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Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid: Champions League – as it happened

Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header secured Liverpool a deserved victory, as Trent Alexander-Arnold copped some expected flak on his return

1 min: Liverpool are playing towards the Kop in this first half. They prefer it the other way round; Xabi Alonso has clearly given his captain Federico Valverde the heads-up on that.

Liverpool get the ball rolling. The Anfield faithful chant the name of Andy Robertson in the pointed style. His old full-back friend looking on from the benches.

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Braves’ Alex Anthopoulos says club ran extensive external search before promoting Walt Weiss as manager

ATLANTA — There were times during the Atlanta Braves’ 33-day search for a new manager that Walt Weiss thought “that ship had sailed” regarding his chances to move up from bench coach and replace Brian Snitker, who is transitioning to an advisor role with the franchise.

He got the call he was hoping for from Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos.

“We all know Alex, how thorough he is and how stealthy he is,” said Weiss, who spoke to reporters for the first time as Braves manager after eight years as bench coach. “He likes to work under the cover of darkness, and so you know this process would be like that at times. But yeah, I couldn’t be more excited yesterday when I got that call.”

In addition to his eight years as Snitker’s bench coach, during which the Braves reached the postseason seven times, Weiss played the final three years of his 14-year MLB career in Atlanta from 1998-2000. He was an All-Star for the only time in his career in 1998 under Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox.

There was speculation the Braves would go outside the Cox tree for this opening after hiring Fredi González (2011) and Snitker (2016). Anthopoulos did not specify how many formal interviews he conducted, though he said he spoke to “a lot” of candidates and other people about the opening. Ultimately, he stayed in house.

“It is important for us to get it right,” Anthopoulos said. “It was a rare opportunity for us to really canvas the entire league, talk to as many people and do as much background work as we could. And ultimately, that search came back to Walt, and I couldn’t be more excited his experience, his character, his work ethic. (It) is exactly what we want here.”

Weiss won a World Series with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa in Oakland and either played or worked under Don Baylor, Rene Lachemann, Clint Hurdle and Snitker. He said he has learned from all of them and will incorporate that into how he works his second stint as an MLB manager, which lasted from 2013-16 in Colorado. He had a 283-365 record (.437).

“I’ve evolved from my first job in Colorado,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot. The game has changed. I’m sure I’ve changed and hopefully (I’m) wiser.”

Weiss said any team outside of the Dodgers would sign up for what the Braves have accomplished the last eight years under Snitker and he understands the brand of the franchise and what it means to the fanbase. He also said his familiarity with the players and the organization will allow him to hit the ground running during his first season when the Braves try to rebound from a 76-86 season that had a mix of costly injuries and some underperformance of established players.

“It takes a better part of a year to truly understand your team,” Weiss said. “I’m talking about getting to know them on a deep level. What makes them tick? What situations (do) they thrive in, even down to their body language? So that’s a process that takes the better part of a year. And I think the fact that I’ve been here, a lot of those things are already established.”

The Braves did not have any announcements regarding Weiss’s staff, but that is a “front-burner” issue for Anthopoulos, who said he has already discussed it with Weiss. He also made it clear what the expectations are moving forward.

“(Making the playoffs), that’s just a standard that we’ve set here,” Anthopoulos said. “And that’s a credit to Snit, to Bobby Cox, to (former general manager) John Schuerholz that have set the standard here. You know, you guys like Nick Saban, the standard is the standard, and it is. We expect to be in the playoffs year in and year out. So, you know, this is a real responsibility, and we owed it to make sure that we left no stone unturned and were as thorough as we could be, even if it was someone that was already internal.”

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LIV Golf backtracks from short format to 72-hole tournaments after pressure from players

  • Tour’s name partly based on Roman numeral reference

  • Leading players want better preparation for majors

LIV Golf has surprisingly backtracked on one of its founding principles by announcing tournaments in the fourth season of the Saudi Arabian-backed league will be played over 72 holes. Until now, LIV has proudly operated over 54 holes and three days, with the name itself partly based on a Roman numeral reference point. Could a rebrand to LXXII be imminent?

The dramatic shift, which is believed to have come after pressure from players, means LIV will soon mirror the schedule traditional golf tours it once tried to upstage. LIV will, however, continue to run both individual and team competition elements.

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Pete Alonso Free Agent Profile: Contract prediction, best fits, stats

Much different than last season, Pete Alonso is entering free agency coming off a tremendous season at the plate. Will that be enough to finally get him paid though?

The league consensus seems to be that he’s destined to be a designated hitter sooner rather than later and that lumbering sluggers like him aren’t worth long-term commitments. Let’s see if that’s really the case.

Kyle Tucker
MLB Free Agent Rankings 2025-26: Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman headline Top 100 list
Stars like Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger join headliners Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, and Bo Bichette in a 2025–26 MLB free agent class loaded with impact bats and arms.

Don’t forget: Check out theRotoworld player news feed for all the latest news, rumors, and transactions as MLB’s Hot Stove gets underway!

▶ Alonso in Review

Alonso has been one of the most prolific run producers in the league since he debuted in 2019. He set the all-time rookie home run record that season with 53 and has never hit fewer than 34 in a full season since.

Overall, only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber have more homers than Alonso since he entered the league and no player has driven in more runs.

Yet, he’s still had some major ebbs and flows in his overall consistency as a hitter. He put up career lows with a .217 batting average and .318 on-base percentage in 2023 with a shockingly low hard-hit rate that dipped below the major league average.

He followed that up with another lackluster season by his own standards setting career lows in homers and RBI. Many of his quality of contact metrics did tick back up though, just without enough consistent contact being made.

It was nice to see those regular season doldrums not carry into the playoffs where he had a .999 OPS, 10 RBI, and four homers in 13 games including this dramatic blast to give the Mets an improbable win over the Brewers to advance to the NLDS.

Despite those heroics, the two worst seasons of his career back-to-back didn’t put him in a good position as his contract expired after last year. He floundered on the market until early February before begrudgingly signing a two-year deal with an opt-out to return to the Mets.

This season was much better. Alonso got back to hitting the ball incredibly hard and was eighth in the league with a 141 wRC+ partially fueled by a career-best .272 batting average. He made more contact, that contact was consistently of higher quality, and he maintained what has always been elite bat speed plus elite swing decisions.

His future at first base is in question, but Alonso is still absolutely an elite hitter and can likely sustain as such through his mid-30s.

▶ Market Outlook

A huge bounceback campaign without being saddled by a qualifying offer will surely help Alonso get closer to the long-term deal he sought last offseason. Early word from agent Scott Boras is that they’re seeking a seven-year contract.

This will probably more serve as an anchoring point rather than a firm line. The only first baseman in the league who signed for more than three years are Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Alonso is either older, less consistent, or simply not on the same level as the members of that trio.

Still, a four- or five-year deal could make sense given a skill set – top of the league bat speed and excellent swing decisions – that should keep him as a high-end power hitter until his mid-30s.

A lot of the conversation will come back to his overall value though, which is dragged down by a poor glove. That likely makes him best fit as a part-time designated hitter now and possibly close to a full time one within a few years. Also, the way we’ve seen similarly built powerful first baseman fall apart quickly as they’ve aged.

New York Mets v Washington Nationals
2025 MLB Free Agency Guide: Top players, key dates, qualifying offers, how it works
Everything you need to know about MLB free agency, including key dates, the top names on the market, qualifying offers, and draft pick compensation.
  • DJShortBW.jpg D.J. Short
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▶ Best Fits

Mets: The most obvious fit given his long history with the club and lack of a fill-in at first base if he were to sign elsewhere. He’s the franchise’s all-time home run leader, a fan favorite, and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. Yet, the Mets were unwilling to give him a long term contract last winter so it’s very possible they once again balk if a bidding war takes Alonso’s deal to five years or more.

Red Sox: Desperate for both a power bat and first baseman, Alonso fits the bill for a team that could be aggressive this winter after a surprise playoff appearance. Triston Casas is still (somewhat) in the picture though, so it’s unclear if they’d commit many years to Alonso.

Phillies: Let’s get crazy. Is there a world where Bryce Harper can move back to the outfield to acquiesce Alonso at first base? It was apparently on the table last offseason and the Phillies are desperate to get over the hump, with or without Kyle Schwarber. Taking a huge bat out of the Mets’ lineup would be an added bonus.

Then, it’s about whether certain power-hungry teams actually want to spend money.

ThePirates should be a great fit if they ever decide it’s time to try and win baseball games. Same goes for the Mariners if Josh Naylor winds up elsewhere and they’re willing to open up the checkbook. Maybe the Rangers as well if they believe they’re still in their competitive window. Do the Reds want to tie their lineup together with a true masher? Then boom, Alonso is a fit there too.

Yet, we’ll never be certain who is actually willing to spend money in any given offseason.

Contract Prediction

Once again, Alonso’s market could be softer than he and Boras hope and if they overplay their hand once again, the Mets will be sitting back and ready for a compromise. Plus, Alonso is so embedded in the Mets’ culture that all parties likely want to wind up back together.

Mets - Four years, $108 million

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Kings stars Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis questionable with injury vs. Warriors

Kings stars Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis questionable with injury vs. Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings could be without two of their top stars when their Northern California rivals visit Golden 1 Center on Wednesday.

Sacramento guard Zach LaVine (back) and center Domantas Sabonis (ribs) are listed as questionable for their upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors, though Malik Monk, who has missed the Kings’ past two games for personal reasons, is available.

Sabonis appeared to be dealing with an injury to his side in the first quarter of Sacramento’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, but he still played 37 minutes and recorded a 13-point, 17-rebound double-double.

Sabonis, who missed the 2025-26 NBA season opener with a hamstring injury, is averaging 14.5 points on 52.2-percent shooting with 14.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season. He historically has turned it on against the Warriors as a member of the Kings, averaging 19.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 10 games vs. Golden State since 2022.

LaVine has been nothing short of spectacular for Sacramento so far this year. He has scored 30-plus points in all but two of the Kings’ first seven games, averaging 27.4 points on 51.6-percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

The Warriors will come to Golden 1 Center on the latter half of a back-to-back, and facing a Kings team without LaVine or Sabonis certainly would make the job much easier for Golden State’s aging roster.

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Roebuck and Steward injuries likely to trigger major England reshuffle against Fiji

  • Smith, Arundell and Lawrence in frame to start

  • Borthwick faces dilemmas to backline selection

Injuries to Tom Roebuck and Freddie Steward look likely to trigger an eye-catching reshuffle in England’s backline for the Test against Fiji on Saturday. Marcus Smith, Henry Arundell and Ollie Lawrence are all in contention to be involved, with Manny Feyi-Waboso potentially the solitary starting back-three survivor from the win against Australia on last Saturday.

The head coach, Steve Borthwick, had been hoping to announce his starting XV early this week only for that plan to be mothballed when Roebuck limped out of training prematurely on Tuesday with an ankle problem. Steward has not trained so far this week after sustaining a finger injury late in the win against the Wallabies, opening the way for Smith to replace him at full-back.

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Dvorsky's Goal Highlights What's Been A Strong Start To His Blues Career

In a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers that snapped a seven-game losing streak, rookie Dalibor Dvorsky scored his first NHL goal.

With the Blues trailing the Oilers 2-0 in the second period and possibly on the verge of losing an eighth consecutive game, their top prospect and 2023 10th overall pick stepped up to shift the momentum. 

The Blues were looking for Dvorsky to show off his excellent shot, and finally, after patience from Robert Thomas and Justin Faulk, Dvorsky got the puck in his wheelhouse and ripped it into the top of the Oilers' net. 

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

The goal came in Dvorsky's third game of the season, and due to his play, the goal always felt near. Whether he was paired with Jordan Kyrou and Mathieu Joseph or Dylan Holloway and Oskar Sundqvist, the 20-year-old was continuously finding ways to affect the game at both ends of the ice. 

Despite his time dropping a bit each game this season, coach Jim Montgomery has given Dvorsky opportunities elsewhere, as he did last night by placing him on the flank of the top power play unit. The move clearly paid off.

Dalibor Dvorsky and Robert Thomas (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)

Although the goal is the main talking point and will probably be the main reason he gets another game in the NHL, Dvorsky's overall effect on the game has been very positive, especially at 5-on-5. 

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blues own 67.14 percent of the expected goals with Dvorsky on the ice, 57.14 percent of the high-danger chances (4-3), and have a Corsi For percentage of 61.40 percent. Although the sample size is small, those stats are among the best on the Blues. 

What adds to the intrigue or makes the stats more impressive is that he is doing it while playing center. The Zvolen, SVK, native is a natural center who claims he feels more comfortable playing down the middle. Center is a difficult position to play in the NHL, but so far, Dvorsky has shown he's up for the task and is excelling. 

Dvorsky hasn't locked down his role in the NHL quite yet, but if he continues to perform at this level, Montgomery will be pleased to write Dvorsky's name into the lineup each and every night.

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Observations from Blues' 3-2 Win Vs. OilersObservations from Blues' 3-2 Win Vs. OilersDvorsky's first NHL goal fuels comeback; Thomas return was crucial; right place, right time for Suter game-winner; Broberg's challenge to take on McDavid keys to breaking seven-game losing skid for St. Louis
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Canucks To Terminate Contract Of Former First-Round Pick Vitali Kravtsov

Only a couple of months after signing a new deal that could help him return to the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks have put forward Vitali Kravtsov on unconditional waivers with the intent to terminate his contract. Kravtsov was brought back to the Canucks organization in hopes of bringing some middle-six offensive depth to the team, though the forward was unable to crack the lineup out of training camp and has only played with the Abbotsford Canucks this season. 

Kravtsov is a former first-round pick, selected ninth-overall by the New York Rangers in 2018. He was traded to Vancouver back in 2023, playing in 16 games and putting up a goal and an assist. After his contract expired that year, he returned to the KHL where he spent the next two seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk. 

Kravtsov’s 2024–25 season was fruitful offensively speaking, as he scored 27 goals and 31 assists in 66 games, leading the Canucks to take one more shot with the forward by signing him during the 2025 off-season. He participated in Vancouver’s training camp this season, skating in a couple of pre-season games, but ultimately didn’t make the impact that the Canucks had hoped he would and was sent down to the AHL. Kravtsov had a goal and three assists in 10 games played with Abbotsford this year. 

Sep 26, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov (92) skates against the Seattle Kraken in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The Canucks conduct this move with both their NHL and AHL clubs suffering from depleted lineups. With Vancouver still missing Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Nils Höglander, Victor Mancini, and Derek Forbort, the team has needed to pull from an Abbotsford lineup still missing players like Jett Woo, Guillaume Brisebois, and Nikita Tolopilo. With Kravtsov’s contract terminated, the AHL Canucks will look to fill yet another spot in their lineup. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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NHL's Eastern Conference Has Incredible Historic Parity

It might be hard to believe, but November is already here. With this, the first month of the NHL season has officially passed.

Normally, at this point in the season, fans are starting to get a clearer idea of which teams are likely to make or miss the playoffs. However, this is certainly not the case in the Eastern Conference right now.

Every team in the Eastern Conference currently has a points percentage of .500 or better. That has never happened by Nov. 4 in the history of NHL conferences, which were established in the 1974-75 season.

Even the Philadelphia Flyers, which are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, have a 6-5-1 record and .542 points percentage.

The Boston Bruins once had a 3-6-0 record after losing six straight games in regulation. Yet, they have now improved to a 7-7-0 record after winning each of their last three games. Going by points percentage, they're last in the East at .500.

The Tampa Bay Lightning also struggled out of the gate, but they have turned things around. After starting the campaign 1-4-2, the Bolts are now 6-4-2 after winning five straight. 

And the Pittsburgh Penguins, which many expected to be among the NHL's worst clubs, have instead been one of the league's top teams early on. They have an 8-4-2 record and are second in the Metropolitan Division standings. 

Every Eastern Conference team having a .500 points percentage or better has also led to the standings being very close early on.

The Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Lightning, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Bruins each have 14 points.

Meanwhile, the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Flyers round out the Eastern Conference standings with 13 points each.

At the top of the conference, the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Penguins have 18 points each. The Habs have played only 12 games and have a .750 points percentage, while New Jersey and Detroit have played 13, and Pittsburgh has played 14.

Five points separate first and last in the East, so things are incredibly packed, and one hot or cold streak can completely change a team's position in the standings.

On Nov. 4, 2024, the Penguins, Islanders, Sabres, Canadiens and Flyers all had points percentages below .500. The year before that, the Flyers, Blue Jackets, Pens and Senators were in that category.

The Western Conference, meanwhile, does not have the same parity.

The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets lead the way with 19 and 18 points, respectively. While the East has six teams with a points percentage of more than .600, the West has seven. And five squads sit below .500: the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames.

With all of this, there is no question that parity in the Eastern Conference is incredibly high right now. While things will almost certainly change on that front, fans are being treated to some exciting, very competitive hockey early on.

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Kings reportedly to sign veteran big man Precious Achiuwa for frontline depth

Sacramento has an All-Star level center starting in Domantas Sabonis, but when he goes to the bench coach Doug Christie has had to turn to 6'9" Drew Eubanks, who is undersized for the role.

Enter veteran big man Precious Achiuwa, who the Kings are about to sign, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by other Kings writers (Jake Fischer was first in reporting Sacramento’s interest on Monday).

Achiuwa has played for Miami, Toronto and New York in his five NBA seasons, averaging 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds a night. He is also undersized at 6'8" but plays bigger than that. He was in training camp with the Heat this season, but was never expected to make their already full roster.

The Kings are expected to waive little-used big man Isaac Jones to create the roster spot for Achiuwa, Charania reports.

Sacramento is off to a 2-4 start this season, ranked in the bottom 10 in the league in both offense and defense.

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Kevin Durant claps back at Draymond Green for Warriors offense vs. defense claim

Kevin Durant claps back at Draymond Green for Warriors offense vs. defense claim originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

“Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships,” legendary football coach Bear Bryant famously said.

Enter Kevin Durant. 

Durant, on Netflix’s “Starting 5” series, argued offense wins championships.  

“You have to score baskets if you want to win a championship,” Durant said. “Playing defense, we can get any one of y’all in here to bend your legs, not touch the basketball, slide left and right, and contest the shot. That’s easy. But when we’re talking about winning at a high level against the best of the best, you cannot just do that and win a basketball game.” 

Enter Draymond Green. 

In an interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Green was asked about Durant’s view on defense. 

Amick: …Then you have the messaging from some of your peers, like when Kevin [Durant] shares his views about defense and how, in essence, he thinks anybody can do it. 

Green: I think when you look at any team that won a championship, they had a great defense. And if you look at most teams that couldn’t quite get over the hump, oftentimes it’s [because] they couldn’t get stops. That fact still remains, and I think that those who don’t believe it, don’t win. It’s very simple. Those who don’t believe defense is as valuable as it is, they simply just don’t win. I don’t think anyone’s ever really been hell-bent on caring about the opinion of those that don’t win, because your opinion equals zero. 

Amick: So I hear you, but Kevin has won. 

Green: He won here, [and] the defense here was… 

Amick: It was incredible. 

Green: Absolutely.

Durant, responding to the quote from Green’s interview on X, clapped back with a follow-up question. 

The offense also was incredible in the back-to-back championship seasons with Durant on the team. The Warriors led the NBA in offensive rating each of the three seasons he played with Golden State from 2016-17 to 2018-19. 

But, the 2016-17 team was a defensive juggernaut as well. Their 101.1 defensive rating that season was second-best in the league. Coupled with their league-leading 113.2 offensive rating, they ended the season with a whopping 12.1 net rating.  

It’s the second-best net rating since the statistic was calculated starting in the 1996-97 season, only outdone by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship team this past season (12.6).  

OK, so maybe both offense and defense, together, win championships?  

Green, later in his interview with Amick, noted that he and Durant have different opinions on basketball, and that offense is also highly important in his own play. 

“But me and ‘K’ have had a million basketball conversations. So again, I know how he thinks about the game of basketball. His opinion didn’t surprise me one bit,” Green said. “But like I said, I also don’t view myself as a guy who just defends. I’m great at that — absolutely phenomenal at that — but I know that’s not all I do. Like, I’ll f— your offense and your defense up, and make your coaching staff have to go ponder, like, ‘Huh, how do we figure that out?’” 

So, perhaps the question of “offense vs. defense” is a bit more nuanced. 

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Andre Burakovsky Scores In His Return To Seattle But Kraken Defeat Blackhawks 3-1

After Saturday's loss to the New York Rangers, the Seattle Kraken were in desperate need of a bounce-back performance.

The result against the Rangers wasn't bad; picking up a point in any game is vital, but the process of getting the point was poor. They were thoroughly outplayed and were almost no threat offensively outside of the two goals they scored. 

Against the Chicago Blackhawks, they were able to flip the script.

The Blackhawks threatened more frequently than the Kraken did, but the Kraken took their chances well and beat the Blackhawks 3-1.

The final shot total was 30-24 in favor of the Blackhawks, but despite holding a two-goal lead in the third period, the Kraken outshot the Blackhawks 9-6. The Blackhawks had the advantage in high-danger chances at 5-on-5 (14-12) and the expected goals (3.16-1.78) according to Natural Stat Trick. Still, an outstanding performance from Joey Daccord and timely goals were enough.

Jamie Oleksiak started the scoring in the second period with a seeing-eye shot from the point. Berkly Catton was centimetres away from deflecting in his first NHL goal. Matty Beniers would add to the lead on the power play about five minutes later, scoring his second goal of the season.

About halfway through the third period, former Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky scored his fifth goal of the season to cut the lead in half. Burakovsky was ravaged by injuries during his time in Seattle, and it played a big part in why the Kraken felt the need to deal him away in the off-season. With five goals and 10 points in 12 games playing alongside Connor Bedard, the move has seemingly paid off for both sides.

The Blackhawks' attempt at a comeback was stymied by captain Jordan Eberle's fifth goal of the season.

With the two points, the Kraken have sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division, but the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights have a chance to regain their claim tonight as both teams are in action.

The Kraken are back in action on Wednesday when they host the San Jose Sharks in the final contest of their current five-game homestand. 

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The Toronto Maple Leafs Came Back From The Dead: 'It Shows How Good We Can Be'

TORONTO - If you want to win a hockey game in the NHL, you gotta play all 60 minutes. Or, in the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, a good 20 will do.

The Leafs came back from the dead against the high-flying Pittsburgh Penguins for an improbable 4-3 victory after being down 3-0 after two periods of lifeless hockey that saw them being outshot 25-8.

A pessimist would say the game was a symptom of a flawed Toronto team that just isn't the same since Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights over the summer. An optimist might say the Leafs found themselves in that third period.

"It shows how good we can be," said right winger Bobby McMann, who scored the game-winning goal. "That third period is how we need to play all the time. We need to be smart with our puck decisions, continue to work hard and with speed, be competitive and hungry."

Outside of McMann, Toronto's other goals came from their superstars: Auston Matthews got the comeback started, while William Nylander notched the next two to stun the Penguins, which had been sailing along through 40 minutes.

Nylander had returned to the lineup after a brief injury, and his presence was obvious.

"He's a gamer," McMann said. "He knows how to play in those big moments and contribute and he did just that tonight."

Just as impressive was Matthews' performance. Not only did he help offensively, but he was a demon on the PK during a crucial kill in the third period, one which could have turned the tide back in favor of Pittsburgh. Matthews was tenacious on the puck-carrier and used his big frame to bully Pittsburgh's point man out of the zone to relieve pressure.

"He's blocking shots, snapping draws back, getting his stick in lanes and disrupting plays," said goalie Anthony Stolarz. "For him to lead by example is huge for us."

Penguins' Ben Kindel Is Playing His Way Off The Canadian World Junior TeamPenguins' Ben Kindel Is Playing His Way Off The Canadian World Junior TeamPittsburgh Penguins rookie Ben Kindel continues to strengthen his case to stick around in the NHL, which could be bad news for Canada's world junior squad.

So what happened between the second and third period? How did the Leafs turn things around so dramatically?

"Just energy, passion and emotion," Matthews said. "The first two periods weren't pretty, we couldn't really get much going on either side of the puck. The message for the third period was 'Go work, get one goal and see what happens.' I'm proud of the way we fought back, but obviously you don't want to put yourself in that position to begin with, so that's something we want to clean up right away."

That second intermission also featured players and coach Craig Berube voicing displeasure regarding what had occurred to that point.

" 'Chief' came in and said a few things - you can use your imagination on that," Stolarz said. "We're big boys, we knew that wasn't our game."

So now the Maple Leafs find themselves top-three in the Atlantic Division after a scuffling start to the campaign.

Will they take the lessons they learned in the Pittsburgh win and build off them? That would certainly go a long way in helping this particular Toronto squad establish an identity.

There's a lot of hockey to be played, but if the Leafs have begun to figure out who they are and what will make this cast successful, they'll be playing more than just regular-season games once again.

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