Jayson Tatum’s return to the court is getting closer.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics star has progressed to full 5-on-5 scrimmage work in recent practices, marking a significant step in his recovery from a torn Achilles. Boston has held multiple workouts during its recent road swing, with Tatum steadily increasing his on-court activity in controlled settings.
“Right now, it’s about him continuing to put in the time, continuing to get his conditioning up, and that comes through a number of practices and scrimmages,” Charania said. “There are two elements right now at play. One is increasing the strength in both of his calves off of that Achilles tendon injury, and the big hurdle of all this is getting 100 percent there on the mental side — getting the confidence in his leg fully when he’s back.”
The shift to live action, even in practice, is one of the final hurdles in the rehab process. Conditioning, lateral movement and game-speed reps are difficult to simulate without full competition. Now, Tatum is getting those reps.
The Celtics have consistently emphasized that Tatum will dictate the pace of his return. There is still no official timetable, and neither the team nor Tatum has attached a target date to his debut. As Charania described it, the Celtics are allowing Tatum to control the timeline.
40 weeks🙏🏽 I’ve really grown to appreciate this journey I’ve been on and allow time for me to pat myself on the back for showing up everyday!
“The common theme that I’ve gotten around Jayson Tatum is he will be back on the floor when ‘JT feels like JT,’” Charania said. “The Celtics have continued to let him lead that process. He’s in the driver’s seat. They will take Jayson Tatum’s lead as far as when he feels like he’s ready and cleared.”
Boston has managed well in his absence, winning nine of its last 10 games and climbing near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The team has leaned heavily on its defense, rebounding, and depth development, with young wings and role players stepping into larger responsibilities.
Still, Tatum’s eventual return changes the equation. Selected to the All-NBA 1st Team each of the last four seasons, his scoring gravity, late-game shot creation and two-way versatility remain central to Boston’s ceiling.
For now, it’s a milestone. Full 5-on-5 participation is progress. The next phase will be sustaining that workload, building stamina and clearing the final medical and performance benchmarks.
There is no date circled publicly on the calendar. But we now know the Celtics are one step closer to getting their franchise cornerstone back on the floor.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 24: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after scoring against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first quarter of an NBA game at Smoothie King Center on February 24, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors will not have Draymond Green available to play in Wednesday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. While Green had been listed as questionable earlier in the day, the team later announced that the four-time All-Star was downgraded. So, the Dubs will face the Grizzlies without Green, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, De’Anthony Melton, Kristaps Porzingis, or Seth Curry available for head coach Steve Kerr. Green has appeared in 48 games this season and is averaging 8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 41.0%/32.0%/70.7% shooting.
The Dubs should still have a fighting chance for victory despite the absences since they are facing a tanking Grizzlies squad that is arguably missing just as sizable a portion of its rotation. The Grizzlies injury report listed Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Cedric Coward, Brandon Clarke, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as out. Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson is also listed as questionable.
Despite Green’s pedigree, the Warriors have often looked far more fluid offensively with him on the sidelines this season. Green’s already limited offensive game has been even more diminished in his mid-30s and has empowered opposing defenses to focus attention elsewhere. With Draymond out, the Warriors will primarily rely on Al Horford and Quinten Post at the center position, two legitimate three-point shooting threats.
Feb 25, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss (4) talks with bench coach Tony Mansolino (89) before the start of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Good evening, everybody! Y’all enjoyig spring training so far or are you already ready for Opening Day? The floor is now yours and here’s a random clip:
On 2/24, inside the serene halls of Hoag Hospital, Vanessa Bryant stood in a place that once echoed with the first cries of her four daughters and unveiled something that now carries a different kind of sound — legacy.
The “Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Court” isn’t a basketball court dressed in purple and gold. It’s a welcome and departure space inside the Sue & Bill Gross Women’s Pavilion, where mothers cradle newborns and fathers hold the future in trembling hands.
Vanessa Bryant stood in a place that once echoed with the first cries of her four daughters. X/kobehighlightIt honors Kobe’s No. 24 and Gianna’s No. 2 — numbers stitched into basketball history. Getty Images
It honors Kobe’s No. 24 and Gianna’s No. 2 — numbers stitched into basketball history and now etched into something more intimate: community care.
On 2/24, Vanessa Bryant unveiled the new Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Court at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, a date that honors both Kobe’s No. 24 and Gianna’s No. 2.
"Today on 2/24, we unveiled the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family court at Hoag Hospital in Newport… pic.twitter.com/1I6JGszZe7
Vanessa, steady and resolute, reminded everyone that Hoag will always hold a sacred place in her heart. This is where her daughters were born. Where nurses became extended family. Where life, not legend, took center stage.
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There are critics who say public memorials risk becoming monuments to nostalgia. They miss the point. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s infrastructure for hope.
Families will pass through that court for decades, unaware of the full weight of the numbers 2 and 24. That’s the beauty of it.
Legacy doesn’t always need applause. Sometimes it just needs a doorway — and the courage to keep walking forward.
“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts," Knight told ESPN on Wednesday. “And continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time.”
Knight, a two-time gold medalist whose 15 goals and 33 points in Olympic competition are the most by a U.S. hockey player at the Games, said she's not focusing on an offhand comment by Trump after the American men topped Canada for gold in overtime on Sunday.
Talking on a speakerphone in the postgame locker room, Trump extended an invitation to the White House to the men's team, then added, “We’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.” The president later joked that if he didn't extend the invitation, he would probably be impeached.
While the vast majority of the men's team flew to Washington on Tuesday and visited Trump in the White House before being guests at the State of the Union, many of the women's players were on the way back to their professional or college clubs.
USA Hockey, which said it was “honored” by the invitation, cited logistical issues as the major hurdle that prevented the women's team from stopping by the White House. The team was originally scheduled to fly commercially into New York on Monday, but was forced to reroute through Atlanta due to a snowstorm in the Northeast.
Several players were going to stick around New York for promotional purposes, even ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Those scheduled appearances had to be canceled because of flight changes.
Knight lamented that the video — which included several players laughing after Trump's comments — took on a life of its own and didn't convey the true nature of the relationship between the men's and women's teams.
“I think the guys were in a tough spot,” Knight said. "So I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”
Kelly Pannek, a forward on the women's team, told reporters, “the video is what it is" but added it was a “special feeling” spending time with the men's team after they won the first Olympic gold for the U.S. in 46 years. Pannek believes there is mutual respect and support on both sides of the relationship.
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman told reporters in Boston after returning to practice with the Bruins that the men “should have reacted differently” to Trump's remarks.
“To share that gold medal with them is something that we’re forever grateful for,” Swayman said. "And now that we’re home we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support we have from the USA and share this incredible gold medal.”
The earliest the U.S. women could make a visit would be in late spring after the conclusion of the Professional Women's Hockey League season.
Knight called the dustup a “really good learning point” and hopes that it will affect the way women are talked about both inside and outside of the sports world.
The U.S. won 12 gold medals in Milan Cortina, with women playing a hand in eight of them.
“Women aren’t less than," Knight said. "And their achievements shouldn’t be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are.”
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, gave up three runs in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
Roki Sasaki took the mound Wednesday, looking to build off the success he enjoyed late last season, as he enters his second year with the Dodgers.
It did not go smoothly, with Sasaki struggling to find the strike zone and getting hit hard by the Arizona Diamondbacks when he did. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up three runs on three hits and two walks. He did record three strikeouts, with his fastball topping out at 98.6 miles per hour, but only 17 of his 36 pitches landed for strikes.
"There were some positive things, but also things I need to work on," Sasaki said via an interpreter after he was lifted from the Dodgers' 10-7 win.
Sasaki gave up a hard-hit single to leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo, and Tim Tawa walked. With one out, Nolan Arenado hit a line-drive double to left that scored Perdomo. Ildemaro Vargas followed with another double, scoring Tawa and Arenado for a 3-0 lead.
After a mound visit from pitching coach Mark Prior, Sasaki struck out Jordan Lawlar and Ryan Waldschmidt to end the inning. Sasaki struck out Druw Jones leading off the second, then walked Aramis Garcia and was removed.
"In the bullpen, I felt pretty good about the forkball but once I got on the mound, it didn't go well," Sasaki said. "And the four-seam, I felt pretty good in the bullpen but once I got on the mound, it felt a little off."
Sasaki emerged as a viable high-leverage relief option out of Dave Roberts’ bullpen upon his return to the club’s big-league roster in late September. He gave up just one run, six hits and five walks over 10.2 IP in the postseason. But the goal this spring is for him to cement himself as a mainstay in the club’s pitching rotation.
"I thought he was overthrowing, I hadn't seen that all spring," Roberts said after the game. "He was a little too bullish on the fastball, but he was getting behind in the first inning. It was good to see that second inning, I thought he mixed better and commanded the baseball a little bit better."
Sasaki spent the offseason working to develop a third pitch, to add to his fastball-splitter mix. The new weapon in Sasaki’s arsenal has been described by Roberts as a “slider-cutter” hybrid.
Two other notable names made their Cactus League debuts on Wednesday for the Dodgers, with River Ryan pitching a scoreless third inning while walking one and striking out one. Edwin Díaz pitched the fourth inning, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Paul Gervase trying to make his mark in camp
Dodgers pitcher Paul Gervase pitching in the third inning at Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., against the Angels. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Paul Gervase is more than just the answer to a trivia question.
Yes, when the 6-foot-10 right-hander appeared in one game for the Dodgers last season, he became the tallest pitcher in team history, surpassing the 6-9 Mark Hendrickson. And this year at Camelback Ranch, the 25-year-old has cut a distinct figure on the mound as he works on his consistency and pitch mix.
“I’m working on a few things, mainly routine-oriented, trying to stay more consistent every time I go out there,” he said last week. “When I have a good outing, make sure the next one’s good and not just have spurts.”
Gervase joined the organization last year at the trade deadline as part of a minor three-team deal that became known more for netting the Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt, a crucial fill-in for an injured Will Smith down the stretch and early in the postseason.
But the story really begins with an ultimatum.
Dodgers pitcher Paul Gervase gets ready to throw a pitch against the Angels at Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Gervase started his collegiate career at Pfeiffer University, a Division III school in Misenheimer, N.C. After struggling his freshman season, his father said they would not pay for school if Gervase didn't improve his performance. The right-hander pushed himself to transform his game, working with a trainer to improve his mechanics and eventually increasing his fastball velocity by 8-10 mph.
After a stint in community college, Gervase latched on with Louisiana State for the 2022 season and got drafted that year in the 12th round by the New York Mets. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024 and he made his MLB debut with the Rays last June and appeared in five games before going to the Dodgers.
Following the trade, Gervase spent most of his time with triple-A Oklahoma City but did pitch two innings against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 20, giving up a run and two hits in two innings of work. And this spring, he's made two scoreless appearances in Cactus League play, yielding two hits and recording three strikeouts over two innings.
"Yesterday was a good one," Roberts said Wednesday morning of Gervase's inning of work against the Cleveland Guardians. "He's looked fine. It's a really good fastball. I think the secondaries, just continue to tighten those up. I would expect Paul to pitch for us at some point this year."
Gervase's one appearance in 2025 was enough to earn him a World Series ring, which he'll be happy to share with the father who gave him an ultimatum to improve his game.
“I wish I did more to get it, but it does feel really cool,” he said. “He’ll be excited.”
Millwall beat Birmingham to keep up promotion push
Coventry extended their lead at the top of the Championship to five points after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Sheffield United, while Millwall went third by beating Birmingham City 3-0 on Wednesday.
After a run of two wins in eight games caused Frank Lampard’s men to blow a comfortable advantage in the race for promotion to the Premier League, Coventry have bounced back with three consecutive wins.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees looks on during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 18, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As we continue on with spring training, it’s time for a little night baseball. Tonight, the Yankees will welcome the Nationals into Steinbrenner Field, which will feature our first look at one of the newest members of the Bronx Bombers.
Tonight, Ryan Weathers will take the mound for his first appearance as a Yankees. The team acquired him in a trade from the Marlins over the offseason, and he seems mostly slated to be a depth arm, who could appear as a starter or out of the bullpen (more likely the former than the latter, at least to begin 2026). However at 25 years old, he’s still young enough that there’s hope he could develop into something intriguing.
After loading up yesterday’s lineup, this one has fewer expected regulars. Amed Rosario, Jasson Domínguez, and Ben Rice make up the top third of the order, and even the middle one of those three has some questions about his Opening Day roster status. Besides that, we will get a look at prospect George Lombard Jr. tonight.
CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews are the big names in the Nats’ lineup tonight, while Andrew Alvarez will take the mound for them.
We hope that you’ll come join us in the game thread for tonight’s matchup, and here’s everything you need to know on how to catch the action.
How to watch
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Washington Nationals catcher Drew Millas (14) catches the ball before a MLB spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 23, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Nationals have had a red hot start to Spring Training. They have won four games and tied once so far in the Grapefruit League. The Nats will look to keep that up as they travel to Tampa to take on the Yankees. This is a long trip for Spring Training but multiple regulars will be in the lineup.
CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and Keibert Ruiz are the biggest names in the lineup. Honestly, the lineup looks similar to the one the Nats threw out on Monday. Trade acquisition Abimelec Ortiz will be at first base as he tries to secure an Opening Day roster spot. Andrew Alvarez will be making his first start of the spring. He was impressive in a few starts in September.
We will not be seeing Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton or most of the other famous Bronx Bombers. However, notable names like Ben Rice and Jasson Dominguez will be in the lineup. There will be a couple of former Nats in the lineup as well, with Amed Rosario and Paul DeJong featuring for the Yankees. Ryan Weathers, who they acquired from the Marlins will be on the mound.
TV: Nationals.TV (but it will be the YES telecast)
Radio: N/A
The Nats have not been on TV since the first game of Spring Training, so it will be nice to have them back. They have been performing well so far this spring. Obviously these games do not count, but it is nice to see them securing curly W’s. Interested to see what Andrew Alvarez has in store tonight. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 30: Matt Waldron #61 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Petco Park on July 30,...
Padres starter Matt Waldron could begin the season on the injured list after manager Craig Stammen said the pitcher recently sustained an “infection in his rear end.”
The San Diego skipper told reporters the 29-year-old knuckleballer actually required a procedure this week to fix the ailment — which was later clarified to be a hemorrhoid issue.
“(Waldron) had to have surgery to drain it and make it better,” Stammen said. “So he’s been in the hospital the last couple days.”
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Fortunately, Stammen said he expected the Padres pitcher to be discharged soon.
Padres pitcher Matt Waldron could begin the season on the injured list after he sustained an “infection in his rear end.” The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images
“But he’ll be out kind of week-to-week depending on how that incision heals and how he’s feeling moving around,” Stammen added.
Waldron, an 18th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, has thrown for the Padres the last three seasons, earning appearances in 36 total games.
His last and only 2025 start for San Diego came in June, when he gave up four earned runs in 4.2 innings in a loss to the Phillies.
Matt Waldron has logged 36 appearances for the Padres since the 2023 season. Getty Images
Stammen said Waldron had been showing promising signs in the early goings of spring training this month, and he was “disappointed in that regard” for the wounded right-hander.
“We’ll take care of him the best we can,” Stammen said, “set him up here for the end of spring training, get him going, and then we’ll see where that takes us as the season goes and where his rehab process goes.”
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is always good news to hear, but especially so after some recent reporting.
The Sixers released their injury report for their upcoming contest against the Miami Heat and it is relatively clean. Most notably Joel Embiid is listed as probable with right knee injury management and shin soreness after returning earlier this week against the Indiana Pacers.
The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow's game vs. Miami:
Joel Embiid – right knee injury management; right shin soreness — PROBABLE
After that return in Indy, a game in which Embiid dropped 27 points, he told the Inquirer’s Gina Mizell that he experienced what was basically a stress reaction in his right leg during his recovery process over the All-Star break. The full article from a reporter is well worth a read, but Embiid likened the feeling to an electric shock and said he had trouble walking.
Of course the team only specified “shin soreness” on every injury report, but that report being less than 100% accurate is just another Wednesday for these guys.
Having Embiid good to go will be crucial for this Eastern Conference bout at home. The Sixers are currently just 1.5 games up on the Miami Heat for that sixth and final playoff spot that avoids the Play-In tournament. Miami of course isn’t the only team they’re trying to fend off — the Sixers only a half game up on the Orlando Magic as well.
Miami’s injury report is littered with banged up rotation players, but most of them are listed as available. Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins will all play despite being listed with various ailments and Davion Mitchell is questionable with a head injury and an illness.
Marques Johnson is a hoops legend. He is a Crenshaw High School icon who helped lead the UCLA Bruins to a national championship at the end of the John Wooden era (and was the first winner of The Wooden Award), was a No. 3 pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1977 and went on to play 11 years in the NBA, was a five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA player who averaged 20.1 points and 7 rebounds a game for his career.
Johnson has been dunking on his birthday for 15 years, ever since, as a joke, he jumped over two Matchbox cars in a joking play off Blake Griffin's over-a-car dunk at the 2011 All-Star Game.
At 70, the long-time Bucks color analyst can still throw it down.
Remember the 1998 movie “Sliding Doors“? It represents how minor, coincidental or inconsequential actions can lead to major, life-changing consequences. The “what if …” or parallel universe phenomenon.
Well, there are sliding door moments in sports history, too, and today’s is that Michael Jordan, not Kobe Bryant, could have been the original “Black Mamba.”
According to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, back in 2003, inside a sleek conference room at Nike headquarters, executives studied a braided, black industrial sleeve called Tech Flex. It looked like a snake. It felt like a snake. Someone typed “most badass black snake” into a search bar and found their answer: the black mamba. Lightning fast. Deadly. Precise. The perfect metaphor for Jordan as he prepared to launch the Air Jordan 19 sneaker.
The Washington Wizards Michael Jordan (L) of the East Squad of the NBA All-Stars brings the ball upcourt against Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of the 52nd annual NBA All-Star game. REUTERS
There was just one problem that nobody knew about.
Jordan was afraid of snakes.
Not mildly uncomfortable. Not uneasy. Terrified. The kind of phobia that makes a competitor who never blinked in the Finals suddenly shift in his chair during a marketing pitch. He allowed one print ad — a black mamba coiled around the $165 sneaker in ESPN The Magazine — and then he shut it down. Reconcept. Move on. Kill it before it kills the brand.
In the March 13, 2004, issue of ESPN The Magazine, a two-page spread featured the full ad — the Air Jordan 19, wrapped by a black mamba snake.
And so the “Black Mamba” slithered into the archives of history, but only briefly before it was reborn.
A year later, fate intervened in the dark glow of a television screen. “Kill Bill Vol. 2” flickered across the room as Bryant watched Darryl Hannah’s assassin introduce a venomous serpent as “Death Incarnate.”
Bryant, drowning in scandal, scrutiny and a Colorado courtroom, needed armor. He needed separation from the noise. He created the Black Mamba — not as a sneaker pitch but as a survival mechanism.
Nike insiders insist Bryant never knew the moniker was once floated for Jordan. Different silos. Different eras. A coincidence so bizarre it feels scripted.
But imagine if Jordan had embraced it.
Imagine “Mamba Day” belonging to No. 23. Imagine sneakers textured in snakeskin before Bryant ever held one for that iconic SLAM cover.
The first image of Bryant with the black mamba snake appeared on the cover of SLAM Magazine in the summer of 2006.
Imagine “Mamba Mentality” attached to the man already nicknamed “Air Jordan.”
It wouldn’t have worked.
Jordan was a predator, yes — but he was myth built on flight, not venom. He soared. Jordan’s other nickname, “His Airness,” was apropos.
Kobe Bryant was different. Yes, he studied Jordan on VHS tapes as a kid. Yes, he also could jump high and dunk with the best of them — just ask Dwight Howard. But when Kobe was in kill mode, he struck. Just like a deadly snake.
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A long break didn’t help the Flyers a whole lot Wednesday night.
After a 19-day layoff because of the Olympics, the Flyers fell to the Capitals, 3-1, at Capital One Arena.
Noah Cates scored the team’s lone goal.
The Flyers (25-21-11) had a chance to tie the game with 48.4 seconds left when they emptied their net for a two-man advantage on a power play, but Washington converted at shorthanded.
Rick Tocchet’s club has dropped 13 of its last 16 games (3-9-4), a stretch in which it has scored just 2.44 goals per game.
The Flyers are 1-1-0 in their four-game regular-season series with the Capitals (30-23-7).
• Dan Vladar surrendered two or fewer goals for the 21st time in 33 starts this season.
He converted 26 saves on 28 shots, but the effort went wasted.
Rasmus Sandin opened the scoring with 6:08 minutes left in the second period, handing the Flyers their 38th 1-0 deficit.
Cates responded with a deflection just 29 seconds into the third period.
Washington, though, scored its game-winner with 5:52 minutes to go on a Trevor van Riemsdyk marker. The Flyers didn’t seem to have a good line change, leaving Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen to defend an odd-man rush.
Capitals netminder Logan Thompson stopped 23 of the Flyers’ 24 shots. He faced only six in the third period.
• The Flyers failed to take advantage of the third-place Islanders being idle.
They’re eight points back of New York in the Metropolitan Division race with 25 games to go. They entered Wednesday with a 12.4 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to Hockey-Reference.com’s probabilities report.
“It’s something that is obtainable and our guys believe in,” assistant coach Todd Reirden said a week ago. “If we can get back to playing the way we were playing in the beginning of the season, I think we give ourselves a really good chance.”
• Emil Andrae went into the break having sat out the Flyers’ last five games. The 24-year-old defenseman remained a healthy scratch Wednesday night.
Tocchet and Reirden have been rolling with Noah Juulsen for his righty shot and penalty kill responsibilities.
“Emil has had a really good year,” Reirden said last Thursday. “I mean, he has already passed his career numbers. In terms of where his path is for this year and in terms of how we’re using him game by game, sometimes it’s situational, sometimes it’s handedness.
“He’s doing everything he can to get himself in a situation where he’s fighting to be in that lineup every night. We’ll continue to go through that discussion. … This is a player that has definitely improved and continues to improve. Being able to just keep that level of consistency for us is important.”
• The Flyers are right back at it Thursday when they visit the Rangers (8 p.m. ET/ESPN).
