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

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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.

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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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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Ovechkin scores his 892nd career goal. He needs 2 to tie Gretzky and 3 to break the NHL record

NHL: Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes

Apr 2, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) clebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

James Guillory-Imagn Images

RALEIGH, N.C. — Alex Ovechkin moved three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record after scoring the 892nd of his career in the Washington Capitals’ game at the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

Ovechkin beat Frederik Andersen on a 5-on-3 power-play with 34.5 seconds left in the second period. He now has 10 goals in 13 career games against Andersen, 53 overall in the 92 games he has faced Carolina and 32 in 46 games in Raleigh, which is the most of any visiting player.

Commissioner Gary Bettman, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Ovechkin's wife, Nastya, were in attendance for No. 892, sitting together in a suite.

The 39-year-old Russian has 39 goals this season and is one way from reaching 40 for a 14th time - also the most in league history - despite missing 16 games because of a broken left fibula.

The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have seven more games left this season. Ovechkin is on pace to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894, which long seemed unapproachable, before the playoffs begin.

Because it is only a regular-season record, Ovechkin’s pursuit would need to continue in October if he does not score two or more the rest of the way this month.

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Kristian Campbell agrees to $60 million, 8-year deal with Red Sox, less than a week after debut

BALTIMORE — Kristian Campbell agreed to a $60 million, eight-year contract with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, less than a week after his major league debut.

Campbell agreed to the deal with just six days of major league service time. Boston struck a big-money deal with a rookie for the second straight year following a $50 million, eight-year contract last April with outfielder/infielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who started 2024 with 35 days of service.

“I know we have a really good team and a really good system," Campbell said. “It's a winning culture, a winning organization. ... Winning people, in the city of Boston. That made the decision fairly easy.”

Campbell gets a $2 million signing bonus, half payable within 60 days of the contract’s approval by Major League Baseball and half next Jan. 15. He receives salaries of $1 million this year, $2 million in 2026, $3 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028, $6 million in 2029, $9 million in 2030, $13 million in 2031 and $16 million in 2032. The deal includes a $19 million team option for 2033 with a $4 million buyout and a $21 million team option for 2034 with no buyout.

Salaries for 2031-34 can escalate based on accomplishment in the immediately preceding season: $200,000 for making the All-Star team, $2 million for winning an MVP award, $1 million for finishing second or third in the voting, $500,000 for fourth or fifth, and $250,000 for sixth through 10th.

A 22-year-old infielder and outfielder, Campbell made his big league debut March 27 as Boston's youngest opening day starter at second since Reggie Smith. He entered Wednesday hitting .375 (6 for 16) with two doubles, one homer, two RBIs and four walks.

“They developed me from day one, as soon as I got drafted. They've been working with me every day,” Campbell said. “I've learned something new every day. They've helped me become the player I am today. So it means a lot to me that I'm with the Red Sox for a long time.”

Campbell's new deal supersedes a one-year contract paying the $760,000 minimum while in the major leagues.

“I've just got to worry about baseball now. Everything that's happened is life-changing for sure," he said. “I'm looking forward to just playing baseball now, winning games.”

Campbell's contract comes the same week the Red Sox agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract with ace left-hander Garrett Crochet, whom Boston acquired in an offseason trade from the Chicago White Sox.

“We're building something really good,” Campbell said. “We have a lot of great players. ... Going in the right direction for sure.”

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Pete Alonso's clutch power fueling Mets' lineup amid struggles: 'We don't give up'

If anyone in the Mets' lineup was grappling with early-season pressure to come up clutch at the plate against the division-rival Marlins this week, ample relief was provided by Pete Alonso.

The veteran slugger, who broke Monday's game wide open with a mammoth grand slam, played the role of hero again on Wednesday, delivering a game-tying home run in the eighth inning that helped propel New York to a thrilling 6-5 road win over Miami in 11 innings.

Perhaps the moment couldn't have belonged to anyone but Alonso. Before the eighth began and the dramatic nine-pitch at-bat developed, he'd produced two hits -- a pair of doubles -- that also made up half of the Mets' hit total. Alonso was simply dialed in, and the 415-foot three-run shot to dead center off Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher reaffirmed the impression.

"I'm just happy I was able to come through for the team right there. Today was obviously a really important game for us," Alonso said after the game. "I'm just looking to get a good pitch to hit over the middle of the plate. Thankfully for me, I was fighting off some really tough pitches there. He came at me with his best stuff. He located some good ones, especially early in the count. I was able to stay under control and let the ball show up where I wanted it to."

With two monster swings, Alonso ignited a spark that the Mets desperately needed. Entering the rubber game at loanDepot Park, they were hitting a collective .179 through five games, with a measly .125 (4-for-32) average with runners in scoring position. The hitting woes were still apparent on Wednesday -- defensive miscues also piled up -- but Alonso's bat bailed them out. He channeled the comeback energy that defined the Mets' exciting 2024 turnaround and postseason run.

"There's a lot of guys from last year that know how to do that. This is a talented bunch," Alonso said. "For us, we never think we're out of any game. That's one of the great characteristics about this club. That's just a testament to the character of every single one of these guys. We don't give up until the last out's made."

It won't be long until Alonso officially stamps himself as the Mets' king slugger -- he's now 15 homers of tying David Wright for the most long balls in franchise history.

In the meantime, Alonso is enjoying a strong start to a prove-it season with heightened expectations. He's slashing .286/.423/.667 with a team-high four extra-base hits and eight RBI in 21 at-bats.

"When he's doing that, getting the barrel and making contact, we know the power is real," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Alonso. "First at-bat today, smoked a ball in the gap. Then that homer in the eighth was pretty impressive. You see him take walks, laying off some tough pitches. When things are going his way, that's what we see."

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Reeling Panthers drop third straight game, falling 3-2 in Toronto

Apr 2, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34), Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) battle to get to a loose puck during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

It’s been a tough week for the Florida Panthers.

For the first time since late November, the Panthers have lost three straight games, capped off by Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The big news that came down before the game was that Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov would be out due to an upper-body injury.

During the first period, the Cats and Leafs combined to put 18 shots on Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz, but the former teammates stopped each and every one of them, keeping the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

It didn’t stay that way very long.

Deep in Toronto’s zone, Seth Jones carried the puck toward the blue line before starting a quick passing play that led to the game’s first goal.

The puck went from Jones to San Bennett to Sam Reinhart to Gus Forsling, who snapped a one-timer that beat Stolarz over the glove to give Florida a 1-0 lead.

Toronto tied the game about 10 minutes later after capitalizing on a broken rush play.

After getting into Florida’s end, William Nylander found the puck in the left circle and fired a shot toward the net that was deflected by John Tavares on the doorstep to knot the score at one.

A Mitch Marner one-timer gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with 9:10 to go in the third period on a sequence that saw Bobrovsky made several great saves moments before the goal was scored.

Marner then made an excellent pass to send Matthew Knies on a breakaway less than five minutes later to extend Toronto’s lead to 3-1.

Reinhart cut the Leafs’ lead in half with 2:38 to go, sniping a power play goal over a screened Stolarz’s blocker.

That’s as close as the Cats would get.

On to Ottawa.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Bobrovsky played in his 750th career game.

Forsling’s goal was his first in 16 games.

Bennett’s assist on Forsling’s goal gave him five points over his past six outings.

Reinhart has now logged six goals and 14 points over his past 13 games.

Jones has his first three-game point streak since joining the Panthers and picking up an assist on Reinhart’s goal.

He also has points in five of his past seven games.

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