overtime. Neither team scored in the extra session, and MacKinnon scored the shootout winning goal to complete the comeback as the Avs walked out with a 6-5 decision.
MacKinnon remains atop the League lead in goals coming into tonight’s game, having set a career high with his 52nd goal of the season on Thursday. With four games remaining in the regular season, his 126 points ranks third behind Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (128) and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (133). Nečas is two goals shy of his first ever 40 goal season, and two points away from his first 100 point season. Bednar indicated that Nazem Kadri will require further evaluation before rejoining the lineup, and he expects Cale Makar to return to action prior to the end of the season.
Scott Wedgewood is likely to start in goal for the Avs tonight. A win against Vegas would see him reach the thirty win mark for the first time in his career.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Nicolas Roy – Joel Kiviranta Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Devon Toews – Sam Malinski Brett Kulak – Josh Manson Nick Blankenburg – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Vegas Golden Knights
A hot start that saw Vegas begin the season with a near identical record to Colorado through the month of October was derailed by a combination of injuries to key personnel: forwards Jack Eichel, William Karlsson Brandon Saad, Colton Sissons, Mark Stone, defensemen Brayden McNabb, Noah Hanafin, Jérémy Lauzon, and goaltenders Adin Hill and Carter Hart all missed time throughout the season. Even with so many injuries through their lineup, Vegas strung together several modest winning streaks through the year, including a stretch that saw them win seven straight games in January. However, they struggled to maintain their winning ways, winning only five games coming out of the Olympic break, and those hardships would only continue through February and March. As the season winds down, Vegas finds themselves tied with the Anaheim Ducks in points (89), but due to tiebreakers, currently occupy second place in the porous Pacific Division.
This isn’t the same Vegas team that previously faced Colorado back in December. They made their first trade of 2026 in January, sending longtime defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defenseman Abram Wiebe, a 2027 first round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick in 2028 to Calgary for defenseman Rasmus Andersson. Leading up to the trade deadline, they acquired depth forward Cole Smith from Nashville for defenseman Christoffer Sedoff and a 2028 third round pick, and forward Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third round pick, a 2029 second round pick.
Vegas didn’t limit themselves to roster makeovers this season. On March 29, head coach Bruce Cassidy was relieved of his head coaching duties, replacing him with John Tortorella in an interim capacity. Vegas marks the seventh stop for the two-time Jack Adams and former Stanley Cup-winning coach. The team responded with a four game winning streak to kick off the Tortorella era, which came to an end this past Thursday in a 4-3 shootout decision against the Seattle Kraken. Tortorella has yet to lose in regulation in his short time behind the Vegas bench, and a win tonight against Colorado could make things interesting in the chase for first place in the Pacific. The Edmonton Oilers, who currently lead the division, face the Los Angeles Kings this afternoon. By the time the puck drops in Denver, Vegas will know whether if they’re in a position to overtake Edmonton for the top spot, or if they’re still chasing them down. As of this writing, neither team has clinched a playoff spot, but the outcomes of both games could change that.
Eichel leads all Vegas skaters in points (83) and assists (58) while Mitch Marner ranks second in both categories (78 points and 55 assists, respectively). Pavel Dorofeyev leads all Vegas forwards in goals (35), while Theodore leads all Vegas defenders in goals (9), assists (29), and points (38).
This is the final road game of the season for Vegas, as they wrap up a four game road trip. Hart, who played the first three games of the road trip since (his first action since January 8), may return to the crease this evening. Hill was the goaltender of record in the loss this past Thursday in Seattle.
Vegas finishes out the regular season with a brief two game home stand against the Winnipeg Jets on April 13, and close out the regular season against Seattle on April 15.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone Brett Howden – Mitch Marner – Pavel Dorofeyev Brandon Saad – Tomáš Hertl – Colton Sissons Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Royce O'Neale #00 and Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns celebrate after the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 26, 2026 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Despite being the Suns’ first and third leaders in starts this season, fans do mind seeing Royce O’Neale (67 starts) and Collin Gillespie (58 starts) coming off the bench as postseason play gets closer. Both were put in the second unit for last Sunday’s game against the Bulls, and Gillespie only started yesterday’s game against the Lakers because the team had multiple guards out, including Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Jordan Goodwin.
In a recent poll, 62% of the community believed moving Gillespie to the bench unit was the right move.
O’Neale coming off the bench had much more traction, as on 33% believe he should be part of the Suns’ starting five.
I’m not surprised that fans want both to come off the bench despite them both starting the majority of the season. Phoenix has struggled in its last 16 games, going 5-11, with Gillespie especially playing some of his least inefficient basketball of the season. He’s shooting 25% in his past five games, shooting 32% from the field, and as a result, is playing less.
In the past few weeks, both Mark Williams and Dillon Brooks have returned from injury. When the two were healthy earlier in the season, Green wasn’t. Brooks, Green, and Booker have only played ten games this season together, so it was inevitable that either Gillespie, O’Neale, or both were going to be sent to the second unit once all of them were healthy. Brooks and O’Neale both play the power forward spot, and Brooks is the better scorer and more versatile player, so if a spot in the starting lineup came down to the two of them, Brooks would and should get it. At least with Gillespie, he’s the team’s best true point guard, a role that neither Booker nor Jalen Green purely plays.
For a team that has struggled with staying healthy this season, O’Neale and Gillespie have been some of the team’s healthiest players. Only Oso Ighodaro has played more games this season; he’s played in every single one of the team’s games so far. As a result, they were going to be leading the team in starts.
Something needs to change for the Suns, not just for the playoffs, but for the Play-In tournament. After the Portland Trail Blazers’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers last night, it’s looking like Phoenix will face the Trail Blazers in the 7/8 game. While Phoenix won the series, Portland would be coming into the game as the hotter team of late; they’ve won nine of their last 13 games. The Suns still are super likely to make the playoffs, according to FanDuel.
The Suns prioritized rest in their game against the Lakers, with no player logging at least 29 minutes yesterday. When the team hosts the 7/8 game next week, will Gillespie and O’Neale still be coming off the bench? Should they be?
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans dribbles the ball against Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center on February 06, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Pelicans defeated the Timberwolves 119-115. 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. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans Date: April 12th, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM CDT Location: Target Center Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio
There’s something about Game 82 that always feels a little like the last day of school. Half the class is mentally checked out. The teacher is rolling in the TV cart. And yet, somehow, it still matters, just not in the way you thought it would back in October.
That’s where the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves heading into their regular season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Eighty-one games down. One to go. Playoff ticket punched.
And yet… it doesn’t quite feel like a celebration.
Because if you’ve been watching this team all season you know the story. This wasn’t a climb. It was a drift. A weird, uneven, occasionally brilliant, occasionally maddening drift where the Wolves spent long stretches looking like a team that had already been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals and decided, consciously or not, that the regular season was more of a formality than a proving ground.
They had nights where they looked like a top-three team in basketball. They had nights where they looked like they forgot the game started at 7:00. And when you zoom out, that’s how you end up here, not in a disastrous position, but not in the one you know was there for the taking.
Let’s be honest. This team could easily be sitting in the three seed right now. Flip two or three of those late-game meltdowns. Close out a couple of those “how did we lose that?” nights. Show up with urgency on a random Tuesday in January. Suddenly, we’re talking about a completely different bracket.
But here’s the twist: it’s not even clear that the three seed would’ve been better.
The Standings Irony Nobody Saw Coming
If the Wolves had climbed into that three spot, they’d likely be staring at a first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets, a team that turned every Wolves game into a coin-flip knife fight this season.
Winnable? Sure.
Comfortable? Not even a little.
Instead, sitting at six, Minnesota is waiting on the outcome of one final domino:
If San Antonio decides to send Denver to the opposite side of the bracket and the Lakers beat the tanking Jazz, the Wolves win the prize of a banged-up, limping version of Los Angeles . It’s the kind of matchup that feels like finding a $20 bill in your winter coat.
If things break the other way, you get the Nikola Jokic Experience. Intimidating? Sure. But also a mountain that this Wolves team has conquered already.
As we sit here awaiting the final seeding, neither outcome feels like a death sentence. That alone tells you how far this franchise has come. Because for most of its history, “playoff matchup” was just a polite way of saying “scheduled elimination.”
Now? There’s a real, tangible belief that this team, when locked-in and playing at their peak, can beat anyone in a seven-game series.
Game 82
That brings us to Sunday night against New Orleans, where we are almost certainly going to see a Wolves lineup that looks more like a preseason scrimmage than a playoff dress rehearsal.
No Rudy Gobert, because risking a flagrant foul suspension (or any injury, frankly) in a meaningless game would be malpractice. Probably limited (or no) Julius Randle, because his workload has been heavy and his importance is too high. Perhaps a cautious ramp-up for Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, not to win this game, but to find their rhythm again.
And a whole lot of Kyle Anderson bringing the ball up the floor while Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, and Joan Beringer try to turn this into their personal audition tape. Which, honestly, might be the most interesting part of the night.
Keys to the Game
1. Don’t Be Heroes — Be Healthy
This is the easiest key to write and the most important one to follow.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, that happens in this game is worth jeopardizing the health of your core. No extended minutes. No unnecessary contact. No “let’s just see how it looks.”
This isn’t about rhythm anymore. This is about preservation.
Because if the Wolves walk into Round 1 at full strength, they have a puncher’s chance against anyone. If they don’t? None of this matters.
2. Give Shannon Jr. the Full Runway
If there’s one subplot that’s quietly emerged over these last couple of games, it’s the Terrence Shannon Jr. experience. After missing time early and struggling to carve out a consistent role, Shannon has started to flash the exact thing that got people excited in the first place: that downhill, attack-mode energy.
If the coaching staff is going to treat this like a hybrid scrimmage, then lean into it. Let Shannon cook. Let him make mistakes. Let him handle the ball, attack the rim, take shots he might not normally get. Because the only way to find out if someone can contribute in a playoff moment is to give them real, meaningful reps beforehand.
Right now, Shannon looks like a guy who might have something.
3. Keep the Defensive Habits Intact
Even with a patchwork lineup, the identity can’t disappear. This team, at its best, wins with defense. Rotations. Communication. Physicality. Those habits don’t magically reappear because the playoffs start. They’re built, or maintained, in games like this. So even if the personnel changes, the principles can’t.
4. Stay Connected Offensively
This is where things can go sideways in these types of games. You get young guys pressing. Bench players hunting shots. The offense devolves into five separate agendas. Just because this game has no consequences in the standings, doesn’t mean the coaching staff should allow the offense to devolve. Ball movement still matters. Spacing still matters. Playing together still matters.
5. End on a Note That Feels Like Momentum
No banners are being raised for beating the Pelicans in Game 82.
But confidence matters.
And after a stretch where things felt like they were wobbling, these last couple of games have quietly started to stabilize things. The loss against Orlando still had silver linings for players like Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and TSJ. Beating Houston short-handed and taking the season series from at least one Western Conference contender held some psychological weight.
You don’t want to walk into the playoffs feeling like you’re searching. You want to walk in feeling like you’ve found something.
Even if it’s small.
This Was Always About What Comes Next
Eighty-two games later, here’s the truth: This season was never going to be judged by what happened in January. Or February. Or even this week.
It was always going to come down to what happens next.
The Wolves have taken the long road to get here, a road filled with flashes of brilliance, stretches of frustration, and just enough inconsistency to leave you wondering what this team really is.
Now we find out.
Because the regular season, for all its noise and unpredictability and what-ifs, is just the prologue. The real story starts next week.
For two years in a row, this team has walked off the floor in May, a step away from being able to compete for a championship. When you come up short like that, there’s only one thing that matters: getting back there and proving you belong when you do.
The past 82 games have been the necessary grind these Timberwolves have endured to earn their place to compete.
Now comes the part where you justify it.
This is where the possessions get heavier. Where every mistake lingers a little longer. Where the margin for error shrinks and the truth about your team, not the version you sell yourself in November, not the one that shows up for a random Tuesday in February, but the real version, the one that can survive four rounds of playoff basketball, finally reveals itself.
This is where stars become superstars, or don’t. Where role players either carve out their place in a series or fade into the background. Where habits, good and bad, stop being trends and start being outcomes.
And for Minnesota, this is where all the contradictions of this season have to reconcile.
The nights where they looked like a defensive juggernaut. The nights where they couldn’t get out of their own way. The moments where they imposed their will. The stretches where they let go of the rope.
All of it comes to a head now.
Because the luxury of inconsistency is gone. The ability to “figure it out later” has expired. There is no later.
There’s only this.
Four rounds. Sixteen wins. No shortcuts.
And somewhere in there, the answer to the only question that’s really mattered all along: Are these Timberwolves just a really good team…
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 11: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the 6th inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael Wacha saw Kris Bubic’s seven-shutout-inning performance and decided to try to one-up him. Wacha knew he couldn’t get the same strikeouts, but he could go even deeper into the game. In the end, Wacha was able to go eight shutout innings, striking out seven, walking only one, and allowing only four hits. The White Sox had only three at-bats with a runner in scoring position all day. No runner ever made it past second base.
As you can see in the above graphic, Michael Wacha did all of that on only 88 pitches. He threw 63 strikes – almost 3/4 of his pitches – in part because the White Sox were just swinging at every dang thing, and missing plenty often. Personally, I would have liked to see him pitch the second Maddux of the season (when someone pitches a 9+-inning, complete game shutout in under 100 pitches). But it’s reasonable that Matt Quatraro decided to go to the team’s closer, instead. Erceg had a clean ninth with a strikeout to earn his fifth save of the season.
The Royals’ offense struggled once again. At first, it seemed like they might get something going when Maikel Garcia reminded us he was related to Alcides Escobar in the first inning.
The Royals only got three more hits and a walk the rest of the day, but they added on in the bottom of the eighth. Garcia, leading off the inning again, smacked a double down the third base line and into the corner. Bobby Witt Jr. lofted a flyball deep enough to right to advance Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino went the other way to left field deep enough to easily bring the insurance run home.
You’d like to see the Royals’ offense wake up, especially because the White Sox’s pitching is not considered to be particularly good, but not panicking and manufacturing a run like that is a really good sign that the hitters are still in the mindset they need to be in. Coming into today, the Royals had the fifth-highest hard-hit rate in baseball. I’ll keep promising an imminent offensive explosion until it happens or those kinds of stats change.
The Royals have guaranteed a series split with the White Sox and have a chance to win the game with another afternoon contest, tomorrow. Noah Cameron (1.69 ERA, 3.69 SIERA) will pitch for the Royals. The White Sox have not yet announced their starter, and I can’t even find any guesses as to who it might be. The game will start at 1:10 KC time, be broadcast on Royals.TV, and will feature the new Royals City Connect uniforms for the third straight game. They’ve won every game they’ve played in them; let’s hope they don’t break that streak.
The Los Angeles Kings (34-26-19) shutout the Edmonton Oilers (40-30-10) 1-0 on Saturday afternoon to win their final home game of the season. Los Angeles continues to climb the standings and now has a great chance to move into the top three in the Pacific Division.
Strong defensive effort from the Kings, led by Anton Forsberg, gave Los Angeles their best home win of the year against the Oilers.
The opening period gave us the playoff intensity we expected, with both teams fighting for playoff seeding in the Pacific Division. Through nine minutes, it was a very scrappy game, with Los Angeles getting off three shots, while Edmonton getting just two shots up.
Los Angeles amped up its defensive intensity to start and was great at forechecking, forcing turnovers, applying pressure to Edmonton, creating scoring opportunities, and getting physical with the Oilers.
It was at the 12:26 mark when Artemi Panarin forced a turnover and got off to the races alone at the breakaway, scoring the goal, beating Connor Ingram to give LA the early advantage.
LAK Goal - Bread is on the menu!
Panarin with a steal at the defensive blue line, goes in on a breakaway and buries top shelf! 1-0 Kings.
The biggest game that Panarin has played so far has been with Los Angeles, and he's already making big plays on the defensive end and continuing his strong play on offense.
We saw a lot of physicality between the two heated rivals, with Drew Doughty and Connor McDavid getting tangled up and pushing the goal line out of the crease, resulting in roughing penalties for both players.
We knew this would be the intensity as both teams always bring that physicality against each other, especially near playoff time.
The Oilers had a chance to tie the game a few minutes later with a loose puck, but Cody Ceci came up with the unreal defensive stop, diving behind Anton Forsberg to whack the loose puck out of the crease, keeping the Kings on top 1-0.
Turnovers and struggles to get easy shots up were costly for Edmonton in the first period, as LA did a great job setting the tone in their final home game of the season.
Forbserg was once again great in the opening period, saving all 9 shots that the Oilers threw at him, bringing that defensive intensity under the crease for Los Angeles and continuing to show why he should be the starter moving forward into the postseason.
Los Angeles was also great in the faceoff, winning 61.1%, while the Oilers won 38.9% in the first period. All this was setting up an intense second period that the Kings have struggled in all season long.
We entered the second period with the Oilers going on the power play after an offensive interference was called on Brandt Clarke. Forsberg did a good job, continuing his excellent play on defense, denying Edmonton on nearly three shots that almost went in.
The early sequences of the second period were the same as the opening frame: both teams struggled to get shots on goal and couldn't capitalize on second-chance opportunities.
LA was doing a good job creating open shots, but kept shooting the puck wide to the right, preventing the Oilers from capitalizing on their poor shots. The rest of the period would go exactly that way, neither team able to score, and the Oilers, especially, playing with no urgency or physicality.
It’s been a mediocre effort by the #Oilers so far. They need more urgency, more physicality and more pucks to the net in the 3rd. Forsberg has been good but there needs to be more traffic. He likes to challenge shooters so a pass for a back door goal looks to be the best bet.
Give credit to Forsberg for the defense and to the rest of the players for making it tough for Edmonton to score. In the first 40 minutes, neither team shot on goal in double digits, with all shots single-digit.
It was smash-out physical hockey being played out there, with intense defense, and the Kings, recognizing their playoff lives were on the line, were playing with more urgency and physicality than the Oilers.
Edmonton outshot the Kings 7-6, but still couldn't get anything going on the offensive side of things. Everything was so tough for the Oilers, who had to work hard on every possession just to get a shot on goal.
What was working well for the Kings was that they were not letting Edmonton get into transition or get any rush plays down the ice, while Los Angeles was forcing careless turnovers from the Oilers, who couldn't control the puck.
The third period was the same again: Edmonton kept turning the puck over, forcing several opportunities for the Kings to get off a shot, but couldn't convert. Even with LA leading, the lead never felt safe because it was just a one-goal cushion.
The Oilers did have the puck more in the third period, but the Kings did a good job keeping it (mostly to the outside). Forbserg, once again in the final frame, was clutch.
The game never felt like it was in the Kings' favor; despite their incredible defensive effort, they couldn't extend their one-goal lead.
Still, Los Angeles was frustrating Edmonton and Connor McDavid, which was helping the Kings in that advantage in the game.
Los Angeles had an empty net for nearly a minute, but couldn't get the puck out of the Oilers' possession. Despite Edmonton holding the puck for the entire game, the Kings were very strong on defense, not letting the Oilers tie it, and the game ended with LA shutting out Edmonton.
FINAL - Kings 1, Oilers 0!
Anton Forsberg with a 28-save shutout to move Los Angeles within two wins of clinching a playoff berth.
Anton Forsberg was the big hero of this game, recording his third shutout of the season and saving 27 shots against the Oilers, definitely saving the Kings, who couldn't get anything going on offense after their first-period goal. Without Forbserg, Los Angeles wouldn't have had a chance to win this game.
Panarin scored the lone goal in the first period, which was huge, considering neither team was able to score the rest of the way. No one else was really present on offense, but the defense stepped up in this win, showing what kind of difference the Kings' defense can be.
Great win, especially on the day that Anze Kopitar will be playing the last home game of his career. With this win now, Los Angeles secures its 87th point and is now two points back of Anaheim and Vegas for the second seed and three points ahead of Nashville for the final playoff spot.
The Kings will play their final three games of the season on the road, starting on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks at 6:30 PM PT.
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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 11: Pierre-Luc Dubois #80 of the Washington Capitals skates with the puck against Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Penguins went into full coast mode after clinching a playoff berth and their place as second seed in the division by resting several players. All of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Ben Kindel and Parker Witherspoon were held out with “day-to-day injuries” in the meaningless game.
The skeleton crew that did play only managed 12 shots on goal and dropped a 6-3 game to the Washington Capitals. Enjoy some of the highlights of the game.
