He will teach you the way. | NHLI via Getty Images
A day after a widely panned press conference to introduce their new GM and figurehead, the Toronto Maple Leafs were handed a gift by the hockey gods/conspiracy forces by winning the draft lottery to get the #1 pick this summer.
This was quite the cliffhanger, as had just one lower team won the first or second pick lottery, the Leafs would have fallen out of the top five, meaning their high first-round pick would transfer to the Bruins as part of a trade that was only top-five protected.
Making matters worse for the last-place Vancouver Canucks, the San Jose Sharks then won the 2nd-pick lottery, giving them three consecutive years with a pick in the top two, and four consecutive years with a pick in the top four. While the Sharks took a big step forward this season, the tanking residue is still paying dividends.
And, of course, Toronto and San Jose’s lottery wins mean the Rangers drop from 3rd overall to 5th. Pity, that.
Islanders News
In far less surprising news, the NHL announced the Calder finalists as shoe-in Matthew Schaefer (duh), preseason favorite Ivan Demidev and the Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke. This award is voted on by the writers. [NHL | Newsday]
In Islanders-initiated news, after a successful season at the helm of their AHL squad, Rocky Thompson has been brought up to Pete DeBoer’s NHL staff. Thompson was an assistant in the NHL previously with the Flyers, Oilers and Sharks (with current Isles assistant Bob Boughner), and he overlapped with DeBoer a bit when he was head coach of the Knights’ AHL affiliate in Chicago when DeBoer was in Vegas. [Isles]
No lottery luck this summer; the Islanders will select 13th overall, the slot where they selected Derek King and Dean Chynoweth back in the ’80s, which was {counts in head} damn…a long time ago. [Isles]
Here’s Matthew Schaefer and his roommates explaining how the draft lottery works:
Elsewhere
Tuesday night the Avalanche and Wild exchanged quick early goals again, but then Colorado settled in and maintained control on the way to a 5-2 (EN) win and 2-0 series lead. [NHL]
What a difference 24 hours made for the mood in Toronto. [Sportsnet]
Apparently Leafs GM John Chayka did Shane Doan dirty, and that bothers Coyotes followers who think of Doan as a swell guy. [Arizona Sports]
Jim Rutherford will steap away from the “day to day” with the Canucks after the draft and after they presumably name a GM, sunsetting his very odd tenure with that team. [NHL | Sportsnet]
Four first-round losses for the Lightning does not change their commitment to Jon Cooper. [Sportsnet]
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) looks on during the second period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 27, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
As the debate to re-sign Evgeni Malkin continues to be the dominant news item (and figures to remain that way until a decision is made), two opposing views on Malkin’s future with the Penguins win out above everything else: one argument is that he’s still productive and deserves to return for a final season, while the other says the team should move on to prioritize a long-term rebuild. Which one will win out is anyone’s guess. [PensBurgh]
Forward Anthony Mantha said he felt “right at home” during his lone season with the Penguins after posting career-best numbers, including 33 goals and 64 points. His postseason performance left much to be desired, however. As he likely hits the open market, Mantha said he’d still welcome a return to Pittsburgh. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL draft lottery on Tuesday night despite having the fifth-best odds, securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. After a disappointing 2025-26 season, the team is now in a position to draft a difference-making prospect as new general manager John Chayka helms the ship in rough waters. [Sportsnet]
Jim Rutherford said he will step down as the Vancouver Canucks’ president of hockey operations and move into an advisory role following next month’s draft. [TSN]
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed in a statement on Tuesday that he stepped away from the team to focus on his mental health, explaining that his decision, while difficult, was necessary to take care of himself and return as a better player, teammate, and person. [Sportsnet]
New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer headlines the finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, joined by Montreal’s Ivan Demidov and Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke. [ESPN]
NEW YORK - JULY 19: New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling speaks during the teams 63rd Old Timers Day before the game against the Detroit Tigers on July 19, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the outpouring of grief and good memories flowed after John Sterling’s passing on Monday, I’m sure many of us found ourselves watching old Yankees clips and listening to Sterling’s calls. It’s been oft-repeated this week, but there truly was no one like Sterling, and going through his many fun, bizarre, and quirky calls has been a sad but joyful walk down memory lane.
Let’s keep on walking down that road. Sterling was perhaps known better for his home run calls than anything else. What began as a gimmick deployed for certain players turned into a signature, with Sterling committing to deploying a unique (and often whimsical) home run call for every individual player at some point during the 2000s. Every Yankees fan probably has a favorite. What was yours?
Our own Andrew Mearns helpfully ranked all 144 distinct player home run calls we have on record, so peruse those rankings if you need to as you try to pick out your favorite. Maybe the classic “Bern baby Bern” takes your top spot. Perhaps it’s the simple “El Capitan” that sprang from John’s voice every time Derek Jeter went deep. For me, there was nothing better than hearing “Robbie Cano! Don’tchaknow?!” every time the sweet-swinging second baseman sent one out of the park.
It’s hard to pick just one, so if you can’t narrow it all the way down, go ahead and give us a top-three or -five. Heck, feel free to, as Sterling would, get as creative as you want; if there’s a specific play that or call that stands out in your mind, however famous or obscure, please highlight it.
On the site today, Andrew reviews a packed Tuesday of action in the American League, and Jonathan profiles Ivy Andrews, a pitcher born on this day in 1907. Also, John posits that it’s in both the Yankees’ and Anthony Volpe’s best interests for Volpe to get some exposure at other positions, perhaps second base. Later, Andrés analyzes Elmer Rodríguez’s second start in the majors, Kento chronicles the long road in the wilderness the Yankees walked at first base before finding Ben Rice, and Scott discusses Jonathan Ornelas, a lower-profile prospect succeeding with Triple-A Scranton this year.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
Video: Amazon Prime Video, Rangers Sports Network, MLB Network
I think many Rockets fans were happy when the Rockets decided to convert JD Davison’s two-way contract to a regular NBA contract. As much as I enjoy Aaron Holiday and his minutes, it was time for Davison to get a standard NBA contract.
Davison saw relatively limited action during his first season with Houston. He averaged 2.5 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 rebounds in 28 regular-season games, playing an average of 7.8 minutes per game. These stats, however, aren’t Davison’s fault, as he was on a two-way contract until April 7. For context, NBA two-way players are only able to play a maximum of 50 regular NBA games and are ineligible for the playoffs. Davison also had a 8-point and 4-assist game versus the Thunder on February 7.
Davison’s influence was even more obvious in the G League, as he continued to exhibit his scoring and playmaking prowess. He put up good numbers in limited opportunities, helping to reinforce the idea that he may develop into a reliable NBA contributor with more opportunities.
However, what worries me the most with Davison is his three-point shot. Davison shot just above 30% from three in college before shooting 29% in his rookie year, 40% in his sophomore year, 33% his third year, and just 27.3% this past year. Houston already has so many players who can’t shoot from three (Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, etc). Thankfully, with Reed Sheppard’s emergence, Davison should only be needed in spot minutes, and since he is still younger, he has time to develop a three-point shot.
All in all, it was hard to evaluate Davison’s Rockets season since he did not play much real NBA basketball due to being on a two-way, and also due to Ime Udoka favoring Aaron Holiday, but hopefully next season we will get to see him get more opprotunites and continue to grow. We will be doing player season reviews all month long here at The Dream Shake, so make sure to check back every day for new season reviews.
Bob Skinner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is shown here in uniform posing with a baseball bat.
The Pittsburgh Pirates family got some bad news, when it was announced that former Bucs outfielder/first baseman/coach and World Series champion Bob Skinner died at age 94 in San Diego. The cause was not released, but when you make it to 94, it could be just about anything.
Skinner spent 12 years in the MLB, including 9 seasons with the Pirates as well as spending time with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. He also spent some time later in his career as a manager with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies.
Skinner was a two-time All-Star who hit .277 for his career. He was never a big power guy, with his most homers in a year sitting at 20, but he did have four seasons in which he hit over .300.
He played with the Bucs in 1960 World Series, but he got hurt in Game 1 and only returned in Game 7, where he scored a late run to help lift the Bucs to the huge upset over the New York Yankees. He also won a World Series with the 1964 Cardinals, who also beat the Yankees for the title.
Skinner played until 1966 and then started managing the Phillies in 1968, but had a losing record in 1968 and 1969. He later became a hitting coach for the Pirates and was part of the 1979 World Series winners.
Pirates owner Bob Butting had this to say about the former Pirates star:
“Bob was an important part of one of the most beloved teams in our storied history and helped deliver a moment that will forever be woven into the fabric of our city. Bob was a talented player, a proud Pirate and a respected member of the baseball community.”
The New York Knicks have been doing a lot of that lately, much to the delight of franchise icon Walt “Clyde” Frazier.
The longtime player and broadcaster, 81, was the last man to lead the franchise to a championship way back in 1973. Now, 53 years later, he thinks he’s starting to see some parallels between his dominant team and the current-day Knicks, who currently lead the Philadelphia 76ers 1-0 in the second round of the playoffs.
“I’m mesmerized by the way the team is playing,” Frazier told Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday’s episode of “The Tonight Show.” “Actually, I’m living vicariously through them. They remind me of my team. My team personified team, you couldn’t mention Frazier without (Bill) Bradley, without (Dave) DeBusschere, without (Willis) Reed, without (Dick) Barnett.
“I see similarities to this team, so they’re starting to do that. Their camaraderie, their teamwork, they like each other, it’s manifested on the court.
There’s still a long way to go in the NBA playoffs, but Frazier added that “hopefully we’ll see another championship.”
The Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in the first round after falling behind 2-1. They closed that series with runaway wins by 16, 29 and 51 points, then followed that up with a 39-point blowout over Philly to begin the second round.
Frazier has been watching it all happen from his seats at Madison Square Garden, where he still works for the Knicks’ MSG Network. Wearing his iconic suits, you can’t miss the Hall of Famer on TV or in person.
“It’s genetic,” Frazier said of his fashion sense. “My dad was a guy who was into clothes. Then, I came to the mecca for fashion.
“I wasn’t playing good as a rookie, so in order to pacify myself I went shopping.”
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks high fives Walt Frazier after the game during Round 1 Game 6 on May 1, 2025, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
How exactly does Frazier pick out his looks? As he told Fallon, there’s one line that gets him the outfit he wants.
“When I go to a suit place, I just say ‘Show me something you think no one will wear.'”
With the Knicks set to host the Sixers in Game 2 on Wednesday night, keep an eye out for Frazier in the crowd.
“In the morning, there was a big wind blowing and the waves were running high up on the beach and he was awake a long time before he remembered that his heart was broken.”
The words are Hemingway’s.
I was woken up, as I usually am, by Clara the cat, whose business is to inform me when the rest of the cats are ready for breakfast. The time, 5:30, was not particularly unusual either.
I woke up with a sense of something lost, something gone irretrievably, and I knew immediately what it was. I was not awake a long time before I remembered that the Celtics’ season had ended on Saturday night.
I used to live in the middle of Sioux Falls, where I could hear the old courthouse clock toll the hours, and there was no silence quite like the silence that came after the final bell tolled—it was not the silence of silence, it was the silence of absence, something missing that had been there a moment ago.
But one thing is certain: the team that was is gone.
Boston, MA – April 10: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vuevi and Jaylen Brown head to the bench for a timeout in the first quarter. The Celtics played the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden on April 10, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
This happens to every team, and of the sixteen teams that make the playoffs, only one will end the season a champion. For every other team, there comes a moment like the one on Saturday night where it all ends, and where it leaves a hole.
As fans, we kind of get used to this, to a certain extent. We know there’s always a next year—but when the end comes the way it came to this year’s Celtics, it’s hard.
It’s hard not just because Boston put up a 3-1 lead, it’s because of the way they put together that 3-1 lead. They blew out the Sixers twice and won a third time in a closely matched game. There was no reason to expect that the Sixers could win three straight against a team that had blown them out twice, and yet…
Much as we would like them to be, games are not stories. The narratives that fit best are fitted in hindsight. No team in the NCAA tournament is a Cinderella until they’ve won a game they shouldn’t have.
The danger of making narratives in advance was apparent by December, when the Celtics were demonstrating that, at least as far as the regular season went, this was not going to be a gap year.
When Tatum came back, there seemed to be even more validity to the idea that this was a storybook season.
And what we got was a version of Cinderella that went like this: “Cinderella lost her shoe on the way out of the ball. The Prince, although stricken by her beauty, figured that he had no chance of finding her by searching the kingdom, so he got on with his life. Eventually he forgot all about her.”
In other words, the end of the season felt premature, abrupt, and cruel.
But that’s how it feels to us as Celtics fans. On the other side of the court, there’s a different storybook unfolding. Sixers fans who could claim that legitimately, with Embiid’s limited availability and Paul George’s league mandated vacation, they had not been at full strength during the regular season either, now get to savor their own Cinderella story. Perhaps their story will end as abruptly as Boston’s did, perhaps it will linger on as far as the Eastern Conference Finals; it seems unlikely to last much farther.
Trying to tell stories before they unfold, setting expectations that are not matched, is dangerous unless you’re prepared to accept not only the hollow pit of losing, but the added chagrin of having ‘gotten it wrong.’
Were we fooled into expecting more from the Celtics than they were capable of delivering?
I mean, the results are the results, and the reality is that you are what your record says you are, but it feels like Boston left behind unfinished business this season.
Predictably, there have been calls for drastic changes—the notion that Jaylen Brown should be traded has once again surfaced, and there have been calls for a review of Joe Mazzulla’s chops as a coach.
This is not unexpected. And it strikes me as a bit of an overreaction.
It’s tempting to focus on the fact that the C’s lost three straight against Philly, without remembering that Boston finished the series +19 in points scored.
Is this evidence of bad coaching and bad play on the part of the Celtics, over the last three games?
You better believe it is. It’s the fault of the Celtics coaching staff and players that they couldn’t adapt to the return of Embiid.
Does this mean that the only sensible, sane, and reasonable reaction is to make major personnel changes and fire the coach?
No. Not even remotely.
Feb 22, 2007 – Austin, TX, USA – Former Boston Celtic Great guard DENNIS WAYNE JOHNSON, the 13 year NBA star guard who was part of three championship teams and combined with Larry Bird in one of the greatest all time postseason plays, died Thursday February 22nd 2007, after collapsing at the end of practice while coaching an NBA developmental team. the Austin Toros. Johnson was born Sep 18, 1954 in Compton, CA. High School: Dominguez (Compton, Calif.). Junior College: Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.). College: Pepperdine University. Drafted: Seattle SuperSonics, 1976 (29th overall). Transactions: Traded to Phoenix Suns, 6/4/80; Traded to Boston Celtics, 6/27/83. Nickname: DJ. Height: 6-4. Weight: 200 lbs. Honors: NBA champion (1979, '84, '86); NBA Finals MVP (1979); All-NBA First Team (1981); All-NBA Second Team (1980); All-Defensive First Team (1979-83, '87); All-Defensive Second Team (1984-86); Five-time NBA All-Star 1979-82, '85).
PICTURED: Johnson driving down the court in an 1987 game.
(Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
In 1978, Dennis Johnson had a terrible Finals performance. In Game 7, he went 0-14, as the Sonics lost to the Bullets.
The following year, in a Finals rematch, DJ redeemed himself; his shooting percentage jumped from .382 in 1978 to .459 in 1979, and he won the Finals MVP in a series that was over in just five games.
Now I’m not saying that there are guys who came up small in this series who are as good as DJ was. I’m saying that DJ, in just his second year in the league, caught a serious case of the yips, but the Sonics stuck with him, and he redeemed himself—against the same basic team that he choked against the year before.
I think there are young guys on the Celtics who, given a second chance, will surprise us.
Yes, you only get so many bites at the apple—playing careers do not last forever, and finishing a season this way basically wastes a year of Jaylen’s prime, but that year is gone now. No amount of rash actions over the summer will get that year back.
My response to the season is that patience should carry the day. There will probably need to be some personnel tweaks over the summer, but nothing major is warranted, in my opinion. I think this is a time to trust the coaching staff and players to respond the right way to what went wrong against Philadelphia.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 30: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics talks to Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game at Rocket Arena on November 30, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 117-115. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After scoring 33 points in the Celtics’ Game 7 loss at home to the 76ers, Jaylen Brown took to Twitch to get everything off his chest before heading into the offseason. Much of it was positive after his MVP-level performance this year. Despite the early exit, he called the 56-win season the most fun he’s had in his career in what should be a First or Second Team All-NBA season.
However, he did have some choice words regarding the officiating of not just the series-clinching loss at TD Garden, but on the state of the league and how flopping has become so prevalent with the game’s best players.
The NBA’s iconoclast has been on this crusade all year, most vocally after he was ejected from a much anticipated game against the San Antonio Spurs in March. CelticsBlog’s Gio Rivera has this from Brown’s stream:
Brown said Embiid routinely exaggerated contact, insisting it’s an epidemic affecting the NBA.
“It’s like when someone barely touched you, and you selling the call to make it seem like you just got shot by two police officers. Big difference. Whether you like it, don’t like it, your grandma like it, your grandma don’t like it. I don’t really care. That’s just my personal opinion on basketball. Some of y’all might disagree. Argue with your grandma. Flopping has ruined our game. Joel Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in f**king basketball history. He flops. He knows it. This ain’t breaking news.”
Yesterday, the league fined Brown $50,000 for “public criticism of the officiating” and hours after a Game 1 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell had his back.
#Cavs Donovan Mitchell on only got to the line twice tonight. His response to why he's not getting more calls:
"I'm just not getting the calls I don't know why, I don't flop, maybe that's why." pic.twitter.com/VJsglOq0dK
“A friend of mine got fined for talking about flopping,” Mitchell said of Brown’s comments. “I’m not trying to double down, but I feel like that’s what I got to do at this point. I’m trying to get downhill, trying to get to the bucket, sometimes people are in my way and I’m trying to fight through contact and I’m not getting these calls…I don’t know why. I don’t flop, maybe that’s why. This isn’t just a tonight thing. This has been the entire season. It’s frustrating —I’m such a dynamic driver — but I can’t control that.”
During the regular season, Brown was second in the league in drives at 9.1 per game with Mitchell trailing behind at 14.1. However, Brown was just ninth in free throw attempts and Mitchell was further down the list at 22nd.
You can bet that with Brown as one of the vice presidents of the NBPA and Mitchell serving as the player rep in Cleveland, the state of officiating will be a topic of discussion the next time the league’s competition committee meets this summer.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 14, 2026: Carlos Rodon #55 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch during a live batting practice session on Field 2 prior to a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 14, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. The Phillies beat the Yankees, 6-4. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After a scheduled rehab outing Tuesday, Carlos Rodón is expected to make his next start in the majors, per Yankees manager Aaron Boone. He’ll take Elmer Rodríguez’s spot in the rotation, the top prospect who’s made two starts in the interregnum between Luis Gil’s demotion and Rodón’s activation. Fellow starter Gerrit Cole made a rehab start Tuesday as well, though Boone indicated he is still “a little bit of a ways away” from returning. In other injury news, Ben Rice was out of the starting lineup again Tuesday, though he hopes to be back soon, and Giancarlo Stanton has yet to resume running as he works back from a right calf strain that landed him on the IL.
Although they won’t need to call up Rodón until he makes his next start, the Yankees did option Rodríguez back to Triple-A after last night’s game. This will allow them to carry an extra reliever during this week without an offday until they can move on to Rodón ‘s turn in the rotation.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Monday night’s victory over the Orioles doubled as a tribute to John Sterling, the beloved broadcaster who served as the Yankees’ radio voice for 36 seasons. In this article, Aaron Judge reminisces about Sterling’s call of his record-breaking 62nd home run in 2022, Suzyn Waldman recalls smiling upon hearing a “That’s baseball, Suzyn!” from the crowd after a moment of silence for her longtime colleague, and Boone expressed enthusiasm for the “JS” stitched into each Yankee’s cap for the game. The skipper also voiced support for the team continuing to pump Sterling’s iconic “Yankees win…Theeeeeeee Yankees win!” over the loudspeakers after each victory. “I’d love it,” he said. “Right on into Frank.”
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees announced Tuesday that their uniform hats would continue to feature the “JS” initials in honor of Sterling through May 17th, when they face the Mets at Citi Field. The following day, their jerseys will begin featuring a custom memorial patch in his memory for the remainder of the season. The Yankees’ captain also joined his manager in expressing support for the continued playing of Sterling’s game-ending celebration after each victory. “I think it’d be a nice little tip of the cap to John and what he meant to so much of this franchise and this fan base,” Aaron Judge said.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: In surprisingly unseating incumbent shortstop Anthony Volpe (at least for the moment), José Caballero has flown in the face of the underlying metrics that inform organizational decision-making. Despite posting an expected weighted on-base average of .266 — ranking in the seventh percentile across the game — his results on offense and exemplary performance defensively and on the basepaths have earned him a reprieve from the utility role which appeared a fait accompli just a couple of weeks ago. “I’m trying to win a battle, man,” Caballero said in describing his scrappy approach. “It doesn’t matter how I win it, I want to win the battle. I’m just trying to be on base, make some damage, and help my team.”
When asked if he foresees a backslide, Boone demurred. “Maybe,” said the Yankee manager. “Look, I think he’s a player. He’s a gamer. You like him up there when the chips are on the table.”
To little surprise, Washington Wizards coach Brian Kiefe topped the list at 22 percent after his team had the worst record in the league during the 2025-26 season with just 17 wins.
Coming in just under Kiefe was Kerr, ranked fourth with 6 percent of players’ votes.
As the article notes, Kerr, whose future with the franchise is unknown after 12 seasons as Golden State’s coach, always has been one of the more praised coaches in The Athletic’s past player polls. But with the Warriors missing the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, there appears to be a different perspective, even when things have been out of Kerr’s control, such as injuries.
“I think he’s a great coach,” one of the players who voted for Kerr said. “I just thought the way he handled the Kuminga situation wasn’t very smart.”
Aside from a little recency bias, the former NBA Coach of the Year boasts a 604-353 regular-season record and 104-48 playoff record as coach of the Warriors — all while at the helm of the team that won four NBA titles.
Speaking of recency bias, Kings first-year coach Doug Christie seemed to have bitten the bullet for Sacramento’s disappointing 22-win season. Christie was voted one spot above Kerr at third overall with 10 percent of the votes.
Despite the lackluster season, Christie will return as coach next season in hopes that a top-draft pick and some roster reconstruction can lead to a change during the 2026-27 campaign.
Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division)
Philadelphia; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -164, Flyers +138; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the seventh time this season. The Hurricanes won 3-2 in overtime in the last meeting.
Philadelphia has gone 43-27-12 overall with a 16-12-6 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have a 38-7-4 record when scoring three or more goals.
Carolina is 53-22-7 overall with a 22-4-2 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes have a 26-9-2 record in games they score at least one power-play goal.
TOP PERFORMERS: Trevor Zegras has 26 goals and 41 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has three goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Seth Jarvis has 32 goals and 34 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has scored eight goals with four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 6-3-1, averaging 2.4 goals, 3.9 assists, 5.9 penalties and 15.8 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
Hurricanes: 9-0-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.9 assists, 5.8 penalties and 13.8 penalty minutes while giving up 1.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flyers: Owen Tippett: day to day (undisclosed), Noah Cates: day to day (lower body), Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).
Hurricanes: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 15, 2025: Sean Keys #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Minnesota Twins at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2025 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
87 hitters have taken 100 PA so far in AA leagues so far this season. The best batting line among them belongs to the Blue Jays’ 2024 fourth round draft pick, Sean Keys. Keys played his college ball at Bucknell, putting up ridiculous numbers against pretty pedestrian Patriot League competition. He popped a bit with excellent showings in summer wood bat leagues, particularly a brief cameo in the top tier Cape Cod League the summer before his draft season. After turning pro, he put up good-not-great surface level numbers in Dunedin and Vancouver. His advanced approach allowed him to wait out wild low minors pitchers, leading to big walk totals, but his power production was just solid. Underlying metrics suggested he was doing a lot of things right, though, and so far in 2025 a move up to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ lefty-power friendly Delta Dental Stadium has allowed the top line stats to catch up. Keys is hitting .310/.429/.667 with nine home runs in 24 games.
Keys’ offensive calling card is his power. His raw strength is solid average or a little better, but he has an uppercut swing that’s geared to pull balls hard in the air and might allow his game power production to come out as plus. Keys is a solidly built guy at 6’2” and 230lbs and can generate that power without selling out. It’s a simple swing, with just a small toe tap and a pretty direct path to the ball. This season, it looks like he’s quieted down his pre-swing movement in the box and opened his stance just a little. He can look a bit stiff, particularly in his two-handed follow-through, but he’s shown decent ability to get the bat on the ball. Last year his 78% contact rate was a bit above average. It’s fallen to 72% this year, partly because he’s gotten more aggressive but probably also because of better competition. He doesn’t have top tier bat speed, and good fastballs at the top of the zone can beat him. It’s possible the swing tweaks are an attempt to adjust to that. Whether he can reliably catch up to MLB calibre heat will be the biggest question on his offensive upside. If he can, he profiles as a low-ish average but solid OBP hitter who could produce 20-something home runs a season. He didn’t show a marked platoon split last year, but as a lefty he has the advantage of being the big side of a platoon if that ends up being his role.
Defensively, Keys’ only real long term home is at first base. He’s still mostly playing third, and his hands and arm actually look solid there, but he’s got a first base build and is a 30 grade runner. At some point probably just won’t have the range to stick at the hot corner. He has a reputation as a hard worker, and can probably be an above average glove at first with reps. He could probably also stand in left field, but again his speed would be a liability.
Keys is off to one of the most intriguing starts in the Jays’ system, and he has real tools to back it up. His 1.096 OPS is a bit of a caricature, but he’s also clearly better than the .773 he put up last season. Given his defensive limitations he’s unlikely to be a star, but he has everything he needs to be a dangerous bench bat in the near future, and everyday upside if he continues to regularly get to his power against higher level pitching.
If supporters want transparency, they won’t find it in the rubber-stamping of Steve Borthwick’s coaching team
There has been a lot of fuss in recent days about French TV directors not giving rugby fans the full picture. In that particular department, sadly, there remains a runaway market leader. To say the Rugby Football Union’s public response to England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign has failed to supply all the relevant angles is an understatement.
In an ideal world, there would have been a media conference with Bill Sweeney, the RFU’s chief executive, alongside Steve Borthwick, his head coach, presenting a united, purposeful front and outlining precisely why the status quo needs preserving despite England having racked up four championship defeats for the first time since 1976. Instead, there was only a “Don’t tell ‘em, Pike” statement on email best summarised in four words: “Nothing to see here.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is guarded by Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Even with Anthony Edwards on a minutes restriction, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to come into the Frost Bank Center and steal both Game 1 and home court advantage from the Spurs. The style of play on display in that game was what was expected of the series from the outset: hard-fought, physical games that would likely need to be won on the margins and boy was Game 1 decided on the margins. Meh offensive showings from both Victor Wembanyama and DeAaron Fox coupled with a handful of lackadaisical turnovers (Spurs were +3 in the turnover department) were ultimately the difference in a game that San Antonio still had a chance to win at the buzzer. With Games 3 and 4 in Minnesota and with just a day between each of these games, it is imperative that San Antonio finds a way tonight to pull even in this series against a Minnesota team that’s trying to make their 3rd straight trip to the Western Conference Finals. This will be the first time this young squad is playing from behind in a best of 7 series, and while the pressure valve hasn’t popped yet, a loss tonight against a veteran Timberwolves squad could see it blown wide open.
San Antonio Spurs (0-1) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0) May 6 2026 | 8:30 PM CT Watch: ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM) Line: -9.5
Spurs Injuries: Carter Bryant, foot (QUESTIONABLE)
Twolves Injuries: Anthony Edwards, knee (QUESTIONABLE), Ayo Dosunmu, calf (QUESTIONABLE)
What to watch for
DeAaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama said all the right things in the aftermath of Game 1, with Fox in particular shouldering the bulk of the loss on his shoulders. Fox finished with just 10 points and had 6 of San Antonio’s 13 turnovers, with a few egregious ones of the live ball variety in the 2nd half where it looked like he was playing with basically no urgency. Wemby meanwhile was a demon defensively, setting the playoff record for most blocks in a game in just his 4th ever playoff game, but shot just 5/17 from the field and was 0/8 from downtown. Knowing that this time of year often comes down to your best players playing at their best, expect Mitch Johnson to try and get those two guys back on track early tonight offensively.
For all the talk about San Antonio not having anyone to contend with Julius Randle, they did a solid job on him for the most part. Randle went just 8/20 from the field and took just 6 free throw attempts for the game. Where he excelled though what using his size and bulk to both pick up a few fouls on various Spurs’ defenders and to slow the pace down for Minnesota at the end of the game. San Antonio wings that get caught on him need to clean up some of those reach-ins and to continue to goad Randle into face-up jumpers.
A few times in Game 1 it looked like Anthony Edwards was in some discomfort, but for the most part he looked very much like the Anthony Edwards people have come to expect. Just 9 days removed from a leg hyperextension, Edwards was limited to just 25 minutes off the bench, but his presence was felt in all of them. He went 8/13 from the field for 18 points, scoring in a variety of ways and putting all the worries about his health at that moment to rest. Whether or not Edwards will be as fresh in a Game 2 that takes place just 48 hours later as opposed to the 9 days off he had before Game 1 though remains to be seen.
If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!
What stood out in both the AFL and Carlton’s statements regarding what happened to Elijah Hollands at the MCG three weeks ago were the things that weren’t and couldn’t be said. There were legal restrictions. There was medical confidentiality. There was a WorkSafe investigation. There was a universal acceptance that the privacy and wellbeing of the young man at the centre of all this was the most important thing.
The AFL did what they usually do in matters of the utmost complexity – they issued a fine. In fact, it was more of a donation. How much of a dent $75,000 makes in Carlton’s hip pocket is not for me to say, though a club whose four pokie venues raked in nearly $20m in the last financial year can probably afford it. The AFL also announced a series of measures to ensure this never happens again – mandated club phycologists, stronger industry healthcare governance standards, and a “mental health media roundtable”, which itself probably warrants a separate column.
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