ST. LOUIS — The Toronto Maple Leafs played their first game without their mentors present since rattling off back-to-back wins against the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, and their effort on the ice made it look like they needed them back.
The Maple Leafs fell 5-1 to the St. Louis Blues. It looked like it was going to be one of those nights for the Leafs early on, when a four-minute power play for Toronto midway through the first period generated no shots on goal for the man-advantage. From there, things snowballed.
Justin Holl, playing in just his sixth NHL game this season, scored his second goal since 2024 when he departed the Leafs; notably, both of those goals occurred against Toronto. Although Jake McCabe scored early in the third period to cut St. Louis’s lead to 2-1, Pius Suter scored a shorthanded goal shortly after, deflating any hopes of a Toronto comeback.
It was a listless effort by Toronto’s skaters. "We had one player show up tonight, and that was our goalie. That's really what it boils down to," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said after the game. The Blues outshot the Maple Leafs in all three periods, demonstrating Toronto’s lack of urgency.
Playing in their 74th game of 82, Toronto’s playoff hopes are now all but mathematically dashed. The urgency just isn't there, and the Leafs are having a hard time manufacturing it given what lies ahead: a summer with no postseason hockey.
“We didn't check. We had no pressure. We let them come at us all night. We had the puck all night, but we didn't check it off them,” Berube said. “Checking is a will, a want, and an urgency, right? And, you know, we let them do whatever they want with the puck tonight”.
Perhaps most disappointing is that the Leafs didn’t put forth a better effort in front of Joseph Woll. The St. Louis native made 33 saves on 38 shots, but the save percentage doesn’t tell the whole story. The goaltender had to make several high-danger stops throughout the evening.
McCabe was asked if it’s hard to generate urgency given where the team sits in the standings. He paused to contemplate his response. “It shouldn’t be,” he responded. “It’s a privilege to play in this league and play on this team. If you lack urgency as a player, you’re going to find yourself out of this league”.
Craig Berube following tonight's 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues: "We had one player show up tonight, and that was our goalie. That's really what it boils down to."
The Leafs need to change the dynamic. It may or may not be the players; it might require a tweak in management, or perhaps both. While there have been occasions this season when the Leafs dominated in all three periods, there is now a complacency that comes with knowing the season is nearly over. This feels like a resignation, unlike the 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals where the team was in full crisis mode.
Are the Leafs this bad? Is this just a bad year that can be flipped around with a retool? There aren’t many answers right now, and there won’t be until mid-April when their season comes to an end. Until then, the Leafs will be searching for urgency and motivation. The mentors aren’t around—but maybe they need to be.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 04: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks reacts during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden on March 04, 2026 in New York City. 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 Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tonight, the New York Knicks (48*-26) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (58-16) at Paycom Center. This matchup tests whether New York can hang with the reigning champs or are just part-time sluggers. The Knicks dropped their seven-game win streak Thursday night in Charlotte, falling 114-103, while the Thunder keeps rolling at home with the best record in basketball.
The teams last met on March 4 in New York, where the Thunder won 103-100. Chet Holmgren dropped 28 points with eight rebounds and six threes, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 26 points and eight assists. Jalen Brunson (15 assists) and Karl-Anthony Towns (17-17 double-double) kept the Knicks close, but Oklahoma City’s timely stops and spacing made the difference in the final minutes.
The Okies have the league’s best defensive rating and seventh offensive. They’re fifth for points per game with 118.8. OKC is an average shooting team beyond the perimeter, but they clean up inside the arc. This is a switch-heavy, multi-positional team that plays fast when it wants and grinds when needed.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averages 31.3 points and 6.6 assists, getting to his spots with crafty mid-range play and leading the league in phantom fouls. Chet Holmgren puts up 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds while stretching the floor at 35%from three and anchoring the paint. Jalen Williams delivers two-way production as a 17 PPG scorer and sticky defender. Luguentz Dort brings physical wing defense and spot-up shooting, and Cason Wallace adds elite perimeter D and secondary playmaking.
Holmgren is a game-time decision with a hip issue. If he sits, expect OAKAAKUYOAK Isaiah Hartenstein to get the starting nod. The Knicks’ injury report still lists Landry Shamet (right knee contusion) as OUT, but Miles McBride has been upgraded to questionable.
Prediction
ESPN gives the Knicks roughly a 37% win probability here. We thought so. In the last matchup, the Hicks were in the driver’s seat for most of the game, but the Knicks hung in there despite falling behind by 15. Tonight, the Thunder could pull away in the second half if they exploit switches and get out in transition. For the Knicks to stay competitive, Brunson needs to draw fouls and create for his teammates, their bigs have to win the rebounding battle, and their defense must contest threes and mid-range buckets from Gilgeous-Alexander. Force half-court play, protect the paint, and make the home team work for everything…still lose by two, but do it with dignity!
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (48*-26) at Oklahoma City Thunder (58-16) Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM ET Place: Paycom Center, OKC, OK TV: NBC Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but NBA Cups don’t believe the hype.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: San Antonio Spurs center court logo during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per a Spurs press release:
The San Antonio Spurs announced the launch of Spurs AI Studio, a new innovation platform designed to create AI-powered fan experiences in collaboration with leading brand partners. The platform allows the Spurs to deliver premium AI-driven experiences to their fans with interactive, personalized activations in-game and digitally. Spurs AI Studio will debut its first production, “ULTRA Arrivals,” alongside Michelob ULTRA, offering fans the ability to transform themselves into personalized player-style arrival moments. The experience is now live at UltraArrivals.SpursAIStudio.com.
Through the platform, fans can personalize fan content.
Jordan Kolosey, VP of Business Strategy, Innovation & Data Operations at Spurs Sports & Entertainment stated,
“Spurs AI Studio is about breaking down barriers and creating unforgettable experiences for our fans. This represents the future of fan engagement, and by working alongside innovative partners like Michelob ULTRA, we’re unlocking moments that were once impossible and bringing fans closer to the game than ever before.”
The first experience powered by Spurs AI Studio, ULTRA Arrivals, invites fans to snap a photo of themselves and instantly generate a cinematic “arrival” video inspired by the iconic tunnel walks typically reserved for NBA players.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
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Mar 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Somewhere, at some point, Bob Uecker would have been proud of that game yesterday.
Except for that whole getting a second hit thing in the ninth inning. Thanks, Alec, for ruining my joke for today. And, you know, the rest of the team for making it a ballgame.
BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 26: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles takes the floor before the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hello, friends.
The Orioles just can’t let us feel good about them for long, huh? The vibes were great yesterday afternoon around the Shane Baz contract extension, with excitement for the near future of the team from the front office and from a good number of the players. If only they could have sustained those good vibes through even one more game after that. Instead, the Orioles turned in a stinker of a 4-1 loss to the Twins to fall to 1-1 on the year. Check out my recap of the game for more of the not-so-lovely totals.
Anybody who is my age or younger has been prepared for this kind of thing by a lifetime of being Orioles fans. Nothing good lasts for long and plenty of times things have come along within 24 hours to squash fun vibes. This is only the latest example. Baz has the opportunity to bring the good vibes back here this afternoon, if he can turn in a good outing in his first game in an Orioles uniform.
It’s still kind of wild for me to think about, but Baz got that contract extension before ever throwing a pitch for the team. Mike Elias really likes this guy. This is not a guarantee of success. Sometimes Elias likes guys based on thinking they’ll be better than they have been and it doesn’t work out that way. Sometimes he likes guys based on thinking they’ll be about what they have been in the past and that doesn’t work out either. The guy has a solid track record overall, but there are glaring gaps and one of those is building a quality starting rotation.
Getting Baz locked up could be the first sign of starting to bring some stability into that group. Getting way ahead of ourselves, just based on who has major league experience and will still be available to the Orioles next year, they’ve got Kyle Bradish, Baz, and Dean Kremer. That’s potentially not a bad 60% of a rotation. If one of the team’s pitching prospects can fill a spot better than the previous wave’s guys like Cade Povich and Brandon Young did, then there’s only one hole to fill. That’s a whole lot better than having to sign two guys and trade for a third guy every winter.
Of course, two games into this 2026 season, there hasn’t been too much cause for worrying about the rotation yet. It’s an offense that’s not looking like much has changed from the last season and a half worth of Orioles baseball that feels like a problem. You can make excuses for this if you want, particularly yesterday when it was the 10th-coldest game start temperature in Oriole Park at Camden Yards history. Warmer weather is coming as soon as today, so this excuse pretty much expired already. Until they do enough to change the story, it’s the same story.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
You know who wants to talk some about the Shane Baz press conference? Everybody whose job it is to cover the Orioles on a regular basis.
There really is a lot to digest about it. Yes, it’s a further sign that something different is happening now than we got accustomed to with contracts before Rubenstein took over. It shows that the Orioles might actually invest in their rotation. There is hope for extensions for any non-Boras client who the O’s deem worth it. It seems like there is excitement both in the Orioles clubhouse and front office for these things happening. That’s all cool. It would just be a lot more cool if they built on these good feelings with how they played on the field yesterday.
Joseph Dzierwa headlines the Orioles next wave of pitching prospects (Baseball America) Subscription required for this one. The pitcher had a phenomenal appearance in the Spring Breakout game and if he carries that forward into the minor league season, that’s going to get mighty interesting in a hurry.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
The Orioles last won a game on this day just last year, when they beat the Blue Jays, 9-5, to improve to 2-1 for the season. Just four of the seventeen players who appeared for the Orioles that day are on the 26-man roster right now. Jordan Westburg had four hits, including a pair of homers.
One lone former Oriole was born on this day: 1989-91 infielder Juan Bell. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 48.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: 10th president John Tyler (1790), baseball Hall of Famer Cy Young (1867), actress Amy Sedaris (1961), model Elle Macpherson (1964), and actress Lucy Lawless (1968).
On this day in history…
In 1461, the two sides of England’s Wars of the Roses fought the Battle of Towton. The York contingent, led by Edward, defeated the Lancastrian force of Queen Margaret, leading to Edward being crowned as Edward IV and the wars being interrupted for nine years.
In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, American military forces captured the city of Veracruz following a siege.
In 1961, upon ratification by the state of Ohio, the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution, which grants electoral votes to the District of Columbia, took effect. Maryland was seventh to ratify, about two months earlier.
In 1971, Lt. William Calley was convicted of 22 counts of premeditated murder for his role in the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam three years earlier. He served three days in prison before being released to house arrest under order of President Nixon, and ultimately served three years of house arrest for these murders.
In 1984, the Mayflower vans pulled out from the Baltimore Colts facility, marking the end of the Baltimore Colts and the beginning of the Indianapolis team that bears the same name.
A random Orioles trivia question
I received a random book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask a question each time it’s my turn in this space until I run out of questions or forget. It’s probably going to be run out of questions. Since I’m skipping stupid questions, repeat questions, and questions about the St. Louis Browns (it’s not a good book of trivia), we’re already up to 77, which is this:
Who had the lowest earned run average on the 1970 Orioles staff?
I will add the hint that this is inclusive of relievers.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 29. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!
Wembanyama has been a key figure for the Spurs this season [Getty Images]
The Milwaukee Bucks will miss the NBA play-offs for the first time in 10 years following a 127-95 defeat by the San Antonio Spurs.
The Bucks have lost nine of their past 11 games and were without their star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the sixth game in a row as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
It was an eighth consecutive win for the Spurs as they remain hot on the heels of defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder for both the top seed in the Western Conference and the best record in the league.
The Spurs are two games behind the Thunder with eight games left to play.
The play-in tournament begins on 14 April, with the playoffs starting four days later.
Stephon Castle had his fourth triple-double of the season - 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists - and was among seven Spurs players who scored in double figures led by Victor Wembanyama, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds.
Last week, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers rejected a claim by the National Basketball Players Association that his side were keeping a healthy Antetokounmpo out of games against the wishes of the 10-time All-Star and two-time league MVP.
"He's not [healthy]," Rivers said when asked about the NBPA's assertion that the 31-year-old is healthy and not being allowed to play so the Bucks can improve their NBA Draft lottery positioning by tanking.
(Original Caption) St. Louis: Bill Walton, UCLA, shooting a foul shot during NCAA Finals against Memphis State.
The late Bill Walton occupies a unique place in basketball history. He ranks with the greatest centers – Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon, among others – but injuries greatly limited his career.
But when he was healthy, he was indisputably great.
Boston Celtics teammate Robert Parish was speaking to former Celtic Cedric Maxwell recently and said as much. He talked about how much Walton pushed him in practice, how he made him a better player.
Keep in mind that this was quite late in his career. Walton won the title as a Portland Trail Blazer in 1977, but played in just 65 games.
He only topped 60 games three times in his NBA career, but made 80 in 1986 with Boston, where he helped the Celtics win the championship for his second ring.
In college, Walton was a massive success. He was probably the most fundamentally sound big man who ever played the game, and his best game came in the 1972 championship game against Memphis State.
In a legendary performance, Walton scored 44 points while shooting 21-22 from the floor. That’s 95.5%. He also had four shots waved off as offensive goaltending.
Toss in 13 rebounds, two assists, and a block, and it was the greatest performance in the Final Four, and it’s not particularly close.
The great shame about Walton’s career is that his bones just proved too fragile for him to play much. He had dozens of surgeries and at one point, seriously considered suicide to escape the constant pain. He found joy again and was a lively, if eccentric, presence on basketball broadcasts.
He found answers, though, and lived until 2024, passing away from colorectal cancer.
Despite becoming a March Madness fixture, the Tennessee Vols have never, in their history, made the Final Four. Despite a pedigree of modest success, including 11 regular season SEC titles and and five conference tournament championships (most recently in 2022), Tennessee has not been able to cross the threshold to college basketball's most coveted weekend.
The Barnes era marks the closest Tennessee has come, with consistency, even though its best shot arguably came before Barnes' time. The Vols' first Elite Eight trip was under Bruce Pearl in 2010, while Barnes was still roaming the Longhorns bench in Texas.
Barnes has taken Tennessee to the 2024, 2025, and 2026 Elite Eights. There's an argument to be made 2026 is his most impressive run yet, as a No. 6 seed in the Midwest bracket.
The Vols went as a No. 2 seed in both 2024 and 2025, ultimately losing to the No. 1 seeds of their respective brackets in the Elite Eight. While it could be easy to think it will be more of the same Sunday against No. 1 Michigan, Tennessee has now taken down No. 3 Virginia and No. 2 Iowa State to get to this point. So perhaps one more upset is in store.
Has Tennessee basketball ever made a Final Four?
Tennessee has not made a Final Four in its history, making it one of five SEC schools to not get to the national semifinal round.
The others are Missouri, Mississippi, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. Alabama basketball made its first Final Four in 2024.
Tennessee basketball Elite Eight record
The Vols are 0-4 in the Elite Eight, with losses in 2010, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Here's a look at their full history in the fourth full round of the tournament.
2010: No. 5 Michigan State 70, No. 6 Tennessee 69
2024: No. 1 Purdue 72, No. 2 Tennessee 66
2025: No. 1 Houston 69, No. 2 Tennessee 50
2026: TBD, vs. No. 1 Michigan
Rick Barnes Elite Eight record
Barnes is not just defined by his career at Tennessee. He does have a Final Four appearance, winning his first Elite Eight game with Texas in 2003. Since then, though, he is 0-4 in the Elite Eight, with two losses at both Texas and Tennessee.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees embraces Austin Wells #28 and Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 after scoring against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning on Opening Day at Oracle Park on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Three games, three wins! It’s hard to do much better than that, the Yankees starting off their season with a sweep for the second year in a row. The shape of the sweep was much different this time around though, as this season’s Yankees have used phenomenal pitching to quell the Giants, while the 2025 squad absolutely pummeled the Brewers into submission. The team is in a groove, but the thing about the early season is that it can take a moment for the schedule to get rolling; the Yankees have their second off-day of the year today, and they’ll have three breathers interspersed through the first six days of the season. So rest up, before we head to Seattle for a few late nights with the Mariners.
On the site today, Peter has you handled for the Rivalry Roundup, and he also has the next entry in our Yankees Birthday series, profiling pitcher Herb McQuaid. Also, in the afternoon John spins around opening week on Yankees social media.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 26: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball to the basket against Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half at the TD Garden on November 26, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jaylen Brown had some things to say about the NBA’s regular season awards on Wednesday.
In the wake of Cade Cunningham’s lung collapse, robbing him of consideration for All-NBA and MVP awards, Jaylen Brown reminded everyone that back when the 65-game minimum threshold was written into the current CBA—by the NBPA and the league—it was met with largely unalloyed approval from fans and players alike.
We felt that players should be expected to appear in a significant majority of their team’s game in order to qualify for season awards that are, after all, awards for performance over the entire season.
On his Twitch stream, Brown said, “You can’t have dudes playing 45-50 games and winning First-Team All-NBA. You basically came to work half the time and got rewarded for it.”
And that, friends, is the rub.
Consider a pile of sand.
Remove one grain.
Is it still a pile of sand?
Yes?
Remove another grain.
Is it still a pile of sand?
Yes?
Remove another grain.
At some point in time, your pile of sand will stop being a pile of sand.
And so it goes with this notion that there shouldn’t be any game limit for regular season awards. You can say that you don’t think there should be a limit, but common sense dictates that there is, in fact, a limit.
After all, absent any limits, you could make a case for an All-NBA nod for a guy who plays one game, scores 40 points, and then tears his ACL in his next game out. I mean, the guy has a 40 PPG average!
Obviously, no one who wants the games played limit abolished would say that a guy who plays a single game deserves consideration for All-NBA status, which means that they have a games played limit—even if they don’t admit to it.
The only thing this dictated games played limit does is put the limit out there in the open for everyone to apply. It doesn’t establish a limit, it standardizes it.
It stops voters from shading things so that they’ll give LeBron consideration for All-NBA status (played in 53 games so far), while dismissing Victor Wembanyama—who’s been subject to more obvious load management—and who’s appeared in five more games than LeBron thus far.
This way, the arbitrary rule—and it is as arbitrary as most rules of this sort are—is at least universally arbitrary.
The fact that some players are going to be ineligible due to the existence of the rule is hardly a plausible argument against the existence of that rule. The whole point of rules is to set boundaries, to establish limits. Rules define things, and definitions, by their very nature, exclude as well as include.
That some of these players received consideration in the past despite missing a significant number of games is not an argument in favor of abolishing this rule, and the fact that some players have been hampered by injuries is, to be blunt, the nature of the game.
Look, if you play in fifty games and look absolutely amazing in those 50 games, and because of you, your team wins most of those games handily, that’s great. But what are you doing for your team during the 32 games you missed? Nothing. What are you doing as far as performance against your peers in those games? Nothing.
That’s what matters in this debate—and what gets overlooked—when you’re not playing, you’re not contributing, and when you’re not contributing, you shouldn’t be accruing “points” towards regular season awards.
Basketball in the NBA is a mass-produced commodity. In the course of the regular season almost 60,000 minutes of basketball are manufactured and consumed. When you’re playing, you’re putting something out there that can be evaluated, measured, weighed and considered in context. When you’re not, you’re not.
Yes, there’s a laundry list of name brand players who are either ineligible for these awards or are on the cusp of ineligibility this season, but the thing about these awards is that they are supposed to be about what you do, not who you are.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 25: Austin Wells #28 high-fives Camilo Doval #75 of the New York Yankees to celebrate a win after the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: The streak came to an end after the Giants scored in the third inning on Saturday, but the Yankees opened the season with 20 consecutive scoreless innings, including two shutouts in the first two games. Even missing some of the most important pieces through injury, Yankees’ pitching — from Max Fried and Cam Schlittler to the bullpen — made a historic start to the 2026 season.
Newsday | Erik Boland: Camilo Doval was one of a couple relievers acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline in 2025, as they tried to remake a struggling bullpen. He was a bit of a disappointment on that front last year, but so far this year, he’s looked the pitcher the Yankees were looking to acquire.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: The Yankees’ opening series of the season against the Giants brought a reunion with the team’s former center fielder Harrison Bader. Despite a solid playoff run in 2022, Bader’s stint in the Bronx did not go as he or the team wanted, leading to them eventually waiving him in 2023. However, Bader still carries with him lessons he learned in the Bronx, specifically from captain Aaron Judge.
New York Post | Joel Sherman: Heading into the 2026 season — barring horrible injuries or unforeseen sudden dropoffs — Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt seem like the only future Hall of Fame locks on the 2026 Yankees. However, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole are knocking on the door too, and then could improve their cases with good seasons and a ring in 2026.
Test gloveman Alex Carey’s century has left the Sheffield Shield final on a knife’s edge as Victoria head into the final day at the Junction Oval needing 94 runs for the title with five wickets in hand.
Vancouver Canucks (21-43-8, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-26-16, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights look to end a three-game slide when they play the Vancouver Canucks.
Vegas is 32-26-16 overall with a 10-5-5 record in Pacific Division games. The Golden Knights have a 31-6-10 record in games they score three or more goals.
Vancouver has gone 21-43-8 overall with a 5-12-2 record in Pacific Division play. The Canucks have a -91 scoring differential, with 180 total goals scored and 271 conceded.
Monday's game is the second time these teams match up this season. The Golden Knights won the last meeting 5-2.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Stone has 23 goals and 40 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games.
Filip Hronek has eight goals and 32 assists for the Canucks. Marco Rossi has scored three goals with seven assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 3-5-2, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.6 assists, 4.7 penalties and 11.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Canucks: 2-7-1, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.8 assists, 3.3 penalties and 11.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body), Carter Hart: out (leg), Jonas Rondbjerg: out (lower body).
Canucks: Thatcher Demko: out for season (hip), Derek Forbort: out (undisclosed), Filip Chytil: out (face).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN FRANCISCO — Through the first three games of this season, only last year’s home run champ, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, struck out more times than Aaron Judge.
“It’s early in the season,’’ Aaron Boone said. “He’s kind of finding it. He’s not like anyone else. His hits have been two big home runs. Like I’ve said, he’s playing a different game.”
One that’s seen him now hit 370 home runs in his career, tied for 83rd all-time with Gil Hodges.
He also passed another New York home run legend on Saturday, Ralph Kiner, who hit 369 homers in his career.
The next on the list is — oddly enough — Judge’s current teammate, Paul Goldschmidt, with 372 and counting.
But regardless of how many home runs Judge hits or awards he earns, the right fielder is interested in only one number: one.
He’s still waiting for his first World Series title and that remains at the forefront of his mind, as he explained before Saturday’s victory.
Aaron Judge is all smiles after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Giants at Oracle Park on March 28, 2026 in San Francisco. Getty Images
“My job is not to win MVPs,” Judge said. “It’s to win games. The MVPs and other things are cool and when I’m done playing, I’ll think about that. But now, doing that takes away from the ultimate goal of putting the Yankees back on top. Counting those other things and worrying about that doesn’t help.”
Instead, Judge focuses on what’s left for him to accomplish.
“I only think about the stuff I’ve missed out on,’’ Judge said. “That’s all that matters every year. It’s not All-Star games or MVPs. It’s ‘Did you win it all or not?’ And not getting that always eats at you.”
And that won’t change during the regular season, regardless of the numbers Judge puts up.
Aaron Judge belts a solo homer in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ road win over the Giants. AP
A few wins in March won’t change it, either, though it’s better than the alternative, especially with the Yankees now 6-0 in Judge’s career at his hometown ballpark.
“The good stuff is fine, but the disappointments are what drive you,’’ Judge said.
He insisted that remains the case in his 11th major league season.
“I’ve been the same when it comes to that since my rookie year and we lost the ALCS,’’ Judge said. “A loss is a loss, regardless of where you are in your career. It doesn’t matter what happened during the regular season. I’m here to finally punch the ticket and finish it off.”
So the fact that Judge’s fifth-inning homer against lefty Ryan Borucki was followed by the Yankees fans in attendance chanting “MVP’’ isn’t especially relevant.
Instead, he’s already focused on October and what he can do there.
“The regular season is spring training at this point,’’ Judge said. “It’s practice for the real test so we can get the kinks out before the games that matter when we need to take care of business.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Before the automated ball-strike system came into play in real games that counted, the Yankees spent plenty of mornings this spring talking about it.
“We had too many meetings about it, in my opinion,” Aaron Judge said with a grin.
Judge was at least partly joking — “It’s all good stuff,” he later added — but the early returns have been strong.
In their season-opening sweep of the Giants, the Yankees went 5-for-6 in ABS challenges, including 3-for-3 on Saturday, with each of them coming in key moments in a 3-1 win at Oracle Park.
The first came in Trent Grisham’s at-bat with one out in the third inning, when Tyler Mahle threw a 2-2 pitch that home plate umpire Chad Whitson called strike three.
But Grisham challenged the pitch and it proved to be high, turning into ball three on the way to a walk, allowing him to later score on Ben Rice’s two-out, two-run double.
“That sets up a lot right there,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Austin Wells was responsible for the other two, helping out his relievers. In the seventh inning of a 3-1 game, Jake Bird threw an 0-1 pitch to Casey Schmitt that Whitson called a ball. But Wells challenged it, turning it into a strike and one pitch later, Schmitt struck out.
Austin Wells (left) celebrates with closer David Bednar after the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Giants at Oracle Park on March 28, 2026 in San Francisco. AP
Tim Hill then entered to face Jung Hoo Lee and threw an 0-2 pitch that Whitson deemed a ball, only for Wells to challenge it and get a called third strike that ended the frame.
“I love what I’m seeing from Austin Wells back there, overturning a couple big calls to shift the momentum onto our side,” Aaron Judge said.
Carlos Rodón is expected to make his next outing back in Tampa on Sunday or Monday, another live batting practice (or extended spring game) as he continues his buildup from October surgery to shave down a bone spur and remove loose bodies.
The left-hander threw three innings and about 40 pitches on Tuesday, so he could build to about 50 pitches in his next outing.
It seems plausible that his next start after that would be on a rehab assignment, though Boone was not yet ready to make that official on Saturday.
Gerrit Cole is also expected to throw live back in Tampa in the coming days, though he noted after his last start on Tuesday in Arizona that he expects to go through a deload period before starting his own rehab assignment.
The win marked Boone’s 700th as manager, making him the seventh Yankees manager to reach that milestone, joining Joe McCarthy, Joe Torre, Casey Stengel, Miller Huggins, Ralph Houk and Joe Girardi.
