The Chicago Blackhawks, while playing the St. Louis Blues, saw one of their bright young players score their first career NHL goal.
Young Ryan Greene put one into the back of the net for the first time against the St. Louis Blues. Connor Bedard gained the zone, scanned the ice, and sent it back to Lukas Reichel, who centered it where Ryan Greene was able to score for the first time in the big leagues.
Bedard was being double shifted due to dressing 11 forwards and 7 defenseman, and it paid off in a big way. This was the third point of the night for both Bedard and Reichel.
Greene, who is a defensive center first, does have offensive capabilities when he needs to display them. As the captain of Boston University, he scored some big goals while performing well as a two-way player.
In the NHL, Greene won't be relied on for offense as much as others, but he is more than capable of making plays from time to time.
Greene's goal made it 8-3 in favor of the Blackhawks in the third period of their fifth game of the season. This is a goal that he won't soon forget.
Greene is the second Blackhawks player to score his first NHL goal this season, joining Sam Rinzel. On the active roster, Artyom Levshunov is the other waiting for his first. Eventually, you'd think Oliver Moore gets his at some point this year as well, but he will have to earn the call-up first.
SEATTLE (AP) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer woke up Toronto’s offense as the Blue Jays hit five home runs to rebound from an early deficit, routing the Seattle Mariners 13-4 Wednesday night and closing to 2-1 in the AL Championship Series.
Julio Rodríguez’s two-run, first-inning homer off Shane Bieber put Seattle ahead and stirred thoughts of a possible sweep in the best-of-seven matchup by a team seeking its first World Series appearance/
Andrés Giménez then sparked the comeback with a tying, two-run homer in a five-run third against George Kirby.
Springer, Guerrero, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger also went deep as the Blue Jays totaled 2,004 feet of homers among 18 hits.
Guerrero had four hits, falling a triple short of the cycle, after going 0 for 7 as the Blue Jays lost the first two games at home.
“No one expected us to win the division, no one expected it us to be here, and I think the guys take that to heart." Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I said it when we left Toronto: I hope we find some slug in the air out here. Maybe we did.”
In the 2-3-2 format, teams that lost the first two games at home and won Game 3 on the road have captured the series three of 11 times.
A crowd of 46,471 at T-Mobile Park for Seattle's first home ALCS game since 2001 saw the teams combine to match the postseason record of eight combined home runs, set by the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis in Game 3 of the 2015 NL Division Series and matched by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston in Game 2 of the 2017 World Series.
Giménez hadn’t homered since Aug. 27 before his drive off a fastball from Kirby
“Really big swing to get us going,” Schneider said.
Kirby allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks, taking the loss. All eight hits were during the first three pitches of the at-bat.
“The first couple innings I thought he was dynamite," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “This is a team that’s going to hurt you if you make mistakes on the plate. It looked like there were a couple that they were able to get to.”
Kirby's run-scoring wild pitch put Toronto ahead 3-2 and Daulton Varsho followed with a two-run double.
Springer homered in the fourth, tying Bernie Williams was fourth on the career list with his 22nd postseason homer. Guerrero hit his fourth of the postseason for a 7-2 lead on the first pitch of the fifth.
Kirk added a three-run homer in the sixth and is hitting .413 (19 for 46) with eight RBIs in 14 games at T-Mobile Park.
Bieber, who got the win, pitched shutout ball after the first and wound up allowing four hits in six innings - the longest outing by a Blue Jays starter in seven postseason games.
“Obviously didn’t the start the way he would have wanted to, but that’s pretty much who he is,” Springer said. "He can battle back from anything.”
After the Blue Jays opened a 12-2 lead, Randy Arozarena connected in the eighth against Yariel Rodríguez for his first home run since Sept. 9 and Cal Raleigh, who led the major leagues with 60 home runs during the regular season, followed three pitches later with his third of the postseason.
Seattle RHP Luis Castillo, who pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief against Detroit in Game 5 of the Division Series, starts Thursday against RHP Max Scherzer. The 41-year-old, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, is 0-3 over eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series opener, and hasn’t started a game since Sept. 24.
Shohei Ohtani strikes out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of Game 2. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
At 5:37 p.m. Wednesday, Michael Buble’s "Feeling Good" blared from the Dodger Stadium speakers.
Shohei Ohtani came strolling to the plate with a bat in his hands.
There was no one in the stands, of course. Nor an opposing pitcher on the mound. The Dodgers, on this workout day after returning from Milwaukee, were still some 22 hours away from resuming their National League Championship Series against the Brewers. For any other player, it would have been a routine affair.
Ohtani, however, is not just any player.
And among the many things that make him unique, his habit of almost never taking batting practice on the field is one of the small but notable ones.
Which made his decision to do so Wednesday a telling development.
Over the last two weeks, Ohtani has been in a slump. Since the start of the NL Division Series, he is just two-for-25 with a whopping 12 strikeouts. He has been smothered by left-handed pitching. He has made poor swing decisions and failed to slug the ball.
Thus, out Ohtani came for batting practice on Wednesday in the most visible sign yet of his urgency for a turnaround.
“The other way to say it is that, if I hit, we will win,” Ohtani said in Japanese when asked about Roberts’ World Series quote earlier Wednesday afternoon. “I think he thinks that if I hit, we will win. I’d like to do my best to do that.”
In Roberts’ view, Ohtani has already started improving from his woeful NLDS, when he struck out nine times in 18 trips to the plate against a left-handed-heavy Philadelphia Phillies staff that, as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman emphatically put it, had “the most impressive execution against a hitter I've ever seen.”
In Game 1 of the NLCS against the Brewers, Ohtani was 0-for-two but walked three times; twice intentionally but another on a more disciplined five-pitch at-bat to lead off the game against left-handed opener Aaron Ashby.
The following night, he went only one-for-five with three more strikeouts, giving him 15 this postseason, second-most in the playoffs. But he did have an RBI single, marking his first run driven in since Game 2 of the NLDS. He followed that with a steal, swiping his first bag of the playoffs. And earlier in the game, he scorched a lineout to right at 115.2 mph, the hardest he’d hit a ball since taking Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene deep in the team’s postseason opener.
“The first two games in Milwaukee, his at-bats have been fantastic,” Roberts said Wednesday, before heading out to the field and watching Ohtani’s impromptu BP session.
“That's what I've been looking for. That's what I'm counting on,” he added, while noting the careful approach the Brewers have also taken with the soon-to-be four-time MVP. “You can only take what they give you. So for me, I think he's in a good spot right now.”
Shohei Ohtani puts the ball in play in the third inning during Game 4 of the NLDS. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Ohtani’s overall numbers, of course, continue to suggest otherwise. His .147 postseason batting average is second-worst on the team, ahead of only Andy Pages. His seven-game drought without an extra-base hit is longer than any he endured in the regular season.
“The first thing I have to do is increase the level of my at-bats,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “Swing at strikes and not swing at balls.”
On Wednesday, Ohtani’s slump also led to questions about his role as a two-way player, and whether his return to pitching this season (and, this October, doing it for the first time in the playoffs) has contributed to his sudden struggles at the plate.
After all, on days Ohtani pitched this season, he hit .222 with four home runs but 21 strikeouts. On the days immediately following an outing, he batted .147 with two home runs and 10 strikeouts.
His current slump began with a hitless, four-strikeout dud in Game 1 of the NLDS, when he also made a six-inning, three-run start on the mound.
And in days since, Roberts has acknowledged some likely correlation between Ohtani’s two roles.
“[His offense] hasn’t been good when he’s pitched,” Roberts said following the NLDS. “We’ve got to think through this and come up with a better game plan.”
Ohtani, on the other hand, pushed back somewhat on that narrative during Wednesday’s workout, in which he also threw a bullpen session in preparation for his next start in Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday.
While it is “more physically strenuous” to handle both roles, he conceded, he countered that “I don’t know if there’s a direct correlation.”
“Physically,” he added, “I don’t feel like there’s a connection.”
Instead, Ohtani on Wednesday went about fixing his swing the way any other normal hitter would. He went out on the field for his rare session of batting practice. Of his 32 swings, he sent 14 over the fence, including one that clanked off the roof of the right-field pavilion.
“Certainly, there's frustration,” Roberts said of how he’s seen Ohtani handle his uncharacteristic lack of performance.
But, he added, “that's expected. I don't mind it. I like the edge.”
“He's obviously a very, very talented player, and we're counting on him,” Roberts continued. “He’s just a great competitor. He's very prepared. And there’s still a lot of baseball left.”
Linebacker Shadarius Toodle (Mobile, Alabama/ Cottage Hill Christian Academy) was officially honored as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
Defensive back Brandon Lockhart (Chatsworth, California/ Sierra Canyon School) was officially honored as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
Long snapper Trey Serauskis (Frankfort, Illinois/ Lincoln-Way East High School) was officially honored as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
The Detroit Red Wings have made sure that the bad feelings from their season-opening 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens are but a distant memory.
Since that night nearly a week ago, they've rattled off three consecutive victories, with the latest being a 4-1 triumph over the Florida Panthers at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday evening.
The Red Wings were forced to play without forward Lucas Raymond, who was hurt in Monday afternoon's 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Panthers were considerably shorthanded themselves, playing without Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Dmitry Kulikov.
First-year Red Wings forward Mason Appleton, who slotted into Raymond's spot on the top line, has made the most of his recent promotion.
He scored twice on Wednesday, including the game's opening goal early in the second period to break a scoreless tie. He also added a goal late in regulation into the vacated Panthers net.
After tallying the game-winning goal against the Maple Leafs on Monday, Appleton has the hot hand with three goals in his last two games.
Patrick Kane scored a power-play goal in the second period to increase Detroit's lead to 2-0, while Michael Rasmussen would add a second empty-net goal in the final few seconds of the third period.
The Panthers managed to halve Detroit's lead in the second period to 2-1 thanks to the third goal of the campaign from Brad Marchand, but it's as close as the Panthers would get to drawing even.
Making his third consecutive start, goatlender Cam Talbot continued his strong play by turning aside all but one of the 22 shots the Panthers fired his way. His Florida counterpart in Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves in a losing effort.
Among Bobrovsky's saves was a key third-period stop on rookie forward Emmitt Finnie, who was left all alone in front of the net after receiving a pass from fellow rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygård.
The Red Wings will next prepare to face yet another divisional opponent in the Tampa Bay Lightning, who come to town for a Friday night matchup.
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Linebacker Brayden Rouse (Marietta, Georgia/ Kell High School) was officially honored as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
Defensive lineman Tristian Givens (Columbus, Georgia/ Carver High School) was officially honored as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
Wide receiver Wesley Winn (Boca Raton, Florida/ Saint Andrew’s School) was officially honored as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
Defensive lineman Jerimy Finch (Indianapolis, Indiana/ Warren Central High School) was officially honored as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
The Florida Panthers continued their five-game road trip on Wednesday night when they paid a visit to the Detroit Red Wings.
Florida found it difficult to generate offense against the Wings, logging only 22 shots en route to a 4-1 defeat at Little Cesars Arena.
Both teams had their opportunities during the opening frame, but it was the starting goaltenders – Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida and Cam Talbot for the Red Wings – who kept the game scoreless with nine saves apiece.
It didn’t take long for that to change once the second period got going.
Mason Appleton scored on Detroit’s first shot of the middle frame, beating Bobrovsky with a shot along the ice after Dylan Larkin forced a turnover in Florida’s end just over two minutes into the period.
Patrick Kane made it 2-0 for the Red Wings with a 5-on-3 power play goal midway through the period, the first power play goal surrendered by Florida all season.
It took about five minutes, but it was Brad Marchand who finally got the Cats on the board.
Directly off an offensive zone draw won by Anton Lundell, Marchand picked up the puck and swept all the way around the faceoff circle, down below the goal line, behind the net and out the other side before sending a wraparound shot that somehow went through Talbot at the 14:05 mark of the middle frame.
Unfortunately for the Cats, that would be the extent of their offensive output in Detroit.
Empty-net goals by Appleton and Michael Rasmussen sealed the victory for the Red Wings and sent Florida to their second straight defeat.
Photo caption: Oct 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (11) takes a shot defended by Detroit Red Wings right wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (28) in the first period at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)
Keegan Murray's thumb injury isn't going to keep him from signing a $140 million contract.
Murray has played his way into becoming a key part of whatever comes next in Sacramento. On Wednesday, the Kings rewarded him by agreeing to a five-year, $140 million contract extension, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by other sources. This is a straight five years, no options. That averages out to about $28 million a season, a number that feels in line with what he deserves in this market, but the Kings believe could be a great deal for them if he lives up to his full potential.
Murray is out to start this season, having suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, which likely means he'll miss around 10 games, maybe more.
That's a real blow because Murray is the best defensive forward Sacramento has, the guy who often gets the toughest perimeter defensive assignments, and the team doesn't really have anyone to replace him. Murray and the Kings' coaches have said that with Dennis Schroder now at the point in Sacramento, Murray will be chasing fewer small guards around and can focus on defending wings, a more natural position for him.
Last season, Murray averaged 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds a game, numbers that were a step back from his sophomore season (15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds, plus basically a steal and a block per game). That regression had more to do with the Kings' additions of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan — two other players on the wing who take a lot of shots — than it does with Murray's development. Both of those players are on the trade block this season and are not part of the long-term plans in Sacramento.
The Hockey News have released their NHL power rankings by Jason Chen on Wednesday. This is the fourth edition of the power rankings, as the first week of the regular season has passed.
In the first power rankings, the Kings were sitting pretty at the No. 10 spot. Since then, they’ve dropped further and further after every week.
For Chen’s latest edition of THN’s power rankings, Los Angeles is in the lowest position they’ve been in during this young 2025-26 campaign.
It wasn’t a great week for the Kings by any means in terms of the results the team was getting. A lot of that has to do with their inability to stay out of the box.
Ever since opening night on Oct. 7, the Kings have been shorthanded a league-leading 22 times. In addition, they have allowed the joint-most power-play goals with seven, equalling the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Chen highlighted in the power rankings that Los Angeles is still without a regulation win this season. There are only two teams in the entire league that have zero regulation wins and have played four games so far.
The Kings stand between two fellow Pacific Division teams. One spot below LA in 20th are state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, who are 2-1-0. Ahead of the Kings are the Seattle Kraken, who own a 2-0-1 record and jumped eight spots from the previous week’s power rankings.
Both Seattle and Anaheim are ahead of Los Angeles in the NHL standings.
Despite some strong recent performances from their youngsters, the Philadelphia Flyers continue to resist building an active roster based on merit.
On Wednesday, reports surfaced that the Flyers had sent Emil Andrae down to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms after the defenseman appeared in just one NHL game for the team.
In his most recent call-up, Andrae, 23, played only 10:22, but he and the Flyers were pretty dominant in those minutes.
Making your season debut against the Florida Panthers is no easy task, but Andrae made it look so as the Flyers out-shot their opposition 7-1 with the Swede on the ice at 5-on-5.
So, while it would appear Cam York is destined to return from injury ahead of Thursday night's home matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, the Flyers still just aren't icing their best possible team.
On Monday night, Noah Juulsen skated away from a Matvei Michkov pass at the offensive zone blueline despite having ample time and space to make a play and continue possession.
Adam Ginning has been alright - and certainly better than Egor Zamula, whose struggles are being compounded by agent issues - but the bar isn't all that high.
At least with Andrae in the lineup, the Flyers are able to move (and carry) the puck up the ice with consistency.
We know the Flyers are hell-bent on building a Stanley Cup-contending defense that's stocked to the brim with size and range, but they aren't there yet. How can that be enforced reasonably against Andrae despite being a handful of years down the road?
And, further to that point, why not draft any big left-shot defensemen?
On the right side, the Flyers already have Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen, Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, Carter Amico, Helge Grans, and Luke Vlooswyk, and on the left, the Flyers have almost no projectable defensemen.
There's Andrae, and then there's Hunter McDonald and Ty Murchison. Nick Seeler turned 32 in June, and Cam York is presumably in Philadelphia for the long haul.
If Zamula, Andrae, and Ginning are on the outs after this year, that's the list.
This is all to say that, if the Flyers want to win and play their best 19 players every night, Andrae is one of them.
And if the 23-year-old isn't a future asset, he can become one. But the Flyers won't have much success trading a defenseman who can't get in the lineup ahead of Juulsen, Ginning, and Zamula on a regular basis.
That's why, for better or for worse, the Flyers are still stuck in those old school ways of needing to be big, strong, and punishing. Time will tell if they have the required finesse in their locker to take the team to the next level.
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xlet's hear it for Ryan Greene👏
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xboys are BUZZIN🐝
