Team Panama did not go down without a fight in this year’s World Baseball Classic – on the field and in the dugout.
Trailing 4-3 against Team Colombia in the bottom of the ninth inning in Monday’s contest, veteran infielder Jonathan Araúz – who entered as a pinch hitter – grounded out to second base to begin the frame.
Araúz did not hustle out of the batter’s box and got into a heated exchange with Team Panama manager José Mayorga as he returned to the home dugout at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Team Panama’s veteran infielder Jonathan Araúz has to be restrained after a confrontation with manager José Mayorga. FS2Araúz did not hustle out of the box during his ninth-inning groundball. FS2
The pair was immediately separated, with Araúz being physically restrained by a member of Team Panama.
“To put yourself in [Araúz’s] shoes, he’s not playing, he’s a former major league player, he’s frustrated,” Fox Sports 2 announcer and ex-MLB pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith said during the broadcast. “And then he got some words from his teammates for not busting it, there’s so much pent-up frustration.
Panama pinch-hitter Jonathan Arauz had to be held back during an altercation with manager José Mayorga while they were down one in the ninth inning and facing elimination
A former Red Sox, Orioles and Mets infielder, Arauz got just one start and five at bats in this WBC pic.twitter.com/jhgdbSj91X
‘He’s probably like, ‘Oh, you have me pinch-hitting now.’ He’s probably frustrated he’s not starting on this team because he’s a veteran player and this is what happens when you start pressing.”
It’s not Araúz’s first time showing emotion during a WBC contest, as he was visibly frustrated with a teammate who did not tag up and score on a flyout during a game against Cuba in 2023.
In four games during the 2023 WBC, Araúz slashed a solid .267/.421/.333 with three RBIs – but registered one walk and no hits in five at-bats this time around.
He has appeared in parts of four MLB seasons, most recently suiting up for the 2023 Mets, where he hit a meager .136 with three home runs over 26 games.
Yankees shortstop José Caballero launched a home run for Panama in the sixth inning of Monday’s loss. AP
Mayorga did not go into detail about the confrontation with Araúz after Monday’s game.
Former Mets infielder Ruben Tejada singled moments after the confrontation, but Enrique Bradfield Jr. struck out and Yankees shortstop José Caballero – who homered in the sixth inning to make it 4-1 – flew out to right field to end the game.
Colombia was eliminated from WBC title contention after Panama defeated Canada on Sunday and returned the favor on Monday, knocking Panama out of the tournament.
Both teams finished 1-3 in Pool A play, and one of them now faces relegation depending on how Canada fares in its remaining games.
Canada (1-1) is set to face Puerto Rico on Tuesday and Cuba on Wednesday. If Canada also finishes 1-3 in Pool A, a tiebreaker will determine whether Colombia or Panama is relegated to the qualifying tournament for the next World Baseball Classic.
With a record of 7-1-2 in their last ten games, Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green probably isn't thrilled about having to mess with his lineup.
But the injury bug has forced his hand.
Green announced on Monday that his best defenseman, Jake Sanderson, is listed as week-to-week with a probable shoulder injury suffered on Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken. So, that means one lineup change, but it also knocks over several dominoes.
Nikolas Matinpalo, who's only played two NHL games in 2026, will dress on Monday night for the Senators' game in Vancouver, and Sanderson's absence also means that other defensemen are forced to move higher up in the blue line batting order.
But don't talk to the Canucks and their fan base about the challenges of adjusting to lineup changes. Quite frankly, they don't want to hear it.
Since December, through various trades, the Canucks have said goodbye to team captain Quinn Hughes, along with Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Myers, Conor Garland, Lukas Reichel, and David Kampf.
As a sidebar, it's quite remarkable that the Canucks held on to veterans Teddy Blueger and Evander Kane at the deadline when both are UFAs this summer. They're not in the team's rebuilding plans and probably don't want to be.
Get something for them.
After winning 50 games and finishing first in the Pacific Division two seasons ago, Vancouver is now the worst team in the NHL, and it isn't particularly close. The Canucks are 10 points behind the second-worst team, the New York Rangers.
James Reimer is expected to start for the Senators against Kevin Lankinen for Vancouver. Stephen Halliday is sitting for a third straight game, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 23-year-old back in Belleville soon to get some playing time.
Here's how the Sens and Canucks will line it up on Monday night (9 pm, Prime, RDS)
Senators projected lineup
Drake Batherson - Tim Stutzle - Claude Giroux Brady Tkachuk - Dylan Cozens - Ridly Greig Nick Cousins - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio Warren Foegele - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund
Thomas Chabot - Artem Zub Nikolas Matinpalo - Nick Jensen Tyler Kleven - Jordan Spence
James Reimer Linus Ullmark
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk - Elias Pettersson - Nils Hoglander Liam Ohgren - Marco Rossi - Brock Boeser Evander Kane - Aatu Raty - Drew O’Connor Max Sasson - Teddy Blueger - Linus Karlsson
Elias Nils Pettersson - Filip Hronek Marcus Pettersson - Tom Willander Zeev Buium - Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen Nikita Tolopilo
According to NHL.com, Kane missed game-day practice, and Brock Boeser left early, but both are expected to play. If one of them can't go, 6-foot-9 Curtis Douglas will draw into the lineup. The former Belleville Senator was picked up off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Priscilla Williams finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out late in regulation, and Comari Mitchell gave Jacksonville the lead for good in overtime to help the Dolphins edge Austin Peay 66-63 on Monday in the title game of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
No. 2 seed Jacksonville (24-8) advances to the NCAA Tournament for the second time by winning the first ASUN title game decided in OT since the tournament began in 1986. Jacksonville's other appearance came in 2016.
Mitchell gave the Dolphins the lead with 1:45 left in OT, and Mychal White stole the ball and scored with a baseline jumper on her only shot for a 64-60 advantage with 20.8 seconds left.
Mya Williams hit a 3-pointer 10 seconds later for eighth-seeded Austin Peay (19-13), but Makiya Miller made two free throws before JaNiah Newell missed a tying 3-pointer on the game's final shot.
Mitchell and Carmaya Bowman both scored 10 for Jacksonville.
Mya Williams had 20 points and seven rebounds for Austin Peay. Anovia Sheals scored 18 and Jim’Miyah Branton added 11 points and eight assists.
Miller hit a jumper with three seconds left in the first half to give the Dolphins the lead at 32-26.
Mya Williams made two free throws in the final second of the third after Priscilla Williams was charged with a technical foul following a traveling violation to cut it to 49-40 heading to the fourth.
Sheals made two free throws with 1:49 left in regulation to give the Governors their first lead, 54-53. Miller made the second of two foul shots with 33 seconds left to force OT tied at 56.
CJ McCollum of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 7 in Atlanta. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
The famed Magic City adult entertainment club won't be featured at next week's Atlanta Hawks promotional night, the NBA announced on Monday.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged concerns from others in the league on Monday, saying that his decision to cancel the collaboration is in the best interests of the "broader NBA community."
"While we appreciate the team's perspective and their desire to move forward," he said in a statement, "we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees."
The Hawks announced its "Magic City Monday" promotion in late February, featuring a halftime performance by Atlanta-based artist T.I., a collaborative hoodie and the offering of some of the club's popular wings, including the lemon-pepper variety named after former Hawks player Lou Williams.
Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz was a producer on "Magic City: An American Fantasy," a docuseries that aired on Starz. Still, the team's decision to collaborate with the Atlanta strip club ruffled some feathers in the NBA.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet asked the Hawks to cancel the promotional night in a post on Medium last week, saying that it would "reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society."
Others had argued that Magic City is a big part of Atlanta culture and should be celebrated as such.
The Hawks wrote in a statement on Monday that it was disappointed with the NBA's decision but would respect it.
Rapper T.I. will still perform at halftime, but the live recording of the Hawks AF Podcast featuring Gertz, T.I. and Magic City founder Michael Barney was canceled. Fans who pre-ordered the collaboration hoodie will still receive one, but the sweatshirts won't be available for purchase at the game, the Hawks wrote on X.
"As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together," the Hawks wrote.
Times staff writer Chuck Schilken contributed to this report
Salary cap inflation is always something to monitor. The cap is currently set at $95.5 million, but is expected to raise signifcantly over the next few seasons. Next year, the cap is projected to be $104 million while the 2027-28 ceiling is projected at $113.5 million.
Recently, NHL player agent Allan Walsh provided an update via social media on what the 2028-29 salary cap could look like. Walsh wrote via "X", "Analyzing NHL HRR projections and the current revenue slack that exists in the system, hearing the NHL is projecting a Salary Cap Upper Limit of approx $123M in 2028-29. We are currently at $95.5M. (That’s an almost $30M rise of the Cap within 3 years)."
At the time of writing, the Vancouver Canucks only have seven players signed for the 2028-29 season. Those players are Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko. The Canucks will also have a $2,126,667 penalty that season as the Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout will not be complete.
According to PuckPedia, Vancouver currently has $52,226,667 commited for the 2028-29 season. If no players are moved, that would count for just over 40% of the projected $123 million. The Canucks are projected to still be in a rebuild in 2028-29, meaning some contracts already signed could be on the move before the season starts.
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) and defenseman Tom Willander (5) and defenseman Zeev Buium (24) celebrate their victory against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Starting last Thursday in Denver, nine of their next 11 games were against playoff teams with six of eight against teams currently bunched up with them in the Western Conference standings.
With 18 games remaining, the NBA’s marathon 82-game season is now a sprint to the finish — that magical time when fans begin squinting at the standings like stockbrokers watching a volatile market.
Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game against the New York Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images
Every win feels like leverage.
Every loss feels like disaster.
The next nine days could decide if the Lakers will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
But that begs the question: Do the Lakers need or want homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA Playoffs?
The answer might surprise you.
No. Not really.
Of course, if you ask any player or coach publicly, they’ll say the right things. Homecourt advantage matters. The crowd helps bring energy. Sticking to your normal routine helps. Sleeping in your own bed helps.
All of that is true.
But the reality of the NBA playoffs — especially in the Western Conference — is that matchups and health matter far more than geography.
Right now, the Lakers sit in the middle of the Western Conference traffic jam. Seeds three through six are separated by a single game heading into action Monday night. Oklahoma City and San Antonio have already pulled away at the top like two sports cars leaving a crowded freeway.
Everyone else is stuck jockeying for position.
The Lakers are currently tied with Denver for fifth. Minnesota currently sits in third. Houston sits in fourth just a half-game ahead of the Lakers.
Western Conference standings as of 5 p.m. PT Monday.
Over the next nine days, the Lakers will face all of them.
Minnesota on Tuesday. Denver on Saturday. Then two back-to-back road games in Houston.
If the Lakers win their next five games, they will sit alone in third place with homecourt advantage in the first round in their control.
“It’s not something we’re focused on, but we’re definitely aware of,” said Lakers’ guard Marcus Smart about the upcoming stretch. “My experience, we got to focus on one game at a time…We don’t have the luxury to look ahead. We definitely got to take it one game at a time and handle business.”
Handling business is great, but let’s pause for a moment and remember something.
This is exactly what happened last season.
With 18 games to go last year, the Lakers found themselves in fourth place in a crowded Western Conference. Seeds two through eight were separated by four games, with two through five separated by just 1.5 games. Everyone wanted the Lakers to finish second or third.
When the dust settled, they finished third in the West and earned homecourt advantage in the first round.
And it didn’t matter one bit.
Minnesota walked into Crypto.com Arena in Game 1 and punched the Lakers in the mouth. The Timberwolves blew them out in front of their own crowd. The Lakers recovered to win Game 2, but the rest of the series unraveled quickly.
They lost the series in five games, including two of their three home games,
So much for homecourt advantage.
LeBron James goes up for a dunk against the Pelicans. Getty Images
Last season the Lakers were dominant in Los Angeles, finishing 31–10 at home — the second-best home record in the Western Conference behind the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
It looked impressive in the standings, but it meant nothing in April. It rarely does when the matchup is wrong.
And matchups are exactly what the Lakers should be studying during this upcoming stretch, not necessarily results.
LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves — arguably the most fascinating offensive trio in the conference — have played only a little over a dozen games together. The chemistry is improving, but playoff basketball demands instinctive trust.
The kind that comes from repetition.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves hits a behind-the-back step back against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The next nine days will act as a scouting report for April. The Lakers will see how they match up against Minnesota’s size and length, Denver’s experience, and Houston’s relentless athleticism.
These games are not just about wins and losses.
They’re about gathering information. They’re about discovering which lineups survive when the game slows down. They’re about understanding which defensive matchups can lock-up their opponent during a seven-game series.
“This could be a perfect time or not,” Doncic said about the upcoming schedule. “Just gotta approach those games with the same mentality. Obviously, every one of those teams has great players. They’re winning games. So we need to go game by game first of all, and then just try to win all those games.”
If the Lakers secure the No. 3 seed, great. They’ll happily take the home games.
But if they finish fifth, avoid the play-in tournament, and have a more favorable matchup?
That’s perfectly fine too.
Because the truth about playoff basketball is brutally simple.
It isn’t about where you play. It’s about who you play — and whether you’re healthy enough to beat them.
Oliver Dunn was just a double shy of the cycle by the fourth inning of today’s rout. | Chicago White Sox
No matter how the 2026 season ends up going, we’ll always have the fourth inning of a who-cares Spring Training game on March 9.
The White Sox steamrolled Colorado, 12-3, on the wings of a ridiculous 11-run outburst in the fourth inning.
In the words of White Sox beat writer and witness to the massacre Scott Merkin, who in a quarter-century of coverage may never have witnessed an 11-run inning in Spring Training, and certainly not one accomplished without making an out:
11 straight White Sox hitters reached base to start the fourth. They scored 11 in the inning.
Oliver Dunn led off with a triple. Drew Romo singled to center field, sending Dunn home. William Bergolla Jr. singled Romo to third, taking second on the throw trying to get Romo. Chase Meidroth tripled to deep right-center field, scoring both Bergolla and Romo. Braden Montgomery singled, sending Meidroth home. Andrew Benintendi singled Montgomery to third, followed by an Austin Hays single to right-center that pushed Benny to second and plating Montgomery.
That seems like a lot, right? The five runs without a single batter retired made the score 6-0, White Sox. But wait — there’s more!
LaMonte Wade Jr. singled to pack the sacks, and then Tristan Peters walked, pushing Benintendi home.
Yes, the White Sox batted around without making an out!
Dunn was back with more power, this time via an RBI single that would keep the bases loaded. After homering in the second and with two hits this frame, Dunn was a double away from the cycle — with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth!
Nice day for Oliver Dunn. The White Sox 3B is 3-for-3 with a HR, 3B, 1B…just a two-bagger shy of the cycle, and it’s only the 4th inning! Chicago poured 11 runs on in the frame.
Romo tripled — the third three-bagger of the inning — and sent three players across home plate. Finally, Bergolla grounded out, but still drove Romo in. For those not keeping count, the White Sox had 10 hits in a row, one walk, and three triples before the Rockies recorded a single out.
While this game was all about the bats, the pitching was impressive as well, holding Colorado to three late runs, at a point when the regular lineup was probably having a pizza party in the clubhouse for putting up 12 runs in its first 12 outs.
Starter Jedixson Paez pitched for two innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two. The outing was key, both in that it allowed Paez to bounce back from a six-run disaster his last time out, and perhaps give the White Sox more reason to keep the Rule 5 hurler into the season.
Mike Vasil, who’d also struggled a bit this spring, took over on the in the third inning and allowed one hit, two walks, and a strikeout over three innings. While the pitching was mostly positive today, the real story comes in the fourth inning.
Brandon Eisert came on after that and threw another scoreless outing, two innings with two hits, a walk and a K.
The Rockies attempted a comeback in the eighth when Drew Avans doubled to left field, allowing Roldy Brito to score. They also loaded the bases when Robert Calaz walked, allowing Avans to score. They also had a solo run in the ninth from Roc Riggio, but that was all they could muster.
While the Rockies managed seven hits, it wouldn’t be a match for the 16 White Sox hits.
In other White Sox news: Seranthony Domínguez helped secure a win for the Dominican Republic, knocking out Israel in a 10-1 win.
Seranthony Domínguez closed out today's Dominican Republic win in the World Baseball Classic with 2 Ks 😤 pic.twitter.com/OIZKoQg1YK
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: Will Smith #16 of Team United States high fives third-base coach Dino Ebel #91 after solo home run against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning of the MLB exhibition game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 04, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The United States is 2-0 thus far in Pool B in the World Baseball Classic, as is Mexico, which places high stakes on Monday night’s game in Houston in terms of advancing to the quarterfinals.
Italy is also 2-0, and the top two teams advance out of each pool. Team USA plays Italy on Tuesday, and Mexico and Italy on Wednesday. The first of this three-game gauntlet is Monday night, and Paul Skenes is on the mound for the United States.
No Will Smith in the lineup on Monday, with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh behind the plate against Mexico.
Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones slaps hands with Yankees manager Aaron Boone #17, after hitting a solo homer in a spring training game.
In the first significant cuts of camp, the Yankees optioned a pair of top prospects in outfielder Spencer Jones and righty Elmer Rodríguez.
Jones enjoyed another strong spring with the major league club, going 6-for-18 with three home runs, a double and three steals. He walked four times and struck out six times in the Grapefruit League.
He is expected to start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he left off last season and displayed both prodigious power and a tendency to swing and miss too often.
Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones slaps hands with Yankees manager Aaron Boone #17, after hitting a solo homer in a spring training game.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Jones was never going to make the team out of camp with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham installed in the outfield plus Giancarlo Stanton set at DH.
The message to Jones?
“As much as you can, don’t focus on things that right now might be out of your control a little bit,” said manager Aaron Boone, who added that the move is purely transactional and that Jones would be playing in Tuesday’s game. “Reality is he’s coming off a really strong season. I feel like he continues to make really solid adjustments. He came in here to spring and has represented really well. Has performed. You see the signs of him continuing to get better.”
Rodríguez showed well in camp, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk in six innings in which he struck out five.
The third-best Yankees prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, he only appeared in two games because he left to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
Jack Draper continued his impressive comeback from an arm injury by beating Francisco Cerundolo to set up a last-16 clash with Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells.
Draper rode his luck at the end of the second set to clinch a 6-1, 7-5 win and set up his first meeting with Djokovic since he took the first set off the defending champion on his Wimbledon debut in 2021.
Florida Panthers star Brad Marchand will miss time this week to see doctors and determine whether he needs surgery for a lower-body injury.
Marchand has missed 10 games with the injury since early January.
"There's going to be a decision on what's the best way to get to 100 percent full health," coach Paul Maurice told reporters on Monday, March 9.
He said that even if surgery isn't needed, Marchand would be out for weeks, not days.
"We had had a handle on it and there were times where he didn't play but kind of maintained it and then came back in," Maurice said. "But it just got to the point on this road trip that it was never recovering and continuing to get worse."
The Panthers have been devastated by injuries this season, starting with hernia surgery for Matthew Tkachuk that kept him out until January and ACL surgery for Aleksander Barkov when he was hurt in his first practice of training camp.
The Panthers haven't been able to gain traction this season and were 11 points out of a playoff spot on March 9. They could see the end of a run that took them to the Stanley Cup Final for three years in a row and win championships the past two.
Brad Marchand injury update
Brad Marchand will see doctors this week to determine if he'll need surgery. Maurice said the injury has been bothering the winger for months. Marchand also played at the Olympics, winning a silver medal with Canada.
Brad Marchand stats
Brad Marchand has 27 goals and 27 assists in 52 games for the Panthers this season. He had one assist in four games at the Olympics.
The Detroit Red Wings earned a much needed reset Monday night, defeating the New Jersey Devils 3–0 to halt a difficult stretch that saw the club lose seven of its previous ten games.
The victory also marked the debuts and returns of several new faces. Recently acquired defenseman Justin Faulk made his first appearance with Detroit, while call ups Dominik Shine and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard helped inject fresh energy into the lineup. The performance was enough to deliver two points in the standings, but Detroit knows it cannot afford for the win to be a one time response if it hopes to stay in the playoff picture.
Detroit currently sits third in the Atlantic Division in the National Hockey League standings. The Red Wings began the season near the top of the division but has gradually slid from first place to second and now to the third seed. At points during the slump the team even found itself clinging to a wild card spot, a scenario it hopes to avoid as the season enters its final stretch.
Pressure from behind continues to build. The Montreal Canadiens trail Detroit by just one point, while the Boston Bruins sit only three points back. With the standings tightening, the margin for error is shrinking quickly for a Red Wings team attempting to end a playoff drought that has stretched close to a decade.
They will face an uphill battle with the fifth-hardest remaining strength of schedule in the league. Among the toughest tests ahead are two matchups with the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with single games against the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres and the Canadiens.
Because of that challenging stretch, Detroit will need to take advantage of games against teams lower in the standings. Upcoming contests against the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames, along with a two game set against the Florida Panthers and three remaining games versus the Philadelphia Flyers, could prove crucial in determining their playoff fate.
For the Red Wings, the shutout win over New Jersey provided a necessary boost. Maintaining that momentum may ultimately determine whether Detroit finally returns to the postseason or sees its playoff drought continue.
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DUNEDIN, FL - MARCH 02: Boston Red Sox center fielder Braiden Ward (92) is tagged out at the plate by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman (55) on March 2, 2026, at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re almost there. In just over two weeks, the Yankees will open the 2026 MLB season in San Francisco against the Giants. Final rosters around the league are still being developed, so we don’t know just yet what each of 30 teams will look like when the season starts. But we know a decent chunk about it now, so why not speculate?
Focusing on the American League, who do you think will be the toughest foe for the Yankees to take down this season? Is it the Blue Jays, who narrowly beat out the Yankees for the AL East last year, took them out in the playoffs, and then nearly won the World Series? They’re probably the favorite, but you don’t have to look too hard around the internet to find people doubting their ability to repeat that magic. Maybe you’re more of a believer in the youthful Red Sox, now also infused with Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras. The Mariners came oh-so-close to dispatching the Jays in the series before the Fall Classic, and their oft-vaunted pitching should stand to rebound from 2025 anyway. The Tigers added more Astros nemesis Framber Valdez to a rotation that also included two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, so Detroit won’t be a walk in the park either.
So make your vote known! And while you’re at it, just for fun, pick a team in the second question’s prompt, which asks about the worst team in the American League. There are certainly some ignominious contenders.
The Atlanta Hawks play in the NBA's Eastern Conference [Getty Images]
The NBA has cancelled plans by the Atlanta Hawks to hold a promotional collaboration with a strip club at one of their games next week.
The Hawks had intended to partner with Atlanta-based adult entertainment venue Magic City for the visit of Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference on 16 March.
There were no plans to host adult entertainment at the Hawks' State Farm Arena home before, during or after the game but concerns arose at the NBA over the idea of partnering with a strip club.
The Hawks had described Magic City as an "iconic cultural institution" in a story on their website promoting the event and had announced plans relating to food, music and merchandise as part of a "Magic City Monday" in-arena experience.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league "reached out to the Hawks leadership" in order to "better understand their plans and rationale" before deciding to step in.
"While we appreciate the team's perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees," Silver said.
"I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community."
The Hawks said that they were "disappointed" by the NBA's decision but "fully respect" it.
A statement added: "As a franchise we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta - with authenticity - in ways that continue to unite and brings us all together."
The Los Angeles Kings (26-23-14) survived a near-late collapse, avoiding another meltdown in Columbus thanks to a clutch finish from Adrian Kempe, walking away with two points.
Kempe blasted a slap shot from the left circle 2:26 into overtime, giving Los Angeles a dramatic 5–4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets after a chaotic back-and-forth contest.
Adrian Kempe had a great afternoon, scoring the game-winner and finishing with two goals and two points. Artemi Panarin had another good outing, scoring a goal, assisting on one play, and finishing with two points.
Brian Dumoulin also played a great game, especially late down the stretch, giving the Kings the lead late in the third period, finishing the game with one goal, two assists, and three points.
Meanwhile, Anton Forsberg was phenomenal on the defensive side of things, finishing with 29 saves on 33 shots attempted, coming up with multiple key saves early in the game to help pay off Los Angeles on offense.
Newly acquired Scott Laughton had another strong performance for the Kings, scoring a goal in his second straight game as a member of the Los Angeles Kings and winning the key face-off in overtime, which led to Kempe's game-winning goal.
Los Angeles struck first in the opening period when the trade deadline addition Scott Laughton continued his string start with the club. Laughton finished the play with a nice coast-to-coast play from Brian Dumoulin down the left side before setting up Laughton for the easy goal.
LAK Goal - Laugh and Order!
Kings open the scoring against the run of play. Nice activation by Dumoulin, Laughton makes it 2 goals in 2 games as a King at the net. 1-0..
Later in the period, Artemi Panarin doubled the score with a goal midway through the period, pushing Los Angeles ahead 2-0, despite heavy pressure and traffic from Columbus.
The Blue Jackets would answer late in the period when Conor Garland cut the deficit to 2-1, where the momentum really started to shift to Columbus to end the first period.
Colombus eventually erased the lead in the second period, scoring back-to-back goals in two minutes after both teams were struggling to get a shot up early in the second period.
Both teams had several chances to score on the power play, but failed, and Columbus eventually broke out of their slump behind Garland scoring his second goal of the game and Denton Mateychuck to give Columbus its first lead, 3-2.
Faceoffs were starting to kill Los Angeles in a fate that we've seen repeatedly happen this season when games get close. But today, Los Angeles won 65.7% of their face-offs, compared to the Blue Jackets' 34.3%.
But Los Angeles would respond despite going down by one goal. After a missed shot by Anze Kopitar, the puck bounced right to where Kempe was on the rebound, and he converted the goal, tying things up for Los Angeles.
LAK Goal - Tie game!
Great shift by the top line to respond. Dumoulin/Ceci involved offensively as well, five-man unit attacking, Kempe buries the rebound. 3-3.
Dumoulin later put Los Angeles back in front after it was starting to get very nervous for LA, with the score tied 3-3. Dumoulin, with one of the best plays of the game, moved into the slot, faked the defense on the sustained pressure, and beat Jet Greaves to give the Kings their lead back.
However, the Blue Jackets would refuse to go away.
After a controversial call that didn't give the Kings a two-goal lead late when Alex Turcotte thought he scored the goal, the refs took it away because the whistle had gone.
This would give Columbus another chance to tie the game up, and they did just that. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Columbus forced overtime when Kirill Marchenko buried a power-play goal off a feed from Zach Werenski, tying the game 4–4 with just 1:56 left.
The late rally from Columbus would secure them a point as we headed into overtime.
But, Los Angeles this time didn't go away in the extra period, winning key faceoffs, and Kempe finally ended the game scoring his 25th goal of the season and his second goal of the afternoon, sending the Blue Jackets home.
The winger hammered a shot from the left circle off a pass from Panarin, beating Greaves and securing the win.
Key Takeaways
Massive win for Los Angeles, especially after blowing their last game against the Montreal Canadiens. Los Angeles outplayed the Blue Jackets throughout the first two periods, and when the game got close, they shut the door.
This win now gives Los Angeles 66 points on the year, and now they're just one point behind Seattle for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
A very great game overall from the team, arguably one of its most complete wins of the season, playing great defense behind Forsberg and getting contributions on offense from multiple forwards.
Los Angeles will continue their five-game road trip tomorrow, taking on the Boston Bruins at 7:00 PM EST.
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