Bart Verbruggen was the hero for Brighton after his stoppage-time penalty save from Igor Thiago earned a dramatic victory over Brentford. Brighton had looked like tasting defeat after Thiago’s ice-cool first-half spot-kick had the visitors in front.
Danny Welbeck’s 71st-minute leveller sparked a grandstand finish for Brighton and substitute Jack Hinshelwood completed the turnaround with six minutes left.
Continue reading...Enes Unal scored moments after climbing off the bench to snatch a point for Bournemouth. The Turkish forward, making his second substitute appearance after recovering from a second ACL injury, struck nine minutes from time to deny West Ham a first away win under Nuno Espirito Santo. “Everyone is so happy and so pleased when these things happen,” said Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth’s manager. “Ten months fighting almost alone, with the physios.”
Callum Wilson had marked his return to his former club with two first-half goals, but when he went off West Ham’s momentum went with him. Marcus Tavernier pulled one back from the penalty spot before Unal struck, with the 28-year-old visibly emotional as he celebrated.
Continue reading...Chris Paul is ready to hang up his Nikes after 21 NBA seasons. Next stop: Hall of Fame.
Paul posted this on social media Saturday morning, while with the Clippers in his native North Carolina to take on the Hornets, saying he was "grateful for this last one."
Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!! pic.twitter.com/1ZaJSqsWRD
— Chris Paul (@CP3) November 22, 2025
Shams Charania of ESPN and other sources confirmed that this will be Paul's final NBA season and that he will retire at the end of it.
Paul, the best pure point guard of a generation, is an unquestioned first-ballot Hall of Famer. A member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, he is a 12-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA player who made nine All-Defensive Teams, was the league assist leader five times and the steals leader six times, and was the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year.
For his career, he averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 assists a game, plus shot 36.9% from 3-point range. While his best statistical seasons may have come with the Hornets, his best play came as the point guard of the Lob City Clippers in the early 2010s with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Those Clippers teams were not only highly entertaining to watch but also consistently won 50+ games and were a playoff threat (a threat that never materialized due to a combination of injuries and a couple of meltdowns).
Because CP3 played one of the highest-IQ, smartest games in the league, he had a long and productive career, leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021 in his age 35 season. His play and his mentorship have influenced countless players over the years.
"Give my credit to Chris Paul, man," former CP3 teammate Deandre Ayton said of how he learned the short roll and how to adjust and play at a high level. "Chris Paul definitely taught me the short man role, and that high-level basketball because [the Suns] went straight to the finals with him, his first time with us."
However, father time caught up with Paul this season, where he was back with the Clippers, coming off the bench and racking up a lot of DNPs for a team that could use a steady hand. With that, Saturday's announcement was not a big surprise.
Paul will and should be celebrated the rest of this season, and then it is on to Springfield, Mass.
When defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo was injured in Thursday night's 3-2 victory in Anaheim on Thursday night, attention immediately turned to the idea of Lassi Thomson. After being called up to travel with Ottawa in case of injury, the Sens' 2019 first-round draft pick seemed like the logical replacement option if Matinpalo couldn't play on Saturday night in San Jose.
Not only will Thomson not get that opportunity, but he's heading back to Belleville. The Senators loaned him to the B-Sens on Saturday morning.
The Senators still have a long way to go on this road trip, so that means Ottawa's blue line is about to add at least one defenseman. It's most likely going to be an injured player who's now healthy again.
If it were only Matinpalo, then nothing would have changed, and Thomson would still be with Ottawa as the seventh defenseman. So either Thomas Chabot or Dennis Gilbert must be ready to join the team in California, bumping Thomson even further down the depth chart.
Chabot and Gilbert have both been close to a return from injury, but Gilbert is on Belleville's roster and hasn't played in almost a month, so the assumption is that he'll get some games in Belleville before joining Ottawa.
In all likelihood, Chabot has rejoined the Senators in San Jose. Assuming he dresses against the Sharks, that would restore Ottawa's blue line balance with three lefties and three righties, and Travis Green can go back to rotating Jordan Spence and Nikolas Matinpalo (if he's healthy) in the six hole.
Chabot was injured in a November 11th game against the Dallas Stars, possibly from a hard hit against the boards by Stars forward Colin Blackwell. The bodycheck occurred at the Stars' bench, where there's no glass, and it looked like Chabot's lower back or left rib area took the brunt of the hit, colliding with the hard edge at the top of the boards.
Among Sens defensemen, Chabot is tied with Artem Zub for second in scoring with 10 points this season.
As for Thomson, his second act in the NHL will have to wait. He will rejoin the B-Sens, who are 4-0-1 in their last five games. In 15 games with Belleville this season, Thomson has three goals, one assist and 32 shots.
The Senators are in San Jose on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:
Without His Wingman, Sens Top Gun Tim Stützle Continues Relentless Drive To Improve
Report: Ottawa Senators Place Swedish Winger On Waivers
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Former Senator Returns To Ottawa In Monday Trade With Philadelphia
Senators Have Big UFA Contract Decisions In Next Few Years (Who Stays And Who Goes?)
Four More Years: Shane Pinto Signs Four-Year Extension
If I’m making a guess today, I’m guessing that the Knicks look for veteran point guards on the trade market before they look for front-line help. Remember, the Knicks signed Malcolm Brogdon in September with the hope that he’d be their backup point guard. They’ve had to go to Plan B once Brogdon retired.
So far, Plan B has been point guard by committee. Second-year point guard Tyler Kolek was in the mix early in the regular season, but he’s been out of Mike Brown’s rotation for the past three weeks. Kolek was a DNP-CD in the two games Jalen Brunson missed due to injury. The DNP-CDs during Brunson’s absence suggest Brown doesn’t see Kolek as a rotation player at this point.
The Knicks are getting by with a point-guard-by-committee approach. But I think there is still a desire internally to add a backup point guard behind Brunson.
Who is that player? I’m not sure. Sacramento seems like a team that will be open for business ahead of the trade deadline. Jevon Carter is in the final year of his contract in Chicago, but the Bulls clearly value the veteran point guard. I’m sure there will be other options on the trade market in the coming weeks.
So if the Knicks are healthy, @amrmets15, I’d guess today that they prioritize point guard over front court in the trade market. This is stating the obvious, but I’m sure the Knicks would at least check in with Dallas if/when Anthony Davis becomes available. You may scoff at the idea, but the Knicks want to win a title this season. If Dallas is offering Davis at a below-market cost, I’m sure the Knicks will at least give the move some thought. But this, again, is stating the obvious. The Mavs will get calls from nearly all NBA teams if/when they make Davis available.
Anyway, the trade market will materialize in earnest over the next 3-4 weeks. It will be interesting to see which teams sell and which players become available between now and early February.
This is one of several macro questions that will determine this team’s ceiling. Great topic, @RobertWCross.
Maybe I’m being naïve here, but I think the Knicks have enough defensive talent - and offensive firepower - to neutralize Brunson/Karl-Anthony Towns' defensive flaws.
If Mitchell Robinson is on the floor with Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, the Knick defense should improve. The numbers haven’t reflected that, yet. The Knicks are actually allowing 7.5 more points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor than when he’s off, per Cleaning The Glass. But that number should change over the course of the regular season and postseason.
Between Robinson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby and Miles McBride, I think the Knicks have enough talent on both sides of the ball to neutralize any shortcomings from Brunson or Towns. If I’m wrong and the Knicks don’t have the personnel to do this, it will reflect poorly on the front office.
It seems like Anunoby will be out for at least the rest of the month. The Knicks said he will be re-evaluated on Nov. 27. Even if he’s healthy at that point, Anunoby would still need time to practice/scrimmage before he returns to the court.
That said, I don’t think there is any reason to believe this injury will hamper his production once he returns.
I don’t have a ton of insight on this yet, but it seems like Smith and Brown are on the same page regarding player workload and recovery strategies. I say this because of the Knicks’ approach with Robinson. Brown has said consistently that Robinson’s workload/availability will be determined by Smith and his staff. The head coach has been complimentary of the medical/training staff for its work with Robinson.
So, on the surface, it seems like Brown is very much in synch with Smith and his group.
That said, I would be very surprised if Smith had any influence over rotational decisions. That usually is determined by the head coach and his staff (and maybe some influence from the front office with certain teams).
Thanks for the questions, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.
Ireland lose five men to the sin-bin – including one red card – a South Africa’s power game secures Rassie Erasmus’ first win in Dublin.
Sam Prendergasr gets the nod at fly-half as an otherwise settled side takes aim at the world champions.
Experience duo Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier return with gnarled veterans joining them across the park.
Continue reading...On Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens recalled Florian Xhekaj from the Laval Rocket. Some would say it was a long time coming, given how many injuries were necessary for the rugged forward to get his turn, but the Habs brass couldn’t go to him first, given how his season has started in the AHL.
However, after Jared Davidson and Joshua Roy were called up, Jake Evans received a high hit from Washington Capitals’ tough guy Tom Wilson. Since the Habs’ center may not be able to play tonight, the organization has decided to call up the younger Xhekaj.
Canadiens Recall Florian Xhekaj From AHL
Canadiens: Did Arber Xhekaj Need To Fight?
Canadiens: Why Jacob Fowler Is Not The Answer
It’s a well-known fact that the Xhekaj brothers grew up Habs fans in Ontario, and when they got to play a preseason game together earlier this year, they were absolutely stocked and oozed positive energy. Both brother scored that night in a 5-0 over the Philadelphia Flyers.
With the Canadiens desperately trying to get out of a five-game losing streak, that positive energy may be what the Habs need to skate with an extra spring in their strides. Arber Xhekaj took some flak on Friday for not holding Wilson accountable for the hit on Evans, and chances are he’ll be looking to have a standout performance on Saturday to quiet the critics.
As for the younger brother, there’s no need to explain just how pumped he will be to see his NHL dream come true, wearing the uniform of the most storied franchise in the NHL, and the one he grew up rooting for.
Joined on her way to the airport this morning, Simona Xhekaj said:
I'm feeling very nervous, my morning coffee went right through me. Couldn't sleep, got up at 5:00 and took my babies out for a walk. Whirlpool in my head with all the flashbacks when they were little, when Flo almost died on me in Spain after that horrific accident on ice. I'm excited beyond words.- The Xhekaj's mother's thoughts this morning
So far this season, the 21-year-old has only four points in 16 games, including just two lamplighters, after putting up 24 goals in 69 games in the AHL last season. Just like his brother, the youngster can play a challenging game; he had 175 penalty minutes last season, and he’s already up to 44 minutes this year.
While a team shouldn’t need extra motivation to win when they have lost their last five games, it certainly won’t hurt to have two players fulfilling their lifelong dream.
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In a year the Knicks desperately needed to see one of their depth pieces emerge as a legitimate contributor, it hasn’t been the returning prospects or all of the headline offseason acquisitions that impressed early on.
Instead, it’s been Landry Shamet, the definition of an NBA vagabond that was on the cusp of not returning to New York this season.
He’s since gone from the end of the bench to starting five games, shooting 42.4 percent from three and coming up with key performances in meaningful wins. Let’s look back on his impressive journey and what he’s done to lift the Knicks this season.
Shamet originally joined the Knicks during last season’s training camp and got rave reviews, leading to a locked-in preseason rotation role that was unfortunately cut short due to a shoulder injury. New York, believing in the talent and work ethic, waived Shamet but allowed him to rehab with their G-League affiliate in Westchester.
It took a few months and a couple appearances at the developmental level before the Knicks called Shamet back up around Christmas. His first games back were rough though, as he was still finding his rhythm back.
Shamet played 19 games through early February through sporadic minutes and a sub-30 percent stroke from three, but something changed that month. He rediscovered his stroke and defensive intensity, hitting 42.4 percent of his threes down the final 31 games of the season, earning over 18 minutes a night.
Oddly, his minutes evaporated in the playoffs after a 10-minute stint in their opening game. He’d see decreasing spot minutes against the Pistons before racking up DNP’s all the way until the Conference Finals.
With the Knicks down 0-2 going back to Indiana, Shamet found some burn and brought much-needed energy and shooting off the bench for the remainder of the series, including a 12-point outburst in the pivotal Game 6. His series performance earned him a lot of fans, and perhaps ultimately the final roster spot he secured with the team this summer.
That decision, along with new head coach Mike Brown’s strong trust in him, are paying major dividends now. Shamet’s averaging 9.9 points on 42.4 percent shooting from three, playing seven more minutes a night last year but only four more than his post-rust stretch.
Perhaps the biggest surprise statistically has been New York’s resilience defensively with him on the court. Opponents have worse efficiency when Shamet plays, and while he can struggle contesting one-on-one due to his size, his effort, low-risk approach and positioning are there.
Offensively, Shamet is rightfully known for his shooting, but he’s not just hitting a bunch of catch-and-shoots from the corner. 43.8 percent of his pull-up threes are dropping, some even off pick-and-roll, and he’s one of the team’s better shooters from outside the corners.
He’s given Jalen Brunson some reprieve as a ball-handler and has shown recent glimpses of his mid-range and finishing games as well, the highlight being a two-handed flush all over Miami’s Kel’el Ware. He was a monster in that Heat game, putting up a career-high 36 points (30 in the second half!) on 6 of 12 shooting from three.
A few nights later, Shamet would play heroic again, hitting two threes in the final minute of the game to give his team the lead before sealing the game in the final seconds with a drawn offensive foul. It’s tough not to credit Shamet heavily for two of New York’s nine wins this early season, a major payoff for Brown’s trust in him.
Fans are hoping this continues. Most contenders get thin deeper into their bench, and New York is no exception.
Having Shamet step up on his second veteran’s minimum deal for this team is not only crucial for their championship hunt, but a gritty and awesome New York story to get behind.
Lampard’s leaders recover from 2-0 down to seal win
Leicester’s Daka scores for first time in almost a year
Frank Lampard praised his “outstanding” side’s resilience after Championship leaders Coventry came back from two goals down at home to beat 10-man West Brom 3-2. Aune Heggebo’s double put the visitors into what looked like a commanding lead, but Josh Eccles halved the deficit before the break. Jayson Molumby was then sent off four minutes into the second half, after which Ellis Simms and Victor Torp were on target to make it nine wins in 10 for the hosts.
“The reaction to keep playing in the first half was very positive, even with the feeling of 2-0 which can sometimes take the wind out of yourselves. The goal before half-time, which we deserved, helped because that gave the players belief. I think the red card helped too … but even with 11 men on I would have fancied us in the second half.”
Continue reading...By any metric one can measure, Macklin Celebrini is laying to waste the notion of the sophomore slump. And here’s another metric where he’s killing it through the first quarter of the season.
When it comes to goal-scoring in the NHL, the old saying goes, “They don’t ask how. They ask how many.” With a unique stat called Situational Scoring, they don’t ask how many, they ask how many of them meant something?
What makes it different from every other stat out there in the NHL is that it tracks only the important points, the ones that matter. Garbage points need not apply.
And Celebrini's scoring the most points that matter.
He isn’t the only player who’s making his impact when it comes to Situational Scoring. Guys such as Wyatt Johnston and Jack Roslovic aren’t anywhere near the top 25 in the actual scoring race, but they’re among the most productive players in the league in this stat. That’s what makes it fun.
Here's the ranking with stats updated as of Nov. 21. If you're unfamiliar with Situational Scoring or need a refresher, keep reading.
NHL Situational Scoring: Top 26 Players As Of Nov. 21, 2025Situational Scoring tracks the points that matter the most. Goals and assists are assigned a value depending on the situation and added up in the total (SS points). Scroll to the right for more numbers.As always, there are a couple of things to note, the most important being that goals are weighted more heavily than assists, with goals worth one point and assists worth half a point.
In this system, goals can be worth more than one point and assists worth more than a half a point. For example, the first goal of a game is automatically worth two points, one for being the first goal of the game and one for putting that player’s team ahead in a game. An overtime goal is worth three: one for putting the team ahead, one for being the game-winner and one for the overtime goal. If that is the only goal in a 1-0 game, it’s worth four.
It can all be a little confusing, so here’s a glossary:
FIRST: When a player scores the first goal of the game.
AHEAD: Any goal that puts a team ahead at any point in the game, including overtime.
TIED: Any goal that pulls a team into a tie at any point in the game.
COMEBACK: A goal that is scored when a team is trailing by two goals or more and is part of a series of goals that eventually ties the game, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the game.
WINNER: A game-winning goal, but not by the NHL’s definition. The game-winner in this category is the goal that puts a team ahead in a game to stay. So in other words, you could have a 7-6 game and maybe the first goal of the game was the game-winner.
OT: Overtime goal.
SO: Only shootout game-winning goals are counted in this category.
NHL: Where the player stands in the actual NHL scoring race.
Take a look at the list, watch the video column for more, and let us know your thoughts. If you want to see how last year's Situational Scoring list ended, check it out here.
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Jersey Bulls were beaten 1-0 at Hastings United in Isthmian League South East.
Hastings dominated much of the first half as Euan van der Vliet was forced to save well from Jordan Mase's 13th minute lob.
But the Bulls keeper flapped at a corner four minutes later and Eugene Asike was on hand to blast in on the line to put Hastings 1-0 up.
Bulls lost centre-back Luke Campbell to injury five minutes before half time as he tried to stop a James Stone attempt as the islanders struggled to deal with the resulting corner.
Bulls boss Elliot Powell made three changes at half time with one of those - James Sunley - having their first serious effort as his shot was cleared off the line 12 minutes after the restart.
Miguel Carvalho curled an effort over the home bar with 15 minutes left while James Carr forced a good save soon after, but the island side could not find a breakthrough.
The defeat keeps the islanders in mid-table while Hastings move away from the relegation places.
A year and a half after his unstoppable rise was hijacked, the 26-year-old boxing star aims to become a three-weight champion against big-punching Brian Norman Jr
Rain falls in thin, needling lines over Hell’s Kitchen as Devin Haney walks into the Victory Boxing Gym. Somewhere along Ninth Avenue an ambulance threads through the congestion, its siren drawn out into a long, mournful ribbon that slips past the gym’s walls. He nods to a few familiar faces, peels off a Supreme Vanson leather jacket and begins to unwrap himself from the city. His father, Bill, arrives a step behind him, not so much entering the room as taking possession of it.
“The youngest undisputed champion!” Bill cries out, half to the gym, half to himself. “He’s done it on three continents! Twenty-six years old and still writing history! Let the sparks fly!”
Continue reading...Nick Lardis had been out of the Rockford IceHogs lineup for a few games due to injury. There was some speculation that it could be because of his first NHL call-up, but an actual injury was the reason.
Lardis returned to the lineup on Friday and made an immediate impact. He scored two goals in their 2-0 comeback win over the Texas Stars. Both goals came in the third period.
Correction : goal is now credited to Nick Lardis https://t.co/cNZAXvn1kEpic.twitter.com/aFH8D3NO0Y
— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 22, 2025
Another power play goal ties it: https://t.co/gladqQ6dJppic.twitter.com/SBmVZxz9G0
— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 22, 2025
Late in the third, Kevin Korchinski took a penalty, but Nolan Allan scored a short-handed goal to take the lead for the first time. The Stars, however, didn't go quietly after relinquishing the lead. They tied it back up with 1:27 remaining in regulation to force overtime.
It was in the free hockey period that Aidan Thompson gave the IceHogs the 4-3 victory. Rockford hasn't had the best start to the season, but this is the type of victory that can spark a winning streak.
On the same night, the Chicago Blackhawks were run out of upstate New York as the Buffalo Sabres defeated them 9-3.
Tyler Bertuzzi & Connor Bedard Stay Hot But Sabres Run Blackhawks Out Of TownThe Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.Before the game on CHSN, NHL insider Frank Seravalli claimed that Nick Lardis could be the next man up when Chicago needs to call up a forward from the AHL.
That was before he went out and had a two-goal performance. Seravalli also mentioned Brett Seney as a veteran option, but Seney would need to sign an NHL contract (he is only on a one-way AHL deal).
The Blackhawks have already called up Oliver Moore and Landon Slaggert. Injuries to forwards throughout the year have forced that. With Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, and Andre Burakovsky all out for the time being, the potential for another call up is something to be thinking about.
For the Blackhawks to dress 12 forwards, they would have to make a call-up if those three were still out. If there is another injury, they will for sure make a call.
Seney is tied for the AHL lead in points with 19, and Lardis is tied for seventh with 16, but he has played two fewer games than Seney.
7 of Lardis' 16 points are goals. He is scoring at a high clip for the AHL, especially being a rookie. He had 71 with the Brandtford Bulldogs last year, which is an absurd amount. He won't score that many in pro hockey, but it has been obvious for a while that his nose for the net will take him far.
The elder skater in Seney is not a bad call-up option, but there is much more upside with Lardis. He is also a long-term piece, so giving him a look and an opportunity to make his NHL debut could work out very well for everyone involved. Lardis has a shot that will likely translate to the NHL, which will help the team win games.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
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Beau Pribula suffered a 'non-fractured dislocated ankle' on Oct. 25. Four weeks later, he's good to go to lead Missouri vs. Oklahoma.
Fabian Zetterlund gives perfect answer on what he misses most about Sharks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Fabian Zetterlund is back in San Jose.
For the first time since his shocking trade to the Ottawa Senators at last season’s NHL trade deadline, Zetterlund will face the Sharks on Saturday at SAP Center.
Zetterlund spoke after Senators practice about how much he misses William Eklund, his current goal-scoring struggles in Ottawa (he has one goal in 20 games), the business of hockey, and defending Macklin Celebrini.
I’m excited. It’s going to be fun to play tomorrow. Like I said, I’m excited to be back, and I’m really, really pumped.
Eklund. (laughs)
I mean, everything happened so quickly, you know? I got that call and didn’t really think that much. It was just, go home and pack my stuff. My phone was ringing the whole day while I was trying to prepare for the next thing. It happened so quickly, so you can’t really find a word for it.
