TORONTO (AP) — Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for his first shutout with New Jersey and the Devils beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Sunday night.
Acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last month after demanding a trade, Hellebuyck became the first goalie in franchise history to win each of his first five games with the club.
The Devils are set to play at Winnipeg on Tuesday night, with general manager Sunny Mehta saying Sunday night that Hellebuyck will not play. Hellebuyck had his first shutout of the season and the 46th of his NHL career.
Timo Meier scored twice for New Jersey (13-5-0), which has won nine of its last 10 games. Nico Hischier, with a goal and an assist, and Connor Brown, into an empty net, provided the rest of the offense. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had two assists.
Anthony Stolarz stopped 25 shots for Toronto (8-9-2). The Maple Leafs have lost three straight and five of their last six in regulation.
Meier opened the scoring at 8:28 of the second period when he was left alone in front after a faceoff in the offensive zone. The winger doubled the advantage with 7:16 left in the period when a Hughes' shot deflected off Meier and past Stolarz.
Hischier made it 3-0 on a power play at 9:49 of the third, and Brown iced it into the empty net. Hischier assisted on Meier’s first goal to become the third Swiss-born player in NHL history with 500 career points, joining Roman Josi (799) and Kevin Fiala (528).
The Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 was honored before the puck drop. Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk and Cindy Curley are set to be enshrined in the player category Monday. Brian Burke will go in as a builder.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Seiya Suzuki #27 of the Chicago Cubs bats against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have been doing this for a few years now: looking at the top free agents, using the contract Ben Clemens suggests he’ll get, and asking whether you would like the Jays to give him that contract. This year, the lockout makes it a little more complicated. Keith Law’s list is here. Ben Clemens’ is here.
Number two on Ben Clemens’ list and number four on Keith Law’s list is Seiya Suzuki. Suzuki is 32, he turns 33 next August. He’s played five seasons with the Cubs, with a .269/.351/.472 line in 675 games. He has 113 home runs, 316 walks and 719 strikeouts.
This past season, he put up 5.1 bWAR (the best of his career) with a .270/.368/.473 line, with 26 home runs, 81 walks and 155 strikeouts.
I guess the question is do you think he can keep up this level of performance into his mid-30s.
Among the thing Law said:
He’s a solidly above-average hitter, probably on the downswing, and at least a solid-average defender in right field as well who’s improved his jumps enough to mitigate his declining speed. His 4.5 fWAR was a career high and I think there’s some walk-year inflation in it; he’s probably a 3-4 WAR player for the next few years, trending down by the end of a five-year contract, and I’d be inclined to come in under $30 million a year because of his age and the warning signs in his hard-hit rates.
Clemens:
Teams have mostly gotten out of the business of giving long-term contracts to hitters over 30, but when they do, it’s for bat-first types who have few holes in their game, and that describes Suzuki perfectly. He checks the three boxes of good eye, good contact, and good power, which gives him room to have a down year in one area and still be viable. I think that the uncertainty around the economic structure of the game will keep him from getting five-plus years, but that shouldn’t stop him from getting the second-biggest AAV in the class.
Ben figures him to get a four-year, $108 million dollar contract, averaging $27 million a year. Not Skubal money, but he won’t be going hungry.
DALLAS, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 8: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at American Airlines Center on November 8, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (6-4) made quick work of the hapless Brooklyn Nets (2-8) on Sunday at American Airlines Center, scoring a 130-93 win behind 25 points and 12 assists from Cooper Flagg. Kyrie Irving added 21, and Daniel Gafford had 18 points and three blocked shots in the win as well.
Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 19 points and nine rebounds in the loss. The 37-point margin of victory against Brooklyn was the largest for the Mavs since Oct. 22, 2022, when they beat the Memphis Grizzlies 137-96.
Flagg scored eight quick points in the game’s first five minutes, and when he went to the bench midway through the opening quarter, Irving took over from there. Flagg’s finger roll in secondary transition just 4:16 into the proceedings put Dallas ahead 13-5, then Irving scored on back-to-back possessions, including a finger roll of his own in traffic with 5:13 left that put the Mavs up 17-11.
Walter Clayton Jr.’s hit Dallas’ second 3-pointer of the game two possessions later, on an assist from Morez Johnson Jr., to make it 22-12 and force Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez into a timeout. Irving knocked down a little teardrop after a whirling dervish drive to the bucket to give him nine points in the quarter and extend the Mavericks’ lead to 26-13 with just over three minutes left in the frame. After Michael Porter Jr. hit two straight contested 3-balls to bring Brooklyn back to within six, Flagg converted a beautiful spinning 3-point play with two minutes left in the first, and Dallas was back up 30-21.
Despite another driving dunk being called off for an offensive foul on the play, Flagg finished with 14 points in the first, and Dallas led 33-26 after one.
Dallas opened up a huge lead in the second quarter as Flagg’s run of brilliance continued. You had to wonder when Mavericks head coach Dusty May would look to start resting Flagg and other key contributors as the lead swelled to 19 just four minutes into the second. The Mavs were on the front end of a back-to-back set with a game against the Indiana Pacers looming on Monday.
Flagg found Naji Marshall alone in the corner for his fourth assist of the first half to make it a 22-point lead on a baseline 3-pointer with seven minutes left before the break. All of a sudden, the Mavs were on a 15-2 lead and the Nets hadn’t scored in over three minutes. The Mavericks led 66-46 at the break.
Despite a somewhat sloppy third quarter, the Mavs outscored the Nets 34-25 in the period to cement the blowout as Brooklyn began to fold. Marshall found Irving with a pinpoint lead pass in transition with two seconds left in the third for a three-point play up ahead that made it 100-71 going into the fourth.
Dallas coasted home for the 130-93 win, resting Flagg, Irving and Gafford for most of the fourth. Santi Aldama showed progress in his second game of the season, too, finishing with 12 points off the bench.
Flagg announced his presence with authority in that first quarter, nailing his first 3-pointer of the contest on the Mavs’ last possession of the frame, then using one dribble to get into the lane and rising up for a vicious slam over Noah Clowney on Dallas’ first possession of the second. Danny Wolf drew the initial defensive assignment on Flagg for Brooklyn, and the young man simply had no hope of containing the combustible force that Flagg is morphing into before our very eyes.
After assisting on two straight Daniel Gafford three-point plays early in the second, Flagg got the ball along the perimeter late in the shot clock with Wolf sagging off one step too many to avoid another blow-by. Flagg stepped back for his second 3-ball as the shot clock expired to put the Mavericks up 47-32 with 9:22 left in the first half. Flagg had already collected 20 points to that point on 7-of-8 shooting.
After exploding for 14 points in the first, Flagg added six more in the second quarter, but dished seven dimes in the frame as he sucked the helpless Brooklyn defense into his gravitational vortex and adjusted to what the game presented him. He doled out five more dimes in the third, before nailing his third 3-ball of the game early in the fourth to extend the Mavs’ lead to 103-71.
Flagg made three of his five 3-point attempts on the night before going to the bench for some rest with 8:20 left to play.
Overcoming turnovers
Despite the domination on the scoreboard, the Mavericks turned the ball over 12 times in the first half, including two rare palming violations. Flagg was called for palming late in the first quarter, and Santi Aldama, in just his second game with the team, was called for another along the perimeter while trying to fight through a screen late in the second.
Aldama scored his first bucket of the game a possession after being called for his palming violation, on a fading jumper over Wolf with 1:30 left in the half, to extend Dallas’ lead to 23, up 63-40. Flagg found Aldama open along the right wing for a 3-pointer with about a minute left in the second to make it 66-44.
The Mavs dominated the Nets in the paint (64-40) and off the bench (58-31) in the win to overcome a little bit of uncharacteristic carelessness on offense. Dallas finished with 20 turnovers in the win.
Despite getting out to an awkward start on offense in the first quarter, Gafford turned in another quality performance on the interior for the Mavericks in the win. He was consistently on the receiving end of open looks as the Brooklyn defense sent multiple defenders at Flagg and Irving. He scored 11 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter as Flagg kept feeding open teammates. And that was on top of the three blocked shots and the three offensive rebounds Gafford accounted for through the game’s first three quarters.
Of Flagg’s 12 assists in the second and third quarters, five of them went to Gafford in close to the basket. Gafford cashed in seven of his eight field goal attempts on an incredibly efficient night despite three early fouls. He cut toward an empty lane with 5:17 left in the third and Flagg found him for his 12th assist of the contest to extend the Dallas lead to 90-62.
“[Flagg is] a phenomenal player,” Gafford said in his televised postgame interview. “Everybody is paying attention to him, and that leaves me with open shots. He keeps saying he’s going to get me the ball, and that’s what he’s doing.”
Gafford, Flagg and Irving combined to shoot 24-of-36 from the floor in the win.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 10: Nique Clifford #10 of the Sacramento Kings stands on the court during the second half of the preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Godofredo A. Vásquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Thunder and the Kings completed an early-season trade that surprised most observers. Oklahoma City acquired second-year player Nique Clifford from Sacramento in exchange for two second-round picks, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The trade is strange from the Kings’ side, and we’ll get to it. As far as the Spurs are concerned, however, the biggest impact comes from the Thunder once again getting cost-controlled, young talent for middling draft assets to bolster their depth in the present and the near future. Let’s start there.
Clifford won’t likely make a big difference this year, but the trade puts OKC in a better overall position
First things first: Clifford is not Jared McCain. All they have in common is that they were both second-year players whose previous teams gave up on them, and they were both traded to Oklahoma City for two second-rounders. The main difference between the two is that McCain was so impressive to start his first season in Philadelphia that he was the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year for a while, before getting hurt. Clifford, who entered the league at 23 years of age, had an acceptable but unimpressive first season for a horrible Kings team. The McCain trade was a bigger deal than this one at the time, and McCain’s impact will likely be bigger than Clifford’s in the future.
With that out of the way, it’s still a good move for Oklahoma City, as they needed depth at the wing after losing Jalen Williams and likely Cason Wallace for the rest of the season. Clifford is 6’5 with a 6’8 wingspan, a jack-of-all-trades player who can fill in the gaps in lineups. He’s someone who, in theory, can contribute in many different ways, which is always helpful for good teams that already have elite scorers and creators in place and can use guys who won’t demand too many touches. There’s a really good chance he thrives as a secondary or tertiary creator in Oklahoma City while providing solid defense. Considering what it took to get him, he’s not a bad stopgap.
The real impact this trade could have, however, is on the future affordability of an increasingly expensive Thunder roster. Clifford is almost certainly not good enough to give OKC even half of the production of either of their starting wings who are out with injury, but he could be a solid depth piece going forward. He’s in the second year of a very cheap rookie deal, so Sam Presti could get almost three years of production out of him on a cost-controlled contract, which means that when everyone returns, the Thunder could have both top talent and depth, which is becoming increasingly hard to do in the apron era.
By essentially re-drafting guys using second-round picks, OKC is building a pipeline of young talent to replace their own misses in talent evaluation and veterans who become too expensive.
That’s bad news for every Western Conference team, including the Spurs.
The new lottery rules might be behind the Kings’ decision to make the trade
Both analysts and people on social media are mocking the Kings for trading a first-rounder to OKC to select Clifford in the 2025 draft only to, just after a season and change, trade him to the Thunder for two seconds. It’s a funny sequence of events from a poorly run franchise, so the jokes are understandable, but, in reality, it isn’t as bad as it might seem at first glance.
First, the first-round pick the Kings traded to get Clifford was the Spurs’ 2027 pick that they got in the De’Aaron Fox trade. The pick will likely be in the late 20s. Moving that asset for a pick of similar value (Clifford was selected 24th overall) was not necessarily a terrible idea by the Kings at the time, since they clearly liked Nique then. And cutting your losses if you think you made a mistake drafting someone is better than falling for the sunk-cost fallacy and holding on even after you’ve concluded the player just isn’t good. Sacramento actually had to send out a second-round pick to shed former lottery pick Devin Carter Jr.’s salary, so they were probably trying to avoid doing the same with Clifford, who was out of the rotation.
But there might be an explanation for the trade that doesn’t involve Sacramento thinking Clifford is a bust: the new lottery rules put the Kings in a bad position, and the move was a way to salvage something.
Starting next draft, the teams with the bottom three records will be in the relegation zone and will actually get worse odds of getting the top pick than a non-playoff team with a better record. The entire point of the change was to make sure coaches didn’t just sit their veterans with fake injuries to tank as hard as they could while trotting out lineups featuring players who didn’t belong in the NBA. It’s entirely possible that the Kings felt like they needed to put guys on the floor who could lift them to at least the fourth-worst record, and thought Clifford was not one of them. Not yet, at least. At that point, trading him before he loses all value after being buried on the bench makes sense.
The Kings’ reputation is so bad that explaining the move this way might seem too charitable, especially since even while playing their veterans, they are 1-8 and are a likely bottom-three team. Whether this specific move by this specific franchise is smart remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see more mediocre-to-bad teams with young players that need developmental minutes that just aren’t there moving on quickly while trying to get some value back.
If that’s the case, contenders should be on the lookout for re-drafting opportunities, and Brian Wright should be ready to pounce if someone he likes becomes available.
It was a squeaker, but William Bergolla Jr. took an immediate lead and held Jaden Fauske off for the Round 5 win. Bergolla earned 21 of 77 votes (27%). Bergolla’s vote total was the same as Round 3 winner Billy Carlson, only with many more votes cast.
Bergolla, acquired from Philadelphia at the 2024 trade deadline for Tanner Banks, was our No. 15-voted prospect in last year’s Vote.
As you might have imagined in a shortstop-heavy system, we now have three shortstops among our first five picks:
Past No. 5s in the SSS Top Prospect Vote 2026 Sam Antonacci (41%) 2025 Colson Montgomery (29%) 2024 Nick Nastrini (27%) 2023 José Rodríguez (38%) 2022 Colson Montgomery (41%) 2021 Jared Kelley (47%) 2020 Dane Dunning (48%) 2019 Nick Madrigal (66%) 2018 Dylan Cease (70%)
Plum prep Kyle Casteel, a sweet-looking 11th-rounder in the 2026 draft, joins the ballot this round.
South Side Sox Top-Voted White Sox Prospects for 2027
Billy Carlson — 38% (Bergolla Jr. 27%, Fauske 13%, McDougal/Prosek 7%, Thome 4%, Lodise/Mogollón/Wolkow 2%, Volchko 0%)
William Bergolla Jr. — 27% (Fauske 25%, McDougal 21%, Prosek/Thome 10%, Lodise 4%, Mogollón/Wolkow 1%, Volchko/Weingartner 0%)
Kyle Casteel Right-Handed Starting Pitcher Age 19 2026 high level Butler Area (H.S.) Overall 2026 stats (H.S) 10-0 ▪️ 13 games ▪️ 65 ⅔ IP ▪️ 0.64 ERA ▪️ 103 K ▪️ 11 BB ▪️ 0.685 WHIP
Casteel is the sort of player you dream of getting to start off the $150,000 round of 10 picks: A player who the White Sox had been talking to regularly that, based on how the first round fell, now was draftable knowing the club could meet the prep’s demands. It’s undoubtable that Casteel is far better than the 315th pick (MLB had him ranked at No. 162 overall), and thus the White Sox pocketed a player who should have been selected in the fifth round. Casteel has power and control, and while the White Sox will bring him along with care, he has a rare profile in a pitching-starved White Sox system.
Jaden Fauske Center Fielder Age 20 2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 11 2026 high level Kannapolis (Low-A) Age relative to high level -1.3 years Overall 2026 stats 118 games ▪️ 4 HR ▪️ 48 RBI ▪️ .250/.388/.360 ▪️ 46-of-56 (82.1%) SB ▪️ 94 BB ▪️ 125 K ▪️ .948 FLD%▪️ 2.8 WAR
A year ago, we were not certain where Fauske would play, as a high school catcher announced at the draft as an outfielder-only. That proved to be the case in his first professional season, but what ho, Fauske saw more time in center than right field. And with quicks that saw Jaden snatch 46 bags in 118 games, the youngster might well stick in center.
Kyle Lodise Shortstop Age 22 2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 24 2026 high level Winston-Salem (High-A) Age relative to high level 0.0 years Overall 2026 stats 111 games ▪️ 20 HR ▪️ 77 RBI ▪️ .230/.380/.440 ▪️ 42-of-51 (82.4%) SB ▪️ 92 BB ▪️ 141 K ▪️ .957 FLD%▪️ 3.6 WAR
Lodise made a return visit to Winston-Salem in 2026, and his first full professional season went extremely well. With a low average and slug to burn, the shortstop fits right in with the org profile of swinging hard, damn the contact. Thankfully, Lodise is selective enough at the plate to produce astronomical OBPs. And his power bat is showing better than advertised at this point.
Tanner McDougal Right-Handed Starting Pitcher Age 23 2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 33 2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking N/R 2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 6 2026 high level Chicago (MLB) Age relative to high level -6.2 years Overall 2026 stats (High-A/AAA/MLB) 2-3 ▪️ 27 games (7 starts, 3 finishes) ▪️ 50 IP ▪️ 4.86 ERA ▪️ 53 K ▪️ 34 BB ▪️ 1.480 WHIP ▪️0.2 WAR
The good news is that McDougal was enough of a core piece to be promoted to Chicago in the second half of 2026. The bad news … well, where to start. McDougal’s presumptive march to the South Side rotation was stopped dead early in the season, when he was sidelined for weeks with forearm tightness. While the injury was thankfully not severe enough to necessitate a second TJS, Tanner was a relief arm for the rest of the season and not a stable one at that. His brief cameo in Chicago saw him rack up one out along with three walks.
Javier Mogollón Second Baseman Age 21 2026 high level Winston-Salem (AA) Age relative to high level -2.0 years Overall 2026 stats (Low-A/High-A) 91 games ▪️ 14 HR ▪️ 57 RBI ▪️ .262/.368/.448 ▪️ 36-of-44 (81.8%) SB ▪️ 53 BB ▪️ 123 K ▪️ .965 FLD%▪️ 2.5 WAR
The diminutive (5´8´´, 160) infielder wowed in rookie ball and though his climb has slowed, Mogollón has steadily risen up our ranks, from No.62 in our 2024 Top 100 to the cusp of the Top 10 today. That said, he’s seen two straight seasons shortened by hamstring issues. At least in 2026, Mogollón was able to return before season’s end, providing a clutch bat coming that provided a .313/.389/.813 slash and eight RBIs en route to sweeping to a SALLY title.
Cole Prosek Third Baseman Age 19 2026 High Level Magnolia Heights (H.S.) Overall 2026 stats (H.S) 41 games ▪️ 18 HR ▪️ 79 RBI ▪️ .545/.678/1.177 ▪️ 62 R ▪️ 7 SB ▪️ 31 BB ▪️ 12 K
Coming to Chicago as a second-rounder, Prosek seems more highly-regarded by evaluators than the guy picked ahead of him by the White Sox, low first round choice Landon Thome. That’s a curious thing, but Prosek dominated his prep competition even more thoroughly than Thome. Plus, while the White Sox regard Prosek as a second baseman, his prep time was spent significantly at the hot corner, and he has experience behind the plate as well.
Landon Thome Shortstop Age 19 2026 High Level Nazareth Academy (H.S.) Overall 2026 stats (H.S) 7 HR ▪️ 29 RBI ▪️ .545 AVG ▪️ 49-of-50 (98.0%) SB
How crazy is it to have two high school teammates (Thome and Jaden Fauske) on our first ballot of the voting year … or any ballot, ever? The White Sox were so hot to dip back into Nazareth’s roster that they dealt promising 2023 first-rounder Jacob Gonzalez to Pittsburgh to acquire the draft pick to snag him; clearly the club was not confident Thome would drop into the second round. Unlike his father, Hall-of-Famer and White Sox adviser Jim, Landon is better regarded for his speed and defense than his ability to put the ball over the fence. Slugging will come in time for junior, however.
Joey Volchko Right-handed starting pitcher Age 21 2026 high level University of Georgia (NCAA) Age relative to high level +0.1 years Overall 2026 stats 11-2 ▪️ 18 starts ▪️ 1 CG ▪️ 95 1/3 IP ▪️ 3.68 ERA ▪️ 119 K ▪️ 46 BB ▪️ 1.343 WHIP ▪️ 2.1 WAR
This big-armed righty can touch 100 mph with his fastball, but wildness concerns might have precipitated Volchko’s drop to the White Sox in the third round in spite of MLB ranking him as a second round (68th-best) talent. He’s a big-game pitcher who dragged the Bulldogs to their first College World Series win in 18 years with a complete-game effort over the University of Texas. There’s a chance Volchko ends up as a high-leverage bullpen arm, but he will get every chance to stick as a starter.
Alex Weingartner Right Fielder Age 19 2026 high level St. Augustine College Prep (H.S.) Overall 2026 stats 30 games ▪️ 7 HR ▪️ 36 RBI ▪️ .495 AVG ▪️ .817 SLG ▪️ 33 SB ▪️ 21 BB
Oddly enough, Weingartner may be a doppelganger for the player listed right below; both he and George Wolkow were prep plums selected lower than their skill and scout rankings indicated, and both players scored sweet bonuses from the White Sox to lure them from potential college commitments. Both have rocket arms (Weingartner, in fact, pitched for his St. Augustine Hermits in 2026) as well.
George Wolkow Right Fielder Age 21 2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 14 2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 13 2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 16 2026 high level Winston-Salem (High-A) Age relative to high level -2.0 years Overall 2026 stats 123 games ▪️ 22 HR ▪️ 100 RBI ▪️ .239/.317/.446 ▪️ 15-of-22 (68.2%) SB ▪️ 50 BB ▪️ 179 K ▪️ .971 FLD%▪️ 1.6 WAR
Wolkow sacrificed speed and what batting eye he had for power in 2026, and while that made for some impressive counting stats (22-100 plays on the back of any baseball card) the hole in his swing hasn’t been sewn. If the White Sox brass is having Wolkow bet on his best tool, power, at all others’ expense, he’s slipping into the Colson Category.
Everyone knows by now that the Edmonton Oilers can't seem to keep their goaltenders healthy.
Edmonton entered training camp with three goaltenders, and just 10 games into the season, two were injured, forcing the Oilers to use four different goaltenders and dress an emergency backup.
At least things are starting to improve.
Devon Levi returned from a groin injury on Saturday, Tristan Jarry is healthy after missing Thursday's game against Anaheim with an illness, and Frederik Andersen remains sidelined with an injury he suffered during the offseason.
The Oilers had some decisions to make about their goaltending heading into October, and injuries have taken care of most of them.
Levi won six of his first seven starts before suffering a groin injury against Carolina on Oct. 22. He apparently felt something wrong during the third period, though it was of little concern to him at the time.
“I wasn't going to get out of that game unless I was dead,” Levi said.
Probably not what the medical staff wanted to hear.
Levi missed seven games, leaving Jarry responsible for most of Edmonton's starts. The 31-year-old recorded consecutive shutouts against Calgary and the New York Islanders, as well as some pretty reliable goaltending during their road trip through New York.
“With Dev hurt, I knew I'd get a little bit more work,” Jarry said following the Islanders game. “So just being able to take care of that opportunity and kind of just run with it… It's been fun, to say the least.”
Matt Tomkins also got an opportunity to play, making 27 saves in Edmonton's 4-1 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The 32-year-old Edmonton native entered that game with just six NHL starts and no league appearances since April 2024.
Then Jarry got sick.
Edmonton dressed Tomkins and emergency backup goaltender Brett Epp against Anaheim on Thursday night, since Andersen and Levi were still unavailable.
Having an emergency backup sitting on the bench in November probably wasn't something Stan Bowman expected when he put together this roster.
Fortunately, Levi returned on Saturday night against Vancouver, stopping 20 shots in Edmonton's 4-2 win. Jarry was healthy enough to serve as his backup, and Tomkins was reassigned to Bakersfield.
“It was a tight game,” Levi said afterward. “I love playing those games, going into the third period (tied) 1-1, knowing that I’m probably going to have to come up with one or two (big saves). Love it, man. So it was a fun game.”
“He's got all the characteristics of a gamer,” Jason Dickinson said. “He fights hard, he battles hard, he's been itching to get back. It's definitely good for us to have him.”
Edmonton now has two healthy goaltenders who have been playing well, and Andersen's eventual return will give the organization more hope.
Jarry has earned more opportunities with his recent performances, Levi has won seven of eight games, and Andersen was originally expected to be the starter.
The Oilers are 12-3-3 through 18 games, and their goaltending has been reasonably reliable despite everything that's happened, but four goaltenders and an emergency backup before 20 games is getting a little ridiculous.
Maybe somebody really should check for a curse.
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WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored on a 5-on-3 power play with 1.6 seconds left and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Sunday after blowing a late three-goal lead.
Scheifele scored on a one-timer from the high slot off a feed from Cole Perfetti.
After Brayden Yager gave Winnipeg a 3-0 lead on a power play at 8:10 of the third with his first NHL goal, the Lightning tied it in a 4:07 burst. Brandon Hagel scored with 9:38 to go, and Pontus Holmberg struck twice — with 5:59 left and 5:33 remaining.
Perfetti, Morgan Barron and Brayden Yager also scored for Winnipeg (7-8-3), and Stuart Skinner made 18 saves. The Jets have won three in a row after dropping nine straight.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 21 shots for Tampa Bay (11-4-2) in the opener of a three-game trip The Lightning had won three in a row.
Winnipeg went 3 or 5 on the power play, and Tampa Bay was 0 for 4.
DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 8: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on November 8, 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
Who needs Luka Doncic when you have the US equivalent from Newark, Arkansas, Austin Reaves? The Los Angeles Lakers guard scored a game-high 43 as his MVP-level teammate rested with a back injury, propelling LA past the Detroit Pistons 121-116.
Honestly, the game had no reason to be as close as it was in the end. The Lakers led 40-14 one basket into the second quarter courtesy of insane shotmaking (hitting 72% from the floor) and an insane amount of Pistons miscues, including having more turnovers (eight) than made baskets (six).
But the Pistons, being the Pistons, weren’t about to give up. While Detroit pulled within one point early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers led wire to wire. So while it was only marginally competitive from Detroit’s point of view, it was certainly an instructive game. Here are some of the things I learned:
1. Kevin Huerter
Kevin Huerter is going to be a critical component of the Pistons’ rotation this season. In a game where Detroit’s entire backcourt didn’t really show up to play (both Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson were largely no-shows until some fourth-quarter scoring), Huerter was by far the biggest bright spot for the Pistons.
It also happened to be his best game in a Detroit uniform. Huerter hit four three-pointers, scored 24 points overall, and added five rebounds, five assists, five blocks(?!) and two steals. Ever since the Pistons traded for him at the deadline last season, it was clear Huerter makes winning plays, and you were hoping he’d be able to combine that with rediscovering his 3-point shooting stroke from earlier in his career. The early returns indicate the shot might be back, as well as everything that goes with it. After tonight, he’s hitting 40% from deep this season.
2. John Collins and Paul Reed
Detroit’s starting front court simply does not work, and it will never work. For as long as Jalen Duren remains sidelined or off the floor this season, this is going to be a significant issue for the Pistons. Duren is ramping back up from a hamstring injury and will be out two more weeks. Detroit has been, and will continue to be able to weather that storm. But it ain’t pretty, and any additional time off from Duren will have me significantly worried.
Most will want to pin the blame on the newcomer John Collins, and he has certainly played worse than Reed, but I think it’s the combination that brings out the worst in both players. Each is the kind of big man that relies on the gravity from teammates that allows them to use their athleticism to create the chaos that makes them effective. With both of them on the floor, it’s two bouncy balls pinging around the floor with no semblance of a plan on how to actually get the ball to the rim. The defense is also bad, and the rebounding is even worse. It’s an ugly situation, and it was exacerbated tonight by both men getting out-physicaled by the behemoth seven-footer Walker Kessler. Kessler, the Lakers’ big offseason addition, had 12 points and 16 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. The Lakers also dominated the Pistons in the paint, 58-46.
Again, the lion’s share of the blame goes to Collins. He’s been quite bad all season, and it’s getting less clear by the day how he’s going to turn it around and be a positive force for the Pistons. I don’t think he’s ever met a 50-50 ball he couldn’t surrender to the opposition. But the pathway to him playing well lies with sharing the floor with Duren. Get well soon, JD.
3. Austin Reaves
The Pistons were correct in trying to give Austin Reaves the bag this offseason. Detroit reportedly was ready to give the wing a max contract this offseason as the second scorer and potential missing piece in a Detroit Pistons title run. Once the Lakers believed the pending RFA had a max offer on the table, they quickly moved to get an agreement to sign him on the eve of free agency so he’d never hit the market.
Reaves was insane tonight. The degree of difficulty on his shots begged belief. He was able to create space, get balanced, and score at all three levels. It was a sight to behold, and he was by far the best player on the floor for either team tonight.
4. Daniss Jenkins
Daniss has that dog in him, especially under two scenarios: 1. There is an impending buzzer. 2. He feels like his team is getting punked. Jenkins was truly the other hero of the game behind Huerter. He hit yet another buzzer-beater tonight, and he scored a career-high 31 points. When the Pistons were down huge, Jenkins got that look in his eye, as if to say, “This is not going to happen.”
From there, Jenkins started firing away from deep, and he was hitting. In the end, he canned eight three-pointers. He was also the ONLY Pistons player to go to the free-throw line more than once in the game. Really, Jenkins is like a better version of Marcus Sasser. He’s got scoring in his blood, and he’s more of an off-guard than a point guard, despite being stuck in a point guard’s body. He’s got three inches on Sasser and better floor vision, so he’s better overall and can cosplay as a point guard better than Sass, but Jenkins works best in this Pistons lineup when he’s not running the offense.
4. The refs.
The referees love the Lakers. Nothing else needs to be said.
DETROIT — The Lakers’ minutes without Luka Dončić on the floor have been a problem they’ve yet to figure out during the first three weeks of the season.
Austin Reaves (15) of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
And while it got shaky at the end, the Lakers found enough answers against the league’s best defense to leave Little Caesars Arena with a victory, beating the Pistons 121-116 to improve to 9-2 on the season.
The beginning of those answers started with star guard Austin Reaves, who had his best game of the season with his backcourt co-star watching from the bench.
Reaves scored 43 points on 14-for-27 shooting for his highest-scoring and first 40-point showing of the season.
After having a brief midgame confrontation with a courtside fan, he scored 13 points in the third quarter to keep the Lakers afloat while the Pistons came back from being down 26 points in the second quarter and 13 points at halftime.
The Lakers got out to a 38-14 lead after forcing the Pistons to turn the ball over eight times, scoring 17 points directly off those giveaways.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) moves the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. NBAE via Getty Images
Quentin Grimes, who started in place of Dončić, also got off to an explosive start, scoring 10 points of his scoring total (12 points) in the first.
The Pistons took advantage of Reaves being on the bench, going on a 7-0 run when the Lakers star guard subbed out with 2:30 left in the third to cut their deficit to 84-81 before Collin Sexton (17 points) made a lauyup and a pair of free throws to give the Lakers an 88-81 lead going into the fourth.
Ronald Holland II of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers didn’t let go from there, pulling off the wire-to-wire win despite the Pistons cutting their deficit to one midway through the fourth.
Reaves, Sexton, Walker Kessler (12 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots) and Ziaire Williams (17 points) all made big plays late to help the Lakers secure the win.
The Lakers will play the Hawks in Atlanta Monday night to close out their back-to-back set.
Reaves embodied Doncic in almost every way Sunday, leading the Lakers to a 121-116 win over the Detroit Pistons as Doncic sat out with low back tightness. The Lakers replaced the guard averaging a league-high 40.1 points with Reaves’ season-high 43 points, four assists and five rebounds.
The Lakers (9-2) needed every bit of Reaves’ magic. Their 26-point second-quarter lead nearly evaporated under an avalanche of second-half turnovers and 53 combined points from Detroit bench guards Daniss Jenkins and Kevin Huerter.
Fresh off a max contract extension, Reaves has had a quiet, yet ruthlessly efficient start to the year in Doncic’s shadow. Doncic is getting most valuable player chants each time he steps to the free throw line. Reaves, averaging 25.3 points per game on 50.8% shooting from the field and 41.3% from three, has at times looked clumsy while getting comfortable with new teammates in the minutes without Doncic.
He looked comfortable in the starring role again Sunday. Reaves hit a seemingly impossible baseline fadeaway in the first quarter, flinging the ball almost over the backboard. When two fans sitting opposite the Lakers bench started chirping at Reaves, he bent down, put his hands on his knees during a stoppage of play and talked directly at them for several seconds.
Doncic, dressed in black pants and a gray jacket, took it all in from the sideline.
“Sometimes when they’re playing together, AR kind of has to take a secondary role,” said center Walker Kessler, who had 12 points and 16 rebounds, including a clutch put-back, three-point play that put the Lakers up by eight with 2:15 remaining. “But I mean, as you can see now, he’s very capable. He’s a heck of a playmaker, heck of a scorer and a competitor.”
On the front side of a back-to-back, Doncic missed his second game of the season with low back tightness, although Lakers coach JJ Redick said he didn’t anticipate it to affect Doncic significantly throughout the season.
The Slovenian superstar is averaging a league-high 40.1 points per game, but Doncic was doing more than just scoring at rates not seen since Wilt Chamberlain. His estimated on/off of 37.7 — the difference between the Lakers’ net rating when he was on the court compared to off — was the second-highest in the league, following only Victor Wembanyama’s 41.5. In addition to having the highest scoring average through nine games since Chamberlain, Doncic is the team’s second-leading rebounder at 7.8 per game and is second with 1.7 steals.
Austin Reaves goes to the basket against Pistons guard Kevin Huerter in the second half Sunday. (Duane Burleson / AP)
But the Lakers already showed they could compete without Doncic this season. They dominated the Clippers on Oct. 28 when he was sidelined, also with back tightness.
Just as they did against the Clippers, the Lakers needed contributions from everyone. Ziaire Williams hit four three-pointers and finished with 17 points. Collin Sexton, serving as the Lakers’ second ball-handler, had 17 points on five-of-10 shooting.
Jarred Vanderbilt’s energetic six rebounds, two assists and one block in less than six minutes during the first quarter helped lift the Lakers to a 26-point lead early in the second.
The Pistons, playing without All-NBA center Jalen Duren (hamstring), didn’t get their first points from star point guard Cade Cunningham until early in the third quarter. Instead, Jenkins nearly mounted the comeback on his own.
Jenkins, a familiar Lakers foe who scored 30 points in Detroit’s win over the Lakers here last year, scored 22 points of his career-high 31 in the first half, cutting the Lakers’ 26-point lead to 13 by halftime. He drained a three-pointer at the buzzer that injected life into the antsy home crowd. The Lakers, who have benefited from two halftime buzzer-beating heaves from Doncic this season, know what it’s like to be on the other side of that momentum swing.
Pistons fans banging inflatable thunder sticks erupted in the third quarter as Detroit ripped off an 11-0 run to close the lead to three with 1:03 remaining in the quarter. The Lakers, playing with Sexton as their primary ball-handler during the stretch, had four turnovers during the drought, including a shot clock violation after a timeout.
Reaves rested from the sideline during the slide, but Redick stayed committed to the pre-determined rotation matrix to ensure star players get their necessary breaks.
“If you start just overreacting in-game and saying ‘I gotta get this guy back in, I gotta get this guy back in,’ it’s just chaos,” Redick said. “And we’re trying to create consistency for our players.”
Redick called Reaves “Mr. Consistency” earlier this season. He had 13 points in the third quarter, including five straight on difficult fadeway jumpers that pushed the lead to 17 with 6:41 to go in the third. After his step-back three from the wing kissed off the glass and rattled through the rim, Reaves shrugged.
“It was 100% lucky,” Reaves said.
Reaves shot Doncic’s shots then talked Doncic’s talk. After hitting the dagger shot to put the Lakers up by eight with 44.5 seconds left, Reaves turned and waved goodbye directly to the two fans sitting courtside.
SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 6: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on November 6, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs put together two of their finest wins during SEGABAGA road victories over Sacramento and Portland. When the NBA schedule came out, my sister and I reviewed which game that we’d want to go to, saw the airfare prices to and from Austin and San Antonio…. and concluded Sacramento made the most sense for both of us.
The best comp that I could come up with was slightly slower and less athletic Allen Iverson with Jamal Murray’s shooting range on offense. However, he and the rest of his teammates seemed lost on most defensive possessions, which resulted in quite a few paint points for San Antonio.
(Lack of) Crowd Control
Not only were there wide swaths of the lower bowl that had empty seats, but there was entire rows in the second level that lacked humans, too. Though the Kings did themselves no favors by falling and staying behind by nearly 20 points most of the game, the ambience itself lacked the fervor of past seasons.
Things I saw in-person that I haven’t noticed on the good ole television:
Luke Kornet seems 15-20 pounds heavier than last season.
Domantas Sabonis tried a lot of his bull-in-a-china-shop physicality on Wembanyama in the paint – something that worked well in earlier seasons – but found it no longer works for him beyond occasionally.
Dylan Harper (see highlights below) looked like the best guard out there.
Wembanyama suffered his infamous face-plant during game 2 of the first-round series and turned his ankle rather gruesomely on Sabonis’ closeout tonight – so maybe I shouldn’t be going to these games in-person anymore.
I’m sad I didn’t get video evidence of Jordan McLaughlin’s dunk attempt in the second half. It was impressive!
Chik-Fil-A rewarded its fans with a free appetizer if a Spur missed two free throws in a row, and this might have been the biggest win tonight in Sacramento…. with the exception that fans had to claim their victory a) in the app and b) before 10 AM the next morning. I’ll take breakfast tacos anytime.
What started as a bad omen but ultimately was a big nothing-burger: the Spurs’ rim was being repaired for over 20 minutes right after Wembanyama finished his pre-game prep, affecting the tip-off by roughly 15 minutes or so. Right before the repairs took place, I was impressed with Wembanyama’s (mostly) in-motion routine instead of just practicing stand-still jumpers:
The audacity AND accuracy of Stephon Castle’s re-direction here to Vassell in the first period will likely put this in the season-ending highglight rankings:
These simple two-man motions with Victor and a guard and shooters on the other side are good enough to win a lot of regular season games while keeping both the big man and his teammates happy. Devin’s shotmaking ability late in the shotclock is exquisite.
On a personal note, this was the first chance to watch the Spurs in-person with my sister and her two kids since my dad passed. During the last Spurs game here in Sacramento on March 17, my dad suffered his last major fall hurriedly trying to get into his TV room to watch the game. My Kings rep Gavin was kind enough to gift us post-game free throws, and Shirley credited my dad for willing her free throw into the net.
My attempt felt like a ham-fisted Shaq free throw coming out of my hands, but it also founds its way home:
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 08: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers gets a first half shot off over Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on November 08, 2026 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers controlled most of Sunday afternoon’s game against the Pistons, including withstanding a furious rally in the second half to pick up a big road win, 121-116.
The purple and gold were without Luka Dončić for the contest as he was ruled out on Sunday morning with lower back tightness. Still, the team set the tone from the start and jumped out to a big lead in the first.
Detroit steadily chipped away at the lead before flying back into the contest in the fourth quarter with a big run with Austin Reaves on the bench. From there, it was a tight affair to the final buzzer.
LA finished with 16 turnovers but scored 23 points off Detroit’s 13 turnovers. They also outscored the Pistons 58-46 in the paint with many of those points from Detroit coming in garbage time.
LA got off to a solid start with Matisse Thybulle stealing the ball, leading to Austin Reaves converting a layup. Thybulle was also left wide open under the basket for an easy two points. Los Angeles continued their strong start, going on an 8-0 scoring run that featured two triples from Quentin Grimes.
Grimes and Austin Reaves combined for 14 points.
The Lakers built a 14-point lead. Detroit was shooting 26% from the field. LA scored 14 points off the Pistons’ seven turnovers.
An incredible quarter ended with Los Angeles getting help from each player who checked in. Sandro Mamukelashvili had five points and Ziaire Williams had eight off the bench. Grimes was in double figures with 10.
Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed six rebounds and dished two dimes. The purple and gold were up by 24 at the end of the first.
Detroit woke up offensively to start the second period. Daniss Jenkins and Kevin Huerter combined for nine points, slowly chipping away at LA’s lead. The Pistons had taken over the momentum, shooting 42% from the field, while the Lakers sh-ot 21%.
Los Angeles’ 26-point lead dwindled to 12.
Williams was a bright spot for LA. With Luka Dončić out, he and Grimes were stepping up with 11 points each. Los Angeles’ suffocating defense from the first quarter had evaporated as they continued to leave Jenkins open for triples.
It was a Jenkins takeover as he ended the quarter with 22 points and was 6-7 from behind the arc. The Lakers weathered the storm enough to lead by 12 at halftime.
Can't double off of Jenkins in that guard to guard screen with Cade.
Momentum reversed again with LA starting the third period, building on their lead once more on the shoulders of Reaves. Reaves scored 13 points, pushing his total to an insane 32.
Huerter tried to keep the Pistons in it with back-to-back buckets. Cade Cunningham also saw the ball go in the basket, scoring four points.
It was all Reaves, though. He helped put the Lakers up by 17 with 6:30 left in the quarter. Detroit responded with Jenkins and Duncan Robinson each draining triples. The Pistons were outscoring LA 25-23 in the quarter.
Austin Reaves is carrying the Lakers’ offense against the league’s best defense with some stellar shotmaking and mismatch-hunting. He’s up to a season-high 32 points on 12-for-19 shooting.
Things took an absolute turn for the worse for the purple and gold as they fell apart and allowed Detroit to go on an 11-0 scoring run.
Collin Sexton restored some order for LA, scoring four in a row to put them up by seven at the end of the third.
The final frame was all Pistons early as they tied the game on the shoulders of Jenkins, who continued to shoot ridiculous from behind the arc. He was 8-13 from three and had 28 points.
For Los Angeles, Sexton was feeling it, scoring four points, helping put the Lakers back up. It was a three-point game with 6:59 left.
Crunch time became a back-and-forth affair as the teams traded baskets. Detroit made it a one-point game, but Williams responded by draining a triple. Jake LaRavia further extended the lead with a pair of free throws.
Robinson then made it a three-point game with 3:16 left.
The Lakers answered the call with Reaves, Kessler and Williams taking over the scoring duties, combining for 10 points, including a massive three from Reaves in the final minute.
Sexton had seemingly put the game away with free throws, but fouled Jenkins on the other end from behind the arc. Jenkins made all three free throws to make it a four-point game with 26 seconds left.
Sexton rectified the situation with two free throws. Detroit played the foul game and fouled Reaves, who then iced the win with a pair of free throws.
Key Player Stats
Reaves finished with 41 points, five rebounds and four assists. Kessler ended with 12 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Grimes pitched in with 12 points and four assists. Williams had a stellar showing off the bench with 17 points. Vanderbilt did the dirty work with 10 rebounds and three dimes.
And he filled in for Dončić in more ways than one, exchanging words with a courtside fan amidst his explosive scoring performance.
The Lakers star guard walked up to a male fan toward the end of the first half sitting on the baseline opposite of the Lakers’ bench, which was closest to the basket the Lakers opened the game shooting at.
Austin Reaves having words with a fan during the Lakers’ road game against the Pistons. Khobi Price
Reaves bent over in the fan’s face and the two exchanged words during the stoppage of play while the Lakers were up 60-45 with just over eight seconds left in the second quarter.
It wasn’t clear why Reaves confronted the fan, or what was said during the exchange, before the game ended.
But clearly the fan said something the former Oklahoma product didn’t appreciate.
The exchange may have lit fire under Reaves.
Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during a game against the Detroit Pistons in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty ImagesAustin Reaves (15) of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. NBAE via Getty Images
Already having 19 points at halftime, he scored another 13 points in the third quarter to help the Lakers take a 88-81 lead going into the fourth.
His 32 points entering the final quarter was a season-high and his first 30-point game of the season.
It’s been five years since the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres, but today’s game at KeyBank Center made one thing clear. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed; when he returns to Buffalo, the crowds that once chanted his name will remain committed to voicing their displeasure when he has the puck.
But on Eichel’s game-winning goal, the puck was on and off his stick and in the back of the net so fast that the crowd didn’t get the chance to boo.
“It’s always nice to win,” said Eichel following the 4-1 win. “It’s a place I spent a lot of time, so it’s always good to come in here and get a win.”
Tonight’s victory ends the Golden Knights’ four-game Eastern Conference road trip on a high note. They have won three in a row and picked up points in all four games.
“Our execution rose, I thought, as we went through the trip,“ said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig. “Our level is continuing to climb. We’re 19 games in. So I’d expect our game to continue to get better, and when it strays a little bit, it’s our job to get it back.”
“It was a really good road trip for us,” agreed Eichel. “There were some tight games, some timely goals, and some huge saves. A lot of credit to the guys; after a long road trip, they found a way to win here in the afternoon. We’ll head home with seven of eight [points].”
1. A Rough Start
The Golden Knights beat the Sabres and scored four goals for the first time in five games. However, the Sabres came out hot and outshot the Golden Knights 14-6 in the first period. The only reason that Buffalo didn’t take the lead was the stellar play of their goaltender, Adin Hill.
“They came out hard,” said Hill following the 4-1 win. “It’s their building. But we just kind of held on. We obviously weren’t our best that period, and our power play didn’t get it going. But we found a way to keep it 0-0 at the end of the period. And our guys blocked a lot of big shots. Yeah, we held on.”
Hill was incredible in net, stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced and saving 2.54 goals above expected.
“The first wasn’t very pretty by us,” said Mitch Marner following the game. “I think a lot of people would probably agree with that. Our goalie’s been unreal for us here these last few weeks. Hiller made some big saves when we needed him to.”
2. A Spotless Record
When teams are chasing the game, anything can help swing momentum in their favor. Usually, taking three consecutive penalties doesn’t help; today, however, the Golden Knights gained momentum from three second-period penalty kills.
“Sometimes a kill can get you going,” said Mitch Marner following the 4-1 win. “I think it kind of gets you on your toes more; it gets you anticipating plays. I think we did a really good job with our first kill going into our second, and obviously capitalizing once on the kill, and then capitalizing once right after. So both were big moments of the game.”
Since only allowing one goal on a 5-minute major against the Boston Bruins, the Golden Knights have killed off eleven straight penalties.
“We’ve had some timely kills, some big kills, and it was important to do that,” said Jack Eichel. “I thought our penalty kill had been good even earlier in the year; they were just finding ways to score. I think we’ve done a good job keeping the puck out of our net. Special teams are a big part of our game, and we’ve done a good job the last little bit on our PK.”
3. The Fastest Knight
With a goal and an assist in today’s game against the Sabres, Mitch Marner became the fastest player to record 100 points as a Golden Knight. He reached 100 points in 98 games, narrowly beating Mark Stone’s record of 103 games.
Marner sprung William Karlsson on a shorthanded breakaway during the first kill of the game, and later scored a beauty on a shorthanded breakaway of his own.
“I didn’t really know what I was doing until I did it. So that keeps people guessing as well,” said Marner. “There was pretty good ice out there, so I trusted myself pretty confidently. It’s always fun to see one drop. It’s been a while. I don't want to grip the stick too much, but I do like to see one go.”
Marner also assisted on Tomáš Hertl’s first goal of the game, which came just a minute and 17 seconds after the Sabres got on the board and cut the Golden Knights’ lead to one. Before getting off the ice for a change, Marner picked off Rasmus Dahlin’s bank pass and sent Hertl flying into the zone with speed. Hertl cut around Owen Power, took it to the net, and stuffed it home.
“It was a great response by our guys,” said Adin Hill following the 4-1 win. “[Buffalo] got that one goal there to make it a 2-1 game, and then maybe 2 shifts later Herts finds a way to bury one. It’s huge when you get that insurance goal.”
After a critical win Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings to snap a four-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Penguins head to Anaheim Sunday to take on the red-hot Ducks in the second leg of their three-game California road trip.
Although much remains the same regarding their lineup, Pittsburgh did make a few moves prior to Sunday's game. The team announced that forward Ville Koivunen is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and in a corresponding move, forward Rutger McGroarty was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate.
McGroarty has played in only two NHL games this season and has six goals and 12 points in nine AHL games. He will not be in the lineup against the Ducks.
In Koivunen's place, forward Andrei Kuzmenko will slot in. Kuzmenko, 30, was signed to a one-year, $5 million contract this offseason but has been a healthy scratch for the last two games. He has just one point in 11 games this season but will have the chance to make a statement against a team he is familiar with as an ex-King.
Goaltender Arturs Silovs will get the start in net after a 26-save winning performance from rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov on Saturday. He is 5-5-1 with an .876 save percentage this season.
Forwards Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin Tommy Novak-Ben Kindel-Egor Chinakhov Andrei Kuzmenko-Hendrix Lapierre-Justin Brazeau Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Nick Robertson
Defense Spencer Stastney-Erik Karlsson Sam Girard-Kaedan Korczak Declan Carlile-Kris Letang
According to Penguins' historian Bob Grove, the Ducks have scored five or more goals in seven straight games. The Penguins lost both contests against Anaheim last season, one being on a late penalty kill, and the other in overtime after a literal last-second goal.
Leo Carlsson has six goals and 26 points in 17 games this season.
Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X."
