Australian great Usman Khawaja has thrown a fresh curveball at selectors ahead of Tuesday’s third and final Test against South Africa, calling for left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann to enter the selection conversation.
Instant Analysis: Blues Get A Hearty Dose Of Humble Pie In 4-0 Loss To Defending Stanley Cup Champion Hurricanes
ST. LOUIS – Hello humble pie. Welcome to St. Louis, courtesy of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The defending Stanley Cup champions doled out plenty of it to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, winning 4-0 and abruptly ending another modest two-game streak for the Blues (5-5-1), who just can’t seem to win three straight games on a consistent basis.
When the Blues took down the other Stanley Cup finalist on Thursday, the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights 6-2, it was a good measuring stick to learn who they are, what they are and how they want to play.
They came out of it wanting to be a more relentless team to play against on a daily basis, but when it comes to relentlessness, the Hurricanes (9-2-2) are the gold standard, and it showed here at Enterprise Center.
“Very humbling,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “Also, (a) tutorial by the Stanley Cup champions about how to play to who you are no matter the score. They were as committed in the third period up 3-0, up 4-0 as they were at the start of the game. It’s an opportunity for us … it’s hard work, but that hard work becomes who you are when you do it every day and in practice and it translates. That’s what we’re trying to grow and grow into. Unfortunately, we expected early in the year with a lot of new faces and I don’t want to say young team because I don’t even know where we are in the scope of ages in the league. … It’s humbling when you see it happen to everyone in our lineup. They stick-check pucks, they go through arms, they’re above us, so that’s an elite team in the league, if not the elite team in the league, and that’s what we’ve got to work towards every day, and we’ll get there.”
The learning lesson from this result is?
“Just grow, learn,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours said. “That’s the standard of the NHL. We played one of the other standards the other night and had a really good game and beat them 6-2. Obviously you’d like to be able to rinse, repeat, come back tonight and beat another really good team. But there’s a lot of humbling nights in this league and a lot of learning lessons and we have one tonight. Nobody’s going to hang their head over it, show up for practice tomorrow, get better and continue to move forward.”
Let’s delve into the game itself …
* Failed early opportunities set the tone – The Blues actually came out of the gates looking like they were going to pick up where they left off Thursday.
They were attacking and pressuring, kind of like the Canes do to teams, and Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud each had Grade A scoring opportunities to get the Blues off and running but were stopped by Pyotr Kochetkov.
The Blues had a 4-1 shots on goal advantage and conceivably could have had a 2-0 lead.
“Right off the bat, I’m pretty sure we had a few good chances and even throughout the second, I think we had a breakaway, we had some good chances ourselves,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “That’s just a part of it. We definitely had our chances, but just kind of got to build and learn, make sure that we continue to push forward.”
Connor McMichael did have a breakaway to begin the second period, in the first couple minutes, of a 0-0 game but was also stopped. Holloway also had another great chance but was poke-checked by Kochetkov before toe-picking and colliding with the goalie.
But as Montgomery said, the game was already slipping away from the Blues.
“I thought it got away in the first, the last half of the first,” Montgomery said. “They just kept playing the same way. I thought the first 10 minutes, I really liked the way we played. They just maintained it (and) we didn’t. And the second period is what happens. Their consistency to who they are and how they play in all three zones. It wears you down and it may look like the second period because that’s where they really did break away on us, but it starts in the first period.”
Was Carolina taking that away from the Blues or did they just get away from it themselves?
“I think it’s a combination,” Montgomery said. “They maintain it because that’s who they are. We’re not at that level yet of being able to maintain it. It’s more mental than physical and some of it is just we fall off because what happens is teams break your spirit. A team like that does.
“When the Blues won that Stanley Cup, that’s what they did that year. I coached against them, it was impressive. It was like, ‘Wow.’ I remember the game in January, they were on a 10-game (winning) streak. We actually won it, but the first period, if it wasn’t for our goalie, it would have been over, but then we were able to match it, and that’s what we’re going to have to do. We’re going to have to find that consistency level. It doesn’t take long to get it, but it’s doing it every day.”
* Canes struck fast and closed this out – Once McMichael didn’t convert his opportunity to give the Blues a lead, Carolina said enough was enough.
Sean Walker and Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s goals 20 seconds apart at 4:45 and 5:05 of the second period made it 2-0. One was on a delayed penalty – although the puck could have been blown dead prior to it – and the other came off a forecheck battle won out on rookie Adam Jiricek and lost coverage by Justin Barron (we’ll get to that below) and as Carolina’s game was growing, the Blues’ was faltering away due to the relentless pressure.
“That’s the standard. We knew that coming in,” Neighbours said. “Even when you know it’s coming, it’s still really hard to play against. They play a very structured game. They’re very predictable to each other and they do it at a very high level. You can learn a lot from a team like that.”
* Stankoven goal was final nail – The Blues were down 2-0 and power plays were obviously going to be hard to come by, but when they were given one courtesy of Carolina having too many men on the ice at 11:24 of the second, it was a chance to get back into the game, and the Blues’ power play was hot coming in with a goal in five straight (6-for-17).
It never happened despite a could looks, and when Barron had his pocket picked by Seth Jarvis, the Carolina forward sprung Stankoven for a breakaway that he sniped at 13:35 to make it 3-0.
“That’s a good team. They play hard obviously. There’s no surprise,” Parayko said. “That’s why they’re a good team and they always are competitive and obviously last year they won it all. They compete hard, they play man to man, they’re tight on everyone all over the ice. Obviously take a lot of time and space away.
“They just take away time and space. I feel like they’re on top of players a lot. … They’re obviously good at what they’re doing.”
* Relentless is Carolina’s standard – The Hurricanes always looked like they had 10 skaters on the ice with their speed and tenacity. It’s in all three zones, and the Blues just simply didn’t handle it well enough as the game wore on, and it was evident on the stat sheet, and as Montgomery noted, the Hurricanes played to the same standard up 3-0 in the third period that grew to 4-0 on Nikolaj Ehlers’ power-play goal at 4:30.
“I don’t think it’s pace, I don’t think we have a problem keeping up with them,” Neighbours said. “It’s just more the competitive edge that they have, their ability to win battles in all areas of the ice and just how they’re on top of you at all times. It’s something that early in my career, I still admire about that team. They give you no time and space, they’re over top of every check all over the ice and it’s almost a man-on-man system from our end all the way to theirs. They do it very well and there’s a lot to learn.”
* Montgomery loading up with Broberg, Parayko – Carolina’s top two lines are very lethal, and even though Barron was coming off a career-high four points (one goal, three assists) against Vegas, Montgomery went with his bread-and-butter defensemen in Broberg and Parayko to face the Sebastian Aho line along with Cam Fowler and Brandon Carlo to fend for the Stankoven line, leaving Barron and Jiricek – two right-handers – to fend for the third pair, and it was that one that was left exposed on the Hurricanes’ second goal.
“I wanted to have those guys out, and I wanted to have Carlo and 17 (Fowler) out against their second line,” Montgomery said. ‘There’s a drop in their third- and fourth-line. Not in work ethic but in play-making ability and goal-scoring ability.”
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Rangers Unable to Overcome Slow Start in Loss to Senators
The New York Rangers couldn’t overcome their blunderous start on Saturday night, leading to a 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
The Rangers were coming off a 5-4 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a performance Mike Sullivan described as “uncharacteristic” due to the Rangers’ lack of defensive structure.
That performance carried into the start of Saturday night's game, as the Blueshirts gave up two goals less than 10 minutes into the contest, with poor defensive play in their own zone and failures to break out the puck at the forefront of the team’s struggles.
“I would have liked to have hoped that we were ready from the drop of the puck,” Sullivan said. “We weren't overly excited about our overall team effort in our last game also. Give them (the Senators) credit, they started well.”
By about the middle of the second period, the Rangers found themselves in a 4-1 deficit, with seemingly little hope to cling onto.
However, the Rangers made a late-period push, powered by Sullivan’s line changes. Oliver Bjorkstrand was put on a line with Tye Kartye and J.T. Miller, while Pavel Dorofeyev was switched onto Will Cuylle and Noah Laba’s line, with Eeli Tolvanen playing on the fourth line.
“I thought it changed the momentum for sure. When I made the switch, we scored right away, and I thought it changed the momentum of the game from our standpoint,” Sullivan said about the impact of the line changes. “I think from that point on it felt like we started to get some juice, and so I just didn't think we had enough going, and so we decided to tweak some lines to see what we could get.”
Bjorkstrand, who’s been utilized in both a top-six and bottom-six role to start the season, made an instant impact after Sullivan’s line changes, assisting on J.T. Miller’s goal in the second period.
Dorofeyev had just two goals in 12 games leading into Saturday night, and he remained snake-bitten despite moving between the two top-six lines and holding a role on the first power-play unit.
For the first time this season, Dorofeyev scored one of his signature goals, snapping the puck top shelf past Jonas Johansson in the third period.
“This is what I said to him this morning, I had a conversation with him. Pav's had a lot of chances,” Sullivan said. “He's hit a lot of posts. If a certain percentage of the ones that hit the posts have gone in the net, we wouldn't be having this conversation. That's the nature of hockey. If he wasn't getting the chances, it would be a different conversation. He got a nice goal tonight. It's a goal scorer's goal. We're hoping that might get him going.”
The Rangers managed to cut Ottawa’s lead to one goal twice and played their best period of the game in the final frame, tilting the ice into the Senators’ zone and generating numerous high-quality scoring chances, but they failed to rally back.
Through their two-game road trip, in which the Rangers went 0-2, they went away from their well-structured defensive identity that had galvanized this team to a hot 7-3-1 start to the season.
“I think the moral of the story is some of the looks they got were still too high quality for me,” Sullivan said. “That might be a similarity to Toronto, and we just gave them too much off the rush tonight.”
The Rangers will now look to bounce back at home, where they've started a perfect 6-0, as they host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.
Stats Rundown: 4 numbers to know from the Mavericks’ 122-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs
The Dallas Mavericks played their first of 16 back-to-backs Saturday night, losing to the Spurs, 122-106. With Cooper Flagg sidelined due to a shoulder injury and Kyrie Irving getting some load management rest, there was plenty of opportunity for others to shine against the Western Conference reigning champions.
5-for-5: Dusty May on Coach’s Challenges
Dusty May has a keen knack for spotting referee errors. A Coach’s Challenge early in the second quarter overturned a foul call on Daniel Gafford. That prevented Gafford from picking up his third foul, allowed the Mavericks to maintain possession and kept May flawless on Coach’s Challenges for the season. He did it again in the third quarter on an out-of-bounds call to once again get possession back to the Mavs. He has now challenged five times this season and won all five of them. It may seem a bit trivial, and he surely won’t maintain 100% success all season, but this should not be overlooked. Possessions add up over the season and not burning timeouts are the little things that matter in the game of inches.
25-10: Spurs’ second-chance points advantage
Dallas played hard all night, but that effort still saw them come up short on the boards. The Spurs did well to pursue the ball off the glass, giving themselves second chance points aplenty. On a few occasions, the Mavs’ secured the rebound only to turn it over, netting the same result as giving up an offensive board in the first place. Daniel Gafford’s foul trouble didn’t help the cause, but the Mavs are going to need to collectively swarm the boards to remedy the early-season trend of getting out-rebounded. Putting it mildly, Dallas got smoked in this department by a factor of two-and-a-half times.
9-of-15: Sergio De Larrea FG shooting
For a guy who looked largely out of sorts during his first two NBA games, to look like a seasoned NBA player against one of the best teams in the league, is quite impressive. De Larrea was unconscious on the offensive end. A huge worry coming into the game was the absence of Irving and who would fill his role. Hall of Famers are not easily replaceable on a given night, but De Larrea did his best to at least provide scoring punch with a bit of offensive orchestration peppered in. If this is De Larrea’s arrival, we’re in for a treat the rest of the way. He led all Mavericks in scoring with 21 points.
14: Number of Dallas Stocks
The Mavericks’ defensive effort has added up to a high stocks (steals + blocks) total over the past two games. Saturday night saw another admirable number posted. In and of itself, it’s nice to see, however the real story is more often what that defensive effort amounts to. In this case, Dallas dominated on fast break points, 28 to 15. Having gotten badly beaten on second chance points, Dallas needed to make up for that deficit somewhere and the defensive combination of steals and blocks was where they did it.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
‘Got hit there, two balls later…’: Green’s painful reveal as major call made on third Test selection
Cameron Green has received medical clearance to resume his Test career ahead of Tuesday’s series-decider against the Proteas after recovering from a bizarre injury he attributed to the lowest of blows.
Batherson's Third Career Hat Trick Powers Senators to 7-4 Win Over Rangers
Drake Batherson recorded the third hat trick of his NHL career on Saturday night as the Ottawa Senators defeated the New York Rangers 7-4 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Batherson scored twice in the first two periods before completing his hat trick with an empty-net goal in the final minute. He also assisted on Dylan Cozens' first goal of the season.
Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson and Michael Amadio had the other goals for the Senators, who bounced back from Thursday night's 6-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
The Senators were without starting goaltender Linus Ullmark, who suffered an injury during Wednesday's emotional 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. With rest not being a factor, it was interesting to see Belleville goaltender Jonas Johansson get his first start as a Senators ahead of Sam Ersson.
The Rangers were also missing their number-one netminder, Igor Shesterkin, who is out for the season.
Batherson probably lost some sleep Thursday night after being robbed of a prime scoring opportunity by San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov.
Five minutes into Saturday's game, he found himself with almost the same opportunity from the same spot on the ice. This time, Batherson made no mistake, giving the Sens a 1-0 lead.
Just 32 seconds later, Stützle doubled the lead. Sprinting away from a sluggish backcheck by J.T. Miller, Stützle finished off a gorgeous lateral pass through the blue paint from Fabian Zetterlund.
Early in the second, Batherson struck again. After a Cozens shot from the slot, the rebound bounced right to Batherson, who buried it to make it 3-0.
But the Rangers didn't go quietly.
Will Cuylle got New York on the board at 10:07 as the Senators' power play surrendered its third shorthanded goal in two games. A Cozens giveaway sent the Rangers away on a 2-on-1, and Cuylle ripped a shot past Johansson.
Cozens made amends shortly afterward, restoring the Senators' three-goal lead with his first goal of the season.
But the Rangers scored twice before the second intermission. Miller struck at 12:54, and Alexis Lafrenière followed at 19:34, suddenly making it a 4-3 game heading into the third.
The Senators had watched a comfortable three-goal lead shrink to one in less than 10 minutes. And they were under siege for much of the third period.
Sanderson finally gave the Senators some short-lived breathing room at 13:08, swatting home a rebound with his backhand to make it 5-3. Amadio and Ridly Greig did some excellent work to set that one up.
Pavel Dorofeyev answered for the Rangers just over two minutes later, with a one timer from long distance that fooled Johansson, once again cutting the deficit to one.
Amadio then delivered a huge insurance goal at 18:47. With the Rangers' net empty, Sanderson missed a 200-foot shot, but Amadio got the jump on everyone to negate the icing and tucked in the loose puck after it banked off the end boards.
Batherson completed his hat trick in weird fashion with another empty-net goal with 12 seconds remaining. In the Sens' zone, he blocked a shot from the point that hit his shin pad and travelled 170 feet in the other direction right into the empty cage.
Batherson finished with three goals and an assist, while Sanderson had a goal and two helpers. Cozens also enjoyed a three-point night with a goal and two assists.
The Rangers outshot the Senators on the night, 28-24. It was a bend-don't-break kind of night but the club found a way to secure two important points.
And for Batherson, the Senators' highest-paid player, it was another memorable night in a Senators uniform.
At 8-4 on the young season, the Sens now head west for a five-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Vegas.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Hawks can’t keep up with Rockets in home opener, lose 121-114
The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Saturday night for their home opener to face the Houston Rockets. Both teams were coming off wins on their first night of a back-to-back, with the Hawks defeating the Charlotte Hornets and the Rockets defeating the San Antonio Spurs.
It would be a test for the Hawks, as the Rockets were coming in 2-0 and were supposed to be one of the better teams in the league.
The Rockets were without Fred VanVleet in this one, while the Hawks had their normal rotation on board.
Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker helped the Hawks score their first points at home.
The Rockets kept a small lead throughout the quarter, but the Hawks always had an answer. Alexander-Walker kept the Hawks in it with three 3-pointers in the quarter.
Not only did Alexander-Walker have the points, but he was perfect in his playmaking for the team as well.
Johnson kept the Hawks close with this 3-pointer.
Going into the second, the Hawks trailed 30-26.
Alexander-Walker continued his hot shooting in the second quarter with the help of this hustle from Lu Dort.
Kingston Flemings got a head full of steam and converted on this layup.
The Hawks did go through a dry spell on offense, and it was due to the Rockets’ defense, but also missing good looks. That led the Rockets to build a double-digit lead at one point, and the Hawks found themselves fighting back for most of the quarter.
Going into halftime, the Hawks trailed 59-48.
The third quarter was important for the Hawks to come out strong. Alexander-Walker got the call, and threw down this huge dunk on Kevin Durant in transition.
Unfortunately, that didn’t bother the Rockets as much, and they continued to put the pressure on the Hawks, building their lead to 16 points.
The Hawks tried to get back into it and went on a mini run, but the Rockets answered back and brought their lead up to 20. They didn’t keep it for long, as the Hawks hit a pair of 3-pointers to bring down their deficit.
Right at the buzzer, Johnson was able to finish a blocked Alexander-Walker shot for a tip-in, and they went into the fourth trailing 92-81.
The Rockets put their foot on the gas to start the quarter, forcing the Hawks into turnovers and converting on the other end. That alone helped them build their lead back up to almost 20 points.
Daniels was able to hit a 3-pointer late in the fourth.
The Hawks tried to make a final run, and it looked like they were going to make it a game after the Rockets struggled to get the ball several times.
Johnson finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and 16 assists; Alexander-Walker finished with 18 points, and Daniels finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.
The Hawks will be back in action on Monday night to face the Rockets again.
How LeBron-less Sixers overcame a 22-rebound deficit and still won by 11
How LeBron-less Sixers overcame a 22-rebound deficit and still won by 11 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Ask anyone around the Sixers when this new group will fully understand what it can become, and the answer tends to sound the same.
It is far too early.
Three games have nevertheless revealed something about them. The Sixers are finding different ways to win.
They survived a difficult shooting night against the Knicks by turning defense into transition offense. They erased a 29-point deficit against the Cavaliers. On Saturday, they beat the Bucks without LeBron James while getting outrebounded by 22.
On the first leg of a back-to-back, Milwaukee grabbed 62 rebounds to Philadelphia’s 40. The Bucks collected 17 offensive boards and scored 20 second-chance points.
The Sixers still won by 11.
According to Sportradar, it was only the 26th game since rebound differential began being tracked in 1974-75 in which a team won by double digits despite getting outrebounded by at least 22. It was the first such win in Sixers history.
The last time Philadelphia won any game with a rebound deficit of at least 20 was April 20, 1989, when Charles Barkley, Hersey Hawkins and the Sixers beat the New Jersey Nets, 105-92.
“We’re not completely thrilled,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “They played incredibly fast, and they crash everybody. We kind of knew that going in. I guess we made up for it in some other areas.”
The Sixers did. With James sitting for injury management, Joel Embiid directed the offense, VJ Edgecombe supplied desperately needed rebounding from the perimeter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made timely plays at both ends.
The result was a 127-116 victory and the franchise’s fourth 3-0 start since the beginning of the 2000-01 season.
A different floor general
James’ first absence with the Sixers presented a straightforward question.
Who would organize the offense without him?
The answer began with Embiid.
He recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 10th regular-season triple-double. He assisted four baskets in the opening quarter and continued creating shots as Milwaukee sent additional defenders toward him.
“Obviously, he’s been doing a lot of that,” Embiid said of James. “With him not being on the floor, someone else has to be kind of like that floor general.”
Embiid did not shoot especially well, going 8 for 20 from the field and missing all three of his three-point attempts. His passing — and trips to the free throw line — prevented those misses from bogging down the Sixers’ offense.
He found Maxey for a three-pointer early in the third quarter, delivered consecutive assists to Anfernee Simons, Maxey and Edgecombe during an early fourth-quarter run, and set up Jaylen Brown, who scored 27 points, for one of the game’s biggest shots.
“I just wanted to make sure that the ball moved side to side and get guys involved,” Embiid said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that can get shots. It was just making sure the offense flowed the right way, we got the right spacing and made plays for everybody.”
Maxey assumed more responsibility, too. He finished with 26 points and four assists while handling the ball more frequently than he had alongside James in the opening two games.
“I have to handle more and kind of set us up a little bit more,” Maxey said. “Bron is a half-court creator for us, a full-court creator for us. But Jalen did a good job. He did that as well.”
The Sixers committed only 11 turnovers and recorded 26 assists. They were not perfectly organized, but they did not look lost without the player who had helped arrange their offense through its first two games.
“We know what to run,” Maxey said. “That’s one thing I will say. Having everybody healthy in training camp, you can do that. You can switch up teams. You can put guys on this team when this guy is out and that guy is out.”
Losing the glass, winning the possession battle
A 22-rebound deficit usually means surrendering far more opportunities than the opponent.
That was not the case Saturday.
Despite Milwaukee’s dominance on the glass, Philadelphia attempted 98 shots to the Bucks’ 90. The Sixers forced 22 turnovers while committing 11 and held a 14-5 advantage in steals.
“It’s almost hard to believe,” Nurse said. “You give up 17 offensive rebounds, and you end up with 98 shots to 90 for them. I guess that’s reflected in the turnovers.”
Those extra opportunities became especially valuable from outside.
The Sixers went 19 for 44 from three-point range, compared to Milwaukee’s 11-for-34 performance. That created a 24-point advantage from beyond the arc, more than enough to offset Milwaukee’s rebounding and interior advantages.
Philadelphia also went 28 for 34 at the foul line. Milwaukee made 21 of its 28 free throws.
The math was unconventional but clear. The Bucks grabbed 22 more rebounds. The Sixers made eight more three-pointers, seven more free throws and forced 11 more turnovers.
That is how a team can lose the glass by 22 and win the game by 11.
Edgecombe flies in
Edgecombe could not erase Philadelphia’s rebounding problems by himself.
He came closer than any Sixers player.
The second-year guard matched his career high with 13 rebounds, including a team-leading 11 on the defensive end. He added 17 points, made five three-pointers and did not commit a turnover in nearly 30 minutes.
“We really need it,” Nurse said. “There are a lot of times when guys are attached and blocking out, and the ball is bouncing out. Somebody needs to come flying in from the outside to grab those. That’s been him a couple games in a row.”
Edgecombe’s most important rebound came with the Sixers’ lead reduced to three in the final two minutes.
Embiid missed a jumper, but Edgecombe crossed the lane and extended the possession with an offensive rebound. Six seconds later, Embiid found Brown for a three-pointer that pushed the lead back to six and completed his triple-double.
Edgecombe then stole the ball from Jaime Jaquez Jr. on Milwaukee’s following possession. Brown found Caldwell-Pope for another three.
The Bucks missed a putback on their next trip. Edgecombe blocked it, grabbed the rebound and later assisted an Embiid dunk that ended Milwaukee’s threat.
In 58 seconds, he produced an offensive rebound, a steal, a block, a defensive rebound and an assist.
“I’m surprised when he doesn’t do that,” Maxey said. “I get mad at him when he doesn’t. I tell VJ, ‘Go do that VJ stuff you do.’ That’s what he does.”
Dean Wade has quickly gained an appreciation for what that means.
“He’s probably one of the keys to our team,” Wade said. “I don’t even know if he realizes how important he is for us. He brings so much energy, offensive rebounding and defense. He’s everywhere.”
Edgecombe will not always take 10 three-pointers or produce a double-double. His place in this lineup will often be determined by the work surrounding those numbers.
“We’ve got so many superstars that he’s going to have to sacrifice,” Wade said. “His box score, everything stats-wise, might not show how important he really is to this team.”
On Saturday, it did.
KCP’s ‘real vet stuff’
Caldwell-Pope provided a different type of support.
The 33-year-old guard scored 12 points, made four of his six three-point attempts and collected three steals in 28 minutes. His plus-24 tied Brown for the best mark on the team.
His impact began when Milwaukee took control of the second quarter.
The Bucks turned a nine-point deficit into a seven-point lead, but Caldwell-Pope made two three-pointers in less than two minutes. He then stole a Myles Turner pass and drew an offensive foul from Turner during the Sixers’ response.
Philadelphia closed the half on a 15-4 run and took a 64-60 lead into the locker room.
“He made some big-time shots and made some big-time plays defensively,” Maxey said. “He did some real vet stuff today.”
Nurse also used Caldwell-Pope against Tyler Herro after the former Heat guard began finding an offensive rhythm. Herro finished with 13 points, went 1 for 3 from three-point range and committed three turnovers.
“He really sprints the floor and gives us some spacing in transition,” Nurse said. “He came in to take Herro and did a nice job. It was a huge lift defensively.”
Caldwell-Pope delivered once more after Milwaukee pulled within three late in the fourth quarter. Edgecombe’s steal started the possession, Brown supplied the pass and Caldwell-Pope buried the three-pointer that restored a nine-point lead with 1:12 remaining.
“I try to start with defense always and keep myself engaged in the game,” Caldwell-Pope said. “Offensively, the game eventually finds me. I just have to stay ready to shoot it at all times.”
Another second-half answer
The Sixers did not need another massive comeback Saturday. They still played their best basketball after halftime.
Through three games, Philadelphia has outscored its opponents by 49 points in the second half.
The Sixers held a 52-42 second-half advantage over the Knicks. They outscored Cleveland 69-37 while erasing a 29-point deficit. On Saturday, they won the final two quarters by a 63-56 margin.
Milwaukee pulled even at 82 with 4:25 remaining in the third quarter. Philadelphia responded with a 15-5 run to close the period.
Caldwell-Pope and Maxey hit three-pointers. Brown turned a steal into a layup. Maxey beat the buzzer with a difficult step-back jumper that gave the Sixers a 97-87 lead entering the fourth.
They stretched the advantage to 16 before the Bucks made their final push.
“We run an action, then run the next action, run the next action and make the right play,” Nurse said. “The organization is taking a little bit of time, which is rightfully so. We’re trying to learn things that we’ve got to polish.”
They’ve also protected the basketball quite well in the closing half, turning it over just 12 times.
Philadelphia should not expect to win many games while surrendering 62 rebounds. They also will not have James for all 82.
Three games are nowhere near enough to define the Sixers. They have been enough to show how many possible answers they possess.
“We’ve got a lot of growth and a lot of improvement that we’ve got to make quickly,” Brown said. “We’re 3-0 right now, but we’ve got a lot of room to work.”
Nets’ late rally falls short in 125-121 loss to Cavaliers
Well, that turned out to be much more interesting than anyone expected — especially entering the fourth.
For most of Saturday night’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Brooklyn Nets looked headed for an ugly blowout. But thanks to an explosive fourth-quarter comeback led by Egor Dëmin, Brooklyn nearly pulled off an improbable win before falling, 125-121.
Dëmin erupted for 15 points in the final frame, and the highlight of the night was between himself and Mikel Brown Jr. The two combined for five fourth-quarter threes and the Nets cut a 22-point deficit to just four with 26.4 seconds remaining.
It wasn’t enough to secure the win, but for a young team like the Nets, there was a lot to like about the fight they showed against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. It showcased the “Brooklyn Grit” that’s commonly talked about.
What changed?
“I think it was the shot quality. We went from taking 35 good shots in the first half to almost 50 in the second… when you take the high-quality shots is when, you know, they don’t all go in at the same time, but then if you keep shooting them, we had that stretch that they kept going in,” Jordi Fernandez said after the game.
And early on, there was plenty to like about the offense, too.
Julius Randle picked up right where he left off in his dominant Nets debut on Wednesday night, scoring six points on two-of-three shooting in his first five minutes. He continues to look like a valuable veteran for Brooklyn, not only for his scoring ability, but for his all-around contributions too.
Michael Porter Jr. also delivered another strong outing, but this time from start to finish. He struggled in the first half last game and upped the ante in the second frame, finishing with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting.
The Nets trailed by five points, 35-30. But while Brooklyn was finding ways to generate offense, they shot just 10-of-27 from the field (37%) in the opening quarter, compared to Cleveland’s 11-of-21 (52.4%).
The good news? The Nets were doing a much better job on the glass than they did on Wednesday night, coming down with six offensive boards in the first quarter alone, compared to the Cavaliers’ three. Those extra looks didn’t turn into points early, which is tough for the Nets, especially against a more established Cleveland team. They needed every advantage they could get.
The Cavs got contributions from just about everywhere early on. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley led the way, each scoring eight points to give Cleveland the lead at the end of the first quarter.
Noah Clowney provided a little spark off the bench, knocking down a three on his first shot before coming up with an impressive block on Evan Mobley.
After trailing by five at the end of the first, Brooklyn was outscored 33-22 in the second quarter, heading into halftime down 68-52. And the shooting numbers told much of the story.
The Cavs shot a blistering 57.9% from three in the first half, making 11-for-19. The Nets, meanwhile, shot just 40% from the field and 36.4% from deep. The Nets also got extra opportunities. They had nine offensive rebounds compared to Cleveland’s five, but it wasn’t enough.
The Nets weren’t necessarily getting crushed on the glass, as I noted. In fact, they held a slight 24-23 rebounding advantage. But when you’re allowing opponents to shoot 54% from the field and nearly 58% from three, a slight rebounding advantage won’t do much.
Unfortunately for Brooklyn, the third quarter brought a similar energy. They struggled to find consistency offensively while the Cavs continued to dominate, with their lead growing to as many as 19 points and ultimately taking a 96-80 lead into the fourth quarter.
With over five minutes left in the third quarter, Josh Minott entered the game for his first minutes this season. Given how things were going defensively, it seemed like Fernández wanted to see if he could change the pace with his length as a 3-and-D wing, while also scoring some points.
For the second straight game, though, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, and Danny Wolf each didn’t see the floor, leaving Dëmin and Nolan Traoré as the only members of the Flatbush 5 to enter the game.
The fourth quarter didn’t change much early. And things only got worse for Day’Ron Sharpe, who picked up his sixth foul — a flagrant foul — with 6:54 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland looked like they had this one wrapped up, just like it looked like they had their opener locked up. They blew a 29-point lead then. It looked like Brooklyn might pull off the improbable this time.
The Nets’ late-game comeback fell short. It was improbable, fun, and gave a peek at what Brown Jr. and Dëmin can be while on the floor together.
“I think he’s a special player. I think he’s going to be very special for this team, for the organization, for Brooklyn in general… he’s fully embracing the name not just on his back, but on the front of his jersey, and I think that’s what’s most important right now,” Dëmin said about Brown Jr.
It’s only game two of 82 and the Nets still have a lot to clean up. Maybe Wednesday’s loss inspired confidence in the team’s future and their fight for Fernandéz — Sunday’s a new opportunity.
“A lot of times you’re down 20 whatever and then you just stop fighting and it was the whole group. The guys off the bench gave a spark and then the first group… they kept swinging and swinging and swinging,” Fernandez said.
Julius Joins James
It’s always interesting seeing the Beard on the other side — former Net James Harden that is. On Saturday, it was an old record of Harden’s we heard of… for Julius Randle. According to NetsPR, Randle’s 21 points, six rebounds and five assists joined Harden (10/19-22, 2021) as the only Nets with 20+ PTS, 5+ REB and 5+ AST in consecutive games to start the season.
Take it for what you will.
Next Up: Pacers
The Nets won’t have much time to dwell on Saturday’s loss and their 0-2 start. They return to Barclays Center Sunday night for the first of a league-high 16 back-to-backs this season, facing the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana is 1-1 to start the season. After beating the New Orleans Pelicans in their season opener, the Pacers fell 121-105 to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
As Jordi Fernández told reporters before Saturday’s game, Brown won’t play on Sunday as he remains on a minutes restriction.
Coming back home on Sunday, the Nets are still looking for their first win of the season.
Recap: Wizards Beat the Bulls, 124-120
Washington picks up their 2nd win of the season, 1st on the road, with a 124-120 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
The Wizards started off a little slow in this one, similar to how they started against the Raptors, on Friday, allowing the Bulls to build an early 10-point lead, which was built on the Bulls playing with tremendous pace. The Wizards’ transition defense was lacking in the first half, being outpaced in fast break points, 19-5.
In the 2nd half, the Wizards started countering the Bulls fast pace by also playing with at a fast pace as well, which lead to easier transition points and allowed Washington build a lead. Washington was able to get up to as much as 19 points.
The transition offense seemed to really pick up the Wizards energy on the defensive end. Washington looked a lot more engaged on that end, holding to just 20 points in the 3rd quarter and outscored the Bulls, 40-20 in that frame.
In the 4th quarter, the Bulls went on a 16-4 run in the final few minutes of the game to draw within 3 points with just 23 seconds left, but the Wizards were able to hit some critical free throws to put this one away. Washington’s defensive intensity absolutely started to wane again, but they were fortunate to have enough of a cushion to hold off Chicago.
The Wizards were led by Trae Young who finished with 25 points and 9 assists. Kyshawn George also had a strong performance, including some key And-1s in the 4th quarter. He finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds.
A much better performance in the 2nd half by the team, but they will need to find a way to play more consistently for 48 minutes, especially on the defensive end.
The Wizards climb back over .500 once again, at 2-1, with a trip to Charlotte to take on division foe, Charlotte Hornets.
Rapid Recap: 76ers 127, Bucks 116
The Milwaukee Bucks tumbled to 0-3 after an away game against the Philadelphia 76ers that felt much closer than the final scoreline indicated. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Bucks with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in 27 minutes. Kel’el Ware (19 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks) and Ryan Rollins (15 points, three assists) followed. Tyler Herro’s red-hot start for Milwaukee slowed; he managed 13 points in 31 minutes on 6/14 shooting. Joel Embiid scored 28, Jaylen Brown had 27, and Tyrese Maxey scored 26 for a LeBron James-less Sixers squad.
Game Recap
Dean Wade opened the scoring with a three-pointer after Maxey found him open in the corner, and the Sixers quickly got rolling, extending their lead to 12-3. The Bucks struggled early from the field, getting good looks but failing to convert. That said, Milwaukee worked its way back to a one-possession game by the first timeout after Jaime Jaquez Jr. put back a missed Ryan Rollins jumper. Nate Ament made his debut, replacing Kyle Kuzma midway through the first half and scoring his first NBA point on a made free throw. Although the Sixers stayed in control and stretched their lead to 11, the Bucks stayed in the hunt. Kuzma threw down a big contact dunk over Adem Bona, briefly silencing Xfinity Mobile Arena. However, Tyrese Maxey closed out the first quarter with a ridiculous half-court buzzer-beater (of course), giving Philly a 34-25 lead.
The Bucks played well to open the second, with back-to-back triples from Brayden Burries and AJ Green helping cut the 76ers’ lead to just one. Milwaukee and Philly later found themselves tied at 37, and Rollins’ transition bomb gave Milwaukee its first lead of the game. A big Ware jam pushed Milwaukee’s lead to five, with Ware looking solid against Bona in the paint. Unfortunately, Ament picked up four fouls midway through the second quarter as he struggled with Philly’s physicality. The Bucks stayed resilient, though, and with under four minutes remaining, led by six; they consistently got to their spots and, despite struggling from three, converted a lot at the rim. As expected, Philly roared back, with a Jabari Walker and-one and a Jaylen Brown corner three with 12 seconds left to put the 76ers up by six. A pair of Kel’el Ware free throws trimmed Philadelphia’s lead to four at the half, though, up 64-60.
Milwaukee came back blazing in the third frame, with a Herro pull-up three in transition giving the Bucks a 67-66 lead just 90 seconds in. From there, it was back-and-forth. The visitors found a couple of nice shots out of pick-and-roll action as they looked to up the tempo. However, the Sixers found their groove from midrange, especially through Maxey and Brown, and soon led 78-72 with just over six minutes remaining. Milwaukee responded, closing the gap with hot shooting when AJ Green hit a triple to tie it at 82. From there, though, the Sixers slowly built a commanding lead; an in-traffic Jaylen Brown layup put them up eight, and Maxey’s last-second fadeaway over Ament helped the home team close out the penultimate quarter up 97-87.
Philly threatened to put the game beyond arm’s reach early in the final frame. Maxey’s driving layup past Kuzma gave the Sixers their largest lead of the game at 13, while Milwaukee looked stuck in mud. The Bucks stuck with it, though, and, through hustle and quick defensive rotations, trimmed the deficit to just six. Ware even converted an and-one that made the game a one-possession affair; however, a deep Brown three, followed by a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope transition bomb, all but buried the game. Embiid iced the contest with a one-handed jam that brought the Philly faithful to their feet, and the Bucks waved the white flag.
Stat That Stood Out
A more encouraging sign for Milwaukee: they grabbed 62 rebounds, 20 more than the Sixers. The Bucks also grabbed 17 O-boards, which turned into 20 second-chance points. Ware 13), Kuzma (12), and Jaquez (8) led the way for Milwaukee. For context, Milwaukee finished 28th in rebounds per game last year at 40.7.
Obscene Overreaction
Could Jenkins turn to Jericho Sims over Myles Turner on Monday against the Pacers? Turner managed zero points, five boards, three turnovers, and four fouls in 20 minutes tonight and has looked like a net negative for Milwaukee.
Nets' late push not enough in 125-121 loss to Cavaliers
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, Jarrett Allen added 21 points, and the Cleveland Cavaliers won their home opener, 125-121 over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.
Evan Mobley added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who bounced back after blowing a 29-point lead in Thursday’s 114-106 season-opening loss at Philadelphia.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 28 points, Julius Randle scored 23 and Egor Demin 22, including 15 in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland was up by 17 with four minutes remaining before Brooklyn went on a 22-7 run to get within 123-121 with 8.1 seconds left on Porter’s fourth three-pointer of the night. Sam Merrill made a pair of free throws after Porter committed his sixth foul to put it out of reach.
A three-pointer by Jaylon Tyson gave the Cavaliers a 104-82 advantage with 9:29 remaining before the Nets started chipping away. Demin made three three-pointers during a 9-2 spurt over a 47-second span to get the Nets within 11 midway through the quarter.
The Cavaliers were 29 of 38 from the foul line, including 11 of 15 in the fourth quarter — and shot 50.6 percent from the floor. The Nets made only 40.2 percent of their shots from the field but were 23 of 27 from the line.
Cleveland was up 45-44 before taking control with a 23-9 during a five-minute span late in the second quarter behind five points apiece from Mobley, Allen and Proctor. Allen started the run with a three-pointer, only the 21st of his 10-year career.
Cleveland has won four of its last five home openers and extended its winning streak to eight games over Brooklyn.
Up next
Nets: Host the Indiana Pacers Sunday.
Cavaliers: Host the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday.
Nets put up fight but fall short in high-scoring loss to Cavaliers
CLEVELAND — The Nets turned what looked like a blowout into a nail-biter.
One they came up just short in, erasing a huge deficit before falling 125-121 in Cleveland on Saturday night before 19,432 at Rocket Arena, including team owner Joe Tsai.
There may not be any moral victories in the NBA, but there is progress. And from their sorry season-opening loss, this was definitely a step.
“Just strung some stops together, just stopped doing the things that were just self-inflicted. Whether it was game plan mistakes, fouling, [giving up] offensive rebounds, stuff like that. Just clean up a bit of the little things and hopefully start winning some games,” Julius Randle said. “So, we’re right there. No moral victories, but we honestly are right there.”
The Nets trailed by 22 points with 9:11 left, and by 13 with just 2:05 to play. They got within two in the waning seconds, but never over the hump.
“We fought and we gave ourselves a chance. I’m proud of how the guys, a lot of times you’re down 20, whatever, and then you just stop fighting. And it was the whole group,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “Even though the shots were not going in at times, they kept swinging and swinging and swinging.
“That’s how you get it back. Proud of them. A lot of things we could’ve done better — all of us, from my positions to the players. But I like the way we’re trending. We’re trending in a way that in the first game, we didn’t play hard enough. If we would’ve played this way in Game 1, most likely would’ve had success. So, what I told the guys is take these two experiences, a three-possession game and a two-position game, and then put it together in the third game.”
This was light years better than their desultory opening loss to the Hornets.
Michael Porter Jr. had a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds, while Julius Randle added 23 points, six boards and five assists.
Most encouraging was the breakout from Egor Dëmin, who bounced back from a shaky opener with 22 points on 5-for-10 from deep with six assists. He had 15 in the fourth quarter, including three 3s in 47 seconds to spark a 12-2 blitz.
“It was important for us to find that extra effort and the positive energy and get away from the attitude, from not being able to execute certain things and convert the rhythm towards us,” said Dëmin, adding the late run “was more successful because we started to play our own game and we stopped letting them dictate us.”
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 22, while Jarrett Allen added 21.
The Cavaliers had blown a 29-point lead in losing their opener at Philadelphia, and the Nets nearly pulled off a similar rally.
Brooklyn trailed 104-82 after a Jaylon Tyson 3-pointer with 9:29 to play before storming back to pull within two.
Mikel Brown Jr. and Dëmin’s four-minute stint was their first together, with Brown hitting a pair of 3-pointers to start the rally.
Dëmin followed with three straight of his own.
The last, off a Randle feed, made it 108-97 with 7:01 to play.
“I see a lot of threats out there when you have Mikel and Julius and Mikel and Egor,” Fernández said. “The other team, they should be concerned with all these guys being able to score the ball. So it’s good. Now we have to grow together.”
Porter’s 3-pointer pulled the Nets within 123-121 with 8.1 seconds left.
But they couldn’t get over the hump.
“We need to have each other’s back more. In that fourth quarter, we were scrambling more. But a big thing is finishing possessions,” Porter said. “Keep this thing solid. We gambled some. We helped some where we didn’t need to help. We had a lot of lackadaisical moments. I had a couple moments. The guy back-doored me. … We just all got to be more solid on that end for sure, and then we’ll be all right.”
Mizzou baseball finishes fall slate strong in Show-Me Diamond Duel
Freshman Milo Burton launched a two-run homer and Eric Maisonet added a solo shot in an explosive three-run seventh inning to propel Missouri baseball to a 6-2 victory over Southeast Missouri State in the second game of the Show-Me Diamond Duel.
Coming off a 3-3 tie in their tournament opener, the Tigers broke free in the late innings to secure a crucial fall victory at home against a field that featured Missouri State, Saint Louis, SEMO, Lindenwood and Central Missouri.
Trailing 2-0 into the bottom of the fourth, Mizzou generated its first breakthrough when Juliomar Campos reached on an error at third base with two outs, bringing home a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2.
The Tigers seized their first lead in the sixth frame behind another two-out spark. After Steve Solorzano singled to center, Seojun Oh ripped a double to right field. Donovan Jordan followed with an RBI single to left field, driving in Oh to put Mizzou ahead 3-2.
Seventh-inning surge
Maisonet provided immediate insurance in the seventh with a towering solo home run to deep left field. Two batters later, Burton smashed a two-run home run to deep left-center to extend the Tigers’ lead to 6-2 and put the game out of reach.
SEMO built its early lead in the top of the second against starter Brady Kehlenbrink, capitalizing on a walk and a hit before driving a two-run double to left-center.
Mizzou’s bullpen proved dominant in relief, shutting down the SEMO offense across the final five innings. Luke Sullivan tossed a 1-2-3 fifth with two strikeouts, Zach Van Hook retired the side in order in the sixth, and Nolan Foster struck out two in a scoreless seventh.
Luke Fricker struck out the side in order in the eighth before Sam Schmidt sealed the victory in the ninth, striking out two batters to secure the win.
Key game performers
Burton went 2-for-4, with a homerun, two RBIs and two runs. Maisonet went 2-for-3 with a homerun, a double and an RBI. Campos went 1-for-3, with two RBI. On the pitching side, Fricker pitched one inning, allowing no hits, no runs and three strikeouts. Sullivan pitched one inning, allowing no hits or runs and two strikeouts. Van Hook did the same with just one strikeout, while Foster and Schmidt had two each.
Tigers fight to 3-3 draw against UCM
Mizzou and Division II UCM played to a 3-3 tie Saturday in fall ball, a game that came down to one big inning, a long stretch of quiet bats and a dropped pitch in the eighth. The Tigers got their early runs on a two-out rally in the second, then went almost silent against the D-II Mules until the late tying run.
One big inning, then not enough follow-through
UCM opened the second with a first-pitch home run, but Mizzou wasted no time answering. Steve Solorzano struck out, and Anthony Diaz was thrown out at first after the catcher dropped a third strike. Then the UCM pitcher lost the zone.
Seojun Oh, Cam Pruitt and Eric Maisonet drew walks to load the bases, and Charlie Wortham lined a deep shot to left that scored two. Khamaree Thomas worked another walk to reload them, but Ty Waid struck out swinging, and the Tigers stranded the bases loaded.
The bats went quiet from the third through the seventh
Once the second inning ended, Mizzou struggled to string anything together. Maisonet went down looking in the fourth, and Wortham struck out after a challenge on a 3-2 pitch was upheld as a strike. Thomas followed him back to the dugout. By the fifth, Waid’s strikeout was the fourth in a row, and the seventh ended without a single baserunner.
The pitching staff did enough to keep the game close. Starter Connor Jones, who did not play last year, struck out the first two batters he faced. Stephen Lewis, Dylan Curtis, Dane Bjorn, Sam Rosand and Carter DeGondea followed him to the mound. UCM still found a way to break through, taking a 3-2 lead in the seventh when a line drive smashed off the third baseman’s glove for an RBI.
A dropped pitch tied it, and the challenge system shaped the day
Mizzou found the tying run without a clean hit. Solorzano popped out on the first pitch of the eighth, then Diaz doubled deep off the wall. Oh grounded out, and with Pruitt at the plate, the catcher couldn’t hold a pitch, allowing Diaz to race home and make it 3-3. The Tigers went down in order in the ninth, and the game ended in a tie.
The challenge system was a subplot all game. Waid challenged a first-pitch strike, Wortham a 3-2 call and Oh a 3-1 count, and the calls on all three stood. Hitters are still learning when a challenge is worth using, and in a close game each one carried real weight.
Looking ahead to the spring
With the final fall games of the season under wraps, the Tigers now look forward to the upcoming spring season, where they hope to translate their hard work into regular-season success.
To read more about Missouri’s baseball team, follow @Rock MNation, @SophBleedsLA and @jackwiselo06 on twitter/X.
Nikita Kucherov becomes the Lightning’s career points leader, passing Steven Stamkos
Oct 20, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) looks on against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Candice Ward/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
SALT LAKE CITY — Nikita Kucherov became the Tampa Bay Lightning’s career points leader with an assist in the first period against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night.
Kucherov fired a shot on the power play and Brayden Point poked in the rebound, giving Kucherov his 10th assist of the season. The Lightning immediately spilled onto the ice to congratulate him. It was the reigning Hart Trophy winner’s 1,138th point (405 goals, 733 assists) in his 890th game to surpass the franchise mark held by Steven Stamkos (1,137 points over 1,082 games).
“He’s arguably the smartest player I’ve ever coached,” said coach Jon Cooper, who took over the Lightning in March 2013 and has led them to two Stanley Cup titles. “He’s always multiple steps ahead.”
Cooper recalled a moment when he was breaking down video with Kucherov.
“I’m like, ‘All right, I’ve got him here about some learning thing.’ He’s like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa’ and he makes me back the clip up,” Cooper recounted. “He’s like, ‘Well, look at this, this, this,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, yeah, you’re right.’ His mastery of his skill set and his deception out there, it’s uncanny what he can do.”
The 33-year-old Kucherov scored his first NHL point on his first shot when he scored against the New York Rangers and Hall of Fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist on Nov. 25, 2013. One month later, Kucherov, a second-round pick in 2011, recorded his first assist on his way to becoming the franchise’s leader in the category.
“He’s a wizard with the puck,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s not that he’s a scorer, but his puck distribution, the way he handles the puck, the way he’s able to slow it down off the rush, or an O-zone play, and buy himself time and time for his teammates to get open, is elite.”
Kucherov finished with 44 goals and 86 assists last season in an MVP-winning season. He’s off to a four-goal, 10-assist start this season.
What Colorado defenseman Josh Manson appreciates is the ease of Kucherov’s game.
“He just gets the puck and calms things down,” Manson said. “He doesn’t look at you, and you think you have him, but you don’t. You have to be on your toes and cautious because he’s always looking to find a lane. He’s always looking to slip by you, and he’s very deceptive. I think deception is a real key to his game.”