Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -162, Golden Knights +135; over/under is 6
STANLEY CUP FINAL: Golden Knights lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights visit the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Tuesday for the fourth time this season. The Golden Knights won 5-4 in the previous matchup.
Carolina is 35-12-2 at home and 53-22-7 overall. The Hurricanes have a 28-9-2 record when scoring a power-play goal.
Vegas is 39-26-17 overall and 26-16-8 on the road. The Golden Knights have a 49-7-11 record when scoring three or more goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Seth Jarvis has 32 goals and 34 assists for the Hurricanes. Nikolaj Ehlers has six goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Mitchell Marner has 24 goals and 56 assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has one goal and nine assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 8-2-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.2 assists, 5.1 penalties and 13.4 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: None listed.
Golden Knights: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SEATTLE — Sean Manaea views his success throwing his sweeper as a significant factor in his turnaround.
“Throwing it hard and selling it has really been key,” the Mets left-hander said before an 8-3 loss to the Mariners in which he did pitch. “If I try to place it and make it perfect, that is where I get into trouble.”
On Monday he had one of his strongest outings of the season, allowing one earned run over five innings in the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Mariners in 10 innings. Manaea was utilized in a bulk relief role, behind an opener.
Sean Manaea throws a pitch during the Mets’ 10-inning loss to the Mariners on June 1, 2026 in Seattle. Getty Images
Manaea has pitched to a 2.55 ERA over his last five appearances, dating to May 10. Before his last outing he was moved into a higher-leverage role, switching spots with David Peterson.
“Even though we lost the game you have got to take the positive there,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It was his longest outing, you saw some 93-94 [mph]. He was pretty impressive. He was really good.”
As for his sweeper, Manaea utilized it 21 times in 63 pitches.
Jorge Polanco will be evaluated for a potential return to the Mets this weekend following his scheduled start Wednesday for Triple-A Syracuse (the second half of a back-to-back day appearances).
Though Polanco is expected to serve as the DH once he’s cleared for a Mets return, Mendoza indicated the ability to handle first base will be necessary. Polanco, who has been on the injured list since April 15, is returning from left Achilles bursitis after initially dealing with a right wrist contusion.
“It could be in play that he is active on Friday,” Mendoza said. “But if he needs more at-bats and it’s not so much how he is feeling physically … there is a combination of a lot of things.”
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Kodai Senga is scheduled to throw 85 pitches for Syracuse on Wednesday in a potential final minor league rehab outing before rejoining the Mets.
The right-hander has been sidelined since April 26 with lumbar spine inflammation.
Mets pitchers began the day with 560 strikeouts this season, which ranked first in the National League and second in MLB.
The total was fourth-highest in franchise history through the team’s first 60 games. The 2021 Mets (580 strikeouts) are first.
In less than 24 hours from permission granted to departure finalized, Chris MacFarland went from a key piece of the Colorado Avalanche’s front office to officially being out the door — and the speed of it has quietly turned into the first real question.
Chris MacFarland’s exit in Colorado didn’t come with much warning — or much resistance — and that alone is beginning to say something about where things stand inside the Avalanche organization.
Welcome to Smashville, Chris! 👋
We're proud to announce that Chris MacFarland has been hired as our President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.
On Wednesday, the Nashville Predators officially named MacFarland their President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, closing the book on a tenure in Colorado that ended almost as quickly as it was allowed to conclude. The timing, more than anything, has sparked the obvious question: was this a departure Colorado tried to prevent, or one they quietly accepted?
On paper, the Avalanche are still operating as a win-now team — Presidents’ Trophy expectations, Stanley Cup aspirations, and a core built around one of the most dominant groups the league has seen in years. But the results have stopped matching the billing. The championships haven’t followed, the draft capital has thinned out, and the roster is starting to show its age in key spots.
— 92.5 FM - Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) June 2, 2026
So when a senior executive is permitted to walk without much resistance, it naturally raises eyebrows. If MacFarland was truly viewed as part of the long-term foundation, it’s fair to wonder whether the organization would have drawn a harder line. They had the right to.
They didn’t use it.
Some will frame that as courtesy — a respectful send-off for a longtime executive earning a promotion elsewhere. Others will see it as something quieter and more telling: that internal change in Colorado may not be as far off as it looks from the outside.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
The guys react in real time as news breaks that Chris MacFarland is headed to Nashville. pic.twitter.com/Vy05jEq6Dp
Either way, it’s another storyline that will inevitably circle back to Joe Sakic the next time he addresses the media.
Familiar Pain, Familiar Opponent
From the outside, the Avalanche’s recent playoff history hasn’t offered much relief.
Last season’s disappointment again ended at the hands of Pete DeBoer and the Dallas Stars in a second consecutive seven-game first-round series. Dallas was dealing with injuries to key players like Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, which only added to the frustration around Colorado’s exit.
And then there was Mikko Rantanen.
Moved earlier in the year in a decision that still hangs over the franchise, he was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes — only to later surface in Dallas and play a major role in eliminating his former team. It was one of those storylines that refuses to fade, no matter how many months pass.
By the time the series ended, the blame didn’t sit in one place. Assistant coach Ray Bennett ultimately absorbed the formal fallout, but MacFarland and head coach Jared Bednar were both pulled into the larger conversation about accountability within the organization.
Colorado’s power play issues were part of the story, but they weren’t the whole story. At different points, Dallas controlled the pace, dictated the physical tone, and forced stretches where the Avalanche struggled to respond.
One moment stood out more than most — Valeri Nichushkin taking a cross-check to the face from Jamie Benn, with little meaningful pushback afterward.
What stood out even more in hindsight was how that moment echoed beyond the Dallas series. The physical tone Benn established didn’t fade once the series ended. Instead, it became a reference point — not just for what Dallas did, but for how Colorado was increasingly being approached in the postseason. Test the edge. Challenge the response. See what breaks.
That blueprint didn’t stop. It followed them as Colorado refused to address their flaws.
Talent Without Enough Edge
There was an expectation afterward that Colorado would evolve into something heavier, something harder to play against. The reality only partially matched that idea.
Brent Burns brought experience and puck movement, but at this stage of his career he isn’t a player who changes the team’s physical identity. Josh Manson remains the closest thing Colorado has to that element, but injuries have kept him from being a consistent presence.
What hasn’t changed is the offense.
Nathan MacKinnon captured his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. Martin Nečas, acquired in the Rantanen trade, was outstanding through the first two rounds of the playoffs — driving play, creating offense, and looking like one of Colorado’s most dangerous forwards. But like much of the roster, he went quiet against Vegas once the Golden Knights tightened space and removed time in transition.
Brock Nelson provided steady production after arriving, Parker Kelly broke out with a 21-goal season, and Scott Wedgewood alongside Mackenzie Blackwood formed a strong tandem, sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals against during the regular season (minimum 25 games played).
Jared Bednar talking about Chris MacFarland Being a Finalist for GM of the Year: "No one is gonna outwork him, no one is gonna watch more games..."
Against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Avalanche were swept, and once again the gap between regular-season dominance and postseason reality became impossible to ignore.
At that level, skill doesn’t disappear — but it gets compressed. Space shrinks, time disappears, and structure takes over.
And against that structure, Colorado had no answer. Similar to Dallas, Colorado had no response to Vegas’ brutality.
The Cost Of Constant Recalibration
MacFarland’s approach was never reckless — it was deliberate. Aggressive when needed, patient when possible, always trying to keep the championship window from closing.
But over time, the accumulation of moves has left its mark.
Alex Newhook, drafted in 2019 and part of the 2022 Cup team, was traded to Montreal in 2023 for futures and a prospect who never became part of Colorado’s long-term core. In Montreal, he later delivered a breakthrough postseason, including a Game 7 overtime winner against Buffalo and a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
It’s exactly the kind of production that becomes more noticeable when depth scoring disappears in the spring.
On defense, Bo Byram’s departure still stands out. Now in Buffalo, he’s developed into a steady, mobile defenseman after being moved in the deal that brought back Casey Mittelstadt — a move designed to solve Colorado’s long-running search for a second-line center behind Nathan MacKinnon.
Perhaps the most striking reflection of that approach isn’t just in the roster turnover, but in what it has cost beyond it. Colorado does not own a first-round pick in the draft until 2029, and will not make a selection in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft either. For a franchise still operating with championship expectations, it’s a rare level of future compression.
Mittelstadt struggled to find consistency and was eventually moved again — packaged with Will Zellers and a draft pick to Boston for Charlie Coyle. Coyle’s stint didn’t last long either, later being dealt to Columbus with Miles Wood for Gavin Brindley and additional draft capital.
Brindley saw NHL time but finished the season back with the Colorado Eagles.
Layer after layer, the middle of the roster has been reshaped without ever fully stabilizing.
Cal Ritchie was included in the Brock Nelson deal — a move that delivered regular-season production but limited playoff impact. Nazem Kadri’s return brought familiarity and edge, but also a long-term commitment that now looks more complicated as his game ages.
Even smaller moves have added up. The Sam Girard for Brett Kulak trade remains one of the cleaner wins in that stretch.
But the overall direction is clear: Colorado has leaned heavily into a win-now identity that has steadily traded future flexibility for present urgency.
And that only works if the final step actually arrives.
So far, it hasn’t.
The Cycle Comes Full Circle
And now, with MacFarland gone and Joe Sakic once again central to the structure, the Avalanche find themselves circling familiar ground. Not a reset — a recalibration around the same philosophy that delivered the 2022 championship.
The problem is that everything around it has changed.
The core is older. The margins are thinner. And the same approach that once delivered a title has, in recent years, produced more questions than answers.
At some point, the bigger truth becomes hard to ignore.
You can’t keep selling your soul for short-term certainty and expect the same version of success to come back unchanged.
The 2022 team wasn’t just talented — it was stable. It grew together, stayed together, and understood exactly what it was when it mattered most.
Since then, the churn has been constant. Moves made for urgency. Moves made for fit. Moves made for a roster that keeps changing before it ever fully settles.
And that’s where the contrast becomes unavoidable. What once felt like a brotherhood built over years now feels more transactional — like everything has been broken up, moved around, and reassembled elsewhere, with pieces that don’t always naturally fit the same way.
Not bad players. Not bad intentions. Just a team that hasn’t been allowed to stay whole long enough to become what it once was.
And in the middle of it all, Sakic now finds himself back in a familiar position — trying to stabilize a structure he helped build, but didn’t always directly steer through its most aggressive decisions.
Because as MacFarland exits, there’s a growing sense of a familiar pattern underneath it all: when things don’t end in a championship, someone eventually becomes the face of the disappointment. Sometimes it’s a coach. Sometimes it’s an assistant. Sometimes it’s an executive cycle that quietly gets reshaped or replaced before the core ever truly changes.
MacFarland’s departure doesn’t land like a dramatic firing — but it also doesn’t feel entirely disconnected from that pattern either. Another layer of accountability, another shift in responsibility, another figure stepping out as the organization circles back toward the same core group that has defined its last era.
The difference this time is that Joe Sakic isn’t walking into a rebuild or a reset. He’s walking back into a familiar identity — one that already delivered a championship, but has since struggled to find the same level of finishing touch.
And whether MacFarland was the fall guy, a casualty of timing, or simply the next man to move on, the broader reality doesn’t change much.
But that’s the risk of a cup-or-bust mentality. You’re either a genius or the villain. Colorado, for a stretch, looked like neither was up for debate — they terrorized the entire league. It just didn’t carry through when it mattered most.
The Avalanche are still trying to solve the same problem they’ve been chasing since 2022.
They just keep changing who is held responsible for getting them there.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 02: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers is doused while being interviewed after a win over against the San Francisco Giants 8-3 at American Family Field on June 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the San Francisco Giants cut bait on top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison last season in the Rafael Devers trade, they knew there was a chance that the then 23-year-old would come back to haunt them. Just under a year after the trade, that possibility became a reality.
Harrison tied a career high by striking out 12 Giants in 5.2 innings, moving to 7-1 on the season with a 1.57 ERA. The only damage came on a sixth-inning solo shot by Willy Adames to give the Giants their lone run off Harrison in what eventually ended up an 8-3 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Giants might have been extra regretful of the deal since their prize return from the trade was fitted for a Golden Sombrero after striking out four times in five at-bats. He did deliver a productive strikeout in the first inning, making Harrison throw 10 pitches before he was caught looking at a fastball — which now regularly hits 97 MPH. At least Zach Wheeler had the courtesy to wait a few seasons to become an All-Star after the Giants traded him.
Yes, seeing 10 pitches counted as a victory Tuesday against Harrison. It looked like the Giants might shorten his night when Casey Schmitt and Devers got his pitch count up to 16 with back-to-back strikeouts, Luis Arraez tripled, and Adames walked on five pitches. With Harrison sitting at 26 pitches, Matt Chapman swung at the first pitch he saw and popped out.
After that, it felt like Harrison wanted to send a message to his old teammates and Buster Posey. Daniel Susac singled in the second, and Harrison struck out five in a row. Adames singled to open the 4th and Harrison struck out the next three hitters. He was one strike away from exiting with six shutout innings before Adames went deep.
Kyle Harrison strikes out 12 in a start for the second time this season!
The Giants prepared for a tough left-handed pitcher by loading up on righties. Jonah Cox and Victor Bericoto started alongside Schmitt in the outfield, and new Giants Buddy Kennedy was the DH. The trio went 0-for-6 with four Ks off Harrison, and Kennedy also struck out against lefty reliever Aaron Ashby.
Cox delivered the game’s most frustrating at-bat in the 7th inning. After Susac and Bericoto singled to lead off the inning, the rookie center fielder squared to bunt and popped it up to the pitcher. Later in the inning, Devers grounded out with runners on second and third — but at least he didn’t end up with the Platinum Sombrero.
Trevor McDonald (2-3) probably deserved better, after bouncing back from a three-run first inning. He didn’t give up another run in the next four innings, keeping the Giants within striking range by getting lots of ground balls and a clutch 6-3 double play. McDonald also came within one strike of escaping a jam that started with back-to-back walks, than left a sinker over the plate that tuned into a three-run homer from Jake Bauers, who looks nothing like Kiefer Sutherland.
The game was full of baffling decisions, excellent Brewers base running, and some very poor Giants defense.
Daniel Susac made an error on a pickoff throw to second base because his throw hit the batter in the helmet. Tony Vitello argued for interference, but Sal Frelick didn’t move and was probably extremely surprised.
McDonald had Luis Rengfio picked off in the 2nd inning, but threw the ball away. Chapman had trouble dealing with some challenging grounders in the 8th, which were both ruled infield singles, but Prime Chapman would usually turn into outs. New center fielder Drew Gilbert also gave up a double to Jackson Chourio that hit his glove. It would have been a great defensive play, but it wasn’t, and the game went from 6-3 to 8-3 when Chourio scored on a Bryce Turang single two pitches later.
Bryce Eldridge sat against a left-handed starter. But to sit in favor of designated hitter Buddy Kennedy, a man whose career slash line against lefties is .194/.286/.301 is baffling. Kennedy’s name also sounds like the video game alias for a player who didn’t sign the licensing agreement. When Eldridge finally got in the game, he delivered an RBI single.
Maybe Jung Hoo Lee needed a rest day, but he also delivered an RBI pinch-hit in the 8th. He’s on a five-game hitting streak since coming off the Injured List and has gone 13-for-20. But platoons!
Devers struck out twice in at-bats where an ABS Challenge went against him, once reversing a ball call to hand him a K and once when he appealed a borderline strike himself and lost, then became Harrison’s 12th strikeout.
The Giants walked seven Brewers. Five of them came around to score.
Tristan Beck gave up four runs in the 8th, all with two outs. 1-2-3 hitters Christian Yelich, Chourio, and Turang all knocked in runs, and have scored 11 runs and driven in 12 runs in the series.
There were positives. Susac went 3-for-4, though the Giants couldn’t get him home. Adames went 2-for-4 with a walk and turned two big 6-3 double plays. Erik Miller had a nice inning of relief. No one tore their hamstring on a routine ground ball. The crowd looked like they had a great time.
The Giants aren’t done facing 24-year-old pitchers in this series. Wednesday, the Brewers are calling up Tyson Hardin to make his major-league debut, after he had 61 strikeouts in 48 innings between AA and AAA this season. He is, however, right-handed, so we may not see another Bericoto-Cox Murdered Row in that game.
Then again, anything can happen with this team’s roster and lineup decisions. After all, we never dreamed 2026 would be the start of the Buddy Kennedy Era.
Without a changeup to flummox Guard hitters with, he looked like what happens if you pretend the L’s are capital i-s. | Getty Images
The Yankees entered Tuesday’s game 3-8 against teams over .500. They did nothing to show they were better than that at home against Cleveland.
With the help from some creative argumentative tactics, they came back twice vs Guards SP Joey Cantillo, but they ran out of tricks once he was out of the game.
CLE’s bullpen pitched 5 innings of scoreless ball, which bought time for their offense to blow the game open via a 3-run Travis Bazzana double.
The pentawhatever of Holderman-Herrin-Gaddis-Armstrong-Festa allowed just 2 hits and walked nobody. Yes, you read that right—Herrin walked nobody.
TheeeEE Yankees are now 3-9 against winning teams.
Around baseball
• The Giants promoted Tugboat Wilkinson to AAA.
• ESPN ranked prospects, including a Braylon Doughty ranking that made me happy.
PHOENIX –– After his customary round of pregame picking drills on Tuesday afternoon, Freddie Freeman took the long way back to the clubhouse, going first to the bat rack on the far side of the dugout to rub his bats a few hours before first pitch.
“Gotta wake them up,” Freeman said jokingly.
In a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the ritual appeared to work.
Shohei Ohtani belts a two-run triple in the second inning of the Dodgers’ 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks on June 3, 2026 in Phoenix. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Freeman opened the scoring in the Dodgers’ victory at Chase Field with a two-run home run in the top of the first. Shohei Ohtani doubled their lead with a two-run triple the following inning. Both superstars contributed to another two-run rally in the seventh.
And on a night the bullpen played with fire, every bit of it was needed as the Dodgers bounced back from Monday’s series-opening loss with a narrow defeat of an intradivision rival.
“Good team win,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It was good to see us come to life offensively.”
Despite leading 6-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers’ relievers almost made things messy.
Following a 4 ⅔-innings, two-run start from Eric Lauer, then scoreless appearances from Blake Treinen (who escaped a jam in the fifth with the help of a diving catch by Ryan Ward) and Edgardo Henriquez (whose fastball topped out at 103.6 mph, the second-hardest throw by any pitcher in the big leagues this year), right-hander Kyle Hurt suffered his worst outing of the season, getting charged with three runs in a three-walk dud in the seventh.
The first two runs scored on a double from Nolan Arenado (which was aided by a bobble from Ward in left). The next came after Will Klein inherited the mess and issued a bases-loaded walk.
Coincidentally or not, the rally started right after a section of Arizona fans went #TarpsOff in the upper deck of right field.
Alas, the Dodgers survived.
“Got a little hairy at the end,” Freeman quipped. “But luckily, [we] pulled it off.”
The seventh inning ended on a nice defensive play from Freeman, who ranged far to his right to spear a grounder on his backhand and throw to second for the third out.
Freddie Freeman belts a two-run homer in the first inning of the Dodgers’ win over the Diamondbacks. AP
Arizona put two more aboard against Klein in the eighth before Arenado grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The ninth inning provided another scare, with Tanner Scott letting a runner reach second before finally closing out the win.
But in the end, it was the Dodgers’ bats that made the difference.
Just as Freeman hoped, they woke up just enough.
What it means
The Dodgers are now 15-4 since May 13. And of the many impressive traits in that run, their ability to shake off rare defeats continues to stand out.
The team has not lost back-to-back contests since a four-game skid from May 9-12.
Such resiliency has helped the Dodgers (39-22) build a six-game lead in the National League West standings. They are now 6 ½ games clear of the recently resurgent Dbacks (32-28).
“In this clubhouse, it’s a lot of older guys,” Freeman said. “We know how to just move on from a loss.”
Who’s hot
Freeman and Ohtani, who have both looked more and more like their typical selves offensively over the last several weeks.
Shohei Ohtani slides safely into third for a two-run triple in the second inning of the Dodgers’ win over the Diamondbacks. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Ever since an early May slump that dropped his batting average to .233 and OPS to .767, Ohtani has been the best hitter in the Dodgers’ lineup, entering Tuesday with a .415 average and 1.229 OPS over his last 18 games.
That continued with a 2-for-4 performance that also included an intentional walk in the two-run seventh inning, extending Ohtani’s on-base streak to 18 games.
For Freeman, who was 3-for-5 on Tuesday, it’s been almost exactly the same story.
He endured a mid-May skid that lowered his average to .254 and OPS to .737, but has turned around and hit .348 over 13 games since May 19, a stretch that includes five home runs and 12 RBIs.
His only game not reaching base over that span: Monday night, leading to his pregame ritual Tuesday.
“It’s kind of how we built this team on the offensive side,” Roberts said of the recent contributions from Ohtani and Freeman. “Shohei’s been really good the last few weeks. Freddie’s been good the last month … Certainly it makes life a lot easier for everyone else. It seems like there’s always traffic creating a situational at-bat.”
Who’s not
Not to keep beating a dead horse, but still Kyle Tucker.
The $240 million outfielder went hitless in three at-bats Tuesday before drawing a seventh-inning walk, extending a recent 3-for-26 slump over his last seven games.
“I wouldn’t say disappointed,” manager Dave Roberts said pregame of Tucker’s underwhelming campaign thus far, which includes a .235 average and .715 OPS. “I would say I’m probably just hoping that there’s some traction for him and for our sake. He’s working hard. There’s a day where it looks like he’s back and feeling comfortable. Then a couple days where you look at him and it looks like he’s searching again. For me, you just hope he can find something that sticks.”
More than two months into the season, it hasn’t happened yet.
Up next
Ohtani (5-2, 0.82 EA) will return to two-way duties on Wednesday when he faces off against former All-Star right-hander Zac Gallen (3-4, 5.16 ERA).
There are two things that I know for certain about the Vegas Golden Knights: they are inevitable, and they make things pretty entertaining along the way. Sometimes, to make things even more entertaining, they play dead for a stretch of time– usually early in the first period– to give their opponent a head start. And it doesn’t even matter how much of a head start their opponent gets, because they’ll still find a way.
They always find a way.
We are past the point of saying things like ‘doubt them at your own peril.’ They’ve done this so many times— seven times this postseason, to be exact— that if you’re still doubting the inevitability of their comebacks, there’s no hope for you.
The Golden Knights simply find a way. It doesn’t matter if they’re down 2-0 halfway through the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes, and it certainly doesn’t matter if they’re down 3-0 in the first period against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
The Golden Knights always find a way.
1. Hero in a Half Shell: Hertl Power!
No one loves to score goals more than Tomáš Hertl. Since snapping a 29-game scoring drought, the 32-year-old forward has four goals in his last eight games. Following the 5-4 win, Hertl revealed that an old friend from his days with the San Jose Sharks called him during the scoring drought and provided words of encouragement.
“My old teammate called me– Joe Pavelski– and I had a 30-minute talk with him,” Hertl said. “He actually helped me a lot. We’re pretty close…. He got me through a lot.”
With 3:24 remaining in the third period, Hertl scored a beauty from the slot to break a 4-4 tie. It’s his second goal in the last three games; both were game-winners to break a tie in the third period.
Also… He’s tired of answering questions about the scoring drought.
“This playoff, you guys have been asking me this all the time,” Hertl joked following the 5-4 win. “I thought, now that I’ve scored a couple of goals, it can be over.”
2. The Pit (Authentic Barbecue) and the Pendulum
Going into this Stanley Cup matchup, the national narrative was that this would be a “boring series,” because two defensively sound teams couldn’t possibly make things entertaining.
HA.
In terms of momentum swings, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining hockey game than Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, only to see the Golden Knights wrestle control of the game and take a 3-2 lead of their own in the second. From that point on, the teams traded goals until Tomáš Hertl’s tally late in the third period proved too much for the Hurricanes to overcome.
“It’s probably going to be that way through the whole series here, back and forth,” said head coach John Tortorella following the Game 1 win. “I have all the confidence in the world, no matter where the flows go. We’re not gonna get into a panic mode by any means. We may not come back, we may lose a game, but we’re going to do it without losing ourselves completely, because you can get really sloppy when you start panicking. I don’t think there's gonna be any panic in the team, no matter what happens in this series.”
These teams are both extremely good, and even after Game 1, it’s tough to predict how this series will play out. But if tonight’s showing was anything to go off of… Giddy up.
3. What Happens in Vegas…
The Golden Knights have a unique skill: they’re really, really good at falling behind in games and finding a way to win. During the regular season, it seemed like the ‘comeback king’ mantra would be their demise– because, really, how many ugly wins do the Golden Knights have in them?
As it turns out, the Golden Knights had quite a few ugly wins in them.
This Game 1 victory wasn’t pretty by any means– they gave up a 2-on-1 just 25 seconds into the game, and the Hurricanes made them pay. But it’s possible that an ugly win was the best thing that could have happened to the team.
All year, this team has played with the belief that, if they fell behind in games, they could simply come back and get right back into the fight. To win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final following that formula, by way of another miraculous comeback, can only make that confidence grow.
“We were in this situation quite a number of times in the regular season, so I feel like we’re kind of comfortable,” said defenseman Shea Theodore following the win. “Obviously, it’s never ideal. But I think when guys keep their heads down, keep pushing, keep trying to play the right way, then things end up kind of turning for us.”
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 1: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on March 1, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Just last year, the San Antonio Spurs were waiting on bated breath to see where their lottery pick would fall in the NBA Draft. Flash forward to today, when the Spurs’ young core will play in Game One of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.
The stakes are clear: the Spurs have a chance to kick off a new dynasty earlier than expected by winning their first championship since Tim Duncan and the big three won in 2014. The Knicks have a lot of historical baggage as well. This will be New York’s first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. The franchise hasn’t won a championship since 1973.
It’s also a big moment for the NBA Cup! It’s the first time the NBA Finals have replicated the Cup finals. The Knicks defeated the Spurs 124-113 in the Cup. New York won the overall season series 2-1. However, both teams look much different now than they did in the regular season.
The Knicks’ path to the Finals has been simple. They beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games, then swept both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers to get here. They have won 11 straight games heading into Game One. The Spurs are coming off an emotional 7-game Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before that, they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in five games and the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.
Both teams bring versatile, star-studded rosters. Victor Wembanyama will headline the series, leading his squad to the Finals in his first playoff run. He is the anchor for one of the best defenses in the NBA. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns lead the New York Knicks, one of the league’s best offensive teams. Both teams bring unique strengths and counters to the table in what should be a chess match of a series.
The Knicks played their last playoff game 10 days ago on May 25th, while the Spurs are coming off an intense seven-game series. Rest vs. rust will be a real factor in Game One in San Antonio. The Spurs will look to carry the momentum from Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals and defend home court as they attempt to win four more games and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The Knicks pose real matchup problems for the Spurs. Towns is a bruising big man who can also shoot the three. OG Anunoby is a big, strong wing who can play inside and out. San Antonio’s defensive scheme is focused on Wembanyama roaming off of a non-shooter so he can protect the rim, while the team around him scrambles to guard the perimeter. Everything funnels into Wemby. The issue with this strategy against the Knicks is that Towns and Anunoby are so big that they can punish smaller defenders who get cross-matched onto them.
Mitch Johnson is faced with a choice: put Wembanyama on a non-shooter like Josh Hart, and risk Towns beating a smaller defender like Stephon Castle inside, or put Wembanyama on Towns and risk the Knicks pulling him away from the paint. The Spurs’ defensive game plan and its effectiveness are the most important things to track in Game One.
Winning the possession battle
Where have you heard this before? One critical factor for the Spurs throughout the postseason has been reducing turnovers and securing the glass. Turnovers crushed the Spurs in both losses to the Knicks in the regular season. They also got crushed on the glass. San Antonio won’t stand a chance if they are giving New York extra possessions by turning it over and letting them pound the offensive boards. At the same time, San Antonio’s defense is smothering and is at its best when it is creating easy offensive looks in transition. The Spurs can gain an advantage in the possession battle by forcing giveaways, even if the Knicks aren’t a turnover-prone squad (12.4 turnovers per game in the playoffs).
Three-point shooting
The Spurs really haven’t faced a team that has consistently made it rain on them this postseason. The Knicks have been shooting the three-ball well in the postseason, knocking down 40% of their deep shots. That said, they have a few players who have been up-and-down shooting the ball, including starters Hart and Mikal Bridges. Their three-point shooting becomes very important in this series. San Antonio needs shooting from its role players, too. Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie add a lot if they are knocking down threes. De’Aaron Fox’s shooting is an x-factor in the series. When he can take the top off the defense, it opens a lot of stuff up for the Spurs around the rim.
Jun 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Jhonny Pereda (5) hits a 3-run home run against the New York Mets during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Only a week or two ago, the early returns of the 2026 season didn’t inspire much confidence. Sure, the Mariners hadn’t dug themselves a hole in the standings like in years past—that’d be almost impossible with the state of the American League. Even so, watching the games felt akin to pulling teeth in some moments. The defense wasn’t clean, the offense seriously lacked consistency and the pitching was running into bumps in the road that they weren’t used to facing.
When Cal Raleigh went down with an oblique injury, it may not have set off the panic meter, but the Mariners’ margin for error certainly began to shrink. They were going to need to stay afloat for the time being without their biggest producer from the previous season.
The Mariners are more than staying afloat. They are sailing full steam ahead.
Production came from all over the roster Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park as the Mariners throttled the Mets 8-3 to win their eighth consecutive game and capture yet another series win.
In a moment that epitomizes the unlikely contributions throughout their hot streak, catcher Jhonny Pereda, making his 12th appearance of the season with Raleigh on the injured list, launched a three-run homer to break open the game and give the Mariners 7-2 lead in the fifth inning. The second homer of his career gave Mariners pitching the breathing room necessary to put the game to rest.
Over his 42 plate appearances with the big league club, Pereda is posting a 120 wRC+ while slashing .263/.333/.421. Small sample sizes be damned—there’s no guarantee Jhonny Pereda will remain on the 26-man roster when Raleigh returns, but consistent production from substitutes over even a short period can go a long way to filling even a Big-Dumper-sized void in the meantime.
“That’s what good teams do when they have guys who are injured, they find a way to step up and fill the moment,” manager Dan Wilson said postgame. “And I think they do that by not trying to do too much, you know. Jhonny just put up a good at-bat, finally got a pitch middle-in he could turn on, and he did.”
Speaking of substitutes, Patrick Wisdom was called upon to get the start at first base in the absence of Josh Naylor, who got the night off after leaving Monday night’s game with back spasms. It didn’t take long for Wisdom to make his mark on the game, giving the Mariners a 2-0 lead in the second with a two-run homer off the out-of-town scoreboard in left field.
For Logan Gilbert, it wasn’t a perfect night, but the cushion provided by the offense allowed him to pass the baton to the bullpen without much stress. Gilbert made it through 5.1 innings, allowing three runs.
All three of the Mets’ runs came via a multi-homer game by Carson Benge. To lead off the game, Benge struck out, but only after seeing 11 pitches and nearly all of Gilbert’s repertoire in the process. In his following two plate appearances, he was able to deposit both a cutter and a four-seam into the right-center field seats, the first of which tied up the game and erased the lead provided by Wisdom’s homer.
Despite the long ball playing a factor, Mets hitters not named Carson Benge had trouble seeing the ball out of Gilbert’s hand all night long. Gilbert generated a whopping 21 whiffs on the evening, with nine coming on his four-seam and seven on a slider that was clicking from the get-go.
“It felt good,” Gilbert said of his slider. “Good depth, action on it good. I trust it. I’m just trying to ‘put a fastball on it,’ I call it, like sell it, make it look like your body, your arm, your hand, everything, try to sell that it’s a fastball coming out.”
Gilbert was unable to finish the sixth with his pitch count nearing triple digits and a couple of Mets reaching base with one out following Benge’s second homer. Wilson called upon Eduard Bazardo, who swiftly induced an inning-ending double play with one pitch to extinguish the threat of a comeback.
Julio Rodríguez quietly had a productive night. He golfed a solo homer out to right to give the Mariners their eighth and final run of the night, and also drove in a run earlier in the game with a sacrifice fly. Dominic Canzone also continued to excel in his lefty DH role with a three-hit night that almost goes unnoticed with everything that was clicking.
“If I had the magic touch, we’d keep it forever,” Wilson said about the Mariners’ hot hitting. “Sometimes that’s just the game. We’ve talked a lot about how offense is contagious, and it just feels like the energy right now offensively has been outstanding.”
Last but not least, Colt Emerson continued a strong start at the big league level. He picked up two hits and also got dirty for a couple of sparkling plays in the field, including the game-ending sliding catch on a pop-up in foul territory.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 02: Brett Howden #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights scores a goal past Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 02, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to a 2-0 lead and looked awesome until they didn’t.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights counter-punched and punched back hard as they went on to out-score the home team, 5-4 on Tuesday night to win game one of the Stanley Cup Final.
After the Hurricanes outhit the Montreal Canadiens by well over double the hits in the previous series, they were inexplicably outhit for this game, 35-26 on an energetic night where they had the crowd behind them.
Frederik Andersen had an amazing postseason so far, but looked quite ordinary on this night. At times he looked slow, especially in moving post to post. Perhaps his emotions caught up with him or perhaps it was just a bad luck night. He made 18 saves on the 23 shots he faced.
The game started off looking like the Nikolaj Ehlers show as the speedy winger broke in alone twice, and he was able to beat goalie Carter Hart both times. Goal number one came just 25 seconds into the game. His next goal came 12 minutes later.
The Knights had a slow start but were able to get a fluky goal past Andersen before the end of the period when Eric Robinson ticked in a Shea Theodore shot.
Vegas scored twice early in the second to take the lead, the first one just 25 seconds into the stanza but Jordan Staal rifled in a shot later in the second to tie the game.
Just 1:21 into the third period, Brett Howden got a step on the defense and tipped in a shot giving him 11 goals in the postseason.
About midway through the third, Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game on a nice approach shot. But as “Ghost” giveth he can also take away. Tomas Hertl beat the defenseman to the front of the net to score the game-winner.
After the game the blueliner admitted that he “took a breath” and was beat on the play.
It was an exciting game and both teams made numerous mistakes. I would expect that they both will make adjustments to tidy those up for Thursday night, but we will see.
For the first time in years, Darryl Sutter is stepping back into the spotlight—and he's bringing plenty of stories with him.
The former Calgary Flames bench boss is set to release a new book later this year, giving hockey fans a rare glimpse into the mindset of one of the NHL's most memorable and polarizing personalities.
Sutter Returns To The Spotlight With New Book
On Tuesday, Sportsnet's Justin Bourne revealed that Sutter will publish The Code of the West – Lessons From the Ranch and the Rink, with the book scheduled to hit shelves on Oct. 13.
Few figures in hockey have built a reputation quite like Sutter's. Whether behind the bench, working in a front office, or speaking to reporters, the Alberta native earned a reputation for being unapologetically direct and refreshingly authentic.
"[Sutter] is better known and even more loved for his reputation—as an advocate of aggressive, hard-nosed hockey, as a no-nonsense farmer who was never softened by the bright lights of fame, as one of six brothers who made it to the NHL, and as perhaps the most entertainingly blunt interviewee in the history of the game, capable of dissolving a scrum of reporters into laughter with a deadpan one-liner," reads the book's description.
"Fans, players, media, and opponents—everyone knows what they are going to get with Darryl Sutter. No bull. Just the stuff that means something."
The book is currently available for pre-order through Indigo, where the hardcover edition is listed at $26.60. An ebook version will also be available for $16.99.
A Career Built On Championships, Candor, And Hockey Tradition
While many younger fans know Sutter for his coaching career, his hockey résumé stretches back decades. He appeared in 406 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, recording 161 goals and 279 points while sharing the ice with stars such as Denis Savard and Tony Esposito.
His impact behind the bench was even greater.
Sutter guided the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cup championships in both 2012 and 2014, cementing his legacy as one of the most successful coaches of his era. Along the way, he coached some of the game's biggest names, including Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Bernie Nichols, Jarome Iginla, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty.
His connection to Calgary remains especially significant. Sutter served as both head coach and general manager during a pivotal period in franchise history before returning for a second coaching stint in 2021. That return culminated in a Jack Adams Award-winning season in 2021-22, though his tenure came to an end following the 2022-23 campaign.
Since then, Sutter has largely stayed out of the public eye, making this book one of the first major opportunities for fans to hear directly from him again.
Given his decades in the game, championship pedigree, and reputation for telling it exactly how he sees it, there should be no shortage of stories waiting between the covers.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The NBA brought in Grammy-winning rap icon Nas and three-time Emmy-winning composer Nicholas Britell to help tell the tale of this season's NBA Finals.
The league debuted a new spot — “History is Calling” — promoting the Finals early Wednesday, hours before the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks were set to begin this year's title series.
Britell — the composer known for “Succession,” “Moonlight” and “Andor” — envisioned a piece that, the league said, “draws inspiration from the emotional progression of basketball, from anticipation and momentum shifts to the defining moments that shape outcomes.”
Nas provides the voice, with nods to the 80-year history of the league and what it takes to get to the NBA Finals.
“Thirty teams start this journey, but only two are left standing,” Nas begins. “The math is simple. The quest, anything but. This isn't just a series. This is legacy. Everything's on the line, because history is calling. This is the NBA Finals.”
The NBA said Britell's score “marks the first expression of the league’s new signature audio identity,” and that Britell and Nas will have an expanded partnership with the league going forward.
They blew a 2-0 lead, fell behind 3-2 and twice tied the score before falling on Tomas Hertl's winning goal with 3:24 left in the third period.
The Hurricanes, whose forechecking frustrates opponents, found the same difficulties getting out of the zone because of the Golden Knights' forecheck.
"We didn't handle the pressure particularly well.," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
Here are the winners and losers of the Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, a turnover-filled game that both coaches will have to address:
WINNERS
Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl
He went through a 29-game goal drought that carried from the regular season into the playoffs. But his winning goal was his fourth goal in the last eight games as he worked a give-and-go with Colton Sissons.
"We gave him some time," Tortorella said. "It took a little time, but the time was getting short. ... Once he scored, his game kind of changed. He's come through at a very important time and has given up some consistent minutes."
Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers
The Hurricanes signed the free agent to a six-year deal averaging $8.5 million. He reinforced why in Game 1 with his speed and shot. His goal 25 seconds into the game was the third fastest in the history of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He made a nice move on a breakaway goal to make it 2-0.
Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb
He's known more for his shot blocking and physical play than his offense. But he had three assists for his first time in a playoff game to help lead the Golden Knights' offense. He was a plus-3 and blocked two shots for good measure.
LOSERS
The Hurricanes' first line
Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis continue to struggle in the playoffs. Aho put the puck over the net in a chance in close and Svechnikov fanned on a one-timer.
"They had one good shift in the third there," Brind'Amour said. "Everybody has to play well if you're going to win at this time of year. Your best guys have to get on the scoresheet."
The Hurricanes' power play
It entered the game at a paltry 12.5% and went 0-for-2 on Tuesday with not many looks.
The goaltenders
Vegas' Carter Hart and Carolina's Frederik Andersen made a few good saves but weren't their usual selves. Hart had an .852 save percent age and Andersen was at .783. Coming into the games, they were at .924 and .932, respectively.
Some of the best football of Patrick Cripps’ career has come in the wake of coach sackings. In 2019, after Brendon Bolton had finally been shown the door at Carlton, Cripps played one of the best games of the century. His statistics, astonishing as they were, don’t quite do justice to how well he played that day. “It’s probably one of the best individual performances I’ve ever seen on a football field,” his Brisbane opponent Dayne Zorko said.
Cripps was a wreck heading into that game. The final few months under Bolton had been a slog. The team was hopeless. Cripps was the youngest captain in the AFL, had two opponents hanging off him every week, and then had to go and say what a great job the coach was doing. On a miserable Sunday afternoon, he’d been held to 11 possessions by Essendon second-gamer Dylan Clarke. To watch him six days later was to watch a completely different athlete. It was the fusion of rage, relief and release. It brought to mind one of those corporate smash rooms, where burnt-out white-collar workers don overalls and face masks and take a crowbar to a room full of crockery.
After allowing just one run across his two previous outings combined, Mets right-hander Jonah Tong had a tough night on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners.
The 22-year-old entered in the second inning and allowed five runs (four earned) over 3.1 IP, with three coming on a home run in the fifth inning to Jhonny Pereda that blew the game open, 7-2. Following the loss, Tong acknowledged his fastball wasn't working against the Mariners' bats and struggled after a solid first inning on the mound, knowing he needs to be more consistent.
"I obviously didn't have my fastball command for most of the game, so moving forward that's the definitely be the thing I'll focus on the next few games, weeks," Tong said. "Just getting that dialed back in and I'm more than confident it'll rebound right out of it really nicely."
He added on his overall performance: "Strong first little inning and then felt like I found my delivery and my stuff towards the end. Obviously it just boils down to that second and third up. I just got to do a better job."
While acknowledging the defensive errors that occurred, manager Carlos Mendoza pointed to Tong's issues throwing strikes and getting ahead in counts as the main reasons for the poor outing. In total, Tong threw 83 pitches, but only 54 were for strikes. He used his fastball 35 times (42 percent of pitches), but only had three whiffs on 16 swings and four called strikes.
"Having a hard time throwing strikes, that's where it starts," Mendoza said. "His ability to get strike one was below average today. And then deep counts, three-ball counts. Again, we don't make a couple of plays behind him and it cost him. But I think it's just like I said before the game, his ability to compete in the strike zone, and right now he's not doing it."
Like Mendoza mentioned, Tong did have to work around two errors in the third inning by Marcus Semien and Mark Vientos that forced him to throw 27 pitches in the frame. After a long time on the mound like that, Tong said he needs to "find a way" to push through when heading back out there again quickly like he did.
"You just got to calm yourself down after that," Tong said. "There's a lot of pitches thrown a couple times throughout that inning, just got to find a way to settle down after. Just got to find a way. Right, at the end of the day, that's out of my control in a lot of cases and that's the reality we're in so I got to find a way."
The home run pitch to Pereda came on cutter, which is something he's worked into his arsenal this year. He knows the pitch needs to improve, especially in big moments like Tuesday night.
"Part of it is just gonna be you're gonna have some really good ones and you're just gonna have one that gets away from you. And unfortunately had to be that one," Tong said. "But again, I have to do a better job with that pitch. That's plain and simple there."
Tong's future as the team's bulk pitcher after an opener next time through the rotation is still up in the air, as they'll need him to improve if he gets another chance. For now, New York will look to avoid a sweep on Wednesday afternoon against the Mariners.
