THAT THIRD GAME: The Cubs are 32-33 in third games of series at home vs. the Brewers. They are 14-20 after losing second games, including 6-7 after losing the first two. The Cubs last were swept by the Brewers at Wrigley Field on Aug. 10-12, 2021, in a four-game series that began with a doubleheader. This is their 10th series on the North Side since then. It is the second in which the Cubs lost the first two. They lost both games of a doubleheader May 30, 2022, then won the next two days. The Cubs last were swept in three games at home by the Brewers on Sept. 8-10, 2017, which was 20 series ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RUNS ARE HARD TO COME BY: In their 2-8 funk, the Cubs have scored more than three runs only twice — and they lost one of those games, 9-8, on the South Side on Saturday. In their first 10-game winning streak, the Cubs scored at least four runs in nine games. In their second streak, they did it in eight of 10. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
AT LEAST ONE RELIEVER IS SOLID: Jacob Webb, last 12 games since April 19: 1.38 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 15 strikeouts and only three walks in 13 innings.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Frank Castillo and three relievers allow four home runs to the Braves in an 18-1 loss in Atlanta. The team has given up that many runs or more only nine times since that game, which happened 30 years ago today, Monday, May 20, 1996.
Edward Cabrera was going along pretty well this year but his last two starts have been rough. His last start, in particular, was wrecked largely due to walks, which had been a concern in his time in Miami. Hopefully that won’t get worse as the season goes on.
His last start against the Brewers was July 6, 2025 in Miami. He allowed two runs in seven innings and struck out five. We’d take that tonight.
Kyle Harrison, originally a member of the Giants, went to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers deal and then came to Milwaukee as part of a six-player trade in February.
He’s been very good for the Brewers, allowing no more than two runs in any of his eight starts. He has a good walk rate (just 8.1 percent) and he doesn’t allow the long ball (just three in 38.2 innings).
He has one career relief appearance against the Cubs — he was the guy who pitched the 11th inning May 6, 2025 after Ryan Pressly had that monstrously bad top of the 11th.
Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. If you do go there to interact with Brewers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 19: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks walks off the court after the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 19, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Roses are red, Cleveland too.
Sadly for them, today it’s all about the Orange and Blue.
Here’s a humongous Bulletin off a ridiculous Game 1 comeback victory.
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) May 20, 2026
Mike Brown
On Brunson’s MVP-level performance:
“Obviously, we don’t get it done if Jalen Brunson doesn’t play like one of the MVP guys in the league. He was phenomenal. He did what he’s supposed to do tonight. And it definitely helped us get the win. He’s a leader. He’s our guy. And he felt we needed to play faster, he felt we needed to be better defensively. There were a couple things he felt and he made sure we knew. And our guys responded to him.”
On targeting James Harden late in Game 1:
“Sometimes you gotta do what the game dictates. They were trying to do the same thing with Jalen. And so we said, OK, we feel like we can play that game. We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with in Jalen.”
On forcing Cleveland to adjust defensively:
“We have to try to figure out different ways to guard Harden and [Donovan] Mitchell, they gotta figure out different ways to guard Jalen. But there’s no secret we were attacking Harden.”
On finding the right five-man group during the comeback, sitting Josh Hart:
“We found a group of five guys that went out there, ended up getting stops and scoring the basketball.”
On continuing to trust Hart despite his shooting struggles:
“If Josh is open and his feet are set, he’s gotta let it fly. He’s made shots. We feel like he’s gonna make shots. And if he doesn’t wanna shoot it, he can get to his middy or he can go [dribble handoff] with somebody, a quick DHO with somebody. We faced this coverage all year and we played well throughout the course of the year and we faced it in Atlanta.”
On the early 2-for-19 stretch from beyond the arc:
“So, we started the game off 2-for-19 from the three-point line. It wasn’t just Josh. We had some pretty good looks from the right people, and if those go in, the mojo is a little bit different. They didn’t, and Cleveland was able to get back into it. The game is about adjustments. We made an adjustment down the stretch, and we were fortunate to be able to come back and get the win.”
On matching Cleveland’s tactic of targeting Jalen Brunson:
“You got to do what the game dictates. They were doing the same thing with Jalen. So we said two can play that game.”
On maintaining a competitive edge after time off:
“It has more to do with having an edge, keeping a competitive edge. Games obviously help you with that because your body and your mind are constantly on when you are playing games. When they are off, you tend to relax. That is just human nature…That competitive edge – knock on wood – may not be there at the start.”
On Landry Shamet’s impact in Game 1:
“Landry Shamet was great. He was great on both ends of the floor. He came up big. You’re not going to stop a guy like Donovan Mitchell. Landry tried like heck to make him work. He was fantastic. He was the difference in the ballgame tonight on both ends of the floor. Defensively, Landry’s a big guard, he’s physical, and he can defend without foul. To play him, knowing they will pack the paint when Jalen comes and the sprays are going to be there. And that’s what we decided to do.”
On early defensive slippage and turnovers in Game 1:
“Yeah, and especially early on we didn’t look like ourselves, especially when we were doubling and coming out of the double teams and kind of flying around. We were really slow in those areas and then I felt we played — we turned the ball over too much. It’s hard to have 19 turnovers and win a basketball game and a handful of ’em were self-inflicted, us throwing the ball away, us jumping in the air when we hit the paint.”
On the resilience shown in the historic comeback:
“I got to give my group credit. They’ve been resilient all year and I don’t know if I’ve seen that in a playoff game. I don’t know if I’ve been a part of it, maybe I have. But to be down 18, 19, 20, whatever we were down and to find a way to come back and win. I mean I take my hat off to my group.”
On giving Mitchell Robinson opportunities despite the Hack-a-Mitch:
“I wanted to give him a chance. Mitch has been great for us the last few games in that situation. We’re gonna continue to give him a chance. We’ll move him around and do some different things with him. Mitch can impact the game in different ways, so we need him on the floor.”
“I don’t have any answer for you. We just found a way. Just happy we found a way to win.”
On how he told his teammates to push them during a timeout before the Game 1 comeback:
“Keep fighting, keep chipping away. We’re not going to get it back in one possession. Most importantly, sticking together. No matter how that game finished, habits translate to the next game. We’re just doing; we’re not giving up. We don’t want to give up, ever, so having faith in each other.”
On the mindset behind the 44-11 rally:
“I think the common denominator was just us still believing in each other and still playing, still fighting. Just chipping away. We knew like we weren’t going to get it all back in one possession. So, we couldn’t give them stops, kept running, got a couple of lucky shots to go in, but kept fighting.”
On attacking late instead of overthinking the matchup:
“Honestly, the ball was going in. So, I was just trying to get to my spot and just trying to make plays. If someone came over, I was going to find someone else. But just trying to get to my spot and trust my word.”
On cleaning up defensive breakdowns that fueled Cleveland’s lead:
“Defensively, what got us down 22, they [Cavs] were making great decisions in and off the trap, getting wide open threes. So, we’ve got to clean that up a little bit. But I like the way we stuck together.”
On how the comeback unfolded:
“I mean, we got some stops, kept fighting, kept believing, kept tipping away. They were playing great basketball, and we just found a way. I really don’t have an answer.”
On being in attack mode late in the game:
“Just being in attack mode, just trying to find seams to get to where I feel comfortable. Finally, one did go down and that’s just because of the rhythm I created from the shots beforehand. But KAT said it starts with our defense, the way we were able to get stops and go and then them having trust in me.”
On appreciating the Madison Square Garden crowd staying through the deficit:
“Definitely thankful. Because they could have walked out if they wanted to.”
On praising Landry Shamet’s performance in the comeback:
“He played big time. He’s up to any task that you put in front of him. He’s been that player for us, and we have the utmost faith in him. That’s just who he is. He’s a true professional ever since he’s walked into the league.”
“I really truly feel the fans was the one that got us this win tonight.”
On the defense carrying the Knicks in the fourth and overtime:
“At the end of the day, great offensive plays by JB, amazing clutch plays by Landry Shamet, clutch plays by the man next to me in Mikal Bridges, but it was our defense that has always been special in this playoffs and it was what carried us in this playoffs that showed up in the fourth quarter and in overtime and allowed us to be sitting here with a win.”
On focusing on the team result over individual performance:
“I think the Knicks found a way to win tonight, and that’s all that matters. It’s not about the individual performances; it’s about this team finding a way to put up a win on the board. I think that’s what’s special.”
On representing the Knicks and the city after the Game 1 win:
“It’s always special when you give your fans something to cheer for. It had been a tough go-around for them for the first three quarters of the game. For us to come in that huddle with the energy of the fans and the fans really showing us so much love and support, to give them something to cheer for in the fourth, it’s always an honor. It’s a privilege to be able to do.”
On what the victory meant to the city:
“This team, all we want to do is make the city proud and bring this city wins. To be able to accomplish that tonight, on a night where it didn’t seem like it was going to happen, is an honor. It’s truly something special.”
On acknowledging early rust after the layoff:
“To be real, there was definitely rust. You could see we’re a team that hasn’t played in a playoff game in a while. It’s a testament to the grit and resiliency of this locker room and this team that as the game went along you could see the rust was coming off a little bit and we were able to find ourselves in the game. At the end of the day great offensive plays by JB, amazing clutch plays by Landry Shamet, clutch plays by the man next to me, Mikal Bridges, but it was our defense that has always been special in these playoffs and carried us in the playoffs that showed up in the fourth quarter and overtime and allowed us to be sitting here with a win against a really great team.”
On the team’s refusal to quit during the comeback:
“We don’t stop until the clock hits zero and shoutouts to our captain for holding it down for us. We learned from our mistakes and came out here and didn’t want the same things to happen [as last year].”
On Brunson carrying the offense late:
“He carried us offensively when we needed him. We wouldn’t be here without Cap.”
On what the comeback meant to the city and the fans:
“It’s always special when you give your fans something to cheer for. This team, all we want to do is make the city proud, bring the city wins and to be able to accomplish that tonight in a night where it didn’t seem like it was going to happen is an honor and it’s truly something special.”
Mitchell Robinson drives his truck home from the Garden after the greatest comeback in Knicks history pic.twitter.com/VunbJ7QpKr
— THE GARDEN IS ROCKING (@MSG_Rocking) May 20, 2026
Miles McBride
On Shamet’s defensive energy in the fourth quarter:
“He didn’t just change the game with the clutch shots, but defensively bringing energy. Getting hands on deflections and picking up full court. Things like that inspires the whole team.”
Landry Shamet said he didn't know his triple to tie Game 1 at 99-99 tied the game
"I was like 'oh s–t we're tied up'. When you're flowing, you don't want to be thinking about things" pic.twitter.com/kAiZt1QBIy
On realizing his late three-pointer tied the game:
“To be honest, when I shot it and then I looked up, I was like, ‘Oh (expletive), we’re tied up.’ I didn’t realize at the time that that one would have tied it up, which is kind of where you want to be. When you’re flowing, you don’t want to be thinking about things. They ball found me. I was open in transition. I let it fly and the ball went in.”
On crediting the team’s defensive depth for guarding Donovan Mitchell:
“One of the luxuries of our team is we got a lot of really good primary on-ball, primary off-the-ball defenders. Team defenders. I didn’t really play the first three quarters and then you throw fresh legs at someone whose got it going. Just come in try to compete, be physical, take advantage that I didn’t play. Use the energy that I had. That’s really it. Compete, communicate, make it hard on him. He’s a helluva player. We expect him to have a good game against us. Gotta give him his credit, he really hurt us. We have to make adjustments. We were connected, played hard and was physical.”
On the moment the Knicks realized they needed to get their excrement together:
“If you’re going to make it run, that’s when you have to do it. Might as well throw your best punch at that point, do what you can. You have to leave it all out there, especially this time of the year. That’s what we did. We have a group that didn’t flinch at the deficit. We made something happen.”
On the comeback atmosphere at Madison Square Garden:
“A lot of fun. MSG comebacks are fun, especially in the playoffs. I’m just real proud of our group, because that’s quite the deficit in the fourth.”
On being greeted by celebrities and Knicks legends after the win:
“It’s kind of wild when I think about it.”
Q "Jalen's such a weapon…What type of weapon is he?
OG "What type of weapon? Uh I mean. Jalen's an amazing player. Um. What kind of weapon-what do you mean?
Q "Like what kind of asset?
OG "Oh I mean. Hes an amazing player you know. I'm happy he's on our team. We're all happy” pic.twitter.com/wY1LV6k6Gs
On Jalen Brunson’s leadership and value to the team:
“He’s an amazing player. I’m happy he’s on our team, I think we’re all happy he’s on our team.”
On fighting through the deficit in Game 1:
“We had to keep fighting. We’re just mentally tough. We knew we had a run in us. Just play to the end.”
On shaking off early rust:
“[There was] a little rust, but that was expected. I knew that. As the game went on, the rust wore off.”
On how he felt physically as the game progressed:
“I felt good. Just continue to play hard, shoot shots and be aggressive. … I don’t think it was hesitancy [early]. Just as the game went on I felt more and more like myself.”
Kenny Atkinson on whether he was going to bench James Harden on defensive possessions at the end of the game:
"He's been one of our best defenders in these playoffs. I trust him. Smart. Great hands. Didn't think about that" pic.twitter.com/zJh8kPs92m
On not using any of his timeouts during the fourth-quarter collapse:
“I like to hold my timeouts. I didn’t want to have one timeout at the end of the game, one- or two-point game. I try to hold them.”
On tough Knicks shots in the fourth quarter:
“I thought they hit some really tough shots in that fourth quarter, those two 3’s, prayer 3’s end of shot clock. We got a little unlucky, quite honestly. (Jalen) Brunson obviously took over at the end.”
On Mikal Bridges’ “lucky” late threes:
“The two Bridges 3’s, like kind of what are you going to do?”
On the offense getting stagnant late:
“My only regret, and this can happen when you get a little fatigue, it just stopped moving. We were pinging the ball over the place, great ball movement and then it got a little stagnant.”
On pride in his team despite the collapse:
“I’m super proud of the way our group played. We played great basketball tonight for three quarters, unfortunately … they dominated us in the fourth quarter.”
On not even considering benching James Harden as Brunson cooked him:
“No. He’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs. I trust him. Smart. Great hands. Didn’t think about that.”
On Brunson’s late-game takeover:
“Brunson obviously took over at the end. We started double-teaming him, trying to do some different things… they dominated us in the fourth quarter. Basically, the fourth quarter he got loose. We definitely tried to mix up some stuff, throw some stuff at him. We’ll have to keep looking at it. There was a lot of tough floaters, and hit that tough, contested three.”
On Cleveland’s defensive plan against Karl-Anthony Towns:
“Really important and not just (for) Evan, right? Once we sub who’s going to make his catch his tough, make his passes tough. I do feel like we have personnel. They can bother him. We got multiple guys that can put pressure on and then we’ve got to be really good with our defense. It definitely shifted schematically like everybody knows and it’s been his assist rate. He’s got all that stuff at a high level so that’s going to be a big part of the series.”
On having personnel to pressure Towns:
“We do feel like we have the personnel to bother him. We’ve got multiple guys who can put pressure on him. We’ve gotta be really good with our off-ball defense. They’ve definitely shifted schematically like everybody knows. It’s been … it’s high level so it’s going to be a big part of the series.”
On not feeling disrespected despite being underdogs:
“I get it. I don’t feel disrespected, right? I think I get it. They’re playing great basketball. Massive rest advantage. We get that. So it’s not like I’m mad or anything. I get it. But like I said, we have to find a way to halt their momentum. I mean they have great momentum coming into this series and we have to find a way.”
On prioritizing physical and mental freshness:
“The most important thing is these guys are fresh and fresh physically and fresh mentally. We know they have a massive rest advantage. We know they’re massively favored in the series, but I’d say from our perspective it’s like we got to try to halt their momentum and it starts tonight.”
On expanding the rotation early in the series:
“I like, especially beginning this series, giving guys opportunities. You never know what you will find.”
On the Knicks’ physical style of play:
“They got big strong guys and they’re super physical. Good thing is we have two series where we’re dealing with that for 48 minutes basically. But we’re not coming in here saying, oh this is the Knicks. They’re a very physical team, definitely saw that on film.”
Donovan Mitchell on the message he gave in the locker room:
“I said it in the locker room, just that we lost, we f–king blew it.”
On the Cavaliers’ Game 1 loss:
“So many things I think played a factor into it. We didn’t close it out, we gotta clean up on film, and go from there. It’s one loss, it’s a bad loss, but all we can do is go back and watch the film and fix it. It’s just one game; we could have lost by 40, and it still would have been 1-0. We played pretty solidly for about three quarters. We’ll make adjustments and go from there.”
On failing to adjust to Brunson late:
“He was a little comfortable. We could have done some things collectively and we didn’t and that’s on us. But ultimately, we came to do nothing about it. Now we got to go out there and watch the film and fix it for game two.”
On taking accountability for letting the game slip away:
“We should have won the game. Even if there was complacency, we’re up 22 with eight minutes left. Gotta win the game. But we gotta keep your head up and go from there. Don’t let one quarter affect you for the rest of the series. It’s gonna be a long series, and there are things we did that are positive things we can look forward to. But we should have won the game, we didn’t… We lost, we f**king blew it, now let’s run up for Game 2.”
On not overreacting to his late-game struggles:
“I’ll watch the film and figure it out. I don’t think it’s anything to overreact to. In those scenarios, you’ve got to feel it, and I’ve always said it’s a feel thing.”
On not letting the loss derail momentum:
“That can’t happen. But it did. We play in two days. We can’t sit here and let it kill our momentum, kill what we’ve been doing. It’s not a good loss.”
On playing in the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden as a New Yorker:
“Being a New Yorker playing in the Finals is just different. You don’t take it for granted. You grew up around it. You grew up a fan of it. And now to be an enemy in it is special, for sure. We played there a few years ago [in the playoffs] and we got whupped. The remaining core guys that are here remember that. So, we have to go out and be ready. It’s an amazing opportunity for us and for me being back home, but we got to go in there and take it.”
On the Knicks entering the series as a dangerous opponent:
“It’s gonna be special for sure. [The Knicks] are a talented team. Obviously it starts with Jalen Brunson and KAT. But Mikal and OG have been phenomenal — Josh Hart. Look at their bench, it’s just been great.”
On joking about playing at home during the series:
“Me and my fiancee joked that we’d be at home regardless, right, so might as well play some basketball while we’re at the crib.”
On preparing for Game 1 against a rested Knicks team:
“We know them, obviously. But, I think the biggest thing is they’ve been off — they got a bunch of rest so got to be ready to go from the jump from Game 1. To the point, It’s great I get to play at home … doesn’t matter. We got to be locked in and ready to go. And I know we will be. They’re a tough team, and we’re excited.”
On how Cleveland has evolved since losing to New York in 2023:
“For most of the team, the core that was there, it was their first time in the playoffs. We’ve had a few series under our belts [since then]. We didn’t like how it went, obviously. This is different. We’re not here to rehash the past. This is a different scenario. This is something that, even last season, we came into it like, ‘This is our goal, to get to this point, to get to the Finals.’ Not really looking at it like, ‘Man, what happened [three] years ago?’ It’s just the opportunity in front of us.”
On focusing inward rather than predicting a Knicks matchup:
“I think for us, we weren’t saying, ‘It’s gonna be us vs. New York.’ We were really just focusing on ourselves. Especially how we started the year, it was a long road. I think now, it’s more so like we gotta steal the first one. And if we don’t steal the first one, steal the second one. That’s the mentality. It’s just like ‘hey, we’re here, we haven’t come this far just to be excited to be here.’ I think that’s the biggest feeling around the group — that we’re not just like, ‘We did it.’ Now, it’s more so that this is an opportunity for us to play and get to the Finals, and we have to get through these guys to get there.”
“It definitely hurts. You want to win Game 1, especially when you’re up like that, you want to win those games. We have to do better with finishing that, but it’s not an easy road, and we have to bounce back and try to get a dub. But we’ve done this before; we were down two in the last series, so we’ve been here before. You just have to bounce back and look at film, see what we can change, and fix that.”
On his infamous “lights were brighter” comment from 2023:
“That comment was that comment. What I said is what it is. For me personally now, I’ve grown, evolved, had a lot more playoff series under my belt, a lot more games under my belt, experience. What I said then was what I said then.”
On how Cleveland’s core has matured since 2023:
“Everybody’s evolved, everybody’s grown, everybody’s come into their own skin. Everybody’s just a different person coming here. So it’s good to see how everybody’s grown.”
On his loyalty to Mitchell after advancing to the ECF:
“I hope Don knows this, I’ll follow him into war. I’ll trust every single decision that he makes, every single shot that he takes, every single word that he speaks in the locker room.”
Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, John Starks, Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, Iman Shumpert & Stephon Marbury are locked in as Jalen Brunson brings the Knicks back pic.twitter.com/zq9L1VHB04
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 20: Sal Stewart #27 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Watching Sal Stewart struggle for the first time as a big leaguer was rough. After ripping through the month of April and taking home National League Rookie of the Month honors, May greeted him with a dose of what happens when big league pitchers and coaches finally get to scout you in detail via big league video evidence.
Across 17 games from April 29th through May 16th, Sal collected just 10 hits in 67 AB, smashing nary a homer and striking out twice as often (16 times) as he walked. He hit just .149/.240/.224 in that span, and there’s no coincidence that the Cincinnati Reds hitting a skid coincided with that.
The last week, though, has seen a much needed resurgence. He entered play on Wednesday in Philadelphia having been on-base multiple times in four straight games, and then erupted for a 4 for 5 day that saw him double, swat a late 2-run homer to put the game on ice, and score 3 times in the Reds 9-4 win over the Phillies. That earns him today’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game award, and deservedly so.
That homer flew 441 feet into the second deck in Philly, by the way.
Sal even turned in a good defensive performance at the hot corner, making an acrobatic catch over the rail along the Reds dugout on a pop fly. It’s as if the Reds had no need to go acquire a different 3B last July after all!
The win secured a series victory for the Reds and pushed them back to a pair of games over the .500 mark at 26-24, and the club wrapped their two-city road trip with a .500 record after dropping the first series to the Guardians in Cleveland.
Sal backed Andrew Abbott, who turned in another solid performance in a string that’s been much, much more akin to what we’d come to know about him prior to his own April slump. Abbott fired 5.1 IP and allowed just 3 hits and 2 runs (one earned), dodging some early control problems – he walked the first two batters he faced in the game and the first one scored – to pour in a 96 pitch outing the Reds sorely needed. Brock Burke ran into some trouble when he took over, yielding a 2-run dinger to Edmundo Sosa, but the rest of the bullpen effort was nails in the form of scoreless frames by Connor Phillips, Graham Ashcraft, and Sam Moll.
Nathaniel Lowe helped Sal carry the offensive load on the day, swatting a pair of doubles and driving in a trio. Blake Dunn, who started against a RHP in the outfield as TJ Friedl continues to sit, doubled and tripled and scored twice. Even PJ Higgins chipped in with a pair of RBI singles as the Reds breezed on a rare day where Elly De La Cruz (0 for 5, 3 K) was off his best.
The Reds have the day off on Thursday, and on Friday they’ll begin a home series against their NL Central rivals from St. Louis. Chris Paddack is scheduled to get his second start since joining the Reds in the series opener in Great American Ball Park Thursday evening, with first pitch slated for 6:40 PM ET.
San Diego Padres Closer Mason Miller (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
An errant pickoff throw by San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller allowed Los Angeles Dodgers pinch-runner Alex Call to move all the way to third base. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Andy Pages, securing the Dodgers a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the Padres.
After watching the replay, you see Miller threw the ball wide of Friars’ first baseman Ty France’s reach. What is more frustrating is that the righthander had Call dead to rights. The runner was two to three steps heading toward second base. Call froze on the base path before noticing the ball ricochet off France’s glove and roll down the right-field line.
Offensively, the Padres runs came on two two-run home runs by Manny Machado and Miguel Andujar. Machado’s blast came with two outs in the first inning. It was his seventh home run of the season.
Andujar homered after Fernando Tatis Jr. walked in the third inning. It gave the Friars a 4-2 lead in the contest.
Taking the mound
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) v. Randy Vasquez (SD)
Arguably, today’s late afternoon matchup could be a classic pitching duel. Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has been the best starting pitcher in the National League over the first quarter of the 2026 season.
In seven starts, Ohtani posted a 3-2 record with a 0.82 ERA. His dominance has been a life source for a starting rotation in shambles. Injuries to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have placed them on the injured list, and their return dates are unknown at this time.
Randy Vasquez has settled into the No.2 spot in the Padres’ starting rotation. He has a 5-1 record with a 2.68 ERA in nine starts this season. Vasquez has offered the Friars an opportunity to win each night he is on the mound. There are significant questions surrounding the state of the team’s rotation. Another quality start from Vasquez proves he is a reliable option moving forward.
Batter up!
2B Fernando Tatis Jr.
DH Miguel Andujar
1B Gavin Sheets
3B Manny Machado
SS Xavier Bogaerts
CF Jackson Merrill
RF Nick Castellanos
LF Ramon Laureano
C Freddy Fermin
Relief corps
Do not expect to see Miller tonight unless he must preserve another one-run lead. Bradgley Rodriquez and Jeremiah Estrada should not be available, as both have appeared in the first two games of the series.
It leaves Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, and Wandy Peralta ready to pitch in high-leverage situations in the rubber game.
I’ve seen middle school science fair bridges built out of straws and pipe cleaners hold together better than the Cleveland Cavaliers right now.
Cleveland delivered one of the most stunning collapses in NBA playoff history in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, letting a 22-point fourth-quarter lead slip away against the New York Knicks.
If the Cavs are going to respond, it’ll take a full-team effort and our Cavaliers vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks are leaning on a statement showing from big man Jarrett Allen on Thursday, May 21.
UPDATE: Added prediction who will win & +1150 SGP.
Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 2 prediction
Who will win Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 2?
Cleveland: For three quarters, Cleveland was cruising in Game 1. But some tweaks from the Knicks and some short-sighted coaching decisions from Kenny Atkinson let things get out of hand in the final frame.
Cleveland knows it can run with New York and we’ll see adjustments to sure up soft spots (like leaving James Harden out to dry) and exploit its strengths (inside scoring).
Cavaliers vs Knicks best bet: Jarrett Allen Over 19.5 points + rebounds (-112)
Jarrett Allen didn’t have a bad game in the opener, scoring 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting with seven rebounds. But at times, the Cleveland Cavaliers forgot about him.
The New York Knicks are susceptible inside, as we saw vs. Joel Embiid in Round 2, and Cleveland must make a more focused effort on getting Allen touches – especially against smaller forwards.
Allen can also put up points from offensive rebounds, and he snatched six of his seven boards on that end. He generated 17 rebounding chances in Game 1 yet walked away with only one defensive rebound.
Projections call for 13+ points and 10+ boards on Thursday.
COVERS INTEL:Not only did Allen’s usage dip from 16.8% to 13.8 in Game 1, but he also left points on the table, shooting just 4-for-8 from the foul line after shooting 67.4% from the stripe in Round 2.
Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 2 same-game parlay
The Cavaliers were playing excellent basketball up until that flop in the fourth quarter. The collapse is going to scare a lot of people off, so we’re getting some extra padding on the point spread with Cleveland.
The Cavs are a solid 27-9 SU off a loss on the year, including a 4-2 record off a loss in the postseason.
Jarrett Allen should have seen the ball more in Game 1, and we’ll see Cleveland feed the interior to compress the Knicks perimeter defense.
His game projections sit above 13 points with a ceiling of 10 rebounds. The rebounding chances were there in Game 1; he just deferred those boards to Evan Mobley.
Josh Hart may not play as big a role in this series as he has in the Knicks’ postseason run. Cleveland played off of him, using Allen to guard and begging Hart to shoot.
The Knicks also got good defense from Landry Shamet, who stole minutes from Hart. Game 2 models come in short of this 12.5-point total.
Cavaliers vs Knicks SGP
Cavaliers +6.5
Jarrett Allen Over 19.5 points + rebounds
Josh Hart Under 12.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Broad Sword Bets
The Cavaliers can crush the Knicks inside with Jarrett Allen. He’s often drawing smaller forwards and projections for Game 2 call for 13+ points and 10+ rebounds. With Evan Mobley guarding Karl-Anthony Towns in the high post, Allen is free to protect the paint and send shots back.
Spread: Cleveland +6.5 (-115) | New York -6.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Cleveland +195 | New York -240
Over/Under: Over 215.5 (-110) | Under 215.5 (-110)
Cavaliers vs Knicks betting trend to know
Cleveland is 27-9 SU when coming off a loss this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Knicks.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 2
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Cavaliers vs Knicks latest injuries
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TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 24: Toronto Blue Jays Starting Pitcher José Berríos (17) throws a pitch during the MLB regular season game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays on September 24, 2025, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The big news, this afternoon, is that Jose Berrios had full Tommy John surgery, so he’ll be out for a year at very least. The good news keeps coming. The told us yesterday that they were going to ‘remove loose bodies’ in his elbow and see what else needs fixing. I’m sure when Berrios woke up and was told they decided to do Tommy John surgery, since he was already on the operating table, it was a bit of a shock (I’m joking, I’m sure they wouldn’t do that without discussing it with him).
I don’t know why the team has been gaslighting us. They must have known he was getting TJ, so why not say it. Why pretend it was something minor when it wasn’t. Would telling us yesterday have been worse than telling us today. Are we going with ‘It’s not a lie if we know the truth’, as Donald Rumsfeld would have told us. Or something like that. Ask Matt.
This has been such a fun season.
I missed something yesterday. It happened in the hour and a half that I spent in a Rogers shop, trying to get a new phone. Something that you would think would take 10 minutes. Maybe 15? It wasn’t that I didn’t know what I wanted. I said “that one” within minutes of entering the store. An hour and a half later, and roughly 100 of my signatures, I walked out with ‘that one’.
I don’t know why it has to be so complicated.
Anyway, Joe Mantiply was put on the IL with left knee inflammation. He’s been excellent this seasons, with a 2.04 ERA in 17 appearances.
Chase Lee, who pitched yesterday, came up from Buffalo. He had a 1.83 ERA there. The AI summery of the deal, on Twitter, tells me that Lee’s fastball ‘touches 100 mph’. It doesn’t. It touches 90, maybe 91. He also has a sweeper and a changeup. He is a side arm pitcher
There maybe be other stuff going on, Rafael Lantigua, a right-handed hitting infielder, is in New York. Officially on the taxi squad but I can’t see any reason he would be there if he wasn’t going to be on the roster soon. He’s not hitting much in Buffalo, just .211/.312/.349 with 3 home runs, 16 walks and 30 strikeout in 35 games. He’s never played in the majors before.
Davis Schneider (53 OPS+) and Lenyn Sosa (40 OPS+) are hitting roughly what you or I would hit, but maybe the team has tired of one or the other.
Today’s lineup. I’m kind of grumpy about Springer at the top of the order, but then I don’t know who I’d put there. I guess Lips.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 19: Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during overtime against the New York Knicks in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 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 Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Numerous things have to go wrong to give up an advantage that large. The defensive end was no exception. Jalen Brunson led the way with 15 points in the fourth quarter to help claw his team to victory.
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson could’ve handled the fourth quarter better. He held onto timeouts and allowed the Knicks to pick on James Harden repeatedly down the stretch. Both are inexcusable.
Still, the comeback was also because the Knicks hit some incredibly tough shots. That’s something that Atkinson wanted to acknowledge when he talked to media members after practice on Wednesday afternoon.
“[In the] fourth quarter, they were in the first percentile of shot quality,” Atkinson said after practice. “We have data that you guys don’t have. First percentile. So, our process was right, they made some tough, tough shots.”
We don’t have access to the data, but you can sort of see what is leading to Cleveland’s internal numbers pointing to this.
Of the 22 shots that New York took in the fourth, nine came at the rim, six came in the midrange, and seven came from beyond the arc. Of those three zones, the shots at the rim are the ones the Knicks converted the least, which is the most efficient place to score from.
Knicks fourth-quarter shot chart from Game 1 | <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/cle-vs-nyk-0042500301/game-charts?shotchart=shotzone&period=Q4">via nba.com</a>
A lot of the looks in the midrange were contested pretty well, particularly on Brunson. However, good offense beats good defense, as it did here.
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Atkinson also wasn’t willing to put this loss on Harden. He said on Wednesday that the Cavs wouldn’t have gotten out of the first round if it wasn’t for him, and that his defense down the stretch wasn’t the main issue.
“[Harden] is a good isolation defender,” Atkinson said. “Everybody’s putting it on James. Sure, some of it was him. … Sometimes micro experiences get exaggerated.”
I wouldn’t go as far as saying the eye test backs up that the Knicks were in the first percentile for shot quality. They hit some tough shots, but they also got some clean outside looks, especially when the Cavs tried and failed to double-team Brunson. That said, that wasn’t where the Cavs lost this game.
“Looking back on it, we’re more dissapointed by the offense,” Atkinson said. “The shot quality wasn’t great. We weren’t getting to the rim. We took nine threes. I thought we could’ve gotten to the rim more and put more pressure on them.”
The offense was horrid down the stretch. All of the things that were working throughout the game just disappeared. This is where Donovan Mitchell deserves a lot of blame.
Mitchell was occupying possessions, but not generating good looks. He took the air out of the ball by slowing down the pace. This came at the expense of the rhythm they built in the previous two quarters, leading to disastrous results as seen in the possession breakdown in the final eight minutes of the fourth.
Cavs are up 93-71 with 7:50 left This was an offensive loss. I’ll let you be the judge of who that falls on
Offensive possessions: 1. Mitchell 0 pass grenade to Mobley – offensive foul 2. Mitchell turnover on drive 3. Mitchell grenade to Harden – miss stepback over Bridges 4.…
The Cavs wouldn’t have been in the position that they were in if it weren’t for Mitchell’s incredible shotmaking and the force he was playing with on both ends in the first three quarters. He deserves credit for that. But he also bears the blame for that going away.
It’s also fair to point out that this is where fatigue likely set in the most. That’s why holding onto timeouts is indefensible for Atkinson.
Despite how poorly things ended, the Cavs showed that they can play up to their talent level against the Knicks. If they can figure out how to do so for 48 minutes, instead of just 40, they’ll turn the series around.
“I just want to lean on the positives,” Atkinson said. “We had three quarters of really good basketball. Some of the best basketball we’ve honestly played in the playoffs… offensively and defensively.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that pitching prospect Jonah Tongis "in play" to be called up to make his 2026 debut at some point during this weekend's series against the Miami Marlins.
Tong was scratched from his scheduled Wednesday start with Syracuse, which seemed to indicate a call-up would be happening soon.
"We’re keeping him in play," Mendoza said. "There’s a chance that he plays a part in the Miami series for us. We’ve got to get through today. We’ve got to get through tomorrow, and then we’ll go from there. But we want to keep him in play in case there’s a need here."
Mendoza said earlier this week that Tong was in consideration to get called up when the club called up Zach Thornton, who will make his season debut on Wednesday night.
The 22-year-old right-hander has been hit hard at Syracuse this season, pitching to a 5.68 ERA. But he's also struck out a whopping 55 hitters in just 38.0 innings.
Tong had a brief stint with the Mets at the end of the 2025 season, making five starts while pitching to a 7.71 ERA.
And while those numbers don't seem like much to write home about, Mendoza said the club still believes in Tong, and they like his ability to put a poor outing behind him.
"There’s no denying that he’s been inconsistent, but we also like how he bounces back," Mendoza said. "We saw it last year when he was here with us. He had a couple of tough outings and he was able to recover for the next one, so we’re not too worried about that. That’s why he’s in play. We believe, we’re high on him, and we’ve been saying it, he’s going to help us. Here he is, waiting for his opportunity, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to come here soon."
Hockey in the state of Florida has become much more than just a novelty.
This year will break a streak of six consecutive seasons in which the Stanley Cup Final was played in Florida.
The Tampa Bay Lightning went to the Final each year from 2020 to 2022 and the Florida Panthers reached the Final from 2023 to 2025.
Additionally, despite failing to extend the streak this season, both the Panthers and Lightning are considered among teams that could continue to compete for the Stanley Cup in the foreseeable future.
All that success has given Floridian hockey fans one hell of an in-state rivalry between its two NHL franchises, which has provided some incredibly fun and entertaining hockey games over the past several seasons.
While that might lead to the question of which team is more disliked inside the state, the Panthers or the Lightning, this collection of data looked to see which teams that played outside of each state were the most hated by those who live on the inside.
So neither the Panthers or Lightning was the most hated in Florida, just like how neither the Rangers or Islanders was most hated in New York, or how none of the Kings, Ducks or Sharks were the most hated in California, and so on.
Interestingly, the most hated team inside the state of Florida is apparently the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Florida was the only state that had Toronto listed as its most hated.
What makes more sense to this writer would be if it were the other way around. A team from Florida has knocked the Maple Leafs out of the playoffs in three of the past four postseasons; Tampa took out the Leafs in 2022 while Florida eliminated them in both 2023 and 2025.
Do you agree that Toronto is the most hated NHL team in Florida not named the Panthers or Lightning?
No states in the U.S. had the Panthers or Lightning listed as their most hated.
Outside of the Florida result, there were some other interesting elements of this data collection.
The most hated team in the U.S. is, according to this list, the Vegas Golden Knights, who are the most hated team in 11 different states, including Hawaii and Alaska.
Next is the Colorado Avalanche, hated in eight states, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, who are each hated in five states.
The most hated team in New York was the Boston Bruins, the most hated team in Pennsylvania was the New York Rangers and the most hated team in Massachusetts was the Canadiens.
Some of the seemingly random ones were the Philadelphia Flyers being the most hated team in West Virginia and the Edmonton Oilers being most hated in Nevada.
Let us know in the comments which team you think is the most hated in Florida.
Photo caption: May 7, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) scores a goal and celebrates with center Anton Lundell (15) against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period in game two of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 27: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against Jack Eichel #9 of the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena on November 27, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Good morning, everyone. With the first round just about completed (there is one game to be played as of this writing), it is time to make an update to our Stanley Cup Playoffs Open Post. You can see the original post here, but let’s dive into the new matchups.
The IIHF Worlds Open Post: For Worlds-related commentary, please see here.
The Preview
The Eastern Conference Finals: The Carolina Hurricanes vs. the Montreal Canadiens
The Carolina Hurricanes are surely very rested. Through two rounds, they have played the minimum of eight games, and former Devil Taylor Hall leads them in scoring with 12 points. The Hurricanes also got the version of Freddie Andersen who usually shows up against the Devils in the playoffs, as he has a .950 save percentage and a 1.12 (not a typo) goals against average. Carolina does probably want to work some kinks out here. Sebastian Aho only has four points, as do Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis. Shayne Gostisbehere has not been as productive as he has been in the regular season. But the depth of their attack will be very difficult for Montreal.
Montreal probably deserved to lose the second round to Buffalo, and I tend to think that Buffalo would give Carolina a better chase. But Montreal’s top players are showing up. Lane Hutson is continuing to be a point-per-game defenseman in the playoffs, and the trio of Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky have continued to be very productive on the power play…but that may be their downfall. They have yet to really step up at five-on-five in these playoffs, and Devils fans know that Carolina is a ridiculously stifling team on the penalty kill. If that top line does not turn it around at even strength, this may be another short series for Carolina. If they do turn it around, we might be in for an upset.
A saving grace for Montreal is they have three good centers leading the way right now in Suzuki, Evans, and Danault. But I am not convinced that they have a third-line edge over the Carolina group of Hall, Stankoven, and Blake. What I am sure about is this should be a fun series to watch the net, as both Andersen and Jakub Dobes have had excellent performances throughout these playoffs. Dobes may be more inconsistent through two series, but the highs get really high with him.
The Western Conference Finals: The Colorado Avalanche vs. the Vegas Golden Knights
They did not make it here without controversy to write about, but the Vegas Golden Knights are back in the mix for a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and I am sure that everyone reading this is just thrilled to see it. To their credit, though, Mitch Marner has been incredible and good to rely on in these playoffs, and that contract is looking very much worth it at the moment. But I will push back on the narratives surrounding him for a moment: this is the fourth time out of the last five playoffs that Marner has produced at a point per game or better. He is scoring more goals as an individual, but it would be wrong to say this is the first time he’s shown this ability in the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche, though, are in a space similar to the Carolina Hurricanes. They are a powerhouse. Nathan MacKinnon has seven goals in nine games. Gabriel Landeskog is the same as he ever was. They have six players who have taken shifts at center in the playoffs, and all of them range from solid to elite. The one thing they will be fighting is an injury to Cale Makar, who has admittedly not been his usual uber-productive self. However, he will not be out long. With Devon Toews, Brent Burns, and assorted contributions from Brett Kulak and Josh Manson, the Avalanche should be able to survive a night without their top blueliner.
We will see who returns first between Makar and Mark Stone. However, the key to this series will be whether defense and goaltending can allow Vegas to hold on with Colorado. The Avalanche have not gotten their playoff goaltending completely set in stone yet, but Scott Wedgewood is 7-1-0 with a .914 save percentage. I would think his leash is not super long at this stage of the playoffs, as Mackenzie Blackwood has already played in a couple of games to less rousing individual success. The Knights may have better numbers in goal, but they have less depth to rely on, and they do not have the skaters to stay purely even with Colorado without big performances in net. Even with as good as they are with Eichel, Marner, Barbashev, and Stone, Colorado has an embarrassingly rich lineup.
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The Dodgers stormed back to beat the Padres, 5-4, and tie up the series at one apiece. Freddie Freeman hit two home runs and Andy Pages recorded the tie breaking RBI off Mason Miller, which was just the third run scored when he's in the game all year.
The Padres' four-game winning streak was snapped yesterday as they fall to 4-1 over the past five and 7-3 in the last 10. The series has featured 10 total runs scored in two games so far and San Diego recorded two hits in 19 at-bats from the 5-9 hitters. San Diego turns to Randy Vasquez. The Padres are 8-1 in his nine starts this season.
Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is 3-4 in his seven starts this season despite his 0.82 ERA and WHIP over 44 innings. In the four losses during Ohtani's starts, Los Angeles has been outscored 11-5. In the three wins, the Dodgers have outscored their opponents 16-3.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Dodgers at Padres
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 8:40 PM EST
Site: Petco Park
City: San Diego, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Dodgers at the Padres
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-193), San Diego Padres (+158)
Spread: Padres +1.5 (-114), Dodgers -1.5 (-105)
Total: 7.5
Probable starting pitchers for Dodgers at Padres
Wednesday's pitching matchup (May 20): Shohei Ohtani vs. Randy Vasquez
The Padres’ Miguel Andujar is hitting .299 with 40 hits and 70 total bases over 134 at-bats
The Padres’ Jackson Merrill is hitting .205 with 36 hits and 49 strikeouts over 176 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Andy Pages is hitting .294 with 53 hits and 91 total bases over 180 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts is hitting .172 with 10 hits and 7 strikeouts over 58 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Dodgers at Padres
The Padres are 21-25-1 ATS this season
The Dodgers are 21-27 ATS this season
The Padres are 7-4 ATS and 5-6 on the ML as a home underdog
The Dodgers are 14-9 ATS as a road favorite, ranking second-best
The Padres are 7-4 to the Over as a home underdog
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Padres
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Dodgers and the Giants.
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Dodgers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
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The St. Louis Blues made a late-season push for a playoff spot, which, as many predicted, fell short.
With that, the Blues pushed themselves into the ‘Mushy Middle,’ just outside the playoffs but too far from landing a potential top-five pick.
The Blues moved to 11th last by the end of the season, and did not move in the draft lottery, so their top pick this season will be the 11th overall.
While it is very possible that they can still find a very skilled player who could change the franchise, it’s far less likely than if they were selecting in the top five. But each draft is unique, players rise or fall, whether there is a good reason or not.
This year, a prime candidate to be selected far lower than he should be is Viggo Bjorck, and that’s why he can be considered the dream draft scenario for the Blues.
Bjorck is an ultra-skilled center with two-way versatility. The 18-year-old loves to have the puck on his stick, and he excels with it. When watching Bjorck, his ability to pick up the puck from his own end and skate in transition is evident each shift. At times, he can look like a one-man breakout and zone entry.
But he also excels when he has the puck in the offensive zone. He possesses slick hands with the ability to make passes into the slot and carry the puck into dangerous areas of the ice.
Defensively, Bjorck is smart with his positioning in his own end, and along the boards, he’s able to position himself and utilize his stick to win puck battles.
With all those traits, it’s odd to see many draft analysts think Bjorck will fall in the draft, but the reason is due to his size.
Bjorck is listed at just 5-foot-9. That’s very undersized, especially for a center. While there is plenty of evidence that smaller players can be successful NHL players, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Mats Zuccarello, Alex DeBrincat, Brad Marchand, and Jonathan Marchessault all come to mind, none of those players are centers, and they were all selected outside of the top 10; in fact, Caufield is the only player selected in the first round.
With all that evidence against Bjorck, it’s understandable why some believe he could drop in the draft.
But with all that, there’s still reason to believe he can be a top-six center. Take Logan Stankoven, for example. Stankoven stands at just 5-foot-7, but his relentless motor and fearlessness to get to the front of the net has seen him be successful in the playoffs.
The best example might be Brayden Point. Point does stand a couple of inches taller than Bjorck, but they possess so many similar traits, and Point has been a key contributing player, and at times the best player on a Tampa Bay Lightning team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Like Point, Bjorck owns a relentless motor, a strong lower body, and a high hockey IQ. Very few players have had the success Point has shown in the bumper spot, and we’ve already seen Bjorck have success in that position at the world juniors and the World Championship.
In all, Bjorck notched six goals and 15 points in 42 games in the SHL this season. He then won the championship in Sweden’s U-20 league, posting eight goals and 20 points in nine games.
After a successful SHL season and a gold medal win with Sweden at the World Junior Championship, where he posted three goals and nine points in seven games, he was selected to represent Sweden at the World Championship.
So far, he’s posted one goal and two points in four games. Bjorck is the youngest ever player to represent Sweden at the World Championship.
NHL clubs might fear his size, but they could risk missing out on a future star. At pick No. 11 and with two picks still in the first round, selecting Bjorck would be a worthwhile gamble.
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The Anaheim Ducks just had their most successful season in nine years come to an end after a 4-2 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
They’ve taken a colossal step toward becoming a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and have arguably opened that contending window in 2025-26 and beyond.
One player who was once projected to be a key depth piece during the early stages of the Ducks’ build is veteran winger Frank Vatrano.
Vatrano (32) entered the 2025-26 season coming off back-to-back-to-back 20-goal seasons, including a 37-goal, 60-point campaign in 2023-24 that earned him an All-Star appearance.
With a high-energy approach and a lethal release, Vatrano’s usage increased year after year during his first three seasons with the Ducks, and he signed a three-year contract extension on Jan 5, 2025, worth $18 million in real dollars. Still, due to a percentage of it being deferred, his AAV settled at $4.57 million.
The Ducks hired head coach Joel Quenneville ahead of the 2025-26 season, and he brought with him a mostly-new coaching staff, along with all-new play styles and systems. Due to how Quenneville elected to divvy up usage and how he prefers his lineups to be constructed, Vatrano found his role diminished and eventually eliminated down the stretch of the regular season.
Vatrano averaged 16:41 TOI per game in 2022-23, 18:21 in 2023-24, and 17:33 in 2024-25, and featured heavily on both special teams units. He experienced difficulty carving a role for himself on the 2025-26 Ducks’ depth chart, sustained a shoulder injury in Dec, and left the team for a period of time due to personal reasons.
He finished the year averaging just 11:49 TOI/G in 50 games played, scored just nine points (5-4=9), and was scratched for every game of the Ducks’ 12-game playoff run to the second round. It’s understandable to question his future with the Anaheim Ducks.
Vatrano has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.57 million. However, he is owed $900,000 per year for ten years, starting in 2035. That number will not impact his NHL club’s cap sheet, but will have to be honored in real dollars.
On the surface, due to his production and contract, he appears somewhat immovable for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. However, Verbeek was able to move center Ryan Strome at the 2026 trade deadline. Strome experienced similar struggles as Vatrano, only producing nine points (3-6=9) in 33 games and had a year and a half remaining on his contract that carried a $5 million cap hit. The Ducks didn’t have to retain on Strome’s contract and acquired a seventh-round pick in exchange.
The 2026 NHL free agency class is notoriously thin, and combined with the dramatically rising salary cap ceiling ($95.5 million to $104 million), teams may find themselves interested in or in need of the services of a forward like Vatrano.
If the contract is too much for teams to stomach and the Ducks intend to spend to the salary cap ceiling, as they may have to, given contract projections for RFAs like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, along with the potential to add to the roster, buying out Vatrano’s contract presents itself as an option for Verbeek.
If Vatrano’s contract is bought out, his cap hit will decrease to $571,189 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. They will also incur a $2 million cap hit for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 seasons.
Perhaps the least likely scenario, given all that’s transpired over the course of the 2025-26 season, is the hope that he re-finds his scoring touch and is afforded a role on the Ducks’ depth chart in 2026-27, rendering last season a “one-off.” Vatrano’s talent as a depth scorer and energy forechecker remains, but a longer leash than the coaching staff is willing to give out may be necessary to achieve that goal.
The summer of 2026 will likely prove a pivotal one for the future of the Ducks franchise, as they have some aspects of their roster to iron out, some holes to fill, and a cap sheet that may require some navigating if they’re to maximize their potential and begin contending for Stanley Cups as soon as next season. Part of that navigation might include an important decision on what to do with Frank Vatrano.
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Washington Capitals re-signed defenseman Timothy Liljegren to a two-year contract worth $6.5 million.
General manager Chris Patrick announced the deal Wednesday. Liljegren will count $3.25 million against the salary cap next season and in 2027-28.
The right-handed-shooting Swede played just four games for the Capitals after they acquired him from San Jose at the trade deadline in early March. He could have a bigger role next season as part of a blue line that is not expected to have John Carlson back after Washington sent the pending free agent to Anaheim on the eve of the deadline.
Now 27, Liljegren has 94 points in 324 regular season and playoff games in the NHL, with the vast majority of that time spent with Toronto.
The biggest question of the offseason for Patrick and the front office is the status of longtime captain, face of the franchise and career goal-scoring record holder Alex Ovechkin, who has not yet declared whether he'll return for a 22nd season at age 41.
The Montreal Canadiens have taken a very different path to the Eastern Conference Final than the Carolina Hurricanes, but they arrive with real reasons for optimism despite being sizable underdogs.
From clutch-game resilience and overtime poise, to a perfect response record after losses, this group has consistently found ways to rebound.
Add in strong coaching, steady identity, and playoff composure, and Montreal has legitimate belief heading into Round 3 despite being underdogs in the NHL odds.
That top line, alongside Nick Suzuki, accounted for 72 total even-strength goals during the regular season, or 37% of all the team’s goals at even strength. It’s not as if Caufield and Slafkovsky have done nothing, though, as they’ve still contributed seven of the Habs’ 13 power-play goals through 14 playoff games.
This team is getting scoring from its middle six, but the offense still hasn’t played its best postseason hockey. Everything on that top line runs through Suzuki, who is still sitting at +3000 to win the Conn Smythe.
With how heavily head coach Martin St. Louis is leaning on his center, leading this series in points at +350, the betting favorite makes sense.
Canadiens odds to lead ECF in points
Player
Nick Suzuki
+350
Cole Caufield
+550
Lane Hutson
+700
Juraj Slafkovsky
+1500
Jakub Dobes
The goalie landscape in the NHL has changed. Gone are the days of riding your No. 1 for 70% of the season. All four starting goalies in the Conference Final were not their team’s No. 1 option early in the year.
Jakub Dobes has gone on an incredible run ever since Montreal changed goalie coaches on January 28 and brought in Marco Marciano. The rookie netminder closed the regular season at 13-5-1 with a 2.57 GAA and a .914 SV%, a notable jump from his earlier marks of a 2.96 GAA and .890 SV% before the change.
His 0.776 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes trails only three playoff goaltenders with at least three games played.
The eerie part is Montreal’s history with rookie goalies making playoff magic. Some guy named Patrick Roy won the Cup in his rookie season back in 1985-86, going 15-5 with a .923 SV%. He wasn’t even the first to do it.
Ken Dryden led the Habs to a Cup in 1970-71 after appearing in just six regular-season games. Dryden played in two Game 7s across three playoff series that year, with Montreal playing in 20 of a possible 21 playoff games. Sound familiar?
Both Roy and Dryden walked away with the Conn Smythe in their Cup-winning rookie runs. Dobes enters the Eastern Conference Final at +1900 to win the Conn Smythe, and Martin St. Louis appears ready to ride him the rest of the way.
Rest vs. Rust
I hate this term more than anything, but you might never see a more classic “rest vs. rust” ECF setup. One team is coming off back-to-back Game 7 wins, while its Round 3 opponent rolled in at a perfect 8-0 SU. It’s the longest break between playoff series since 1919.
The Carolina Hurricanes haven’t played a game since May 9 — an 11-day layoff — while the Canadiens at least get a chance to catch their breath after taking Game 7 in Buffalo on Monday.
Montreal is +250 to win the series at BET99, the best available price.
Canadiensvs Hurricanes
May 21 • NHL ECF
Series Prediction
Canadiens to win series (+250)
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Freddy, the Bod, and the Canes’ semifinal track record
Things in the Eastern Conference Final have not been good for anyone associated with the Hurricanes since the days of Ron Francis. You could say this team has metaphorically pissed all over themselves when they are eight wins away from the Cup.
We have seen this early-playoff form from Frederik Andersen before. Just last year, he entered the ECF with elite numbers, much like this season, and fell flat, posting sub-.840 SV% numbers over four games before getting pulled.
He is 4-10 SU in the third round over his career.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour may be running out of runway if he can’t break through this stage. Since taking over in Carolina, he's 0-3 in Round 3 across seven postseason appearances, and an even more concerning 1-12 SU in those series combined, despite going 24-8 SU through the first two rounds.
Don’t read too much into Carolina’s 8-0 SU start, as their path to this point has come against noticeably softer competition than the Canadiens have faced. The Canes are not walking all over their third straight opponent.
Odds for which game the Canadiens will win the series in
Result
Canadiens in 4
+3000
Canadiens in 5
+1500
Canadiens in 6
+850
Canadiens in 7
+725
Youth that's been tested under pressure
That Canadiens might be one of the youngest teams in the NHL, but this is a group that has handled every situation this season. They don’t panic down multiple goals late, they can win in overtime, and they have shown an ability to respond immediately after poor performances.
There’s a reason they are 5-0 SU this playoffs following a loss.
This might be one of the best-coached teams in hockey, and it’s a shame St. Louis didn’t receive more Coach of the Year attention.
There’s a reason this group has been labeled the “Cardiac Kids,” and it’s because adversity doesn’t seem to affect them — something the playoffs have made very clear.
COVERS INTEL:
Why Habs fans should have hope
Hurricanes