Although UCLA managed to make it a one-score game, the multitude of issues that plagued the Bruins in their season opener returned in a 30-23 loss to UNLV.
Which Prospects Could Make Their NHL Debut With The Penguins Next Season?
The Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of veteran players on the team heading into the 2025-26 season, but they still have some young players pushing for more playing time.
Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen got a taste of NHL action last season and looked the part in their short sample sizes. McGroarty made his NHL debut early in the season before developing more in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and then came up with Koivunen at the end of the season. As long as they have good camps, they'll likely be on the roster to start the season.
Filip Hallander is coming back from the SHL after spending two seasons in that league. He finished second in goals and points in the entire SHL last year and will also be given every opportunity to make the full-time roster. He has played in three games at the NHL level with the Penguins, but spent most of his time in WBS before heading to the SHL after the 2022-23 season.
There will be other young players who make strong pushes in training camp, but may not be ready to make the roster and their NHL debut yet. Let's take a look at some of the players that may fit into that category.
Tristan Broz
Broz made his regular-season debut with the WBS Penguins last season after turning pro. It came after he spent the previous three seasons in college hockey and helped the University of Denver win the Frozen Four during the 2023-24 season. He scored the game-winning goal against Boston in the Frozen Four to send Denver to the National Championship Game.
Broz finished the 2024-25 season with 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games, and one goal and three points in two playoff games. He was able to utilize his shot and vision throughout the season and was one of WBS's best players in the playoffs before bowing out to Lehigh Valley.
Penguins head coach Dan Muse may want to get a look at Broz if he keeps developing well during the upcoming season.
Emil Pieniniemi
Pieniniemi will make his WBS debut next season in his first professional season after spending the 2024-25 season with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs. It was his first OHL season, and he finished with 10 goals and 60 points in 60 games. His 60 points were sixth among defensemen in the OHL. He was also dynamite in the playoffs, compiling four goals and 10 points in 11 games. His offensive game took a significant step forward, and he's looking to carry it over into the AHL.
The left side of the Penguins' defense is still a primary concern heading into the season, but Pieniniemi isn't likely to be ready just yet. However, if he starts his pro career with a bang, there's a chance he could be a call-up option later in the year, especially if some injuries pop up on the back end.
Harrison Brunicke
This one is dependent on a couple of factors. Number one, he has to have an outstanding camp like he did last year, since there's a logjam on the right side right now. Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang will take up the bulk of the top four minutes, and Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba will compete for minutes on the bottom pairing. Brunicke will have to ensure that the coaching staff and management can't deny him at least a nine-game trial to start the year.
Number two, we need to determine if the NHL, NHLPA, and CHL can reach an agreement to allow one 19-year-old CHL player per NHL team to play in the AHL this season. The deal is set to start for the 2026-27 season, but the NHL and NHLPA are trying to negotiate an agreement with the CHL to push it up to this season. If that happens, Brunicke will have the chance to play in the AHL all season, instead of his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers, who aren't going to be any good this season.
Right now, his only options for the 2025-26 season are his junior team or the Penguins. Having the option to send Brunicke to the AHL, assuming an agreement can be reached, would be beneficial for his development. He's too good to play on his junior team, and it showed when he was healthy last season.
Brunicke has the potential to be a second-pairing defenseman on the Penguins if he hits his ceiling.
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Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Young Goaltender's Stock Keeps Rising
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.
With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization.
At this point, we have reached the top-five on our list. And right at No. 5 is a young netminder who continues to garner the attention of many and has pretty much done nothing but dominate up to this point: Sergei Murashov.
#5 G Sergei Murashov
For any goaltender anywhere, it is extremely difficult to not only have a save percentage of .913 or higher at every level of professional hockey so far, but also to show signs of dominance almost effortlessly.
Yet, this is something that 21-year-old Penguins' goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov has managed to accomplish.
To be clear, the one and only season Murashov has had a sub-.913 save percentage was for Loko Yaraslovl of the MHL as a 16-year-old, when he posted a .909 save percentage in eight games. Since then, he has been nothing short of spectacular.
From 2021-24 between the MHL and KHL, Murashov never posted a save percentage below .925. In fact, during the 2022-23 season with Loko Yaroslavl, Murashov went 24-7-5 with 11 shutouts, a 1.53 goals-against average, and a .948 save percentage. And that was the season following his draft year in 2022 (118th overall).
Who Will Be The Starting Goaltender In WBS This Season?The NHL goaltending situation for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2025-26 already figures to be an interesting one.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound goaltender's impressive numbers in Russia preceded his move to North America for the 2024-25 season - and he did not miss a beat with the move.
In 26 games ECHL games with the Wheeling Nailers last season, Murashov posted a 17-7-1 record to go along with a .922 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average. Because of injuries at the AHL level, Murashov was called up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) during the second half of the season, and he made franchise history.
He won his first 11 starts at the AHL level, setting a new franchise rookie record and tying the general franchise record for consecutive wins. In 16 total starts at the AHL level last season for WBS, Murashov went 12-3-0 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average.
In other words, there is no doubt that this kid has talent. His quickness and athleticism is unmatched by any other netminder in the Penguins' system, and Murashov carries himself with a certain confidence and calm that isn't typical of goaltenders his age.
On Hershey's first goal, Sergei Murashov came up with a RIDICULOUS rebound save seconds prior to the 3rd attempt going in. @InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/96Sfwao58i
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) April 12, 2025
He is still raw, and he needs to work on his rebound control and refining the sharp edges in his game. He also had a tough three games in the ECHL playoffs, even if it was largely the result of the team in front of him failing to execute.
But it's hard to deny the upside of a guy who has proven he can get it done at every level of hockey up to this point. Goaltending has been a problem area for the Penguins since their back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017, and they have an abundance of goaltenders in their system. Murashov will be competing with the likes of Joel Blomqvist, Filip Larsson, and Taylor Gauthier for the AHL starting job this season, which will be a fascinating battle to keep an eye on in training camp.
Murashov has put a little bit of distance between himself and the rest of them, and it would probably be best for his development to be full-time in the AHL this season. But - regardless of where he laces them up this season - this is certainly a prospect Penguins' fans and NHL fans should be keeping an eye on.
Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Defenseman Should Be Full-Time In The NHL This SeasonHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.
The list so far:
- No. 6: D Owen Pickering
- No. 7: F Tanner Howe
- No. 8: G Arturs Silovs
- No. 9: G Joel Blomqvist
- No. 10: F Tristan Broz
- No. 11: F Will Horcoff
- No. 12: F Mikhail Ilyin
- No. 13 F Filip Hallander
- No. 14: F Bill Zonnon
- No. 15: F Melvin Fernstrom
- No. 16: D Emil Pieniniemi
- No. 17: F Avery Hayes
- No. 18: F Cruz Lucius
- No. 19: D Finn Harding
- No. 20: D Peyton Kettles
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Michigan football schedule: Game time, TV channel for Week 3 game vs Central Michigan
Michigan football schedule: The Wolverines will return to the Big House in Week 3 for a game vs Central Michigan. Here's when kickoff is:
Michigan State football schedule: Time, TV channel for Week 3 game vs Youngstown State
Michigan State football schedule: The Spartans get one final tune-up against Youngstown State on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m.
Jayden Maiava leads USC offense to rout of Clay Helton’s Georgia Southern team
USC's offense racked up a string of highlight plays Saturday, rolling to a blowout win over former Trojans coach Clay Helton's Georgia Southern team.
Yahoo Top 10: Which teams are in the mix after a sloppy Saturday of college football?
Plenty of teams took care of business on Saturday, but a few did not. Which teams have truly stood out after two weeks of action?
Oklahoma football revives in thumping of Michigan, as Brent Venables turns down heat
Looking for a College Football Playoff sleeper? Consider Oklahoma, after its smothering of Michigan.
Bill Belichick gets his first college win
Five days after giving up 48 points for the first time in his coaching career, Bill Belichick has gotten his first college win, over the Charlotte 49ers.
Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Buffalo Must Get Big Season Out Of First-Year Sabres Center Norris
The NHL’s 2025-26 season is almost here, and it’s a great time here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site to continue this player-by-player series in which we break down expectations for each Sabres player in 2025-26.
The Sabres need desperately to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But as individuals, each Sabres player has their own expectations.
We’ve gone through Buffalo’s goalies and defensemen in this series. And in this file, we’re focusing on Sabres No. 1 center Josh Norris, who came to the Sabres in the deal that sent Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators. But Norris will have to stay healthy to justify the trade, and that’s something that hasn’t been easy for him to do in five NHL seasons..
Player Name: Josh Norris
Position: Center
Age: 26
2024-25 Key Statistics: 56 games, 21 goals, 35 points, 18:36 average time-on-ice
2025-26 Salary:$7.95 million
2025-26 Expectations: Norris was enjoying a bounce-back season with the Senators, posting 20 goals and 33 points in 53 games when he was dealt to Ottawa. And after he arrived in Buffalo, Norris appeared in only three games before the Sabres’ season ended.
But at that point, Sabres fans were willing to cut Norris some slack.
That said, the goodwill will end if Norris can’t get into groove as a key contributor. He’s got to appear in at least 70 games, and be Buffalo’s catalyst on offense on a top line.
Nothing short of career-best numbers will satisfy Sabres fans’ desire to get back to the playoffs. And ideally, Buffalo should – should expect a 35-40-goal season out of Norris. He’s the Sabres’ highest-paid forward, and he needs to play like one. And playing on. a top line with star winger Tage Thompson shoulhelp Norris to achieve that goal.
At 26-years old, Norris no longer has time on his side. But his salary and skills package dictate he be afforded every opportunity to succeed. He needs to prove to everyone (himself included) that he can stay healthy and contribute throughout the regular-season.
Because he’s signed through the 2020-30 season, Norris isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But time could drag on for Norris if he can’t right the ship and plays a full regular-season, Norris has no-trade clause protectio in his current deal, but that doesn’t kick in until next summer.
For now, though, the challenge for Norris is clear – be an effective number-one center, and make his teammates around him better. If he can’t do that and Buffalo struggles in the standings, Sabres fans will be rueing the day Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams acquired him.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto falls one out short of a no-hitter, then Dodgers lose in Orioles walk-off
From the verge of history, to the depths of horror.
The kind of unimaginable nightmare even these slumping Dodgers could have never possibly fathomed.
One minute, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the precipice of a no-hitter, needing just one more out to put his name in the history books. The next, orange Baltimore Orioles jerseys were sprinting around the bases; a night destined for a storybook ending, instead going so wrong, so fast.
“It’s hard to recount a game like this, where you feel like there’s so many things where you can get a little bit of momentum, build off a great outing by Yoshinobu, and take that into tomorrow,” manager Dave Roberts said.
“And then, obviously, it completely flipped.”
Indeed, entering the ninth inning at Camden Yards on Saturday night, the outcome of the game never appeared to be in doubt.
The Dodgers were leading by three runs. The last-place Orioles had hardly threatened all evening. And the only real question was whether Yamamoto would complete the 24th no-hitter in the franchise’s illustrious history.
Read more:Despite emergency help from Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers lose again: 'Truly have no answers'
He couldn’t, giving up a wall-scrapping home run to Jackson Holliday.
Still, the somber mood around the team — which had lost four straight games, six out of seven and was nine games under .500 going back to July 4 — had finally seemed like it was starting to lift.
At that point, all the Dodgers needed was simple.
“One flippin’ out,” as reliever Blake Treinen bluntly put it.
The out, however, would never come. The victory, somehow, wouldn’t be sealed. In one of the most stunning finishes you could ever script, the Dodgers collapsed in a sequence almost impossible to comprehend.
They didn’t just lose 4-3 to the Orioles.
They sent their already spiraling season to a new, and even more painful, nadir.
"Obviously it's really hard to swallow,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter, after striking out 10 batters, walking only two and giving up just the one, fateful hit. “But the only thing we can do is, we've got to get together, put things together, and overcome it."
Added Roberts: “It’s certainly a wasted opportunity [and] performance, from what Yoshinobu did.”
The implosion started with a pitching change, as Roberts went to remove Yamamoto after a dazzling and dominant 8⅔ innings.
The right-hander had been in cruise control, with his fastball playing up and his command (outside of two third-inning walks that were erased by a double play) spot on. Even the home run to Holliday came on a decent pitch, an inside cutter that the former top prospect lifted just deep enough over a short wall in right center — where Andy Pages curiously pulled up instead of attempting to rob it.
“I just felt he deserved the chance to get a no-hitter,” Roberts said. “I felt that the guys were feeling it for him, were pulling for him. And I wanted it bad for him.”
But, with both the no-no and shutout dashed, and Yamamoto’s pitch count up to 112, Roberts wanted to extend him no further. Thus, as Yamamoto left to a chorus of cheers, Treinen came trotting out of the bullpen.
“I felt that we pushed him far enough,” Roberts added. “We gotta be able to get one out.”
Treinen came close to getting it against his first batter, pumping two quick strikes past rookie outfielder Jeremiah Jackson. But then Jackson battled back, working the count full. And when Treinen left a sinker over the plate, Jackson belted it to left for a double.
One on. No panic. Still one out to get.
Two batters later, the alarm bells started ringing. With two strikes against Gunnar Henderson, Treinen yanked a sweeper that hit him. Then, in the next at-bat, a wild pitch advanced the two tying runners into scoring position.
Two on. Concern level rising. But still one out to get.
“He’s got swing-and-miss stuff, but it was hard to find the zone,” said catcher Ben Rortvedt, a journeyman deadline acquisition who had only been called up from the minor leagues on Thursday, and was only behind the plate because of injuries to Will Smith and Dalton Rushing.
“It’s hard to come in in those spots. I’m sure the bullpen was probably tuned in on every pitch and was pushing for him to go the full way.”
However, Treinen countered, “that’s not an excuse for how I performed.”
After the wild pitch, Treinen walked Ryan Mountcastle to load the bases. A mound visit at that point failed to settle him down, with another walk to Colton Cowser forcing in one run and prompting Roberts to finally make another move to the bullpen.
“Blake Treinen has been in some of the toughest spots that any relief pitcher can imagine,” Roberts said, in explaining why he gave the right-hander as much leash as he did. “I have hard time believing that any spot or moment is too big for him.”
The same did not apply to the Dodgers’ new pitcher, embattled closer Tanner Scott. The previous night, he’d given up a walk-off homer to clinch what felt like another low point of the season. Now, he faced Orioles third baseman Emmanuel Rivera with the crowd going wild.
Bases loaded. Lead down to 3-2. But, still, just one out to get.
Scott missed low with a first-pitch fastball. He evened the count with another heater down the middle. The 1-and-1 offering was well-placed, a 97.4 mph four-seamer well below the bottom of the zone. But Rivera got his bat to it, sending a line drive into center for a two-run, walk-off single.
“Put somebody else in a position that they shouldn’t be in,” Treinen said. “I have to get one flippin’ out, and I didn’t do it.”
Indeed, it was all supposed to go so different.
Before the game, Roberts had gathered his scuffling clubhouse and implored them to loosen up and not try to be perfect. He saw so many of signs of it in the first eight innings, from not only Yamamoto but a lineup that produced 10 hits and manufactured runs in three different innings.
It was the first time on this trip the Dodgers (78-64) — who now lead the National League West by just one game over the San Diego Padres, after they ended a five-game losing streak with a win on Saturday in Colorado — had held a lead at any point of a contest.
It was the first time in weeks they seemed to play with energy, life and some sustainable confidence.
One more out, and it could’ve been a turning point in the season.
“There’s really no words,” Treinen said. “You’re paid to be a professional and at least throw strikes, and I didn’t do that. Cost one of the better outings I’ve ever seen in my career with Yama. He deserves better than that. Offense deserves better than that. Just really sucks to be on that end of it. ... That’s a pretty low point for me."
And, of course, for the team, as well; the game ending so shockingly, so disastrously, Roberts couldn’t even describe his sinking club as snake-bitten, just continuing to squander opportunities to win games they should.
“When you walk two guys and you can’t put guys away, it’s hard to say you’re snake bit,” Roberts said. “You make your own breaks. And [Treinen] wasn’t good tonight. Very uncharacteristic, but it happened.
“We gotta be able to get one out. We just got to do it.”
Read more:Davey Johnson, former Dodgers manager who also guided Mets to title, dies at 82
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Former Flyers Forward Among Free Agents Left
There are still a handful of notable unrestricted free agents (UFAs) looking to find their new homes at this point of the off-season, and one of them is former Philadelphia Flyers forward Cam Atkinson.
Atkinson signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning this past off-season after the Flyers bought him out. The 36-year-old forward followed that up by having a tough season with the Bolts in 2024-25, where he had four goals, nine points, and a minus-4 rating. He was also placed on waivers back in March by the Lightning.
Although Atkinson had a tough year, the possibility of him landing a professional tryout (PTO) before NHL training camps start is there. Given his strong resume, he could be a good low-risk player for an NHL club to bring in.
With training camps being so close to starting an NHL teams starting to sign players to PTOs more frequently, Atkinson will be an interesting player to keep an eye on over the next few weeks. Time will tell if he does at least land a PTO from here.
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Mets' Jonah Tong bit by rare homers bug in first MLB test from Reds: 'They're good hitters'
Jonah Tong never endured any trouble with the long ball during his rapid rise through the minor leagues. Before the Mets promoted the budding right-hander early last week, he'd allowed just a pair of home runs across 113.2 innings between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
The trend of Tong keeping balls from flying over the outfield walls continued in his first big league start just seven days ago, but that groove didn't survive his second outing. He was susceptible to the homer on Saturday night, as he allowed a season-high three in the Mets' 6-3 road loss to the Reds.
While the three mistake pitches inflicted enough damage, Tong looked unfazed. He completed six innings for the first time in the majors, striking out six (96 total pitches) with heavy use of his fastball. But he also walked four -- that mark was zero in his Aug. 29 debut against the Marlins.
"There were some situations where I didn't execute," Tong said after the game. "I didn't really have my off-speed or the aim and sort of found it late, but I tried to compete the best I could. They're good hitters, they're going to be able to hit pitches...
"I've been in these situations before. I've had outings like this. It's another day... I just need to do a better job of mixing off-speed for strikes and being unpredictable... I think it's just execution on my end."
The first of three homers allowed by Tong occurred in the second inning, and unfortuantely with two outs. Ahead in the count 0-1 with a runner on first, he threw an upper-middle fastball to Reds rookie Sal Stewart that was smacked to dead center for a two-run blast.
Tong then served up a pair of leadoff homers -- one to Matt McLain in the third and one to Austin Hays in the fourth -- that provided the Reds with a little more breathing room. Overall, the 22-year-old showed composure and gave up only three hits. They just happened to be the worst kind.
In his scoreless nine-pitch first inning, Tong attacked with his upper-90s four-seamer, throwing it eight times as a clear message. But it didn't take long for the Reds to prove they could sit back on the heat and make solid contact. All three homers came on the fastball.
"I think there's a lot of positives from this outing," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Tong. "He had a hard time landing the fastball and changeup early on, but settled in nicely. The curveball was better as the game went on. And for him to give us six innings, there's a lot of positive.
"He made some adjustments with the pitch mix, but they did a good job and got him with the fastball at the top of the zone, which makes him who he is... They had a good approach... He gets away with those pitches at the minor league level."
Call it a valuable learning moment for the highly-touted rookie, whose brief time logged with the Mets already matches his entire Triple-A experience -- a whopping two starts. Tong is lined up to make his third MLB appearance next Friday, in a home meeting with the Rangers.
And if the game wasn't already circled on fans' calendars, the opposing pitcher will likely be veteran Jacob deGrom, slated to make his first start at Citi Field since Sept. 2022.
Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bratt was ejected for spitting on USF opponent
In big-time football, it's suddenly the late-summer of spitting.
Kewan Lacy runs for 138 yards and a TD in No. 20 Mississippi’s 30-23 win over Kentucky
Both teams' opening SEC game was a hard-fought one, but Ole Miss avenged last year's loss at home to Kentucky with a strong ground showing in Lexington to move to 2-0 on the season.