Posts

Posted on

Michkov has point streak snapped as Flyers lose to Hutson, Canadiens

Michkov has point streak snapped as Flyers lose to Hutson, Canadiens originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Interim head coach Brad Shaw was hoping the Flyers would play the role of spoiler Saturday night at a lively Bell Centre.

For two periods, it looked like they might. But the Flyers were unable to build on a 1-0 lead and fell to the Canadiens, 3-2.

Ryan Poehling scored his career-high 12th goal and eighth in the last 11 games with a first-period marker.

Montreal finally responded 1:24 minutes into the third period and then took the lead just 1:16 minutes later. It added a shorthanded goal a little over midway through the frame to pretty much put the Flyers away.

Tyson Foerster scored with 40 seconds left to make it interesting. The goal came with the Flyers’ net emptied for the two-man advantage on a power play.

The Flyers (31-37-9) saw a three-game winning streak come to an end, dropping to 3-1-0 under Shaw. They haven’t won more than three straight since Feb. 6-12 of last season, when they won four in a row.

Saturday night’s loss officially eliminated the Flyers from postseason contention. They’ve gone five straight seasons without a playoff berth, matching the franchise’s longest drought.

The Flyers went 1-2-0 against the Canadiens (37-30-9). The win came nine days ago, a 6-4 decision at the Wells Fargo Center after John Tortorella was fired in the morning.

Montreal holds the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot by four points.

“If we can go in and spoil somebody’s party, there are a few things in hockey that feel really good, that’s one of them,” Shaw said Friday after practice. “It’s fun to go in and be the spoiler. It’s fun to go in and take the life out of a building. That’s a hard thing to do this time of year.”

• In a showdown of Calder Trophy candidates, Lane Hutson scored the Canadiens’ go-ahead 2-1 goal with a ridiculous shot and Matvei Michkov had a six-game point streak halted. He put up four goals and seven assists over that run.

On Saturday night, Michkov had three shots and a minus-2 mark in 23:04 minutes.

Hutson, a 21-year-old defenseman, is the likely front-runner for the Calder Trophy. He leads all rookies with 63 points (six goals, 57 assists) and is playing big minutes for a team that could be headed to the postseason.

The 20-year-old Michkov leads all NHL rookies with 24 goals to go along with 58 points.

• Samuel Ersson was very good over the first two periods before allowing three goals in the final stanza.

The 25-year-old didn’t play the puck well on the sequence that led to Nick Suzuki’s shorthanded marker.

Ersson made 23 saves on 26 shots. In his last 12 appearances, Ersson has gone 3-6-2 and allowed 46 goals.

Montreal netminder Sam Montembeault stopped 21 of the Flyers’ 23 shots.

• The Flyers have five games left and could finish fourth to last in the NHL standings. But they’re also just three points back of the Ducks and Penguins, who are tied for the league’s eighth-fewest points.

So there’s still potential for a lot of movement when it comes to the 2025 NHL draft lottery odds.

• Karsen Dorwart, who the Flyers signed a week ago, made his NHL debut. The 22-year-old center played on the Flyers’ fourth line with Nicolas Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway.

The Michigan State product had two shots and two hits in 10:32 minutes.

Dorwart’s parents Gregg and Janelle and sister Kalli were in attendance to see his debut. He became the ninth player from Oregon to ever make the NHL.

“I was blessed to have so many influential people that helped me during my time there and just growing up,” the Sherwood native said Wednesday. “They deserve all the credit in the world to help me get to the next point.”

• The Flyers are back in action Wednesday when they visit the Rangers at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT).

Posted on

Trent Grisham smacks two homers in Yankees' 10-4 beatdown of Pirates

The Yankees' power came from an unlikely source on Saturday afternoon, as backup outfielder Trent Grisham delivered two home runs in a 10-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Cody Bellinger was left out of the lineup for a second straight game due to back tightness, but the veteran outfielder took swings in the cage before Saturday's game and downplayed the issue overall. In his place, the Yankees once again turned to Grisham off the bench, and he made the most of his opportunity by delivering a solo homer over the right-field scoreboard in the third inning.

-- New York drew first blood in the second, however, when Austin Wells drove in Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a one-out single through the middle infield. The second-year catcher earned the base knock, too, as he fouled off four straight two-strike pitches from Pirates starter Bailey Falter before reaching base. Wells nearly punished Falter again in the fourth inning with a deep fly to left that landed just short of the wall. It would've been a homer in 16 other ballparks, per Baseball Savant.

-- In his second start of the season, Marcus Stroman struggled to clip the edges and watched his pitch count rise. While he allowed just one baserunner through three innings, mistakes mounted in the fourth when a pair of walks snowballed into a four-run Pirates rally. The veteran right-hander was replaced by Tim Hill in the fifth, after allowing three hits and three walks with three strikeouts (74 pitches).

-- Pittsburgh's time with the lead didn't long at all. A leadoff double from Jasson Dominguez and a single from Oswald Peraza was followed by another homer from Grisham, this time to left. The Yankees' outburst didn't end there, either. Anthony Volpe eventually joined in on the fun with a three-run double to deep center that bumped their lead to 8-4. The six-run fifth brought 10 batters to the plate and knocked Falter out midway through.

-- The Yankees' decision to pull Stroman after only four innings and rely on the bullpen for 15 outs certainly paid off. After a scoreless fifth from Hill, relievers Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz, and Ryan Yarbrough combined for five sharp shutout innings with seven strikeouts.

-- The top half of the Yankees' lineup didn't inflict much damage, but Paul Goldschmidt enjoyed a three-hit afternoon that included an RBI single in the eighth. Peraza also collected two hits in four at-bats, while Ben Rice went 1-for-5 in the two-spot as their designated hitter. The last player to join the hit party was ironically Aaron Judge (1-for-4, two runs), playing in his 1,001st career game.

Game MVP: Trent Grisham

Opportunity has knocked for the backup outfielder thus far, and he's lived up to the challenge. He's hitting a crisp .471 through 21 plate appearances, and Saturday marked the second multi-homer game of his career. He first achieved the feat in 2020, belting three with the San Diego Padres.

What's next

The Yankees (6-2) will look for their second sweep (weather permitting) over an NL Central team on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch in Pittsburgh scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Will Warren is slated to make his second start, opposite veteran lefty Andrew Heaney.

Posted on

Boston Celtics set new record for most 3-pointers made in a season

It was clear where this was headed on opening night, when the Boston Celtics hung a banner and then launched 61 3-pointers, making 29, on their way to routing the Knicks.

Friday night, Boston set the record for most 3-pointers made in a season — 1,364 — when Payton Pritchard knocked one down from beyond the arc early in the second quarter. By the end of the game, the Celtics had made 1,370 3-pointers, and they have five games remaining.

The previous record belonged to Stephen Curry and the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics aren't done setting records from beyond the arc, even if everything isn't official yet. Utah holds the record for the most average 3-point shots made per game (16.7, during the 2020-21 season), but Boston will pass that at 17.9 per game. The most 3-pointers attempted by a team per game were the James Harden Rockets in 2018-19 at 45.4, but the Celtics are at 48.5 per game this season.

While the Celtics have shooting everywhere on the court — Jayson Tatum is taking 10 3-pointers a game but there is also Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and on down the line — the real credit goes to Joe Mazzulla. The Celtics have led the league in 3-point attempts in each of Mazzulla's three seasons as the shot is central to his attack. It has worked, the Celtics have a ring and are the betting favorites to win another this year.

Posted on

Roki Sasaki shows glimpses of his future star potential in Dodgers' win

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki throws during the first inning of a baseball game.
Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers in the first inning of a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. (Laurence Kesterson / Associated Press)

The Dodgers, as manager Dave Roberts had said repeatedly when asked about Roki Sasaki over the season’s first few weeks, knew what they signed up for.

When they signed the 23-year-old Japanese phenom this offseason, the Dodgers were mesmerized with Sasaki’s stuff; from his upper-90s mph fastball to a forkball-grip splitter that their evaluators (like much the rest of the baseball industry) graded as an elite-level pitch.

But they also knew that Sasaki was not a finished product; the kind of developing talent who, with lesser stuff, would almost certainly be in the minors polishing his craft.

Read more:Letters: Sports and politics collide with Dodgers' planned White House visit

As a result, the challenge for this season, at least, was how Sasaki could keep improving the finer details of his game while acclimating to an immediate transition from Japan to the big leagues.

And in what was easily the best of his three rookie-season starts so far on Saturday, Sasaki finally laid the foundation that could allow for future growth.

Unlike in his first two outings, when Sasaki wildly sprayed his fastball and worked from behind in what felt like every at-bat, the right-hander finally showed some consistent command in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

For the first time, his shotgun fastball actually hit the right locations.

For the first time, he got to go on the attack — as Roberts had hoped he would pregame — and use his wicked splitter as the putaway weapon it’s intended to be.

Over four-plus innings, Sasaki allowed just one run on three hits, all of them singles. After walking nine batters in his first two outings, which lasted a combined 4 ⅔ innings, he issued just two free passes Saturday.

Most of all, with the help of first-pitch strikes to 13 of his 17 batters, and balls on only 27 of his 68 total pitches, Sasaki worked a pitcher’s count to almost everyone he faced. And seemingly every time he got ahead, catcher Austin Barnes quickly dialed up a splitter, using his signature pitch for all four of his strikeouts in the game.

It was the kind of performance the Dodgers envisioned from Sasaki during his early transition to the majors. The kind of effective, if not flawless, execution that should quiet any questions about whether Sasaki needs time in the minors to improve — for now, at least.

Sasaki’s only real trouble came in the first inning, when the Phillies led the game off with back-to-back singles from Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, leading to a quick run.

After that, Sasaki retired his next nine in a row, and 12 of 13 overall, before a borderline walk call and bloop single to right ended his day with no outs in the fifth — an intentionally early hook on a day the Dodgers had a rested bullpen.

Read more:Hernández: Roki Sasaki isn't an instant star. But the Dodgers don't need him to be one

With virtually non-existent command in his first two MLB starts, Sasaki was largely in survival mode then, doing all he could to simply get the ball over the plate on most of his throws.

Saturday was different. With his fastball, Sasaki hit the zone on 25 of 35 throws. And as a result, he threw just one of his 28 splitters from behind in the count — when hitters are more likely to take the late-breaking, knuckleball-esque offering for a ball.

The Phillies still spit on plenty of splitters, swinging at the pitch only 10 times. But when they did try to attack it, they could do nothing with it, whiffing on the pitch five times and recording outs on the only two that were put in play.

The Dodgers’ bats, meanwhile, provided Sasaki with just enough support. Kiké Hernández flipped the early one-run deficit in the second inning, hitting a two-run, go-ahead blast for his third home run of the year (which represent all three of his hits through the first 10 games). Michael Conforto added insurance in the sixth with a solo home run, continuing his strong start to his debut Dodgers season (.308 batting average, 1.111 OPS, five RBIs).

The Dodgers bullpen was also excellent once again, lowering their early-season ERA as a unit to 1.94 with five scoreless innings. The defense chipped in, too, with Teoscar Hernández saving a run on a potential sacrifice fly in the fifth by doubling off Bryson Stott at first base with a strong throw.

Nonetheless, Saturday was all about Sasaki’s improved performance — one that could serve as an auspicious blueprint for the rest of his rookie season.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Blues Top Prospect Jimmy Snuggerud Has Golden Opportunity

Jimmy Snuggerud (© Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)

St. Louis Blues top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud had a big moment in the club's April 3 contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 6-foot-1 forward recorded his first NHL point by picking up the primary assist on Jake Neighbours' goal. 

Blues' Jimmy Snuggerud Is Already Impressing Big TimeBlues' Jimmy Snuggerud Is Already Impressing Big TimeOn March 28, the St. Louis Blues signed top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud to a three-year entry-level contract. This was after the 20-year-old forward posted 24 goals, 27 assists, and 51 points in 40 games this season with the University of Minnesota. 

Now, after his strong night against the Penguins, Snuggerud is being rewarded. At the club's morning skate, Snuggerud was moved up to the Blues' top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, with Dylan Holloway out due to injury. 

Assuming they stick to their morning skate lines for their April 5 contest against the Colorado Avalanche, Snuggerud will have a golden opportunity to show the Blues what he can do playing in a more prominent role. In addition, he now has the chance to play on a line with two of the Blues' top forwards.

Snuggerud showed at the collegiate level with the University of Minnesota that he is a highly skilled offensive player. In 40 games this season with the school, he dominated, posting 24 goals and 51 points. Over his entire three-year stint with the school, he had 66 goals, 69 assists, and 135 points in 119 contests. 

It will now be fascinating to see what Snuggerud can do playing on a line with two stars like Thomas and Buchnevich from here. 

Recent Blues News 

Exciting Blues Prospect Is Red-Hot In AHL Right Now

Blues' Jimmy Snuggerud Is Already Impressing Big Time

Blues Star Exits Penguins Matchup With Injury

Blues Send First-Round Pick Back To AHL

Blues Defenseman Continuing To Be Incredible Addition

Blues' Jordan Binnington Rewarded For Stellar Month

Blues Star Is Absolutely Thriving Right Now

Posted on

Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky are tied at 894 goals. Ovechkin can break the record Sunday

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin cracked a Bud Light and casually took a sip as nearby fans chanted, “Ovi! Ovi!” He was soon joined by Wayne Gretzky to put the two greatest goal-scorers in NHL history side by side.

At this moment, they are tied at 894 goals apiece after Ovechkin scored twice Friday night to match Gretzky’s total that many thought no one would ever approach. When Ovechkin was asked his feeling about breaking the record, the “Great One” had a great retort.

“Well hold on a second — he hasn’t done it yet,” Gretzky said. “Can you give me 24 more hours?”

Gretzky gets at least that. Ovechkin’s next chance to pass Gretzky comes Sunday in a matinee at the New York Islanders.

All eyes will be on the 39-year-old Russian superstar, who soaked in the moment of celebrating No. 894 in front of Washington Capitals fans who have cheered him on for his two decades in the league and with Gretzky, his mother, wife and children in attendance. As reflective as Ovechkin was about getting there, he instantly went back to his standard answer when asked about when he might break the record.

“It’s game by game; it’s shift by shift,” Ovechkin said. “You never know what’s gonna happen. We just gonna to continue to enjoy it and continue to do our best because we still have six games left before playoffs and our mind right now is get ready for the playoffs and play the right way in the playoffs.”

The playoffs are six games away, but the Capitals first want to make sure Ovechkin gets the record all to himself.

“There’s a reason we try to get it to him: The guy’s got 41 goals,” said center Dylan Strome, who set up Ovechkin’s 893rd goal four minutes into the game against Chicago. “It’s incredible.”

If Ovechkin is unable to score Sunday at the Islanders, the Capitals next play back at home Thursday night against division-rival Carolina. But everyone around the team would like to get this over with as soon as possible, something Gretzky knows from his own pursuit of Gordie Howe’s then-record of 801 in the spring of 1994.

“People don’t realize this — because I went through what Alex is going through — it’s hard on your teammates, too,” Gretzky said. “It’s joyful and it’s exciting, but they feel the pressure and the stress and they have to answer all the questions, also.”

After Ovechkin tied Gretzky, they were more than happy to answer the questions. They could feel the anticipation building toward Ovechkin — the 2018 playoff MVP in leading the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship — doing something else special.

“I think the last few games you could sense it a little bit, but obviously on home ice within something extremely doable for the guy, it felt different the whole night,” said longtime teammate John Carlson, who passed the puck to Ovechkin for No. 894. “From warmups, from the drop of the puck, some guys are larger than life in that regard and it just seems like only a few people are capable of it. It seemed inevitable.”

Inevitable until he breaks it, as well. As Gretzky got up to leave the postgame festivities, he hugged Ovechkin and waved and said, “See you guys on Sunday.”

Posted on

Lee shows no hesitation while leading Giants to sixth straight win

Lee shows no hesitation while leading Giants to sixth straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The ball hit the warning track and quickly bounced over the wall in center field, but Jung Hoo Lee didn’t see it, or he just didn’t care. He knows only one way to play the game, and when he hit a laser into the gap in the sixth inning of a one-run game Saturday, he put his head down and dug deep. 

Lee’s helmet flew off as he rounded first, and he made the turn at second and kept flying for third. As some Seattle Mariners fielders looked around in confusion, Lee for a moment looked like he might round all of the bases. Finally, he saw the stop sign from Matt Williams, indicating it was a ground rule double. 

Lee’s all-out style made him a popular player in South Korea, and a high-priority target for the Giants before last season. But just 37 games into his big league career, he crashed into the center field wall at Oracle Park, suffering the second major shoulder injury of his career. Many players might show some hesitation after that kind of injury, but this spring, Lee insisted he wouldn’t change the way he plays the game. Through two games back home, it’s clear he was telling the truth.

Lee had two doubles, a single, a stolen base and two runs in a 4-1 win over the Mariners, the sixth straight for the Giants. He also backed into the center field wall in the second inning, giving him three close encounters in his first 13 innings back at Oracle Park. 

All three times, Lee got a tremendous jump. All three times, he made the play at the track with no concern for what might happen if he hit the wall again.

“There’s no fear going back there,” he said through interpreter Justin Han. “The warning track is wide and we have padding. I’ll go [all-out] there at the moment.”

The Giants always figured that style would make Lee a fan favorite and a very productive outfielder, and this season that’s happening quickly. They created the Jung Hoo Crew in the outfield, a fan section devoted to their center fielder, but when he came to the plate Saturday, the entire stadium joined in with the rhythmic chanting of “Jung Hoo Lee.” It got louder with every base hit for a player who is batting .321 early on.

Both doubles were followed by Matt Chapman doubles, providing enough offense a day after the highest-scoring opener in Oracle Park history. When Bob Melvin moved Lee to the three-hole this spring, this is exactly what he envisioned. Chapman was among MLB leaders in doubles last year, and Lee, if he is on base, should score easily.

“It’s really fun hitting behind him,” Chapman said, smiling. “He gets on base a lot.”

Chapman added that what is most impressive is the fact that this is all still new to Lee. He was able to soak in a fair amount of knowledge by watching games after the injury last year, but he is still learning big league pitching. He was on the IL when the Giants played the Mariners last season. 

“It just goes to show how well he is able to prepare and how good of a player he is,” Chapman said. 

The Giants have always viewed Lee as a potential batting champion, and this year they’re eager to see the other tools. His stolen base was his third of the 2025 MLB season, surpassing last year’s total of two in five attempts. The Giants have stolen 11 as a team and been caught just once. 

“It seems like all of them have been really impactful,” Melvin said. “When we steal a base, we end up scoring a run.”

Melvin told Lee this spring that he should avoid diving, but the restraints came off when Opening Day arrived. Lee had a good trip, but he has taken it to another level at the start of this homestand. On Saturday, he made an impact at the plate, on the bases and in center field, doing exactly what the Giants envisioned when they gave him a long-term deal.

“It feels like he never missed a beat,” Melvin said. “Every game it seems like his timing is that much better. He’s pulling balls, hitting balls up the middle, hitting it to the left-center-field gap, he’s always balanced. There’s a reason we got him and a reason he’s hitting in the three-hole.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Historic stat shows Giants face tough fight in stacked NL West

Historic stat shows Giants face tough fight in stacked NL West originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After the Giants’ 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at Oracle Park, San Francisco is off to its best start since the 2003 MLB season at 7-1.

But, unfortunately for the Giants, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres also are red-hot. All three NL West teams are so hot, in fact, their season-opening records are historic.

The Dodgers (9-1), Padres (7-2) and Giants are the first trio of teams since the start of the divisional era in 1969 to start 7-1 or better through eight games, per MLB’s Sarah Langs. Additionally, Langs noted, it’s just the second time in MLB history that three teams in the same league started 7-1 through eight games, joining the American League’s New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals and then-Oakland Athletics in 2003.

With the Dodgers’ lineup full of superstars and MLB’s No. 2 payroll ($321.3M), Los Angeles’ 9-1 record comes as no surprise. And the Padres, who cracked the league’s top-10 payrolls this season at $209M (No. 9) and made the MLB playoffs as a wild-card team last season with a 93-69 record, are impressing again early on.

But after a subpar 80-82 finish in 2024, new Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey brought a revived culture — and a couple of key free-agent additions — to San Francisco, and the early returns are promising. The Giants won their sixth consecutive game Saturday, instilling hope in fans eager for a return to the team’s past championship glory.

It’s clear a path to the postseason won’t be easy. But if the Giants can keep stacking wins across their 162-game campaign, there could be magic inside Oracle Park once again.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Panthers drop fourth straight game, blanked by Ottawa

Apr 5, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) is unable to get the puck past Ottawa Senators goalie Anton Forsberg (31) in the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

A troublesome week continued for the Florida Panthers on Saturday in the Canadian capital city.

Florida lost for the fourth time this week, dropping a 3-0 affair to the playoff-hopeful Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Panthers got off to a strong start, doubling up Ottawa on shots during the opening period, but that didn’t keep the Cats from falling behind yet again.

Two goals by the Sens on their first five shots – one by Jake Sanderson and another by Drake Batherson on the power play – sent the home team into the intermission with a commanding 2-0 lead.

Florida kept the pressure on Ottawa goaltender Anton Forsberg throughout the middle period, outshooting the Senators 12-5, but the score remained the same heading into the final 20 minutes.

Forsberg turned aside another 15 shots during the third period, earning his first shutout since all the way back on November 2 against Seattle.

This time, he stopped a season-high 40 shots on goal en route to his third shutout of the season and sending Florida to their fourth straight defeat.

On to Detroit.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Florida killed off four of Ottawa’s five power plays in the loss.

The Cats’ power play went 0-for-3.

Ottawa is now just four points behind the Panthers for third place in the Atlantic Division. Each team has six games remaining on their schedule.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Shorthanded Panthers hope to snap losing skid, in Ottawa for matchup with playoff-hopeful Senators

The Hockey Show: Playoff chases, Islanders mess and Roy's Sidney Crosby podcast

Panthers captain Sasha Barkov day-to-day with injury after missing game in Toronto

Three takeaways: Panthers shots not getting through, Bobrovsky hits another milestone

Panthers center Sam Bennett reaches new career high in points

Posted on

Safe Bets to Close Out the NHL Season: Top Picks for Parlays and Futures

Best betting opportunities for the NHL’s final stretch, with expert picks to add for parlays or future bets

Image

The NHL season is wrapping up with every team playing their final eight or so games. With so little time remaining, it's tough to find great values at this stage of the season. However, what we can focus on is identifying bets with a high probability of hitting, as they are less likely to go wrong with so few games remaining.

Whether you're looking to place a larger bet for a solid return or need an additional leg for a future bet in another sport, here are some of our safest picks to close out the NHL season—perfect for adding to your parlays.

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

2025 NHL Draft 1st Overall Pick - The Field vs James Hagens (-550)

The debate around the first overall pick this season has seen it's ups and downs with Boston College forward James Hagens seemingly being the unanimous pick but since other names have past him on several notable draft boards.

Schaefer goes coast-to-coast in the Prospect Challenge! ����������Schaefer goes coast-to-coast in the Prospect Challenge! 🇨🇦🆚🇺🇸Erie Otters 1st overall pick and Canadian prospect Matthew Schaefer goes coast-to-coast to put Team Canada up 4-0 against Team USA in the 2024 CHL vs. USA Pr...

Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino, TSN's Craig Button, The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy and legendary Junior Hockey journalist Bob McKenzie are some of the many established insiders that have Erie Otters defenceman Matthew Schaefer as the top pick in the draft class. The Hockey News' Tony Ferrari also doesn't have Hagens as the top pick but instead has Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa as the top pick.

Hagens on most draft boards has fallen outside of the top three with Mississauga Steelheads forward Porter Martone rounding out the top with Schaefer and Misa. It would be surprising for Hagens to reinsert himself into the conversation for the first pick after being widely-considered the fourth-best player on almost every expert's draft board. It would be a big leap, which certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility, but for jump in draft stock of that size needed, I'm willing to bet against Hagens. 

More NHL: The GR8 Chase: Predicting When Alex Ovechkin Breaks Wayne Gretzky's All-Time Goal Record

Winnipeg Jets Win Central Division (-290)

The Jets are in the driver seat to win the President's trophy with a one point lead over the Capitals with 108 points and a four-point lead over the Dallas Stars for the Division lead. Winnipeg should be able to lock things up with their sizeable lead that they should be able to add to and put out of reach with upcoming matchups versus the Blackhawks, Ducks and Utah. 

More NHL: Expect Canadiens To Clinch Final Eastern Wild Card Spot

Calgary Flames to Miss Playoffs (-530)

The playoff picture is all but set with the Blues getting hot at the right time with 11 straight wins and overtaking the Wild for the first wild card spot. This bumped Minnesota down to the second wild card spot and a five-point lead over the next-closest team in the Calgary Flames.

The mountain seems virtually impossible for the Flames to climb as they do have the advantage of two games in hand over Minnesota but their remaining schedule is very challenging with matchups versus the Wild, Kings as well as a pair of games against the Golden Knights. With seven games left, the Flames will have a shot as they play the last place San Jose Sharks twice but if they manage to fumble one of the games plus a loss to the Wild in their matchup would seal their fate. 

More NHL: Blues Enter Stanley Cup Playoffs As Dark Horse Contender

Posted on

3 observations after Sixers' Grimes-led comeback falls just short vs. T-Wolves

3 observations after Sixers' Grimes-led comeback falls just short vs. T-Wolves  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers kept it tight all night Saturday against the Timberwolves.

However, their losing streak now sits at 11 games with four to go this season. 

Minnesota pulled out a 114-109 win at Wells Fargo Center and improved to 46-32. 

Four Sixers scored at least 16 points in Lonnie Walker IV, Quentin Grimes, Jared Butler and Guerschon Yabusele. Grimes was the team’s top scorer with 28 points.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards posted 37 points. Rudy Gobert had 23 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks.

The 23-55 Sixers were down eight players to start the night, including Joel Embiid (season-ending left knee surgery), Paul George (season-ending adductor and left knee injuries) and Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain). Justin Edwards was ruled out after logging 11 minutes because of a rib contusion. 

The Sixers will travel to Miami and face the Heat on Monday night. Here are observations on their loss to the T-Wolves: 

Big-time Edwards poster on Bona

The first few minutes went decently for the Sixers. They took an 11-7 lead on a Justin Edwards three-pointer.

A few seconds prior, Minnesota’s Edwards had the highlight of the night.

He exploded for a fierce slam on Bona that created plenty of stunned faces in the stands. Ultimately, sometimes being on the wrong end of such plays is part of life as an aggressive NBA shot blocker. 

Coming off of a fantastic 28-point night Thursday in the Sixers’ loss to the Bucks, Bona dealt with first-half foul trouble. He finished with four points, 10 rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in 25 minutes Playing his second game on a 10-day contract, Colin Castleton served as Bona’s backup and had six points, six rebounds and two assists.

Minnesota’s size advantages posed predictable issues for the Sixers. At halftime, the Timberwolves had major edges in second-chance points (12-2) and free throw attempts (18-4).

Good work by Walker off the bench

The Sixers began 3 for 15 from three-point range and struggled at times to create any open look until the dying seconds of the shot clock.

The T-Wolves also had a subpar shooting start, missing 13 of their first 17 long-distance jumpers. That helped the Sixers eat into their deficit after falling behind by 13 points. 

Lonnie Walker IV played a strong second quarter, too. The first man off the Sixers’ bench attacked effectively off the dribble, spotted open teammates and generally made sound decisions. 

Walker’s trending well in that department since returning from a concussion. Over his last four games, he’s recorded 20 assists and five turnovers. 

Grimes makes T-Wolves sweat late

A put-back, buzzer-beating Gobert layup sent Minnesota into halftime with a 55-51 lead. 

The Sixers trimmed their deficit by three points in the third quarter. They played active defense, forced regular turnovers and profited in the open floor. Grimes and Yabusele threw down crowd-pleasing fast-break dunks in the third and Grimes nailed a go-ahead three early in the fourth.

Minnesota then made a 12-0 run that featured back-to-back Edwards threes. With the T-Wolves’ superior star power, the game appeared just about over.

The Sixers weren’t quite done because they have Grimes, who’s often played like a star the past month.

He went on a late-game shotmaking spree, hitting three triples in a span of 74 seconds. Even when many of his jumpers are tightly contested, Grimes has shown he can catch fire. Two Yabusele free throws cut the Timberwolves’ lead to 104-103.

Edwards responded with a giant three, but Grimes and the Sixers maintained heavy pressure. Yet another Grimes jumper put the Sixers’ deficit at 111-109 with a little over 30 seconds left.

There was more drama to come.

Grimes was whistled for his sixth foul with 14.5 seconds left. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse challenged the call on Julius Randle and the officials changed the ruling on the floor to a no-call, with Minnesota retaining possession.

Edwards ended up having to shoot a deep, highly difficult turnaround three with the shot clock about to expire. He drilled it, finally sealing the Timberwolves’ win despite Grimes’ best efforts.