Feb 18, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga (43) poses for a photo for MLB media day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Our previous poll ended up a fairly one-horse race, with Ryne Nelson our chosen man for Opening Day starter. That… did not turn out to be the case. We’ll see if Torey Lovullo takes our advice any better when it comes to the role at the other end of the game. For we asked who you wanted to see close games out for the D-backs, in the absence (for now) of Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. They filled the role in 2025, before succumbing to the epidemic of elbow-itis which plagued baseball last year. There are certainly no shortage of possible candidates – albeit none you perhaps might want pitching to save your life.
This was reflect in results which weren’t exactly a ringing endorsement of any particular candidate. None of the five candidates (plus the long-serving veteran, “Other”) received even thirty percent of the vote. It was close at the top with the leading three all receiving between 20% and 26%. But just about everyone received a reasonable amount of support. I’d also like to thank Mrs. Jameson for showing up. Here are the full results.
It’s perhaps a little surprising, to see Loasiga – a non-roster invitee to spring training, who isn’t on the 40-man roster or a major-league contract – top of the heap. But, of course, neither of those are a prohibition on pitching in high-leverage situations and doing it well. We only have to look back to last spring, where Shelby Miller was in exactly the same situation, roster-wise. After Puk and Martinez went down, he ended up becoming the closer, and at the end of the year, led the Diamondbacks in saves. Of particular note, Miller came into the 2025 campaign with just three saves over 103 appearances out of the bullpen, since becoming a full-time reliever post-COVID.
I figured it might be worth putting together a little chart of the stats for the five contenders. So, below you will find for each man, their number of relief appearances at the MLB level, the saves recorded there, their career ERA+ (to indicate overall level of effectiveness), and the ERA+ they posted last year. Obviously, the amount of work involved in determining the last varies dramatically, from Ryan Thompson’s 41.1 innings, all the way down to Drey Jameson’s… three. So bear this in mind, especially with regard to Jameson, whose total experience in MLB is still only 68 innings, and half of that came as a starter. That may be a factor in why he ranked so badly in our poll.
I’d kinda forgotten how long Ginkel has been around. This will be his eighth season in the majors, which will actually tie the franchise record (Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are also going to be in their eighth, matching the mark of Randy Johnson and Andrew Chafin). In relief appearances and saves, he ranks second among the candidates, though is obviously quite a distance behind Paul Sewald in both. The problem with Sewald is, he hasn’t actually been a very good pitcher, judging by ERA+. Experienced or not, he was below average both last year, and for his career as a whole. On the other hand, his velo is up this spring, for what that’s worth.
I’ve a feeling it’s going to be that crafty journeyman, A.N. Other who is going to end up taking the role, with Lovullo using the dreaded (by fans, at least) closer by committee. However, all of these pitchers are right-handers, which is going to limit the scope for the manager to play late-inning match-ups. They do have somewhat different approaches, to be fair. The advantage of such an approach is it might be less susceptible to the equally dreaded (by fans, at least) Lovullo loyalty, where he sticks with “his guy” beyond what feels rational. If there is no single “his guy”, then he should be willing to switch out at the drop of a blown save or two. We shall see.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 18: The 2026 MLB All-Star Game logo is seen on a banner during Philadelphia's 2026 All-Star Game Declaration on July 18, 2025, at Citizens Bank Park, in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sitting here on March 14th before a single inning of regular season ball has been played — exactly four months out from the Midsummer Classic on July 14th — feels like the perfect time to make some bold predictions and dream some big dreams for the 2026 MLB All Star Game.
Let’s start with the regulars.
The 2025 rosters were loaded with every-year locks (like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Freddie Freeman) as well as a handful of first timers (Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cal Raleigh, and Ryan O’Hearn).
Are there any surprise players you’re expecting to find their way into the game this year?
The Colorado Rockies will have at least one league-required team representative in July. In 2025, that honor went to Hunter Goodman, and it was well-earned. While the Rockies work to get back to a place where they’re sending more than one All Star, that could be a challenge in the near-future with how stacked the NL is and how little love the Rockies’ still-improving roster gets in the fan vote.
Will Goodman be a repeat All Star?
Will the Rockies be fun enough to send more than one player?
Which player(s) do you think will represent the Rockies in 2026?
Finally, outside of the game itself.
It’s been five years since Colorado was represented in the Home Run Derby, last sending Trevor Story in 2021. Maybe things will be different in 2026.
Will the Rockies flash enough power in the first half of the season to send someone to the slugfest?
Which Rockie might compete?
Look into your crystal ball to the All-Star Break, and give us your bold predictions!
He scored career points No. 1,307 and 1,308 on Saturday, March 14, to move past Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne's team record.
Dionne was a fixture on the Triple Crown line of the 1970s and 1980s and scored 1,307 points in 921 games in Los Angeles between stints with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.
Kopitar, drafted No. 11 overall in 2005, has been with the Kings his entire career and achieved the feat in 1,505 games. He helped Los Angeles win Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014 and has been captain since the 2016-17 season.
The Slovenia native tied Dionne with a power play goal in the second period against the New Jersey Devils and broke the team record with another power play goal in the third period. Teammates poured onto the ice to congratulate him.
ANZE KOPITAR IS NOW THE ALL TIME LEADING SCORER IN LA KINGS HISTORY 👑
Kopitar said during training camp that he would retire after the 2025-26 season. He said he was announcing that early so it wouldn't be a distraction if the team were in the playoff hunt.
The Kings entered Saturday's game holding the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the San Jose Sharks moved one point ahead with a victory and the Kings' 6-4 loss.
If the Kings make the playoffs, Kopitar also has a chance to set team playoff records. He trails Wayne Gretzky by two goals, three assists and five points.
MIAMI — It was two like two heavyweight boxers stepping into the ring, and without wasting any time, throwing haymakers, trying to knock each other out before the first round.
Venezuela leadoff Ronald Acuna Jr. walked up to the plate and on the second pitch of the game by Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamto, he drove a 96.5-mph into the right-field seats. He danced around the basepaths, pounding his chest, screaming into the night, and crossed home plate as his Venezuelan teammates went wild, celebrating on the field with him.
That giddiness lasted right up until Shohei Ohtani took his turn at the plate, leading off for Japan. The four-time MVP sent Ranger Suarez’s slider 427 feet away into right field. Ohtani, normally reserved, turned around, and motioned with his palms down, as if it to say, “calm down fellas." He strolled around the bases, pointing at his bench, and Team Japan, normally reserved, were on the field to enthusiastically greet him.
On Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, Anze Kopitar surpassed Los Angeles Kings legend, Marcel Dionne, to move into first in Kings franchise history for points.
Kopitar notched a pair of power-play goals in Los Angeles' contest against New Jersey. To tie Dionne's record, Kopitar scored the Kings' first goal of the game off a nice feed from defenseman Brandt Clarke. Left winger Artemi Panarin provided the secondary helper on that tally.
To officially break the record, Kopitar scored the Kings' fourth goal of the game, equalizing the score. This power-play marker was orchestrated by the same two players, Panarin and Clarke.
Clarke shuffled the puck to Panarin on the half-boards, who made a one-touch pass to Kopitar. The Kings' captain finished it off, putting the puck through Devils' goaltender Jake Allen.
Los Angeles' bench was cleared as all of Kopitar's teammates went on the ice to celebrate the legendary milestone with him.
Kopitar's Legacy
Kopitar has been with the Kings his entire career, and when you think of the Kings, he is the first name that comes to mind for his loyalty and longevity. Kopitar was drafted 11th overall by the Kings in 2005. He made his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks, scoring two goals in his first game.
From there, Kopitar played a major role in the Kings' Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014. In his career, Kopitar has won two Stanley Cups, two Selke awards, and three Lady Byng Trophies. Kopitar, throughout his career, has been a symbol and an Icon for the Kings organization from 2005 to today, 2026.
Kopitar announced earlier this season that he would retire at the end of the 2025-2026 season, which will seewill see one of the NHL's greats leave the game. Throughout his career, Kopitar demonstrated himself to be a very clean player, and some fans argued that the Lady Byng should be renamed the Kopitar award.
Overall, with Kopitar passing Marcel Dionne to become the Kings' franchise point leader, it cemented his legacy as not only one of the Kings' franchise greats but also one of the greatest NHL players in history.
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Well, that’s feels nice, doesn’t it? Winning. In what has been a sub-par season thus far, it was nice to get on the right side of things and see the Tigers put all facets of the game together before heading back into the doldrums of SEC play again.
“When you don’t have success,” Missouri head coach Larissa Anderson said post-game, “and we don’t win the game, it’s kind of hard to buy into that whole process, because you just get frustrated. And they stay true, and they continue to grind and found ways to be able to win.”
On Friday, True and Dylan were on hand for the Tigers’ 8-1 victory over Minnesota and 9-4 win over South Dakota. You can read their recap here, but here’s the basics across the two games.
Stefania Abruscato
5-7 | 1 Run | 5 RBI | 3 Doubles | 1 HBP
Sophie Smith
3-6 | 3 Runs | 4 RBI | 2 Doubles | 1 BB
Madison Uptegrove
3-7 | 1 Run | 2 RBI | 1 SB | 2B
Abby Carr
2-4 | 1 Run | 3 RBI | 1 HR 1.1 IP | 3 K | 21 NP
Sidney Forrester
1-6 | 2 BB | 1 RBI | 1 HR
Abby Hay
1-5 | 1 Run | 1 RBI | 2 BB
Addy Waits
1-5 | 2 Runs | 1 BB | 1 SB | 1 HBP
Kayley Lenger
1-4 | 2 Runs | 2 BB | 1 SB | 1 SAC
Marissa McCann
7 IP | 4 Hits | 1 ER| 2 BB | 6 SO | 97 Pitches | Complete Game
Cierra Harrison
4 IP | 3 BB | 3 SO | 1 WP | 66 Pitches
Game 1: Mizzou vs. South Dakota
McCann was sharp in this one, going 1-2-3 in the first inning with a pair of strikeouts. She added another one in the second, and three more in the third, with just one hit – a double – allowed. The fourth led to more zeroes across the board (just missing the strikeouts), and by the game’s shortened end, she’d amassed eight strikeouts to just one hit — the aforementioned double — and two walks in 76 pitches.
“She’s been dominant this whole weekend,” her catcher said. “Everything on my end, everything was spinning. Speed was there. She just looked insane. And she just kept her composure the whole time… It was awesome to see.”
Offensively, the Tigers struck early and often, amassing all their runs in the first three innings of the run rule-shortened contest. A rocket to center field by Stefania Abruscato gave the Tigers an early 2-0 lead after leadoff batter Addy Waits reached on a hit by pitch. A one out walk by Abby Hay was followed by a Sophie Smith RBI double to the center field gap to make it 3-0.
A healthy Abby Hay has been a godsend for this team, and she’s looking more and more like the Abby of freshman year every day. “It’s been awesome,” she said. “Just being back out there with my girls. It’s amazing, because it’s probably my favorite place on earth is being out there with them. So just being able to be healthy and experiencing all of the firsts for these young players is really fun.”
The Tigers tacked on three more in the second courtesy of an RBI single by Abruscato, which scored Claire Cahalan, along with a two-run shot by Sidney Forrester to make it 6-0, taking the South Dakota starter, Campbell German (0-5, 5.45 ERA) out of the game for Peyton Paulsen (2-5, 5.41 ERA).
Before Forrester’s home run, Abby mentioned reminding her to just take a deep breath, telling her “If you don’t believe in yourself, just know I do.”
“All that matters is that we believe in each other, and don’t worry about the fans, don’t worry about the crowd, just if we believe in each other, we’re gonna have each other’s backs. And she went up and hit that home run and I was at home when she got there. I’m like, ‘Told you.’”
Against Paulsen, the Tigers continued to have success, adding another run on a solo shot by Abby Carr in the third. After a Madison Uptegrove walk and Kayley Lenger single, a two-run Waits double made it 9-0. And that was all they’d need. Paulsen was pulled in the fourth in favor of Aubrey Lensmeyer after giving up back-to-back walks to Saniya Hill and Sophie Smith. She was able to effectively put a damper on the Mizzou offense, working three fly ball outs and leaving the Tigers with its first scoreless inning of the contest, which was also their last.
The Tigers eight hits in those five innings of play to go along with five walks and five extra base hits and only a single strikeout. Seven different Tigers had hits in this game, and three additional Tigers reached based via walk, making it 10 different team members reaching base successfully.
Much of the team’s success the first game came from the team’s many youngsters, who were overwhelmingly praised by their “elders” for their composure.
“Just their composure,” Abby said. “They just don’t let the moment get too bit, and they work one pitch at a time, and don’t work on getting ahead of themselves. And they’re really good at slowing the game down in key situations, and I think that’s what allowed them to have so much success.”
Fania added, “I’ve never seen a group of girls that they make an error or something and they get right back to it.”
Game 2: Mizzou vs. Iowa State
The later game started out much the same as the first, with an offensive parade in the first inning. Waits worked a leadoff walk and Abruscato followed that up with a bloop single before Hay laced a hard-hit grounder through the right side, loading the bases for Sophie Smith, who fouled out on a real heads-up play by the Cyclone’s first baseman that went into the dugout. Abby Carr then hit a bases-clearing double to make it 3-0. Madison Uptegrove followed with an RBI double of her own, making it 4-0 and leading to a swift Cyclone pitching change. Jaiden Ralston took over and secured the final out, but the damage was done.
Missouri starter Cierra Harrison worked a fast 1-2-3 inning in the first, before giving up a solo shot to Tatum Johnson in the top of the second to make it 4-1. She quickly disposed of the next three batters on strikeouts though, including 2025 Tiger Kadence Shepherd, who transferred to ISU in the offseason, unbeknownst to me. She ran into a bit of trouble in the third that ultimately led to her being replaced by Abby Carr with one out in the third. After giving up a leadoff walk, ISU took second on a sac bunt before a Jessie Clemons RBI double went off the left field wall to make it 4-2.
“We’re getting strong starting performances,” Anderson said. “I think Harrison was a little tired from last night. It was a little late [the game wasn’t over until around 11pm]. I didn’t see her recovery bounce back as much as we would like to, so we’re gonna have to focus on that a little bit more, on what her body looks like back-to-back days, but giving us a chance, that’s all they asked to do.”
She continued. “I think the difference in these last five games than previously is that we’re not giving up multiple hits in a row, and that’s what was happening early on, that it would be one hit led to three, which sometimes led to five, and now we’re able to — we might give up a hit, but then we’re immediately shutting down. Cierra Harrison gave up a home run and then struck out the next three, like that is absolutely huge to be able to let that go.”
Carr didn’t fare much better early on — she did settle in later — allowing a two-run shot to center by Reagan Bartholomew to even up the score 4-4 in the third. But the Tigers would respond.
In the fourth, Mizzou evened it up on an RBI double by Waits, which scored Kayley Lenger. They tacked on another in the fifth to make it 6-4, after a Carr RBI single brought in Danielle Blackstun, who was pinch-running for Hay, who got aboard with a walk.
The Cyclones issued a warning siren in the sixth, getting baserunners on second and third after a single and rare miscue by Waits at third base. Luckily, Carr was able to get out of it unscathed, striking out the side, her third, fourth, and fifth K of the day. A 1-2-3 inning closed it out the Tigers.
“[It was] an unbelievable pitching performance and overall performance by Abby Carr today on both sides of the ball,” Anderson said. “She doesn’t get rattled. She’s so calm in the box. She’s so calm on the mound. I mean, there’s been so many pressure situations that she’s been in as a pitcher, and her demeanor is exactly the same, and she doesn’t let the past result carry over. I mean, she gave up a home run, and then she continues to battle and came through offensively.”
Much of her success Anderson actually attributes to Carr’s time as a competitive swimmer, something I also understand very well. (Carr swam for Lafayette High School, and my quick research showed she was a sprinter, qualifying for state in 2022 in the 50 free and serving as the Lancers’ anchor on the 200 free relay.
“What you learn in those individual sports in the pool, like it’s you against the clock. So she has that self-awareness on how to prepare herself, how to get herself in that zone where you’re just competing against the game and not worrying about some of the outside things… You’re not worried about the pool; you’re really only worried about the clock, and how you can see how her competitiveness carries over to every aspect of the game.”
The Tigers amassed eight hits in Game 2, to go along with two walks. They did have four strikeouts in this one, all courtesy of Jaiden Ralston. Seven different Tigers recorded a hit in this one.
“It was a great weekend all the way around— defense, offense. We saw the ball extremely well and had quality at-bats all throughout the four games and five game winning streak. It feels nice,” Anderson said. “It’s really nice in that locker room right now.”
Here’s the statistical highlights from the final two games of the series.
Stefania Abruscato
3-4 | 3 Runs | 3 RBI | 1 HR
Sophie Smith
1-5 | 1 RBI | 1 BB | 1 Double
Madison Uptegrove
1-5 | 1 Run | 1 BB | 1 RBI | 1 Double
Abby Carr
3-5 | 2 Runs | 5 RBI | 1 HR | 1 Double 4.2 IP | 1 ER | 3 Hits | 5 SO | 78 Pitches
Sidney Forrester
1-6 | 1 Run | 2 RBI | 1 HR
Abby Hay
1-3 | 3 BB | 1 Run
Addy Waits
2-3 | 2 Runs | 3 RBI | 1 BB | 2 Doubles | 2 Sac
Kayley Lenger
2-6 | 2 Runs
Claire Cahalan
2-4 | 1 Run | 1 Sac
Marissa McCann
5 IP | 1 Hit | 2 BB | 8 SO | 76 Pitches | Complete Game
Cierra Harrison
2. 1 IP | 3 ER | 2 Hits | 1 BB | 3 SO | 35 Pitches
When asked about Fania’s performance over the weekend, Anderson praised her catcher on not trying to do too much. “You know, early on in the season,” she said, “she was very pull-conscious, and now she’s working the middle of the field a little bit more, which she’s creating more opportunities to hit the ball hard and stay in the zone a lot longer, and she’s worked very hard at it. She spends a lot of time in the cage and working with both of our hitting coaches. So it’s good to see that it paid off for her.”
Stefania credited assistant coaches Bella Norton and Jake Epstein for the assistance. “I’m just seeing the ball really well,” she said. “I struggled a bit [early on], but my teammates gave me confidence. They had no doubt that I was gonna get my groove, and just so happened to be this weekend.”
UP NEXT: The Tigers will head to Champaign for a double header at U of I before returning home to face a 25-1 Alabama team who just lost their first game on Saturday vs. #8/9 Arkansas for a series at the start of Spring Break.
When asked what this stretch will do for the team moving forward, Anderson said, “It builds our confidence. I mean, we’ve been winning small battles, and we’ve been talking about winning little battles, and now it’s time to win the war.”
Anderson’s players agreed. “It’s gives us a load of confidence just knowing that,” Abby Hay said. “We did a really good job in that game [against Iowa State], and our freshmen are doing absolutely amazing with runners on, like Abby Carr with four RBI, then comes in and shuts down the game. It’s just really good, and it’s fun to see, and it just gives us so much confidence going into Illinois and Bama this week.”
The game of basketball continues to treat Patrick Ewing well, especially when March rolls around. Ewing was consistently competing at the highest levels during his college career at Georgetown.
Ewing helped the Hoyas reach three Final Fours and win the 1984 national championship. He went on to have a legendary career with the New York Knicks and now serves as an ambassador for the organization.
“I was fortunate enough to make it to three title games, but unfortunately, we only came away with one, but I wouldn’t change that experience for the world,” Ewing said, reflecting on his March Madness success. “It was us against the world mentality.”
Ewing averaged 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 143 college games. He was a three-time, first-team All-American and was the Naismith Award winner as a senior in 1985. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Despite all the success in his career, Ewing cited the loss to Villanova in the 1985 national title game as "the hardest one to get over.”
The Hoyas had beaten the Wildcats twice during conference play before losing in the NCAA Tournament final.
“Being at the Final Four and going against all these great athletes, you have to be at the top of your game to come away with the win. It’s not like the NBA, where it’s the best of seven. If you have a bad day, that day's over and we didn't play well enough to get that win.”
In honor of March Madness, Ewing reunited with former Knicks teammate John Starks and current Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns and Jose Alvarado in a commercial for AT&T.
“I thought it was great,” Ewing said about the experience. “The Knicks have done an amazing job bridging the old generation with the new generation. I thought this commercial was going to be something that was a lot of fun.”
Ewing has appeared in several commercials and movies over the years, including an appearance in the original “Space Jam,” “The Exorcist III,” and, most recently, “The Life List” last year.
“I’m having fun doing it,” Ewing said about the on-camera work. “I’ve always enjoyed doing that, but I knew what my day job was.”
At 63, the 11-time All-Star remains committed to the game of basketball.
“I'm consumed with the Knicks,” Ewing said. “Most of my time I’m at NBA games.”
After finishing his NBA playing career with the Orlando Magic in 2001-02, he quickly transitioned to a coaching role, joining the Washington Wizards as an assistant for the following season.
He would remain an assistant in the league from 2002 through 2017 before getting his first head coaching opportunity at his alma mater.
He served as head coach of the Hoyas for six seasons, winning a Big East Tournament championship and making an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021. It was the first appearance for the university since 2015.
“It was a great opportunity to come back and coach my school,” Ewing said. “Ever since I started coaching, it had been a dream of mine to be a head coach and I was happy to have that opportunity.”
Ewing compiled a 75-109 record during his tenure as coach.
"It may not have worked out as well as I would have liked, but I was happy for the opportunity to show people that I can do it and that I can do it at a high level,” Ewing said. “... I love Georgetown. It was a great four years for me as a student and I thought I grew a lot and it helped me become the man that I am today.”
WINNIPEG, CANADA - MARCH 14: Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood #39 of the Colorado Avalanche guards the net as he keeps an eye on Mark Scheifele #55 of the Winnipeg Jets during first period action at the Canada Life Centre on March 14, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche spent most of Saturday afternoon trying to catch up but came up short in a 3–1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre.
Winnipeg took control early in the second period and never really let go, while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped nearly everything Colorado sent his way. Martin Nečas finally got the Avalanche on the board late in the third period, but the comeback push came too late.
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each picked up an assist on the goal. Veteran defenseman Brent Burns also reached a milestone, playing in his 990th straight NHL game and moving past Keith Yandle for the second-longest ironman streak in league history.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 15 saves on 17 shots in the loss.
For Winnipeg, Kyle Connor scored to reach 30 goals for the eighth time in his career. Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored, while Hellebuyck finished with 28 saves.
First Period
The first period was a slow start offensively, with both teams feeling each other out and combining for just 13 shots.
Midway through the period, Brock Nelson was called for roughing after a stick battle along the boards with Iafallo. Nelson shoved him to get his stick free and was sent to the penalty box.
Colorado’s penalty kill did its job, holding the Jets without a single shot during the power play.
Late in the period, the Avalanche earned a power play when Mark Scheifele wrapped up Devon Toews while racing for the puck along the boards. Officials called the penalty with just over 20 seconds left in the period.
The horn sounded before the power play could start, so Colorado carried 1:40 of man-advantage time into the second period. After 20 minutes, the Avalanche held an 8–5 edge in shots, but the game remained scoreless.
Second Period
Winnipeg didn’t take long to grab the lead.
Just over two minutes into the period, the Jets scored shortly after killing off Colorado’s power play. Scheifele stepped out of the penalty box, picked up the puck in the neutral zone, and spotted Connor rushing into the offensive zone. He sent a pass to the left circle, where Connor snapped a shot past Blackwood to make it 1–0.
The Jets added another midway through the period. A shot from Scheifele at the point hit Iafallo in the slot. The puck dropped right to him, and he quickly fired it past a screened Blackwood to make it 2–0.
Colorado tried to answer by pushing harder around the net. A little later, Makar moved across the blue line and fired a shot toward the net, but Hellebuyck caught it cleanly with his glove.
The Avalanche almost got on the board at the end of the period. Nelson was alone at the side of the crease with the puck bouncing on his stick, but his quick attempt slid across the goalmouth and out of the zone.
The miss kept Winnipeg in front 2–0 heading into the third.
Third Period
Colorado got an early power play when Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Bryson was called for high-sticking Parker Kelly.
Even with the chance, the Avalanche had trouble breaking through against Hellebuyck and the Jets’ defense.
They finally got one late in the game. With Blackwood pulled for an extra attacker, MacKinnon slid the puck across the ice to Nečas, who blasted a one-timer into the net to cut the lead to 2–1. It was Colorado’s first regular-season goal at Canada Life Centre since Jack Johnson scored there on December 16, 2023.
Any comeback hopes ended soon after.
MacKinnon lost control of the puck in the neutral zone, and Winnipeg quickly moved the other way. Perfetti picked up the loose puck and scored into the empty net to seal the 3–1 win.
Next Game
The Avalanche (44-12-9) host Sam Girard and the Pittsburgh Penguins (32-18-15) on Monday at 7:30 p.m. MT on ESPN and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar, left, celebrates with teammate Alex Laferriere after scoring in the third period against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday to become the Kings' all-time leading scorer. (Elsa / Getty Images)
Anze Kopitar became the Kings' all-time leading scorer on Saturday, passing Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne with a third-period goal in a 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.
Kopitar, who said he will retire at the end of the season, has 1,308 points — one better than the 1,307 points Dionne had in his 12 seasons with the Kings from 1975 to 1987.
Kopitar, 38, has a franchise-best 858 assists. With 450career goals, he trails only Luc Robitaille (557) and Dionne (550) on the team’s all-time list.
The Kings captain tied Dionne's mark on a power-play goal in the second period against the Devils. He broke the record on his 10th goal of the season, tying the score 4-4 with 6:18 left in the third period.
New Jersey's Jack Hughes scored about four minutes later to put the Devils back into the lead before Timo Meier put the game away with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
Artemi Panarin and Taylor Ward also scored for the Kings (27-24-15), who are battling the San José Sharks, Seattle Kraken and the Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Kings fell out of the final wild-card spot Saturday after San José's 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Kopitar ranks 38th in NHL scoring history and is one of nine players in league history to have played in 1,500 games with one team.
“It’s amazing,” Kings general manager Ken Holland said earlier this month. “The league’s been around a hundred and something years. You’re watching one of nine that played 1,500 games with one team. I think it speaks to his passion. It speaks to he does it right every day.
“To play 1,500 games in the National Hockey League, lots of times when players get to a certain age the league starts to go by them because it gets hard. It’s hard during the summer, all the sacrifices you have to make in the summertime. Going to the gym and family sacrifices.
“He plays 200 feet. He plays a hard game. He’s one of the premier two-way centermen of his time. First-ballot Hall of Famer. It’s amazing what he’s accomplished. It just speaks to his passion, determination, love of the game, sacrifices. He’s an amazing player that the fans of the L.A. Kings have got to watch for a long time.”
Kopitar, a Slovenian native, was selected 11th overall by the Kings in the 2005 NHL draft. He scored twice in his Kings debut a year later. A five-time All-Star, Kopitar won the Stanley Cup twice with the Kings in 2012 and 2014. He's also the longest-serving captain in franchise history.
The Kings hope to make Kopitar's final season in Los Angeles a memorable one after four consecutive playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Igor Shesterkin made 46 saves and Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal and two assists as the New York Rangers extended their winning streak to four games with a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York, which won for the fifth time in six games despite being outshot 48-18.
Matt Boldy and Danila Yurov scored for the Wild, who dropped their second straight and lost for the third time in four games. Filip Gustavsson had 14 saves.
New York had a 9-6 edge in shots in the opening period and led 2-0. The Wild carried play the rest of the way, outshooting the Rangers 42-9 over the final two periods — including 21-1 in the third, but were unable to solve Shesterkin.
Laba opened the scoring with his ninth of the season on a power play 2:41 into the game. Gabe Perreault and Gavrikov assisted. Gavrikov scored his 13th of the season with five minutes left in the first.
In the second, the Wild cut their deficit to a goal in the first minute, but the Rangers scored twice despite being outshot 21-8 in the frame.
Boldy scored in his third straight game, scoring in the first minute of the period with a man advantage. It was Boldy’s 38th goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Kirill Kaprizov. Quinn Hughes picked up his 61st assist and Gustavsson had his second of the season.
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 11: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates in the dugout during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Cole Carter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today was a lot better for Bryce Elder as far as results during spring training are concerned. Elder had a successful ramp-up during against the Red Sox and bounced back from a rough outing during his last appearance as the Braves continued to get ready for regular season action.
For all the grief that we like to give Elder around here, he does have his moments where he looks like a perfectly fine and solid hurler and this was definitely one of those occurrences. Elder got through the first two innings of this one without giving up a run — he did give up a leadoff double to the newly-crowned Grapefruit League Stolen Base King Andruw Monasterio but he ended up getting wiped out after Drake Baldwin threw him out at second base on the stolen base attempt. That’s now five runners that Baldwin has caught stealing so far during spring training as it sure looks like he’s ready to start doing a lot of the same once the end of this month rolls around.
In fact, Baldwin added another one to his collection in the third inning to make it six runners caught stealing so far this spring as he wiped Braiden Ward off of the basepaths. Unfortunately, this was after Vinny Capra led off the third with a walk and then stole second base to get into scoring position. Capra made it to third on a fly ball out and then scored on a bang-bang play where Ozzie Albies’ throw home from a ground ball was unable to beat Capra to the plate.
That was the only real trouble that Elder found himself in during this game, as he retired the final six batters he saw in order and finished the night with five innings under his belt along with six strikeouts with only two walks, a hit and a run allowed. I think everybody was looking for improvement following his most recent outing before this one and Elder certainly delivered in that regard.
Meanwhile, the Braves were mostly befuddled by Brayan Bello, who got through five innings with seven strikeouts and no runs allowed. Atlanta did rack up four hits against Bello, with Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II all picking up singles against Bello. Harris made it into scoring position after he stole second in the second inning but outside of that, the Braves were unable to really string together any rallies against Bello.
Getting to see new Red Sox pitcher Tyler Uberstine must’ve been like walking into an oasis for the top of Atlanta’s order because they came out swinging against him. Although Ozzie Albies struck out to lead off the sixth on a foul tip, Drake Baldwin picked up his second hit of the game with a double and then Matt Olson delivered the loudest hit of the night by launching a bomb out to the Budweiser Bench in center field off of a changeup from Uberstine. The go-ahead shot was Olson’s fourth spring dinger and I think the obvious hope here is that the rhythm this lineup is in will hopefully carry into the regular season.
Most of the projected Opening Day roster players for the Braves got three plate appearances in this one before making their exit and then Walt Weiss went with organizational depth once Elder left the game, so the ride ended there if you’re interested in anybody that you’ll be regularly seeing from April and beyond here in 2026. Eli White did pick up a hit in the seventh inning before he promptly exited the game and Atlanta cashed it in for a run after Jim Jarvis picked up a single to move pinch-runner Ethan Workinger over to third and then Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. plated him with a sacrifice fly.
Atlanta did have a big inning in the eighth, though — Workinger added to his tally with two RBI, Jorge Mateo picked up an RBI after Red Sox outfielder Corey Rosier failed to corral in a line drive on a diving attempt, Jim Jarvis joined in on the fun with an RBI single of his own and then Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. joined the conga line to make it six-straight hits and seven-straight baserunners for the Braves. Once the smoke cleared and Red Sox pitcher Michael Sansone woke up from his nightmare, the Braves ended up plating seven in the bottom of the eighth.
The Braves ended up sauntering to another spring training win and while you may have quibbles with the fact that the lineup didn’t really do much against Boston’s starter, the same could be said of the Red Sox lineup’s fate against Bryce Elder in this one. Elder’s improvement was really nice to see and hopefully we’ll see that moving forward and we’ll also continue to see Atlanta’s regulars at least continue to pick up some hits like they did once Bello left the game.
Tomorrow’s game starts at 1:05 p.m. ET (I triple-checked this time) as the Braves will take on the Phillies in Clearwater.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan warms up during a World Baseball Classic workout day at loanDepot park on March 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his final start of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday night in Miami, trying to get Japan past Venezuela and into the semifinals. The winner of this game takes on Italy on Monday night.
Shohei Ohtani bats leadoff as the designated hitter, per usual, this time facing Ranger Suárez to start.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 13, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (22-45) complete their season series with the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) Sunday with an early 2:30pm CST tipoff at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The two teams met Friday with Cleveland routing the Mavericks at American Airlines Center, 138-105. Cavs center Evan Mobley led all scorers with 29 points on 12-15 shooting, while the Mavericks were led by Cooper Flagg’s 25, as he emerged from an injury-related slump with a monster third quarter.
For the Mavericks, Friday’s game ended a one-game winning streak that was scarcely 24 hours old as they beat Memphis the night before, 120-112, ending an eight-game skid. For Cleveland, a won Sunday would equal their longest win streak since Feb. 20, as a tough run of the schedule including the Thunder, Celtics, Knicks, Pistons, Magic, and 76ers ended a win streak that reached seven games as the team brought aboard guard James Harden in a trade Feb. 3. While the team hasn’t yet replicated the wins from that honeymoon period, Harden’s time meshing with his new teammates looks promising as Cleveland gears for a deep playoff run.
The Cavaliers, who treated much of Friday’s matchup in Dallas as a tune-up game as they determine their playoff rotation and build chemistry with Harden, will bring a deeper roster to Sunday’s game as center Jarrett Allen and wing Max Strus plan to return from knee and foot injuries.
Game of inches
The Mavericks, for whom perimeter defense is already a nightly liability, were also without much size Friday to counter the Cavs’ relentless attacks at the rim. Forward PJ Washington and centers Daniel Gafford and Moussa Cisse were all unavailable, as frontcourts anchored by Marvin Bagley III and Dwight Powell got torched for 72 paint points achieved through a dazzling array of methods. Guard Donovan Mitchell got to his spots at will, making 10 of 12 two-pointers, while Harden and Mobley seemingly found a breakthrough building the pick-and-roll rapport that has proven elusive in their six weeks so far as teammates. Against the Mavericks, Harden and Mobley each seemed to speed things up with Harden attacking earlier off screens and Mobley rolling much harder to the basket, and the yield was lobs, pocket passes, and finishes with an easy rhythm as Harden was able to get Mobley switched onto guards and strike.
Allen, a more conventional kind of screener and roller than Mobley, is already a match for Harden’s style of play, with the 21.5 points per game he has averaged playing with Harden (not counting the game Allen left with injury against Detroit March 3) raising his season scoring average to 15.3. If the Mavericks offer the kind of resistance at the rim that was on display Friday (Washington, Gafford, and Cisse are all day-to-day), expect Harden to use this game as a laboratory to synthesize Allen’s and Mobley’s natural abilities, waiting a beat longer to accelerate around Allen’s hard screens, and finding the versatile Mobley further from the basket more often.
Welcome wagon
Max Strus also returns for Cleveland against the Mavericks; on Feb, 27, 2024 he caught fire late against a very different Mavericks club, connecting on five three-pointers in the game’s final five minutes, including the game-winner- a 60’ heave on a last-second inbounds that closed it with the Cavs up 121-119. Strus, a starter in 37 of the 50 games he has played this year, joins a wing core that had things humming against the Mavericks Friday, as Keon Ellis hit three of his five three-pointers in his first start for Cleveland and Plano native Jaylon Tyson made two of his three. The team was nearly as effective shooting beyond the arc, making 18 of 38, as it was in the paint.
How not to repeat history
While Flagg’s brilliant second half and Naji Marshall’s return to form Friday gave Mavericks fans something to cheer for besides the team’s draft lottery chances, there were not many other bright spots, as jumping out to an early two-bucket lead in the game’s opening minutes doesn’t qualify as a bright spot given what followed. In the game’s second quarter, in which the Mavericks actually played the Cavs to a 29-29 tie, eight Maverick turnovers led to 13 Cleveland points. Dallas went on to cough it up 17 times in the game overall, and although Ryan Nembhard’s 9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio counts as a bright spot, the undersized Mavs backcourt’s inability to stop Harden and Mitchell made for bright spots for quite a few folks wearing wine and gold.
While the Mavericks will probably run some different lineups at the Cavs, the most likely result will be another early night on the bench for Harden, Mitchell, and Co., while the Mavericks get another long look at forwards Thomas Bryant and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who combined to go seven-for-seven on two-point attempts. Winning is still the objective for this hard-playing Mavericks team, but its fans can be forgiven for quietly rooting for another strong Coop performance and no lost ground in the “other” standings if things go sideways as rapidly as they did Friday.
How to watch/listen
You can watch the game on NBA TV, KFAA Channel 29, or MAVS TV (streaming), or listen at 97.1FM KEGL (English), and 99.1FM KFZO (español).
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Hany Mukhtar scored four minutes into second-half stoppage time — the 25,000th goal in MLS history — and Brian Schwake earned his second clean sheet in his fourth MLS start as Nashville SC beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Saturday night.
Mukhtar subbed in to begin the second half for Nashville (3-0-1) before scoring for the second time this season. It was his 84th goal in 183 career appearances with the club.
The 34-year-old Schwake saved two shots for the shutout.
Cristian Espinoza collected his second assist of the season on Mukhtar's goal and defender Andy Nájar notched his first. Espinoza, in his first season with Nashville, had 70 assists in 218 appearances for the San Jose Earthquakes dating to 2019. Nájar had a career-high 10 assists with Nashville last season, his first with the club.
Patrick Schulte totaled three saves in goal for the Crew (0-2-2), who were also shut out at home last week in a scoreless draw with the Chicago Fire.
Nashville had three players receive first-half yellow cards — Jack Maher, Ahmed Qasem and Woobens Pacius. Sam Surridge and Mukhtar replaced Qasem and Pacius after halftime.
Twenty-year-old Taha Habroune had his first goal of the season and the second of his career waived off for Nashville in the 18th minute when Max Arfsten was caught offside after a video review.
Nashville played to a 2-2 draw in Columbus last season and beat the Crew 3-0 at home.
PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 8: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets pitches in the first inning during the game against the New York Yankees during a Spring Training game at Clover Park on March 8, 2026 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets fell to the Astros 8-2 at CACTI Park of The Palm Beaches. The loss dropped New York to 10-8 in Grapefruit League action, with one tie.
Freddy Peralta started for the Mets and was terrific, holding Houston to just one hit and one earned run over four innings of work. He walked one batter and struck out five. He allowed his lone run in the first inning on a Yordan Alvarez run-scoring single. With the outing, he lowered his spring ERA to 2.70.
Luis García pitched a scoreless fifth for the Mets to keep New York within a run.
The Mets trailed by one run until the sixth, when Alvarez hit a three-run home run against Saul Garcia, who allowed three earned runs on one hit and two walks. He also struck out two batters.
The Mets broke through in the seventh with a run on a Jose Ramos, which drove home Ben Rortvedt. The run cut the Astros’ lead to three runs.
Houston plated three more runs in the seventh against Jordan Gerber, who ended up pitching 1 1/3 innings for the Mets and surrendering three earned runs on three hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
Colton Cosper took over for Gerber in the eighth and allowed an unearned run on two hits. He walked a batter and did not record a strikeout.
The Mets picked up a run in the ninth on a Cristian Pache single, which drove in Rortvedt.
Rortvedt and Pache each picked up two hits for the Mets. Seven other Mets collected a hit apiece.
Mets’ top prospects Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing each had a hit. Benge’s average now stands at .367 and his OPS is .839 on the spring, while Ewing raised his average to .381 and his OPS to 1.090.
