Los Angeles Kings - 15-10-9 - 42 Points - 4-4-2 in the last 10 - 4th in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 14-15-6 - 34 Points - 3-6-1 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 18.8% - 18th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 72.9% - 30th in the NHL
Goals For - 101 - 20th in the NHL
Goals Against - 123 - 31st in the NHL
Kings Stats
Power Play - 14.6% - 30th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 79.8% - 20th in the NHL
Goals For - 87 - 31st in the NHL
Goals Against - 85 - 2nd in the NHL
Series History vs. TheKings
Columbus is 28-33-1-7 all-time, and 10-22-1-2 on the road vs. L.A.
The home team is 6-0-2 in the last 8 games of the series.
The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Kings last season.
Columbus has killed off 20 of the last 23 Kings man advantages.
Who To Watch For TheKings
Adrian Kempe leads the Kings in goals(13), assists(17), and points(30).
Darcy Kuemper is 10-6-6 with a SV% of .917. His last start was on December 15th.
Former Blue Jackets Goalie Anton Forsberg is 5-4-3 with a SV% of .901. His last start was on December 18th.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Kings
Zach Werenski has 7 points in 14 career games vs. the Kings.
Boone Jenner has 6 points in his last 17 games against LA.
Charlie Coyle has 16 points in 31 games.
Injuries
Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 27 Games - IR - No timeline for a return
Mathieu Olivier - Upper Body - Missed 12 Games - IR- No timeline for a return - He is skating
Miles Wood - Unknown - Missed 1 Game
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 70
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Bob Wischusen will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 THE FAN, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Athletics added a veteran presence to their young, homegrown infield.
The A’s acquired veteran second baseman Jeff McNeil for right-handed pitcher Yordan Rodriguez in a trade with the New York Mets, the team announced Monday afternoon after ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the news.
Passan also reported, citing sources, that the A’s will acquire McNeil and $5.75 million from New York in the deal.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
A's receive: Jeff McNeil and $5.75 million (to help cover his $15.75 million salary; the Mets also would pay his $2 million buyout if his option isn't exercised)
To make room for McNeil on the 40-man roster, the A’s designed left-handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk for assignment.
The 33-year-old McNeil, in eight seasons with the Mets, batted .284/.351/.428 with 80 home runs and 367 RBI in 923 career games.
In 2025, McNeil batted .243/.335/.411 with 12 homers and 54 RBI in 462 plate appearances.
Selected by New York in the 12th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, McNeil was a two-time All-Star (2019, 2022) and won a Silver Slugger Award (2022) during his time with the Mets.
He now joins a young A’s infield headlined by first baseman and 2025 American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson and catcher Shea Langeliers.
The Montreal Canadiens didn’t hold a morning skate or a media availability on Sunday. However, they still made the headlines when the Communications department confirmed that Samuel Montembeault wouldn’t be joining the team in Pittsburgh as initially planned. With the Becancour native staying behind and Jacob Fowler having played on Saturday night, Jakub Dobes was on duty Sunday night.
While the Canadiens managed to stave off the inevitable on Saturday night when they shutout the Pittsburgh Penguins and therefore kept Sidney Crosby off the scoresheet, they couldn’t repeat the feat on Sunday night. It took less than eight minutes for the Pens’ captain to find the back of the net and tie Mario Lemieux’s point total atop the franchise history, and less than five minutes later, he took sole possession of the title of top scorer in the team’s history.
Martin St-Louis has often said over the last few seasons that the biggest challenge with such a young team is to find consistency, and in the first frame, we got a prime example of that struggle.
The Habs took the lead on a fantastic passing play at even strength. Arber Xhekaj prevented the puck from leaving the zone by poking it to Ivan Demidov, who immediately fed Juraj Slafkovsky with a cross-zone pass before he, in turn, sent it across the zone to Oliver Kapanen, who one-timed it in.
It was as near perfect as a passing play could be. Still, on the very next shift, with the top line and the top pairing on the ice, the Habs skated like headless chickens in their own zone, turning the puck over to the Penguins and faster than a toddler goes from a broad smile to a full-blown temper tantrum, the Canadiens had conceded the equalizer.
It’s puzzling to see the effect scoring a goal can have on this young squad at times. Instead of giving them confidence, it makes them panic and all too often, they concede the equalizer right away.
Everything That Goes Up…
Trailing by one after 20 minutes and down 14-8 shots-wise, the Canadiens stormed back at the start of the second frame. They played a smart game, didn’t take any unnecessary risks, but were ready when an opportunity presented itself. Less than four minutes into the middle stanza, it was once again the kids’ line that struck gold. Slafkovsky first fed Kapanen, who was denied, but the big Slovak sent the rebound to the Russian rookie, who one-timed it in.
Combien de buts pour ce trio avant d'appeler ça une tradition?
Once again, Slafkovsky’s pass was perfect. It makes a world of difference when he takes the time to check where his pass is going. Earlier this season, he would often try no-look backhand passes and lose the puck that way, no more. He’s playing smart and safe, and he’s being rewarded for it.
That proved to be another high, and by 9:36, the Canadiens had 15 shots on net and had caught up to the Pens in that department. From then on, it was all Pittsburgh, all the time for the rest of the period. The Habs' next shot came over seven minutes later, and by that point, Pittsburgh had 25 shots.
Granted, Dobes wasn’t great on Acciari’s goal, but the netminder faced 14 shots in each of the first two frames. A team that looked lifeless for large stretches of time in Montreal on Saturday night had the energy of a cup contender in the second game of this back-to-back.
Montreal finished the second down by a goal, and while it was able to tie up the score in the third frame, it couldn’t seal the deal.
Going To Extra Time Is Playing Russian Roulette
While I’ll agree that Dobes didn’t look great in the shootout, the truth of the matter is that the Canadiens wouldn’t have needed a good effort in the shootout had they been consistent all game long. When you can’t seal the deal in regulation, you’re basically leaving the result up to luck. One wrong move and it’s over. Or luck can be on your side, and your opponent absolutely dominates overtime but hits a couple of posts, which is what happened to Montreal tonight. The Penguins win their first game in nine outings on Crosby’s big night, a real Hollywood ending if there ever was one.
Despite the loss, it’s worth mentioning that the Habs were poetry in motion on the ice in overtime. Long gone are the days of the Canadiens’ big, heavy defenseman who could punish the opposition by hitting them, but couldn’t skate. Having Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson on the same team opens a world of possibilities for St-Louis.
The Canadiens will have a day off on Monday before playing their last game before the Christmas break when they take on the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Phillip Danault, who has now arrived in Montreal, should join them there and be in the lineup, especially if the news isn’t good for Joe Veleno, who looked very shaken up after a hard collision late in the game.
Angels star Mike Trout signs autographs for fans before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium on Sept. 8. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
Christmas is three days away, and you’re running out of time to get a gift for the Angels fan in your life. How about a Dodgers cap?
Next year the Dodgers will try to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series. The Angels will try to end baseball's longest postseason drought at 11 years, still without much of a plan beyond rushing first-round draft picks to the major leagues while treading the financial waters until Anthony Rendon’s contract runs out.
On Sunday they missed out on Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, who signed with the 102-loss Chicago White Sox. Of the Angels’ five acquisitions this winter, three did not play in the majors last season, and not because they are up-and-coming prospects.
If you’re an Angels fan and you’re sick and tired of this, should you reconsider your loyalty?
Jim Bowden believes you should.
Bowden, formerly the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, serves as a baseball insider on several media platforms. On “Foul Territory” last week he suggested fans of small-market teams have an option that might be more constructive than getting angry.
In Pittsburgh, for instance, the owner would rather complain about the lack of a salary cap than spend enough money to build a winner around generational pitcher Paul Skenes.
“You don’t have to be a Pirate fan,” Bowden said. “You can retire as a Pirate fan, or trade yourself to the Dodgers.
“If you want to see your team win, right now the Dodgers have got the best chance to win a World Series again. As a fan, you can root for any team you want.
“You don’t have to root for the team in your home city. You can see the Dodgers play in your home city. They’ll come into Pittsburgh and beat you.
“If it bothers you that much, just become a Dodger fan. It’s fine.”
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates with teammates, coaches and owners after the Dodgers' World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Nov. 1. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
On Sunday, Sports Business Journal reported that the parent company of FanDuel Sports Network is in jeopardy of shutting down if it cannot complete a sale to streaming service DAZN. The Angels would not disappear from your screens and streams, but it likely would mean the Angels would take a big cut in local broadcast revenue for a second consecutive year.
The Dodgers’ bandwagon shows no sign of slowing. The Dodgers set a franchise attendance record last season. They offer stadium tours in English, Spanish and Japanese. They launched a fan club in Japan.
So, as a frustrated Angels fan, you could hop on that bandwagon. Or you could try another large-market team — say, the New York Mets.
Mets owner Steve Cohen is worth $23 billion, according to Forbes. When Cohen bought the Mets in 2020, he said this: “If I don’t win a World Series in the next three to five years — I’d like to make it sooner — I would consider that slightly disappointing.”
The Mets still have not won a World Series since 1986. On Friday he took to social media to criticize “the usual idiots misinterpreting a Post article on Mets payroll.”
On Sunday, given the Mets’ losses of Díaz and beloved slugger Pete Alonso in free agency, New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro shot back, comparing Cohen to greatly unloved former owner Fred Wilpon in this adaptation of a Christmas carol: “Steve’s beginning to look a lot like Wilpon/Mets fans say ‘Hell, no!’/What’s the point in being so rich/And a ruthless sonofabitch/If you don’t spend dough?”
The concept of fan free agency — essentially what Bowden suggested — is not new. Every now and then some disgruntled fan will publicly disown his favorite team, then invite rival teams to suggest why he should support them. If you’re creative enough, rival teams will send you some free swag.
That level of desperation is what many Dodgers fans felt a decade and a half ago, when former owner Frank McCourt needed a loan to cover payroll, hired a Russian physicist who channeled positive energy toward the team and “diagnosed the disconnects” among baseball operations personnel, and disparaged as “un-American” the league’s refusal to approve a television contract that he said would have provided the revenue to keep the Dodgers out of bankruptcy court.
Fans wearing Shohei Ohtani Dodgers jerseys wait to enter Angel Stadium before a game between the Angels and Dodgers on Aug. 12. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)
In 2011, the year McCourt took the team into bankruptcy, the Angels outdrew the Dodgers for the only time. The Dodgers fans did not bail on their team. They waited for better days.
That is where Angels fans are now — and, for that matter, where Pirates fans are too. Bowden’s suggestion that unhappy Pirates fans exhausted by the perennial futility try the Dodgers did not go over well in Pittsburgh. At the Pirates’ fan site Rum Bunter, Emma Lingan wrote: “Fandom isn’t a streaming subscription you cancel when the content gets bad.”
This year’s World Series was the best and most dramatic I ever covered. But the one that was the most fun was the 2002 World Series: the underdog Angels, the Disney team no one projected for a happy ending, rampaging through October and toppling giants. As The Times’ headline on the Game 7 victory put it: “Fantasyland!”
If you were there in 1982 and 1986, when the Angels had six chances to win one game to clinch their first World Series appearance — and lost all six — then you could have a greater appreciation of 2002. And, if you were there for McCourt bankruptcy, you can have a greater appreciation of Guggenheim majesty.
So get that Angels fan in your life an Angels cap. That fan will be able to wear that cap proudly one of these years, and all the tears will make the cap fit that much more snugly.
With more than a third of the 2025-26 season in the rearview mirror, the Boston Celtics sit third in the Eastern Conference, outkicking most pundits’ expectations after the team’s summer overhaul to a championship core and with Jayson Tatum sidelined to start the new campaign.
But if you take a step back, perhaps the most important development through the first two months of the season has been the positive gains from Boston’s stable of young wings.
From third-year wing Jordan Walsh emerging as a starter-caliber lockdown defender, to second-year Baylor Scheierman making good things happening in small doses, to 19-year-old rookie Hugo Gonzalez being an absolute energy-shifter in his floor time, the three players drafted highest by Brad Stevens over the past three years all look like they can be contributors for Boston’s next version of a title chaser.
Walsh changed the entire tenor of the season while kicking down the playing time door early in the season, and Scheierman has played in 16 straight games after a rash of DNPs in early November.
Playing time is earned not given under Joe Mazzulla, but the rookie Gonzalez has basically demanded more time given the way his play has inspired some of Boston’s best basketball over the past month.
Let’s crunch the numbers on Hugo:
+19.9
That’s the team-best net rating the Celtics have posted during Gonzalez’s 305 minutes of court time. The number that pops: Boston’s defensive rating plummets to a team-best 103 with Gonzalez on the court, or 11.7 points per 100 possessions better than the team’s season average.
+111
That’s the raw number that Boston has outscored opponents by this season with Gonzalez on the court, which is best among all rookies. Gonzalez is comfortably ahead of Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe (+94) and San Antonio’s Dylan Harper (+80), both of whom were top-three draft picks.
3 percent
That’s the percentage of defensive plays that Gonzalez is generating steals on, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all wings, per Cleaning the Glass data. Only Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace and Sacramento’s Keon Ellis have higher rates at that position. Gonzalez ranks in the top 10 in steal percentage among all positions.
16.2 percent
That’s the percentage of opponent misses that Gonzalez is rebounding this season. He’s tied for seventh among all wings, with teammate Walsh. Gonzalez has tied or bested his season high in rebounds in each of the last three games, culminating with his first double-double of the year when he snagged 10 rebounds on Saturday in Toronto.
50 percent
That’s our crude estimate on the percentage of time that Gonzalez has defended a former — or soon-to-be — All-Star this season. His most-frequent matchups read like an Eastern Conference All-Star ballot: Cade Cunningham, Franz Wagner, Bam Adebayo, Brandon Ingram, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey and Donovan Mitchell. He’s also taken turns against West stars like Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Durant, and Austin Reaves.
Over at BBall Index, they have Gonzalez graded at an A- for overall matchup difficulty (62nd out of 501 players) and an A+ in defensive positional versatility (9th out of 501 players). Gonzalez has spent nearly as much time on centers (18.5 percent) as he has defending shooting guards (22.6 percent).
David Butler II-Imagn Images
Hugo Gonzalez consistently guards the other team’s top players.
1
Loud poster dunk produced by Gonzalez this season, when he threw down over Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili on Saturday night. It ranked 11th in Dunk Score by a Celtics player this season.
After we exclusively revealed that Israel’s elite spy agency was using Microsoft technology to store recordings of millions of mobile phone calls made each day by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, Microsoft announced it was terminating the Israeli military’s access to services used in that surveillance system. According to sources, the sweeping and intrusive surveillance program was used to shape military operations and facilitate the preparation of deadly airstrikes. Our report, in collaboration with Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, prompted protests at Microsoft’s US headquarters and pressure from employees and investors that led to the tech company’s extraordinary decision.
In what's become a familiar holiday tradition like unwrapping presents from under the tree, the NBA will deliver its annual gift Thursday — a full slate of Christmas Day games for the 78th edition.
Starting with a noon tipoff and running until after midnight, there are five games on Christmas Day 2025 over more than 13 consecutive hours of coverage on ABC and ESPN.
Four of the past six NBA champions will be in action: the Lakers (2020), Warriors (2022), Nuggets (2023) and Thunder (2025).
Here's the rundown of the NBA on Christmas Day, past and present (and a look at the future on NBC and Peacock):
NBA Christmas Day 2025 full schedule and how to watch
*All times listed are ET
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks Time: Noon. TV: ABC, ESPN
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder Time: 2:30 p.m. TV: ABC, ESPN
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors Time: 5 p.m. TV: ABC, ESPN
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers Time: 8 p.m. TV: ABC, ESPN
The tradition dates to the league's second season in 1947.
Which NBA team has played the most times on Christmas Day?
The New York Knicks have played a record 57 games on Christmas Day. The Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are tied for most Christmas Day victories with 25 apiece.
There are seven players in NBA history with at least 11 Christmas Day starts: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
Who holds the record for most points scored on Christmas Day?
Bernard King scored 60 points for the New York Knicks in a 120-114 defeat to the New Jersey Nets on Dec. 25, 1984.
Three other players have scored more than 50: Wilt Chamberlain (59 for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 136-135 double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks on Dec. 25, 1961), Luka Doncic (50 for the Dallas Mavericks in a 128-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 25, 2023) and Rick Barry (50 points for the San Francisco Warriors in a 124-112 victory over the Cincinnati Royals on Dec. 25, 1966).
LeBron James on Christmas Day history:
LeBron James holds multiple NBA records for points (507) and games played (19) on Christmas Day. James surpassed former teammate Dwyane Wade with his record 11th victory on Christmas Day last year (his teams are 11-8 on Dec. 25).
NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
How to watch NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits on Peacock for whatever suits your mood.
Joe Lacob isn’t the only one in the Warriors organization getting emails from fans.
Steve Kerr, during an interview on “The Tom Tolbert Show,” recalled a particularly ridiculous email he received from a fan before the 2025 NBA Draft.
“I occasionally do [respond] but often do not. If something warrants a response, I will respond. I’m not gonna put anything out there, you know, that would be controversial,” Kerr said. “I remember last year, before the draft, I had a guy, he kept emailing me and saying, ‘just offer Dallas three firsts for Cooper Flagg.’”
Imagine if trades were as simple as that.
Nico Harrison, general manager of the Dallas Mavericks at that time, already had made a controversial trade sending Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February. If Harrison approved the fan-proposed deal, he might have been fired much sooner than his Nov. 11 departure.
But the fan in Kerr’s inbox was adamant.
“The guy sent me like three of them, but he kept calling him Cooper Kupp,” Kerr recalled.
The 32-year-old wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks would be an interesting fit for Golden State to say the least.
Kupp does have some basketball experience playing for Davis High School in Yakima, Washington. In 2012, the now-Seahawks receiver held Sacramento Kings star Zach LaVine to four points in the first half of a state quarterfinal game.
Nevertheless, it is unclear how sending three first-round draft picks to Dallas would help Golden State acquire Kupp.
Aside from crazy trade proposals from fans, the Warriors could use a bit of a boost from a trade, just like the boost the acquisition of Jimmy Butler gave the team last season. Kerr applauded Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy for having the team primed to make such a move.
“Mike has done an amazing job as GM. He’s signed guys who have helped us on the court. He’s signed guys to good contracts that are tradeable. He’s given us the flexibility to go out and do something,” Kerr explained. “There’s no doubt at 13-and-15; we’d be foolish to sit here and say we can’t get better. So, I’m for anything that helps us get better for sure.”
The Warriors have added one more win since the time of the interview, but Kerr surely still would welcome any big improvements added via trade.
But, for all parties involved, some realistic expectations are necessary to draw up a trade that actually works.
Can results be misleading? That is the question. Aston Villa’s winning streak continued against Manchester United, but so did the nagging doubts. They were the lesser team by several measures – fewer shots (12-15), less possession (43-57), fewer big chances (2-3). As usual, the victory was a slender one. As usual, our friend xG was unimpressed: according to Opta, United edged it 1.31-1.02. But, as every fan knows, games are not won by xG. They are won by solid teamwork, shrewd management and individual talent – and Villa have all three. Morgan Rogers may be their only star, but he’s delivering like Father Christmas. Unai Emery is wily, battle-hardened, five years ahead of Ruben Amorim. If Rogers profited from Leny Yoro’s naivety, that was probably because Emery had spotted that Yoro is not a right-back, and told Rogers to start wide, cut in and torment him. Talent and management, working together. Tim de Lisle
Miami bout was a bleak and blood-flecked affair but both men will find more opponents willing to take the money
Jake Paul’s mouth opened wide, and his eyes became huge glazed saucers, as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua finally ended the circus in Miami late on Friday night. It looked as if Paul was trying to say “Wow!” as the severity of impact registered in his scrambled brain.
Pinned in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or cling to Joshua’s legs like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was lost in his utterly stunned moment.
Sam Dickinson is poised to continue his progression in the
NHL, as the San Jose Sharks have opted to keep the 19-year-old defenseman with
the team rather than sending him to the Canadian National Junior Team for the
World Junior Championship.
Dickinson, who was selected 11th overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL
Draft, had been eligible to represent Canada in the prestigious tournament but
will instead remain with the Sharks. The 19-year-old has appeared in 27 of San
Jose’s 36 games so far this season, recording one goal and two assists. He is
averaging nearly 15 minutes of ice time per game, including a notable 17:33 in
the Sharks' 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Sharks Considered Allowing Dickinson To Participate
Initially, general manager Mike Grier and
Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky had been discussing whether it would be
beneficial for Dickinson’s development to loan him to the Canadian team.
Warsofsky, however, expressed some reservations about sending him back to
junior hockey, citing the importance of establishing strong habits at the NHL
level.
Dickinson had previously competed in the World
Junior Championship in 2023 while still with the Ontario Hockey League’s London
Knights, a team that went on to win the Memorial Cup under coach Dale Hunter,
who now also serves as the coach of Team Canada.
The Sharks currently have eight healthy
defensemen on their roster, with a ninth, Vincent Desharnais, recovering from
an upper-body injury.
The
World Junior Championship will take place from December 26 to January 5 in
Minnesota, and several Sharks prospects will be representing their countries in
the tournament.
Sharks Who Are Playing In World Junior Tourney
Among them are center Michael Misa (Canada),
defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius (Sweden), and goalie Christian Kirsch
(Switzerland). Misa, selected second overall by the Sharks in June, along with
Wallenius and Kirsch, both 2024 draft picks, will play for their respective
teams.
Additionally,
goalie Josh Ravensbergen, a first-round pick this year, is currently training
with Team Canada. The final 25-man roster for Canada has yet to be announced.
Center Cole McKinney, a second-round pick, remains on the preliminary roster
for Team USA.
Next Game for the NHLers
The Sharks will hit the ice Tuesday to face the Vegas Golden
Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Coverage begins at 9 p.m. local time.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
If you’re looking at the Knicks box score from Sunday, Jalen Brunson’s line (47 points, 8 assists, 0 turnovers) probably catches your eye. Maybe Mikal Bridges’ three-point shooting (6-for-7) gets your attention.
Hart’s numbers (13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists against Miami) are solid. But they aren’t spectacular.
Judging Hart’s impact by a box score, though, is a mistake.
“His impact, you can't really tell from the stat sheet,” Brunson says. “But by the eye test, everyone knows that he's a competitor. He brings a winning style of basketball to this team."
The Knicks have done a lot of winning since they traded for Hart in 2023.
In fact, they are 137-89 in the regular season with Hart in the lineup -- that includes a 10-2 record this season when Hart is in there alongside Brunson, Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“I think he does a great job pushing the pace, and he presents a different... obstacle for the opponents to have to deal with,” Towns said after the Knicks’ win over Miami. “I think that he's done a great job of utilizing his game, what he does best, and maximizing our team’s chance to win.”
Entering Sunday's game against the Heat, New York had the No. 2 net rating in the NBA since Nov. 24, when Hart moved into the starting lineup. And they have a net rating of +16.1 with Hart on the floor since the lineup change.
They rank fourth in the NBA in rebounding percentage during that span.
“He’s a guy that just does everything well. If you’re not careful, you may look at it and say, ‘Well, he can’t really do (this).’ Nah, nah, he does everything well,” Mike Brown said. “He does a couple things at an elite level, and when you have a guy like that who’s pretty selfless, it can bode well to connecting the group, no matter who he’s on the floor with.”
Brown moved Hart into the starting group in late November after listening to feedback from his staff.
Credit Brown for keeping an open mind. Hart’s ability to push the ball in transition has changed the Knicks.
“Josh gets in (and) he's probably one of the fastest with the ball; he's going to the rim, or he's driving in the paint, trying to find guys,” Bridges says. “I think his ability to get in transition and push and create opens up a lot.”
Hart’s individual numbers as a starter are strong. He’s averaging 15 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 40.7 on threes. And the Knicks have done a lot of winning with Hart in the starting lineup.
“He’s our Draymond Green,” one Knick staffer said recently.
The comparison is not far off.
In 2015-16, Green averaged 14.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game prior to the All-Star break. The Warriors were 48-3 with Green in the lineup at the time. Opposing coaches recognized Green’s value by voting him to the Western Conference All-Star team. He joined teammates Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the game.
If you looked at Green’s individual numbers that season, you wouldn’t think he’d make an All-Star team.
Green’s All-Star bid was based on team success, not individual stats.
Just like Green in 2015-16, Hart is having a huge impact on his team’s success. Opposing coaches recognize his value.
“Right now, he’d definitely get consideration,” one opposing coach said of Hart and an All-Star bid. The coach cited Hart’s 'impact on' New York’s record and said he’s 'playing like’ an All-Star
It sounds like Hart will have a strong case for an All-Star spot if he continues to produce and the Knicks continue to win.
Perfect night
Brunson had an MSG career-high 47 points against Miami. But he was pleased with another stat from Sunday’s win: zero. Brunson had eight assists and no turnovers against the Heat. Brunson had nine assists and zero turnovers in a loss to Philadelphia on Friday. No turnovers in his past 75 minutes on the floor.
“That means a lot,” Brunson said late Sunday. “…. Obviously, no turnovers is what I strive for. Obviously, sometimes when you're aggressive, you make aggressive mistakes. I can live with (the aggressive mistakes), the passive mistakes, I can't live with. But yeah, just trying to hold the ball as much as I can and not give it to the other team.”
They had lost eight in a row and were coming off back-to-back lifeless performances against the Ottawa Senators and this very Canadiens team on Saturday. They got blanked 4-0 in both games and were desperate for something positive to happen on Sunday.
They got a whole lot of positives during Sunday's game, starting with Sidney Crosby becoming the Penguins' franchise all-time leader in points (1,724). He notched a goal and an assist in the first period, giving the Penguins a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes before they snapped their eight-game losing streak with a 4-3 shootout win. They even snapped their nine-game shootout losing streak, too.
It's the first time that the Penguins have won a shootout since Nov. 16, 2024, against the San Jose Sharks.
Once Arturs Silovs made that final save in the shootout, it felt like a weight was lifted off everyone's shoulders, at least for this game. The players went nuts on the bench, and even head coach Dan Muse let out a few fist pumps.
They needed to pick themselves up off the mat, and they did exactly that. This was their best overall performance since they were up 5-1 against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 13. Yes, I know what happened after they made it 5-1, but up until then, they were skating the Sharks off the ice. It's precisely what they were doing to the Canadiens on Sunday (outside of 3-on-3 overtime).
The Penguins finished the game with 65.2% of the scoring chances and 79.1% of the high-danger chances at 5v5. They also had 69.8% of the expected goals.
The question now is whether the Penguins can build on this win, but for now, they got the victory when they desperately needed it.
Knicks coach Mike Brown continued his public campaign for Brunson as MVP after the game, and he needed a night like that from Brunson because Karl-Anthony Towns had just two points on 1-of-5 shooting.
Brunson had plenty of help from Mikal Bridges, who scored 24 points (hitting 6-of-7 from 3-point range, OG Anunoby scored all 18 of his points in the second half, and Josh Hart added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Brunson and Bridges carried the Knicks early, scoring 45 of New York's 66 first-half points.
Kel'el Ware had a monster night for Miami, scoring 28 points with 19 rebounds.
David Butler II-Imagn Images
