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How reigning AL Cy Young winner and 21-year-old rookie spoiled Padres’ Opening Day

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows A Detroit Tigers baseball player in a gray uniform with orange lettering running on the field, with a baseball bat lying on the ground beside him, Image 2 shows A baseball pitcher in a gray uniform and black hat throws a pitch from the mound

SAN DIEGO — Opening Day here is supposed to feel like hope and possibility. 

Beneath a beautiful Southern California sun reflecting off the brick Western Metal Supply Co. building at Petco Park, there was plenty of promise for the Padres. The first of 162 games, a chance to hit the reset button after back-to-back early playoff exits. 

But that’s not what happened. Instead, what showed up in brown and yellow on Thursday wasn’t a World Series contender shaking off October scars, it was a team that looked eerily similar to the one that walked off Wrigley Field last fall.

Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers against the host Padres on Thursday. AP

Padres ace Nick Pivetta lost the opener of that NL wild-card series against the Cubs as well, and his Opening Day start this season went even worse. 

Pivetta, the supposed anchor of this rotation after a breakout season, unraveled almost immediately. Three walks in the first inning. Four runs before the Padres could even exhale. When he was pulled in the third without recording an out, the game — and maybe the tone of the early season — had already been decided.

“I was disconnected and out of rhythm,” Pivetta said. “I didn’t make pitches when I needed to, and it snowballed on me.”

Snowballed is a polite way to put it.

This was an avalanche, and it came from the Captain and the Kid. A veteran pitcher with two Cy Young Awards to his name, and a 21-year-old rookie making his MLB debut. 

Tarik Skubal and Kevin McGonigle.

And if baseball handed out captain’s patches the way hockey does, Skubal wouldn’t just wear the “C” —he’d define it.

That’s what this was. A masterclass in control paired with a coming-of-age moment that felt almost unfair to witness from the opposing dugout.

Skubal didn’t just pitch. He carved up the Padres like a surgeon on the operating table.

Six innings. Three hits. No walks. Six strikeouts. One unearned run that barely registers as a blemish. He moved through the Padres’ lineup like a man flipping through pages he’s already memorized. Every pitch had intention. Every sequence had consequence. There was no panic, no wasted motion, no doubt about what the eventual outcome would be.

This is what dominance looks like when it’s fully realized.

“He’s the best in the game, and he’s coming aggressive,” said Ramon Laureano, who hit a solo home run. “They have a really good team with good pitching. It’s not going to be easy.”

That might be the most honest sentence spoken inside that clubhouse all day.

Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle had an MLB debut to remember Thursday. AP

Because on the other side of the Captain was the Kid, something far more chaotic yet somehow just as dangerous.

McGonigle is 21 years old. Barely old enough to legally toast his own debut. And yet, on the first pitch of his MLB career, he didn’t blink. He didn’t ease in. He didn’t “get his feet wet.”

He detonated.

A two-run double down the right field line off Pivetta. It cracked the game open before most fans had settled into their seats. It wasn’t just a hit — it was a declaration.

Welcome to the show? No.

This was a takeover.

McGonigle finished 4 for 5 with two RBI and two runs, looking less like a kid and more like a problem that’s about to linger in the American League for a long time. There’s a certain audacity to greatness when it arrives early, when it skips the awkward phase entirely and walks straight into relevance. He played like he’d already been here for years.

And the Padres? They looked like they hadn’t.

Because while Detroit arrived with clarity — an ace who knows exactly who he is and a rookie fearless enough to swing like it — the Padres arrived with more questions than answers. The same ones that haunted them through back-to-back postseason disappointments. The same ones that lingered after falling to the Dodgers in 2024 and getting bounced by the Cubs in 2025.

Because the Padres didn’t just lose 8-2. They were exposed.

Exposed as a team still searching for its edge. Exposed as a lineup that can be carved up by elite pitching. Exposed as a roster that, despite its talent, still hasn’t figured out how to respond when the moment tightens instead of loosens.

Opening Day is supposed to be about hope. About rewriting the narrative from the year prior.

Instead, San Diego got a reminder that narratives don’t change just because the calendar does.

They change when you force them to change.

And on Thursday, it wasn’t the Padres doing the forcing. It was Skubal, calmly dictating terms like a veteran captain steering through open water. It was McGonigle, swinging like the future doesn’t wait its turn.

The Captain and the Kid didn’t just spoil Opening Day.

They revealed exactly how far the Padres still have to go.

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Jordan Pope played 33 minutes on broken foot in Sweet 16: 'I had nothing to lose'

Texas guard Jordan Pope was willing to do whatever the Longhorns needed in its last-second loss to Purdue in the Sweet 16, including playing through a serious injury.

The senior guard revealed he played 33 minutes with a broken foot against the Boilermakers on Thursday, March 26, after suffering the injury against Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The severity of his injury, which resulted in him being a game-time decision against Purdue, wasn't previously known.

REQUIRED READING: Trey Kaufman-Renn last-second putback sends Purdue past Texas, into Elite 8

It was definitely up in the air," Pope told reporters after Texas' season-ending 79-77 loss. "... Now five minutes left against Gonzaga. I broke my foot, a complete break. So, it was definitely tough. I'm not sure a lot of guys would have went out there and played, but credit to my training staff."

Pope scored 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting in the loss, with all his points coming on 3-pointers. The 6-1 guard was remarkably available in his career, starting 129 of his 134 career games at Oregon State and Texas.

Texas coach Sean Miller said Pope's decision to play ultimately came down to he and his family's decision after making sure they had all the information they needed from team doctors.

"Just watching him out there tonight is really remarkable," the first-year Texas coach said. "Really was what he did, how he played under those conditions and now he'll go and get healthy for the long term."

Jordan Pope injury update

Pope ended his college career playing on a broken foot after suffering the injury in Texas' upset win over Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He said it was a clean break, and in order to play he needed to reduce the swelling to make the pain tolerable against Purdue.

"After conversations with the doctor, I couldn't break it anymore," he said after the game. "So there wasn't much high risk in terms of the actual injury. Obviously, I heard other things, but I had nothing to lose. It was a Sweet 16 back home in front of my family. I'm playing for my teammates, my coaches. Never had this opportunity again. I couldn't let that pass."

Pope said he underwent a lot of therapy in order to be available for the game.

"A lot of icing, a lot of bone therapy," Pope said. "The thing is, just to keep the swelling down, because it was gonna hurt. It was a break, was no fixing that, but just being able to get the swelling down, which helped ease the pain a bit and just make it tolerable."

Jordan Pope stats

Here are Pope's year-by-year per-game averages in college:

  • 2022-23 (Oregon State): 12.6 points with 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists
  • 2023-24 (Oregon State): 17.6 points with 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists
  • 2024-25 (Texas): 11 points with 2 rebounds and 1.7 assists
  • 2025-26 (Texas): 13.1 points with 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jordan Pope injury: Texas G played with broken foot vs Purdue in Sweet 16

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Federal judge denies NCAA's restraining order request to make DraftKings stop using 'March Madness'

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday denied the NCAA's motion for a temporary restraining order to stop DraftKings from using registered trademarks associated with its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

The complaint for trademark infringement, filed in the Southern District of Indiana last week, requested that DraftKings stop using “March Madness,” “Final Four,” “Elite Eight” and “Sweet Sixteen” and variations of those terms to promote its business.

Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled the NCAA did not show how the online sports wagering platform's use of the terms would cause irreparable harm.

“With further discovery the NCAA may be able to show they are entitled to a preliminary or permanent injunction, and those claims remain pending,” Pratt wrote.

DraftKings has been using “March Madness” and other familiar terms to refer to the NCAA Tournament for more than five years and has the legal right to do so, the sportsbook said in a court filing Wednesday in response to a complaint filed by the NCAA last week.

The NCAA has said it actively avoids any appearance of affiliation with gambling and said in the complaint that DraftKings’ use of the terms confuses customers by making it appear the NCAA is on board.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

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Panthers' Forward Evan Rodrigues Suffers Broken Finger During Loss To Minnesota

The Florida Panthers have lost another key player to injury.

During the second shift of the game, Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues suffered an injury to his right hand.

He left the game after a 49 second shift and did not return.

The Panthers officially ruled him out of the game during the early stages of the second period, saying he had an upper-body injury.

After the game, which Florida lost 3-2 on a last-second goal, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice gave his latest injury update, and like many that came before it, this was another that did not have a positive outlook.

“Yeah, he broke his finger,” Maurice said. “We’ll find out Monday whether he needs surgery on it or not.”

Maurice said the recovery time would be around four-to-six weeks, depending on whether Rodrigues needs surgery.

Either way, with Florida’s season over in less than three weeks, that would mean we’ve seen the last of Rodrigues.

He joins an injured list that includes Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell, Niko Mikkola, Uvis Balinskis, Jonah Gadjovich, Cole Schwindt and Mackie Samoskevich.

“It’s awesome,” a frustrated Maurice said sarcastically. “The most dangerous job in sports right now is to play for the Florida Panthers.”

Florida has just 11 games remaining on its schedule, four of which will be on home ice.

The Panthers kick off a quick back-to-back in New York this weekend with a matchup on Long Island on Saturday afternoon followed by a visit to Madison Square Garden for a nice Sunday matinee.

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Photo caption: Dec 4, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Evan Rodrigues (17) moves the puck against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Mariners Opening Day Game Thread 1

SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 26: Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Rod Mar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Good job, everyone. We technically got to 615 comments on the first thread before the first pitch was thrown in inning number two. Take that, Pinstripe Alley.

Now on with more Opening Day!

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Ilya Sorokin makes 26 saves to lead Islanders past Stars

NEW YORK (AP) — Ilya Sorokin gave the New York Islanders the type of elite goaltending they needed facing one of the NHL’s top teams while in the thick of a playoff chase, making 26 saves to beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 on Thursday night.

Sorokin was locked in from the drop of the puck, denying Colin Blackwell on a shorthanded breakaway 10 minutes in and making a handful of other 10-bell saves on quality scoring chances in the first period alone. He was perfect on a pair of penalty kills, one each in the second and third periods, and allowed only one goal on a 6-on-5 with three minutes left to Matt Duchene.

Bo Horvat scored his 30th goal of the season five minutes in and Calum Ritchie later picked up the 11th of his rookie year to provide enough offensive support. Matthew Schaefer, the face of the franchise at 18 years old, assisted on each to reach 54 points and tie Hall of Famer Denis Potvin for the second most by a rookie defenseman in Islanders history.

CANADIENS 2, BLUE JACKETS 1

MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored the winner with his first goal since Dec. 23, and Montreal edged Columbus.

Jayden Struble — with his first of the season — also scored, and Jakub Dobes made 25 saves as Montreal won its third consecutive game.

Damon Severson scored for Columbus, and Jet Greaves stopped 18 shots.

The Blue Jackets fell to 19-4-4 since Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason as head coach Jan. 12. They climbed from 28th overall to second in the Metropolitan Division ahead of Thursday’s games.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, sit third in the Atlantic Division with 11 games remaining.

PENGUINS 4, OTTAWA 3, SO

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ben Kindel scored the shootout winner to lead Pittsburgh to a win over Ottawa.

Rickard Rakell scored twice and had an assist, and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins, who moved into second in the Metropolitan Division.

Drake Batherson scored twice and Nick Cousins also scored for the Senators. Tim Stutzle added two assists.

Both Linus Ullmark and Stuart Skinner made huge saves in overtime to force the shootout.

KRAKEN 4, LIGHTNING 3, OT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Brandon Montour scored his second goal of the game 2:47 into overtime to give Seattle a victory against Tampa Bay.

Bobby McMann and Kaapo Kakko each had a goal and an assist. Philipp Grubauer stopped 30 shots for Seattle, which snapped a four-game losing streak.

Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, Anthony Cirelli and Corey Perry both scored, and Charle-Edouard D’Astous had two assists. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 15 saves. Tampa Bay improved to 4-0-2 in the last six games.

Montour picked up the puck from Shane Wright and beat Vasilevskiy to keep Seattle in the playoff race in the Western Conference.

WILD 3, PANTHERS 2

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Joel Eriksson Ek scored the winning goal with 4.4 seconds left to lift Minnesota past Florida.

Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman also had goals for the Wild and Jesper Wallstedt made 18 saves.

Minnesota, which is 3-4-1 in its last eight, entered Thursday’s game five points behind second-place Dallas and 12 points ahead of fourth-place Utah in the Central Division. The Panthers entered Thursday 12 points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Aaron Ekblad hammered a shot inside the left post to tie it for Florida with 1:13 left. But Eriksson Ek answered with the winner in the closing seconds of the third period.

FLYERS 5, BLACKHAWKS 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alex Bump and Sean Couturier scored in the first three minutes of the game and Philadelphia used the fast start to cruise to a win over Chicago.

Bump, Noah Cates and Christian Dvorak had a goal and an assist each for the Flyers, who have won six of their last eight games to stay in the chase for a wild-card playoff spot. Denver Barkey also had a goal for Philadelphia and Samuel Ersson made 25 saves.

Connor Bedard scored his 30th goal of the season for Chicago to become the third Blackhawks player with a 30-goal season at age 20 or younger, joining Jonathan Toews (34 in 2008-09) and Eric Daze (30 in 1995-96).

Spencer Knight had 37 saves for Chicago.

BLUES 2, SHARKS 1, OT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Holloway scored with 3 seconds left in overtime to lift St. Louis to a victory over San Jose.

Dalibor Dvorsky also scored for the Blues, who won their third straight. Joel Hofer made 24 saves.

Alexander Wennberg had the lone goal for the Sharks, who have dropped six in a row (0-5-1). Yaroslav Askarov made 11 saves before leaving with an injury and was replaced by Alex Nedeljkovic.

With the game tied at 1, the Sharks tried to win it when Macklin Celebrini passed to Dmitry Orlov, whose wrist shot went wide. Phillip Broberg got the rebound and sent a long pass down the left side to a streaking Holloway, who caught up with the puck, skated in front of the net and put a backhander past Nedeljkovic for the win.

DEVILS 4, PREDATORS 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nico Hischier scored two goals to lead New Jersey to a victory over Nashville.

Jesper Bratt scored a goal and added two assists, Timo Meier scored an empty-net goal, and Jacob Markstrom made 16 saves for the Devils, winners of five of six. Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler had two assists apiece.

Reid Schaefer and Steven Stamkos scored and Justus Annunen made 26 saves for the Predators, who had their five-game winning streak snapped.

Nashville entered Thursday three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the Western Conference’s second wild card berth.

AVALANCHE 3, JETS 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his 47th and 48th goals of the season to propel Colorado to a victory over Winnipeg.

Jack Drury scored his career-high ninth goal of the season for the NHL-leading Avalanche, who ended a four-game road trip with a 4-0-0 record. Artturi Lehkonen added an assist in his return after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 22 shots for Colorado.

Mark Scheifele scored twice and leads the Jets with 34 goals.

Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves.

CAPITALS 7, MAMMOTH 4

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alex Ovechkin had his 34th career hat trick, Ivan Miroshnichenko scored twice, and Washington beat Utah to snap a two-game losing streak.

Anthony Beauvillier and Rasmus Sandin also scored for the Capitals, while Logan Thompson made 35 stops for Washington, which scored four unanswered goals after falling behind 3-1.

Dylan Guenther scored twice for Utah. Logan Cooley and MacKenzie Weegar added a goal apiece and Vitek Vanecek made 17 saves for the Mammoth, who have dropped six of their last seven games at home.

DUCKS 3, FLAMES 2, OT

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Mikael Granlund capped off his hat trick scoring on the power play with 1 second remaining in overtime to give Anaheim a victory over Calgary.

Granlund has seven goals during a four-game goal streak that has him up to 19 on the season as Anaheim extended its winning streak to four games.

The Pacific Division-leading Ducks opened the night with a five-point cushion on the Edmonton Oilers and a six-point lead on the Vegas Golden Knights.

Rookie Matvei Gridin and Blake Coleman scored for Calgary, which extended its point streak to five games (4-0-1). Gridin stretched his point streak to four games (one goal, three assists).

OILERS 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, OT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Evan Bouchard scored at 3:10 of overtime, shortly after Edmonton killed off a Vegas penalty, and the Oilers defeated the Golden Knights in a game with playoff implications.

The Oilers extended their lead for second place in the Pacific Division to two points over the Golden Knights. They are five points behind first-place Anaheim.

Edmonton captain Connor McDavid scored a goal and picked up two assists. His first assist gave him 800, the third-fastest player to reach that milestone. He got there in 785 games, behind only Wayne Gretzky (527 games) and Mario Lemieux (661).

McDavid, who has 121 points this season, has scored four goals in three games. Matt Savoie, a 22-year-old rookie, scored a goal for his fourth point (three goals, one assist) over six games since joining the top line. Zach Hyman also scored and Connor Ingram made 26 saves.

KINGS 4, CANUCKS 0

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves for his third shutout of the season and 39th of his career to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Vancouver.

Trevor Moore had a goal and an assist for the Kings, and Scott Laughton, Artemi Panarin and Quinton Byfield also scored. Mikey Anderson had a pair of assists.

The victory moved the Kings within one point of the Nashville Predators, who hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

One of the best stops by Kuemper, whose last shutout was on Dec. 6 against Chicago, came at the 10:43 mark of the first period when Teddy Blueger launched a blast from the slot and the goalie kicked out his right leg to send the puck soaring with the toe of his skate.

Kevin Lankinen made 34 saves for the Canucks, who lost their fourth straight game. Vancouver has been shut out five times this season, with four coming at home.

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Friday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Friday, March 27

MLB

N.Y. Yankees at San Francisco, 4:35 p.m.

Athletics at Toronto, 7:07 p.m.

Colorado at Miami, 7:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Atlanta, 7:15 p.m.

L.A. Angels at Houston, 8:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

Detroit at San Diego, 9:40 p.m.

Arizona at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

NBA

L.A. Clippers at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Miami at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.

Chicago at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

Houston at Memphis, 8 p.m.

New Orleans at Toronto, 8:30 p.m.

Utah at Denver, 9 p.m.

Dallas at Portland, 10 p.m.

Washington at Golden State, 10 p.m.

Brooklyn at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL

Chicago at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA Tournament - Sweet Sixteen

East Region

No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 1 Duke at Washington, 7:10 p.m.

No. 3 Michigan St. vs. No. 2 UConn at Washington, 9:45 p.m.

Midwest Region

No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan at Chicago, 7:35 p.m.

No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Iowa St. at Chicago, 10:10 p.m.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA Tournament - Sweet Sixteen

Fort Worth 1 Regional

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Vanderbilt at Fort Worth, Texas, 2:30 p.m.

No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 1 UConn at Fort Worth, Texas, 5 p.m.

Sacramento 2 Regional

No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 UCLA at Sacramento, Calif., 7:30 p.m.

No. 3 Duke vs. No. 2 LSU at Sacramento, Calif., 10 p.m.

NWSL

Houston at Angel City, 10 p.m.

PWHL

Boston at Toronto, 7 p.m.

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Blackhawks Lose 5-1: Connor Bedard Hits 30-Goal Plateau, Louis Crevier Is Okay

The Chicago Blackhawks were routed by the Philadelphia Flyers by a final score of 5-1. It was a bad game from the start. They were losing 2-0 before the game was three minutes old, and never recovered from there. 

This game began with some excitement. Sacha Boisvert made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks after a week of waiting for his work visa to clear with the United States government. 

That makes it two top Chicago prospects to debut in 48 hours. Now, the Blackhawks have the youngest roster in the NHL. 

From the early stages of the game, the Blackhawks didn't have the jump that they needed to keep up with the Flyers. Only so much of it can be blamed on their youth, especially since Frondell and Boisvert were not the problem.

That is especially true for Frondell, who was one of the best forwards in the Blackhawks lineup. 

In the second period, Frondell made a backhand pass through the slot to find Connor Bedard, who scored his 30th goal of the season. This is the first time that Bedard has reached 30 goals in his NHL career. 

Bedard became just the third player in Blackhawks history to reach the 30-goal plateau before turning 21 years old. Jonathan Toews did it in 2008-29, and Eric Daze did it in 1995-96. 

The silver linings from the game pretty much end there. Based on effort and execution, it was one of the worst performances that the Blackhawks put on display all season. This is one to throw away and move on from after a film session. 

A scary moment took place late in the game as Louis Crevier took a skate blade to the facial area. Whenever a blade comes that close to someone's face or neck, it is a cause for concern. Crevier left and didn't return. 

In the post-game press scrums, Connor Bedard said that Crevier was in the locker room and was talking. Jeff Blashill confirmed this report: "Louis is going to be just fine". 

In addition to the potential seriousness of an injury like that, Crevier is also someone that the Blackhawks rely heavily on from a hockey point of view. His offense comes and goes, but he is a big body who defends well in all situations. 

In Boisvert's debut, he finished with 9:03 of ice time (15 shifts), one shot, one hit, and one penalty taken while playing on the fourth line with Teuvo Teravainen and Landon Slaggert. It won't be long before he is one of the team's top physical presences. 

Moving forward, this group will focus on acclimating their newly added young players while finishing strong as a team. 10 games remain before heading into an important off-season.

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action again on Friday night when they visit Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers. This will be the third of four games on their current East Coast road trip. 

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Crosby leaves the Penguins' game early in the second period with a lower-body injury

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby left Thursday night's game at Ottawa early in the second period with a lower-body injury, barely a week after he returned from a lower-body injury sustained at the Olympics with Team Canada.

Crosby took a 38-second opening shift in the second period, before heading through the tunnel toward the locker room. The Penguins later announced he would not return to the game, and coach Dan Muse said afterward he had no update on Crosby's condition.

Crosby had also headed through the tunnel following his last shift of the first period after appearing to get his left leg tangled up in a collision. He finished with one shot on goal in nine shifts in Pittsburgh's 4-3 shootout win over the Senators.

The 38-year-old center missed 11 games for the Penguins after he was injured in an Olympic quarterfinal game on Feb. 18. Crosby returned to action at Carolina on March 18 with a goal and an assist, and he had an assist in each of Pittsburgh's last three games. He leads the team with 28 goals and 64 points in 61 games.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

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Sidney Crosby Injured As Senators Fall to Penguins 4-3 In Shootout

The Senators' four-game winning streak is over following a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night. Former Senator Erik Karlsson was in on all the regulation scoring with a goal and two assists. 

While Carter Yakemchuk's NHL arrival has been the talk of Ottawa this week, it was his former Calgary Hitmen teammate Ben Kindel who delivered the death blow, scoring the winner in a shootout, grinning as he began his attempt.

Drake Batherson scored twice in the game and once in the skills competition for the Senators, while Linus Ullmark made some outrageous saves in the game and especially in overtime. He and Stuart Skinner were both outstanding as the Penguins outshot the Sens 38-29. 

The shot count drove home a very obvious point for the Senators. It was one of their loosest defensive performances in weeks.

Batherson opened the scoring for the Senators at 4:28 of the first period taking a gorgeous feed from Brady Tkachuk and burying a one-timer. Tim Stützle picked up an assist on the goal, and in doing so, became the youngest player in Senators history to reach 400 points.

The Senators quickly had a pair of chances from Dylan Cozens, who couldn’t capitalize, which would be the story of his night. He was credited with three shots but he had twice as many great opportunities that just didn't pan out for him.

The Penguins tied it at one on a goal by Rickard Rakell, who also had three points on the evening. Senators defenceman Tyler Kleven tried a long bank pass to send Michael Amadio and Nick Cousins free on a two-on-one, but it was stopped at the blue line by Erik Karlsson who fed Rakell for a successful one timer from 35 feet out.

Early in the second period, Sidney Crosby headed down the tunnel after his first shift. It was unclear how Crosby got injured, though it may have come after contact with Nick Cousins along the boards.

Shortly after Crosby left, Cousins then made it 2–1 for the Senators. On a two-on-one, he tried to get it over to Michael Amadio, but the puck bounced back to him and he tucked it into the empty net.

Karlsson tied it again with another goal from distance, with a screen in front of Ullmark to make it 2–2.

The Senators spent much of the rest of the second period just surviving in the defensive zone. Pittsburgh generated sustained pressure and created several good chances. Ottawa did manage a few looks of their own but couldn’t capitalize.

The Penguins struck early in the third on a 5-on-3 power play as Karlsson connected with Rakell yet again for another on- timer to give the Penguins the lead 1:43 into the final period. But it didn't last long.

Batherson struck again too, tying things a couple of minutes later cramming home a puck at the side of the net. The Pens challenged for goalie interference but the goal eventually stood.

The Sens came to life in the late going, generating several good chances, and it was interesting to see how much ice time rookie Carter Yakemchuk got in the late going of a tie game that was so important.

The third period was loaded with more big opportunities with shooters on both sides looking skyward. While Ullmark had some help from his posts in this game, he was unreal in a number of situations. His best saves were probably his lunging, old school poke check and then an outstretched pad save on a Penguins breakaway by Thomas Novak late in overtime.

Batherson scored on the first shot in the shootout, leading to hopes of a two point evening, especially after the Penguins missed on their first attempt. But while Stutzle and Pinto were both stopped, Egor Chinakhov and Ben Kindel both scored to send Ottawa fans home disappointed.

The Senators do get a point out of it, but with the Islanders victory on Thursday, the loss costs them their playoff position... for now. The Sens now head south to face Tampa Bay Saturday afternoon at 1pm.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

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Kindel nets shootout winner as Penguins lose Crosby but squeeze past Senators 4-3

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ben Kindel scored the shootout winner to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

Rickard Rakell scored twice and had an assist, and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins, who moved into second in the Metropolitan Division.

Drake Batherson scored twice and Nick Cousins also scored for the Senators. Tim Stutzle added two assists.

Both Linus Ullmark and Stuart Skinner made huge saves in overtime to force the shootout.

Pittsburgh opened the third period on the power play with a two-man advantage after Ottawa took a late tripping penalty and got called early too many men. The Penguins capitalized with Rakell scoring his second of the game at 1:43.

Just over two minutes later, the Senators tied the game with Batherson burying a rebound in the crease for his second of the game. Pittsburgh challenged for goaltender interference but was unsuccessful.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took the opening shift of the second period but left after 38 seconds and did not return.

With an assist on the opening goal, Stutzle picked up his 400th point and became the seventh player, and youngest, in franchise history to hit the milestone.

Up next

Penguins: Host the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Senators: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Islanders 2, Stars 1: Schaefer ties Potvin in important win

ELMONT, NEW YORK - MARCH 26: Bo Horvat #14 of the New York Islanders is congratulated by Emil Heineman #51 and Matthew Schaefer #48 after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the first period at UBS Arena on March 26, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The New York Islanders needed this one after an extremely disappointing game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. There was some bad blood between the Islanders and the Stars after Mikko Rantanen knocked out Alexander Romanov for the season the last time these two teams played, but with Rantanen dealing with an injury of his own, that won’t be resolved this season.

Instead, Bo Horvat opened the scoring early and Cal Ritchie picked up the game winner early in the third, and of course Ilya Sorokin was instrumental in keeping the Islanders in the game even as the Dallas Stars had their chances.

Matthew Schaefer’s two assists tonight further put him into legendary territory, as he scored his 53rd and 54th points of the season to pass Vladimir Malakhov’s 52 points as a rookie and tie Denis Potvin’s 54 to put him 2nd all time in rookie scoring for an Islanders defenseman. He only trails Stefan Persson, who scored 56 points in the 1977-78 season.

The scoreboard was also moderately kind to the Islanders: the Montreal Canadiens beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators went to a shootout that Pittsburgh won. All of that shakes out to the Islanders remaining in the second wild card spot for now, tied in points with Columbus but with an extra game played.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

First Period

Continuing the trend of the last few games, the Islanders were the more dangerous team to start early on. Emil Heineman nearly opened the scoring, but it would be Bo Horvat who made it 1-0 five minutes in on the Islanders’ second shot of the game. Matthew Schaefer picked up an assist on the goal, bringing his point total to 53 on the season.

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The Islanders went to the power play after Adam Erne was called for slashing Schaefer, but the biggest chance of the power play was a shorthanded one for the Stars that Ilya Sorokin made the save on.

Dallas started to take over more in the second half of the period, but Sorokin made the saves he needed to to keep it 1-0 Islanders.

Second Period

Carson Soucy almost got one off a set up from Simon Holmström, but the pass didn’t connect by the post.

Casey Cizikas went to the box for slashing Esa Lindell, and Sorokin made a huge save on Matt Duchene to help kill the penalty.

Bo Horvat put a dangerous shot off the post and Emil Heineman had a shot saved by Jake Oettinger, and then JG Pageau missed another dangerous shot.

Wyatt Johnston took a penalty for holding Holmström, but the Isles couldn’t convert on the man advantage.

Horvat nearly set up Marc Gatcomb, but Oettinger made the save.

Third Period

Just a couple of minutes into the third, it appeared that Schaefer scored, tying Brian Leetch’s rookie record, but it actually went off Cal Ritchie’s left skate to make it 2-0.

Schaefer’s second assist of the night gave him 54 points, tying him with Denis Potvin’s rookie point total.

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Thomas Harley took a holding penalty, giving the Islanders another power play, but the Stars killed it despite some good looks.

Oettinger stopped a Kyle MacLean shot cross crease, and Sorokin made a big save on Miro Heiskanen.

Then, Adam Boqvist, filling in for Tony DeAngelo, took a holding penalty, and the Islanders killed that.

Sorokin made a bunch of saves in the last 5 minutes of the period, and then the Islanders had a 3 on 1 opportunity with Dallas’ net empty, but Schaefer fell and couldn’t get it past Harley on a diving play. That set up the Stars to go the other way and Duchene scored to make it 2-1 with just under 3 minutes left.

They put Oettinger back in for a little bit, but then pulled him again, and the Islanders were able to hold on for the 2-1 win.

Up Next

Next, the Islanders host the Florida Panthers at 1pm EST on Saturday, March 28th. The Panthers, despite their pedigree, sit in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, and so the Islanders will need to pick up two points as the playoff race keeps getting tighter.

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Iowa continues improbable March run, beating Nebraska to reach Sweet 16

HOUSTON (AP) — Alvaro Folgueiras converted a critical three-point play when Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor, and ninth-seeded Iowa continued its unpredictable NCAA Tournament run under first-year coach Ben McCollum, beating Nebraska 77-71 in a South Region semifinal on Thursday night.

Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points and Folgueiras had 16 for the Hawkeyes (24-12), who knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round on Folgueiras’ 3-pointer in the closing seconds.

Iowa will face either Illinois or Houston on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. McCollum, who won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State, has now led Iowa to its fifth Elite Eight and first since 1987.

Fourth-seeded Nebraska (28-7) took an early 10-point lead against its Big Ten rival, and Iowa tied it four times but never led until Stirtz buried a 3-pointer to make it 68-65 with 2:10 to go. Sage Tate hit another 3 to cap a 9-0 run and put Iowa ahead 71-65.

The Cornhuskers got within three on a second-chance 3 by Braden Frager, but they were disorganized on the inbound play, leaving Folgueiras unguarded near the rim. He slammed it home — popping up screaming after he finished through contact as Iowa fans roared — and converted the free throw for a six-point lead.

Another dunk by Folgueiras with 34 seconds left made it 76-68.

Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort made six 3s and scored 25 points for Nebraska, which won the first two March Madness games in program history to get this far. Frager added 16 points for coach Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers, who delighted a traveling contingent of red-clad fans throughout their tournament run.

WEST REGION

NO. 2 PURDUE 79, NO. 11 TEXAS 77

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a miss by Braden Smith with 0.7 seconds left, and Purdue edged hobbling Texas star Tramon Mark and the Longhorns in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Texas (21-15) tied it moments earlier when Dailyn Swain made a driving layup, was fouled and converted the three-point play with 11.9 seconds to go. Smith had scored on his own drive with 38 seconds remaining and finished with 16 points.

Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6 for 6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points. He was mobbed by teammates right after the final buzzer sounded at SAP Center.

Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured left foot through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior’s team needed him most. His points were the most by a Texas player in an NCAA Tournament game since Kevin Durant scored 30 against Southern California in the second round of the 2007 tournament.

Purdue (30-8) advances to Saturday’s Elite Eight game against either top-seeded Arizona (34-2) or No. 4 seed Arkansas (28-8), who were playing the late game at SAP Center.

Texas coach Sean Miller made his ninth Sweet 16 appearance in 21 seasons, the most of any coach who hasn’t reached the Final Four.

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Jalen Duren's 30-point double-double leads Pistons past Pelicans, 129-108

DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 30 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons past the New Orleans Pelicans 129-108 on Thursday night.

Kevin Huerter had 22 points and Daniss Jenkins added 19 for Detroit, which was coming off a 130-129 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. The Pistons, normally one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league, shot 53.6% (15 of 28) from beyond the arc, including 9 of 14 from Huerter and Jenkins.

Zion Williamson scored 21 points for New Orleans, which lost its third straight after winning five of six. Former Piston Saddiq Bey added 17, but no one else scored more than 13. The Pelicans made things harder on themselves by only shooting 45.8% (11-24) from the free-throw line.

HORNETS 114, KNICKS 103

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Kon Knueppel scored 26 points and made six 3-pointers to become the youngest player in NBA history with 250 in a season, and Charlotte snapped New York’ seven-game winning streak with a victory.

Knueppel, 20, nearly had his first career triple-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

LaMelo Ball added 22 points and Brandon Miller had 21 points and eight rebounds for the Hornets, who’ve won five straight. Miles Bridges and Coby White each chipped in with 17 points.

Jalen Brunson had 26 points and 13 assists for the Knicks, who would have clinched a playoff berth with a victory. OG Anunoby added 17 points in a game that featured a high-intensity postseason atmosphere.

Charlotte (39-34) pulled into a tie with Miami for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, although the Heat own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

MAGIC 111, KINGS 107

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —Paolo Banchero had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the Orlando stopped a six-game losing streak with a victory over Sacramento.

Banchero logged his third straight game of 30-plus points for the Magic (39-34), who fell below the play-in cut in the Eastern Conference during their skid that came immediately after a seven-game winning streak had propelled them into fifth place.

This was the 25th time in Banchero’s four-year career that he logged at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. Only Tracy McGrady (66) has more such games.

Desmond Bane added 23 points and Jalen Suggs returned from a two-game absence to an illness with eight points and four assists in 34 minutes for Orlando, which forged a three-way tie with Charlotte and Miami for eighth. Atlanta (41-32), Toronto (40-32) and Philadelphia (40-33) are just ahead, with the top six teams in each conference guaranteed a spot in the playoffs without having to go through the play-in games.

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Paul Skenes explains why his Opening Day start against Mets turned ugly

Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates walks off the field after being taken out of the game.
Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates walks off the field after being taken out of the game during the first inning against the New York Mets on Opening Day at Citi Field on March 26, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City.

Paul Skenes gave a rather analytical breakdown of his abysmal Opening Day start against the Mets on Thursday.

When asked by reporters about his outing in the Pirates’ 11-7 loss to the Amazin’s, Skenes said that despite not giving up much hard contact, his batting average on balls in play was high, causing his start to go awry quickly, as he only recorded two outs before being yanked.

“You got to look at it through, for what it is,” Skenes said. “There wasn’t a ton of hard contact. Leadoff walk is not great. But yeah … the Polanco ground ball, stuff like that. The batting average on balls in play thing was super high today. That’ll go down as the season goes on.”

Skenes left Thursday’s game after just two-thirds innings in which he gave up five earned runs — matching his career high — off four hits, along with a walk and two strikeouts.

“I’m not as upset about this for me, personally, as people would probably think,” Skenes said, according to The Associated Press. “Because they did a really good job. It was an abnormal outing.”

Skenes’ batting average on balls in play (BABIP) sits at .800 following his short-lived start.

Pirates skipper Don Kelly pulled Skenes after just 37 pitches, saying that he did not want the righty to push it this early into the season.

Paul Skenes walks off the field after being taken out of the game during the first inning of the Pirates’ 11-7 Opening Day against the Mets at Citi Field on March 26, 2026. Getty Images

“He wants to stay out there and pitch,” Kelly said. “It’s a really tough thing going to get him in the first inning right there. The bottom of it is Paul’s health. You’re getting close to 40 pitches, yeah 37 pitches and Lindor had a seven-pitch at-bat that first at-bat.

“If he runs another 7-10, you’re into dangerous territory with the starting pitcher in one inning, so we had to make the move.”

Paul Skenes looks down on the mound during the first inning the Pirates’ Opening Day loss to the Pirates. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Not all of the Pirates’ first-inning meltdown was strictly on Skenes, though, with center fielder Oneil Cruz misplaying two fly balls that extended the early rally for the Mets.

“That ball straight at him, he came in, got a bad read,” Kelly said. “He’s been working hard out there. He just needs to continue to get better. Then the one in the sun. He just lost it in the sun.”