PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 27: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Lights. Camera. Action.
After nearly six months, the Phoenix Suns are set to play their first game tonight at the Mortgage Matchup Center since their Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs last season. At 7:30 Arizona Time, they’ll tango against the San Antonio Spurs in their preseason home opener.
For at least 43 times over the next six-plus months, there will be Suns basketball played in Arizona. Two preseason and 41 regular season games.
While the last game they played at home ended their season, the team had many unforgettable victories on their home court.
25-16 in Phoenix a season ago, many of the team’s most memorable moments came at the Mortgage Matchup Center during the 2025-2026 campaign, including Jalen Green’s buzzer beater, Devin Booker’s game-winner against the NBA’s best regular-season team, Grayson Allen’s franchise-record 10-three contest and many other exciting comebacks and game-winners.
The Suns also clinched their spot in the Western Conference Playoff bracket in Phoenix last year, beating the Golden State Warriors in the 8/9 Play-In game, returning to the playoffs after a year’s absence, officially surprising the many who didn’t expect them to be in the top-eight of the conference.
Nov 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) prepares to take the game winning shot against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) in the second half of an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Whether it’s getting to watch Devin Booker and the squad, saying hi to The Gorilla, or munching down on any of the items from the $2 menu, what is your favorite part of going to Suns games?
Oct 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) and the rest of the Guardians celebrate after beating the Chicago White Sox in game four of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The final spot in the best-of-seven League Championship Series will be decided tonight as the Cleveland Guardians face the Chicago White Sox in Game 5 of their Division Series. The winner will advance to face the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League pennant. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers will look to avenge last fall’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the same round. That series begins Sunday, with the ALCS starting Monday.
Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox (8:00 PM EDT)
Tonight, the MLB spotlight will be on Cleveland, where the AL Central rivals will meet in the most important game of their season. The White Sox won the regular-season series against the Guardians 7-6, as the two teams struggled to gain an edge over one another down the stretch.
It is fitting, then, that this series comes down to a winner-take-all Game 5. The road team has won each of the first four games. Will the Guardians buck that trend and win in front of their home fans, or will the White Sox win their third straight playoff game in Cleveland?
Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams, who came out of the bullpen Friday to record the final three outs of Game 4, will make his third appearance and second start of the series. He started Game 2 and received a no-decision after allowing two runs on four hits over five innings while striking out 11.
After failing to clinch a postseason series win at home for the first time since 1906, the White Sox are dropping the opener strategy for the first time this round. Right-hander Sean Burke, who was Chicago’s best starting pitcher this season, will start for the visitors. He outdueled Williams in Game 2, allowing one run on one hit over 5 1/3 innings of bulk relief following the opener.
How deep both starters go into the game will likely depend on their performance and the score. As this series has shown, White Sox manager Will Venable and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt are willing to turn to their bullpens early and often.
Which team will win? Will it be a blowout, or a close, dramatic game?
Oct 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams (32) and catcher Patrick Bailey, right, celebrate after the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox in game four of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The bad news is that the Rangers current backup goaltender is 31-year-old Spencer Martin, who has a career 87.5 percent save percentage through 72 games played in the NHL, and was only recently cleared from a lower-body injury of his own.
Behind Martin is emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) Remmington Keopple, a 24-year-old who played 19 NCAA games across four seasons at Cornell between 2022 and 2026.
With this in mind -- assuming that the Blueshirts can't convince Jonathan Quick or Connor Ingram to come out of retirement, and don't have the leverage to swing a trade for an established NHL goaltender such as Connor Hellebuyck -- let's take a look at three realistic options the Rangers could bring in to serve as Garand's backup, including two third-string goalies under one-year contracts with other NHL teams and one current free agent.
Matt Murray
32-year-old Canadian Matt Murray is very familiar with Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan. As a rookie with Sully's Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16, he replaced legendary veteran Marc-André Fleury in the first round of the playoffs, posting a .923 save percentage and 2.08 GAA across 15 games as the Pens emerged as 2016 Stanley Cup Champions.
Murray spent five years in Pittsburgh, two seasons in Ottawa, and three seasons in Toronto, which included a 21-month absence due to bilateral hip surgery. Last season, he started four games for the Seattle Kraken as the third-choice goaltender behind Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer. A small sample size, yes, but Murray recorded strong marks in both save percentage (.922) and goals against average (2.21).
That serious hip injury could be the reason why Murray remains an unrestricted free agent, but with proven NHL experience and familiarity with the Rangers' head honcho, he could be worth a flier.
Remi Poirier
25-year-old Remi Poirier has yet to make his NHL debut, but in my opinion, that's no fault of his own. A sixth-round pick in 2020 by the Dallas Stars, Poirier was unsurprisingly unable to dislodge either of the members of a premier goaltender tandem in the form of Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith, who have been the team's unquestioned starter and backup for three seasons running. Last season with the AHL's Texas Stars, Poirier was something of a bell cow, starting 52 games and recoding a .912 save percentage alongside a 2.61 GAA.
Similar in many ways to Garand, Poirier was waived by the Stars in late September, but unlike Garand, Poirier was claimed by another team. Now the third-choice for the New Jersey Devils behind Jake Allen and Nico Daws, Poirier's $850,000 contract expires at season's end, when he's set to become a restricted free agent.
With Poirier yet to make a start for the Devils, a crosstown trade to the Rangers could give him the chance to prove he's got what it takes to be a full-time NHL backup.
Brandon Halverson
Drafted by the Rangers at the tail end of the 2014 NHL Draft's second round, 6'5" American netminder Brandon Halverson has made just two NHL starts since. And yet, the 30-year-old's stock is seemingly on the rise.
Halverson struggled mightily during his time in the Rangers organization following the draft, bouncing around from the OHL to the AHL and even the ECHL (one tier below the AHL). After a brief stint in Germany's second-tier, he was signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning and dominated the AHL during the last three seasons, saving 91 percent of the 2421 shots on goal he faced with the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
A free agent this past offseason, Halverson earned the third-choice gig in Dallas with the AHL's Texas Stars, and as I mentioned earlier, Dallas's AHL starter is merely an insurance policy for Oettinger and DeSmith.
On a one-year, $850,000 contract, trading for Halverson to serve as Garand's backup could be a low-risk, high-reward reclamation project for the Rangers.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 10: Jake Allen #34 of the New Jersey Devils is congratulated by teammate Jack Hughes #86 after the win over the Vancouver Canucks at Prudential Center on October 10, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. This game was Allen's 500th NHL game. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Period
After putting together four good shifts to start the game, the New Jersey Devils took a bad penalty when Anthony Mantha went to the box for hooking in the neutral zone four and a half minutes in. Cody Glass won the first draw on the penalty kill, allowing the Devils to clear the puck. The forwards did well early on, but Dougie Hamilton was screening Jake Allen a bit when Linus Karlsson took a shot from the side of the high slot near halfway into the kill, as the Canucks went up 1-0.
The Devils went to the power play when Jonathan Lekkerimaki was called for high sticking Brett Pesce a couple minutes later. Hischier won the draw, but Bratt’s weak pass to the point was immediately picked off and cleared. The Devils took three turns to get full possession back in the offensive zone, wasting most of the first unit’s time. But when they did get back in, completing passes, Nico Hischier took a pass in the bumper and scored his 200th NHL goal to tie the game!
After a hard Luke Hughes slap shot, Kevin Lankinen had to replace Leevi Merliainen due to Merlialinen’s skate blade being broken. With the equipment crew unable to fix the skate, Lankinen was forced to enter. This would prove costly to the Canucks. Filip Hronek was skating backwards with the puck in their defensive zone and fanned on a pass, allowing Amadeus Lombardi to shoot on Lankinen. Lankinen allowed the shot to leak through, and Jesper Boqvist smacked the puck into the net! The Devils went up 2-1 as Lombardi picked up his first career point.
Second Period
The Canucks gained Leevi Merliainen back in their net to start the second period. Yet again, the Devils looked like they were outclassing the Canucks at five-on-five to start this period. Thankfully, they didn’t take a back-breaking penalty. But Brock Boeser would take a hooking penalty for Vancouver, sending the Devils back to the power play a few minutes into the period.
Nico Hischier won the draw, but the Devils were forced back. When they regained possession, Jesper Bratt cut across for a backhand, but Merliainen made the save. The Devils were forced back again, but the first unit stayed on. Jack Hughes made a nice feed to Nico Hischier, but Merliainen blocked it with his pad. Nico poked at it, and Jesper Bratt came in from behind to shoot the puck through Filip Hronek to give the Devils a 3-1 lead!
This power play did not look very good early on, but the last minute of the period featured a lot of in-zone time for them. Here, they broke the Canucks down as Dougie Hamilton was quarterbacking the power play. With 9.6 seconds to play, Nico Hischier scored at the side of the net when Jack Hughes feathered a pass across the crease after Bratt drew defenders to the slot and sent the puck down low.
After the goal, at center ice, Evan Rodrigues knocked Marco Rossi down with his stick when Rossi hit him with his glove. Rodrigues was reviewed for a spearing major. He was gifted a four-minute double minor instead of the major, but it looked to me like he deserved a game misconduct.
Evan Rodrigues has been assessed a double-minor for "high-sticking" on Marco Rossi 😬 pic.twitter.com/r8RzBZ0Khv
The Devils set out to kill the remaining 3:51 of the Rodrigues penalty to start the second period, sending out Cody Glass, Dawson Mercer, Brett Pesce, and Brenden Dillon. Glass won the draw, and Dillon cleared down to Vancouver. Glass was strong on Vancouver’s entry, allowing Mercer to force them back to center. After another entry, Glass cleared down the ice and went off for Hischier and Bratt. Siegenthaler and Hamilton came on for Dillon and Pesce. Hamilton got the next clear to allow the Devils more breathing room before disrupting Vancouver’s next entry, allowing Hischier to clear the puck and change. Gritsyuk and Meier went on with Dillon and Pesce as the Devils ramped the pressure up on Vancouver, drawing a penalty to negate the remaining 1:51 of the Canucks penalty. Brock Boeser went off for hooking Timo Meier.
At four-on-four, Luke Hughes stripped the puck on the wall and sent his brother Jack ahead. He did not get his best shot on goal, but it still went forced Merliainen to smother it under his arm. Declan Chisholm later picked off a pass to Filip Hronek right in front of Allen on the other end. A couple shifts after the penalties expired, Paul Cotter threw a big hit on Evan Rodrigues, but the two did not fight despite exchanging words at several points.
The Canucks fittingly showed little fight throughout the rest of the game, as the Devils just missed on several chances to extend their lead as Jake Allen’s workload calmed down over the last 20.
Giving up just one screened goal in his 500th NHL game, Jake Allen faced just over 2 expected goals from the Vancouver Canucks this afternoon and came up big with some strong saves and steady positional play in the crease. Allen goes up to 2-1-0 this season, 38-40-4 as a Devil, and 227-206-45 in his total career with today’s win. Through the first four games of the season, Allen has been stronger than not in his three appearances, though I suspect that things are going to slow down for him a bit from here. The Devils have been able to play him in these three out of four because of how many rest days they’ve had, as he had four and then three rest days between starts. He will have to settle for just one or two to the next game, as the Devils play four games in six days from Monday to next Saturday.
Nico 200
Jake Allen turned out to be only one of the Devils to reach a career milestone today, as Nico Hischier scored his 200th and 201st career goals in a three-point game. In Devils franchise history, Hischier ranks fifth on the all-time scoring list, though he will tie Bobby Holik and Travis Zajac for tied-third all-time with his next goal. Meanwhile, with a secondary assist on Nico’s second goal, Jesper Bratt passed Travis Zajac to take sole possession of fifth place all-time on the Devils’ assist leaderboard at 349.
The Devils have needed Nico to get going with the goal scoring, as he was held scoreless through the team’s first three games. Two of those goals helped the Devils go three-for-four on the power play today, though it was practically a three-for-three considering their last power play spanned 11 seconds. So, after the power play started 1-for-14 (7.14%), they are now officially 4-for-18 (22.22%). That’s a world of difference.
Better Penalty Kill?
The Devils went two-for-three on the penalty kill today. Technically, that isn’t great, but it is better than their 62.5% kill rate over the first three games. What I found encouraging, though, was how well they approached the penalty kill after the Rodrigues penalty. They were able to pressure the puck on entries and along the wall, forcing the Canucks to try and make good passes. The frustration they inflicted on Vancouver led to Brock Boeser’s second penalty of the game, and they did it by rolling three forward units on the kill who were able to change frequently due to the number of times they cleared the defensive zone. More of that in the future will lead to better results.
Two Games, Two Goals for Boqvist
While I am still not convinced that the right players are centering the third and fourth lines, I am really encouraged by the chemistry that Amadeus Lombardi and Jesper Boqvist have built over two games together so far. Boqvist had four shots on goal today, including the game-winning goal, while Lombardi and Rodrigues had a shot each. Lombardi’s, of course, led to Boqvist’s goal in the first period as Lombardi got his first career point. But just like that, this is already the hottest start to a season Boqvist has ever had. He’s never scored two goals in the first five games played of a season, and his career-best was two assists in the first three games he played for Florida in 2024-25. In the two seasons Boqvist had 10 goals for the Devils, it took him 17 and nine games to get on the scoresheet for the team. Hopefully, by getting on the board early and often, Boqvist can get going on a big year, as he has historically been a high-percentage shooter when he actually gets shots on goal.
Keep Your Stick Down
I was incensed by Evan Rodrigues’s spearing penalty on Marco Rossi at the end of the second period. I was sure it was going to be called a five-minute major, as Rodrigues made direct contact with Rossi during the incident. I was angry for three reasons. First and foremost, Evan Rodrigues is 33 years old. He should know better. Second, the Devils had just gone up three goals. Putting his team at risk of having to kill a five-minute major penalty was incredibly thoughtless of Rodrigues. Third, I would hate to see a team take runs at the Devils’ stars because a bottom six player made a really bad decision.
Thankfully, for the Devils, the Canucks looked like they wanted no part of making the Devils pay for what Rodrigues did. And for that matter, the only Canuck who really gave it to Rodrigues was Paul Cotter, who threw a big check on him and seemed ready to get going with a fight. If this incident were flipped, where a Devils player was speared and the team did not fight afterwards for him, I could not imagine how upset this board would be at the lack of toughness on display by the team. So, I am not sure how Canucks fans are feeling right now, but I was shocked that nobody even tried to drop the gloves on Rodrigues or really rough him up after a whistle. He got away with it this time, but I would hope that this never repeats as long as he’s a Devil.
Your Thoughts
But what did you think of this afternoon’s game? Did you think the Devils missed some opportunities? What did you think of the late-second period lull before the power play? What did you think of the spearing penalty? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and thanks for reading.
The Sixers’ third preseason contest was a blowout affair.
The Celtics cruised to a 144-106 exhibition victory Saturday night over the Sixers at TD Garden. The Sixers fell to 1-2 in preseason play.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum scored 23 points and Payton Pritchard poured in 25. VJ Edgecombe had 19 points, four assists and four steals for the Sixers.
After using their full starting five Thursday in a loss to the Nets, the Sixers’ absences included LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid. Adem Bona (left foot sprain), Dominick Barlow (back) and Anfernee Simons (hamstring) were among the other players on the sidelines.
The Sixers’ fourth and final preseason game will also be against the Celtics. They’ll host Boston next Friday night.
Here are observations on their loss Saturday:
Walker starts at center
The Sixers started Tyrese Maxey, Edgecombe, Justin Edwards, Dean Wade and Jabari Walker.
Edgecombe had a bright first few minutes, scoring a reverse and-one layup and canning a three-pointer to give the Sixers an 8-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Celtics missed their first seven field goals.
The 6-foot-7 Walker played center and faced a pair of 7-footers in Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta.
Walker had some nice early moments, including a put-back layup, although he accumulated three fouls in his first 10 minutes. He posted 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and five rebounds. Walker swished a corner three-pointer in the second quarter and continued to fire away from long range. He’s now 5 for 13 (38.5 percent) beyond the arc in the preseason.
The 6-9 Wade moved to center after Walker took a seat. Robinson beat Wade to an offensive rebound in the second quarter and then converted an and-one lay-in.
Not every team has multiple 7-footers in its rotation like the Celtics and Robinson is a tremendous offensive rebounder who habitually wins individual battles against centers of all sizes. Still, the Sixers are simply small at backup center currently with the injuries to Bona and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear).
Not the finest night for Sixers’ offense
Maxey had an uncharacteristically rough preseason start.
He began 0 for 4 from the floor. Maxey committed his second foul of the first quarter when he made contact with Paul George on his former teammate’s fadeaway jumper attempt. In his first game since being traded to Boston, George had 13 points on 3-for-10 shooting, five steals, five rebounds and four assists.
Maxey wasn’t the only cold Sixer. The team dropped to 4 for 21 from three-point range on an Edwards air ball.
Outside of all the misses, the Sixers’ offense was sloppy and lacked fluidity. Following a 21-turnover game against the Nets, the team had 13 giveaways in Saturday’s first half. The Celtics’ advantage swelled over 20 points before halftime.
Naturally, the Sixers will expect much better from their offense once they’re closer to full strength and the games count.
More useful reps for Philon
Labaron Philon Jr. featured for the Sixers’ young second unit.
As he had in Brooklyn, Philon hit a three soon after checking in. For any rookie coming off the bench, being locked in immediately after entering games is much easier said than done. Philon comes across as a player who has no issues with confidence and focus once his name is called.
The Alabama product started the second half and got useful on-ball reps in Maxey’s place. He logged 25 minutes and had 14 points and seven assists.
Philon’s efficiency had been subpar through two and a half preseason games, but he knocked down two long-range jumpers early in the fourth quarter and is clearly capable of getting hot. The 22nd overall pick has shot 9 for 30 (30 percent) from the field and 5 for 15 (33.3 percent) from three-point territory so far in his first NBA preseason.
Sonya Curry attends the 2023 Sundance Film Festival “Stephen Curry: Underrated” premiere at Eccles Center Theatre on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Park City, Utah. Getty Images
If the Warriors star has any qualms with his mother getting remarried, it certainly didn’t show on his face while he was at the wedding.
Sonya’s post also included a group of Polaroid photos from the wedding. Steph and his wife, Ayesha, can be seen posing together in the Polaroid at the very top.
Steph’s happiness in the photo says it all about how he was enjoying himself at the wedding and appears to be happy for his mother as she embarks on this new phase of her life.
The marriage took place at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort and was planned in just nine weeks, according to Sonya’s Instagram post.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors speaks to the crowd about his former head coach Don Nelson before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Getty Images
Sonya Curry’s new husband hasn’t been publicly identified, and his face doesn’t appear in any of the wedding photos she posted.
But she still frequents Warriors games, and so it seems like she’ll show up with her husband at some game this season.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after the Warriors made a basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of their preseason game at Chase Center on Tuesday, October 06, 2026, in San Francisco, California. Getty Images
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 5: Jordan Goodwin #23, Rasheer Fleming #20 of the Phoenix Suns and John Collins #20 of the Detroit Pistons look to rebound the ball during the NBA preseason on October 5, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons were able to showcase their depth in a preseason debut win over the Phoenix Suns, but their starters had their fair share of struggles. Ausar Thompson was attempting to handle the ball much more than usual, John Collins was trying to integrate himself into the lineup while also trying not to murder Dillon Brooks, and Paul Reed was stepping in for Jalen Duren. Then some key bench players were also a little erratic — plenty of shots for Ron Holland, and plenty of fouls and turnovers for… everyone. It’s fine. It’s the preseason. That’s what it’s for. But now the Pistons have a chance to sharpen up against the Washington Wizards. Jalen Duren might suit up today, and we will get a better sense of what a lot of these new ingredients and further simmering talents are able to do for the Pistons.
GAME VITALS
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC Watch: TV: TV20 Detroit | Streaming: DAZN-DET Odds: Pistons -4.5
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren
Washington Wizards
Trae Young, Kyshawn George, AJ Dybantsa, Alex Sarr, Anthony Davis
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the Atlanta Braves versus Philadelphia Phillies game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on September 30, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It would be hard to find a Washington Nationals fan who would be against the idea of adding pitching this offseason, especially with the emergence of multiple key offensive pieces.
The free agent pool isn’t filled with many high-tier arms outside marquee starter Tarik Skubal, but it does include a handful of the exact type of pitcher Washington would love to add: middle-of-the-rotation veteran starters.
Names like former San Diego Padre Michael King and former Chicago Cub Kevin Gausman have already been floated as potential fits. Still, one player whose recent play could skyrocket him up the Nats’ wish list is 32-year-old Tyler Mahle.
Injuries severely threatened the righty’s MLB career in recent years, causing him to throw just over 100 innings from 2023-2025. His attempt at a career revival with the San Francisco Giants in 2026 got off to a rough start with an ERA above 5.00 through 18 starts, but everything changed after he was dealt to the Atlanta Braves prior to the trade deadline.
Atlanta needed any healthy arms to add to the rotation, but Mahle gave them so much more than just that. Averaging over 6.00 innings per start, his 9 regular-season appearances with the Braves were simply spectacular, throwing to a 1.99 ERA in the second half. He took it to another level in his first career taste of the postseason, shutting down two of the most feared lineups in baseball (Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers) with 13.1 innings of 2-run ball.
Going into the 2025 season, it wasn’t a guarantee that Mahle would be pitching in MLB for much longer, but now, he may be just what Washington needs. The revamped pitching development program flexed its muscles with the reclamation project that was Foster Griffin, and they have all the tools to repeat their success by carrying Mahle’s second-half performance into 2027 and beyond.
His price tag undoubtedly rose after he proved the October stage wasn’t too big for him, and the high demand for pitching could result in him landing a sizeable deal. The Nats will certainly have competition for Mahle, but, just like him, their 2025 season proved that they’re worth investing in.
Tyler Mahle might not have the best stuff anymore, but he has the willingness to throw his best pitch in any situation and the mentality to step up when the stakes are highest.
The Braves asked for the world from him tonight, and he delivered when they needed him most. pic.twitter.com/oVLpIapUOL
Washington’s front office should be all over him once free agency opens up. The question marks are still there, with his lengthy injury history and lack of extended recent success. Opening the checkbooks and making a legitimate push to raise the ceiling of the rotation needs to be the top priority this offseason.
It’s time for Paul Toboni and company to begin shelling out serious money for free agents who can take this team back to the playoffs, and that comes with taking chances. Mahle has proved that he can be an integral part of a playoff rotation, and that should be exactly what the Nats are looking to build.
The path to a successful offseason begins with adding a quality arm, and Mahle checks a lot of boxes for what this team is missing.
The Vancouver Canucks’ penalty killing woes continued in their 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils today. All but one of the Devils’ goals today came while Vancouver was on the penalty kill. Linus Karlsson scored the lone goal for the Canucks while on the power play, while Leevi Meriläinen made 31 stops on 34 shots faced in today’s effort.
Vancouver opted to make some changes to their lineup after Thursday’s loss, taking Aatu Räty and Victor Mancini out of the lineup in exchange for Brendan Gallagher and Luke Schenn respectively. With Räty being taken out of the lineup, Vancouver was down to three natural centres. Drew O’Connor skated down the middle on Vancouver’s third line as a result.
The biggest component to today’s game was Vancouver’s struggling penalty kill. The Canucks allowed a goal on almost every single penalty they took today (3), bringing their season’s PK total down to 52.2%.
A couple of minutes after Vancouver opened the game’s scoring with Karlsson’s power-play goal, Jonathan Lekkerimäki took a high-sticking penalty that put the Canucks on the penalty-kill. Still appearing to be experimenting with their penalty-killing units, a duo of Brock Boeser and Liam Öhgren came onto the ice for Vancouver on the Devils’ first goal.
Later, during the second period, Vancouver surrendered yet another power-play goal on a hooking penalty taken by Boeser, this time with a unit of Gallagher and Max Sasson on the ice for the goal-against. This was followed-up by a third power-play goal-against scored by Nico Hischier after a dominant, possession-filled power play for New Jersey.
Today’s game also featured an odd occurrence that resulted in both Canucks goaltenders being in net for the second-consecutive game. While Meriläinen started today, with around five minutes left in the first period, a shot from Luke Hughes hit the Canucks goaltender’s skate and knocked the blade out. After a TV time-out, Kevin Lankinen came into the game in Meriläinen’s place. Despite his skate blade coming out yet another time, Meriläinen came out for the second period and played out the remainder of the game.
New Jersey’s lone even-strength goal came at the end of the first period. Filip Hronek boggled the puck while attempting to re-set, allowing Jesper Boqvist and Amadeus Lombardi to pounce on the opportunity. While Lankinen made the initial stop, Boqvist was able to jump on the rebound to give his team the lead.
Because of the fact that Lankinen allowed the goal that ultimately won New Jersey the game, today’s loss is credited to him instead of Meriläinen, despite Meriläinen starting the game and playing in nearly the entire matchup. Lankinen played in a total of 5:27 minutes today.
Towards the end of the second period, Marco Rossi made a move to push Devils forward Evan Rodrigues out of the faceoff dot, prompting Rodrigues to spear the Canucks centre in the throat. Vancouver was given a four-minute power play for the sequence. While they had a little more than two minutes on the man-advantage to start the third period, another hooking call taken by Boeser cancelled out the power play. Because of the slight overlap at the end of Rodrigues’ double-minor, the Canucks spent nine seconds on the penalty kill. This technically gave Vancouver their first successful penalty kill of the game.
As a whole, Vancouver wasn’t quite able to establish genuine offence in today’s game. New Jersey played the Canucks well, jumping on their opportunities and smothering Vancouver when they could. On the flip side, however, Vancouver gave the Devils ample opportunities to seize the puck by giving it away or turning it over.
Oct 10, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) takes a shot against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
• Vancouver allows a power-play goal-against in six consecutive penalty kills
• None of the Canucks’ four centres recorded a faceoff win rate higher than 50%
• Leevi Meriläinen plays in his first career game against the New Jersey Devils
• Brock Boeser ties Andre Boudrias for 16th all-time in Canucks history in power-play assists (89)
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
5:27 - VAN: Linus Karlsson (1) from Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk (PPG)
8:03 - NJD: Nico Hischier (1) from Arseny Gritsyuk and Luke Hughes
16:24 - NJD: Jesper Boqvist (2) from Amadeus Lombardi
2nd Period:
4:36 - NJD: Jesper Bratt (1) from Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes (PPG)
19:50 - NJD: Nico Hischier (2) from Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt (PPG)
3rd Period:
No Scoring.
Up Next:
Vancouver Canucks @ New York Rangers, October 11, 3:30 pm PT
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Lakers center Walker Kessler (14) and guard Collin Sexton, shown during media day, have yet to play in any preseason games because of injuries. When they might return is still unclear. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Entering the final week of preseason games, Lakers coach JJ Redick still is unsure when he’ll get a full look at his new-look team.
Lingering injuries to center Walker Kessler (finger) and guard Collin Sexton (lower leg) are casting doubt on their availability for the Lakers’ fourth preseason game Tuesday in Las Vegas against the Golden State Warriors.
Both offseason additions have yet to make their preseason debuts. While Kessler participated in practice Saturday after hitting his finger on the backboard, he was not in live drills. Redick said he was “not committed” to having Kessler available Tuesday against the Warriors.
The Lakers invested four first-round picks and a four-year, $130-million contract to get the star center from the Utah Jazz. They’re relying on him to anchor their defense and add a much-desired lob threat for guard Luka Doncic. For now, the Lakers are getting a preview of what their team would look like in the minutes without Kessler.
“It’s important to have two of the bigger wings out there for rebounding purposes,” said Redick, who said Kessler’s finger injury is minor enough for him to play through if this was the regular season. “That was a concern, I think, coming into the year ... trying to be a good defensive rebounding team. What does that look like with Walker not on the court? And I think in film, it’s pretty apparent that we need to do a better job of boxing out. Just like simple stuff and gang rebounding.”
The Lakers are 28th in the preseason with 37.7 rebounds per game and gave up 20 offensive rebounds to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday in their third game of the preseason.
Wings Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams started the Lakers’ preseason opener and the defensive-minded players flashed their potential by hounding opponents the full length of the court. After starring in the opener with 13 points and a steal against the Warriors, Williams missed the last two games because of a foot contusion.
Second-year forward Adou Thiero started instead and has a team-high 11 defensive rebounds in three games. The high-flying wing’s growth this offseason caught the attention of his teammates, who are eager to throw him lobs for dunks and see him sky for rebounds.
Doncic has been high on him since the Lakers star hosted a five-day minicamp for the team in his home country of Slovenia in August.
“I told him that the second pickup game in Slovenia, what I saw from him, just understanding the game better, reading the game, I think he improved a lot in the summer,” Doncic said.
With Kessler sidelined, the Lakers have alternated Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili at center. Looney leads the team with 17 rebounds in the preseason. Mamukelashvili, who plays both power forward and center, has 11 assists in the preseason, showing the type of versatility that has Redick excited to install the team’s “Mamu package” of plays and after-timeout sets.
The lack of depth at center could be a concern during the season, but they’re confident in their perimeter players to set the tone on defense.
“It makes my job a lot easier,” Looney said of the Lakers’ rotation of wings. “As long as I talk early, they’re going to get over the screen. I don’t have to be caught playing two. Those guys are able to recover, they’re able to block shots, they’re able to pop back and get rebounds. As a big, when your guards and wings are hustling like that, it makes your job a lot easier.”
Lakers center Kevon Looney tries to score inside against the Kings' Dylan Cardwell and Nique Clifford during a preseason game on Monday in Sacramento. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
Sexton is “probably a little bit further behind” when it comes to returning compared to Kessler, Redick said. The Lakers signed the 27-year-old guard for extra scoring punch and have missed him as a third ballhandling option to supplement Doncic and Austin Reaves. With the way teams pressure, Redick said he is aiming to have multiple ballhandlers on the court at all times.
With coaches still tinkering with lineups in the preseason, turnovers became a problem when the ballhandling options dwindled. The Lakers average the fourth-most turnovers per game (23.7) in the preseason.
Although the Lakers have yet to have all their players available, they aren’t lacking confidence. Doncic said he knew the team, which welcomed nine new players during a busy offseason, had championship potential well before training camp started.
“Since the first day,” Doncic said. “That simple. Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia … I believed that we can win a championship.”
Randal Grichuk may be the Best Dad Ever, but Sean Burke represents Chicago’s only hope to advance to the ALCS. | (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
After a detestable start to the season, logic-defying climb to .500, command of the AL Central after the All-Star Break, September swoon, desperate attempt to claw back to first place, dominant start to the playoffs and utter collapse in front of a rabid and hungry home crowd, the White Sox head to Cleveland for only the second winner-take-all postseason game in their history and a chance at the first win in such a game.
No biggie, White Sox, just 126 years of history on your backs.
But, thanks to the strange twist at the end of Cleveland’s Game 4 rout, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt opted to use Cade Smith unnecessarily for a second straight two-inning stint (OK, the eighth inning of Game 3 made some sense), burning his closer for two innings again. The decision came back to bite him, and now not only has Vogt exposed Smith’s stuff to the White Sox needlessly (for the record, I don’t buy into a “book” hitters write on elite high-leverage arms like Smith and Grant Taylor, certainly not when the bigger factor is overworked pitchers getting tired and losing sharpness, something Taylor seemed to directly acknowledge after Game 4), but he forced Game 5 starter Gavin Williams in “close out” a 9-3 win.
Remember when Cleveland had such an “advantage” heading into the end of the series, with starters Parker Messick and Williams on full rest to finish things up? Well, throw that advantage out now, as a full inning of pitches on Wednesday certainly will affect Williams today — if not in efficiency, in durability. What could have been a six-innings target for the K machine is a more realistic four-five inning “open” now.
Therefore it’s advantage, White Sox, as Sean Burke (a better starter in the regular season than Williams, to begin with) starts Game 5 on full rest and coming off of the best outing of five-plus innings anyone’s had in this series.
Burke set a White Sox postseason record with 13 straight batters retired in Chicago’s Game 2 win in Cleveland, going 5 ⅓ innings total and allowing just one run on one hit. If that is the Burke we get on Saturday, the Guardians are in trouble.
Not sure it Miguel Vargas murdering Williams offsets Steven Kwan having great numbers against Burke, but perhaps Andrew Benintendi owning Williams as well flips some of the key matchups in our favor?
As you well know, though, advantages are all relative in 2026 between the White Sox and Guardians. Through 17 games, the White Sox still lead the season series, 9-8, but with the “blowouts” in Chicago the Guardians now have outscored Chicago in 2026 by all of five runs. Thirteen of 17 games in 2026 between the two clubs were decided by three runs or fewer, eight were one-run games and four ended on walk-offs. The White Sox were in first place for 96 days in 2026, Cleveland 89. And of course, the two teams finished one game apart in the standings after Cleveland’s hot finish to the season.
With Williams pitching, the White Sox will utilize their (stronger) lefty-heavy lineup, taking away any temptation to play Tommy Pham for significant innings and rendering him a pinch-hitting bat off the bench. However, in a twist, Braden Montgomery is benched for Game 5 despite facing a right-handed pitcher.
Cleveland, licking its chops at getting a righty starter in Burke, hopes to prove tonight how wise it was for Venable to dance with four consecutive lefty openers in the series — or, if the Guards fall back to the punchless offense they were in Games 1 and 2, expose such paranoid thinking as a ruse.
As to the pressure of the game, it’s hard to determine whose backs are more against the wall. Given that only three teams have ever rallied back to win after losing two straight home games to open the series, you’d think the pressure is weighing heavily on the White Sox. But here’s where their frat-boy dopeyness could help: If Colson Montgomery didn’t realize he was on the precipice of an infamous season strikeout record or that such a record even existed, do we think the clubhouse cares a whit about “pressure” to win in Game 5?
This idea was addressed, as much of this game thread was, in our pregame podcast, if you care to have a soothing voice calm your nerves as we near game time:
So friends, here we are, with a third chance to close out the Guardians. Let’s make it stick tonight.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 8: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards and AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards high five during the game against the New York Knicks during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 8, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Detroit Pistons tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Watch on Monumental Sports Network. Read the preview here. Let’s get to 2-0 in this young preseason!
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 25: Brock Nelson #11 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal during the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on January 25, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After coming home with a split on the road, the Colorado Avalanche are back on home ice for another Saturday night showdown!
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs make their only regular season visit to Denver, with a few new faces in their lineup!
Colorado Avalanche (3-1-0)
The Opponent: Toronto Maple Leafs (2-2-1)
Time: 5:00 P.M. MDT/7:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), NHL Network, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avs return home after splitting their first pair of back-to-back road games. They lost 3-2 on a (literal) last minute goal this past Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, but rebounded with a strong showing against the Calgary Flames in a 7-3 victory this past Thursday. The loss in Winnipeg was the first for Mackenzie Blackwood this season, while Scott Wedgewood earned his first win in his season debut against Calgary.
Jaden Schwartz scored three goals across both contests. Fedor Svechkov scored his first goal in an Avalanche sweater against Winnipeg. Zachary L’Heureux, acquired with Svechkov from Nashville in the offseason, made his Avalanche debut against Winnipeg and recorded his first assist on Nathan MacKinnon’s eventual game-winning goal in Calgary. L’Heureux also had his first fight for the Avs in a short bout with Calgary’s Matt Coronato.
Devon Toews, who had a career-low three goals last season, scored a pair of goals against Calgary. His defensive partner in Cale Makar also scored a pair of goals against his hometown team.
T.J. Hughes also recorded his first point of his NHL career, assisting on Schwartz’s first goal on against Calgary.
While the Avs remain perfect on the penalty kill, the power play has gone three games without a goal since going 4/5 in the season opener against Los Angeles on September 30.
MacKinnon leads all skaters in points (8) and assists (5), while also sharing the team lead in penalty minutes (5) with L’Heureux. He also leads the team in goals (3), along with Makar, Schwartz, and Artturi Lehkonen.
The Avs have split every season series against Toronto going back to the 2017-2018 season. Their last victory on home ice came against Toronto was in a 7-3 victory on March 05, 2025.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J. Hughes Parker Kelly – Nicolas Roy – Zachary L’Heureux
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Toronto Maple Leafs
The lottery balls finally bounced Toronto’s way this offseason, giving them the first overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft. At the draft in June, they selected left-wing Gavin McKenna, whom many projected to be the top pick of the draft.
The move was one of many offseason transactions for Toronto. They sent a fifth round pick in this year’s draft to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Darren Raddysh on June 19; Raddysh signed an eight-year, $68 million dollar contract with Toronto as part of the transaction. Toronto also acquired center Nick Paul from Tampa in exchange for goaltender Dennis Hildeby and a pair of draft picks in 2027 & 2028 on July 01.
Free agent goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $21 million dollar contract (more on him later). That same day, noted Avalanche killer Colton Sissons also signed to a two-year, $8.5 million dollar contract, and former Avalanche forward Brandon Duhaime also signed a three-year $7.8 million dollar contract.
Shortly before the start of the season, Toronto made their biggest move: they acquired right-wing Kirill Marchenko, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, and former Avalanche forward Miles Wood from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for left-wings Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrei, and a 2027 second round pick.
Toronto 2-2-1 to start the season, and are coming into tonight’s game off a 4-3 defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights this past Thursday. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, Toronto did the Leafiest thing possible in allowing Vegas to score three unanswered goals to tie the game and lose in the shootout round.
Hiller also mentioned that he does not expect John Tavares to play against Colorado tonight due to the birth of his son Tucker on Friday.
Toronto’s last victory over Colorado came on January 12th, a 4-3 overtime victory at Ball Arena last season.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Kirill Marchenko – Auston Matthews – Jack Roslovic Easton Cowan – Nick Paul – William Nylander Gavin McKenna – Teddy Blueger – Colton Sissons Brandon Duhaime – Zack MacEwen – Bo Groulx
Defense: Jake McCabe – Chris Tanev Morgan Reilly – Darren Raddysh Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Troy Stecher
Between the Pipes: Sergei Bobrovsky Anthony Stolarz
NOTE: Don’t forget to download the new SB Nation app for a more mobile-friendly way to follow tonight’s action and engage with Mile High Hockey’s match threads. Commenting and interacting with your communities is easier than ever before with the Game Chat feature. The app is currently available in the U.S. and Canada on iOS and Android devices.
