PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 20: JJ Bleday #22 and Sal Stewart #27 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrate after scoring on a two-RBI double by Nathaniel Lowe #31 (not pictured) in the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nathaniel Lowe swatted a walk-off homer against the Detroit Tigers and future Hall of Famer Kneley Jansen on the night of April 24th, the final swing in a roller-coaster 9-8 victory. In that game, the Cincinnati Reds had overcome a 5-0 deficit only to give it back with a 3-run Top of the 8th by the Tigers, with Lowe rectifying things with one mighty cut in the Bottom of the 9th.
It was a game that’s something of a microcosm of the Reds season so far. It was a 1-run win. It featured the bullpen forking over the lead. It also featured dingers a-plenty, with Lowe socking two and Matt McLain swatting a pair in one of his precious few good games of the season.
Aside from that, it was something of a nondescript outing in the annals of baseball history. A good win, an entertaining one, but merely one data point in the billions of data points we’ve got in this great game’s vast history.
If you choose that data point to look closer at the offense of the Cincinnati Reds, though, you’ll begin to see something that’s both spectacular and completely unheard of through the lens we viewed their brutal start to the 2026 season as a team.
Counting that game, the Reds have played 28 games since dawn on April 24th, 2026. And since dawn on April 26th, zero teams have hit more homers than the 41 the Reds have launched. Zero! Their .191 ISO in that span ranks 3rd behind the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals (both at .194). Their .435 SLG ranks 2nd behind only the Bronx Bombers (.440), while their .333 wOBA similarly ranks behind only that of the Yankees (.341).
It’s not fluky, either – at least by xwOBA. The Reds sport the 2nd best expected wOBA in the game in that span at .340, ahead of the Yankees (.339) and behind just the Los Angeles Dodgers (.344). That’s right – for over a month of the season, it’s been the Reds sandwiched between the behemoths on both coasts for the honors of being the single best offense in the sport.
It’s a cherry-picked date, obviously. It’s also a date that fully encompasses the evolution of the regulars in the lineup, however. Each of Lowe and JJ Bleday have assumed almost daily use in that time, with Bleday having not even been a part of the offense since being called up for the first time on April 25th. We’ve also seen the gradual phasing out of TJ Friedl and Ke’Bryan Hayes, with the latter eventually landing on the IL over the weekend with lingering back problems. In other words, it’s cherry-picked, but pretty accurately overlaps with the Reds beginning to eschew their strict defense-first lineup decisions in favor of letting their big bats bat early and often.
The Houston Rockets enter the NBA offseason with a definite desire for improvement because of the general belief that the previous season was disappointing. Despite having the highest expectations heading into the season, the Rockets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, and while Houston could run it back next season, hoping a healthy Steven Adams and Fred Vanvleet with another season of devolopment for the young core would be enough, I think it would be foolish to not consider making a trade if the price is right. Additonally over the weekend, insider Marc Stien said this:
“There is a belief in some corners of the league that Atlanta, Houston, and Portland all have legitimate trade interest in Brown.”
Enter Jaylen Brown, a 29-year-old guard/forward coming off the best season of his career, and helping to lead the Boston Celtics to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference despite superstar Jayson Tatum’s absence for much of the season. Brown has always been the Robin to Tatum’s Batman, as fans and media alike always seem to view Tatum as the star of the Celtics, and Jaylen Brown as his co-star, but this season showed that Brown could lead his own team. There has been a lot of discussion about Brown and the Boston Celtics possibly splitting ways during the past month. The Rockets have organizational ties to Brown through head coach Ime Udoka, who coached Brown during Udoka’s only season as head coach of the Celtics in 2021–2022.
Brown averaged 47.7 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from outside the arc, 79.5 percent from the free throw line, 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. When the teams were announced on Sunday, Brown was chosen to the All-NBA team even though he made the Second Team. In addition, Brown finished sixth overall in the MVP competition. The Rockets have enough salary to pay Brown’s $53.1 million salary by trading Clint Capela, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.
Now, for what everyone wants, my opinion. I am on board with trading for Jalyn Brown IF the price is right. If Boston asks for Amen Thompson, I am hanging up the phone faster than you would hang up a call from that one relative asking for money. I would, however, give up one of Alperen Sengun or Kevin Durant. Now, obviously, Houston just traded for Durant last summer, but all Houston really gave up was Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the draft rights to Khaman Maluach, and some second-round picks. With that being considered, Houston did not really give up too much for KD, so while it would be unfortunate to pivot off him after only one season, it makes sense. Additonally, I would obviously at the moment rather give up Durant than Sengun, as Sengun is younger and allows the team to have young talent for after Brown retires. Sengun does have shortcomings: he can’t shoot from three, and he is not the best defender, but I would rather keep the player who is able to play another 5-10 years than the one who has maybe two or three years left at most.
What do you all think? Should the Rockets trade for Jaylen Brown? How much is too much to give up? Let me know, and as always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for all your Houston Rockets news needs.
Another former member of the San Jose Sharks organization could be heading overseas.
Defenseman Calen Addison spent part of one season in the Bay Area, playing in 60 games for the Sharks and now he could be going to the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.
Mike Grier brought Addison into the mix early in the 2023-24 season in an attempt to get more offense from the Sharks' defense, and while he did do that to an extent, there were some glaring holes in his game that ultimately resulted in the Sharks opting not to submit a qualifying offer in order to retain his rights at the end of the season.
Considering the Sharks only gave up a fifth round draft pick and Adam Raska, who has also gone overseas to continue his career at this stage, there was very little lasting impact to making the trade with the Minnesota Wild.
During his 60 games wearing teal, Addison scored a single goal and registered 12 points. Since leaving the Sharks, he's been a journeyman at the American Hockey League level and has played for three teams in two seasons.
Reports from Russia's Sport-Express state that Dynamo Moskva has shown interest in signing the 26-year-old defenseman, but nothing is official at this point in time. Over the course of his NHL career, Addison scored six goals and tallied a total of 50 points in 152 games spread across four seasons.
If Addison signs with Dynamo, he will join current Sharks prospect Yegor Rimashevsky who the organization drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 26: Assistant Coach Mitch Johnson and Head Coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs speak to each other during the game against the Houston Rockets on October 26, 2024 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photos by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals was without a doubt the Spurs’ worst showing of the playoffs, and possibly even their worst game of any capacity since January. After a blistering 15-0 run to open the game, the law of averages came back with a vengeance, and they showed very little fight or urgency the rest of the way as the Thunder quickly recovered to take over the game and regain homecourt advantage.
This Spurs team has proven to be resilient all season, so it wasn’t too surprising to see them make adjustments and come out more determined in Game 4, which they won comfortably. However, there’s more to the story than that. As was revealed by De’Aaron Fox in the postgame show following Game 4, none other than Gregg Popovich made a locker room appearance immediately after Game 3, and let’s just say anyone who had not had the privilege of playing for him (or didn’t for long enough) can now say they’ve had the full Pop Experience.
De'Aaron Fox said Gregg Popovich came into the Spurs' locker room after the Game 3 loss:
"That was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, 'Nah, that's BS. That's not how we play basketball.' Obviously, he had some choice words for us." pic.twitter.com/CaZSIcfXxL
Pop officially resigned as head coach last summer after suffering a stroke early in the 2024-25 season but is still President of Basketball Operations and has been seen around practice plenty of times, as he also does physical therapy at the Spurs’ facility at The Rock at La Cantera. But as Fox said, this was the first time he came storming into the locker room after a game, and they knew what they were in for before he even said a word. From players to coaches, staff and even General Manager Brian Wright, everyone listened with appropriate fear as El Jefe told them their performance “was BS” and “not how we play basketball”. He’s still the same ol’ Pop.
Someone who can relate and was often on the other end of Pop tongue-lashings was former Spurs champion Danny Green, who was often credited with being willing to take his wrath and improve from it, just like Pop’s original target: Manu Ginobili. But even Green jokingly told Sports Center that he was scared of Pop then, still is now, and he felt for the current Spurs over what that experience must have been like.
Danny Green on what Pop’s speeches are like and how big a presence he has on the team:
“A huge presence. I mean it doesn’t go away. He’s just one of those guys that you’re fearful of regardless of age or health.
That being said, just because Pop still has a presence doesn’t mean Mitch Johnson is just some nice, soft-spoken guy (since he’s always lost his voice by the time we hear from him) who is simply following orders. His sideline demeanor may not be as pronounced or dramatic, but he comes from the coaching tree of Pop and was his chosen predecessor for a reason. He and his staff still coach the game, call the plays and make adjustments, and they’ve done a masterful job all season. Before Game 4, they appeared to make the switch from “make everyone but SGA beat us” to “make SGA and no one else beat us,” and it worked well. Defensive rotations were more crisp, and on offense, there were more pick-and-rolls and an asserted effort to get Victor Wembanyama the ball on the move instead of too many forced drives and iso-ball.
Also, like Pop, Mitch is not afraid to coach his players hard, from his star all the way down. Rookie forward Carter Bryant may have gotten “the Pop Experience” just like the rest of his teammates after Game 3, but he also experienced what Green and many other Spurs often did on the sidelines during Game 4, when Mitch got on him hard after a couple of careless fouls, including biting on an SGA pump fake and barreling into Jaylin Williams on the fast break for a charge. Bryant has had some bright moments in these playoffs, but it has also understandably been a massive learning curve for him, and despite the team being up big in that moment, he appeared on the brink of tears.
Carter Bryant appeared to have tears in his eyes after his coach yelled at him following a turnover pic.twitter.com/bBVIo5wI8i
However, there’s another invaluable experience he got in that moment that Green and plenty other Spurs also experienced: the team’s unselfish superstar jumping in with leadership and words of encouragement to balance things back out. In Green’s day, it was Tim Duncan who would help perk his teammates back up after they experienced the Wrath of Pop. For Bryant, it was Wemby who came over to encourage him on after he felt the Wrath of Mitch. Different coaches, different stars and different role players, but the same culture lives on.
The narrative this postseason has been that the Spurs are ahead of schedule, and based on preseason predictions, that is true. However, it’s not just talent alone that has gotten them two wins away from the Finals, but also coaching, leadership and a completely egoless roster. If that sounds like the Spurs of Pop and Tim, it’s because it is, but even if those two still have a presence and plenty of influence within the organization, this is now the Spurs of Mitch and Wemby, and they are ready to build upon the legacy their predecessors created — from winning all the way down to being yelled at. It’s the Spurs way.
If the Colorado Avalanche season were a boat at sea, the vessel would be taking on water with the feeling of impending doom as the choppy waters of a series sweep loom over the horizon. A journey that started in the waters of Los Angeles could come to a sinking halt in the desert of Las Vegas, as the Golden Knights have a 3-0 series lead with a chance to advance to the cup final tonight.
Colorado seems battered and bruised from the quest, as Cale Makar is clearly not healthy, and Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin were hobbled in game three.
The team from the Mile High City also appears morally drained after blowing their first third-period lead to lose game two and a 3-0 first-period lead in game three. In fact, in game three, Colorado failed to register a shot in the last 12+ minutes of the final frame despite getting a power play at one point.
Vegas has been sippin’ pina coladas like a prize fighter as their (hard-earned) luxury yacht rolls into port for another night of dominance. The Avalanche have had zero answers to what Las Vegas has brought to the table, and so for the Golden Knights, the focus will be more of the same.
Will the Avalanche end the suffering and go quietly, or will they put up a fight?
Colorado Avalanche: 8-4
The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (11-4)
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+, ESPN
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
What can I really say about where the Avalanche stand today ahead of game four? A lot.
For starters, it feels like Nathan MacKinnon either got some incredible treatment over the last 36 hours or he will, at a minimum, be hobbled this evening after he took a puck to the outside of his right knee in game three. The impact was substantial enough to bench MacKinnon for most of the third period outside of one pointless power play appearance.
I don’t say pointless because MacKinnon shouldn’t be out on the power play, but he was clearly unable to make any explosive movements and was basically ineffective.
This leads me to an adjustment I hope to see from Bednar. I don’t think riding your clearly wounded top guys into the ground is going to do anything but accelerate losing.
The approach we saw in game three just came off desperate as the top group waved off a timeout just to inevitably be too gassed to stave off an open net attempt.
Moreover, it explains why the end of game three was so lifeless.
Only one team in NHL history has come back from down 3-0 beyond the quarterfinals, and that was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.
Saying things have changed since then is incredibly reductive, but back then, Leafs head coach Hap Day chose to bench the team’s leading scorer and a veteran defender to make his lineup younger, faster, and better equipped to play 60 minutes of playoff hockey.
Here are three keys to victory for the Colorado Avalanche:
Effort every second of every shift.
A commitment to sacrifice and teamwork
Patience and pride.
It’s desperation time for the Avalanche (although I’d argue it has been for at least two games), and they will have to lean into that to avoid the sweep. That means controlling what they can control, and that starts with effort.
Speaking of effort, you clearly aren’t going to skill it up to a victory against this Vegas team, so to win, Colorado will have to buy into sacrificing offense for defense, grinding in the corners and below the goal-line, and crashing the net.
The approach that’s required right now isn’t a pretty one. It’s not gonna land anyone on ESPN’s top ten or make an end-of-year highlight reel. The Avalanche will have to trust themselves, prepare for battle, and play for the logo on the front of their jerseys.
Note: I have italicized the individuals who are a bit questionable tonight. We haven’t gotten the real word on either Nichushkin or MacKinnon’s status, and Cale has dealt with stuff all postseason.
Nothing has been reported, but it feels like the right time to give MacKenzie Blackwood a chance in game four.
Vegas Golden Knights
When John Tortorella took the reins in Vegas, he talked a lot about just getting out of the way with this Vegas group, which has an established cup-winning core and a cupboard full of talent. It’s apparently exactly what was needed to right the ship in Vegas.
Good goaltending has also helped, as Carter Hart is on a Jordan Binnington-like run here in the 2026 playoffs. His success has been largely instrumental in Vegas’ commitment to the counterstrike approach, as he’s backstopped the group well when Colorado has earned the seldom-seen high-danger look.
Vegas is in comfortable territory right now, but won’t just take the foot off the gas this close to getting back to a cup final.
Here are three keys to victory for the Golden Knights:
Stick to the plan.
Play to win.
Ride momentum.
Vegas’ approach is undefeated against the team that many (along with Carolina) viewed as a shoo-in for the Cup Final. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
With this sort of series lead, it’s human nature to let up a little bit, seeing as only four teams have ever come back from being down 3-0 in the NHL’s 109 seasons. That gives the Avalanche ~ a 3.7% chance of realizing a reverse sweep.
That’s the sort of unlikelyhood that can seep into the little habits, but as we know in Colorado, habits are fleeting and must be nurtured even when the going is good. Or else.
The Golden Knights have done very well at getting and keeping momentum when it matters most. The first goal hasn’t mattered as much as the last goal in this series because Vegas doesn’t come out of their game when behind.
Fans watch on as Knicks guard Jalen Brunson shoots a 3-pointer at Madison Square Garden during Game 2 vs. the Cavaliers on May 21, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The cheapest ticket for Game 3 at MSG on June 8 costs $3,686 at SeatGeek including fees, at the time of writing.
For Game 4 two days later, the cheapest ticket costs $3,543 at SeatGeek.
TickPick revealed after the Knicks secured their sweep of the Cavaliers in the conference finals Monday night that the get-in prices for Games 3 and 4 were $3,745 and $3,464, respectively, which would be “the most expensive NBA tickets on record.”
If the Finals reaches six games, fans would have to fork up over $4,984 at SeatGeek for that June 16 clash.
It’s a stark contrast to 10 years ago when Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors faced off in the 2016 NBA Finals and the average price to get into those games was $880.
Last year, when the Thunder and Pacers clashed, the average ticket price was $1,147, according to TickPick.
A view of Madison Square Garden during Game 2 of the Knicks vs. Cavaliers series. Getty Images
For some, that price could be worth it. For younger Knicks fans, this is first time their team has reached the Finals and the 27-year gap shows it’s not a lock to happen again anytime soon.
The Knicks have dominated since falling behind 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round, winning 11 straight games thanks to their back-to-back sweeps of the Sixers and Cavaliers.
Jalen Brunson led the way against the Cavaliers, bringing home Eastern Conference finals MVP honors. He’s averaging 26.6 points and 6.6 assists per game this postseason.
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But the dominant playoff run was a team effort.
Josh Hart had a crucial Game 2, scoring 26 points in a 109-93 win.
Bench spark plug Landry Shamet went 11-of-12 from deep during the conference finals, which broke an NBA playoff series record.
Center Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged a double-double throughout the playoffs.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during Game 2 against the Cavaliers. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Even if not all Knicks fans can get into Madison Square Garden during the Finals, Knicks fever will still be felt all through the city and beyond.
The New York Yankees (32-22) and the Kansas City Royals (22-32) continue their three-game series tonight at Kauffman Stadium.
The Yankees enter tonight’s matchup against the Royals looking to build on last night’s 4-3 come from behind win. Anthony Volpe drove in the winning run with a clutch two‑run single in the ninth inning. Bobby Witt Jr.’s had broken a 2-2 tie with a home run in the eighth, but Kansas City closer Lucas Erceg could not hold the lead for Kansas City. The win was the Yankees’ twelfth in a row against the Royals.
Tonight, the Yankees hand the ball to Cam Schlittler, who takes the mound with a stellar 6–2 record and a 1.50 ERA. The Royals, meanwhile, are expected to deploy a bullpen game, leaning on a mix of relievers after Michael Wacha’s strong seven‑inning effort last night.
Offensively, the Yankees will look to ride the hot bats of Cody Bellinger (hits in three straight games and seven of his last eight) and Anthony Volpe (6-20 over his last six games). For the Royals, Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. continue to anchor the offense. Perez tied the game in the sixth with his 136th career homer at Kauffman Stadium, matching George Brett’s stadium record, while Witt’s eighth‑inning blast briefly put Kansas City ahead. Still, the Royals struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0‑for‑7 in key spots—an issue they’ll need to correct to keep pace tonight.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Royals
Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Kauffman Stadium
City: Kansas City, MO
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, YES, Royals.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Royals
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (-205), Kansas City Royals (+168)
Spread: Yankees -1.5 (-125), Royals +1.5 (+104)
Total: 8.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Yankees vs. Royals for May 26
Ryan McMahon has 5 extra base hits in May (65 ABs)
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees and Royals
The Royals are 23-31 on the Run Line this season
The Yankees are 26-28 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 23 times in KC’s 54 games this season (23-31)
The OVER has cashed 22 times in the Yankees’ 54 games this season (22-29-3)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Royals
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Yankees and the Royals:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.5.
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Though Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference finals without LeBron James for the first time in almost 35 years, its unceremonious exit – and how arduous this whole postseason run seemed – has clouded what path the team should take in the weeks and months ahead.
The Cavaliers took perhaps the biggest swing of any team this year at the NBA trade deadline, flipping oft-injured 26-year-old Darius Garland for durable 36-year-old James Harden to pair with Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. Cleveland had the most expensive roster in the league. Whether it worked – or can work – is up for debate. The final impression this season was a dud.
Harden said in the aftermath he is committed to remaining with the Cavaliers. Mitchell told reporters he has "no doubt this group can get there." They each expressed faith in coach Kenny Atkinson and the organization. They preached patience after only a few months with Harden in the fold.
How that statement manifests itself could change the landscape of the entire NBA offseason, with the Cavaliers possessing perhaps the largest range of outcomes of any team in the league. They could stay the course, blow it up, or go for broke. These are the pressing questions facing the franchise:
Will Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers sign new extension?
Mitchell just made his first trip to the conference finals in his ninth NBA season, and fourth with the Cavaliers. But there's a fork-in-the-road for the two sides, despite Mitchell's statements in the wake of Monday's loss that he remains committed to Cleveland.
The 29-year-old is eligible to sign a four-year extension worth as much as $272 million this offseason. He could also wait until next year and be eligible to sign a five-year deal worth as much as $350 million. If he chooses the latter path, he'd essentially play next season as a looming free agent because of the $54-million player option for 2027-28 in his current contract.
Are the Cavaliers comfortable devoting that much to a player who might not be a No. 1 option for a championship contender right now? The uncertainty shouldn't immediately invite trade rumors, especially given Mitchell's positive tone after being swept out of the playoffs. But there's a forthcoming negotiation that will determine how much Cleveland wants to spend to hitch its wagon to Mitchell for the foreseeable future.
What's next for James Harden, Cavaliers?
Harden has a $42.3-million team option on his contract for the 2026-27 season, but multiple reports at the trade deadline suggested Harden would not have agreed to be dealt to the Cavaliers without an understanding that he would be retained beyond this season.
He had another bumpy postseason, with a few notable performances in the first two rounds that got overshadowed when Knicks star Jalen Brunson feasted on him in the Eastern Conference Finals. Taking on Harden at his team option price tag would likely hamper what else the Cavaliers can do this offseason. A more team-friendly salary point, likely in exchange for an extra year or two on a new Harden contract, is expected to be the outcome.
That will tie Cleveland to Mitchell and Harden as a tandem. Harden sounded confident it can work.
"Definitely want to be here," Harden told reporters after Game 4. "I think we found something. It's tough. It's not ending how we wanted to, but I think we found something."
Will Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson be back?
Atkinson is just one year removed from winning NBA coach of the year, but his viral analytics moment before Game 4 reinforced his underwhelming performance on the sideline during the playoffs.
Telling reporters that Cleveland "analytically" won two of the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals will go down in infamy among the more inopportune quotes uttered by a coach during a postseason series. It happened less than a week after Atkinson's timeout usage, or lack thereof, was questioned after the Cavaliers blew their 22-point lead in Game 1.
Cleveland was also taken to Game 7 in both the first round and conference semifinals after having a chance to end both series in Game 6. The accumulation of wear and tear, according to Atkinson, took its toll on the roster in the Eastern Conference Finals. Given Gilbert's postgame edict and expectations, Atkinson's leash appears to be short whether he keeps his job going into next season or not.
Can Cavaliers land LeBron James or Giannis?
These are the ultimate wild cards for this Cleveland offseason, and the most unlikely scenarios. One relies on James being generous. The other would be a huge bet on the present, potentially at the expense of the franchise's long-term fortunes. But James is a free agent and Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly on the trade market. One
In Evan Mobley, Cleveland has a young star the Milwaukee Bucks might be interested in taking back as a centerpiece in exchange for Antetokounmpo. The Cavaliers previously showed no interest in doing that. Did the Knicks sweep change their thinking?
James, meanwhile, has the option to add a closing chapter to his career by returning to Cleveland one more time. It would almost certainly have to come on a significant hometown discount given how much money the Cavaliers have committed. But if James is searching for another title and wants to leave the Lakers, he'd have an easier path in the Eastern Conference.
The past 48 hours for the Colorado Avalanche haven’t been the best. You're down 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals with Cale Makar coming back from an upper-body injury, only to have Nathan MacKinnon go down with a knee injury. Now, the media and fans are all considering whether, if the team loses Game 4 or the series, management should make a coaching change.
The pressure and rumors only continue; now, not only is there speculation about shaking up your head coach and coaching staff, but your General Manager could be leaving for a rival organization to take on a larger role this offseason.
Chris MacFarland To Music City?
On May 23, Jonah Sigel, writer for the Toronto Star, put out a post on X/Twitter that stated that he is hearing that the Nashville Predators will name Avalanche General Manager, Chris MacFarland, as their new Vice-President of Hockey Operations this summer, an upgrade over his current position with the Avalanche.
If true, won't go over well in Toronto, lots of buzzing out there the @PredsNHL will name @Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland as their new VP hockey operations, a promotion over GM role he currently has... Could be interesting
— Jonah Sigel | Sports media + streaming (@yyzsportsmedia) May 23, 2026
It's a serious upgrade and change of role considering where the Predators are right now with the state of their team. With a lot of expiring contracts, veterans who still have term on their deals, and nine combined picks from rounds 1 and 2 over the next three seasons, it's a team that needs clarity on where its franchise is going, and it needs to start this summer.
It does line up with the plans the Predators tend to make this summer, as current GM and President of Hockey Operations Barry Trotz announced earlier this season that he would step down from both roles to retire.
This past season, the Predators began the process of finding the right candidate to replace Trotz. A plethora of names have been reported as those they want to talk with, including former New Jersey Devils GM and President Tom Fitzgerald, Florida Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson, Dallas Stars assistant GM Scott White, Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Darren Yorke, and Edmonton Oilers assistant GM Bill Scott.
So the Predators are willing to talk to anyone and everyone they can get an accepted request from, but is the initial report true? Do the Predators tend to take MacFarland from the Avalanche? Is there any other source that can back it up?
Avalanche Are Safe, For Now
It didn’t take long for Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman to report 32 Thoughts: The Podcast to help break down the situation and elaborate further. The main point Friedman raised is that, right now, the Predators are not permitted to talk to MacFarland, and no deal is in place for him to sign when the season is over and jump ship immediately.
As much as the Predators have him as a key figure in their job search, nothing is set in stone, even with Friedman saying that a “done deal” is “way, way, way, premature”.
As of right now, aside from the two reports for Friedman and Sigel, there have been no other reports from insiders or announcements by the two organizations that have made it publicly clear that an interview request has occurred. Nothing is set in stone, and until a report or announcement is made, MacFarland’s position with the team is safe, though there isn’t much the team can do to stop him from leaving.
Management can block anyone from requesting access to speak to him for any managerial positions. When someone is under contract with the team, the team can hold them to their contractual obligations. Just look at what the Golden Knights are doing with Bruce Cassidy. Denying teams like the Edmonton Oilers and other teams in the conference from requesting to talk to him to hire him as their next coach.
Avalanche Doesn’t Really Have Full Control Of The Situation.
Make what you want of the reports; it all comes down to whether Nashville really wants MacFarland and whether he feels the same about an upgrade in position. If he does, the Avalanche can’t really do anything about it.
If the team really values MacFarland, there isn’t a higher title to give him. That would mean firing Sakic as President of Hockey Operations and giving MacFarland that title, but I doubt they will do that. They already made that move to keep both members after they won the Stanley Cup in 2022, bumping Sakic to President of Hockey Operations and moving MacFarland from Assistant GM to GM.
The only other factor is MacFarland's loyalty to the franchise. Whether he would really leave a contending championship team he helped build for a rival franchise in the division that's on the brink of a complete rebuild. It would obviously be a great opportunity and a promotion many might take if put in that situation, but would he be so quick to leave after just getting promoted a couple of years ago?
Obviously, every Avalanche fan would love to see him and the team issue a statement thanking the Predators for their interest while committing to the Avalanche for the future. Only time will tell whether the reports prove true and whether more changes will come to the Colorado Avalanche this summer.
Craig Kimbrel wasn't out of work for long, and he even got a nice boost in the standings.
Kimbrel, 37, signed a major league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, May 26, The Athletic first reported, just four days after the New York Mets designated him for assignment. Ranked fifth on the all-time saves list, Kimbrel posted a 6.00 ERA in 14 appearances for the Mets and did not earn a save.
But ninth-inning chances might be more plentiful with Tampa Bay, and the Rays are in first place in the American League East, and not the cellar of the National League East. Tampa Bay has mixed and matched with veteran right-hander Bryan Baker recording 14 saves, but lefty Ian Seymour and a half-dozen others have saved games.
The Rays could use the immediate help - they played 13 innings on Monday in losing 7-5 to the Baltimore Orioles.
Kimbrel's 440 career saves are second among active players, trailing Detroit's Kenley Jansen, who has saved 483 games. The Rays will be his 11th major league team, and his eighth in the past six seasons.
Just 322 days into his tenure as the New York Knicks’ head coach, Mike Brown has the franchise in the NBA Finals.
The Knicks have not seen the NBA Finals in the 21st century, but Brown has been there numerous times. Brown’s first Finals experience came in 2003, when he was an assistant on Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs staff. The team beat the New Jersey Nets to claim a championship, but Brown left the team following the season to join the Indiana Pacers. While Brown came close in Indiana, he eventually returned to the Finals in 2007 with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown and the Cavs came up short in 2007, but it wouldn’t be Brown’s last dance.
It took a decade for Brown to return to the Finals in 2017, when he was the associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors. He began a dynastic run that saw him reach the NBA Finals in four of the next six seasons.
The 2026 Finals will mark Brown’s seventh time on basketball’s biggest stage, which should come in handy for a Knicks team that hasn’t been there before.
Players like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have been there with their previous teams, but the Knicks’ biggest change this season is a big reason why they find themselves where they are.
While there was chatter about his job security throughout the season, Brown has proven why the Knicks made the right choice in hiring him as head coach.
May 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) hits a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
After a 2-4 homestand against the Ohio teams, the Don Mattingly honeymoon officially ended as the Phillies traveled out west for their next six games against two of the better teams in the National League. The Padres, like the Phillies, possess an anemic offense that has been carried by plenty of front line pitching.
The Padres did not send one of their two front line starters on the mound Monday night, instead having Griffin Canning, who is trying to rebound his value after an ACL tear ended his 2025 season with the Mets. After a Trea Turner strikeout, Kyle Schwarber set the tone by somehow pulling a well located down and away changeup for a solo home run to right field.
Jesús Luzardo entered last night’s contest with a 2.73 ERA over his previous six starts. The BABIP luck and issues with runners on base regressed to the mean with not much else changing around it.
None of that seemed to matter in the first inning. Fernando Tatis jr hit a soft dribbler to no man’s land for an infield hit, Miguel Andujar poked a single into center field, and then Turner botched a Xander Bogaerts groundball. The bases were loaded with no one out and the middle of the Padres lineup at the plate.
Manny Machado could not keep up with a full-count comeback sinker and Jackson Merrill went down on three straight sweepers. It all set up the perfect opportunity for revenge with Nick Castellanos stepping into the box with the bases loaded and no one out.
Luzardo got ahead 0-2 quickly with a backdoor sweeper for a called strike and a swinging one on a down and away changeup. They tried to get Castellanos to chase on three straight pitches outside the zone but he laid them off. With a full count, Luzardo perfectly painted an inside fastball and Castellanos grounded out to shortstop.
The Padres once again got the first two runners on in the third with a Tatis single and an Andujar walk. Bogaerts hit a soft grounder to Bohm who got a forceout at second base. Machado stepped up again but rolled a first pitch fastball over to shortstop for an inning ending double play.
In the fifth, Luzardo once again had to work out of trouble. Rodolfo Durán got hit in the foot with a backfoot sweeper and then Tatis worked a walk. Just like the other innings, the Padres could not muster more to generate a run. Andujar hit a popup and Bogaerts hit a flyball to left field.
The Phillies did not record their second hit off Griffin Canning until the seventh inning when Kyle Schwarber singled to right field to reach base for a third time. Rookie manager Craig Stammen decided to leave Canning in to face Bryce Harper, who worked a five pitch walk.
Stammen kept him in for Bohm and it paid off with a groundball double play that sent Schwarber to third but with two outs.
And again, Stammen elected to leave Canning in for Brandon Marsh and the worst possible outcome occurred, a two-run home run to give the Phillies a three run lead in the late innings.
The Phillies stacked the final three innings with three of their handpicked reliable right handers to close the game out. Orion Kerkering got the seventh against the bottom of the Padres order and struck out a pair with a dotted fastball on the outside corner to Ty France and a nasty down and away sweeper to Ramón Laureano.
In the eighth, Brad Keller walked Tatis to leadoff the inning but got the next three outs including a Machado strikeout to end it.
Jhoan Duran entered the ninth with no lightshow or handpicked music because they’re on the road but had a special milestone on the line. He picked up his 100th big league save with Laureano swung through a full-count splinker.
The Phillies are back to the .500 mark with Aaron Nola getting the ball later tonight against Padres breakout starter Randy Vásquez. It’s probably as good a matchup for Nola as he will have this season.
(Yes, well aware how late this recap is. I’m very sorry, Ethan.)
TAMPA BAY, - MARCH 16: Henry LaLane #58 of the New York Yankees pitches during the 2024 Spring Breakout Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in Tampa Bay, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It was another story-driven week on the farm. Prominent relievers earned promotions all around, while top prospects started getting going. A few prominent starters struggled, while others shone. And even better, for the first time all year, nobody had a losing week!
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 26-23, 3.5 GB in the International League East after a 3-3 week against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies)
Run differential: +24
Coming up: Home vs. Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)
It was a topsy-turvy week for the RailRiders, who played just about every type of ballgame this week. They blew ‘em out on Tuesday, got blown out on Wednesday, and then split four consecutive one-run games to end the week. It’s the splittiest six-game split that you’ll ever see.
In Scranton, we’ve seen a lot of pop this past week, as guys like Yanquiel Fernandez, Seth Brown, and Ernesto Martinez Jr. traded big swings all week long. Marco Luciano was placed on the injured list midweek, but was replaced by Double-A call-up Tyler Hardman, who’s finally moving up after four years in Somerset. It was a better week for George Lombard Jr. (8-for-27, 7 RBI, 3 XBH), who picked up some big hits along the way as his peripherals continue to look excellent, but he’s still running into bad luck.
Brendan Beck made a pair of starts and allowed five runs in 10.1 innings in an unpleasant week for the rotation. Veterans Adam Kloffenstein and Dom Hamel struggled considerably, but they weren’t alone in bad weeks. Carlos Lagrange continued an up-and-down season by allowing five runs in five innings, while Elmer Rodríguez had a fascinating stat line: 3 IP, 2 H, 5 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 8 K. Not a lot of balls in play, huh.
Yovanny Cruz rode the Scranton Shuffle this week, but the big headline was the return of Eric Reyzelman to the level after a nightmare 2025 season prompted a reset in Somerset. He tossed two shutout innings on Friday, sitting 96 on the fastball while maxing out at 98.1.
Record: 23-22, 1.5 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 4-2 week against the Chesapeake BaySox (Orioles)
Run differential: +49
Coming up: Home vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)
Talk about a comeback. Chesapeake won the first two games of the series by scoring 18 combined runs, but Somerset rallied back to win four straight behind some excellent pitching. They allowed just five total runs in the final 36 innings.
While Hardman’s promotion continued to eat away at a hitting core that’s been among the best in all of Minor League Baseball to start the season, the holdovers continued to rake. Jace Avina has fully shaken off an early slump with an OPS over 1.000 in May, Garrett Martin leads the Eastern League in home runs, and DJ Gladney has re-emerged as a quality contact bat. The depth has really suffered from Lombard, Hardman, and Luciano’s promotions, but they’re still one of the best in the league.
After a rough start to the week, the rotation rounded into shape. Xavier Rivas continued a strong strikeout season (43 in 27.1 IP) with seven in 3.1 innings, Kyle Carr struck out eight in 5.1 shutout innings, and Chase Chaney tossed six scoreless innings. The struggles came with Jack Cebert (3.2 IP, 2 R, 6 K), Cade Smith (1+ IP, 4 R), and Trent Sellers (4 IP, 3 R).
Reyzelman’s promotion led to Chris Veach getting his turn in Double-A after a terrific start to the season. The only rough spot of the week for the bullpen came with Ben Grable’s blown save on Tuesday, but he rebounded with 1.2 scoreless innings on Friday. Will Brian and Chris Kean got back on the saddle after rough weeks last week as well.
Record: 21-23, 8 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 3-3 week against the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)
Run differential: +11
Coming up: Home vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)
Hudson Valley’s inconsistent offense continues to struggle, being shut out twice. They put up seven runs in all three of their wins, including both in the Thursday doubleheader, but had nothing for the three losses.
Eric Genther finally got his power stroke going, blasting a big grand slam in a big bounce-back week. Outside of him and Josue Gonzalez continuing to be a revelation offensively, there’s not a whole lot of standouts, with Kaeden Kent’s strong start slowly tapering off. The son of a Hall of Famer is still hitting almost .300 with strong plate discipline metrics, but he seems to still need a bit more time at the level.
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) May 19, 2026
Bryce Cunningham got back on track on Tuesday to start the week, allowing one run in 4.2 innings as he continued to build up. Luis Serna pitched into the sixth but allowed five runs, and both Franyer Herrera and Sean Paul Liñan had uneven starts, but the two stars this week were Rory Fox and Allen Facundo.
Fox tossed the best start of his brief pro career, bouncing back after a rough first few starts by tossing a seven-inning complete game shutout with eight strikeouts. Facundo, on the other hand, tossed five innings and allowed three runs, but made up for it with a staggering 13 strikeouts, marking a new career high.
Veach’s terrific start to the season got rewarded with a promotion, so he left behind the likes of Tony Rossi and Jack Sokol, who continue to pitch well. Returning from rehab to bolster said pen is Bryce Warrecker, who was terrific at this level last season and tossed nine shutout innings in his rehab assignment in Tampa before being activated early last week.
Record: 22-23, 4 GB in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)
Run differential: -20
Coming up: Away @ Daytona Beach Tortugas (Reds)
After a Tuesday postponement and getting swept on Wednesday in a doubleheader, the Tarpons picked themselves up to win three of the last four games of the series in an overall solid week.
Jackson Lovich (7-for-20, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB) continued to be one of the hottest hitters on the planet, spearheading an offense that continues to improve with a three-homer game on Tuesday. Hans Montero has also been fantastic at the plate, blasting three bombs of his own. The 22-year-old should get a call-up sooner rather than later. Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek’s strong month, coupled with the juice that some FCL call-ups have given them in the last few weeks, has made this a sneakily exciting offense with the potential for more in the coming month or two.
It wasn’t a pleasant start to the week for the rotation, as the rehabbing Chase Hampton (3 IP, 3 R) scuffled, Justin West allowed four runs in a gritty six innings, and Mac Heuer continued to falter with his command, but things rebounded later in the week with a terrific start by Henry Lalane (more on him later) and Tyler Boudreau (5.1 IP, 0 R, 5 K).
The bullpen has seen better weeks. Saturday was an absolute catastrophe, as they wasted Lalane’s brilliant start with a six-run blowup in the ninth off the team’s best reliever, Pedro Rodriguez. The strongest weeks came from the likes of Brennan Stuprich, Greyson Carter, and Jose M. Rodriguez.
Record: 9-8, 5 GB in the FCL North after a 3-2 week.
Run differential: +21
The story of the rookie ball Yanks has been their offense. Wilberson De Pena has been absolutely unreal to start this season, which makes Oswald Peraza’s hot start to 2026 a bit easier to stomach with the Yankees’ infield woes. He had seven RBI on Saturday and should be in Single-A in the next several weeks. One thing to watch with the offense is that Jose Castro, who started on fire through five games, hasn’t played in 10 days.
On the pitching side, Omar Gonzalez continued to be exceptional as he pushes for a full-season promotion, while Sabier Marte continues to struggle. We didn’t see any of Thatcher Hurd this week, but considering he’s getting promoted to Tampa today, that’s not a cause for concern.
Their path to the postseason would go through the FCL Blue Jays, whom they blew a lead to on Sunday afternoon. It would also help if they could take care of business against the other two struggling teams in the division more often.
Players of Note:
Wilberson De Pena: .379/.438/.727, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 12 XBH, 9 SB, 187 wRC+ (73 PA) Jose Castro: .345/.568/.621, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 10 SB, 199 wRC+ (44 PA) Richard Matic: .333/.481/.460, 6 XBH, 8 RBI, 7 SB, 132 wRC+ (81 PA) Thatcher Hurd: 11.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 12 K Omar Gonzalez: 16 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 21 K
It has not been a fun season, let alone three for Lalane, whose prospect stock has been steadily declining since his terrific two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. Injuries have limited him to just 53.1 combined innings from 2023-25, where he’s struggled to generate whiffs and put the ball in the strike zone, aside from a 21-inning sample back in 2023.
To start 2026, he allowed four runs in seven innings across two starts before briefly going on the injured list. Upon returning on April 26th, he’s had his moments, but he’s allowed some hard contact along the way, culminating in allowing nine hits in 4.2 innings last week against Dunedin.
This week, he did something he hasn’t done since July 2022 down in the D.R., and that’s pitching into the sixth inning. He managed his pitch count, racked up a career-high eight strikeouts, and shut down the Clearwater offense for 5.1 innings. His bullpen ultimately ruined his outing, but it was extremely encouraging.
What might’ve been more encouraging was the pitch data. He had an even four-pitch mix between his fastball, changeup, slider, and sinker. 14 of his 15 whiffs came on 34 combined pitches between his changeup and slider, as he kept opposing hitters off balance with his four-seamer, which had more life on it than we’ve seen in years. He sat 94 on it and finished off the fifth by touching 97 on the radar gun, showing the tantalizing velocity he displayed earlier in his pro career.
May 23, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) huddles around teammates during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks during game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Game 1 was a confirmation of a cultural problem. The Cleveland Cavaliers surrendered a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter, not gradually, not begrudgingly, but as if they had simply decided to stop. The New York Knicks didn’t steal the game so much as Cleveland left it unlocked, engine running, keys in the ignition.
What followed wasn’t a series. It was a confirmation.
The unbothered problem
All season, the word that kept surfacing around this team was resilient. They won back-to-back Game 7s, against Toronto, against Detroit, and the narratives wrote themselves. Mentally tough. Unbreakable. Built different.
But resilience and indifference are separated by a razor’s edge, and against New York, Cleveland spent four games on the wrong side of it. The same equanimity that helped them claw back from deficits became a kind of emotional flatness; an inability to register the weight of the moment when the moment demanded urgency. They twice held 3–2 series leads in earlier rounds and failed to close. No one seemed particularly alarmed. That should have been the warning sign.
Game 7 victories hid problems in plain sight. If you want to view both those series objectively, the Cavaliers struggled to close out teams that were much more flawed than a New York team that wasn’t going to succumb to anything but Cleveland’s best punch.
Roster construction and coaching will get their due; there is plenty to excavate there. But before any of that: the Cavaliers, for long stretches of this series, did not appear to be trying as hard as the other team. The Knicks ran. They dove. They celebrated. New York played like a city starving for something; Cleveland played like a team that had already made peace with however things turned out.
After every loss, the message was almost chalked up to an unlucky coin flip. The Cavaliers would convey all the lip service to make one think they took the loss to heart. Sure of the fact that this game would be put behind them, not far enough to not draw conclusions and improvements from, only to play identically both in scheme and effort, resulting in the same narrative for four straight games.
Game 4 was probably the most telling for me of where this Cavaliers team was, mentally and physically drained. All you want as a fan is to see your team fight for pride on its home court. Especially when your opponent can celebrate and lift hardware in front of your fans. It seemed the Cavaliers gave their “best” in the first eight minutes. When the Knicks continued to pile on the points and run in transition, that was the kiss of death for the Cavaliers’ season.
Hustle metrics, second-chance points, deflections by nearly every measure of effort that can be quantified, the Cavaliers came up short. That is not a coaching problem or a roster problem first. That is a pride problem.
James Harden absorbs a disproportionate share of the blame in these moments; always has, likely always will. Some of it is fair. Some of it is lazy. But pinning this collapse on any single player lets the other fourteen off a hook they should not be allowed to wriggle from. This was a collective failure. The Cavaliers were a soulless corpse long before anyone’s shot selection or defensive positioning became the story.
The question facing Cleveland this offseason isn’t whether to tweak the roster at the margins. It’s whether this team, in its current form, has the capacity for genuine desperation; for the kind of hunger that makes a Game 3 and 4 blowouts feel like a wound rather than a footnote. Until they can answer that honestly, the Game 1 collapses will keep coming.
If the Cavaliers are to get where they want to go, they need to realize the culture they built is one where contentment comes too easily. A culture where counter punches aren’t expected and where, once a lead is built, a loss can never follow. I think the poison from this mentality trickled from the top down, including coaching, stars like Donovan Mitchell and Harden down to the role players.
It’s an organizational issue, and if the Cavaliers want to become serious, they need to show it on the floor and not at the podium.
MONTREAL — After receiving their first wake-up call of the playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes have responded like the beasts of the East they have been all season.
Following a loss to open the Eastern Conference Final, the Hurricanes have won back-to-back games in overtime to take a 2-1 lead against Montreal in the best-of-seven series. They look like their old selves again, and it has them two games from reaching to the Stanley Cup Final.
“We’re feeling good about playing hockey again,” said winger Taylor Hall, who scored his fourth goal this postseason in Game 3. “Now the game is starting to slow down, and you’re making reads without even having to think about it.”
That spells trouble for the Canadiens, who registered just two shots on goal combined over the third period and OT. Carolina has outshot Montreal 64-26 over the past two games.
“They throw a lot to the net, so they’re going to outshoot you,” said Montreal’s Cole Caufield, who scored 51 goals during the regular season. “I think everybody that plays them knows that, and you can’t look at it that way — that they kind of tilt the ice that much.”
Shot volume is something the Hurricanes have done consistently in the eight years since coach Rod Brind’Amour took over. What has changed in this series is preventing the young, skilled Canadiens from generating offense.
“You need everything working against a team like that,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “I don’t think you can just rely on the power play.”
Caufield chalked up his team’s struggles to Carolina’s pace and aggressive play. That the brand of hockey Brind’Amour wants to play.
“It’s putting the stress on them,” defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. “It’s a hard system for us to play sometimes because you’ve got to be on your toes. You’re always skating. But you can see it’s pretty effective, and it’s probably not the best to play against.”
It did not look at all right in Game 1, which the Canadiens won 6-2 after getting off to a hot start, finding long breakout passes and staying patient in solving Carolina’s relentless forecheck to hand the Hurricanes their first loss of the playoffs.
“It’s definitely a turning point for us: a little adversity,” Gostisbehere said. “Having two sweeps the first two rounds — not a lot of adversity in that sense. For us, it was a good kick in the teeth.”
The Hurricanes now are as close to the final as they’ve been during this run of success under Brind’Amour, which included getting swept twice and losing in five games in their three previous trips to the East final. This spring, they are 5-0 on the road and 5-0 in overtime thanks to a consistent approach.
“We try to play our game home and away,” first-line center Sebastian Aho said. “The game’s the same, I feel like. Obviously the environment is a little bit different, whether you’re home or away. But I feel like the game stays the same.”
Game 4 at Bell Centre in Montreal is Carolina’s first chance to move to the verge of making the final. The Canadiens feel like they have another level to get to, and they need to find it quickly.
“We didn’t expect this to be easy, and we’re OK with that,” St. Louis said. “There’s not one thing. We have to put it all together. You’re at this stage right now, you have to put it all together. Execution’s part of that. Jam is part of that. There’s not one thing. We’ve just got to put it all together, and I know we can.”
