The Flyers ruled out their regular-season goals leader about a half-hour before the start of the game due to an undisclosed injury.
Tippett had 28 goals and 23 assists in the regular season, then had one goal and one assist in the six-game series against Pittsburgh that marked Philadelphia's first postseason appearance since 2020.
The Flyers said Tippett is considered day to day.
The Hurricanes took the ice a week after closing out a sweep of Ottawa. But defenseman Alexander Nikishin was out of the lineup Saturday as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered on a jarring hit by Tyler Kleven in Game 4. Nikishin had returned to skating in a yellow no-contact jersey by Wednesday, then shed that practice Friday.
Coach Rod Brind’Amour said Saturday morning that Nikishin needed to complete another test as he works to clear the concussion protocol.
Carolina forward Nikolaj Ehlers was back after a lower-body injury made him a late scratch for Game 4.
Jarred Kelenic makes his first White Sox start. | (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)
Winning is fun! The Chicago White Sox are on a four-game winning streak and have won three of their last four series. The Good Guys look to extend both streaks tonight, to five and four.
After notching his first career road win on April 22 in Arizona, Sean Burke takes the bump tonight and looks to snag his second. He’s been avoiding walks and missing barrels, which will be crucial against one of the best teams in baseball.
The ace for the San Diego Padres, Michael King, plans to put an end to Chicago’s offensive explosion. Where Burke excels with the fastball, King gets his job done with his breaking and off-speed pitches. Hopefully, he’ll hang a few tonight!
Here’s how the Sox are going to line up against King, with a few changes from last night:
Jarred Kelenic makes his first White Sox start, and Edgar Quero will take over tonight’s backstop duty.
The Padres are shaking it up a bit compared to last night:
Gavin Sheets (old friend alert), Jackson Merrill, Luis Campusano and Jake Cronenworth find themselves in the starting nine.
Luckily, starting an hour earlier today, you can catch the White Sox at 7:40 p.m. CT on CHSN for your viewing pleasure and WMVP-AM 1000 for your listening pleasure.
Coming out of the lockout for the 2005-2006 season, the Senators seemed to have it all.
They had an excellent young team whose playoff kryptonite for four of the previous five seasons had been the Toronto Maple Leafs. But with Toronto missing the playoffs that year, as they would for 10 of the next 11 years, they were no longer a concern.
Meanwhile, the Sens had the league's best offence, the second-best defence, and entered the playoffs as the top seed in the East and the Stanley Cup favourite.
They had acquired Dany Heatley and Dominik Hasek for that season, and Zdeno Chara and Martin Havlat were both still here. For my money, it was the greatest team in Senators history.
Back in February, my colleague, Graeme Nichols, produced the best story ever written about the 2005-06 Senators. It's an incredible, long-form piece, filled with interviews and anecdotes with just about everyone from that team, and I highly encourage you to check it out here.
But as we hit The Hockey News Archive, it's time for a little time-travel, a chance to dip back into the moment to see what people were saying about the 2006 Senators. Mike Brophy wrote in our Apr 25, 2006, issue about the Senators' chances as they entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
A New Sensation
From The Hockey News Apr 25, 2006 Vol. 59, Issue 31
It’s Stanley Cup or bust for the Ottawa Senators as they try to reverse their failed playoff history and win Canada’s first NHL title since 1993.
BY MIKE BROPHY
A few years ago, Daniel Alfredsson boldly announced his Ottawa Senators would win the Stanley Cup.
Then, a few days later, he backed off his ambitious statement by saying something to the affect of, “I didn’t say this year.”
The Senators, of course, have not won a Stanley Cup; at least not since 1927. The current incarnation of the Ottawa Senators has yet to even make it to the final since joining the league in 1992-93.
So, any predictions for us this year, Daniel?
“No,” Alfredsson says with a chuckle.
You’re out of the prediction-making business?
“Not exactly,” he continues. “I think it will be a great playoffs. There will be some upsets, as always, and it’s going to be really fun playing in the playoffs and watching the other games as well.”
OK, if you won’t say your team is going to win the Stanley Cup, Daniel, we’ll say it for you. With all due respect to a number of contenders in the new NHL, the Senators have what it takes to win the Cup, particularly since their nemesis, the Toronto Maple Leafs, aren’t going to the dance. And to think, not long ago Ottawa’s Stanley Cup was simply to get past the Leafs, who sent them golfing in four of the past five seasons.
Now, before you say the Senators don’t have a chance if No. 1 goalie Dominik Hasek doesn’t return from his groin injury, it must be said that rookie Ray Emery has proven himself to be good enough to carry the load. When a team is as good as the Senators, it doesn’t necessarily need great goaltending to win it all; it just needs its goalie not to lose games. The Senators will be fine.
“You need at least good goaltending and in the past that may have been one of the shortcomings I experienced,” says Ottawa coach Bryan Murray. “The other team’s goalies played just a tad better than my goalies. We’re hoping that just good goaltending this time will be adequate.”
Alfredsson says his team is quietly confident about its chances in the post-season.
“The biggest thing entering the playoffs is, we know we have a team that can win it all,” Alfredsson says. “But you need a lot of things to go right for you. You need to be healthy and you need to have a little good luck. More than anything, you need to play well in big games.
“We feel this is a good opportunity for this group and we’re going to try to make the most it and see what happens.”
This group, as Alfredsson puts it, contains some the NHL’s most dangerous scorers.
Dany Heatley, who has revived his career in Ottawa, ranked fourth in league scoring, having set the team record for goals in a season with 48 and totalling 97 points in 78 games. Alfredsson, himself, who had established single-season highs in goals (41) and points (95) with four games remaining, was seventh in league scoring. Super playmaker Jason Spezza, despite missing 14 games with a chest injury, had 68 assists and 86 points in 64 games.
And that is just the tip of the iceberg. No team comes close to matching the Senators’ scoring depth up front with the likes of Peter Schaefer, Bryan Smolinski, newly acquired Tyler Arnason, Antoine Vermette, Patrick Eaves, Mike Fisher and even tough guy Chris Neil capable of lightning it up on any given night.
What is even more astounding is the fact the Senators also have one of the best and deepest bluelines in the NHL.
Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara are bona fide stars, solid at both ends of the rink, while Chris Phillips, Brian Pothier, Anton Volchenkov and rookie Andrej Meszaros, who is among the NHL leaders at plus-35, are all rock-solid.
Bryan Murray has coached and managed great teams in the past, most recently taking the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the final as GM in 2003. But this year, he says, is different.
“No. 1, I think our defensive corps is as good as I’ve ever had…the depth of it,” Murray says. “I’ve had some good individual players on the blueline like (Rod) Langway and (Scott) Stevens, but to have the depth that we have is a little more than I’ve had in the past. If we get everybody back, we have a lot of depth up front, too, with a lot of scoring ability.”
The Senators, like all teams, will face some distractions, such as if and when will Hasek be back; and, can the team afford to sign both Chara and Redden, who will be unrestricted free agents in the summer. But Murray says it should not affect the way the team plays on the ice.
“We just try to focus now on the team,” Murray says. “Obviously we’re affected somewhat by what people say, but mostly we just play. As a coach, all you can do is prepare and play.”
Before the season began, we chose the Philadelphia Flyers as our Cup favorite. And why not? They added superstar Peter Forsberg, along with monster defensemen Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje and big, scoring winger Mike Knuble, as well as a handful of blue chip prospects. That had us convinced the season would be nothing more than a formality. Just hand them the Cup.
The Flyers, though, have been woefully inconsistent. Injuries have taken a toll and there was never really a point during the season where it looked like they would ultimately live up to expectations. The thing about the Flyers is, you can’t dismiss them completely because they have so much talent they are entirely capable of kicking it into gear and winning every game they play. In that regard, coach Ken Hitchcock may face his greatest challenge ever.
Other teams capable of upsetting the Senators include the Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes. People waiting for the Prague Rangers to fold their tents in the playoffs may be disappointed. If goalie Henrik Lundqvist and superstar Jaromir Jagr, the NHL’s most valuable player, live up to their potential, they’ll be a tough opponent for anybody. And don’t discount the work their grunt players do, either.
While the Hurricanes have only played .500 hockey down the stretch, they, too, will not be a desirable opponent for anyone in the opening round.
As for the 2004 Stanley Cup-champion Lightning, unless goalie John Grahame goes to bed one night and wakes up the next morning as Bernie Parent, Tampa Bay doesn’t stand a chance of repeating. The other finalist from two years ago, the Calgary Flames, have put a lot of trust in goalie Miikka Kiprusoff and may rue the day they failed to find an offense-minded center to play with Jarome Iginla.
While we think the Stanley Cup champion will come from the Eastern Conference, the most interesting and competitive hockey is in the West, where the team that finishes eighth – the San Jose Sharks, in all likelihood – could be a threat to make it all the way to the final.
Detroit and Dallas, the cream of the Western crop, both look like potential conference champions, but it won’t be an easy trail to the final.
“What people don’t understand when a team from the East wins the Cup is, the Western Conference teams kick the crap out of each other just trying to make it to the final,” says Edmonton defenseman Chris Pronger.
Looking for a dark horse? Try Pronger’s Oilers – if they made the playoffs, that is. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Oilers were sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference. The additions of defenseman Jaroslav Spacek and left winger Sergei Samsonov have added experience and skill at both ends. If Dwayne Roloson offers up solid goaltending, the Oilers certainly could pull off a first round upset.
And if that happens, they could go on a roll similar to the one the Flames went on two years ago.
Will being the Cup favorite make life tough for the Senators?
“It can’t matter that much, if we let outside factors be that big of a deal,” Murray says.
“But I think, from a confidence point of view, we talk about what we have to do and to have other people recognize a certain ability level doesn’t hurt.”
STAT SHOT
Here’s how teams that were still in the playoff picture through April 10 compare in goals scored per game, goals against per game, overall record in overtime and shootouts, and odds of winning the Cup.
By Mike Brophy The Hockey News Archive Apr 25, 2006/vol. 59, issue 31
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 01: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 01, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the final seconds of overtime in Toronto, RJ Barrett channeled his inner Tyrese Haliburton and connected on a three to force a Game 7 against the Cavaliers.
RJ BARRETT WHEN TORONTO NEEDED HIM MOST 🔥
The hometown hero drains the game-winning bucket in overtime to force Game 7 🥶 pic.twitter.com/D2AJbSiA5M
For a variety of reasons likely involving broadcasting rights and money, the start date of the Lakers-Thunder series was tied to whether Saturday’s two Eastern Conference series. If only one of them ended, then LA and Oklahoma City would play on Sunday.
However, if both of them ended or both of them went seven games, then the purple and gold would be off until Tuesday.
With those stakes in mind and given what played out in Houston with the Lakers routing the Rockets, Barrett’s incredible game-winning shot carried a bit of extra weight. Instead of LA being one of the two Sunday games, there will instead be two Game 7s while LA will get a couple of days of rest.
And for that, LeBron James was thankful.
Lebron thanks RJ for the game winner lol
"Haven't seen a shot in Toronto like that since Kawhi. Something about those rims. I'm happy" pic.twitter.com/kacCAKxJVl
Now, you might wonder, what would LeBron do with that extra rest? Is it watch more game film? Sit back and enjoy Game 7? Well, if you’ve been paying attention to him this year, there was an obvious answer when he was asked if the extra rest helped him.
“For me? Yeah,” LeBron said. “We don’t play until Tuesday now. Yeah. Hell yeah. I can go on the golf course now. That’s what I’m thinking about.”
I wish a time machine existed and we could go back and tell 2016 LeBron that he would be excited about getting an extra day between rounds of the playoffs to golf 18 holes. It’s definitely a different mindset than he had when he was younger and focused on repeated trips to the Finals.
However, given how he played against the Rockets over the course of the series, and particularly in the closeout Game 6, it’s hard to be too upset with him. Let him go golf and then get locked back in on the Thunder.
ST. LOUIS — You won’t find anyone with the Dodgers who thinks Dalton Rushing is a bad guy.
But that doesn’t mean the second-year slugger wants to be saddled publicly with a bad rap.
Throughout his career, Rushing has always tried to play with a smoldering competitive fire. He has never shied away from the fact he carries a competitive edge.
The Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing has produced on the field, but some of his heated in-game interactions have rubbed some the wrong way. AP
“I played football half my life,” the Dodgers’ backup catcher said. “So I compete a little differently, I click a little differently.”
Lately, however, a string of heated in-game interactions that have gone viral on social media — and, in one instance, drawn public criticism from an opposing player — have forced the 25-year-old to take a step back and make a renewed effort to keep his emotions in check.
“You never want to be viewed as a guy like that from opposing teams,” Rushing told The California Post on Saturday. “You want guys to hate playing against you because of the player that you are and how great you are on a baseball field. Not because of the verbalized things you say.”
“You never want to be viewed as a guy like that from opposing teams,” Rushing told The California Post on Saturday. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Then came last weekend’s series against the Cubs, when Rushing was captured dropping another seemingly disparaging expletive in reference to Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya.
This time, it wasn’t only lip-reading internet sleuths who called Rushing out but also Cubs veteran Nico Hoerner, who was standing in the box when Rushing made his alleged “fat f–k” comment as Amaya advanced to second base on a wild pitch last Saturday.
“I wish that I had confronted him a little more directly, to be honest,” Hoerner said during a radio interview this week. “It was just kind of a strange thing to experience. So, yeah, I felt a little weird about that.”
Turns out, Rushing did, too.
Rushing and Hoerner are represented by the same agency, Apex Baseball. So this week, Rushing said he reached out to Hoerner through his agents “to clear the air” about what happened.
“I respect his point of view of it, from the looks and the sound of it,” Rushing said. “And I respect him sticking up for his players. I would do the same thing for any of these guys.”
Rushing has had run-ins so far in series against the Rockies, Giants and Cubs this season. AP
Asked if he thought Hoerner (or, for that matter, the online lip readers) had understood him correctly, Rushing said he didn’t think so — though stopped short of recounting his exact dialogue from the moment in question.
“Regardless,” Rushing explained, “there was a word said, whether it was positive or negative or what. And he didn’t like it. And I respect that.”
Thus, moving forward, Rushing is trying to be more careful about how his emotions are expressed on the field.
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“Obviously, you know what social media can turn you into, [how it can] build an image for yourself both positively and negatively,” the second-year big leaguer said. “So I think from here on out, it’s just my job to build a positive platform for myself.”
“There’s things that can change,” he added. “There’s things I’m going to change.”
Rushing’s fiery temperament is nothing new. It was part of his persona long before the Dodgers made him a second-round draft pick out of the University of Louisville in 2022. And it was there throughout his rise through the farm system as one of the organization’s top prospects.
Thus, moving forward, Rushing is trying to be more careful about how his emotions are expressed on the field. AP
For the most part, the Dodgers have appreciated that component of his competitive makeup.
Even after the recent bouts of drama, manager Dave Roberts said the club doesn’t “want to take the fire out of him.”
At the same time, though, Roberts has cautioned Rushing “to be mindful” of his outbursts. Others in the clubhouse have reinforced the same message.
“He’s bringing stuff onto himself he doesn’t need to bring on,” Roberts said. “There’s a responsibility to not be reckless because everything is captured.”
Rushing also cited that “responsibility” during an interview at his locker Saturday, acknowledging how, when “tempers flare,” he sometimes lets “things take over.”
“I don’t want to create an image like that,” he said.
However, Rushing also noted that nothing “I’ve said verbally on a field has enhanced my play by any means.” AP
The good news: The newfound scrutiny has been spurred by Rushing’s breakout start to the year. Entering Saturday, he was batting .348 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs despite limited playing time in the season’s opening month.
“It wouldn’t matter if I was struggling,” he said. “It would just be, ‘Oh, this guy is just a bad dude. Bad player. Bad dude.’”
However, Rushing also noted that nothing “I’ve said verbally on a field has enhanced my play by any means.”
So, while he won’t douse his competitive fire anytime soon, he will be trying to limit how often it flares up.
“I’m gonna continue to compete, I’m gonna continue to play with an edge,” he said. “But obviously we can hone back a little bit on things that can get you in trouble in this media world.”
It was a historic night for the 76ers at TD Garden, where the 76ers won a series for the first time ever after trailing three games to one and the Celtics lost a series for the first time ever after leading three games to one.
What a game! What a performance! What a series! What a bunch of stats!
The 76ers eliminated the Celtics with a 109-100 win in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference First-Round series.
With able assistance from Stathead, let’s take a look at some of the numbers behind this game and the series!
THEY COULDN’T LOSE IN BOSTON: Before Game 5, the 76ers had won three playoff games in Boston in a 44-year span since 1983. They were 3-17 in 20 road playoff games in Boston since the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals, when they beat the Celtics twice at Boston Garden on the way to winning the series, four games to three. Now they’ve won three games in Boston in the span of 12 days. This is the first time the 76ers have ever won three straight playoff games in Boston. It’s also the first time they’ve ever won three straight road games in a postseason series.
GAME 7 RARITIES: The 76ers hadn’t won a Game 7 anywhere since 2001, when they beat the Bucks 108-91 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the First Union Center. They hadn’t won a Game 7 on the road in 44 years, since their only previous postseason road Game 7 win – at Boston Garden 120-106 in the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals. They were 1-10 all-time in road Game 7s before Saturday and 6-12 overall.
AND HE JUST HAD SURGERY: A few weeks after undergoing an appendectomy, Joel Embiid had 112 points, 29 assists, 48 rebounds and 7 blocks in the four games he played in the series. He’s the first 76er in 59 year with at least 112 points, 48 rebounds and 29 assists in any four-game span in the postseason since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 (112 points, 106 rebounds, 44 assists). Embiid is the first player in NBA history to average 28 points, 12 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in an Eastern or Western Conference First-Round series and only the second player with those averages in any series. Giannis Antetokounmpo did it in the Bucks’ 2022 Western Conference Semifinals, also against the Celtics.
TYRESE MAXEY IS INSANE: Maxey became the first 76er ever with back-to-back playoff games against the Celtics with 30 points and five assists and only the sixth player ever with consecutive 30-point, five-assist games in the postseason in Boston, joining some elite company in five current or future Hall of Famers: LeBron James, Giannis, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson.
V.J. EDGECOMBE IS ALSO INSANE: V.J. Edgecombe’s 23 points are the most ever by a player 20 years old or younger in a Game 7 against the Celtics and most by any rookie in 64 years. The previous high by a 20-year-ol was Derrick Rose’s 18 in Game 7 of the Bulls’ 2009 Eastern Conference 1st-round series in Boston. The last rookie with 23 points in a Game 7 in Boston was Tom Meschery of the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1962 Eastern Division finals. It’s also the most points ever by a 76ers rookie in a Game 7. Maurice Cheeks had 20 in Game 7 of the 76ers’ 1979 Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Spurs in San Antonio. With 30 points in Game 2 in Boston and 23 Saturday, Edgecombe became the third rookie ever and first in 45 years with two 23-point games in Boston in a playoff series. The last to do it was the 76ers’ Andrew Toney in 1981. Two Philadelphia Warriors also did it – Wilt in 1960 and Meschery in 1962.
ASTONISHING DEFENSE: In the last three games of the series, the 76ers limited the Celtics to 40.4, 41.9 and 39.8 shooting from the field. This is only the second time in Celtics history they’ve shot worse than 42 percent in three straight home playoff games but the first time they’ve ever done it in the same series. In 2018, they did it over two series against the Pacers and Cavs. In the last three games of the series, the 76ers held the Celtics to 28, 29 and 27 percent from 3. This is the first time since a 2015 series against the Cavs that the Celtics have shot below 30 percent from 3 in three straight postseason games.
IT’S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE: The 76ers won the series after losing Game 1 and Game 4 by 32 points. They are the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series after losing two games by at least 32 points. Only six other teams won two games in a series by at least 30 points and they all lost that series.
The Philadelphia Flyers are going to enter Game 1 of Round 2 against the vaunted Carolina Hurricanes without perhaps their most important player for this kind of matchup.
On Saturday night, the Flyers announced that speedster winger Owen Tippett would sit against the Hurricanes with an injury, declaring him day-to-day.
Notably, the Flyers did not disclose the nature of the injury (upper-body, lower-body, etc.).
It was becoming clear towards the end of the Round 1 series with the Pittsburgh Penguins that Tippett, 27, was not quite himself.
The buccaneering winger recorded more than one shot on goal in just two of the six games against the Penguins, which is highly unusual for a volume-shooter like him.
Tippett loves to shoot from everywhere and anywhere, and, obviously, uses his legs and power to create opportunities for himself and teammates.
Neither of those things were happening, and Tippett was increasingly invisible for the Flyers leading up to this point.
The 27-year-old out late for Saturday's practice, which was the first indication that he would be out for Game 1 against the Hurricanes.
In his stead, we can expect that rookie Alex Bump remains in the lineup, Tyson Foerster moves up, and veteran Garnet Hathaway draws back in on the fourth line.
Sean Couturier - Luke Glendening - Garnet Hathaway
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Noah Juulsen
In the six games leading up to his injury, Tippett recorded one goal (empty-net) and one assist for the Flyers with a +2 rating and nine shots on goal.
Bump, 22, now playing in an expanded role, has one goal in two playoff games for the Flyers with a +1 rating and a hefty six shots on goal.
They were one shot away from sending their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers back to Pittsburgh for Game 7, but Cam York had other ideas, beating Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs at the end of the first overtime period. He fired a harmless-looking shot from the point, but it found the back of the net since Silovs was screened.
Penguins rookie forward Ben Kindel was on the ice for the goal after he was guilty of an icing that brought the faceoff back to the defensive zone. He ultimately lost the draw, and the Penguins couldn't clear the puck in time before York scored.
Kindel was asked about those two plays during Friday's locker cleanout day and delivered one heck of an answer.
“Still kind of sick to my stomach when you think about that last shift and how the season ended," Kindel said. "Nothing you can do about it now. Just look to use it as motivation in the future and in future years. And to do whatever you can to not let it end like that again.”
That's a player who is going to be a future leader on this team. It's also big that Kindel got to experience these high-stakes games so he could see what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are all about. Did he go pointless in six games? Yes, but I honestly thought he was getting better as the series went on.
He played well defensively and created some scoring chances as we got deeper into the series, especially in Game 6, when he nearly won it in OT. The series may have ended on a sour note for him and the team, but he's going to be totally fine.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) handles the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae (36) during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Kindel had a tremendous rookie season, finishing with 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games. He was the third-line center for most of the season and faced every challenge that came his way, passing each one with ease. Kindel really liked how everything went and also told reporters that he loves playing for the Penguins.
“It was great," Kindel said. "It was a great experience. A lot of fun. I love playing for this team. Great to get a first year under my belt in the NHL and see what it was like. I think I learned a lot.”
Kindel blew past everyone's expectations for him this season. It was widely expected that he would return to the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, but he kept improving throughout training camp and the preseason.
The coaching staff and front office rewarded him for his great September with a spot in the opening night lineup against the New York Rangers, and he impressed right away. Despite only playing in his first game, he looked like a seasoned veteran out there. He made all the right reads, was responsible in his own end, and was around the crease at times.
He built off that performance and scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 11 against that same Rangers team. He then kept getting even better, and the Penguins had no choice but to start his entry-level contract. He played in every situation throughout the season and will now go through his first offseason as an NHL player.
Kindel will undoubtedly be stronger for next season when it gets going in October. The fact that he's already this good and he's still only 19 is also crazy. There's a real chance that he scores 20-25 goals and puts up 60-65 points next season if he keeps developing well.
He's going to be an important player for a long time.
The Cincinnati Reds pitching staff accomplished something Saturday that hadn’t been done in more than 40 years.
Two Reds pitchers walked seven consecutive Pittsburgh Pirates hitters in the second inning of a May 2 game at PNC Park, tying an MLB record and turning what was already a rough afternoon into a historically bad day.
Starter Rhett Lowder and reliever Connor Phillips combined to walk seven consecutive Pirates with one out in the second inning. That included issuing the final four walks with the bases loaded. Between them, they threw 42 pitches and only 11 for strikes, according to MLB.com.
Lowder struck out leadoff hitter Oneil Cruz and then it went off the rails from there.
Lowder issued the first three walks before being pulled for Phillips. He came in with the bases loaded and walked four in a row, each one forcing in a run. Reliever Sam Moll finally stopped the bleeding. Entering the game with the bases loaded, he got both catcher Henry Davis and Cruz, batting for the second time that inning, to ground out.
After that inning, the Pirates led 10-3.
The MLB record for consecutive walks had last been set on May 25, 1983, when the Pirates walked seven consecutive Atlanta Braves batters. One of the pitchers that day happened to be named Bob Walk. On April 27, 1994, the Seattle Mariners walked six in a row, hit a batter and then walked the next batter in a 12-2 loss to the Yankees.
The Reds entered play Saturday having walked 11.6% of batters they faced this season, which was the fifth highest in baseball. Saturday, they showed just how much they struggle with the strike zone.
Lowder, 24, came in 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA, which ballooned to 5.09 after that inning. Phillips had been one of the more reliable arms in Cincinnati's bullpen before Saturday’s outing. He had walked just 15 in 17 appearances before Saturday.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 02: Nasim Nunez #26 of the Washington Nationals hits a single in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park on May 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As a fan of this team, all of the losing at home is getting old. The Nats have been playing a fun and aggressive brand of baseball on the road. However, they have treated their fans to some flat and sloppy baseball. Today was a perfect example of that. This game was there for the taking, but the Nats did not grab it.
They went 1/11 with runners in scoring position and only scored one run despite constantly getting the leadoff man on. It was not a blowout, but I think this was one of the Nats worst overall performances of the season. The pitching kept them in the game, but the bats went quiet and the gloves were mistake prone.
Final — Nationals lose 4-1 to the Brewers and drop to 3-12 at home.
The offense was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Left-hander Foster Griffin allowed three runs (0 earned) on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
It turned out that this game was decided in the first inning. After Foster Griffin got two quick outs, he ran into trouble, giving up one hit and two walks. However, with the bases loaded, he got a ground ball that should have ended the inning. Instead, an indecisive Brady House booted the ball, allowing a run to score and everyone to advance a base. Then Brandon Lockridge drove a single through the hole to score two more runners.
The game was now 3-0, but none of the runs were earned. It has been a really rough start to the season on the defensive side of the ball for Brady House. He looked rock solid last year, but now already has six errors in 2026. Coming into this game, House had posted -2 outs above average, a number that is likely to drop even further. It has been an all around regression on that side of the ball for the 22 year old.
Brady House's defense at third base this season has been flat out bad
It is still early, but you have to wonder if House’s job could be in jeopardy. Yohandy Morales has been hitting the cover off the ball in AAA and is deserving of an opportunity before too long. Between his poor defense and his issues with fastballs, House might need a re-set if this continues for much longer.
Outside of their 14 run outburst against the Mets, this offense has really cooled off. That was likely to be inevitable given the talent on the roster. It is still a bummer though. The lack of clutch hitting has been very frustrating lately.
One bright spot for today and the season as a whole is Foster Griffin. While Griffin did not have his best stuff or command, he was able to grind through six innings, and did not allow any earned runs. Griffin did not allow any runs at all after that unfortunate first inning.
Griffin only got two whiffs today, both on curveballs. However, he did a good job keeping the ball off the barrel. There was not a lot of loud contact given up by Griffin after that first inning. He was uncharacteristically wild, walking four batters, but that is an outlier for the normally precise Griffin.
Foster Griffin pitched well enough to get a win, but instead, he tasted defeat for the first time as a National. The disparity between how the Nats play at home compared to how they compete on the road is truly jarring. You would think a team would come out with more juice and energy in front of their home fans, but it has been the opposite for the Nats.
Tomorrow is going to be a really big game for them. They desperately need Zack Littell to step up and be the guy Paul Toboni signed him to be. He had a solid start against the Brewers the last time he pitched against them, so hopefully that can give him some confidence.
Today was yet another disappointing day at the yard for Nats fans. They will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow and avoid falling 10 games under .500 at home. This Nats team has shown some real positive signs, but the home losing is becoming a dark cloud for this group.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 01: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a 2 RBI home run against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Coors Field on May 01, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s beat the Rockies again tonight, but maybe don’t go down 5-0 in the first inning this time. Join us and discuss tonight’s game in the comments below!
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, May 2, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Location: Coors Field, Denver, CO
TV: BravesVision
Streaming: MLB.tv (and Braves.tv if you’re in-market, etc.)
May 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) celebrates his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
We ought to have a boilerplate template for 2026 Twins recaps, because it feels like every time the Twins lose this season, it’s for exactly the same reasons as I am about to describe. Another encouraging start from a young arm was emphatically erased by possibly the most predictably incompetent bullpen you’ve ever seen in your life, rendering any offensive contributions almost entirely meaningless. Sound familiar? Well, these were the same beats that played out in Saturday afternoon’s 11-4 Blue Jays victory, the 20th loss of Minnesota’s season, and another defeat that transpired for reasons that anyone could have seen coming.
In his third major-league start, Connor Prielipp went another five innings and only allowed three hits, although two were homers (Lenyn Sosa and Myles Straw, both in the second inning.) The Jays generated five hard-hit balls off the young lefty, who walked two and only struck out four in a 91-pitch outing, which is the longest of his professional career.
When he left, Minnesota even had a 4-2 lead. Byron Buxton had started the game with a leadoff bomb to right, his 10th homer of the year, and latest offensive outburst in a scorching-hot stretch that has raised his OPS back up to .857. The Twins added two more in the second, with a pair of runners scoring on a Brooks Lee single + Vladdy Jr. throwing error. Add on an RBI single from Trevor Larnach in the fifth, and Minnesota had pole position going into the later innings.
This has happened before, and it will happen again, and the usual suspects will be involved.
Toronto got one back as soon as the doors to Derek’s Magical Arm Barn opened; the homer-happy Kazuma Okamoto tagged Justin Topa for his 8th of the year with one out in the sixth. Okay, 4-3, you say. Not bad.
Bad!
BAD!!!
It could have been 10-3. It could have been 10-3, brother. And the Twins would have lost this game anyway.
That’s because the wheels came off completely in a marathon 8-run 8th inning for the third-place Jays. It’s an inning that behests bullet-pointing brather than a bregular baragraph. Let’s take a look at the highlights real quick before we get you the heck out of here.
Eighth inning begins. Luis Garcia enters. (Why?!)
Ernie Clement singles
Vladdy Jr. walks
Okamoto ties the game with a shot back up the middle off Luke Keaschall. 4-4.
Lenyn Sosa drops an infield single into the mix and scores Vladdy from third. 5-4.
Anthony Banda comes in. At least we tried, Luis!
Daulton Varsho reaches and everybody’s safe on a fielder’s choice attempt that ends in an Anthony Banda error.
Myles Straw walks and everybody moves up. 6-4 Jays.
Davis Schneider smacks a two-run double to left. 8-4 Jays. Two runners still in scoring position.
Brandon Valenzuela ropes a three-run homer to center. 11-4 Jays, although at this point, it would be reasonable to assume that nobody is keeping score anymore.
Three quick outs are then recorded. Presumably the Jays got bored.
It may not surprise you to learn that the Twins did not reach base for the rest of the game.
The team is ass.
STUDS:
RP John Klein (IP, 0 R in his major-league debut. For this bullpen, stud-worthy.)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 10: Baylor Scheierman #55 and Luka Garza #52 of the Boston Celtics smiles against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 10, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BOSTON — The Celtics will roll out a completely new starting lineup when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night for Game 7.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will start as per usual.
In addition, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., and Luka Garza will start in place of Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta.
The Celtics are rolling out a stunning starters lineup:
Jaylen Brown Derrick White Baylor Scheierman Ron Harper Jr. Luka Garza
Tatum will miss his first game in these playoffs with what Joe Mazzulla described as “back-of-knee” tightness. Tatum is day-to-day after being ruled out two hours before tip-off. Hauser and Queta, meanwhile, will come off the bench.
Garza, Scheierman, and Harper Jr led the Celtics to victory in the final game of the regular season, beating the Orlando Magic. Now, those guys get a chance to save the Celtics season.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 21: Brennan Bernardino #83 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on April 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies had a prime opportunity to steal the series opener at home against the Atlanta Braves. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead but then, they saw the opportunity walk away. Literally.
Crucial walks in the eighth and ninth innings put the Rox in danger and ultimately behind in a game where they cranked their win probability up to 96.0% at one point. Alas, leads can be fleeting at Coors, especially when a team doesn’t score again after the second inning.
The Rockies managed a 13-15 record in April, avoiding sustained losing streaks outside of a six-game skid. To get May off on the right foot, they’ll try to nip the losses in the bud and take at least one of the next two against Atlanta.
Unfortunately, on Fourth Wing Night at Coors Field on Saturday, the Rockies hitters encounter a challenge tougher than crossing the parapet: facing Chris Sale. Sale has been stellar this year (5-1 in six games started, 2.31 ERA). He’s been incredibly efficient in so many metrics, boasting a sub-1.00 WHIP so far — currently holding at 0.914 — along with 38 strikeouts and just nine walks.
Outside of a bumpy outlier game in which he gave up six runs on two dingers to the Los Angeles Angels in early April, Sale has been the epitome of consistency. In the other five games, he’s given up either just one run or none at all. For the cherry on top, he’s sitting on a .185 batting average against. Father Time has not slowed the 16-year veteran down at all, as he continues to be just incredibly stingy. That’s historically carried through against the Rockies, where Sale is 1-1 with a 1.48 ERA across five games, including 0-1 with a 1.74 ERA at Coors.
The Rockies will try and counter with a steady presence of their own. Despite Chase Dollander getting his first start in his last outing against the New York Mets, the Rockies will go back to their opener + Dollander approach, with Brennan Bernardino kicking things off tonight. The last time Colorado looked to use Bernardino and Dollander as a dynamic duo (April 4th against the Philadelphia Phillies), it turned into a trio. Bernardino gave up a walk followed by an early run, forcing an appearance from Jimmy Herget to better set up Dollander to enter in the third.
Across the year, Bernardino is 2-0 in 14 games with the one start and a 0.71 ERA over 12.2 IP. He’s looked sharp and will try to move quickly through a hot top of the order for the Braves.
While it looked like Dollander moved closer to securing a full-time starter role like many hoped, his lone start might have been forced by the doubleheader, as he slots back into his bulk relief role today. For his part, Dollander is 3-2 through seven games, posting a 2.25 ERA over 32.0 IP. Atlanta will be one of his toughest tests so far as he continues to make his case for a spot in the rotation.
The Rockies found a spark and got the bats going early yesterday. Their six runs gave them a chance. That many may be harder to come by given the matchup, but they’ll look to hang around in what should be an intriguing pitching matchup on both sides.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) reacts after a fly out against Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (16-17) vs. Texas Rangers (16-16)
Time/Place: 7:15 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Lone Star Ball Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (1-2, 4.00 ERA) vs. RHP Kumar Rocker (1-2, 3.38 ERA)
