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The Ottawa Senators: A Rollercoaster Game For A Rollercoaster Eight Years

Linus Ullmark and Brady Tkachuk (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

The Ottawa Senators’ regular-season finale was quite the ride.

A Thursday night goals fest against the Carolina Hurricanes served as the final test for both clubs before the playoffs. While Carolina’s playoff streak reaches its seventh season, the Senators’ seven-year post-season drought ends when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.

Taking a 3-0 lead, conceding five unanswered goals and coming back to win 7-5 was a rollercoaster game fitting for Ottawa’s rollercoaster journey back to the playoffs – even if it took longer to reach this point than captain Brady Tkachuk expected.

“Definitely not seven years,” Tkachuk said post-game. “But everything happens for a reason, and (it) just sets the stage that much better.”

The Senators scored three times in the first period Thursday night. Eight years ago, the Senators nearly won three rounds in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, ousting the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers before the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated them in overtime of Game 7. Ottawa entered the 2017-18 campaign riding high, with then-GM Pierre Dorion even acquiring center Matt Duchene in a three-team blockbuster.

Then came the fall.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the Hurricanes 11 seconds after Ottawa’s third goal Thursday night. The Senators lost 16 of 19 games after returning from the 2017 NHL Global Series in Sweden.

Skyler Brind’Amour cut the Sens’ lead to one with his first career NHL goal. The Senators traded Derick Brassard, Dion Phaneuf and Mike Hoffman to begin the teardown in 2018.

Andrei Svechnikov tied the game 50 seconds into the second period. With Erik Karlsson’s contract expiring at the end of the 2018-19 season, Ottawa traded its captain to the San Jose Sharks before training camp even began that year.

Jack Roslovic gave Carolina the lead. An Uber driver posted footage of Sens players criticizing a former assistant coach in November 2018, saying they haven’t paid attention in meetings and that there were no fixes for the penalty kill.

Tyson Jost took advantage of a giveaway to increase the Senators’ deficit. In 2019, the team traded Mark Stone, Duchene and Ryan Dzingel.

Ottawa finished near or at the bottom of the NHL standings for five straight years. Attendance fell to an average of 12,618 fans in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The Sens got to within six points of a playoff spot in 2022-23 before finishing 26th in 2023-24 – and learning they must forfeit a first-round pick for their role in a 2021 Evgenii Dadonov trade that led to a 2022 Dadonov trade being invalidated.

The franchise underwent major changes during this time. 

In 2023, Michael Andlauer bought a majority stake in the Senators from the estate of Eugene Melnyk, who passed away in March 2022. Melnyk’s two daughters, Anna and Olivia, retained a 10-percent stake.

Steve Staios became president of hockey operations ahead of the 2023-24 season. He took over GM duties from Dorion in November 2023 following the announcement of the Dadonov trade penalty.

D.J. Smith, who coached the team for most of the rebuild, was replaced by interim coach Jacques Martin and, in 2024-25, new coach Travis Green.

By the time they joined the fold, many of the pieces were in place to set the stage.

The fall in 2017-18 led to Tkachuk. The Karlsson trade led to Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris (moved to Buffalo at this year’s trade deadline for Dylan Cozens.) The rebuilding led to Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig and Tyler Kleven, all who recorded at least a point on Thursday.

The years of resetting gave much of those players, as well as Thomas Chabot (18th overall in 2015) and Drake Batherson (121st overall in 2017), time to develop.

Then came the rise.

Adam Gaudette cut the deficit to one on Thursday night. The Senators signed Claude Giroux in 2022.

Batherson deked out Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen to tie the game. Last June, the Sens acquired Linus Ullmark from the Bruins as their new starting goaltender. He signed a four-year contract extension, and his 25 wins this season are the most of any Sens goalie since Craig Anderson’s 25 in 2016-17.

Batherson scored again to give Ottawa a new lead. The Senators clinched a playoff spot nine days earlier.

As a bonus, Stutzle stickhandled past three Hurricanes skaters and beat Andersen blocker-side for a 7-5 lead. Ric Flair “woos” popped up throughout the arena, and the crowd gave a standing ovation as the clock ticked down on the regular season.

Ottawa’s season was a rollercoaster as well – one with multiple loops. They had a five-game winless streak in November, a six-game winning streak in December, six losses in seven games from late December to early January, five wins in six games afterward, a five-game win streak, a five-game losing skid and a six-game win streak.

The ride now leads to the first round against the Atlantic Division winners, the Maple Leafs. They, too, recovered from a two-goal deficit to win on Thursday night. (And yes, fans in Ottawa chanted “Leafs suck” on more than one occasion and had signssaying the same.)

Ottawa Senators fans share their views on the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 17. (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

Brady Tkachuk said he’ll be good to go for Game 1. He played his first game since March 30 but left the game early as a precaution after getting high-sticked.

“I worry in advance for some of the defense on Toronto,” older brother Matthew Tkachuk told Carol Schram on Monday. “I think Brady is going to have a lot of built-up anger over not playing in playoffs for the last few years, so he's going to be ready to go. Him when he's at his best, when he's physical and that skilled, he's a nightmare to play against.”

As for how Brady Tkachuk thinks this series will go down after Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz predicted it to be a “blood bath…”

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Tkachuk said.

The Senators, the Leafs and the rest of the NHL will just have to wait and see whether there’s higher ground for this rollercoaster to climb.

Maple Leafs Are NHL's Hottest Team Entering The Playoffs, But Senators Are No Slouches EitherMaple Leafs Are NHL's Hottest Team Entering The Playoffs, But Senators Are No Slouches EitherThe Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators faced the prospect of playing nothing games on Thursday night.

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Stephen A warns Draymond to ‘watch himself' vs. Brooks, Rockets

Stephen A warns Draymond to ‘watch himself' vs. Brooks, Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stephen A. Smith believes Draymond Green needs to be careful as he and the Warriors face forward Dillon Brooks and the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The ESPN analyst explained what makes Green such a great player and how Brooks’ contentious comments play into the looming matchup.  

“The greatest element of Draymond Green is his mind,” Smith told Danny Green and Molly Qerim on Friday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “And Dillion Brooks basically challenged him when he said what he said. ‘I’m not going to get ejected, I’m going to leave that to someone else,’ we know who he is talking about. So, Draymond Green hears that kind of statement, and his mentality in all likelihood is going to be, ‘We’re going to play these mind games…and I’m going to one-up you mentally.’ ”

Brooks and Green are not exactly friendly, having had plenty of fiery interactions on the court when the former was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. Now a key contributor to an up-and-coming Rockets team focused on avenging years of playoff futility against the Warriors, Brooks is expected to be a thorn in the side of Golden State.

Smith understands the heated nature of the Rockets-Warriors rivalry and Green’s penchant for playing hard and drawing fouls and ejections, which has cost Golden State in the past.

“It’s worth repeating this: Draymond needs to watch himself,” Smith said. “There is a title that Draymond himself will admit he cost Golden State years ago because he got himself suspended [for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals].”

The upstart Rockets have been one of the biggest surprises this season, surging up the standings to capture the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors have been rejuvenated since trading for Jimmy Butler, but a few late-season missteps cost them a shot at a top-six seed. After surviving a slugfest in the NBA play-in tournament against Memphis, Golden State arrives with a full head of steam as the No. 7 seed.

The Warriors must bring their best against a dynamic and physical Rockets team, particularly a calm, focused Green.

Expect plenty of mind games and colorful language from the 35-year-old as he and Golden State look to ground Brooks and the Rockets for good.

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Patrick Corbin’s first Texas win was ’50-50' proposition because of mysterious bite

ARLINGTON, Texas — Patrick Corbin’s first home start with the Texas Rangers was no better than a 50-50 possibility when the left-hander hobbled into the clubhouse after an apparent insect bite in his backyard left him with a swollen ankle.

“It was really bad in the morning,” Corbin told reporters. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to throw.”

Said manager Bruce Bochy: “He could hardly walk when he came in. I don’t know if it was a spider or what.”

Corbin said he received treatment and was able to pitch. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits in the Rangers’ 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

The 35-year-old Corbin was a late addition to roster, joining Texas in free agency March 18 after spending the past six seasons with the Washington Nationals.

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Post clarifies TJD giving up Warriors bench seat during play-in game

Post clarifies TJD giving up Warriors bench seat during play-in game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors rookie center Quinten Post clarified the moment second-year center Trayce Jackson-Davis gave up his seat on the bench for him during Golden State’s 121-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday.

“Me and Trayce are obviously really close, honestly,” Post told reporters after practice Friday. “We play the center position together. But he’s been very supportive of me as I’ve been with him at the start of the year. It wasn’t [anything]. I think I was just gassed. I think I played the longest stint of basketball I’ve played here. I think I played 10 minutes straight, and I just asked Trayce if I could sit there. I also had to ask something to Draymond and he was sitting next to him, so I just asked if I could sit there.

“I didn’t mean for [Jackson-Davis] to get up and stand. I thought there was another seat available maybe but that wasn’t the case. I don’t think it was anything crazy but we’re a very united team, I feel like, and we kind of do those things for each other sometimes.”

The two 25-year-old Warriors centers clearly have each other’s backs.

Nonetheless, it was Golden State star forward Draymond Green who illuminated Jackson-Davis’ honorable gesture. Green told reporters about Jackson-Davis’ selfless act following the Warriors’ win over the Grizzlies.

“I want to mention something that I saw today that no one will give a s–t about,” Green prefaced. “Trayce Jackson-Davis did something on the bench today. He didn’t play in the game. There were no seats on the bench, Quinten Post said, ‘Trayce, can I get that seat?’ and Trayce just got up. And a part of me was baffled that he got up for the rookie. Because the rookie – if there’s no seat, you sit on the floor. [Jackson-Davis] just got up and gave him the seat. 

“And I walked over to [Jackson-Davis] and said that’s one of the more selfless things I’ve ever seen. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you’re going to be like, ‘You going to go sit on the floor, rook. Go find a seat somewhere else.’ But [Jackson-Davis] knew he wasn’t part of the rotation, and yet the rookie was. They’re playing the same position, and [Jackson-Davis] got up and went and stood in the tunnel because there were no seats.”

The seventh-seeded Warriors have tons of momentum in the West entering their first-round playoff series against the second-seeded Houston Rockets. 

And the chemistry, as demonstrated by Jackson-Davis, Green and Post, is exactly what Golden State’s locker room needs moving forward – especially with the franchise aiming for a fifth NBA championship in 11 seasons.

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Can Magic score enough to make playoff series vs. Celtics competitive?

Can Magic score enough to make playoff series vs. Celtics competitive? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Orlando Magic are a great defensive team. They finished the NBA regular season ranked No. 2 in defensive rating. This team has size, length and athleticism all over the floor.

The real question entering the Magic’s first-round playoff series against the Celtics is whether they can score enough points to keep up with Boston’s potent attack. The C’s set league records for the most 3-point shots made and attempted in a single season, and they had the No. 2 offensive rating in the regular season.

The Magic have a couple good offensive players, most notably Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. But other guys have to step up. The good news for the Magic is they actually showed improvement offensively after the All-Star break.

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“They’ve struggled to shoot the ball,” Magic broadcaster Dante Marchitelli told Chris Forsberg on NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics Talk Podcast. “They had an almost historically poor 3-point percentage this year, and that’s a problem in today’s NBA, and especially against the Celtics, which is what they do at 17.8 makes per game. You’re not going to have a chance to stay in this game if you’re making five to eight 3-pointers, right?

“They’ve got to knock down shots. So that’s been a big thing. But they’ve moved from 30th in offensive rating to 20th since the All-Star break. It doesn’t seem like much, but that was a big jump where they have started to make shots.

“I think they’ve kind of got their rotation going down. Cory Joseph might be a household name for real avid basketball fans, but not casual fans. He has steadied the ship. He kind of gets the ball to Paolo and Franz and lets them do their things. They’re 11-5 with Joseph as a starter. So that’s kind of been steadying the ship for them.

“Cole Anthony is a wild card. If he’s got it going, you just stay out of the way. You get him the basketball. The Celtics have several guys like that. Cole Anthony is one of those guys that if he’s got it going, you just continue to ride him. And then maybe Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can get hot. He’s won two championships.

“And then Paolo and Franz. They’re built for this. They love this moment and the spotlight. … This series will do one of two things. It’ll either wake up Boston real early in the first round because Orlando’s defense will be so tough or it could surprise them. I think it’s going to be a much more competitive series than people think.”

The Magic beat the Celtics in two of their three matchups during the regular season, although Jayson Tatum didn’t play in both of those Boston losses.

In the one game that both Tatum and Jaylen Brown did play versus the Magic, the Celtics won by 27 points on Jan. 17. at TD Garden.

Nevertheless, the Magic are coming to Boston with plenty of confidence. It’ll be interesting to see just how long it lasts.

“They’re not just happy to be there in Boston,” Marchitelli said. “They’re not along for the ride. They’re going into Boston feeling they can win. If you’re going to go play the games, you might as well win them. They won two out of three (vs. Boston in the regular season). They’ve got one of the best winning percentages against Boston since 2022.

“But they know it’s monumental. They know it’s going to be a monumental task to do it. And literally everything has to break their way to pull off an upset or to stay competitive in this series. But that’s how they view it. They don’t know what they don’t know yet, which I think is huge. They’re going to go in there feeling confident because all the things that are Orlando’s strengths — they kind of were able to utilize that in two victories and limit Boston’s 3-point attempts, field goal attempts per game, slow things down for them.

“It was hard for Boston to score. They averaged right around 100 points per game against Orlando this year, the fewest in the NBA. So Orlando’s strengths will hopefully help them in this series.”

NBC Sports Boston has complete coverage of Game 1 starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday with Celtics Pregame Live.

Also in this episode:

  • Ian Begley on state of the Knicks and possible matchup with C’s
  • Kayla Burton and Chris discuss upcoming postseason scenarios for C’s
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Pierce: LeBron's NBA status could change if Steph wins another title

Pierce: LeBron's NBA status could change if Steph wins another title originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As the NBA playoffs begin Sunday, both Steph Curry and LeBron James seek their fifth NBA championship with their respective teams.

But if Curry and his Warriors get the edge over James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce anticipates that could lead to some “uncomfortable” discussions around the basketball world.

“If Steph Curry wins the championship or one more championship, gets the Finals MVP, we are going to have some very, very, very uncomfortable conversations,” Pierce said Thursday on FS1’s “Speak.” “You know why? That’s going to mean in the LeBron era, he would’ve won his fifth title with pretty much three different squads. The pre-[Kevin Durant], the KD and the after KD. Three of those championships he would’ve won without a top 75 player. In my eyes, he would’ve won this era with LeBron. So then that tells me, is he greater than LeBron?

“He won the era. In the LeBron era, five chips. In the LeBron era, a unanimous MVP. That got to hold some type of weight. It’s never been done. If we’re talking about LeBron as the greatest player, and a player in your era in any year you were in your prime won unanimously without you getting a vote. It’s going to shake something up. We going to start putting Steph up there with Michael Jordan. Seriously. If he wins one more. Think about that. He wins the era.

“Whose era is it? LeBron, KD and Curry. This is that era, right? He gets five championships, and Bron stays with four, and a unanimous MVP, it’s going to get real uncomfortable, I promise you.”

Curry has made six NBA Finals appearances and won four championships, all with the Warriors, but has his eye on a fifth. He won his first title in 2015 and then back-to-back chips in 2017 and 2018 once Durant joined the organization. He then defied all odds and won a fourth title in 2022 without Durant.

James has made 10 Finals appearances and also won four, two with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the Lakers.

Curry is an 11-time NBA All-Star, 10-time All-NBA member, two-time scoring champ, two-time league MVP, and two-time All-Star MVP. Meanwhile, James is a 21-time All-Star, 20-time All-NBA member, four-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, one-time scoring champ and four-time league MVP.

In his 16th season, Curry is averaging 24.5 points on 44.8-percent shooting from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point range, with 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 70 games.

James, in Year 22, is averaging 24.4 points on 51.3-percent shooting from the field and 37.6 percent from distance, with 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games.

Both players shine even more under bright lights, but who will, if anyone at all, get ring No. 5 first?

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Maple Leafs Are NHL's Hottest Team Entering The Playoffs, But Senators Are No Slouches Either

Chris Tanev celebrates his goal with teammates on Thursday night. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators faced the prospect of playing nothing games on Thursday night.

Both had every reason to simply mail it in and avoid injuries facing two-goal deficits in the third period, but both roared back for victories.

Now bring on the Battle of Ontario. In order to win, the Senators will have to hope their pre- and regular-season mastery of the Maple Leafs over the course of the regular season continues. The Leafs must ensure their stars don't get pushed out of the series and are rendered invisible, something that has had a history of happening.

The Leafs are the NHL's hottest team down the stretch, and only the St. Louis Blues had more points after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

But that and 12 dollars will get you a coffee at Starbucks. As Chris Tanev and Scott Laughton said, "Now the fun starts."

Today's video column has more.

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Hutson Wins The Rookie Scoring Race

Apr 8, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) skates during the warmup period before the game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The NHL season is officially over, and after the Montreal Canadiens won their playoff race, rookie blueliner Lane Hutson won the rookie scoring race. Against all odds, the five-foot-nine offensive defenseman who slid down to 62nd overall in his draft because of his size took the NHL by storm and outscored the competition.

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Before the 2024-25 campaign, most hockey pundits agreed that Macklin Celebrini was the favorite to win both the rookie scoring race and the Calder Trophy, but six months on, one has to admit things didn’t unfold as planned.

The Habs’ rearguard had an exceptional season, scoring 66 points in 82 games, while the San Jose Sharks center put up 63 in 70 games, and the Philadelphia Flyers’ right winger Matvei Michkov got 63 in 80 games.

Even though he was the only one to play all 82 games of the regular season, the win is impressive considering he’s a defenseman and not a forward. Furthermore, it took some time at the start of the season before he was finally put on the Canadiens’ first power play unit, stealing the job from Mike Matheson.

Considering 40% of his points came on the power play, it’s hard not to wonder how much more he would have had if the move had been made earlier. 35% of Celebrini’s points were obtained on the man-advantage while only 27% of Michkov’s were scored under similar circumstances.

Thanks to his 66 points, Hutson set a new record, becoming the most productive rookie defenseman in franchise history. His 60 assists also tied Larry Murphy’s NHL record for most helpers by a defenseman established in 1980-81.

Canadiens’ fans now eagerly await the Calder Trophy winner announcement. It has been a very long time since the storied franchise had the rookie of the year in its ranks. It was 53 years ago that rookie goaltending phenom Ken Dryden won it, the Canadiens are way overdue.

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3 Takeaways From Penguins' Victory Over Capitals In Season Finale

Bryan Rust -  Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins finished their 2024-25 campaign with a convincing 5-2 win over the Eastern Conference’s top team, the Washington Capitals, at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night. 

Outside of Bryan Rust reaching 30 goals for the first time in his career, the night belonged to two future Hall of Famers, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, who kept their long-time rivalry alive with some classic goals and passes, moments fans will remember for a lifetime.

However, the Capitals still have plenty of hockey to play as they face the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Meanwhile, the Penguins will disband, with some youngsters headed back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, while the veterans can prepare themselves for next season’s grind. 

Here’s one final regular season takeaway.

History in the Making

In case anyone missed it, here’s a quick rundown of the milestones players achieved in the season finale:

Rust scored two goals to reach 30 goals for the first time in his career. By doing so, he becomes the oldest Penguins draft pick to register their first 30-goal season. 

25 Fascinating Facts About The NHL In 2005-06, The Last Time The Penguins Had A Losing Season25 Fascinating Facts About The NHL In 2005-06, The Last Time The Penguins Had A Losing SeasonWin or lose on Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins (33-35-12) will have their first losing season since the 2005-06 campaign, when the club was 22-46-14.

Crosby, thanks to a goal and an assist, became only the sixth player in NHL history to record a point in a season after turning 37. Moreover, with the game-winner, his 10th of the year, Crosby is now one of just five Pittsburgh players to reach double digits in this category, which includes Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux, Petr Sykora, and Phil Kessel. 

Rickard Rakell, who had a third-period assist on Philip Tomasino’s goal, tied Tomas Sandström with 70 points to share the franchise record for most points scored by a Swedish player in a single season with the Penguins.

Matt Grzelcyk recorded his sixth multi-assist game of the season to finish the year with 40 points, a new career high, surpassing his previous best of 26.

Penguins Played With Passion

With nothing on the line except pride, the Penguins went out and gave their hometown fans something positive to think about heading into the off-season. Against the game’s greatest goal scorer and his rookie netminder, Pittsburgh kept the pedal to the metal and didn’t give either the time and space to be effective.

Penguins End Season On High Note, Defeat Caps, 5-2Penguins End Season On High Note, Defeat Caps, 5-2It's difficult to imagine a more fitting end to the 2024-25 season - and any season, really - than one last matchup between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.

Of course, Clay Stevenson made some outstanding saves, but the Penguins pressured him from all angles, scoring five times on him in his first NHL appearance. Meanwhile, Ovechkin did get on the scoresheet, but wasn’t given much to work with (two shots) despite the home team’s season-long issues on the back end. 

Even though the Penguins finished the year with a losing record, a handful of extra performances like Thursday night could have had them closer to a wildcard spot, if not a place in the divisional race. 

A Look Ahead

Of course, fans want to see Crosby make another run for a Stanley Cup ring, but that didn’t happen in 2024-25. However, reinforcements are on the way, and it’s been fun watching the kids work their magic over the past couple of weeks. 

Whether it was Rutger McGroarty finding a role in the top six and contributing, or Ville Koivunen putting up two points in the season finale, the days of not qualifying for the postseason are soon to be a thing of the past, as the organization prepares for life after Crosby retires in 2027. 

Unfortunately, not many fans have come to realize that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are one of the top teams in the AHL, and it shows by the strong play of McGroarty nd Koivunen. When these report to training camp in the fall, they will be more seasoned and have invaluable experience to grow upon, giving Penguins fans hope for a better 2025-26 campaign.

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Rangers’ Kumar Rocker, double 1st-round draftee, gets 1st major league win

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kumar Rocker, a first-round pick in both the 2021 and ’22 drafts, won for the first time in the major leagues Thursday night.

Rocker struck out a career-best eight in a career-best seven innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 to complete a three-game sweep.

Rocker (1-2) threw a career-high 78 pitches and allowed three runs on five hits without a walk. The 25-year-old right-hander was drafted third overall by Texas in 2022, a year after concerns over a physical led to him going unsigned by the New York Mets as the 10th overall pick. He made his big league debut in September and was 0-2 last season.

“It feels great, It felt real good,” Rocker said. “And I’m happy it happened.”

Rocker opened the season in the starting rotation with multiple Texas starters on the injured list and was rocked for six runs in three innings at Cincinnati on March 31. In his most recent outing last Saturday at Seattle, he gave up four runs, three earned, in 3 1/3 innings.

The biggest difference Thursday night was overall command — throwing 58 strikes, allowing no walks – and specifically command of his slider.

“The biggest thing — we talk about it all the time — is location,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He had really good location tonight.”

Rocker credited catcher Kyle Higashioka with calling a good game. “And I just kept them off balance,” he said.

Most critical was his strikeout of Mike Trout to end the fifth inning with a 4-3 lead leaving runners at first and second after the Angels scored twice in the inning. Rocker threw a 1-2 four-seam fastball, and Trout’s check swing was called a strike by first base umpire Lance Barrett.

It’s possible Rocker was pitching to hold his spot in the rotation. Jack Leiter, Rocker’s former Vanderbilt University teammate, should return from the injured list soon after being sidelined by a blister.

“It shows he can do it. He can do it again,” Bochy said. “That’s a great way to get your first win, seven innings. He’s got the stuff to be a really nice major league pitcher, be a dominant one.”

Now, Rocker has a statement performance to point to – coincidentally Rocker’s first seven-inning outing since his Vandy days.

“As I’m learning and as I’m going week to week, it’s hard to do it at this level,” Rocker said. “Just keep looking at older guys, watching them do their thing and trying to stay positive and trying to stay calm.”

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World Snooker Championship: wide-open tournament may herald new era

A record 10 Chinese players are in the main draw at the Crucible, where picking a winner is tougher than ever

It has been fairly common in recent years to discuss the winds of change blowing through the World Snooker Championship. But this year, with talk of the Crucible’s future being quieter than usual, it is on the baize where a significant shift might be poised to take place.

The usual suspects – for the most part – are still assembling in Sheffield for snooker’s most prestigious event. Some of them in quite imperious form, too. But whereas a case can often be made for no more than three or four players to take home the £500,000 top prize and world champion crown, this year there is a much more open field.

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NBA Finals predictions: Many experts picking one team to dethrone Celtics

NBA Finals predictions: Many experts picking one team to dethrone Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics are trying to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the Golden State Warriors accomplished the feat during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

The league has had five straight different champions, and the last time that happened was 1977 through 1981. Repeating is harder than it’s ever been, but the Celtics are well-equipped to end that streak, and their journey begins Sunday with Game 1 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic.

For starters, the Celtics brought back nearly their entire team from last season’s championship. The C’s are mostly healthy, too. You could even argue Boston is a deeper team than last season given the improvements that Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet have made.

The Celtics are elite at both ends of the floor and finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 4 in defensive rating.

Despite all of these factors, a lot of people are not picking the Celtics to repeat. Many people think they will get back to the NBA Finals only to lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder are a fascinating team. They won 67 games and superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander likely will win league MVP. Like the C’s, the Thunder ranked top-five in both offensive and defensive rating, and they have a deep and super talented roster.

However, the Thunder lack experience. This group has never played beyond the second round of the playoffs. This team also has never dealt with the enormous expectations that come from being the title favorite. The Western Conference has many more title-worthy challengers than the Eastern Conference, as well. OKC might have to go through the Grizzlies, Nuggets and Lakers/Warriors just to reach the Finals. That would be a very tough road.

What do the experts think?

Here’s a roundup of their NBA Finals predictions:

Kurt Helin, NBC Sports: Thunder over Celtics in seven

Kevin Pelton, ESPN: Thunder over Celtics in seven

Howard Beck, The Ringer: Thunder over Celtics

Rob Mahoney, The Ringer: Thunder over Celtics

Logan Murdock, The Ringer: Celtics over Lakers in six

Michael Pina, The Ringer: Celtics over Nuggets in seven

John Hollinger, The Athletic: Thunder over Celtics in six

Dan Devine, Yahoo! Sports: Thunder over Celtics

Dan Titus, Yahoo! Sports: Celtics over Thunder

Vince Goodwill, Yahoo! Sports: Celtics over “whomever”

Brad Botkin, CBS Sports: Thunder over Celtics

Sam Quinn, CBS Sports: Thunder over Celtics

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: Thunder over Celtics

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Twins at Braves prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 18

Its Friday, April 18 and the Twins (7-12) are in Atlanta to take on the Braves (5-13).

Chris Paddack is slated to take the mound for Minnesota against Bryce Elder for Atlanta.

Both these clubs were off Thursday. Earlier this week, the Twins took two of three from the Mets while the Braves lost two of three to the Blue Jays.

Lets 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 tipoff, 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 Twins at Braves

  • Date: Friday, April 18, 2025
  • Time: 7:15PM EST
  • Site: Truist Park
  • City: Atlanta, GA
  • Network/Streaming: Apple 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 Twins at the Braves

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Twins (+114), Braves (-135)
  • Spread:  Braves -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Twins at Braves

  • Pitching matchup for April 18, 2025: Chris Paddack vs. Bryce Elder
    • Twins: Chris Paddack (0-2, 9.49 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/12 vs. Detroit - 5IP, 1ER, 2H, 2BB, 5Ks
    • Braves: Bryce Elder (0-1, 7.20 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/11 at Tampa Bay - 6IP, 5ER, 9H, 0BB, 4Ks

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 Twins at Braves

  • The Over has cashed in 4 of the Braves' last 5 games
  • The Under is 10-7-2 in Twins' games this season
  • The Twins have covered in 4 of their last 5 road games and are profiting 1.33 units
  • Carlos Correa is 10-49 (.204) in April
  • Ozzie Albies had an 8-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday in Toronto

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 Twins and the Braves

Rotoworld Best Bet

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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 Friday's game between the Twins and the Braves:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Minnesota Twins at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)