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Warriors' defense adjusting to next steps in NBA's pace and space evolution

Warriors' defense adjusting to next steps in NBA's pace and space evolution originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – From what he’s seeing on the Warriors’ sidelines to reviewing film, the game Warriors coach Steve Kerr is watching isn’t close to what the NBA was 10 years ago. Not even five. 

What it looked like when he won all those championships as a player in the 1990s, and his final season in 2003, was closer to silent films than the product seen in the Warriors’ two straight losses to short-handed teams. 

The Milwaukee Bucks announced an hour ahead of tipoff that Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out Thursday night after being probable on the injury report all day. On top of Tyrese Haliburton being out for the season from his torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers didn’t have a win and they didn’t have Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell on Saturday. But both teams raced right by the Warriors.

Ryan Rollins, their own former second-round draft pick, did for a career-high 32 points, eight assists and one turnover. Quenton Jackson, a 27-year-old former undrafted point guard on a two-way contract, did for 25 points and 10 assists – both career highs – without turning the ball over once. 

“The pace of the game is off the charts these days. It’s been getting faster and faster, year after year,” Kerr said Monday at Chase Center after Warriors practice. “But I even think it’s taken a leap this year, just in terms of style of play. And this is how it works in basketball and technology and everything else, right? The game is constantly changing. So to me, what I’m seeing is teams are spreading it out, playing as fast as possible, making it difficult to get to your coverages defensively. 

“The faster the actions, the more difficult it is for the defense to respond, and I thought the pace of the Milwaukee and Indiana games exposed some things that we were doing defensively, and we’ve got to improve those things to get better.” 

Principles of the game haven’t changed. The goal defensively still is to keep your man in front of you and avoid penetration. If a defender can stay between his man and the ball, it’s the same game that it’s always been. But the game is being played so differently with the pace and the space and the 3-point shot, that staying true to those principles has become a much more difficult proposition.

How speedy players like Rollins and Jackson scored their points is case in point. Rollins in his 32-point outing finished six layups, made five threes and two jumpers. Outside of two free throws, Jackson’s other 23 points came from five layups and one dunk, three catch-and-shoot threes and a two-pointer from seven feet out after beating Draymond Green to the spot. 

The Warriors rank 12th in defensive rating (112.7) through seven games entering Tuesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns, and 12th in opponents points per game (115.7). Opponents also are getting what they want and shooting 48.2 percent against the Warriors’ defense. Only six teams are letting teams shoot better from the field. 

Kerr’s assessment of his team’s defense as it currently stands is a bit of a mixed bag. 

“A little bit betwixt in between,” Kerr said. “I think because of all this pace and the way teams are playing, you have to adapt and you can’t expect to do the exact same things you did even the year before. And every game is a little bit different. 

“Clippers, Lakers, Denver, those felt more like traditional games where you’re in your coverage. You have time to talk through stuff. Portland, Milwaukee, Indiana, Memphis, it’s a much faster game, more random and you’ve got to be very disciplined in a lot of different aspects, otherwise you get exposed.” 

Portland, Milwaukee and Indiana were all Golden State losses. Memphis, which ranks seventh in pace, was a win, but the Grizzlies had eight more fastbreak points than the Warriors, and just as many points in the paint (48). The Blazers rank third in pace, and the Bucks and Pacers are less than a point outside of the top 10. Right behind the both of them are the Suns, the next team on the Warriors’ schedule. 

“Another team that plays fast and aggressive,” Moses Moody said of the Suns. “They got talent in different areas on the floor. Just another young and fast team.” 

The center position in particular has seen major changes offensively and defensively in a game that emphasizes speed and threes. Quinten Post started at center for the Warriors in their loss against the Bucks and only played 10 minutes, yet Gary Trent Jr. attempted three 3-pointers on him in 36 seconds and missed all three. Centers Donovan Clingan and Jock Landale have each taken two threes on Post earlier this season and made three of four. 

Post this season has seen small forward Kawhi Leonard take five shots on him in 56 seconds, making one, and point guard Jrue Holiday go 1 of 4 when guarded by the 7-footer over 39 seconds. The responsibilities for big men, too, aren’t what they used to be. 

“Now on the defensive end it’s more than just rim protection, guarding the pick and roll. If teams play this fast and this chaotic in a way, you kind of have to adapt too on the defensive end,” Post says. “For me, on a personal level, it means guarding inside and on the outside. As a team, it’s just a lot more chaos out there, and I think the biggest thing for us is whatever we do defensively, we just got to do it with 100 percent effort.”

But the Warriors still have the ultimate executioner of offenses. Even at 35 years old and with his beard being overtaken by gray hairs, Green is the difference in how the Warriors’ defense operates. The Warriors’ defense shuts down offenses to 105.7 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court. 

That number skyrockets to 124.3 points per 100 possessions when Green, who has played in all seven games, is not on the court. 

“Draymond is the best in the world at covering for his teammates, creating deception for the offensive player, which just makes him hesitate for a second,” Kerr said. “He’s amazing with that stuff. So when he’s not out there, we better be rock solid with our discipline and principles that we have to follow in order to make teams have to work.” 

At the root of it, the problems begin with better communication. So much is happening on the fly that one false step can be all the difference. 

“Some of it is we’ve just got to get on the same page,” Moody says. “We have different terminology, different principles that are changing with the change of the game. Everybody just has to be on the same page and communicate. … If we’re switching one through five, it might not have the same principles that if you’re switching a guard-to-guard screen in a regular situation. If we’re switching all game, it’s small details like that to where we just got to get on the same page.”

Disregarding small details is how losses to lesser, undermanned teams happen. The Warriors haven’t lost three straight regular season games since Dec. 27, 2024, six weeks before acquiring Jimmy Butler. Getting back on the same page defensively while constantly adapting to the game’s changes is how the Warriors can keep that streak alive and put an end to their first losing streak of the season.

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Observations from Blues' 3-2 Win Vs. Oilers

ST. LOUIS – Boy, did they need that.

It looked ominous, like a franchise-tying eighth consecutive defeat, but the St. Louis Blues showed some resolve, got a little puck luck, some clutch goaltending from Jordan Binnington, a first NHL goal and a victory for the first time in 16 days.

Pius Suter’s go-ahead goal with 1:23 remaining in regulation capped off a two-goal rally by the Blues, who ended a seven-game losing skid with a 3-2 win against the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers at Enterprise Center on Monday.

Dalibor Dvorsky scored his first goal in the NHL in his fifth game, Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist in his return after missing four games with an upper-body injury, and Binnington stopped 24 shots for the Blues (4-7-2), who were 0-5-2 their past seven games.

“We needed it, but I think we’re a process-oriented team,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “We believer that if the things that we believe, we have to be good at, whether it’s habits or details or certain parts of our process of the game, winning net front battles. And then the results that come from that is Grade A chances and then game management was really good tonight. And that belief leads to good results. For me, this was the third good hockey game in a row that we’ve played, and if we keep playing like this, we’re going to in a lot of hockey games.”

They were finally able to shed the gorilla on their backs despite Connor McDavid becoming the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach 1,100 points with two assists. McDavid only trails Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy in that department.

Let’s look at Monday’s game observations:

* Congratulations to Dvorsky, and his goal was clutch – It was definitely coming, and we predicted it here that Dvorsky’s first one was on the cusp.

Down 2-0 on goals by Jack Roslovic (PPG) and Andrew Mangiapane, the Blues didn’t cower down and go away.

They got a late power-play in the second period when McDavid upended Colton Parayko, and Dvorsky made them pay.

His one-timer from the right circle when Justin Faulk put it on a platter for him has been on display the first couple games, but this one found the bar and down short side on Calvin Pickard at 16:08:

“Obviously it was awesome,” Dvorsky said. “Nothing else to say. Great pass from Faulk there. Just tried to shoot it and I'm happy it went in.

“To be honest, I wouldn't care if I kicked the puck in or shoot it. The first goal is the first goal. I'm happy it went in this way, but whatever, first goal, doesn't matter how I scored.”

What it did was bring a bit of a lifeless crowd into the game needing – and looking – for something to happen. They got it, and the Blues channeled their energy and momentum in the right direction because Thomas would tie the game 2-2 at 18:38.

“That’s a massive goal for us,” Thomas said. “You see the way we just kept on rolling after that goal. Some you need a big power play. That was a wicked shot. Definitely should get a lot of credit for really changing the tide of the game.”

The Blues weren’t necessarily playing bad, but they were victims of an unfortunate Oskar Sundqvist holding penalty late in the first period that the Oilers turned into a power-play goal by Roslovic eight seconds later at 18:38, and then after a Parayko shot was blocked at the blue line, a fortuitous carom into the neutral zone led to a 4-on-2 odd-man rush where Mangiapane made it 2-0 at 2:27 of the second period.

The Blues, once again, were missing some high Grade A scoring opportunities, and they had three in succession prior to Mangiapane’s goal from Suter, Brayden Schenn and Philip Broberg but couldn’t convert.

“On the bench, I felt we were pretty confident,” Montgomery said. ‘Yeah, we’re down 2-0 and yeah, they’ve made some high-end plays, but we had three odd-man rushes before they scored the goal to make it 2-0. So that gave us a lot of positive talk on the bench and then the power play came through.

“Great job by the kid cranking it home. What a shot. You get your first goal, that’s one you want to talk about. I went bar down on a one-timer. Pretty cool.”

Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud were bookend flanks on power-play unit No. 1. Get used to seeing it now and into the future, because these two have tremendous shots and they’re not afraid to use them.

“Coaches, all the guys (preach shoot) as well,” Dvorsky said. “When I have the opportunity to shoot, I should do it. It was probably a good thing I shot that puck.

“We played a great team game, so I felt like our overall team game kind of got the fans going. I just try to do my best every time I’m out on the ice. I get so much help from my teammates here. I love being here and playing here.”

* Puck luck – The Blues received some good puck luck on Thomas’ tying goal when he finished off a play from a sharp angle that hit the near post, off Pickard’s stick and his body and back into the net to tie the game 2-2:

Good, solid shifts following the Dvorsky goal led up to the goal and momentum scoring twice late in the second.

“A little lucky, off the post, off the goalie and in,” Thomas said. “We’ll take it. … Sometimes you get those bounces and that was a big one.

“Even their second goal, we come out that period, we’re playing well, we have a ton of chances, they block a shot and end up with a 4-on-2 and they’re able to score and we just keep going right back at them. For me to jump in the lineup and have the guys playing like that, have that mentality, it wasn’t too hard for me.”

* Suter right place, right time again – The Blues didn’t have a ton going in the third period but defended pretty well.

They had just three shots on goal until Suter made it 3-2, but Suter and Schenn each had another glorious scoring chance early to give the Blues a lead.

So it’s only fitting that Suter, who Montgomery had stated previously is always in the right spots on the ice, worked himself back into the play after Schenn found Parayko for a one-time shot from the blue line that Suter corralled and deposited past Pickard with Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard lurking nearby:

“I’m seeing him teeing it up,” Suter said of Parayko. “He’s got a hard shot. I saw a guy I think trying to block it, so kind of was in the way of both sides. I just stayed there and hopefully the bounce and the rebound goes there.

“I’m just kind of trying to be around where I was before. Both sides of the puck. Some guys are faster, so you’ve just got to be in a good position.”

And he was again, and Montgomery explains why.

“He knows where he scores goals from the hash marks down to the goal line and he finds his way there,” Montgomery said. ‘He has impeccable timing. When you’re his size, you can’t plant yourself in front of the net like a Jake Neighbours or like a [Alexey] Toropchenko can. You have to get there when the puck’s arriving. That’s what happened on the game-winning goal. It was a real good shift by that line, who I thought was a really good against the [Leon] Draisaitl line tonight. They got that game-winning goal, which was huge for us.”

* Thomas return important – It’s no secret that the Blues missed their No. 1 center, for obvious reasons. But not only does Thomas add scoring for the Blues, he also draws the top assignments – like he did against McDavid on Monday – and takes many of the important draws.

“Obviously massive,” Suter said. “He’s such a good player. Top speed, confidence, holds on to pucks. He just gets us going.”

There’s just certain parts of the game Thomas touches that other skaters on this squad can’t, and it was obvious from the opening puck drop.

“Well, the puck possession would be one,” Montgomery said. ‘The offense that he generated tonight, that line was really good. But the important thing was I was matching him up against McDavid and for the most part, they hit a knob on a 4-on-2 and that’s the only goal they gave up. Went the other way 4-on-2 and they made a bang-bang play. Theirs went in, ours hit a knob, and that’s why I like the resolve (and) resilience that we had after that. When you’re talking about Thomas, when you lose your No. 1 center and you get him back, you see the difference. Talk about people being deployed; he played 19 minutes, our second-line center played about 17, Dvorsky played about 15 and our fourth-line played about 12. That’s good balance.”

Thomas and linemates Snuggerud and Pavel Buchnevich held McDavid without a shot on goal for just the 28th time in his 726 regular-season game career.

“’Pary’ does a great job,” Thomas said of Parayko. “It’s hard. He’s got a ton of speed. It’s impossible to really contain him. We’ve got one of the best shutdown D’s in the league and he always steps up and is big in these games.”

* Broberg accepts challenge – Montgomery said this of containing McDavid despite the two assists.

“I thought that we were very aware when he was on the ice,” Montgomery said. “We didn’t really shut him down; he had two assists. He’s kind of like Michael Jordan, you keep him under 30 and you’re happy, right? But that’s what generational players do. I thought that we were able to negate his speed at our blue line by our up-ice awareness of marking him up.”

But when McDavid was able to gain the zone – as he often does with his speed element – it seemed as if Broberg was there waiting for the challenge, either killing a play, standing up to the talented Oilers center or just neutralizing him and not giving him the time and space.

“I thought that this morning Broberg was looking for that challenge because we showed a lot of clips obviously of him and Draisaitl,” Montgomery said. ‘We have an acronym MDM, most dangerous man, and I added a ‘W’ for [McDavid] because he’s the most dangerous man in the world in our sport, and when I looked up and I said it, ‘Broby’ was like really intense, like looking forward to the challenge intense, which is what you want from your players.”

Broberg finished with an assist, a plus-1 rating in 21:38 with three shots on goal, two takeaways (both on McDavid) and two blocked shots playing alongside Parayko.

“It’s an element (a shutdown role) that we’ve talked to him about starting this year,” Montgomery said of Broberg. “He’s on the first PK. That goes hand-in-hand with that kind of shutdown role. Now that he’s with Parayko, I don’t know if it stays that way, but that’s a good pairing right now and I like the pairing of [Cam] Fowler and [Justin] Faulk the way they’ve been moving the puck, but we’ll see how the pairs continue to evolve here. But I guarantee you Broberg and Parayko will be playing together in Washington (Wednesday).”

* Binnington’s key, timely saves – It’s no secret that looking at the numbers, they haven’t been good for Binnington and Joel Hofer.

But on Monday, Binnington followed up Hofer’s strong start Saturday in Columbus and did what was needed of him to give the Blues a chance: make those saves in key moments.

There was a sequence where Binnington made consecutive stops, one with the blocker on Vasily Podkolzin at 7:33 of the second, then Noah Philp from the right circle three seconds later before finishing a sequence of saves off at 8:10 on Mangiapane from the slot. If any one of those get in, it’s 3-0 and likely game over.

“Those two saves after it went 2-0 were huge,” Montgomery said. ‘It really elevated our bench. A lot of people on the bench, a lot of players, I remember someone saying, ‘Binner’s fighting for us.’ That’s what he does. He gives you the confidence that you’re never out of a game because of the competitive spirit he has in the crease.”

“He had some big saves,” Thomas said. “There was one on Mangiapane right in the slot. Those are saves that make a huge impact on the game and that’s what we’re used to from ‘Binner.’”

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Antetokounmpo beats buzzer as Bucks edge out Pacers

Giannis Antetokounmpo in action for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Indiana Pacers
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the NBA's MVP in 2019 and 2020 [Getty Images]

Giannis Antetokounmpo beat the buzzer to give the Milwaukee Bucks a dramatic 117-115 victory over Indiana Pacers in the NBA.

With the scores level heading into the final few seconds of the Central Division game, the 30-year-old pivoted to avoid a double block before he floated in a jumper.

It was the fifth occasion the Greek-Nigerian has produced a game-winning shot in the last five seconds of a game, and the second buzzer-beater of his career.

"You can live if you miss. You cannot live if you don't shoot it," said Antetokounmpo, who scored a game-high 33 points.

"People don't remember the time you miss, they remember all the times you make, so I'm happy about that."

Meanwhile, Jusuf Nurkic scored with 0.6 seconds of play left to give Utah Jazz a late win over of their own as they clinched a 105-103 victory over the Boston Celtics in the Northwest Division.

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Lack Of Execution Sinks Blackhawks As Kraken Top Them 3-1

The Chicago Blackhawks won their first-ever game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena, but they are now 0-5-1 since.

This comes after a defeat on Monday night. This was Chicago's third straight loss, which is also an 0-2-1 start to the longest road trip of the season. Following a strong start to the new year, this trip is sinking them a little bit. 

The first period was scoreless, but the Kraken got out to a 2-0 lead in the middle frame, which would last all the way through the second intermission. 

In the third period, the Blackhawks finally got on the board to make it a game. Connor Bedard's effort and speed were on full display, as he made a strong chip play along the wall to find Andre Burakovsky, who was all alone in front for the shot, and he didn't miss. 

Burakovsky's marker made it three straight games with a goal. It also extended Bedard's point streak to five games, and he has nine points in those five games. 

From there, the Blackhawks continued to have their chances, but a Frank Nazar mishap in the neutral zone led to a two-on-one for Seattle. On this play, Jordan Eberle didn't miss his chance to put the Hawks away for the night. The 3-1 score stood as the final, despite two attempts at a goalie goal for Joey Daccord, who made 29 saves on 30 shots. 

Arvid Soderblom did his job in this game. As the backup, he doesn't get the chance to get in any kind of rhythm, he just has to be ready when his name is called. He made 21 saves on 24 shots, but you can't win when you only score one goal. 

B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XB/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XDaccord tried to go for a goalie goal TWICE at the end 😭😭

Lack Of Execution

The Blackhawks had the shot advantage in this game, outshooting Seattle 30-24. Things evened up slightly in the third period, as the Blackhawks were leading that category 24-15 after two periods. 

A lack of execution sunk the Blackhawks. Not only did they outshoot them, but they also outpossessed them. Seattle found a way to continue blocking shots and getting sticks in the lanes, but the Blackhawks were not able to adjust at any point. 

The Blackhawks also had a major issue with missing the net. Although Daccord saw 30 shots, not many of them were of the grade-A variety, and it should have been a lot more based on the possession advantage that the Blackhawks had. 

Going forward, they'd be better served making sure that they are smarter with their shot selection, especially if they have the puck as often as they did. Perimeter chances are not usually going to work out well in the NHL. Goalies are too good. 

Oliver Moore

Oliver Moore made his NHL season debut after nine games to start the year in the AHL. In the first period, Moore was Chicago's best skater. Even throughout the rest of the game, his speed was noticeable as he attempted to create chances. 

Moore's role will expand once he gets increased NHL time. He wasn't on the penalty kill, despite being an outstanding penalty-kill player. The Rockford IceHogs run a different PK system, and Jeff Blashill wants to get him in a practice to learn his system before he throws him to the wolves.

The speed that Moore possesses is going to be mentioned on a loop for a long time. It's his number one asset for everything he does on the ice. It won't take long before he starts impacting the scoresheet with regularity. The chances in his first NHL game of the season were an indicator of what's to come. 

Watch The Blackhawks Goal

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XAndre Burakovsky has goals in three straight games🔥

Next Up For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are halfway done with the longest road trip of the season. Next up is a trip to Connor Bedard's home town where they will face the Vancouver Canucks for the second time this season. That will take place in British Columbia on Wednesday night. 

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Knicks, Mike Brown still learning, but showing bits of evidence that new process is working

Jalen Brunson almost never uses excuses.

Let’s say the Knicks lose on the second night of a home-road back-to-back. Some players in this scenario may talk about the challenge of a quick turnaround or a late flight. Not Brunson.

Maybe the Knicks are down one or two rotation players and lose to a quality opponent. It would be completely understandable if a player told the media that injuries to key players impacted the game. Not Brunson.

He’d probably say the Knicks should have played better and could have won the game.

So it was noteworthy last week in Milwaukee when Brunson said the Knicks need some time to get used to one another.

"We're still learning; everything is brand new for us. We’re not gonna use that excuse for a long time. But these first couple weeks, it’s still fresh for us," the Knick captain said last week. "But no matter what, we know what we gotta go out there and do and we gotta do that to the best of our abilities."

If Brunson says the Knicks need some time to get accustomed to a new head coach and new system, you probably should give him the benefit of the doubt.

It’s fair – and logical – to hold the 2025-26 Knicks to high standards. They are coming off of their first conference finals appearance in 25 seasons. They have a unique window this season to make a run to the NBA Finals. Two stars on rival teams (Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton) are out for a significant portion of the season.

So this team should be heavily scrutinized. That’s what happens when you have championship expectations. That’s what happens when you make a coaching change after one of the most successful seasons in the past 30 years.

But in the opening weeks of this season, things are going to look disjointed. Players are getting used to each other and their head coach. The head coach is getting used to his players.

But you can see bits of evidence that the process is working.

Mike Brown himself said he didn’t help the Knicks’ reserves earlier in the season because his substitutions were "all over the map."

In the past two games, Brown feels like he’s found consistency with substitutions and lineups.

Maybe it’s no coincidence that Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson have had the best games of their seasons in the past two nights.

Brown has talked openly about his own coaching performance. He’s held his players accountable and held himself accountable.

"We just have to keep learning on the fly, starting with me. I’ve got to keep trying to get better quicker," Brown said late last week.

It seems like the players appreciate Brown’s sentiment. Hart was asked after Monday’s game about Brown getting more settled with his substitutions/rotations in the past two games.

"Mike's new. We’re all getting accustomed and acclimated to everybody so you definitely feel that a little bit," he said. "And the great thing about Mike, he’s an amazing person, first and foremost. He always has an open door. If you don't understand something that’s going on, you can always go talk to him. So obviously this is a process. Everybody wants it built now but it won’t be. And we’re all learning, including him."

Brown hasn’t been shy about holding players – including the top players on the roster – accountable when he feels they don’t play well. He’s been vocal about that in the locker room during and after games, challenging players to improve their performance, per people familiar with the matter.

But he's also been upfront about the challenges he and the Knicks face early this season.

“We all have to be better. Start with me. And we will be better,” Brown was saying before Sunday’s game.

The Knicks have looked much better since Brown made that statement. The offense has been strong the last two games. Maybe that continues on Wednesday against Minnesota. Maybe it doesn’t. Either way, this Knicks team – and its new head coach – will take some time to get fully in synch.

"This is a process. We’ve had a lot of guys that have been out, hadn’t practiced and it starts with me," Brown said late Monday. "I said this last game, I gotta help put these guys in a better position. Whether it’s on the floor or whatever, rotation-wise, but I didn’t quite have as good a feel (earlier in the season) because guys had been out. Trying to play this guy, that guy. It starts with me; I have gotten better and they've just gotten more comfortable."

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Dent scores 21 points in his UCLA debut, helping the No. 12 Bruins beat Eastern Washington

Senior guard Donovan Dent had 21 points and nine assists in his UCLA debut to lead the No. 12 Bruins to an 80-74 victory over Eastern Washington in a season opener Monday night. Tyler Bilodeau scored 19 points for the Bruins, who opened a 15-point lead midway through the second half before the Eagles of the Big Sky Conference made it close in the final minutes. Dent, a heralded transfer from New Mexico, had a memorable performance in his Southern California homecoming.

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No. 8 BYU beats Villanova 71-66 and spoils the debut of new Wildcats coach Kevin Willard

Freshman AJ Dybantsa had 21 points and six rebounds and eighth-ranked BYU defeated Villanova 71-66 Monday night in the Hall of Fame Series and season-opener for both teams. Richie Saunders added 15 points and seven rebounds and Robert Wright III scored 14 points for the Cougars, who spoiled the regular-season debut of new Villanova coach Kevin Willard. The victory extended BYU’s regular-season win streak to nine games, its longest since 2019-20.

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Takeaways: Nashville Predators fall in final seconds of overtime to Vancouver Canucks

The Nashville Predators' comeback effort fell short in Monday's matchup against the Vancouver Canucks as Brock Boeser scored with two seconds left in overtime to give the Canucks a 5-4 win over the Predators. 

Filip Forsberg put the Predators up early in the first period off his sixth goal of the season. Nashville fell into a 3-1 hole in the second period, and Erik Haula scored on the power play to cut into the Canucks lead. 

Vancouver built its lead back up to two goals in the early third period, but conversions from Michael Bunting and on the power play, Nick Blankenburg, sent the game to overtime.

In overtime, Elias Petterson swatted the puck to Boeser in front of the net and he scored on a backhander to end the game. It was his second goal of the game. 

"It's too bad," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "I guess we're learning our lessons a little hard here. Factor (Ryan O'Reilly) did a great job winning a battle, and we kind of just let our foot off the gas.

"We got on the wrong side of stuff coming out of the corner, and that's why you play right to the buzzer." 

Here are three takeaways from the Predators loss to the Canucks 

Predators haunted by another overtime loss 

Nashville has won beyond regulation this season, which was a 5-4 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 25. However, it is 0-for-3 in games decided in a five-minute overtime. 

Against the Utah Mammoth, the Predators were dominated in the possession battle and saw Utah convert just under three minutes into extra time. Against the Canadiens, Cole Caufield stung Nashville twice at the buzzer, ending the game with three seconds left in extra time. 

"It obviously sucks to lose, if it's in the first second or last second," Forsberg said. "That's kind of what I have to say about that." 

Monday was another overtime, with the opponent dominating possession. Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes hung onto the puck for long periods of time and forced the Predators to chase them. 

"You get a guy like Quinn Hughes skating around. 
He's hard to get the puck off, now he has more room, and he's kind of raging it, and waiting and waiting," Brunette said. "It kind of gets into that kind of game a little bit." 

Nashville had one chance as Brady Skjei got a good look at the net. It was able to shove a few Canucks off the puck, but the Predators could not get a good rush going.

Unlike in the past, the Predators battled back to force overtime. They faced a two-goal deficit midway through the third period and got their offense going. It was an improvement, but not enough for the win. 

"These games, the margins are so tight," Brunette said. "Night in and night out and for us to succeed, we're going to have a lot of these games. 
The positive I take out is we're going through it and we'll get better for it." 

Power play flourished, penalty kill struggled 

Oct 23, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Cole Smith (36) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

On most nights, the Predators' power play is bad, and the penalty kill is elite. Coming into Monday's game, Nashville had a 12.5% (30th) power-play efficiency and an 88.4% (6th) penalty-killing efficiency. 

Against the Canucks, it was the power play that dominated and the penalty kill that sputtered. 

The Predators' power play converted on 2-of-4 opportunities, which included the game-tying goal. It's the first time this season the Predators have scored twice on the power play in a game and the first time since April. 10, they've scored more than once with the man advantage. 

"It's a big point for us being down two goals. It's never easy to come back in this league, and good resiliency by our group," Haula said. "It's nice that our power play was able to step up. We've been needing that." 

It's the boost the unit has needed all season, considering the power play is one of the worst in the league. 

"Obviously, the power play needs to be going for us, and, both units are contributing," Blankenburg said. "We've just gotta continue to build out and keep moving forward." 

On the flip side, the penalty kill successfully killed off only 1 of 3 penalties. Their successful kill, which was one of two penalties on Vancouver's 5-on-3 advantage, was followed by a Canucks goal six seconds later on the 5-on-4 power play. 

Nashville also gave up a power-play goal in the first period off a long one-timer shot from the point by Evander Kane. The lapse on special teams comes after the penalty killing unit debuted customized hoodies. 

Kane scored his second goal of the game in the third period, which was on a delayed Predators penalty. It won't be counted as a power-play goal allowed, but it's another situation where Vancouver had the man advantage and scored. 

Cole Smith's presence was missed as the Predators announced Sunday that the forward was week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He has played a significant role on the penalty kill. 

Saros had to make up for offensive shortcomings...again

Tampa Bay left wing Brandon Hagel (38) gets off a shot against Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros (74) during their game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. Saros made the save.  Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nashville struggled with getting the puck on net all night, while Vancouver had no issues getting shots on Juuse Saros. 

The Predators were outshot 36-29, had just four shots on net in the first period and barely eclipsed double figures in the second period. Nashville's offense is one of the lowest-scoring in the NHL, averaging 2.46 goals per game, ranking 30th. 

Meanwhile, this was the eighth game this season that Saros was tasked with making 30-plus saves.

Saros continues to lead the NHL in shots faced and saves made, now with 361 shots faced and 325 saves made. While Saros is proving that he is one of the best goalies in the league, the Predators continue to ask a lot of him in the early season. 

Everyone on the team, including Brunette, has praised Saros' efforts this season and stated how they need to play better in front of him. The hope is that Nashville doesn't exhaust him after the first month of the season. 

Up next: Nashville Predators at Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. CST 

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Penguins Suffer Epic Third-Period Collapse, Fall To Leafs, 4-3

The Pittsburgh Penguins played perhaps their most dominant period of season in their Monday evening tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

After a solid opening frame and carrying a 2-0 lead into first intermission on goals from Erik Karlsson (1) and rookie Ben Kindel (4), the Penguins absolutely dominated the Leafs in the second period. They outshot the Leafs, 16-3, and Kindel added a third tally on the power play. Everything was humming. The Leafs had just nine shots on goal after 40. The Penguins had complete control.

Then, an old, all-too-familiar version of the Penguins showed up in the third period. 

Heading into this game, the Penguins had not surrendered a third-period lead and were outscoring opponents, 20-9. They seemed to be an entirely different third-period team than the ones of the past three non-playoff years - when no lead was safe, and the final frame was always an adventure. 

Unfortunately, that's what happened. The Penguins' 3-0 lead in the third period was decimated in within the first seven minutes of the final frame - courtesy of an Auston Matthews breakaway goal and two subsequent goals by William Nylander, who returned to the lineup Monday after missing two games to injury - and the Leafs scored the back-breaker with a little more than six minutes to go in regulation when Bobby McCann put home a second-chance opportunity. 

For 40 minutes, this was just about as good a response game as the Penguins could have asked for after a tough loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. But they were harshly reminded that they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas and need to play a full 60, especially after outclassing what has been a perennial playoff team for the first two periods.

Penguins Get Buried Early, Snap Eight-Game Point StreakPenguins Get Buried Early, Snap Eight-Game Point StreakThe Pittsburgh Penguins couldn't beat the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

"We got away from it," head coach Dan Muse said after the game. "We felt the first two periods are the way we want to be playing. It has to be a full 60, though. We got away from it there.

"I think it was a number of different factors. I think when they took momentum there, we weren't able to at least pause the momentum. It kept coming, and then we're back on our heels, and we can't play the game that way. I mean, the things that were working there in the first two periods, they're things that can be sustainable. But we got away from them, and it can't happen."

Here are some thoughts and observations from this brutal loss:

- Let's start with some positives. And, wow, what a player Benjamin Kindel is.

It's not too early to start saying that this kid is a star. He's going to be exactly that. You simply don't see 18-year-old centers come up and dominate the way Kindel has so quickly at the NHL level, and he's doing it against elite competition in what is often the opposition's top-six. 

He did it again Monday. He fits in seamlessly on a power play with three surefire Hall-of-Famers. He's crashing the net. He's generating chances left and right and has consistently been the best player on the ice for the better part of the last three games. According to Moneypuck, his line controlled 95.5 percent of the expected goals share against the Leafs (and, by the way, Ville Koivunen was very good in this game, too).

95.5 percent. Let that sink in.

This guy is 18! I can't emphasize enough how this just doesn't happen. Kindel is a very, very special player, and he is now tied for the rookie lead in goals. 

Get hyped, Penguins' fans. This guy is going to be - and already is - a very, very good hockey player.

- Karlsson played another outstanding game. His first goal of the season was a rocket and a beauty, and it was well-earned.

He is now up to 11 points in his first 14 games. He continues to be a huge difference-maker for the Penguins.

- The Penguins' special teams are really something. The penalty kill has stymied 16 of the last 17 opposing power plays - and is now top-10 - and the power play is second in the league at 32.4 percent. 

If they can keep this up with special teams, it will help them win a lot of hockey games.

Can The Penguins Take Advantage Of A Weak Metropolitan Division?Can The Penguins Take Advantage Of A Weak Metropolitan Division?When projecting how everything would look one month into the 2025-26 NHL season, most people didn't have the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> as one of the league's top teams.&nbsp;

- Now, let's get to the bad. 

To be honest, I had nearly written an entire piece that was a glowing endorsement of this team. Let's just say that I had to scrap all of that and write something completely different.

I don't know what happened, to be honest. The Penguins had an absolute stranglehold on this game, and they just completely stopped playing for the first seven minutes of the third and let the Leafs walk right back in.

To the Leafs' credit, they did come out strong in the third. But this simply cannot happen. They lapsed entirely defensively. Matthews never should have gotten behind Ryan Shea and Kris Letang on the first goal. Jarry should not have allowed the second. The Penguins were outskated on the third and hemmed in their own zone. Owen Pickering was burned badly by McCann on the winning goal, and he couldn't recover or do anything to stop him - and neither could Harrison Brunicke at the net front.

The third period was nothing short of a disaster, and it happened so quickly. It's something the Penguins can learn from, but we've seen this movie many, many times before.

- Speaking of Pickering and Brunicke, that last goal really was a shame because I thought they were pretty solid for most of the evening. Brunicke - playing in his ninth NHL game, which is the final one before his entry-level contract would kick in at the 10th, should he stay - was especially solid in the first 40 minutes, and this was good to see after a rough outing in Winnipeg.

But, unfortunately, Brunicke needed to stand out in a good way in this game, since he is now at that 10-game mark, where the Penguins need to make a decision on him. I do think the fourth goal was mostly on Pickering, and I think it's hard to single Brunicke or Pickering out when the entire team fell apart in the third - and when it probably wouldn't have mattered who was on the ice because the Leafs tying it felt inevitable.

What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?On Thursday, it was confirmed by <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' head coach Dan Muse that 18-year-old center <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/penguins-top-prospect-ben-kindel-to-remain-in-pittsburgh">Ben Kindel will remain in the NHL through his 10th game</a>, meaning the first year of his three-year entry-level contract will kick in.&nbsp;

I'm not sure he did enough in this game to sway the coaching staff or management more toward keeping him. He was good for most of it, but he was on the ice for the back-breaking goal, and he had a small hand in it.

If I'm the Penguins, I'm keeping Brunicke regardless. More on that later. But I just think there is far too much risk in sending him back to juniors, especially when his bad habits probably can't be addressed in any super meaningful way at that level. 

Let him take his lumps at the NHL level and learn from two legends on the right side, and let him get direction from this coaching staff. That's where I'm at.

- Jarry - playing in his 300th NHL game - was not good in this one. I realize that it can be difficult for a goaltender when they are essentially coming into a third period cold because they hadn't seen any action for 40 minutes.

But he just didn't have it Monday. That second goal was brutal.

Penguins' Goaltender Hits Big MilestonePenguins' Goaltender Hits Big MilestoneAnother <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguin</a> has hit a career milestone.&nbsp;

- Speaking of brutal, this was a brutal game for Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust defensively, and that theme is becoming a bit too common. I'm not really sure what the solution is other than breaking them up for a bit, but I don't expect that to happen.

- Noel Acciari left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Muse put the Penguins' lines in a blender for the rest of the game as a result.

Admittedly, I was not a fan of this approach. 

I realize it's not easy to adjust to being down a forward that early in the game. But nothing was consistent the rest of the game, especially in the third period. And I just think they were breaking up some chemistry that was working for them due to the injury of a fourth-line player. It wasn't the worst decision, but I don't think the constant switching helped them in the third. 

I'm also not sure how I feel about Crosby, Rust, and Malkin together. I'd rather see Kindel or Koivunen take one of their places if they're going to shake things up. 

- The Penguins return home to play the Washington Capitals on Thursday. 

The response after this gut-wrenching loss will say a lot about this team. Stay tuned. 

5 Reasons The Penguins Might Be For Real5 Reasons The Penguins Might Be For RealThere were surely a lot of items on NHL bingo cards heading into the 2025-26 season.&nbsp;

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We’re About To Learn A Lot About These Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins had everything going for them on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs until they didn't. 

They played two of their best periods all season to start the game. They were ferocious in all three zones. Ben Kindel once again showed that he belongs in the NHL. Erik Karlsson was a monster in the offensive zone and scored his first goal of the season. Harrison Brunicke was looking calm and composed on the third pair. He was simplifying things after his rough outing in Winnipeg. Tristan Jarry was potentially on his way to another shutout. 

Then, the third period happened. Auston Matthews made the Penguins pay when they fell asleep early in the period, and the rest snowballed from there. The Penguins completely fell asleep in their own zone, and to make matters worse, Jarry had the worst period of his season to date. He gave up a weak goal on the first William Nylander goal to make it 3-2, and one could argue he should've saved his second goal that tied the game. He also wasn't sharp on the game-winner from Bobby McMann. 

It was a period of horrors for the Penguins, and they simply couldn't stop the bleeding. Not even getting a point out of that game, let alone a win, is inexcusable. Per Bob Grove, it's only the third time in the Penguins' history that they've lost a game in which they led by three or more goals heading into the third period.

Everyone was looking for a response after Saturday's game against the Winnipeg Jets, even though the process was mostly there. Yes, they no-showed the first three minutes of the game and were put in a 2-0 hole pretty quickly, but the process was mostly there for the rest of the game. They didn't get the saves and didn't convert on their high-quality chances. Sometimes, that happens. 

They were getting the saves and finishing their chances in the first 40 minutes on Monday, and felt it was enough to win with a full period to go. When you have a team pinned down on the mat like that, especially when you're holding them to eight shots through two periods, you have to go for the knockout blow. 

The Penguins have had an outstanding start to the season and are still in a good spot in the Metropolitan Division. The points that they have earned to this point aren't suddenly going to go away. However, now that they blew that lead, it's time to see what this team is made of. The schedule isn't going to get easier for the rest of this week, with matchups against the Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils, and Los Angeles Kings on the horizon. 

Penguins Forward Exits Maple Leafs Matchup With InjuryPenguins Forward Exits Maple Leafs Matchup With InjuryThis Penguins forward's night ended early due to injury.

The Capitals have lost four in a row going into Wednesday's matchup against the St. Louis Blues, but were still a playoff team last year. They're favored to return to the playoffs this year and are getting great goaltending from Logan Thompson, plus solid production from Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, and Dylan Strome. Alex Ovechkin is always a threat to score, but has been limited to only two goals in 12 games to start the year. 

Jack Hughes is a strong Hart Trophy favorite right now and the biggest reason why the Devils are off to a 9-4-0 start. He has 10 goals and 16 points in 13 games, and when he's playing at this level, there aren't many players in the league who are better than him. Couple that with the fact that the Penguins often struggle to win in Newark, and it potentially gets real dicey. 

The Kings may be off to a rough start, but they still have some good players in Adrian Kempe (who also loves scoring against the Penguins), Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Brandt Clarke, and Quinton Byfield. Byfield, in particular, is close to a point-per-game (10 points in 13 games) and could be on his way to really breaking out after back-to-back 50+ point seasons. 

We're going to find out really quickly whether Monday's collapse was just a blip on the radar or a sign of things to come before the Penguins head to Sweden. 

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Koa Peat scores 30 as No. 13 Arizona upsets No. 3 Florida in season opener

Freshman Koa Peat scored 30 points to lead No. 13 Arizona to a 93-87 win over third-ranked and defending national champion Florida in the Hall of Fame Series on Monday night. Peat was impressive in his college debut, shooting 11 of 18 from the floor and adding seven rebounds and five assists. Ivan Kharchenkov shook off an injury late in the first half that sent him to the locker room and finished with 12 points for the Wildcats.

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No. 5 St. John’s handles early hype, routs Quinnipiac in season-opening tuneup for No. 15 Alabama

It took two years for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino to restore New York City pride and a winning tradition at St. John's. Pitino and the fifth-ranked Red Storm got off to a fast start in their season opener Monday night, overwhelming Quinnipiac from the outset in a 108-74 rout at Carnesecca Arena. “The one thing that stood out from an ultra-positive standpoint was our mentality going into the game," Pitino said.