Mariners 4, Tigers 0
Bryce Miller: .27 WPA
Mice Briller: Luke Raley, -.07 WPA
Game thread comment of the day:
The duality of man!
34-31: Chart
Mariners pitching smothers Tigers bats to even the series
Bryce Miller one-hit the Tigers over six innings of work, while Keider Montero had a bit of a rough day on the mound. The Tigers’ bats were quiet all afternoon, failing to take advantage of good work from their bullpen, as the Mariners evened the series at a game apiece with a 4-0 victory on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park.
This duel between young starters saw them each fire a 1-2-3 first inning. Keider Montero popped up Cole Young, and then Kevin McGonigle made a nice diving play on a Julio Rodriguez grounder up the middle. The throw appeared just a hair late, but Rodriguez was called out and while the replay seemed to indicate otherwise, the Mariners challenge was denied. Gleyber Torres and Kevin McGonigle worked Bryce Miller through a pair of long at-bats, but the Tigers didn’t get a baserunner either against the impressive right-hander.
In the second Montero walked Randy Arozarena to start the inning. Luke Raley sent a ball to left field, but Riley Greene got a good read on it and made a pretty spectacular diving catch. Dominic Canzone was next, and in a 2-2 count, Montero dropped a swingback changeup just inside. Dillon Dingler made a rare mistake by challenging it, and then Canzone hit a ball to the wall and over Matt Vierling’s head in center field. The ball kicked back into Vierling’s leg and stuck under the base of the wall for a moment while Vierling lost sight of it. Arozarena raced around to score as Canzone cruised into second with a double.
Patrick Wisdom got a good swing off as well, cranking a ball to center field, but Vierling ran it down for the second out. Colt Emerson was next, and he flew out in foul territory down the left field line to end the frame. 1-0 Mariners.
Kerry Carpenter led off the bottom of the second and he nearly cranked a 1-1 offspeed pitch out to right field, but it was just foul and he struck out on a good heater from Miller. The right-hander carved up Riley Greene with a trio of good splitters, then dialed up 98 mph with riding life to blow away Spencer Torkelson.
Montero got Jhonny Perada on a quick ground out to open the third, and Cole Young flew out. He got ahead of Julio Rodriguez, and was on the verge of ending a quick inning, but instead the outfielder poked a fourseamer away out of the zone through the right side of the infield for a single. Josh Naylor smoked the first pitch he saw for a single to right field, and Arozarena jumped on the first pitch he saw as well, and drove a sinker into the right field corner. Rodriguez scored, and the relay in from Pérez to Torkelson to Dingler was just a hair late and Naylor slid in just under the tag. The Tigers challenged that play unsuccessfully, and it was 3-0 Mariners. The replay also showed Naylor throwing his sliding glove at Dingler, presumably to distract him, as he dove for the plate, which didn’t make him any more likable. The heart of the Mariners’ order was seeing Montero’s fastball pretty well. A good knuckle curve whiffed Raley to end the inning.
Colt Keith led off the bottom half, ambushing a high breaking ball and driving it to the wall in right center field for a standup triple. The Mariners decided to crash the infield in, which was surprising under the circumstances. They backed off once Vierling got into a 1-1 count, and he popped out to first. Wenceel Pérez struck out and blew the Tigers second challenge in the process. Torres was blown away by a high fastball to strand Keith at third.
Canzone led off the fourth and immediately added to the Mariners lead with a missile to straightaway center field. 4-0 Mariners. Montero’s fly ball tendencies and minimal strikeouts become a bit of a problem as the weather keeps warming up. Wisdom grounded out and Montero popped Emerson up with a high fastball. Perada slapped a little single through the right side, and that brought the top of the order up again with a runner on base. Fortunately Cole Young flew out weakly to right field.
McGonigle led off the bottom half and Miller pretty much avoided him, issuing a walk. Dillon Dingler hit a 400 footer to left center but Rodriguez ran it down. Carpenter and Miller locked up in a lengthy duel as the right-hander threw everything but the kitchen sink to try and get the Tigers’ right fielder out. Carpenter hit multiple pitches hard but foul and fought off numerous 3-2 pitches. Finally, Miller walked him as McGonigle was thrown out trying to steal second. The Mariners challenged the pitch incorrectly, and so McGonigle had second base anyway and there were two on and one out for Riley Greene, but he grounded into a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning.
Montero got Rodriguez to open the fifth, then yanked a fastball that drilled Naylor in the upper back. It didn’t look intentional, but since it’s Josh Naylor you never know. Montero got Arozarena to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, and Naylor slid into second well inside the bag toward Torres as he turned it over to first. This may bear watching over the rest of the series.
Torkelson flew out to deep left to kick off the bottom half. A high splitter drew a foul tip into the glove from Colt Keith. Miller started yanking fastballs and fell behind 3-0 to Vierling, but he pulled it together and locked up Vierling with good heaters and eventually got a routine ground out to end the fifth.
Since it’s June 6, it’s good to bring you this little interview clip with a 101-year-old WWII veteran.
Lefty Drew Sommers succeeded Montero in the sixth against a pair of left-handed hitters. He got ahead of Raley, but he still drove a ball to the wall in right center field. Pérez hauled it in for the first out. Sommers’ mid-90’s sinker and low arm angle locked up Canzone for strike three. A 95 mph high fourseamer blew Wisdom away to end the inning. Pretty good stuff from Sommers.
Miller was at 78 pitches to start the bottom of the sixth, and the Tigers really needed to get him out of the game. Pérez helped that cause with a 10 pitch AB, but struck out looking on a heater that may well have been a ball, but the Tigers were out of challenges. Torres took a 1-1 fastball four inches off the plate for a called strike and couldn’t challenge, and then home plate umpire Chris Segal rang up on a breaking ball that was also not particularly close. Gleyber had some calm words for him, but there was no recourse, and McGonigle grounded out to first. Segal continued to have a pretty poor game calling balls and strikes the rest of the way. With Miller at 94 pitches, his day was done, but that was the only positive for the Tigers so far in this one.
Sommers was still on the mound in the seventh with the Tigers down four runs. He dusted Emerson to start the inning. With a stretch of right-handers coming up to bat, A.J. Hinch turned to Ty Madden instead against Perada. Really nice outing from Sommers though. Four straight outs, three by strikeout.
Madden, moving back to the bullpen with Justin Verlander and shortly thereafter, Tarik Skubal returning to the rotation, quickly gave up a single to Perada, and then he hit Cole Young. He bounced back to whiff Rodriguez with a splitter for the second out. Naylor grounded out to Torres to end the frame.
LHP José A. Ferrer took over from Miller in the bottom of the seventh. He immediately walked Dillon Dingler, and then came everyone’s favorite move as Jahmai Jones attempted to pinch-hit for Kerry Carpenter. He failed, popping out, and this has got to stop. We’re at 85 plate appearances. That’s not many, but Jones has been an abject disaster. Riley Greene flew out to deep left center field, and Torkleson was blown away by 99 mph to end the inning. The only knock in this one from the Tigers remained Colt Keith’s triple.
Arozarena led off the eighth with a sharp ground ball that Torres couldn’t quite corral. Madden popped up Luke Raley for the first out. Canzone pulled a grounder past Torres for a single to put two on with one out for Patrick Wisdom. Madden dialed up 96 to blow Wisdom away despite another gift call from the home plate umpire on the first pitch of the at-bat. Madden worked ahead of Emerson, and eventually popped him up to Dingler to end the inning. Pretty good work from Madden, and nice to see the velo popping in a relief role.
Matt Brash took over from Ferrer in the bottom of the eighth. Keith tapped one back to the mound for the first out, and Vierling grounded out to second. Pérez drew a walk to turn the lineup over, and Torres stepped into the box no doubt glad to see someone other than Bryce Miller on the mound. It did him no good, as Brash locked him up with a 98 mph backdoor sinker to send this to the ninth inning.
Perada flew out to Pérez to open the fram, but Cole Young singled up the middle. That brought Rodriguez up, but he flew out to Vierling in center. Madden punched out Naylor to complete a fine relief outing. 2.2 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K.
Lefty Gabe Speier entered in the bottom of the ninth to close the Tigers out. McGonigle started them off with a blooper that parachuted down just fair inside the left field line for a leadoff double. Dingler flew out to center field, but Jones drew a walk. Unfortunately, Riley Greene grounded into a double play to end it.
The series will be decided at 1:40 p.m. ET on Sunday. A pair of struggling right-handers will go toe-to-toe as Jack Flaherty squares off against Luis Castillo. Meanwhile, in West Michigan all eyes will be on Tarik Skubal, as he makes what is hoped to be the only rehab start he’ll require before rejoining the Tigers’ rotation.
'I Took So Much Away From Those Years': Wyatt Cullen Reflects On Growing Up With A Cup Team In Pittsburgh
Unlike in some years past, there weren't too many Pittsburgh connections at this year's NHL Scouting Combine.
However, there was one player who made himself stand out quite well — and one who will always have a connection with the Penguins in some capacity, regardless of where he ends up after the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on Jun. 26.
Wyatt Cullen is one of the many players who turned some heads at the Combine using his strength in skating and in puck skills. But something else well-known by now is that he is the 17-year-old son of former Penguins' forward Matt Cullen, who won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the team in 2016 and 2017.
At the time of that first Cup, Wyatt was only seven years old. But he had the unique privilege of being exposed to that championship locker room and culture day-in and day-out, picking the brains of guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin during some of the prime years of their NHL careers.
Wyatt said he learned so much from his experience in Pittsburgh, where he went to school for a few years and took the ice with some all-time great players.
"I learned so much being around them those years," Wyatt said. "We went to school there for a couple years and got to be around the locker room and stuff like that. Just being out there on the ice, we got to skate with them and [do] skill skates and stuff like that. And just being around them in the locker room, you kinda see what they do, their habits, just the little things that they do to be so good at the NHL level.
Penguins' Draft Prospect Profiles: Ryan LinDefenseman Ryan Lin could be available to the Penguins when they pick at No. 22 in the first round. Here's our draft profile on him. "So, I think I took so much away from those years."
Of course, Wyatt learned a great deal from the Crosbys, the Malkins, the Kessels, and more on that team, but he also learned a whole lot from his father. During Matt's first two seasons in Pittsburgh, he joined a locker room already chock-full of experienced veterans with a Stanley Cup already under his belt - he also won one in 2005-06 with the Carolina Hurricanes - and meshed well with the team as its fourth-line center, registering 19 goals and 63 points in 154 games across those two seasons.
He did return to Pittsburgh in 2018-19, too, and ended up retiring a Penguin. Cullen Sr. was a winner with the Penguins and in general, and a lot of those work habits and that mindset rubbed off on Wyatt.
Locker room legends weren't the only mentors for him during that time, as he had a household member to learn directly from in those days.
3 Takeaways: WBS Penguins Drop Game 5 to Toronto, Face Elimination SundayPittsburgh's AHL affiliate will head back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for Game 6 on Sunday down in the series, 3-2.And, well, he's learned a lot from his dad, especially in the sense of achieving balance mentally and from game-to-game, year-to-year.
"So much. He's taught me so much, especially just hockey-wise," Wyatt said. "And I think, just this draft year, kind of, you know there's going to be ups and downs in the draft year. He's been through it, and he's given me so many tips.
"I think it's just being level-headed. You're gonna have a good game, you're gonna have a bad game, and I think he's helped me so much, for sure."
HIs father has also helped out on the everyday life side of things, too.
"Just life-wise, I think for me, being a smaller kid my whole life, pretty much, it's kind of been a day-by-day mentality," he said. "For me, I'm just working to be the best player I can be each day, and I think it's really helped me out for these past few years, just working day-by-day and not too far ahead."
Wyatt did meet with the Penguins during this Combine, and like many others echoed, Pittsburgh was pretty direct in its approach to their player meetings. Instead of having a cognitive test or a bland conversation, they began their meetings with each player by showing a video compilation of their "lowlights" and learning moments.
Defenseman Ryan Lin was one of many players to talk about the #LetsGoPens "tough love" approach to their player meetings.@TheHockeyNews#NHLpic.twitter.com/LYeXGcy5pj
— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) June 6, 2026
Naturally, players had a mixed response to that approach, with some finding it peculiar and others finding it extremely helpful. Wyatt grouped himself in with the latter, and he understands and appreciates the raw honesty coming from Pittsburgh in terms of what needs worked on the most.
"It went really well," Wyatt said. "They showed some bad clips of you, but I think it's really good. They kind of helped me out a bit and gave me some good tips, so I think it went really well."
Things should go well for Wyatt in this year's draft, too, with some projecting him as a top-10 pick. The left winger believes his skill, speed, and hands will be valuable assets to whatever team decides to take chance on him, and he believes in his potential as a top-six NHL player in the future.
"I think my skill is, kind of, top-four, five, three in the draft," he said. "I have really high-end skill, and I think that's what separates me. I see the ice and have really high-IQ, and I feel like my IQ and skillset is what separates me from other guys."
Penguins' Draft Prospect Profiles: Xavier VilleneuveXavier Villeneuve is a really intriguing prospect heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Ollie Robinson continues dream Test return as only bad weather halts Poms’ Lords charge
Ollie Robinson continued to prove a thorn in New Zealand’s side, taking two quick wickets, as England moved closer to victory in the first Test during what little play was possible at Lord’s on Saturday.
Braves vs Pirates chat and discussion: Spencer Strider vs Braxton Ashcraft
The Atlanta Braves took game one of the series against the surprisingly good Pittsburg Pirates last night and look to take the series today.
Braxton Ashcraft has been one of the key reasons the Pirates have a winning record. Not only does he have a 2.77 ERA, but he has an ERA of 1.97 in away games this season. The Braves are going to have have their work cut out for them. Ashcraft’s underlying metrics shows that his output has been no fluke with an expected ERA (xERA) of 2.78.
Spencer Strider struggled a bit in his last outing giving up three earned runs in 5.0 innings, but he did have eight strikeouts to only two walks. If he can limit the hits today, it would go a long way towards a win for the Braves.
This game may come down to the bullpens. Follow along in the comments below.
First pitch is at 4:10 EDT.
Hunter Pence's nephew reclassifies to enter 2027 MLB Draft
A new name with a strong pedigree has entered the 2027 MLB Draft.
Striker Pence — the nephew of former four-time All-Star Hunter Pence — announced on Thursday, June 4, that he has reclassified to the 2027 class to earn draft eligibility for next year's draft.
Striker Pence, Baseball America’s No. 1 player in the 2028 class, has reclassified and will be eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) June 4, 2026
6-foot-6 RHP with an electric fastball up to 101 mph. He’s the nephew of former MLB outfielder Hunter Pence.
Pence was previously the No. 1 ranked played in the 2028 high school class, according to Baseball America. Pence pitched at Santiago High School in Corona, California.
Just 17-years old, Pence can clock 101 mph with his impressive fastball. The 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher also features a slider and splitter in his arsenal. The slider sits in the mid-80s, while the splitter is in the upper 80s.
Last August, Pence caught the attention of the baseball world when he fired seven straight pitches clocked at 100 mph at the Area Codes game at Blair Field in Long Beach, California.
2028(!!) RHP Striker Pence is on to pitch. His first seven fastballs?
— Over-Slot Baseball (@OverSlot_) August 8, 2025
100
100
100
100
100
100
100 pic.twitter.com/QruHDFlAZ1
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Striker Pence reclassifies to enter 2027 MLB Draft
Game Thread: The Citrus Series will never die
Go Rays!
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Texas Rangers lineup for June 6, 2026
Texas Rangers lineup for June 6, 2026 against the Cleveland Guardians: starting pitchers are Jack Leiter for the Rangers and Tanner Bibee for the Guardians.
Texas squares off once again against the Guardians at the Shed. With a righthander on the mound for Cleveland, we have a somewhat more normal looking lineup for the Rangers. Kyle Higashioka starts behind the plate once again.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Duran — 2B
Burger — 1B
Carter — CF
Higashioka — C
6:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -120 favorites.
Game Thread: White Sox (33-30) at Phillies (34-29)
One of Hawk Harrelson’s (many) favorite sayings was, “It’s not who you play, it’s when you play ’em.” It’s both, of course, but at least Hawk was half-right in this case.
The “when you play ’em” part is a split for the White Sox against the Phillies — the unlucky part being that the Phils have turned their season around since Don Mattingly took over as manager, the lucky part being somehow scheduling a series in Philadelphia where they won’t face either Christopher Sanchez or Zack Wheeler.
Instead, today the Phillies will send out rookie righthander Andrew Painter, who has a lofty 5.74 ERA and has allowed 64 hits in 53 1/3 innings. Painter had been doing better of late — until he ran up against the Dodgers last time out and gave up four runs in 3 1/3 innings, including two homers. Given how the ball soared out of the park last night, a propensity to surrender long fly balls looks to be a bit of a problem.
The White Sox counter with an opener strategy, with lefty Bryan Eisert getting the start ahead of Sean Burke, presumably because Eisert’s a lefty and so are the two sluggers in the top three spots in the Philly lineup. That’s not as clear-cut a decision as it might seem: While Bryce Harper has pretty normal platoon splits, Kyle Schwarber is crushing southpaws to the tune of a 1.002 OPS.
The announcing crew has taken to calling the pitcher who follows an opener “bulk reliever,” which sounds like a constipation remedy but in this case means Burke. The righty has a 3.72 ERA (3.33 FIP) and was solid last time out, giving up just one run in 5 1/3 innings (though that was against the lowly Tigers).
Painter will face a Sox lineup with only two hitting from the right side, which means without Randal Grichuk, who had two homers last night before being pinch-hit for by … Andrew Benintendi:
Eisert/Burke will take on a Phillies lineup led by Schwarber, who leads the majors with 23 dingers.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Central on a scorcher in Philadelphia, sunny and 90°, with any fly ball to right a candidate for making the seats given wind gusts to 27 mph heading that direction.
Usual broadcast suspects, except John Schriffen is off to go announce UFC fights somewhere, which seems more his speed. Maybe with luck, he won’t come back.
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Washington Nationals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Game Thread
There were questions about whether the Nats offense was heading for a lull after the Marlins sweep. They made sure to let the world know that this offense is not going anywhere with a 14 run performance last night. Now they will look to build on that effort and attempt to secure a series win in the desert.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera will make some lineup adjustments. Andres Chaparro will get his first start in a while, playing in favor of Luis Garcia Jr. at first base. James Wood will be in the DH spot today. That means Daylen Lile will be in left, Jacob Young in center and Dylan Crews in right. Curtis Mead will be back at third base following a day off. Keibert Ruiz will be back behind the plate and hitting 9th. Zack Littell had a strong May and will look to continue that in June.
With a righty on the mound, the D-Backs will make some adjustments too. Pavin Smith will be in the lineup as the DH, which pushes Tommy Troy to left and Ryan Waldschmidt to center. Gabriel Moreno will be behind the plate after getting a day off yesterday. Eduardo Rodriguez has had a huge bounceback this year, but he relies on command rather than overwhelming stuff.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Chase Field
Time: 4:10 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
After last night, the Nats need to keep their foot on the gas and push to get above .500. Getting a quick series win would be a great way to prove that the Marlins series was just a fluke. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Diamondbacks vs. Nationals discussion
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
- Recalled from Triple-A Reno: RHP Drey Jameson
- Optioned to Reno: RHP Kade Strowd (following last night’s game)
Strowd left the game with what Torey Lovullo called a “dead arm”, but the fact he’s not immediately going on the IL is, hopefully, good news. Lovullo said today that the pitcher is alright “so far,” but will continue to be evaluated. Given he threw 32 pitches, it’s likely he would have needed a day or two off anyway. Also, Taylor Clarke should be back tomorrow, and one imagines Abner will be going back down, especially after his terrible performance last night.
Anyway, the main topic is a question Chicharron asked in last night’s recap: “Are the D-Backs on their way to setting an MLB record for most innings pitched in a season by position players?” Of course, that kinda depends on your definition of “position players”. Does Shohei Ohtani count? I mean, he certainly is a position player. The list of teams with most position player appearances on the mound is dominated by two-way players. The top pair are the Brewers in 2003 and 2004, with 42 and 33 respectively. But all 75 of those were by Brooks Kieschnick, who appeared as an outfielder, DH and pinch-hitter for Milwaukee too. Rick Ankiel and Ohtani also appear in the top ten.
The “true” record since the D-backs entered the league probably belongs to the 2022 Tigers, who used a position player on twelve occasions to pitch twelve innings, Cody Clemens appearing seven times. The only other team to reach double digits might be a surprise: the 2022 Dodgers, who won 111 games. Hanser Alberto pitched 11 innings for them – but just two of those were in blowout losses, the others seeing him come in with at least an eight-run lead. The D-backs so far are at five appearances and 5.2 innings after Adrian Del Castillo’s outing. So the pace is there, but last night was the first such since April, when James McCann pitched in four games. Stay tuned, folks…
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The ending of Game 2 showed exactly why the Knicks are in the driver’s seat to win the NBA Finals
You don’t want to make declarative statements midway through a series.
The job is nowhere near finished, even if history and all logic suggests that a team who’s had the most dominant 13-game winning streak in the history of basketball won’t suddenly go 1-4 with three remaining games at home.
Knicks fans have waited 53 years for this, they can wait another week or two to fully celebrate.
You always look for defining plays, stretches, or sequences to describe a series. Not everyone is going to be tuned into these games, and future generations will only have highlights to go off of. So naturally, we look for compelling moments and stories to tell the story to future generations to come.
What will it be for this series? That’s not entirely set in stone, but the final minute of Game 2 showed you everything you need to know about why the Knicks are in firm control of the NBA Finals, heading into potentially the greatest atmosphere in sports history at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Monday.
To set the stage, the Knicks led by 14 points with just over six minutes to go. They were one point away from the game being mathematically over, by Knicks standards. Since the 2023 playoffs, the Knicks are 124-1 when they lead by 15+ points in the second half, the best record in basketball. The one loss… we don’t have to talk about.
But hitting the 14-point glass ceiling couldn’t protect them. The Spurs went on a remarkable 14-0 run that put the vice grip on the Knicks’ offense, scoring on 9 of 10 possessions. At one point, they even held a two-point lead on a go-ahead and-1 layup by Victor Wembanyama.
The comeback was complete. The crowd was alive. The Knicks and their fans were stunned. In almost every other circumstance, the Spurs win that game.
But they didn’t, and that’s why we’re here. Experience matters.
The Knicks have lived through this game before. Multiple times.
Game 5 against the Sixers in 2024.
Game 3 against the Pacers in 2024.
Game 6 against the Pistons in 2025.
Game 1 against the Pacers in 2025.
Game 2 against the Hawks less than two months ago.
They know what it’s like to be in the shoes of a favorite who’s bottling a big lead in a potential series-defining game. They’ve won some, they’ve lost some.
They also know what it’s like to be the Spurs in that spot. The way it felt to come up short on brilliant late rallies in Game 6 against Miami in 2023 and Game 3 earlier this year. To have your heart ripped out at the last second.
They also have the experience of getting the job done in the Spurs’ shoes. Games 1 and 2 in Boston, Game 3 in Indiana. They’re battle-tested for any experience you throw them into.
Meanwhile, for San Antonio, how much experience do they have at this stage? Outside of De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes, pretty much nothing.
They overcame big first-half deficits in a weird series against Portland. They overcame 0-1 and 1-2 deficits against Minnesota. They outexecuted OKC in two clutch games to open and close that thrilling Western Conference Finals. But in terms of clutch situations, they didn’t have nearly enough experience there.
It took the Knicks several dozen games of playing every single type of series, matchup, and game against a multitude of opponents for them to gain the composure they currently have. Young teams like the Spurs rarely have that fortitude.
Every generational talent has to go through adversity. LeBron didn’t make the Finals until 2007 and was swept. Michael Jordan paid his dues against the Celtics and Bad Boys Pistons before breaking through in 1991. Shaq ran into Hakeem in 1995. Even when Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in their early 20s, they did it with a tremendous veteran co-star.
Back to the game itself, the 2025 Clutch Player of the Year finally snapped out of whatever had been tormenting him by casually nailing a Dirk fadeaway to tie the game back up at 104. The Spurs came back down and Wemby threw up a brick on a long two on the baseline.
Back with the ball, Brunson once again tried to isolate on the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year… and missed. With 14 seconds left, the Spurs had the ball. The game was in their hands.
But the inexperience showed again.
Wembanyama looked off Stephon Castle initially, leading to the second-year guard believing the 7’5” behemoth was going to call his own number as he did in Oklahoma City. Instead, he felt the basketball hit off his back, resulting in an instant blooper of a turnover that resulted in Brunson going to the line for free throws (the only time in the second half by the entire team, excluding Anunoby’s, which needed to be overturned by replay, btw). Oh yeah, did I mention that Mitch Johnson elected not to call a timeout?
Brunson only went 1-for-2, meaning the Spurs would have eight seconds to make one shot and tie the series up. Fox, who was in a real groove in the second half, got the inbound and drove, but instead of shooting, he kicked it to Wemby.
It could’ve been as easy as a Fox mid-range with the 7’5” French native crashing the glass for a putback at the buzzer, but instead, Wembanyama pulled up from the elbow and missed again. The hubris, the inexperience, the lack of late-game awareness.
All of it had the Spurs staring down the barrel of a 0-2 deficit going on the road. They walked into the locker room not only dejected, but laboring. Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper all got banged up in the fourth quarter. Wemby has been visibly gassed all series long after playing a career-high 120 minutes over his last three games.
The biggest obstacle for the Spurs might not even be the deficit and the circumstances; it might be their body clocks. You can have all the youth in the world, but when you’re heading into your 103rd game of the season, you need to have the callouses to survive.
Harper and Castle are one or two years removed from playing 35 games a year in college. All the other important players, even if they are conditioned to 82-game seasons, have never experienced a deep playoff run. When the best-case scenario now has you playing 4-5 more physical games while suffering from a conditioning, experience, and fatigue disadvantage, that’s not a good sign.
You know who it is a good sign for? The Knicks. Good thing we’re all Knicks fans, right?
3 Blackhawks Pending UFAs Who Might Not Stay In Chicago
The start of NHL free agency is getting closer, as it is now less than one month away. Between now and then, the Chicago Blackhawks will have some decisions to make when it comes to their pending free agents.
When looking at Chicago's roster, they have three pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who could not be back on the team next season. Let's go over each of them now.
Ilya Mikheyev, RW
Last month, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blackhawks have made Ilya Mikheyev's signing rights available for trade. With this, there is certainly a real chance that he won't be back with Chicago next season.
However, when noting that Mikheyev is a key part of the Blackhawks' forward group and penalty kill, it would also be understandable if they continue to try to extend, even with his signing rights being available. In 77 games this season with the Blackhawks, he had 18 goals, 36 points, and a plus-2 rating.
Matt Grzelcyk, D
With the Blackhawks having many young and promising defensemen in their pipeline, it would not be particularly surprising if they let Matt Grzelcyk walk into free agency. The Massachusetts native was a decent veteran defenseman for Chicago this season, posting 12 assists in 69 games. Yet, the Blackhawks should be looking for an upgrade on their blueline this summer.
Sam Lafferty, C/RW
Sam Lafferty's return to the Blackhawks was uneventful this season. He was scratched often by Chicago and had just two points in 29 games. With this, it would not be surprising in the slightest if the Blackhawks don't bring back Lafferty this summer.
Gerry Meehan, one of the first Buffalo Sabres players and an influential GM, dies at 79
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Gerry Meehan, one of the Buffalo Sabres' first players who went on to an influential role as the team’s general manager, has died. He was 79.
The Sabres announced Meehan’s death on Saturday after being informed by a member of his family. The team said he died Friday. The cause of death and where Meehan died were not immediately available.
Meehan was from Toronto but essentially adopted Buffalo as his hometown as a player and eventual executive. As GM, he was responsible for acquiring eventual hall of famers Dominik Hasek, Pat LaFontaine, Alexander Mogilny and Dale Hawerchuk spanning the late 1980s and early 1990s.
His introduction to Buffalo came after splitting his rookie NHL season between Toronto and Philadelphia in being selected by the Sabres in the 1970 expansion draft.
The center went on to set up the franchise’s first goal in a two-assist outing in Buffalo’s first game. Meehan later became the team’s captain before being traded to Vancouver in October 1974.
Upon completing his 10-year NHL career and two games with Cincinnati of the World Hockey Association in 1978-79, Meehan returned to Buffalo to earn a law degree before joining the Sabres' front office in 1984 under general manager Scotty Bowman.
In replacing Bowman as GM during the 1986-87 season, Meehan oversaw numerous franchise-changing moves, including Mogilny’s defection from the Soviet Union in 1989. Meehan and Sabres player development director Don Luce traveled to Sweden, where Mogilny was competing in a tournament, and covertly ushered him back to North America.
Mogilny referred to Meehan as “my guiding light when I came into the NHL” during his induction speech last year.
In a statement released by the league, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman referred to Meehan as a “pillar of the franchise.”
“As shrewd and successful as he was on the ice and in the front office, Meehan had a significant impact on countless players and executives in recent years as a generous mentor and advisor,” Bettman added.
With Mogilny, Meehan rebuilt the Sabres by acquiring Hawerchuk in a trade with Winnipeg in 1990. A year later, Buffalo sent Pierre Turgeon to the New York Islanders to acquire LaFontaine, who would post a 148-point season playing alongside 76 goal-scorer Mogilny in 1992-93.
Meehan then oversaw what is considered among the NHL’s most one-sided trades, acquiring Hasek from Chicago in 1992. Buffalo gave up Stephane Beauregard and a fourth-round draft pick to land a player who would go on to become a two-time Hart Trophy-winner as NHL MVP and win six Vezina Trophy’s as the league’s top goalie.
Meehan’s tenure as GM ended following the 1995-96 season and he remained an active member of the Sabres Alumni Association.
As a player, he had 180 goals and 423 points in 670 career games, rounded out by stops in Washington and with the Atlanta Flames.
He is survived by his wife, Mirella, their children Dan, Adam and Kate, and grandchildren Christian, Alexander, Nathan and Juniper. Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Flyers Top Goalie Prospect Traded to New KHL Team, Signs Contract Extension
The Philadelphia Flyers will have to wait a little longer to see one of their top goalie prospects, with a new opportunity in the KHL on the horizon.
On Saturday, it was announced that Flyers goalie prospect Egor Zavragin had officially been traded by SKA St. Petersburg, alongside defenseman Yegor Zelenov, to Metallurg Magnitogorsk in exchange for defenseman Alexei Maklyukov.
Zavragin, 20, had fallen out of favor with new SKA head coach Igor Larionov in the latter's first season with the team, resulting in Artemi Pleshkov and Sergei Ivanov dominating the share of KHL playing time.
As a result, the Flyers' 2023 third-round pick spent much of his season playing in the MHL and VHL, Russia's second-tier men's league and top junior league, respectively.
Now that Colorado Avalanche goalie prospect Ilya Nabokov will be moving over to North America full-time, Zavragin will have the opportunity to play regular KHL games going forward.
Zavragin's new counterpart, Alexander Smolin, played 35 games for Metallurg last season, going 23-8-2 with a 2.33 GAA, .915 save percentage, and one shutout.
Flyers Make Egregious Mistake in New NHL Mock DraftPhiladelphia Flyers fans will hate the team's selection in the latest NHL mock draft.Zavragin, while being younger than Smolin and playing on a worse team, went 5-7-0 with a 2.63 GAA, .919 save percentage, and one shutout in his 12 games of limited action.
On the heels of Zavragin getting a fresh start in an environment more conducive to his development, Hockey News Hub reports on X that the 20-year-old will extend his contract in the KHL another year, lasting until May 31, 2028.
The Flyers could have gotten their young goalie to come over to North America as soon as this time next year, but with a contract extension in the cards, that is now unlikely.
Truthfully, the Flyers aren't likely to be upset with this development, either, as it gives Zavragin a chance to make up for what is effectively a lost year of development that he spent playing against lower tiers of competition instead of the KHL.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere recently told NHL.com's Adam Kimelman at the NHL Scouting Combine that the Flyers "feel our prospect goalies need a little bit more time still," in regards to extending Dan Vladar.
We can deduce that, with a Vladar extension looming and further potential additions to the goalie group, the Flyers are in no rush to have Zavragin, Aleksei Kolosov, Carson Bjarnason, and anyone else they may draft this year turn into NHL goalies on the hop.
On paper, Zavragin's new move should benefit both him and the Flyers long-term.