Calgary Flames (1-5, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (6-2, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Calgary Flames take on the Vegas Golden Knights in Pacific Division action on Thursday.
Vegas is 3-1-0 against the Pacific Division and 6-2 overall. The Golden Knights are 2-1-0 in games they score at least one power-play goal.
Calgary has a 1-4-0 record in Pacific Division play and a 1-5 record overall. The Flames have conceded 29 goals while scoring 12 for a -17 scoring differential.
Thursday's game is the first time these teams match up this season.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: Parker Wotherspoon: out (upper body), Lukas Cormier: out (undisclosed), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).
Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau: out (hip), Samuel Honzek: out (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The last five decades of basketball have included Steve Kerr as a central figure in a variety of ways. Let’s count a few.
By the mid-80s, Kerr had become a known name at the University of Arizona. Kerr twice was an All-Pac-12 First Team selection, tore his ACL playing for Team USA following his breakout junior year, and came back to help lead the Wildcats to the Final Four. He then was the very last pick of the second round in the 1988 NBA Draft, No. 50 overall.
It took until Kerr’s fourth team, the Chicago Bulls, for him to find his home in the NBA. Kerr played for three teams in his first five years in the NBA and averaged 5.0 points and 15.5 minutes per game. In his first season with the Chicago Bulls, Kerr scored 8.6 points per game and averaged 24.8 minutes. That was his first of three straight championships in Chicago from 1996 through 98.
When the Bulls dispersed, Kerr went to San Antonio and won his fourth straight title to close out the 90s and won his fifth in his final season as a player with the 2002-03 Spurs. He began broadcasting alongside Marv Albert in 2003 and left in 2007 to become the general manager of the Phoenix Suns, where in three seasons they had a win percentage of 63.0 (155-91).
Kerr took his first crack at coaching going into the 2014-15 season and has been the Warriors’ head coach ever since. The Warriors won their first championship in 40 years in Kerr’s first season, which started a run of five straight trips to the NBA Finals and three more rings for his fingers.
He has one finger free after the Warriors’ championship in 2022, making Kerr a nine-time champion – five as a player and four as a coach. He also thought his days coaching the Warriors might have reached the end of the road at the end of last season. Kerr is back, signing up for his 13th and 14th seasons coaching the Warriors, and with his return, we have five questions for him on the current and future state of the NBA.
All questions were part of an exclusive interview with myself, Kerr and Bonta Hill in Hawaii during Warriors training camp, except for the third, which was a question of mine at a recent practice.
Where do you see this league in five years when it comes to offensive principles?
“I mean, it’s always hard to predict those things, but the trends of pace and space continue to evolve. It’s not necessarily like analytically you’re tracking speed and pace. It’s more what are teams running to kind of emphasize those concepts, and what I’m seeing is fewer play calls and more flow basketball, more concepts just being executed.
“And the faster the game, the more difficult it is to get organized. So you have to figure that out without slowing down a called play, and that’s a lot of what we’re working on right now.”
Are you seeing a little bit, though, of a big man revolution at the same time, where a lot of teams are going two-big at times, but there’s still the pace and space too? What’s the balance there right now in the NBA?
“I think for a while everybody thought going small was the best way to go. Now teams are playing the same style, but with bigger players. So ideally, if you can play with pace and space with four guys who are seven feet tall, hell yeah, let’s do that.
“But I think what’s happening is the younger players who are big with size, guys like Karl Anthony Towns or Victor Wembanyama, they’re growing up shooting threes and handling the ball and making plays. So you’re seeing a whole generation of young players come up with a different skill level than when my generation was coming up, where it was more specialized, you know, specific to certain positions.
“It’s positionless basketball. But man, these guys are more skilled than ever, and such big size. It’s really impressive.”
You talk a lot about how skilled today’s players are. What is the one skill most required to have success in today’s NBA?
“I don’t know if there’s one, but I think compared to the old days, it’s hard to be a specialist anymore. In the old days, like everyone had three seven-foot guys who they knew their job was to guard Patrick Ewing, or Shaq, or Hakeem [Olajuwon], and that was why they were on the team. Today, that specialization doesn’t really exist nearly as much.
“No matter what position you play, you need to be able to process and understand the game better. It’s faster. Decision making happens quicker. … I said this to you guys the other day: My checklist is dribble, pass, shoot, and process. Today’s players need to do all four of those things pretty well, and if not well, then they have to do them serviceably to be able to survive.”
Are we moving closer to covering the game the right way in terms of the media base? Because it feels like the playoffs were a lot of fun to watch. People focused on San Antonio and the Knicks and the way they played, and OKC or whatnot. What do you think of all that?
“I honestly think that we are, all of us in the NBA, we’re all part of a soap opera. Like, we are. It’s not just a sport. You look at the way fashion is now covered in the NBA. That’s impacted what guys are wearing to the game. That’s brought in a lot of other fans who maybe otherwise wouldn’t have been interested. The day-to-day soap opera of conflict and style and everything in between, it’s actually good for the league.
“It draws a lot of attention. It draws a lot of ratings. The flip side is for the players and the coaches, you got to have thick skin, and ignorance is bliss. I don’t look at any of that stuff on social media, so that part’s good. But it’s never been more difficult to be an athlete in today’s age because of the vitriol, the anger they get, and so we try to help our guys understand that this is part of the machine.
“This is part of the soap opera. You have to embrace it, but don’t take it very seriously. The only people that matter are at your home and in the gym.”
Between the Bulls, the Spurs, and the Warriors, you’ve been with all these dynasties. The way the league is now, though, is the parity good? Is it good for the league, and will we ever see another dynasty the way the league is now?
“It’s a good question. I think you have to get into the CBA dynamics. I don’t like the fact that once you build a good team, you have to start getting rid of players. I would like to see teams able to hang on to their players, like what we’ve done. I mean, it’s so special for our fans to have watched Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green] together for 15 years now, and for a long time, Andre [Iguodala] and Klay [Thompson] and the whole group. Seems like that may be more difficult than ever to accomplish.
“I like parity, but I’d like to see teams be able to stick together too.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 13, 2026 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On a night dominated by the apparent status of Kristaps Porzingis, the absence of the Latvian big was felt at times during the Golden State Warriors’ 101-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Steve Kerr’s intention to spread the floor in a so-called ‘5-out’ alignment banked on players who are able to space to floor — including their center. Porzingis happens to fit that profile, while also being 7-foot-3-inches. Without Porzingis — and also not having Al Horford available tonight — the Warriors were not only small, they were bereft of shooting and spacing personnel.
That was apparent at times during this game, where the Warriors were able to rally back from a significant deficit, albeit during a time when both teams’ main characters’ nights were finished (one of them, Luka Doncic, did not suit up for the Lakers).
Once again, it was rookie Yaxel Lendeborg who stood out. He finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in just under 24 minutes of time on the floor. He once again flashed familiarity and comfort as an offensive player within Steve Kerr’s often-intricate scheme while displaying motor and hustle that gave the Warriors a couple of second-chance points.
Yaxel goodness:
1. Makes the skip to the corner upon seeing the double
2. Hustles to get the ball back, leads to a Podz 3 https://t.co/ReLSLq4pZE
Lendeborg’s touted versatility as an offensive operator was apparent tonight. As an off-ball spacer, he has been showing promise, especially off of Steph Curry’s on-ball adventures through the pick-and-roll. Lendeborg can be a corner spacer taking advantage of ‘tag’ situations, as he does below:
Steph high PnR on the SLOB, Yaxel on the weak side corner. His man tags, pass to Yaxel in the corner and drills the three.
Spacing option. https://t.co/wTE2YtWddN
Interestingly, Lendeborg can also be the main character in a spread pick-and-roll configuration, with Curry playing the role of mostly standstill spacer. Lendeborg has on-ball juice and the handle to be able to keep such possessions stable, while also making use of change-of-pace craft in order to create a window for him to score up close:
Kerr yells "Thumb up Charles" for a spread angle PnR with Bassey as the screener for Yaxel.
Again, the trust in Yaxel in PnR reps has been intriguing, with Steph as a standstill floor spacer. Yaxel comes off the screen, gets in the paint, sees Kessler meeting him to contest but Yaxel uses the Pinoy step to bump Kessler and get him up in the air to create the window.
There is plenty of evidence with regard to Lendeborg’s role versatility on offense. Perhaps his most important role in a Curry offense is as a screener, either on or off the ball. Off the ball screening provides Lendeborg ample opportunity to take advantage of Curry’s gravity through slipped screens and subsequent cuts toward the rim:
Dubs go to their "2" action with Gui playing the Draymond role as the elbow hub. Yaxel slips inside, catches the pass and finishes against contact. https://t.co/29fNMayCmV
There are, however, points of improvement for the young rookie. Lendeborg has work to do on the other end of the floor. He has the length and athleticism to make eye-popping defensive plays, but occasionally the little details escape him.
He has a knack for being out of position when defending the ball. He has a habit of standing straight up in lieu of being in a proper defensive stance. He can be caught with one foot leading out, enabling ball handlers to blow past him and taking advantage of his slow hip swivel.
Yaxel point of improvement: defends the PnR, gets switched onto Reaves, front foot leading out, gets blown by. Hip slow to open up. Positionally needs to be better. https://t.co/FaM6yjHCzy
Overall, Lendeborg has shown much more good than either bad or mediocre, which is a promising indicator of his ability to contribute right away — important, given the dearth of top-flight personnel surrounding Curry. However, Kerr made it a point that the team is far from where they want to be, although stating that they were ‘working on the right things.’
Steve Kerr a week prior to the opener: “We’re not anywhere close to where we want to be, but we’re working on the right things.” https://t.co/6ux63RSDqL
Following a brief two-game Canadian road trip where they took four of four points from the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames on Friday and Saturday, respectively, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the very same Flames team on Tuesday night at Honda Center.
Their two points proved rather costly for Anaheim on Saturday, however, as throughout the game, they lost the services of both forward Cutter Gauthier and center Ryan Poehling. Gauthier remains “day-to-day” with an upper-body injury and was unavailable for this game. Poehling will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a sprained MCL.
Ducks top prospect Roger McQueen was recalled from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL to replace Poehling on the Ducks’ listed third line and made his NHL debut in this game. Also making his season debut was Drew Helleson on the blueline, who had been sidelined since Sept. 20 with a lower-body injury.
Calgary entered this game hungry, as one of just three winless teams in the NHL and the only team without a point through five games.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Killorn-Carlsson-Sennecke
Nesterenko-Granlund-Colangelo
Vatrano-McQueen-Greer
Malott-Washe-Caulfield
LaCombe-Warren
Mintyukov-Helleson
Hinds-Luneau
Lukas Dostal started in net for the Ducks for the fifth time in six games. He saved 32 of the 35 shots he faced. He was opposed in the Calgary crease by Dustin Wolf, who stopped 22 of 24.
“We had all new lines today,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game of his team’s performance. “The other night, we didn’t generate a lot. There were a lot of bounce-ins, a lot of scrappy stuff in the offensive zone both ways. The quality tonight, they got a lot of point shots through; we weren’t in lanes. We could have been better in that area.
“It wasn’t like we gave up a ton, so it’s one of those games at the end of the year, you’ll say, ‘Geez, we left one on the table.’”
Game Notes
The Ducks were outworked from the start in this game by a well-coached, hungry Flames team that doesn’t have the high-end offensive talent the Ducks have, but whose five-man defensive habits can keep them in games such as this one until they find their breaks. The Ducks’ lack of forward depth and secondary scoring was exposed a bit in this one, as only one or two players were consistently dangerous.
Defensive Zone Coverage: Again, breakouts and decision-making with pucks on the Ducks’ sticks became their undoing and led to several instances of extended zone time for the Flames and numerous quality looks. Anaheim did well to recover back to the middle and into lanes from broken board plays until fatigue set in.
Poehling’s presence was certainly felt in these instances, as he’s a vital key to what the Ducks are trying to accomplish on the ice in their end. Carlsson and Granlund did well to remain low in coverage and protect the inner slot, but Poehling has the ability to not only do those things, but provide a disruptive presence along the perimeter which sparks turnovers, exits, and transition offense.
The Ducks only won 43% of face-offs in this game, which isn’t a major contributing factor to their loss, but when the first 5-15 seconds of shifts from offensive drivers are spent trying to win pucks back, the impact of said players is ultimately greatly limited.
Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke was the Ducks’ best player in this game, hands down. He was incredibly disruptive at both bluelines, forcing turnovers in some of the most dangerous areas of the ice with outstanding consistency. He’s added elements of speed to his game, which, when combined with his puck skill and manipulation capabilities, is proving a deadly combination. He’s endlessly creative, and the attention he garners in the offensive zone unlocked aspects of Leo Carlsson’s cycle game at points early in the game.
Leo Carlsson: Carlsson notched a pretty power play goal, showed some promising cycle tendencies with improved edges in tight spaces, and played a sound game above the puck on the defensive end. However, these are the kinds of games in which the Ducks need Carlsson to take over like the $18 million AAV superstar talent he is.
Too often in this game, he was a passenger on Sennecke’s line rather than an equal share driver. When he isn’t as puck-dominant, Carlsson will have to find more clever ways to fill lanes, become more involved offensively than we saw from him in this game, and show a higher motor to win pucks back and win one-on-one battles with more consistency.
Lukas Dostal: For the vast majority of the early season and this particular game, Dostal put forth a quality effort, made some tough saves look easy, and controlled play to a high level from within and surrounding the crease. However, the inability to make a save on a somewhat routine shot that became the Flames game-winning goal proved a costly mistake by the Ducks’ No.1. At a critical juncture in the game, when momentum seemed to be finally swinging the Ducks’ way, Martin Pospisil was able to slide one through Dostal’s legs during a 1v3 sequence, in transition, from just outside of the strong-side faceoff dot.
Roger McQueen: McQueen only played 11:26 TOI in his NHL debut, including 2:02 on the power play, in the net-front role. He generated one shot on three attempts and was part of some quality, effortful slot plays on his line. He wasn’t able to find much of a rhythm with the amount of penalties taken in totality, and his puck touches were expectedly limited, given the role of his line and the play style of his linemates.
Some promising factors that were on display were on the defensive side of the puck, where his angling, habits, and reach were a presence in the middle third of the ice. He backchecked smartly, covering vast amounts of ice and eliminating passing, shooting, and skating lanes alike. He’s showing a higher NHL floor than expected and could evolve into a two-way dominant player with proper development.
The Ducks will look to get back in the win column on Friday, when the Boston Bruins make their way to Honda Center for a 7 pm PST puck drop.
The San Jose Sharks hosted the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night as the "main event" of the NHL's annual Frozen Frenzy. For just one night, Sharks fans were wishing for the 7:30 PM start of years' past, but instead the puck didn't drop until 8. Yaroslav Askarov was back between the pipes for the Sharks, while Jeremy Swayman stood directly across from him at the other end of the ice.
Boston's new captain David Pastrnak was sent to the penalty box at 4:44 in the first period for high-sticking the Sharks' new captain Macklin Celebrini. Although the Sharks sustained some pressure in the offensive zone with the man advantage, the Bruins were able to kill off the penalty successfully.
Roughly eight minutes into the period, Igor Chernyshov had a tremendous individual effort to force a turnover at the blue line, complete a spinning pass to Will Smith and nearly got the Sharks on the board but whiffed on his one-timer attempt. Less than a minute later, it seemed like the Bruins had taken a 1-0 lead with a shot from Mason Lohrei, but the referee immediately signaled no goal and disallowed it. At 12:55 in the first period, the Bruins did get their lead though as Fraser Minten fired a shot from distance that beat Askarov to make it 1-0.
The Sharks' power play got another chance with 6:33 remaining in the period, as veteran defenseman Nikita Zadorov was penalized for hooking. Two seconds after the penalty expired, Jacob Trouba scored with a rocket of a one-timer from the point that sailed past Swayman and into the nylon.
Charlie McAvoy restored the Bruins' lead after a broken play in front of the Sharks' net led to a mad scramble. The Sharks had a couple of opportunities to get the puck out of a dangerous area, but instead kept the puck right in front of the net where the Bruins could capitalize.
Zadorov went back to the penalty box early in the second period after he tripped up Macklin Celebrini. That power play ultimately led to a special moment, as Ivar Stenberg scored his first career goal on a deflection to tie things up at 2-2. Watch the goal here:
Matthew Poitras then restored the Bruins' lead, making it a 3-2 game right before the halfway point.
Stenberg took a hooking penalty at 12:01 of the second period, sending the Bruins to their first power play of the night. During the penalty kill, Jacob Trouba and Fraser Minton took offsetting penalties for their part in a scrum.
Moments after the Sharks' penalty expired, Mark Kastelic laid a heavy hit on Celebrini at the blue line. In retaliation, Will Smith cross-checked Kastelic from behind and sent the Sharks back to the penalty kill. While it's great to see a player stand up for their captain, taking a bad penalty in retaliation for a clean hit while behind by a goal likely wasn't the best decision. Ultimately, all it meant was two minutes of defensive hockey as the Sharks killed off Smith's penalty as well.
With three seconds remaining in the second period, Pavel Zacha scored his second of the season to make it a 4-2 lead for the Bruins.
Boston gave the Sharks an opportunity to get momentum back on their side as they took a bench minor for too many men, and they did just that. At 5:04 in the third period, just 11 seconds into the power play, Macklin Celebrini scored his second of the season to bring the Sharks within a single goal.
Darnell Nurse dropped the gloves with Nikita Zadorov to try to spark some momentum, but instead Nurse went down the tunnel after he appeared to hit his head on Zadorov's takedown. Nurse skated to the penalty box momentarily during a TV timeout before once again heading to the Sharks' locker room.
Will Borgen sealed the game for Boston with an empty net goal to make it a 6-3 game, ending the Sharks' slim chances of a comeback.
After a disappointing overtime loss in Vegas, the Los Angeles Kings returned home to face their rival, hoping to grab their first win of the season, but it didn't go as planned.
The Kings (0-3-2) fell to the Edmonton Oilers (5-0-1) 4-1, dropping to 0-3-2, their worst start in franchise history, and remaining one of two winless teams in the league, alongside the Philadelphia Flyers.
Edmonton was doing all this with several players out due to injury, still wearing the Kings' number and continuing to dominate them, not just win, but take their hearts out in almost every matchup in recent memory.
Still, the Kings had no answer for Conor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, who both scored in the first period along with Vasily Podkolzin to give Edmonton a 3-0 lead in a span of eight minutes.
It didn't seem like things could get worse than they already were, especially at Crypto.com Arena, but the visiting team played like it was their own, and now, a week into the 2026-27 season, they look even worse than their awful start last year.
Many of the issues that were ailing the Kings continued in this game. After an excellent outing under center against Vegas, Darcy Kuemper didn't make much of an impact tonight, and the rest of the defense struggled as well.
It was one of those nights when, even at home, the Kings looked uncomfortable and disorganized, with their team chemistry off the rails, allowing the Oilers to snatch their heart out in just the first period.
Despite outshouting the visiting team 12-7, the home team still trailed 3-0 after 20 minutes, as McDavid and Draisaitl were a mismatch and a weapon on ice for the Kings.
In the second period, the Oilers went quiet, getting sloppy with the puck for nearly the entire 20 minutes, and the Kings finally responded. After an excellent play from Brandt Clarke, who used his edges to keep the puck high on the 5-on-5, the Kings scored their first of the season in the last seven periods.
LAK Goal - There's one!
Excellent play by Clarke, using his edges to protect the puck up high and his shot goes off Levi and in. Kings with a lifeline, 3-1.
The rest of the period went quiet; LA got within two, trailing 3-1 after 40 minutes at Crypto.
LA got several close looks at the net in the final period, with Eric Haula and Adrian Kempe hitting the post and potentially cutting the deficit. All game, the Kings got good looks, which is why they finished with a season-high 40 shots on goal, but they still managed just one goal.
It was more encouraging; the silver and black were playing faster and moving the puck around, but the shot selection wasn't there.
With Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, and Adrian Kempe on ice, the trio had 19 shot attempts but nothing to show for it. This has arguably been the team's best line, but one goal on the 5-on-5 isn't going to cut it.
The power play killed any comeback for the Kings; they had several opportunities, but finishing 0-for-4 isn't the answer, especially against a high-powered Oilers team that scores efficiently.
Edmonton sealed the deal for good, converting on an empty net to close out the game 4-1 and silence the fans at Crypo.com.
The Kings weren't done any favors with their opening schedule.
Four of their five opponents have a better-than-.500 record to start the season; it's not that hard to look at the Kings' schedule and explain the winless start. The Avs, Golden Knights, and Oilers are widely considered three of the top teams in the Western Conference, and two of those games were played on the road.
And the schedule isn't getting any easier. The Kings play Boston on Saturday, Washington on Tuesday, and the Islanders on Thursday.
But the schedule isn't the number one priority for this team right now; it's their horrendous defense, goaltending, and shot selection, as they have scored just one goal in their third straight games.
Every loss puts pressure on what the Kings' management and ownership should do next. The team has already had three coaches in the last three seasons, which hasn't helped much since Peter Laviolette was hired.
After barely making the postseason last time, it won't be as easy this season, with teams improving and LA losing. At some point, the Kings just need to capture their first win.
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As a team, the Vegas Golden Knights feel they can come back from any deficit. However, they’d rather not, because they’re one of the best teams in the league at defending a lead. On Tuesday, they entered the third period up 3-2 over the Nashville Predators, and they made the most of it.
When teams have the lead, they tend to sit back and focus on defending their net. Tonight, the Golden Knights did none of that. Instead, they attacked in waves and continuously looked to extend their lead.
“Real good third period, obviously,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin following the 5-2 win. “Hiller made some huge saves for us that gave us some momentum. And the penalty came up big in a few different areas of the game.”
“I think the best part was coming out of the 3rd, not taking our foot off the gas, and bringing our game to another level,” said Brett Howden. “It’s tough on a back-to-back sometimes, but I thought we put the pedal down and did a good job of finishing it off the right way.”
1. Bandaid
It’s still early in the season, but thus far, there have been stretches where the Golden Knights have struggled to stop the bleeding. Last night, the Golden Knights took a penalty two minutes and 45 seconds after allowing the first goal of the game. Their penalty kill, which had previously been so strong, crumbled under pressure. The two-goal deficit quickly turned into three, and that hole proved to be too deep.
Tonight, they found themselves in a very similar situation when Brett Howden took a penalty just 41 seconds after the Golden Knights conceded the first goal of the game.
This time, the Golden Knights’ penalty kill came through. Following a strong kill, Raphael Lavoie took it the other way and fed Tomáš Hertl for the equalizer.
“That’s something we talked about this morning,” said Rasmus Andersson following the win. “We can’t let it snowball, right? If we let in one, then we can’t let in the second or third right after. Tommy comes up with a huge 1-1 goal there, and gives us a little bit of momentum.”
2. Momentum Killer
The penalty kill wasn’t just crucial in stopping the bleeding; it also swung momentum in the first period. Funnily enough, the Golden Knights generated quite a bit of offense from their penalty kill, including their second goal of the night.
“We scored right after two penalty kills,” said head coach Ryan Craig. “When you do the job on the kill and then get that response, it can be deflating to a team.”
Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Predators boasted the league’s fourth-ranked power play. But tonight, the Golden Knights won the special-teams battle, going 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
“The penalty kill was huge,” said Noah Hanifin. “And they’ve got a good power play over there. But we stuck with it and got a couple goals shortly after the kill. Building momentum, that’s what it’s all about. When you’re on the penalty kill, you’re making sure you’re giving your team some momentum. I thought the group did that tonight, and it paid off for us.”
3. Offense From Defense
With the likes of Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone, the Golden Knights have a pretty lethal forward group. But when they’re really humming, the defense is chipping in offensively. That happened tonight, and the defense combined for five points.
Rasmus Andersson led the way with two assists, one coming on William Karlsson’s game-winning goal. Brayden McNabb and Noah Hanifin each recorded a primary assist, and Dylan Coghlan provided an assist as well.
The defensemen didn’t just contribute offensively— they did so at key moments in the game. Just as Ivan Barbashev’s holding penalty expired, Jack Eichel found Brayden McNabb in transition. McNabb carried the puck up ice and fed Eichel as the center drove the net. Eichel redirected it past Juuse Saros, and the Golden Knights took their first lead of the night.
Noah Hanifin’s contribution, too, came when the Golden Knights needed it most. They led 3-2, but the Predators were pushing for the equalizer early in the third period. The Golden Knights responded with a good shift in the offensive zone, and Hanifin capped it off by finding Trevor Connelly all alone for a one-timer.
“You know, sometimes, when you’re in those tight games, you tend to [take your foot off the gas],“ said Noah Hanifin following the 5-2 win. “I thought we did a good job staying on our toes, getting after them, playing in the offensive zone and generating some good looks. It was a really good third period for us.”
Lakers center Walker Kessler and Warriors center Charles Bassey chase a loose ball in the first half Tuesday. (David Becker / AP)
The plan for the Lakers had been to turn their fourth preseason game into a dress rehearsal for the upcoming season.
But that was not the case.
The Lakers did get the preseason debut of center Walker Kessler on Tuesday night, a good sign for them to see their biggest acquisition of the summer play.
But on the flip side, Luka Doncic didn’t play in the Lakers’ 101-89 loss to the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena because he was resting.
“He’s not injured, just getting the night off,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
So, it was left up to Kessler, Austin Reaves and the rest of the available Lakers to sort things out. And Reaves and Kessler were on point.
In just his second preseason game, Reaves was doing his thing, scoring 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting, including four for seven on three-pointers, with seven assists and four rebounds. But forced to handle the ball more with Doncic out, Reaves also had seven turnovers.
Kessler started and had 11 points, nine rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in 16 minutes.
For the Lakers, it was good to see Kessler on the court. They gave up a lot to get him from the Utah Jazz — two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps and then signing him to a four-year, $130-million contract.
Kessler played in just five games last season with the Jazz recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
He missed the first three Lakers preseason games with a left pinky injury.
Kessler yearned to play again.
“Yeah, I mean it was a lot of fun being out there again,” he said. “It’s been so long. Before the game I was actually pretty nervous, to be honest. But, getting out there and just playing with the guys, it was a blast. I can’t really, you know speak to…I think I have a certain presence on the floor, but I think my teammates around me did a great job of playing defense on the perimeter. I think we shared the ball really well tonight. Just how it was, especially in the first half. It was a lot of fun.”
He began his night with a defensive rebound, which allowed the Lakers to set up their offense early in the first quarter.
Kessler then cut to the basket, took a pass from Reaves and scored on a layup, his first points of the preseason.
His second basket was a left-handed layup early in the second quarter. Shortly after, Kessler blocked a shot by Warriors center Charles Bassey from behind, a display of his defensive presence.
Another good sign, less than a minute later, was when Kessler got an offensive rebound and bounded back up for a dunk.
When the Warriors went to their small-ball lineup in the first quarter, it meant the 7-foot-2 Kessler would be tested on defense, because his man was 6-2 Gary Payton II. It meant Kessler was forced to play defense on the perimeter and not down low where the Lakers prefer him.
Still, Kessler held his own.
Lakers forward Arthur Kaluma drives the ball against Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg during the first half Tuesday. (David Becker / AP)
While he was out and unable to play, Kessler learned a few things about himself.
“Yeah, I think what I missed most was competing,” Kessler said. “Quite frankly, competing to win, and I think as far as making me a better basketball player, I just think it has made me long to go try to win every game and win every night. So returning, I think it makes me a little better basketball player.”
The Lakers lost to the Warriors for the second time this preseason. Their other two games were victories over the Sacramento Kings. They play one more preseason game, Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena, and then open the season against the Warriors at home on Oct. 21.
Before the game, Redick said the plan was for the Lakers to “continue to work on us.”
“We have kind of circled this game, not as a full dress rehearsal, just in terms of our scout presentation, but we gave the guys a sample of that this morning and at shootaround,” Redick said. “Not as much game-planning necessarily, but just kind of the sequencing of how we present prior to a game. We’ll do the same thing pregame with a brief personnel tape. We just want to get better. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. We want to get healthy, we want to get better, we want to continue to build our fitness and cardio level and find a rhythm. And it’s been a little disjointed with having some guys out.”
Redick said rookie Cameron Carr, guard Collin Sexton (lower leg) and forwards Ziaire Williams (right foot contusion) and Adou Thiero (undisclosed) “are still day to day” with their injuries.
The Calgary Flames finally have a win to their name.
After opening the season with five straight losses, the Flames picked up their first victory of the season with a 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Tuesday night.
It was a much-needed response from Calgary, which showed a noticeable improvement in its overall game. The Flames generated consistent offensive pressure, outshot Anaheim and did a better job limiting the Ducks’ chances at five-on-five.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Adam Klapka opened the scoring in the first period, Aydar Suniev continued his strong start since being recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, and Martin Pospisil scored the late go-ahead goal to secure the win.
The Flames also had to overcome a difficult stretch in the opening period after Anaheim capitalized on its opportunities to take the lead.
Calgary got off to a strong start, opening the scoring at 8:32 of the first period. After establishing a forecheck and creating pressure in the offensive zone, Klapka collected the puck in the high slot and beat Lukas Dostal with a hard wrist shot for his second goal of the season.
The Ducks responded at 12:09 during a four-on-four sequence. Beckett Sennecke picked off Simon Nemec at the Anaheim blue line and broke in alone on Dustin Wolf. Using his speed, Sennecke moved from backhand to forehand before beating Wolf to tie the game 1-1.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Anaheim took the lead less than two minutes later on the power play. Leo Carlsson received a pass from Mikael Granlund, skated into the hash marks and picked the top corner over Wolf at 14:05. The goal was Carlsson’s second of the season and gave the Ducks a 2-1 advantage.
Despite surrendering two goals in the opening period, Calgary responded with a much stronger second frame.
The Flames generated several quality chances during a five-on-three power play but couldn’t find the equalizer. However, they capitalized shortly after Anaheim returned to full strength.
Calgary continued to dictate the pace, outshooting Anaheim 21-8 at that point in the game. The physicality also picked up midway through the period, with Klapka and Jeff Malott dropping the gloves.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The teams remained tied heading into the third period, setting the stage for a late breakthrough from the visitors.
Pospisil provided the decisive moment at 15:37. The forward carried the puck into the offensive zone with speed, drove wide and sent a low shot through Dostal’s five-hole to give Calgary a 3-2 lead.
Yegor Sharangovich added an empty net goal as the Flames held on, closing out the victory and putting an end to their winless start.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Three Takeaways
1. Penalties nearly cost the Flames early
Calgary’s opening goal gave the team an early boost, but three first-period penalties disrupted its momentum and allowed Anaheim to take control of the scoreboard.
The Ducks made the Flames pay, tying the game during a four-on-four sequence before taking the lead on the power play.
Special teams remain an important area for Calgary to clean up. The improved effort at five-on-five was encouraging, but the Flames cannot afford to give opponents repeated opportunities to swing games in their favour.
The difference on Tuesday was that Calgary responded instead of letting the early deficit dictate the rest of the night.
The young forward scored his second career NHL goal, finishing a pass from Strome with a quick one-timer to bring Calgary level in the second period.
Since being recalled from the Wranglers, Suniev has recorded two goals and an assist in three games. He has shown an ability to get his shot off quickly and put himself in dangerous scoring areas, giving Calgary another option offensively.
The early production is encouraging, particularly for a team searching for more consistent offence. Suniev is making a strong case for an extended look with the big club.
3. Adam Klapka brings plenty of bite to the lineup
Klapka made his presence felt throughout the night.
The forward opened the scoring with a strong shot from the high slot and added another physical element by dropping the gloves with Malott in the second period.
Entering the game among the league leaders in penalty minutes, Klapka continues to bring a combination of size, physicality and offensive ability to Calgary’s lineup.
His willingness to get involved physically gives the Flames an edge, but his opening goal was another reminder that he can contribute beyond his imposing presence.
For a Calgary team looking to establish its identity after a difficult start, Klapka is bringing plenty of energy to the lineup.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Walker Kessler #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 13, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A second-half rally by the Warriors saw them pick up a second win of the preseason against the Lakers, 101-89.
In a game highlighted by Walker Kessler’s debut for the purple and gold, LA built up a 20-point lead with the regular rotation players on the floor. However, the drop-off to the bench was drastic and that lead quickly drained away in the second half.
The purple and gold turned the ball over 30 times, leading to 26 Golden State points. They also shot just 33-76 from the field and 9-34 from three.
Quentin Grimes opened up the scoring for LA, knocking down a triple. He led Los Angeles early with five points. Steph Curry had three for the Warriors. Walker Kessler scored his first points as a Laker on a layup. He also made his defensive presence known by altering shots.
Golden State called a timeout after falling behind by seven.
Out of the break, the Warriors went on an 8-0 run to take the lead. Austin Reaves answered with a jumper to stop their run. De’Anthony Melton had nice production off the bench for Golden State with five points. Reaves, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jake LaRavia all drained triples for Los Angeles.
Reaves was the first Laker in double figures with 11 points. At the end of the first, the game was tied.
Austin Reaves is the first to reach double figures with 11 in Q1!
Kessler erupted early in the second period, scoring four points and blocking a shot. Jaden Hardy also knocked down a three for LA. Los Angeles was up by five at the 8:18 mark. Reaves then began to take over, putting up 10 points. Grimes converted on back-to-back layups, helping keep the Lakers up big.
LA was on a 13-4 run.
They continued to dominate the quarter, shooting 56% from the field. Most of their points came in the paint, winning that battle, 30-20. Kessler ended the half with 11 points and nine rebounds. Reaves had 23 points and six assists.
While Kessler did not play in the second half, Reaves began the third period with a jumper for Los Angeles. He also knocked down a triple to help LA take a 20-point lead, but the Warriors responded with a 14-0 run. Mamu ended that run by scoring on a driving hook shot.
At the 4:17 mark, LA was up by seven.
Los Angeles ended the quarter going 6-20 from the field. They missed seven attempts from behind the arc. They also had 18 turnovers. Nobody really found offensive rhythm, allowing Golden State to make it a closer affair.
Going into the fourth period, the Lakers were up by four.
The final frame began with LA’s bench on the floor. Brandin Podziemski tied the game. The Warriors jumped ahead by six thanks to another triple from Podz and one from Gui Santos.
After a series of turnovers and poor plays, the Warriors went up by eight. Gary Payton II scored four in a row to make it happen.
Newest Laker Rafael Castro scored his first points as a Laker on an alley-oop dunk. With the game winding down quite fast, Golden State had the commanding lead.
Key Player Stats
Reaves finished with 28 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 25 minutes. Kessler ended with 11 points and nine rebounds. Mamu scored 10 points with seven rebounds and two assists.
Grimes pitched in with nine points and six assists. LaRavia logged four points with three rebounds and two assists. Jaden Hardy chipped in 10points, most in garbage time.
The Lakers’ last preseason matchup will be against the Denver Nuggets on Friday at 7:30 PM PT.
The Vegas Golden Knights turned a tightly contested game into a convincing victory Tuesday night, scoring three unanswered goals over the final two periods to defeat the Nashville Predators 5-2 at Bridgestone Arena.
Playing their second road game in as many nights, the Golden Knights rebounded from Monday's loss at Minnesota with goals from five different players and a third-period performance that impressed coach Ryan Craig.
"I thought everybody to a man was ready to play, especially our goaltender early with the early penalty kills and the penalty-shot save," Craig said. "But I think our best period for me was the third period. I thought we came up with the right intensity to try to finish off a game, and we did."
William Karlsson broke a 2-2 tie with 2:16 remaining in the second period before Trevor Connelly and Brett Howden scored 95 seconds apart early in the third to put the game away.
Ryan O'Reilly opened the scoring for Nashville at 3:55 of the first period before Tomas Hertl answered at 6:46 and Jack Eichel gave Vegas a 2-1 lead at 12:48.
Adam Edstrom tied the game with a shorthanded goal at 8:45 of the second period, but Karlsson restored the Golden Knights' advantage at 17:44.
Vegas seized control in the third, with Connelly scoring at 4:49 and Howden following at 6:24.
"I think the best part was coming out in the third and not taking our foot off the gas and kind of bringing our game to another level," Howden said. "I thought we put the pedal down and did a good job of finishing it off the right way."
Adin Hill made 25 saves, including a first-period penalty-shot stop, while Vegas demonstrated the offensive balance Craig believes will be critical throughout the season.
"Depth. That's what it is," Craig said. "We were able to play four lines. The game dictated that quite a bit, which is good for a hockey club, especially on a back-to-back early in the year."
Karlsson's goal at 17:44 of the second period broke a 2-2 tie after Nashville had gained momentum with a shorthanded equalizer. His second goal in as many games restored Vegas' lead and set the stage for its decisive third-period performance.
KEY STAT: Five of 'em
Five different Golden Knights scored, and 12 players registered at least one point. Vegas also received 25 saves from Hill, including a first-period penalty-shot stop that helped prevent Nashville from building an early advantage.
It took a bit longer than he likely wanted, but San Jose Sharks rookie Ivar Stenberg has scored a goal in the National Hockey League.
On Tuesday night, as Nikita Zadorov of the Boston Bruins sat in the penalty box, Macklin Celebrini had a perfectly placed pass into the crease. Stenberg then tipped it past Jeremy Swayman. Immediately, you could see the weight lifted off of Stenberg's shoulders as he looked to the sky in celebration.
Not only is this a very important milestone for Stenberg, his first goal came at an important time. It tied the game between the Sharks and Bruins at 2-2.
The second overall selection in this summer's 2026 NHL Draft, Stenberg is the second player in his draft class to score a goal. Gavin McKenna of the Toronto Maple Leafs was the first to do so and currently has two goals in his rookie season.
Stenberg now has three points in six games to start his NHL career, but with the sixth game still in progress at the time of writing, he has time to add to that total.
Want
to watch the perfect road game, or as near a perfect road game as an
NHL team can play, look no further than the St. Louis Blues and their
7-2
beatdown
over the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre
In Kanata, Ontario on Tuesday, ending
Ottawa’s three-game winning streak.
Forget
that they scored a season-high seven goals for the game; it was the
way they did it.
So
lets get into how they did it and what proved to be pivotal.
*
Penalty kill continues to flourish – OK,
I had this as the top reason why the Blues (3-2-1) won in the fashion
in which they did despite
allowing that Fabian Zetterburg meaningless power-play goal with 1:27
to play in what was a 7-1 blowout.
I
know that unit on the ice (Pius Suter, Jonatan Berggren, Colton
Parayko and Justin Barron) won’t like it, but that’s alright. The
Sens, who were 5-1-0 on the season, crafted that one well.
But
that unit was so good again early on in killing three penalties to
get to 17-for-18 to start the season (they’re 17-for-19 now) and
it’s the aggressive nature in which those skaters are doing it.
Assistant
coach Greg Cronin has -- particularly the forwards -- on the ice,
whether it’s Suter, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Berggren, Jake
Neighbours or whoever it may be with sticks in lanes taking away the
open areas of the ice when teams are in the zone, but the Blues are
taking away time and space so much, they’re doing to teams what
teams have done to their power play: get on top of the puck handlers
and forcing quick decisions, and it’s working.
Oh,
and on this night, Suter set the tone after what I felt like was a
bad call on Cam Fowler with a shorthanded goal at 14:28 of the first
period to make it 1-0:
Short-handed goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Pius Suter with 05:32 left in the 1st. Assisted by Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich.
At
the time, it gave the penalty kill a 2-1 advantage on goals over the
Blues’ power play.
*
Huge response after an Ottawa goal – This
to me was the goal of the game for the Blues because the Senators,
who won 4-1 at the New Jersey Devils on Monday, started to find some
footing.
Claude
Giroux scored at 17:52 of the second to cut the Blues’ lead to 2-1
and make this an interesting third period of what they thought would
be at least a one-shot deficit. And it was a goal that I thought
Blues defenseman Brandon Carlo played well; it was just some bad luck
that after taking the red-hot Tim Stutzle with him behind the net,
the puck hit the side of the goal and Stutzle was alert in getting to
his feet and finding a seam to Giroux coming down the interior of the
right circle and beating Joel Hofer with a really good shot.
But
Mason McTavish and the second line had a response 33 seconds later to
restore the lead to 3-1 at 18:25 that broke out into a 3-on-2 where
all three on that line (with Connor McMichael and Berggren) all
touched the puck, and how about Berggren being able to control this
McTavish pass with his skate and being able to get it to his stick
and finding McTavish in the crease for the contested finish:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Mason McTavish with 01:35 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Jonatan Berggren and Connor McMichael.
*
Dylan Peterson fit in, in his first NHL game – Welcome
to the big show, and it was a successful game for the third-round
pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Peterson,
who was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League on
Sunday, played just 8:57, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but he
had four of the team’s 18 hits, played physical throughout, started
the process of Suter’s second goal of the game on the forecheck by
separating the puck in the right hand corner that made it 4-1 at 7:54
of the third period:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Pius Suter with 12:06 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Ross Johnston and Brandon Carlo.
And
to top it off, he had his first NHL fight and it was a doozy with
fellow Senators rookie Jorian Donovan at 14:52 of the third with his parents and three sisters among a plethora of family and friends in attendance:
There
was good chemistry on that line with Suter and Ross Johnston, who
picked up his first point with the Blues on Suter’s third-period
goal.
*
Doesn’t Colton Parayko look good? -- It’s
been a terrific start to the season for ‘Colt55,’ and when you’re
seeing him skate with the puck like that, with such confidence, you
know things are going good.
Parayko
got the assist on Suter’s shorthanded goal with the aggressiveness
of checking the puck off two Senators skaters, then starting the
breakout and saucing a puck to Suter to finish, then he started the
breakout that led to the 3-on-2 for McTavish’s goal late in the
second period.
Parayko,
who played 19:33 in the game, has skated well playing with Justin
Barron the past couple games, then locked it down with Philip Broberg
in the third period.
He’s
a big reason why the Blues’ defensive numbers through six games
look so good right now. Some of the metrics don’t read it, but the
eye test does, and No. 55 is passing them in the early going so far.
*
McTavish looks like the real deal (so far), so
does McMichael; that line with Berggren looks really good
– McTavish
and McMichael were off-season acquisitions to help balance out the
top six and alleviate some of the pressure out on the Dylan
Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud top line.
The
line combined for six points (two goals, four assists) in the game
and since Jim Montgomery moved Berggren up there, that line has been
on fire.
Sure
it’s early, but McTavish, who has four goals and three assists in
six games, is on pace for 98 points (56 goals, 42 assists) in an
84-game season, and McMichael, who had two assists in the game and
has two goals and four assists in six games, is on pace for 84 points
(28 goals, 56 assists) over the course of an 84-game season.
As
a Blues fan, you’ll take this return – or anything close to it –
when these respective trades were made this past summer.
McTavish
finished this dart of a one-timer on the power play at 15:33
of the third period for a 6-1 lead as part of three goals in a span
of 1:44:
Power play goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Mason McTavish with 04:27 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Connor McMichael and Pavel Buchnevich.
*
Pius Suter is so valuable in all facets – This
guy may be the most trusted, reliable player the Blues have, and
that’s no exaggeration.
The
coaching staff is so comfortable putting the 30-year-old on the ice
in all facets, whether it’s on the PK, in 5-on-5 situations late in
games protecting leads, and this season, he’s centering the fourth
line, and the guy probably deserves to be higher up in the lineup.
Suter
had two goals and an assist, was a plus-3 and won eight of his 11
face-offs in 15:21 of ice time and did such a good job of helping set
the tone with two tough guys as his linemates in the game.
To
be honest with you, I thought that Suter, who is in the final year of
his two-year, $8.25 million contract, could be prime trade bait at
some point this season, and he still could, but if the Blues are
anywhere in the playoff chase or in a playoff position as the season
progresses, I’m finding a way to keep him if I’m GM Alex Steen.
Where
can you find such a multi-faceted skater like this that can be
utilized in so many different situations? They’re hard to find, and
unless Suter would out-price himself to remain in St. Louis, I think
you have to find a way to keep this guy.
He’s
a huge reason why your penalty kill is currently tied for sixth in
the league, and when you have such a trustworthy player like this,
you find ways to keep them.
His
game tonight arguably was the the best all-around game by any of the
Blues.
*
Jiricek finally finds paydirt – It was coming. If you watched this
game, it had all the earmarks that somehow, the 2024 first-round pick
would find his way onto the scoresheet, whether scoring or assisting.
Jiricek
had himself another solid game, making good, smart decisions on the
ice, proper reads, effective pinches and he read the play well when
he scored his first NHL goal at 16:32 of the third to make it a 7-1
game to finish as a plus-2 in 15:04 of ice time with five shot
attempts (three on goal) and a blocked shot:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Adam Jiricek with 03:28 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Pius Suter and Mason McTavish.
He
also made a nice recovery after initially getting beat down the
lefthand side that turned the puck back and got the Blues going the
other way before Neighbours scored his first of the game in the
second period.
But
Neighbours set the tone with his solid check on Stutzle behind the
net in the second period, and when he’s that engaging, it leads to
other areas of his game, and his dad Ed apparently approved too:
Neighbours
was a plus-2 in 16:05 of ice time with three shots on goal, two hits
and three blocked shots.
*
Pavel Buchnevich looks sharp, and it’s one side of the puck that’s
leading to it – Buchnevich had three assists in the game giving him
four points the past two games, and I’ve always felt like if his
defensive game – like it was on Tuesday again – is noticeable and
on par, it fuels his offense.
He’s
part of that PK group that was engaging at the start and it helped
kickstart his playmaking abilities in this game.
*
Blues again took advantage of a team on second of back-to-back games
– When
teams are traveling, like the Senators did after playing in New
Jersey on Monday, you want to get them to retrieve pucks and go the
length of the ice.
The
Blues did a good job of keeping pucks alive in the offensive zone and
forcing the Senators to defend, hence only allowing 17 shots on goal,
and not getting hemmed in themselves.
They
chipped pucks and used the forecheck to win the possession battle and
not give the Senators any time and space.
They did the same thing to the Columbus Blue Jackets -- finally -- in the final two periods on Saturday in a 5-3 win.
All
in all, a truly solid performance by plenty of skaters, including
Barron, who played 18:28 and was a plus-2 with two hits and three of
the Blues’ 18 blocked shots.
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Boston, MA - October 10: Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, guard Derrick White and forward Paul George watch from the bench in the fourth quarter. The Boston Celtics played the Philadelphia 76ers in a preseason game at TD Garden on October 10, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Before the inaugural Three-Point Shootout at the 1986 All-Star Game, Larry Bird famously walked into the locker room and casually asked, “who’s coming in second?” Two hours later with a raised finger before the winning triple even went down, he backed up the trash talk and won three shootouts in a row.
The modest Jayson Tatum probably wouldn’t even joke about who might come in second in scoring this season for the Celtics — before you say ask, yes, Tatum is leading the team in points — but let’s speculate before the year kicks off on Tuesday in Detroit.
The obvious candidate might be the newly anointed $44 Million Man Payton Pritchard, who signed a two-year extension yesterday. Whether he’s coming off the bench as a former Sixth Man of the Year or starting with Tatum, Pritchard is going to be key offensive weapon after averaging a career-high 17 points per game in 2025-2026.
There’s also Derrick White and Paul George who head coach Joe Mazzulla has said will definitely be part of the opening five on Opening Night. White had a down shooting year last season, but with a little more scoring punch around him, he might settle into a more complementary role with a higher efficiency. After playing just 78 games for the 76ers over two seasons, George looks primed for a comeback year in green. He’s vowed to be JT’s #2 and 20.5 points per game career average would be a welcome sign in Year 17.
However, the most obvious answer to the poll question is that it doesn’t matter. On any given night, any of those players could pop off for 30+ points with everybody else slotting in at #2, #3, and #4 in random order. If the first two preseason games are any indication, Boston will play a very democratic style of Mazzulla Ball with everybody getting their touches and looks. Everybody will eat and the vibes are good.
