On January 27th, the Senators were ten points and seven teams out of a playoff spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference standings.
What a difference a couple of months can make.
Ottawa's 3-0 victory on Long Island on Saturday afternoon, combined with the Detroit Red Wings' 5-3 Loss to the New Jersey Devils later in the day, means the Senators have officially clinched a playoff spot for the second straight season.
Since January 27th, the Senators have only lost six games in regulation, posting a record of 19-6-3. Not quite as good as the 2015 Hamburglar Run, but it's right there among the best in-season turnarounds in Ottawa Senators history.
That included the win on Long Island, where Linus Ullmark earned his 3rd shutout of the season and 15th of his career. Mike Amadio and Ridly Greig each had a goal and an assist. Jake Sanderson provided the insurance, giving the Senators a 2-0 advantage on a 5-on-3 third-period power play. Ottawa managed only 16 shots in the game.
In Detroit on Saturday, the Wings just couldn't get the Devils out of their hair, blowing three one-goal leads in the game. Jesper Bratt scored the winner for the Devils with under four minutes to play.
Once the Senators won their game, Detroit's comeback was destined to be a long shot anyway. They would have had to win their last three games, including two in Florida, while the Senators would have had to lose their last two.
Detroit will officially miss the playoffs for the tenth straight season, and with the Buffalo Sabres snapping their record skid, Hockeytown is the NHL's new active playoff drought leader.
Ottawa currently holds down Wild Card 1 with two games to play. If they win out, it's theirs. But the conundrum now is rest versus rust. They'll want some guys to heal up and/or rest a little, but with a week still before the playoffs start, they also don't want to lose their mojo right now.
There's still a lot to be decided for playoff positioning, but as a Wild Card team, the Senators will likely get either Buffalo or Carolina in round one. The 'Canes have clinched the Metro, so they will definitely play a wild-card team, either Boston or Ottawa.
Buffalo is in good shape to clinch the Atlantic and face one of the wild-cards, but that's not official yet. So as of this writing, Montreal and Tampa aren't totally off Ottawa's first-round radar.
The final road game will be in New Jersey on Sunday. Their regular-season finale will be at home to Toronto on Wednesday, which is fan appreciation day, when fans will be excited to show their appreciation for a phenomenal turnaround and fuel the boys for Game 1 on the road next week.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
The Mets lost to the Athletics, 11-6, at Citi Field on Saturday afternoon and dropped their fourth straight.
Here are the takeaways...
-- It was not a good day at the office for Kodai Senga, who lasted just 2.1 innings after allowing seven earned runs on eight hits, including two home runs -- the second of which came on the last pitch he threw, which resulted in a three-run homer that gave the Athletics a 7-1 lead. In that same inning, Senga allowed a leadoff double, a two-run homer, and two singles before the second blast of the inning, all of which resulted in five runs.
It was the first time in Senga's career (55 starts) that the right-hander allowed a three-run home run (he has yet to allow a grand slam) and the first time he's allowed seven earned runs or more in a game.
-- Senga's command was also off. Not only did he walk two in his abbreviated outing, including one with the bases loaded to even up the score at 1-1, but he was also only able to throw a first-pitch strike to five of the 17 batters he faced. Of the 72 pitches he threw, 40 were strikes.
Following the disastrous outing, Senga's ERA climbed to 7.07 in the early season.
-- New York got on the board first, scoring a run in the bottom half of the opening inning. Luis Robert Jr. singled, advanced to second on a groundout and crossed home plate on Bo Bichette's RBI single off Jacob Lopez to take a 1-0 lead. That lead vanished in the second inning, though, with the A's scoring twice with the second run scoring on a ground ball to second base that could've been an inning-ending double play had Francisco Lindor covered the bag instead of going for the ball.
-- The score was held to 7-1 thanks to Huascar Brazoban's 2.2 innings of scoreless relief that kept his 0.00 ERA intact. It also gave the Mets a chance to fight back, which they did in the fifth inning, scoring twice on Bichette's opposite-field, two-run shot -- his first home run as a Met. After a slow start, Bichette has kicked it into gear and is hitting .254 after his 2-for-3 day that included two walks.
-- After Brooks Raley kept the Athletics off the board in his inning of relief (also to keep his scoreless streak to start the season alive), New York was back at it offensively in the sixth. Francisco Alvarez led off the inning with a solo home run to straightaway center field that was initially ruled a double but overturned to a homer and got the Mets closer, 7-4.
A walk and a single put runners at the corners with nobody out and Brett Baty came through with a sacrifice fly to get the Mets to within two. An inning later, they cut the deficit to one on Jorge Polanco's first home run as a Met that snuck over the wall in right field. It was New York's third home run in three straight innings.
-- What felt like a potential incredible Mets comeback brewing came crashing down in the eighth inning after Luke Weaver entered the game and allowed four runs, all with two outs. The big hit came on Tyler Soderstrom's three-run blast that went 420 feet to right-center field and gave the A's an 11-6 advantage. It was Soderstrom's second home run of the game after he took Senga deep for a two-run shot in the third.
New York went quietly in the eighth and ninth innings and dropped its fourth straight game, after a four-game winning streak, to go below .500 once again.
-- Following his promotion back to the major leagues earlier in the day, Craig Kimbrel made his debut for the Mets and pitched a clean seventh inning that included two strikeouts. The former All-Star closer needed just 10 pitches and threw nine strikes.
-- Still trying to find his footing in the big leagues, Carson Benge had an up-and-down game. The rookie went 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base but added an error in left field on the first batter of the game.
-- Every starter in the lineup except Mark Vientos had at least one hit. After an exceptionally hot road trip, Vientos has cooled off and has gone hitless during this homestand (0-for-15).
Game MVP: Tyler Soderstrom
In a game in which the A's scored 11 runs on 15 hits, Soderstrom stood out the most with his 3-for-5 and two-homer performance out of the cleanup spot.
DENVER — Sometimes, the chaos of an NHL bench extends beyond line changes and matchups—on Saturday night, it placed Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar on the injury report.
At the 3:21 mark of the third period, Vegas Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar attempted to clear the puck with Jack Drury applying pressure, but the puck sailed into the Avalanche bench and struck Bednar on the right cheek. Trainers immediately rushed to his aid before escorting him down the tunnel.
Nick Blankenburg's post-game comments.
UPDATE: Bednar took a puck to the right cheek. He’s awake and alert but going to the hospital for a CT scan.#goavsgo@thehockeynews
Following Colorado’s 3–2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Avalanche announced that Bednar was awake, alert, and fully conscious, but was transported to a local hospital for precautionary imaging, including a CT scan.
The injury concerns extended beyond the bench, as Colorado also lost defenseman Josh Manson in the second period. He is currently undergoing further evaluation.
Despite the setbacks, the Colorado Avalanche received goals from Devon Toews and Nick Blankenburg, the latter marking his first goal with the club since being acquired in a trade from the Nashville Predators. Brock Nelson, Martin Nečas, and Nicolas Roy each recorded an assist. In goal, Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves on 28 shots.
With the Presidents' Trophy already locked up, it was more or less a meaningless game for the Avalanche, but unfortunately, the results could prove to be costly depending how long Manson is out. The team is already without the services of Nazem Kadri, who is out with a broken finger, and Cale Makar, who continues to recover from an upper-body injury.
Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev found the net for the Golden Knights and Carter Hart made 30 saves.
First Period
The Avalanche came out flying, pressuring Carter Hart and firing six shots on goal within the opening minutes. However, Vegas made its first shot count as a dangerous opportunity—after Brent Burns broke his stick, Ivan Barbashev picked up the loose puck, raced down the left wing, and fired a shot that rang off the post.
After successfully killing off a bench minor for too many men on the ice, the Avalanche drew their first power play of the night when Golden Knights forward Nic Hague was called for boarding Nick Blankenburg, driving him from behind and sending him hard into the boards.
With 10:43 remaining in the period, Devon Toews took a pass from Brock Nelson at the point and snapped a wrist shot through traffic that slipped past Carter Hart, giving Colorado a 1–0 lead on the power play. With an assist on the goal, Martin Nečas recorded his 99th point of the season.
Mark Stone tied the game for Vegas with 6:16 remaining in the period, finishing off a deft sequence that began with a shot from Mitch Marner. It was pure artistry from Stone, who jumped on the rebound and quickly shifted from his forehand to backhand, fooling Mackenzie Blackwood before burying the chance to even the score.
Second Period
At 2:09 of the period, the Golden Knights took a 2–1 lead off a beautiful setup. Ivan Barbashev fed Pavel Dorofeyev for a one-timer, and despite the awkward angle from the middle of the left circle, Dorofeyev blasted it top shelf, sailing it over Mackenzie Blackwood’s glove.
Over eight minutes later, the Avalanche delivered the equalizer as Nick Blankenburg scored his first goal as an Av, firing a wrister through traffic that Carter Hart was too late to react to, tying the game.
On the ensuing sequence, Colorado was sent to the penalty kill after Gabe Landeskog was called for hooking.
Manson exited the game at this point and was not seen on the bench. It was later revealed that he had suffered an upper-body injury and would not return.
Josh Manson has suffered an upper-body injury and will not return to tonight’s game. #goavsgo@thehockeynews
Near the halfway point of the third, the Avalanche caught a huge break when Golden Knights forward Tomasz Hertl turned around from the right circle and whipped a shot that clanged off the post.
After a scoreless period, the game went to overtime.
Overtime
Eichel scored the game-winning goal for Vegas 1:19 into overtime, finishing off a rush with a shot from the right circle.
Next Game
The Avalanche (52-16-11) will take on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers (40-30-10) as the latter continue to fight for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
Even though he isn't on the Philadelphia Flyers anymore, Claude Giroux, with the help of his Ottawa Senators teammates, lent his former club a helping hand in their playoff race Saturday afternoon.
The last playoff spot is effectively down to the third place Metropolitan Division team, which will be either the Flyers, Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, or New York Islanders.
The Islanders, with 91 points, were only 1 point behind the 92-point Flyers with the same amount of games played (79), but on Saturday, Giroux and Co. got the job done in sensational fashion.
Forward Ridly Greig (son of longtime Flyers scout Mark Greig) and defenseman Jake Sanderson (son of ex-Flyers forward Geoff Sanderson) tallied short-handed and power play goals, while Greig added an assist on the empty-net goal to seal a 3-0 defeat of the Islanders.
Giroux, 38, was the Senators' lead faceoff man, winning 10 of his 17 faceoff attempts (58.8%) and finishing second only to Greig (71.4%) in faceoff percentage on the night.
To make the playoffs and finish ahead of the Islanders, the Flyers need to only earn as many points as the Islanders, or more, in their final three games of the season.
With their win over the Islanders, the Senators effectively bought the Flyers a free loss which, if nothing else, makes the brutal 6-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night a wash.
If the Flyers can defeat the Winnipeg Jets in any fashion on Saturday night, they'll expand their lead over the Islanders to three points with an equal amount of games played.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - MARCH 30: Kade Anderson #32 of the Arkansas Travelers poses for a photo during the Arkansas Travelers photo day at DickeyStephens Park on Monday, March 30, 2026 in North little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Karen E. Segrave/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Kade Anderson’s Double-A debut on April 3 went well enough: four innings, no runs, five hits, six strikeouts and a walk. The five hits he gave up were all singles, and two of those didn’t even leave the infield. But Anderson outdid himself in his second outing against Wichita Friday night. Anderson tossed five innings of no-hit ball while recording 11 strikeouts.
It wasn’t necessarily the cleanest start for Anderson, who opened his night striking out the first hitter he saw on three pitches but then walked the next hitter he saw on four straight. But Anderson dialed it in for his next hitter, breaking off a nasty curve for his second strikeout of the inning en route to what would be 11 on the night.
Anderson sat 93-96 with his heater, riding it up in the zone for swinging strikes, and locking up hitters on the curveball for called strikes after peppering the top of the zone with the four-seamer. He worked quickly and efficiently, pounding the zone with 69% strikes (nice), and dominated the Wichita lineup. The only black mark on Anderson’s ledger was the two walks, first the four-pitch walk in the first and another in the third inning where he missed just inside in a 3-2 count and reacted like he’d just given up a go-ahead homer in the World Series:
(Kade. Buddy. We simply cannot get this wrapped around the axle about a singular, isolated walk in the second start of the season. I know you are the ultimate competitor but you’ve gotta give yourself some room to make a mistake once in a while, Kade.)
He came back to strike out the next hitter looking at the curve, (strikeout six) and the hitter after that (number seven) on a fastball up at 95 after he’d just had him flailing over the changeup. Here’s a look at the change:
What really stood out about Anderson’s outing was his pinpoint command of the zone, walks aside – and when the rare unfavorable (2-0, 3-0) count happened, it felt like Anderson was able to pull himself back into the zone (perhaps explaining his frustration with the second walk). It was Anderson’s zone, and the Wichita hitters were just trying to survive in it; five of his eleven strikeouts were on called strike threes.
That’s not to say Anderson was without whiffs though; his 14 whiffs ranked fifth in all of Double-A yesterday, although by percentage he ranked third at the level, behind Gage Stanifer (TOR) and Miguel Mendez (SDP). He was especially fired up on this three-pitch strikeout where he got the hitter hacking after a nasty curve.
For only his second outing of the season, there’s a lot to like about this start from Anderson: the pitch mix and command were as advertised, the stuff looks primed to rack up whiffs and called strikes, and Anderson’s competitive mound presence was on display even in an early-season game. Next up for Anderson, aside from building volume and working deeper into games, is to continue refining his pitch mix – he didn’t mix in his slider very often, although with the other three pitches working, he didn’t really need it – and continue to dial in his command, not allowing those 3-0 or 4-0 lapses to happen. Progress in the minor leagues is never perfectly linear and there will be bumps in the road for even the hyper-polished LSU product, but Anderson starts are quickly becoming must-see-MiLB TV.
The season finale at MSG means nothing for the Knicks, who are locked into the third seed with no wiggle room.
Not surprisingly, they’re sitting four of their five starters Sunday — minus consecutive-games king Mikal Bridges — against the Hornets, who remain motivated to secure the ninth seed.
But the out-of-town scoreboard warrants close monitoring for the Knicks. Their first-round opponent will probably be the Raptors, but it’s not set in stone and ultimately hinges on up to four results — all sharing the Knicks’ 6 p.m. tipoff.
Here’s a breakdown of scenarios:
Most likely
The Knicks draw the Raptors in the first round.
Og Anunoby drives to the basket between Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson and Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram during the first quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors on April 10, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
This happens if on Sunday:
Toronto beats Brooklyn; Atlanta beats Miami
Or
Toronto beats Brooklyn; Miami beats Atlanta; Orlando beats Boston
Or
Brooklyn beats Toronto; Miami beats Atlanta; Orlando beats Boston
The tanking Nets are almost certain to lose to the Raptors even though it probably won’t help their lottery odds (Brooklyn can only catch the Pacers at the bottom of the standings, and Indiana would also have to lose to the Pistons). So assuming that result, the Raptors will clinch the fifth seed if Atlanta beats Miami (not likely since the Hawks are resting players) OR the Magic beat the Celtics (which is a likely outcome since Boston is resting players).
The Knicks can feel fairly safe scouting the Raptors.
Toronto beats Brooklyn; Miami beats Atlanta; Boston beats Orlando
Tough to see this happening because it requires a result — Boston beating Orlando — that goes against the odds. The Magic are highly motivated to win Sunday since there’s a chance they can move out of a play-in spot (while the Celtics, who are locked into the No. 2 seed, are resting several players).
Why would this happen if three teams could tie for sixth in the East? If the Raptors and Magic win — and Hawks lose — they’d all have 46 wins, and the three-way tiebreaker means Atlanta stays at No. 5, Toronto stays at No. 6 and Orlando goes to No. 7.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks drives against CJ McCollum of the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
Unlikely
The Knicks draw the Magic in the first round
This happens if on Sunday:
Brooklyn beats Toronto; Atlanta beats Miami; Orlando beats Boston
Anything involving the Nets winning Sunday is highly unlikely.
The unlikeliest
The Knicks draw the Sixers in the first round
This happens if on Sunday:
Brooklyn beats Toronto; Boston beats Orlando; Philadelphia beats Milwaukee
Again, the Nets would have to win against a motivated opponent — the Raptors want to avoid the play-in — which is hard to envision. Plus, the Celtics are resting their players.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar left Saturday's 5-3 loss to St. Louis after he was hit in the face by a puck.
Nazar dropped his stick and discarded his gloves in frustration as he made his way off the ice after the play occurred about 3 1/2 minutes into the second period.
“I think Frank's going to be all right,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He had to get some dental work done, but I think he'll be all right.”
The last-place Blackhawks (28-38-14) have two games left in the season.
The 22-year-old Nazar was sidelined for a month after he broke his jaw when he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20. He returned on Jan. 22 at Carolina.
Nazar, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, has 15 goals and 26 assists in 64 games in his third NHL season. He agreed to a $46.2 million, seven-year extension with Chicago in August.
Forward Andrew Mangiapane departed in the third period after crashing hard into the net with 9:17 left. Blashill said Mangiapane is day to day.
Ethan Del Mastro was scratched because of an unspecified injury. With Del Mastro sidelined, veteran forward Sam Lafferty was inserted into the lineup as a defenseman.
“(Lafferty) has played D with our team in practice a decent amount in the last three, four weeks,” Blashill said. “(Lafferty) has been committed to this team all year. ... He played D in college, so it's not like he's foreign to it. I mean he actually knows our systems probably as good as anybody.”
DENVER, CO - APRIL 7: Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) hits a second inning solo home run during a game between the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Christian Walker is not in the Astros starting lineup tonight. He appears to tweak something in last night’s game:
A trainer and manager Joe Espada just went to check on Christian Walker after he grounded out to end the 8th. Walker is staying in the game.
Through 14 games and 53 AB, Walker is batting .321 with a .390 OBP and .994 OPS. He leads the team with 17 hits and 6 doubles. He is tied for the team lead in RBI with 13.
New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer looks on during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at UBS Arena, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Elmont, NY.
Technically, the Islanders were not eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday with a 3-0 defeat to the Senators.
But the first word in that sentence is doing some heavy lifting.
The only pathway for the Islanders now is to win their last two games — against Montreal on Sunday and Carolina on Tuesday — and get significant help.
Head coach Peter DeBoer looks on during the third period of the Islanders’ 3-0 loss to the Senators at UBS Arena on April 11, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
For starters, the Flyers need to lose their final two game against Carolina on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday. The Islanders also were passed by both Columbus and Washington, which both were victorious late in the day.
So they need not only the Flyers to lose, but also the Blue Jackets and Capitals.
“We gotta control what we can control,” captain Anders Lee said. “Let’s have a good response tomorrow. Win our games. We’re gonna need some help but all we can do now, this game’s over, unfortunately. We just gotta respond with our own game.”
Had the Islanders beaten Ottawa, they would have suddenly felt quite good about their playoff chances. With the Flyers not playing until later Saturday, the Isles would have gotten back into a spot for at least a few hours, putting significant pressure on Philadelphia.
So much for that. The Flyers later won, making matters worse.
It took eight losses in their past 12 games, all of which came in regulation. But after being in a playoff spot uninterrupted for more than three months, the Islanders are on the brink of completing a monumental collapse.
“It doesn’t feel great right now but we’re still alive,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We gotta win our last two games and make somebody earn that last spot.”
Lee said that he asked Brady Tkachuk to fight off the opening draw, with the Ottawa captain reciprocating after Lee had acceded to his request last month in the Canadian capital.
“Want to get the crowd going. I thought we had a great response,” Lee said. “Our guys were ready to go. They didn’t need that. They didn’t need that to get going tonight. But thought we could do it again.”
Max Shabanov was out with an upper-body injury and called day to day. Kyle MacLean reentered the lineup, taking his usual spot on the fourth line while Ondrej Palat moved up to the third.
Should I be unhappy because they lost, and part of the reason was a player playing his first game at first base — ever?
Or should I take some solace in the fact that they came back from a 3-0 deficit with a stirring ninth-inning rally, and Cubs pitching held the Pirates down after the third inning? (Well, at least until that ugly 11th.)
It’s kinda both, but this one does leave a sour taste.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Edward Cabrera wasn’t as sharp as he had been over his first two starts, and issued three walks in addition to allowing eight hits. That gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead after three, and it could have been more, but they left several runners on base early and the Cubs turned a double play in the second.
Meanwhile, Braxton Ashcraft kept the Cubs completely off balance for the first four innings. They had three singles over that time, with none of the runners getting past first base.
The Cubs broke through in the fifth. Michael Conforto walked with one out and went to third on a single by Dansby Swanson, and Swanson took second on the throw in. This might have been a big inning, but the Cubs simply aren’t taking advantage of those situations. Conforto did score on a ground out by Nico Hoerner [VIDEO].
That made it 3-1.
Cabrera finished five innings, and his line isn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. More from BCB’s JohnW53:
Edward Cabrera became the 52nd different Cub to allow no more than total three runs in his first three starts of a season. Dick Ellsworth, Shota Imanaga, Jon Lester and Steve Stone each did it twice.
Cabrera is the 33rd season of three such runs, including ones by Ellsworth, Imanaga and Stone. There have been 19 seasons of two runs, two of them by Lester. Imanaga and Stone are among the five who gave up one. The three others were Rich Hill, Carl Lundgren and Mike Prendergast.
Ben Brown came in and threw the sixth and seventh and did a nice job, despite allowing a couple of hits. He struck out three and induced a double-play ball. Brown seems to be taking to this long-relief role.
So, rallies are going on, but even with RISP the Cubs are only scoring on outs.
Jacob Webb threw a scoreless eighth, including a pair of strikeouts. That’s good after Webb has struggled in the early going. Hoby Milner then threw a 1-2-3 ninth that included an odd play, a ball that bounced off his foot that was picked up by Amaya, who threw Brandon Lowe out at first. You don’t see a 1-2-3 play very often:
Then, the bottom of the ninth, with the Cubs trailing 3-2. Swanson walked with one out. Then Swanson moved to second on a passed ball. One out later, Carson Kelly also walked, and Shaw replaced him as a pinch runner.
That was a real nice piece of hitting, going the opposite way on an 0-2 sinker. Shaw took third, representing the winning run, but Ian Happ flied to right and thus we were off to the Cubs’ first extra-inning game of 2025.
Daniel Palencia, who hadn’t thrown since Sunday, came in for the 10th. He got the first two outs on routine fly balls, issued a walk, then retired pinch-hitter Nick Gonzales on a ground ball to third, giving the Cubs a real chance to win it in the bottom of the 10th.
The pitch was pretty clearly in the zone, but that wasn’t a bad place to challenge. Worth using it at that point, I thought. Both runners then moved up on a wild pitch, putting the winning run on third with two out. Conforto walked to load the bases, but Swanson grounded out to end the inning.
In the 11th, Caleb Thielbar entered, coming off a bad outing Friday. But he struck out the first two batters he faced, before issuing an intentional pass to Oneil Cruz, who had a four-hit afternoon. I agree with that choice, too, setting up a possible force at second or third.
Well, I dunno. You tell me. No, that wasn’t a good throw by Thielbar, who was charged with an error. But does a more experienced first baseman knock that down and keep the lead runner at third? Or throw him out at the plate?
I guess we’ll never know. The Cubs opted to pinch hit for Michael Busch with Kelly in the seventh. Busch has really been struggling with the bat, so I don’t necessarily argue with that move. But the thing is, the Cubs don’t have an experienced backup first baseman. Shaw had literally never played the position, except for Spring Training, before this game. Kelly, who replaced Busch, had never played first base before this year either. This was just his second appearance at the position.
You can see how important first base defense is with this one play.
Anyway, that run was all the Pirates got, and turned out that’s all they needed. Swanson was the placed runner in the 11th. Nico hit a comebacker that Yohan Ramirez threw away for an error, putting runners on second and third with nobody out.
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Cubs got to scoring in the 11th. Shaw hit a line drive to right that was too shallow to score the tying run. Bregman popped up to first. Happ was intentionally walked to set up a force at any base, but Suzuki also popped up to end things.
The Cubs went 1-for-15 with RISP and left 16 (!) runners on base. That’s pretty awful. The Pirates weren’t much better, going 2-for-19 with RISP and stranding 13. This was an ugly, ugly game in what’s now an ugly, ugly series.
Eventually the Cubs offense will get untracked. These hitters are too good to keep doing this for much longer. Maybe Sunday, when the weather is supposed to be better (sunny, in the 70s). Jameson Taillon will try to help the Cubs salvage one win in this series. Bubba Chandler goes for the Pirates. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Ahead of the Sixers’ final game of the regular season Sunday night vs. the Bucks, below is a refresher on the No. 5 through No. 10 range of the Eastern Conference standings. The first through sixth seeds will advance to the playoffs. The seventh through 10th will compete in the play-in tournament for the East’s final two playoff spots.
5. Hawks 46-35
6. Raptors 45-36
7. Magic 45-36
8. Sixers 44-37
9. Hornets 43-38
10. Heat 42-39
And here’s a look at how things could shake out for the Sixers:
For Sixers to finish sixth
The one scenario in which the Sixers would finish sixth is: Sixers win, Raptors and Magic lose.
In that case, all three teams would be 45-37 and the Sixers would win the tiebreaker.
Is that series of events plausible? It could happen, but the odds appear quite small. Orlando will face the 55-26 Celtics and Toronto will take on the 20-61 Nets. Boston’s locked in as the East’s No. 2 seed and Brooklyn’s next major event on the calendar is the NBA draft lottery.
Unsurprisingly, both the Celtics and Nets have long injury lists. Brooklyn’s many absences include Nic Claxton, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, Terance Mann and Egor Demin. The Celtics will sit plenty of regulars, among them Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Neemias Queta.
On a positive note for the Sixers, the Bucks are shorthanded and nowhere near postseason contention. They should beat Milwaukee at home.
For Sixers to finish seventh
The Sixers need a win to have a shot at the seventh seed, which would mean hosting the first game of the play-in tournament instead of traveling.
The following two scenarios would lead to the Sixers being No. 7:
Sixers win, Raptors win, Magic lose
Sixers win, Raptors lose, Magic win
The first outcome would mean that the Sixers play the Magic in that No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup. The second would mean that they’d host Toronto.
Again, the only two other games that matter to the Sixers are Raptors-Nets and Magic-Celtics. The reason the Sixers can’t fall lower than eighth is they’d win the tiebreaker over the Hornets if both teams ended at 44-38.
Either of these results would equal the eighth seed for the Sixers:
Sixers lose (other games become irrelevant)
Sixers win, Raptors win, Magic win
As outlined above, neither Orlando nor Toronto look at all likely to lose. Still, anything’s possible and the Sixers surely wouldn’t mind a surprise or two outside of Philadelphia on the season’s final day.
Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
ATLANTA — Injured starter Spencer Strider took another step toward returning to the Atlanta Braves’ rotation on Saturday by throwing three innings of batting practice at Truist Park.
Braves manager Walt Weiss said Strider felt good after throwing three simulated innings and said the 27-year-old right-hander will likely make a rehab start on Thursday and throw 40-45 pitches. Strider has been on the injured list since March 22 with a Grade 1 left oblique strain.
“He’s on the right path,” Weiss said before the Braves faced Cleveland. “With starters, it takes time. We’ve got to build him back up now.”
Weiss does not anticipate Strider rejoining the Braves before the end of the month.
Strider hit 95 mph during his three innings against batters. He was in full uniform, wearing the new Braves City Connect outfit.
“That’s no adrenaline, right?” Weiss said of the mid-90s fastballs. “I don’t think he had adrenaline for BP, but you never know with Strider. All signs are pointing in the right direction. Physically where he’s at, mentally, emotionally, he’s handled this very well. All things point the right way.”
The Braves are missing projected starter Spencer Schwellenbach, along with Strider, yet lead the NL East at 9-5 and have had seven quality starts in their first 14 games.
The Vancouver Canucks will play a significant role in whether or not the San Jose Sharks make the post-season with their matchup tonight. Ironically enough, if San Jose is able to make it to the playoffs, they’ll be one of four teams that currently has the league-high in former Canucks currently on their roster. All four of these teams have yet to officially clinch a playoff spot, meaning that 16 former Canucks’ post-season hopes will be dictated in the next few days.
As it stands, the Sharks currently have four former Canucks on their roster: Kiefer Sherwood, Vincent Desharnais, Adam Gaudette, and Tyler Toffoli. All but Toffoli played in at least 30 games for the Canucks, with Gaudette recording the highest number of games played for Vancouver with 153. Despite feeling like a much bigger part of the team that went to seven games of the 2020 Pacific Division Finals, Toffoli only ended up playing in 10 regular-season games for the Canucks in 2019–20.
Around the rest of the league, there are still three other playoff-bound and playoff-hopeful teams that have four former Canucks on them. The Edmonton Oilers have Vasily Podkolzin, Jason Dickinson, Curtis Lazar, and Riley Stillman (brother of current Canucks prospect Chase Stillman), though the latter has only played in four NHL games for Edmonton this season. The Oilers have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot tonight if the Winnipeg Jets lose in regulation or overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers, though they would have secured this spot if they'd recorded at least one point against the Los Angeles Kings today.
In the Eastern Conference, one Atlantic Division team and one Metropolitan Division team each have four former Canucks in their organization. The Boston Bruins were in a similar position as the Oilers heading into Saturday’s matchups, with Boston able to secure their spot in the playoffs with a win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, the Bruins ended up losing 2-1 earlier today, meaning former Canucks Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Lukas Reichel, and Michael DiPietro will have to look to the New Jersey Devils in hopes of a clinch today. The other clinching scenario for the Bruins today would see the Devils defeat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation.
Apr 8, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) and San Jose Sharks left wing Kiefer Sherwood (44) collide after going for the puck in the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
The final team with four former Canucks in the organization is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are also pushing for a playoff spot but currently trail the Red Wings (91), the Washington Capitals (91), and the New York Islanders (91) for the second Wild Card spot currently occupied by the Bruins (95 points). Having said that, Philadelphia currently occupies third in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points, which would make for a much easier target for Columbus, who currently have 90. Former Canucks Conor Garland, Danton Heinen, Erik Gudbranson, and Brendan Gaunce will look to help push the Blue Jackets into a playoff spot in the coming days.
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Dec 27, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) collides with Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) after scoring a goal during a shoot out at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The Colorado Avalanche, fresh off a Presidents Trophy-clinching performance on Thursday, play their final weekend game of the regular season tonight.
After a three and a half month hiatus, they will wrap up the season series against the Vegas Golden Knights, who pay their only(?) visit to the Mile High City this spring.
Colorado Avalanche (52-16-10)
The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (36-26-17)
Time: 6:00 P.M. MDT/8:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ABC, ESPN (US National Broadcast), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Outside Colorado and Vegas broadcast areas – Canada)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
As mentioned above, the Avalanche secured their rightful place as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings in their 3-1 defeat of the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Gabe Landeskog would open the scoring late in the first period, and Martin Nečas scored on a pretty play as he skated through the Calgary defense to double the lead in the second period. A sleepy third period (and an extra skater in place of goaltender Dustin Wolf late in the frame) cracked open the door for Calgary, who had a tying goal wiped out due to a successful offside challenge by Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. Nathan MacKinnon would ice the game on an empty net goal late in regulation for his League-leading 52nd goal of the season, ensuring that Colorado would claim the fourth Presidents Trophy in franchise history. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 28 of 29 shots for his 22nd win of the season.
With the win, Avs locked in home ice advantage throughout the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. With their position as the top seed in the playoffs now secured, Bednar has the option to rest players up and down the lineup. Speaking on the option to rest some players leading up to the end of the season, he said, “I’d like to see all of our guys play games yet before the playoffs […] If they’re able to play, we’ll get them as much rest as we can in between games, and then some guys, I’m going to try to get some guys a little bit of a breather that, I think, could probably benefit from it.”
Tonight wraps up the three game series against Vegas, with the Avs having won both of the previous two games. The last time both teams met was coming out of the holiday break back on December 27 at T-Mobile Arena. With Vegas leading 4-2 at the beginning of the third period, Nečas and MacKinnon would score to pull the Avs back on even footing, and despite falling behind with four minutes to play in regulation, a goal from Artturi Lehkonen with under two minutes pushed the game to overtime. Neither team scored in the extra session, and MacKinnon scored the shootout winning goal to complete the comeback as the Avs walked out with a 6-5 decision.
MacKinnon remains atop the League lead in goals coming into tonight’s game, having set a career high with his 52nd goal of the season on Thursday. With four games remaining in the regular season, his 126 points ranks third behind Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (128) and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (133). Nečas is two goals shy of his first ever 40 goal season, and two points away from his first 100 point season. Bednar indicated that Nazem Kadri will require further evaluation before rejoining the lineup, and he expects Cale Makar to return to action prior to the end of the season.
Scott Wedgewood is likely to start in goal for the Avs tonight. A win against Vegas would see him reach the thirty win mark for the first time in his career.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Nicolas Roy – Joel Kiviranta Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Devon Toews – Sam Malinski Brett Kulak – Josh Manson Nick Blankenburg – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Vegas Golden Knights
A hot start that saw Vegas begin the season with a near identical record to Colorado through the month of October was derailed by a combination of injuries to key personnel: forwards Jack Eichel, William Karlsson Brandon Saad, Colton Sissons, Mark Stone, defensemen Brayden McNabb, Noah Hanafin, Jérémy Lauzon, and goaltenders Adin Hill and Carter Hart all missed time throughout the season. Even with so many injuries through their lineup, Vegas strung together several modest winning streaks through the year, including a stretch that saw them win seven straight games in January. However, they struggled to maintain their winning ways, winning only five games coming out of the Olympic break, and those hardships would only continue through February and March. As the season winds down, Vegas finds themselves tied with the Anaheim Ducks in points (89), but due to tiebreakers, currently occupy second place in the porous Pacific Division.
This isn’t the same Vegas team that previously faced Colorado back in December. They made their first trade of 2026 in January, sending longtime defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defenseman Abram Wiebe, a 2027 first round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick in 2028 to Calgary for defenseman Rasmus Andersson. Leading up to the trade deadline, they acquired depth forward Cole Smith from Nashville for defenseman Christoffer Sedoff and a 2028 third round pick, and forward Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third round pick, a 2029 second round pick.
Vegas didn’t limit themselves to roster makeovers this season. On March 29, head coach Bruce Cassidy was relieved of his head coaching duties, replacing him with John Tortorella in an interim capacity. Vegas marks the seventh stop for the two-time Jack Adams and former Stanley Cup-winning coach. The team responded with a four game winning streak to kick off the Tortorella era, which came to an end this past Thursday in a 4-3 shootout decision against the Seattle Kraken. Tortorella has yet to lose in regulation in his short time behind the Vegas bench, and a win tonight against Colorado could make things interesting in the chase for first place in the Pacific. The Edmonton Oilers, who currently lead the division, face the Los Angeles Kings this afternoon. By the time the puck drops in Denver, Vegas will know whether if they’re in a position to overtake Edmonton for the top spot, or if they’re still chasing them down. As of this writing, neither team has clinched a playoff spot, but the outcomes of both games could change that.
Eichel leads all Vegas skaters in points (83) and assists (58) while Mitch Marner ranks second in both categories (78 points and 55 assists, respectively). Pavel Dorofeyev leads all Vegas forwards in goals (35), while Theodore leads all Vegas defenders in goals (9), assists (29), and points (38).
This is the final road game of the season for Vegas, as they wrap up a four game road trip. Hart, who played the first three games of the road trip since (his first action since January 8), may return to the crease this evening. Hill was the goaltender of record in the loss this past Thursday in Seattle.
Vegas finishes out the regular season with a brief two game home stand against the Winnipeg Jets on April 13, and close out the regular season against Seattle on April 15.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone Brett Howden – Mitch Marner – Pavel Dorofeyev Brandon Saad – Tomáš Hertl – Colton Sissons Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
