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Plaschke: Who says the Dodgers can't go 162-0? Dramatic win over Braves extends a perfect start

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates as he approaches home plate after hitting a walk-off home run.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates as he approaches home plate after hitting a walk-off home run against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

162-0?

Why not?

Shohei Ohtani is rounding the bases with his right fist in the air and Dodger Stadium is shaking with its roar filling the sky and anything is possible.

162-0?

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani points and celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a walk off home run.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani points and celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a walk off home run against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

It could never happen. But after Wednesday night, are you willing to say it can’t happen?

The Dodgers were seemingly destroying their season-opening, seven-game win streak with their worst game in several seasons, stumbling to a 5-0 deficit against the Atlanta Braves and apparently ready to pack it in until …

Until Tommy Edman homered in the second inning.

Until Michael Conforto homered in the fourth.

Until Max Muncy clawed back from two errors to blast a game-tying two-run double in the eighth.

Until Ohtani celebrated his bobblehead night with a walk-off home run in the ninth.

Anything is possible? Everything is possible.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani hits walk-off homer on his bobblehead night to keep Dodgers undefeated

In less than three hours, the Dodgers went from nightmare to history, from tainted to unblemished, from questionable to undeniable, all part of a thrill ride that symbolized the unbelievable start by baseball’s greatest team

162-Oh my Lord.

The Dodgers dramatically showed that the heady beginning of their 2025 season is about more than muscle, there’s also magic. It’s the only explanation for what happened in a 6-5 victory over the Braves that pushed their record to 8-0, the best unbeaten start by a defending champion in baseball history.

They will eventually lose … right? These breaks will surely turn against them one day … yes?

Maybe. Who knows? For now, they look flat-out unbeatable.

“I think each night we’re unbeatable, and we’ll see how that works out,” said manager Dave Roberts afterward with an amazed smile.

Dodgers third base Max Muncy hits a two-run double in the eighth inning to tie the Atlanta Braves 5-5 Wednesday night.
Dodgers third base Max Muncy hits a two-run double in the eighth inning to tie the Atlanta Braves 5-5 Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Working out pretty good so far. It’s not just that the Dodgers are winning games. As Wednesday showed, it’s how they’re winning games, this time triumphing despite three errors and two base-running blunders and one misplayed fly balls.

“Tonight I was a little dumbfounded,” said Roberts. “I was dumbfounded with the way we were playing. I didn’t recognize that club in the first couple innings. And then just dumbfounded we found a way to win that game. We had no business winning that game. But to our guys’ credit, we just kept fighting.”

Presumptive ace Blake Snell is shaky for a second consecutive start, allowing five unearned runs fueled by four walks, and what happens? He is rescued by a scoreless five innings pieced together by relievers named Ben Casparius, Kirby Yates and Jack Dreyer.

Will somebody please explain just who is Jack Dreyer?

Read more:Plaschke: If Dodgers want to be a dynasty, they must win the World Series again

“Tonight, obviously, was the worst game we’ve played,” said Roberts. “But the ‘pen has been fantastic.”

Then there was Muncy, after two throwing errors and three lousy plate appearances in a season full of them, ditching his new torpedo bat for his old faithful and tying the game with one of his trademark big swings in the eighth.

“It’s been fun … it feels like this clubhouse is carrying a little bit of the attitude we had last year that we’re never out of a game and we’re resilient, and we’ve been carrying it into this season,” Muncy said, later adding, “The guys don’t give up. Bad things have happened, and no one’s really been down or out on themselves. Everyone’s just all right, here we go, next inning, let’s get after it.”

Don’t forget Michael Conforto, running into an out and killing a rally, but still having the composure to set up Muncy’s big hit with a leadoff single in the eighth.

"Every game, every at-bat matters, every play … the focus doesn't waiver, the compete,” said Roberts.

Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández congratulates teammate Michael Conforto after he hit a fourth inning home run.
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández congratulates teammate Michael Conforto after he hit a fourth inning home run against the Braves Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Finally, of course, there is Ohtani, and there’s only one way to describe a guy who rewarded those fans who lined up five hours before the game for his bobblehead doll with a real live neck- turner.

“Shohei being Shohei at the end,” Roberts said for the umpteenth time.

So when are they going to lose? You tell me, when are they going to lose?

An obvious spot would be in two games, on Saturday in Philadelphia, when Phillies’ veteran Aaron Nola stares down struggling kid Roki Sasaki. But Nola was hammered by the Washington Nationals in his first game this year and the Dodgers offense has already saved Sasaki once.

After the Phillies’ weekend series the Dodgers play three games against the wretched Nationals and three against the Chicago Cubs, who they’ve already beaten twice in two attempts.

After the Cubs series, they play 20 games against the sorry likes of Colorado, Texas, the Cubs again, Pittsburgh, Miami, Atlanta and Miami again.

That brings them to a four-game series in Arizona in early May. OK, with the intense history between the two, the Dodgers could lose there.

At that point, they would be 36-0, and would that really shock you?

This is all hyperbole, of course. Two days from now they could already be 8-1 and nobody would blink.

But the point is, they’re good enough to warrant such fantasies. Think about it. They’ve beaten two Cy Young award winners. They’ve won amid the distraction of two opening days. They’ve won with ailing Mookie Betts and injured Freddie Freeman having played together in just two of the eight games. They’ve won with shutout starting pitching. They’ve won with anonymous relievers.

And now they’ve pulled off a big-time comeback win on a night they mostly looked like Little Leaguers.

“We knew going in we were talented. ... I actually like it in the sense that no one’s too high right now,” said Roberts "The pitching has been very good, the defense has been solid but up and down our lineup there’s only a couple guys who are really swinging the bats the way we’re capable, ... outside of that …guys are really thinking about how they could get better right now ... which is a pretty scary thought for the rest of the league."

Scary enough that before the game, I actually asked Roberts if they feel unbeatable.

“I guess if you say that if every single night we take the field do I feel like we’re going to win?” he said. “Yeah.”

He added, “I know that the math says that we’re not going to go 162-0, but each night we take the field I feel like we’re going to win, so, whatever that means.”

Right now, it means he’s been right eight times in eight games, a perfect record, a perfect start, only the beginning.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Bub Carrington, Tristan Vukcevic shine for Wizards

While some other lottery-bound teams have not been transparent about how they'll handle their rosters the rest of the season, there have been few secrets in the nation's capital. It's been established that the team's younger players will get all the minutes they can handle, give or take a few if some of the Wizards' vets are available. But fantasy managers know they'll see the youngster playing rotation minutes. As a result, some players have begun to provide tangible fantasy value during the stretch run.

Washington's win over Sacramento was spearheaded by some of the team's younger options, including PG/SG Bub Carrington (14%), C Tristan Vukcevic (9%) and SG AJ Johnson (2%). Carrington and Johnson scored 19 points apiece and provided solid overall stat lines, while Vukcevic chipped in with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one block and two three-pointers off the bench.

Carrington, who has been close to a top-75 player over the past week, supplemented his 19 points with two rebounds, seven assists and five three-pointers, with the five triples matching his season-high. Johnson added two rebounds, six asists, one steal and two three-pointers to his 19 points before fouling out. Carrington has been the most valuable of the three, and one can also throw Justin Champagnie (13 percent rostered, Yahoo!) into the mix. But all will continue to have their chances to produce, and the Wizards play games on Thursday and Sunday to end Week 22.

Let's look at a few other low-rostered standouts from Wednesday's slate:

SF/PF Tari Eason (47%), Houston Rockets

The Rockets played Wednesday's game against the Jazz without Fred VanVleet, who sat out due to soreness in the same ankle he injured earlier this season. That opened up a spot in the lineup for Eason, who finished the blowout win over Utah with a solid line of 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in 24 minutes. Also of note was Dillon Brooks picking up his 16th technical foul of the season, which triggers an automatic one-game suspension. Even if VanVleet can play in Friday's game against the Thunder, Eason may stay in the starting lineup due to Brooks' suspension.

PG/SG Isaiah Collier (26%), Utah Jazz

Sure, the Jazz were beaten by a 143-105 final score. But that should not take away from Collier's stat line, which was one of the best of his rookie campaign. The first-round pick shot 7-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from the foul line, scoring 22 points with five rebounds, 10 assists, one block, two three-pointers and zero turnovers. The ride hasn't always been smooth, but Collier has done enough to hold onto the starting point guard role since late-January, while 2023 first-round pick Keyonte George continues to come off the bench.

PG Jose Alvarado (18%), New Orleans Pelicans

Alvarado's fantasy value over the past two weeks hasn't been much to write home about, as he's been a 12th-round player in eight-cat formats. However, with CJ McCollum done for the season, there's reason to roll the dice on "Grand Theft Alvarado." And he rewarded deep-league managers on Wednesday, finishing the Pelicans' loss to the Clippers with 17 points, two rebounds, 10 assists and one steal in 27 minutes. A 0-of-5 night from three isn't good, but Alvarado was 7-of-11 from two.

PG/SG Davion Mitchell (15%) and SG Pelle Larsson (9%), Miami Heat

Mitchell gave the Heat good minutes off the bench in their 21-point win over Boston, tallying 13 points, four rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three three-pointers in 34 minutes. He has been a top 100 player over the past two weeks. As for Larsson, he made his third consecutive start, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers in 30 minutes. The second-round pick out of Arizona has scored in double figures in three straight games and should have added value as long as Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson remain out.

SG/SF Tim Hardaway Jr. (8%), Detroit Pistons

Before Sunday's loss to the Timberwolves, Hardaway had not scored 20 points or more in consecutive games this season. He's now met or exceeded that number in three straight, most recently finishing Wednesday's loss to the Thunder with 23 points, three rebounds, three assists and five three-pointers. Hardaway's lackluster defensive stats make him a tough sell in most fantasy leagues. Still, his ceiling has been raised due to the continued absence of Cade Cunningham, and Tobias Harris exiting Wednesday's game with a case of Achilles tendinopathy.

C DeAndre Jordan (2%), Denver Nuggets

None of the Nuggets' usual starters were available for Wednesday's game, resulting in multiple players not usually in the rotation logging significant minutes. Jordan was one of those replacements, and he finished the loss to the Spurs with 10 points, 17 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot in 36 minutes. Streaming him paid dividends for the few who took the plunge, especially if they needed rebounding production. Also, Jalen Pickett (zero percent) recorded his first triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and three three-pointers. Neither Pickett nor Jordan is worth holding onto, as the Nuggets should be much closer to full strength when they visit the Warriors on Saturday.

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Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Pirates option David Bednar; Rangers going with Luke Jackson

David Bednar

David Bednar

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

In this week's closer report, the Pirates made a surprising move, sending David Bednar to the minors amid his struggles on the mound. Mason Miller's strikeouts propel him to the top spot in the rankings. And the Rangers go with Luke Jackson in the ninth-inning role. All that and more as we look at the closer landscape after the first week of baseball.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings

Tier 1: At the Top

Mason Miller - Athletics
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Devin Williams - New York Yankees
Josh Hader - Houston Astros

Miller takes over the top spot with an electric first showing as he struck out the side in his one appearance for his first save against the Mariners. He then got some work in on Wednesday with the Athletics down against the Cubs, striking out two more in a scoreless inning. The 26-year-old right-hander has the best all-around skillset at the closer position. It's only a matter of how many save chances the Athletics can get him.

Clase did nothing to alleviate any concerns following his postseason performance. He gave up a run on three hits to blow a save his first time out. He bounced back his next time out with a scoreless frame, striking out one batter in a non-save situation. Despite the blown save, it's too early to warrant any legitimate concern.

Williams was also shaky in his first outing, giving up a run on two hits and a walk before holding on for his first save with the Yankees. He's absent from the team for a couple days while on the paternity list. Luke Weaver remains next in line to step in for saves.

Hader followed the trend of turbulent first outings as he surrendered a run before holding on for the save on Opening Day against the Mets. He followed up with his second save in a scoreless appearance against the Mets two days later.

Tier 2: The Elite

Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals
Edwin Díaz - New York Mets
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves

Helsley has been impressive over his first few outings. The 30-year-old right-hander has six strikeouts with two hits and no walks allowed over three scoreless innings with one save so far for the Cardinals. In New York, Díaz struck out one batter in a clean outing for his first save against the Astros, then pitched a scoreless eighth in a tie game against the Marlins. Meanwhile, Muñoz has locked down three saves with five strikeouts over three scoreless frames.

Iglesias is still searching for his first save as the Braves have yet to win a game. He fired a scoreless inning with one strikeout in a non-save situation his first time out, then entered in the eighth against the Dodgers on Wednesday with a two-run lead and blew the save on a two-run double by Max Muncy. Iglesias returned in the bottom of the ninth and surrendered the walk-off homer by Shohei Ohtani.

Tier 3: The Solid Options

Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays
Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants
Jhoan Duran - Minnesota Twins
Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers
Félix Bautista - Baltimore Orioles

Hoffman looks sharp in the early going after some off-season concerns. The 32-year-old right-hander has been busy, recording three saves with one run allowed and five strikeouts to no walks over four innings of work.

Suarez has been lights out to start the season. He converted his third save with a clean outing against the Guardians on Wednesday. The 34-year-old right-hander has not allowed a hit, walking one batter and striking out four through three innings.

Walker picked up an Opening Day save against the Reds. The 29-year-old right-hander was then held out for the following two days as he was dealing with some back tightness. Camilo Doval stepped in for a clean save in his absence. Walker returned to lock down his second save, striking out two batters against the Astros. With Walker unavailable Wednesday after pitching in back-to-back games, Doval filled in once again for his second save.

Duran had a rough go his first time out, recording one out and giving up one run on two walks and a hit. He bounced back with a scoreless outing against the White Sox in a non-save situation. The 27-year-old right-hander is still searching for his first save chance.

After Scott saw one of the two save chances during the Tokyo Series, it was Blake Treinen who got the first save on the traditional Opening Day. Scott did get the following two save chances, blowing a save against the Tigers before bouncing back with his second save in a clean outing against the Braves. Even if Treinen and Kirby Yates mix in for the occasional save chance, Scott figures to continue getting regular opportunities on a Dodgers team poised to win many games.

Bautista is still finding his footing early on in his return from Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two over two innings of work. His fastball remains down about two miles per hour from where he was in 2023. With the team likely to take it easy on Bautista to start the season, Seranthony Dominguez could be next in line based on the bullpen usage through the first week.

Tier 4: Only Here for the Saves

Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
Justin Martinez/A.J. Puk - Arizona Diamondbacks
Jordan Romano/Jose Alvarado - Philadelphia Phillies
Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
Ryan Pressly - Chicago Cubs
Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals
Luke Jackson - Texas Rangers

Fairbanks has gotten his season off to a good start, firing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts while recording one save and a win. The 31-year-old right-hander is looking to bounce back after a down season. Avoiding the injured list will be the biggest factor for Fairbanks.

Megill hasn't seen a save chance yet for the Brewers but has been sharp on the mound in the early going. He's tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames, striking out five batters with one hit and no walks allowed.

Jansen has gotten the job done for the Angels, picking up two saves with three scoreless innings. Fellow veteran closer Chapman has made one appearance, picking up a win against the Rangers on Opening Day as Justin Slaten recorded the save. Chapman was called on to close out the game against the Orioles on Wednesday. He worked around a walk, striking out one for the save. The 37-year-old left-hander should be in line for most save chances, though he'll be used earlier in the game should the situation call for the hard-throwing left-hander.

The Diamondbacks appear to be going with a matchup-based committee approach to close out games. Martinez pitched the ninth inning down by one on Opening Day. He then pitched the eighth in high-leverage spots in his following two outings. He's struck out five with no walks allowed over 2 2/3 frames. Meanwhile, Puk recorded the team's first save, giving up a solo homer against the Yankees on Tuesday. He then entered with two runners on and one out with a four-run lead on Wednesday and surrendered a three-run homer before locking down a second save.

Romano blew his first save chance with the Phillies, giving up two runs to the Nationals on Opening Day. He bounced back with two strikeouts in a scoreless frame against the Rockies. Alvarado has looked like the best reliever in the bullpen, striking out five over two scoreless innings. He could find himself in line for occasional saves as things stand, with upside for more if Romano struggles or fails to stay healthy.

Finnegan loaded the bases but kept the Phillies off the board in a tie game on Opening Day. He then got the Nationals out of a jam on Sunday, entering with no outs and the bases loaded with a four-run lead. A groundout, strikeout, and lineout ended the game with Finnegan's first save.

Pressly has already worked four appearances, converting a pair of saves for the Cubs. He's yet to have a clean outing and has struck out just one batter to four walks and seven hits allowed. It'll be hard for him to sustain any success allowing that many base runners without missing more bats.

Estévez got the first save chance for the Royals, striking out one in a clean inning against the Guardians. With Lucas Erceg pitching the eighth inning against the Brewers on Wednesday, Estévez took the mound with a one-run lead in the tenth and allowed the game-tying run before sending the game to the 11th. The 32-year-old right-hander figures to see most save chances, with Erceg working the occasional opportunity pitching the highest-leverage situations.

Jackson surrendered three runs and took the loss on Opening Day against the Red Sox. He bounced back with a save the following day. After Jackson pitched on back-to-back days, Chris Martin recorded a save before Jackson locked down two more. The 33-year-old right-hander appears to be set as the Rangers' primary closer as long as he can be effective in the role.

Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel

Dennis Santana - Pittsburgh Pirates
Seth Halvorsen - Colorado Rockies
Beau Brieske/Tommy Kahnle/Tyler Holton - Detroit Tigers
Scott Barlow/Tony Santillan - Cincinnati Reds
Anthony Bender/Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins
Mike Clevinger/Fraser Ellard/Jordan Leasure - Chicago White Sox

After surrendering runs in each of his three outings, David Bednar was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. There's no telling how long Bednar will remain in the minors and he can be dropped in all seasonal formats. Santana got the team's first save chance without Bednar and worked around a walk to secure the save. He's worth a pickup in all 12-team leagues and deeper where saves are needed. The 28-year-old right-hander is coming off his best season, posting a 3.89 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts over 71 2/3 innings. While he doesn't have the velocity and bat-missing ability in prototypical closers, Santana did well at limiting walks and hard contact last season and is likely the reliever best suited to close on the Pirates roster.

After an impressive small sample with the Rockies last season, Halvorsen could be zeroing in on the team's closer role. The 25-year-old right-hander locked down a clean four-out save against the Rays on Saturday. Meanwhile, both Victor Vodnik and Tyler Kinley have recorded a blown save.

Brieske got the first save chance for the Tigers against the Dodgers on Friday and failed to secure the win, giving up four runs and recording one out before taking the loss. Kahnle saw the next ninth-inning save chance and tossed a scoreless frame against the Mariners on Tuesday. The team appears set to continue using a closer-by-committee approach.

The Reds' closer situation hasn't provided too much clarity. Ian Gibaut saw the first save chance on Opening Day and surrendered the lead to the Giants. Pagán recorded the team's first save on Saturday, then pitched the ninth down by one run against the Rangers on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Santillan should remain in the mix but is likely to be deployed as the team's highest-leverage reliever.

With Jesus Tinoco on the injured list, Bender has been elevated in the bullpen hierarchy. He recorded the team's first save on Tuesday against the Mets. Faucher pitched the eighth inning with a three-run lead on Wednesday and gave up a game-tying home run to Pete Alonso.

The White Sox have yet to see a save chance, but early usage suggests Clevinger is set to see save chances. However, chasing save chances on this team could be a hopeless effort.

Relievers On The Rise/Stash Candidates

Porter Hodge was expected to enter the season as the Cubs' closer after converting nine saves to end the 2024 season. Ryan Pressly has taken that role after coming over in a trade with the Astros. While Pressly has locked down the first two saves, he's just getting by with one strikeout, four walks, and three runs allowed over four innings. Meanwhile, Hodge has tossed four scoreless frames with five strikeouts. If this trend continues, Pressly won't be long for the ninth inning.

Last week, Jason Adam was mentioned in this section as a next-in-line closer stash. This time, we take a look at another dominant reliever in San Diego. Jeremiah Estrada is developing into one of baseball's best setup men with no doubt he has a future closing games. The 26-year-old right-hander has tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts while giving up one walk and one hit. He makes for an excellent pickup in leagues that count holds.

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Watch Anthony Davis hit game-winner for Mavericks on night he drops 34 and 15 on Hawks

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Dallas Mavericks

Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts in front of Atlanta Hawks guard Terance Mann (14) during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

"We go as he goes. He's obviously our best player," Dallas' Klay Thompson said of Anthony Davis, via the AP.

Wednesday, that best player had his best game since joining the Mavericks — including hitting the game-winner against the Hawks.

"A shot that I've been shooting for a long time," Davis said of the game-winner. "It's a shot I'm very confident in."

The Mavericks are now 4-1 in the games Davis has played. Davis has started to look more comfortable in each of those games, and on Wednesday Davis dropped 34 points on Atlanta, the most Davis has scored as a Maverick.

With the win, the Mavericks move 1.5 games ahead of the slumping Kings for the No. 9 seed in the West (meaning Dallas would host the first-round play-in game). Dallas is 2.5 games up on No. 11 seed Phoenix, which is facing its own challenges with Kevin Durant out.

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Panthers center Sam Bennett reaches new career high in points

Apr 2, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett (9) skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

One of the top forwards on the Florida Panthers has hit a significant career milestone.

Center Sam Bennett has reached a new career high in points.

Bennett picked up an assist on Gus Forsling’s goal on Wednesday night in Toronto.

The point was Bennett’s 50th of the season, surpassing the mark he set during his first full season with the Panthers back in 2021-22.

It was also Bennett’s 25th assist, which also set a new career high.

Not too shabby for the 28-year-old pending unrestricted free agent.

NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) on XNHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) on XFlorida goal! Scored by Gustav Forsling with 18:57 remaining in the 2nd period. Assisted by Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett. Toronto: 0 Florida: 1 #FLAvsTOR #LeafsForever #TimeToHunt

He's also set a new career mark this season with seven power play goals. 

It’s no secret that Bennett has played the best hockey of his professional career since being acquired by Florida at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline.

The former fourth overall pick has proven to be a crucial member of the Panthers, one that fits the style the team looks to play to a tee.

Bennett and the Panthers are having ongoing talks regarding a contract extension, so we’ll have to wait and see if the two sides can come to an agreement sometime before the offseason.

Stay tuned.

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Blackhawks Blow Multi-Goal Lead, Lose To Avalanche In Shootout

Image

The Chicago Blackhawks came into Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche 1-9-0 in their last 10 games. Since the trade deadline, they have been much more worried about developing young players than winning hockey games. 

Most of their roster is 25 years old or younger. They have been playing an exciting brand of hockey lately that revolves around speed and skill, but it hasn't led to winning. That is expected in the early stages of these guys playing together. 

Chicago had a two-goal lead over the Avalanche thanks to goals scored by Ilya Mikheyev and Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks held that lead through the second period. At that point, they had their sights on winning the season series over this elite Avalanche team. 

Cale Makar planted the seed of doubt by scoring his 29th of the season at 9:17 of the third period. No defenseman in the NHL has scored 30 goals since Mike Green did it in 2008-09 with the Washington Capitals, so Makar is closing in on history. 

 It wasn't until 19:49 of the final frame that the Avalanche tied things up. Martin Necas deflected a shot taken by Cale Makar past Spencer Knight. Brock Nelson also tipped it along the way. There was nothing Knight could do other than watch the Avalanche celebrate with 11 seconds left in regulation. 

Despite some great chances at both ends of the ice, overtime didn't do anything for either team as a shootout was required. In the first round, neither Ryan Donato nor Brock Nelson scored. In the second round, Nathan MacKinnon scored but Connor Bedard did not. 

Both Teuvo Teravainen and Arturri Lehkonen scored in the third round, which gave the Avalanche the comeback victory over the Blackhawks. Chicago played hard, but they were unable to close it out despite being 11 seconds away from a series win. Instead, they will settle for 2-1-1 against Colorado in 2024-25.

Spencer Knight played very well for the Blackhawks as he made 29 saves on 31 shots. It took a double deflection for Colorado to get it tied late. After some up-and-down games since being acquired by Chicago, Knight was brilliant in this one. 

Mikheyev's goal was scored shorthanded for Chicago, but they went a lousy 0/3 on the power play. None of their attempts looked particularly good either. Luckily, Colorado's lethal man-advantage went 0/4, or this game could have been ugly. 

The speed at which this Blackhawks team plays keeps them in games against good teams, but it is going to take some time for the group to gel enough to win consistently at this level.  

Next up for the Hawks is a road tilt in the DC against the Washington Capitals. That game against Alexander Ovechkin's team will surely have tons of eyeballs on it as he is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal mark.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Kawhi Leonard leads Clippers to a dominant win over the Pelicans amid playoff push

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard drives past Pelicans forward Keion Brooks Jr. Wednesday at the Intuit Dome.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard drives past Pelicans forward Keion Brooks Jr. during a win Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome. (William Liang / Associated Press)

The teams the Clippers are chasing for a top-six spot in the Western Conference standings keep winning and that means the Clippers have to continue their pursuit of wins until the final seedings are decided.

His team understands “what’s at stake” and “what’s at risk,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, and that has kept his group on high alert as it seeks to avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament by earning a top-six seed.

As it stands, even after the Clippersdefeated the depleted New Orleans Pelicans 114-98 on Wednesday night at the Inuit Dome, the Clippers remain a play-in team.

The Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies all have identical 44-32 records, all of them a half-game behind the fifth-seeded Golden State Warriors. If the season ended today, the Timberwolves would get the No. 6 seed, the Clippers the No. 7 seed and the Grizzlies the No. 8 seed based on tiebreakers.

“Everyone is paying attention to the standings,” guard James Harden said. “But I think we control our own destiny, you know what I mean? So, we just want to be playing well, no matter who we’re playing against. Obviously, it’s going to work out how it’s going to work out. But for us it’s just playing well and controlling what we can control.”

With six regular-season games left, Lue said the Clippers want to play their best, hunt for a top-six position and stay healthy.

“Health is important,” Lue said. “But like you said, trying to get the top-six seed is very important as well, because you don’t want to go into the play-in game because in one or two games anything can happen. So that’s been our focus and our mindset and I give our guys credit. They’ve been doing a good job with that.”

The Clippers stayed in contention for a top-six seed because they had a balanced attack with six players scoring in double figures, led by strong performances from Kawhi Leonard and Harden.

Leonard was efficient, scoring 28 points, shooting 11 for 18 from the field and three for five from three-point range.

Read more:Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell lead Clippers to win over Magic

Harden had a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists. He was was seven for 14 from the field and had three blocks. After going one for five from three-point range, Harden has made 404 three-pointers as a Clipper, pushing him past Eric Gordon for sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list.

Ivica Zubac had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 16 points off the bench.

The Clippers won for the ninth time in 10 games but it wasn’t easy at times.

New Orleans just shut down Zion Williamson (bone bruise in his back) and CJ McCollum (bone bruise in his right foot), and other players missed the game too. But the Pelicans didn’t just roll over, forcing the Clippers to stay alert.

It took a three-pointer from Bogdanovic, an offensive rebound and put-back along with two free throws from Zubac, and a three pointer from Leonard for the Clippers to open a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter.

“I think we’re playing the right way,” said Zubac, whom the Clippers are promoting for defensive player of the year, including handing out T-shirts. “We’re building our team defensively. Just the level of how everyone is on a string, everyone is playing together, covering each other on defense. It’s been a higher level than it was earlier in the year. So, everyone has the right mindset. Everybody is focused on us getting wins.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Mets Notes: Luis Torrens makes 'unbelievable play' at plate, Hayden Senger's first start

When you watch highlights of the Mets' 6-5 win in extra innings on Wednesday, you'll likely see Pete Alonso's three-run home run to tie the game in the eighth or Huascar Brazoban's dominant outing to pick up his first career save, but one that may be overlooked came from behind the plate.

Luis Torrens has been tasked with leading the Mets' pitching staff and providing defense/offense in the absence of Francisco Alvarez and he did that and then some. And he didn't even start the game.

Coming in as a pinch-hitter for rookie Hayden Senger, Torrens' impact came from his defense in the eighth inning. After Alonso had tied the game, the Mets were in danger of falling behind again. Edwin Diaz allowed a leadoff single to Xavier Edwards who would steal second and advance to third base on a wild pitch. After a Kyle Stowers strikeout, Griffin Conine grounded to Brett Baty at second base. The young infielder, who is a third baseman by trade, was playing in and threw home but the toss was to Torrens' right side, away from home plate. It seemed like a layup for the speedy Edwards to slide in and recapture the lead for the Marlins, but the backstop caught Baty's throw and quickly swiped to his left and -- after a Mets challenge confirmed -- applied the tag in time.

Equally as impressive was two pitches later when Torrens caught Conine trying to steal second to end the frame, and set the Mets up for an eventual win.

"Unbelievable play there on a ball that he has to reach and right away has to apply the tag," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "One of the biggest plays of the game. The caught stealing with Diaz there throwing from his knee, pretty impressive too. Credit to him and credit to the bullpen. But that play in particular, not an easy one."

Hayden Senger's first start

With Alvarez out to start the season, Senger won the backup catcher job out of spring and he got his first real opportunity on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old made the most of his first start of his career, going 1-for-2 with a double at the plate, but the team was more impressed with how he handled starter Clay Holmes and the pitching staff.

"He did a really good job," Mendoza said. "On the same page with Clay, called a really good game, his ability to slow the game down when there was traffic early in the game and getting that double out of the way. Proud of him."

"He was great. Very calm and poised guy," Holmes said of Senger. "He’s a smart guy, there’s a lot of trust. I tossed to him a few times this spring. He’s got a fantastic arm. He seemed like himself, which is a hard thing to do as a catcher in his first start… he seems very calm, very present and there’s a lot of trust with him, the way he handles himself and prepares. It’s a lot of fun throwing to him."

Alvarez is not set to return until this month, at the earliest, but until then Senger should receive more opportunities.

Clay Holmes limiting damage

Holmes' second start with the Mets went about as well as his first, but it could have -- and probably should have -- gone longer.

Although the right-hander went just 4.2 innings, it was a 29-pitch third inning that doomed any chance of him going five-plus innings. Mendoza said he went into the game wanting to be "aggressive" with how long Holmes would go but a couple of defensive mishaps extended the inning. The first was a sacrifice fly to Juan Soto who dropped the ball on the transfer, eliminating any chance at a play at the plate. And then a chopper to Mark Vientos at third base who threw home and airmailed the ball, allowing the second run to score.

Mendoza thought Holmes was good, despite that inning, especially in limiting the damage. The former Yankees closer answered that error from Vientos by striking out the next two batters to end the inning.

"Thought it was another good step for sure," Holmes said of his performance. "The sinker felt better than last time, the command of it was pretty good. Never got the changeup going. Felt it got better as the game went on…Had some things that fell [in the third inning] but was proud of just keeping them there with just two runs giving the team a chance there.

"Never want to give up runs but sometimes you have to limit damage." 

Holmes finished allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out six across 4.2 innings. In his first start, he allowed two earned runs in 4.2 innings on five hits and four walks while striking out four.

Improvement from Holmes whose next scheduled start will likely come early next week.

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Mets' Huascar Brazobán 'impressive' locking down first career save

Wednesday was an up-and-down affair for the Mets in Miami, but it could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for RHP Huascar Brazobán.

After Pete Alonso's late home run tied the game at 4-4, the game went into extra innings where the Mets took a 6-4 lead in the 11th. Manager Carlos Mendoza went with LHP Danny Young to close out the game after the Mets skipper had already used Edwin Diaz and their other high-leverage relievers to keep the game close enough for the offense to tie the game.

However, while Mendoza's strategy worked he was left using Young, who is one of his weakest arms out of the pen. Entering Wednesday, Young had already allowed two runs on four hits and one walk in two innings of work, and those struggles continued.

The 30-year-old allowed a leadoff single to Xavier Edwards and then walked Kyle Stowers. Young did strike out Griffin Conine to get the first out, but Mendoza had seen enough and after the requisite three batters, the skipper called on Brazoban.

"It was his game," Mendoza said of Brazoban after the game before pointing out he had no more arms left in the bullpen after his right-hander.

Brazoban rewarded Mendoza with a dominant two outs. He got Jonah Bride to fly out to right and then struck out Otto Lopez on four pitches to complete the Mets' comeback.

"Feels good to be able to get the save but to also get it against a former team," Brazobán said through an interpreter after the game. "My goal was to save the game and that’s what we did."

Brazobán spent his first two-plus seasons with the Marlins before being traded to the Mets in July last year. Entering Wednesday, Brazobán made 118 big league appearances. He's had 14 save opportunities in that time, but never came away with the save until Wednesday, back where his career started.

"Huge, huge. Not only saving the bullpen the last two outings but with runners on came in threw strikes, got the fly ball and then the last out," Mendoza said of Brazobán's performance. "Pretty impressive for him coming out of the bullpen."

Wednesday was just another notch in what has been a great start for the right-hander. So far in 2025, Brazobán has only allowed two hits while walking one batter in 5.0 innings pitched. Oh, and he hasn't allowed a run while striking out five batters.

When asked why he's having so much success early on, the Dominican Republic native said it starts with his routine this offseason.

"From the preparation starting in the offseason back home," he explained. "Being able to do what I want, practice the way that I want, execute the way that I had. Continue to attack the hitters and that’s why we’ve had so much success this season."

Brazobán said that he remained engaged throughout the game so that when Lopez came up in the 11th he was prepared. He threw four straight sinkers ranging from 96-97 mph and ultimately froze him with a dot in the upper right corner to seal the win. 

"I’m the type of player, from the beginning of the game, I’m anticipating different situations. Just watching that hitter from the beginning of the game, he was trying to hit a lot of soft stuff so what I did was attack him with my best pitch, and just try to beat him with the sinker in that situation."

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'Great Move By Him': Matthew Knies Scores Maple Leafs' Game-Winner Against Panthers Showcasing NHL Growth This Season

Knies has seven more games to score four goals, bringing him to the 30-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career.

Apr 2, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (23) skates past Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) to score the winning goal against goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

When Matthew Knies saw Mitch Marner with the puck in the Toronto Maple Leafs' zone, he raised his stick, gesturing that he wanted the pass. Sure enough, Marner floated the puck through two Florida Panthers players to spring Knies for a breakaway.

The 22-year-old drove left, then right, before putting the puck off the post, off of Sergei Bobrovsky, and into the back of the net. Knies's 26th goal of the season put the Maple Leafs up 3-1 over the Panthers, who would get a second but not a third and fall to Toronto 3-2.

"I saw some space behind their D. I was screaming for it from Mitch, and he made an incredible pass," Knies said after Wednesday's win.

"It was honestly lucky it landed right on my stick. I was trying to kind of bat it out of the air but it perfectly landed on there, and I saw he was going for a poke check and I tried to go five-hole to be honest, but fortunately it went in."

Knies has now scored five game-winning goals this season, tying him with Bobby McMann for fourth spot on the Maple Leafs. The forward is also close to doubling his goal total from last season, which was 15.

He scored his 15th goal this year on Jan. 5 against the Philadelphia Flyers — game 40 of the season. However, Wednesday's goal showcased how much Knies' game has grown over this year.

The 6-foot-3, 227-pound forward used his strong hockey IQ to put himself in a good spot before utilizing his strength and footspeed to break away from 6-foot-6 defenseman Niko Mikkola.

"Just saw Kniesy breaking to the middle. I kind of just gave it a second or two to develop to try to really get behind that D man, and just tried to make a pass towards him that would go through the one stick and land on his," Marner said, describing his pass to Knies.

"And, luckily enough it worked out and a great move by him."

The goal was big in more ways than one. Of course, it was the game-winner, but the tally also positioned Toronto even further ahead. Ultimately, the Panthers couldn't claw their way back, and the Maple Leafs clinched a playoff spot with a win.

And Knies, who's played just 154 NHL games, was a massive part of it.

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Will Cuylle Wins Steven McDonald Award, Gabe Perreault Shines, And Rangers Make Ground In Playoff Race

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

It was a rollercoaster affair, but the New York Rangers defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-4 in overtime on Wednesday night. 

To start the night, Will Cuylle received the 2024-25 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, given annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, "goes above and beyond the call of duty."

The award ceremony provided a spark of energy at Madison Square Garden and was a special moment for Cuylle. 

“It’s a huge honor,” Cuylle said. “Such a long-standing tradition and to see the other names that have won the award, it’s pretty cool to be listed with some of those names… I’m proud of myself. I’m happy that the fans appreciate it. Happy they appreciate my hard work and something I can be proud of and share with my family.”

The Rangers started off the game well, possessing the puck and dominating in terms of shots. 

However, despite a strong 20 minutes and a goal from Braden Schneider, the Rangers still trailed 2-1 after the first period due to a couple of costly mistakes. 

New York continued pushing the pace in the second period, which translated with goals from K’Andre Miller, Chris Kreider, and Artemi Panarin. 

With the score tied 4-4 in the third period, the Rangers had some golden opportunities to run away with a victory as they had multiple power plays. 

The power play has been the Rangers’ Achilles Heel recently and that trend continued against the Wild. The Blueshirts went 0-4 on the man advantage and gave up a shorthanded goal even with all of the changes Peter Laviolette attempted to make with his first unit. 

“It’s moved around quite a bit,” Laviolette said of the power play. “It’s not like we are sitting stuck on one thing, we are moving things around. Trying different options that we work on in practice. We can look at it and look at the personnel that we have. 

“What we can do to make it effective inside the game like tonight, so there is no question that special teams can factor into a game. It’s been a real positive for us for a long time, but we are in a little bit of a funk right now with it and we’ll have to get out of it.”

The game ultimately went into overtime where Vincent Trocheck scored 24 seconds into the extra period to secure the Rangers a much-needed two points. 

Maybe the Rangers committed one too many turnovers and their play wasn’t always the prettiest, but aside from that, they were quick, explosive, and displayed a hard-fought effort that earned them a victory. 

“I liked the way we played,” Laviolette said. “I’d like to clean up a couple of things, but overall, we came out on the attack. We needed a win and guys found a way to do that. It was good to get a W in a game that went up and down, kind of went back and forth. Through the course of the 60 minutes, 61 minutes, I thought we pressured most of the night and pushed most of the night.”

The Rangers are now tied with the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 79 points, but they’ve played one more game than their Canadian rival. 

Tuesday night also marked Gabe Perreault’s NHL debut. The Rangers signed the 19-year-old forward to a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday and he’s already making an impact. 

Perreault recorded 13:38 minutes playing on a line with J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière while also serving a role on the second power-play unit. 

“It was super surreal,” Perreault said about his NHL debut. “Thankful for everyone who helped me get to this point. Obviously having some friends and family in the building was also unreal.”

Laviolette seemed to have a lot of trust in Perreault from the start of the game and he was impressed with the young forward. 

“I thought he was really good,” Laviolette said of Perreault. “You can see his game and the way he thinks the game out there. I thought he jumped in and looked good. I thought all four lines were really good. It was balanced, and we were able to roll them out there. 

“They all contributed. I thought he played a solid game, jumping into a big situation like that. I'm sure the next one and the one after that, they'll be a little bit more natural for him, as opposed to the first one. But I thought he played really well.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Saturday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils.

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Shohei Ohtani hits walk-off homer on his bobblehead night to keep Dodgers undefeated

Shohei Ohtani grins and is showered with water by teammates as he crosses home plate after hitting a walk off home run.
Shohei Ohtani is showered with water by teammates as he crosses home plate after hitting a walk-off home run Wednesday night against the Braves at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

On a night of imperfection in all facets of their game, the Dodgers found a way to remain perfect anyway.

Those early throwing errors by Max Muncy? Didn’t matter.

Andy Pages’ dropped ball in center? No sweat.

Blake Snell, the centerpiece of the team’s half-billion-dollar offseason spending spree, not having his best stuff? A worry for another time.

And the early five-run deficit they faced as a result of it all? Turns out, it wouldn’t last.

Instead, the Dodgers mounted a stirring comeback that pushed their season-opening record to 8-0. They accomplished the best start to a season by any defending champion in MLB history. They took a game in which they seemed destined to beat themselves, and found a way to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-5 anyway.

And, on a night fans lined up outside the Dodger Stadium gates hours early to receive his bobblehead, Shohei Ohtani walked it off with a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Read more:Hernández: Tokyo Series atmosphere shows Shohei Ohtani is more than 'a representative of Japan'

Getting there required a herculean effort, the Dodgers digging out of a big early hole that had been entirely of their own making.

The bullpen combined for five scoreless innings. Home runs from Tommy Edman and Michael Conforto trimmed the Atlanta lead. In the eighth, a two-run double from Max Muncy — who switched back to his old regular bat after beginning the night swinging the new torpedo model — finally got the Dodgers back level.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Ohtani came to the plate and did the kind of thing that has made him the biggest star in L.A., and all of baseball, launching a no-doubt, game-winning solo blast to straightaway center field that sent Chavez Ravine into a frenzy.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Former Wallabies star Jordan Petaia signs NFL deal with LA Chargers

  • Ex-rugby union player impresses Chargers at IPP trial in US
  • ‘A great career move for him,’ says Super Bowl winner Jordan Mailata

Former rugby union international Jordan Petaia is a step closer to realising a long-held dream of playing in the NFL after signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as a tight end.

Petaia, who earned 31 caps for the Wallabies, turned his back on union late last year after being handed a prized spot on the league’s international player pathway (IPP) programme.

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