It was not the news Montreal Canadiens’ fans were hoping for, but at 10:00 AM on Sunday, the team announced that Noah Dobson had suffered an upper-body injury and would be reevaluated in two weeks. It’s not surprising that the team didn’t go into detail with the playoffs right around the corner. We’ll eagerly await an update in two weeks, but the play on which he was injured didn’t look good.
However, the fact that Dobson will be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future has led the Canadiens to finally recall the fifth overall pick from the 2023 draft, David Reinbacher, from the Laval Rocket.
After being hit by a serious knee injury last season, the 21-year-old has been able to play in 57 games with the Rocket this year, putting up 24 points, including five goals. When Adam Engstrom went down with an injury, the Austrian really stepped up his game and performed admirably for Pascal Vincent’s team.
With both Dobson and Alex Carrier, the Canadiens' two right-shot defensemen, out with injuries, the Canadiens had to call up the youngster. It’s not an ideal scenario for his NHL debut since the stakes are quite high for the Habs. They need to win their last two games in order to secure home-ice advantage.
Kaiden Guhle, who took part in the morning skate on Saturday morning, did make the trip to New York with the Canadiens, but not Alex Carrier. It will be interesting to see what the Canadiens’ blueline looks like when the puck drops Sunday night in Long Island.
The Mets made another chance in their bullpen on Sunday, designating right-handed pitcher Luis Garcia for assignment.
In a corresponding move, 28-year-old right-hander Joey Gerber is being called up.
The 39-year-old Garcia was signed by the Mets to a one-year deal this offseason and was thought to be a key piece of the major league bullpen, but the veteran struggled on the mound. In six appearances, Garcia allowed six runs (five earned) with a 2.053 WHIP and 7.11 ERA.
"We needed an arm, especially with the way that we’ve used the bullpen the last couple of nights," Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday. "I feel like we needed some protection there in case something bad happens again.
"Yeah, not an easy one. Obviously, Luis had to pitch yesterday on a day that we were staying away from him until [Luke Weaver] got in trouble there. But yeah, felt like we needed to have a fresh arm here."
Gerber was acquired by the Mets in a trade with the Rays last November, with the Mets sending Tampa cash considerations in exchange for the right-hander.
Gerber has a 3.60 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 10 strikeouts in 20.0 innings in two big league seasons, making his debut back in 2020. He appeared in 17 games for the Mariners that season, and did not pitch in the majors again until 2025, when he tossed 4.1 innings over two games for the Rays.
In 158.0 innings across six minor league seasons, Gerber has a 3.53 ERA and 1.291 WHIP with 10.7 strikeouts per nine. He has pitched to a 5.40 ERA in four appearances with Syracuse this season.
Luis García | (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Having once again built a bullpen that was intended to have plenty of roster churn, the Mets have started churning those spots on the roster. Today, the team has designated right-handed reliever Luis García for assignment and called up fellow right-handed reliever Joey Gerber to take his place in the bullpen.
The Mets signed García to a one-year, $1.75 million deal back in mid-January, and even at the time of the signing, it seemed like the 39-year-old was destined for a DFA at some point this season. He’s been through that before, as he’s now pitched for six different teams since the beginning of the 2024 season.
In six-and-one-third innings with the Mets to start this season, García had a 7.11 ERA and a 2.80 FIP. He joins Richard Lovelady in being DFA’d as the Mets continue to look for improvements during a miserable stretch of baseball.
In five innings with Triple-A Syracuse this year, Gerber has a 5.40 ERA and a 4.60 FIP. He’s thrown just 20.0 innings total in his major league career, having spent time with the Mariners in 2020 and gotten a brief major league stint with the Rays in 2025. He has a 3.60 ERA in that limited major league sample, and he has options remaining and figures to be churned himself before long—barring a major improvement at the major league level, of course.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home for the penultimate regular-season game inside the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena. This game features the Boston Bruins.
Boston Bruins - 43-27-10 - 96 Points - 4-4-2 in the last 10 - Lost 2 - 5th in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 40-28-12 - 92 Points - 3-6-1 in the last 10 - Won 1 - 4th in the Metro. Two points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place.
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
CBJ wrapped up a three-game road trip (2-1-0), and the road portion of the regular season, with a 5-2 win at Montreal yesterday.
The Blue Jackets conclude their 16th back-to-back set of the season (19-7-5, .694) tonight vs. Boston. The club has swept five of its back-to-back sets in 2025-26.
The Jackets have collected points in 17-of-21 home games to rank eighth-T in the NHL in points pct. in 2026 (.690; 12-4-5).
CBJ have earned points in 27 of their past 36 contests overall since Jan. 11 (22-9-5, 5th in points pct. at .681).
The Blue Jackets conclude a stretch of four-straight games vs. the Atlantic Division (2-1-0). The club has earned points in 20 of its last 25 games against the division dating back to Apr. 8, 2025 (15-5-5).
Columbus leads the NHL with a franchise-record 58 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (58-138-196, 80 GP).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle, who notched two goals in the win at Montreal, has tied his single-season career high in assists and has the second-most points of his 14-year NHL career with 20-38-58 in 80 games this season.
Adam Fantilli posted two assists at Montreal and has set single-season career highs in assists and points with 23-35-58 in 80 contests this season.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 17 of his last 22 starts since Jan. 11 (14-5-3, 2.42 GAA, .910 SV% in 23 GP), ranking eighth-T among NHL goaltenders in GAA and ninth in SV% over that stretch (min. 7 GP).
Kirill Marchenko recorded 1-1-2 on Saturday and has posted assists in five of the past seven games (2-6-8). He is the fifth player in Blue Jackets history with 25-plus goals in consecutive seasons (31 in 2024-25; 27 in 2025-26).
Mason Marchment has collected assists in five of his past six contests (1-6-7) and has 14-16-30 in 37 games with CBJ.
Zach Werenski has recorded 22-59-81 in 73 games in 2025-26 and has tied the single-season franchise record for assists (Panarin, 2018-19; Werenski, 2024-25). He leads NHL blueliners in multi-point efforts (26), even-strength points (59) and shots on goal (249) and ranks second in points and points-per-game (1.11).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.3% - 22nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.1% - 27th in the NHL
Goals For - 243 - 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 246 - 21st in the NHL
BruinsStats
Power Play - 23.4% - 9th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.6% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 261 - 11th in the NHL
Goals Against - 245 - 18th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheBruins
Columbus is 17-18-11 all-time, and 10-8-6 at home vs. Boston.
CBJ have earned points in nine of the last 12 games against Boston at Nationwide Arena since Dec. 27, 2016 (6-3-3)
The home team has earned points in four-straight games (3-0-1) and 20 of the last 24 meetings dating back to Nov. 10, 2016 (15-4-5).
The winning team has scored four goals or more in six-straight meetings overall (including SO goals) and nine times in the last 11 matchups, as well as each of the past five at Nationwide Arena.
The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last eight in the series and nine of the past 11 meetings, along with by three-plus in four of the past five played at Columbus.
The Blue Jackets are 18-of-83 on the power play (21.7 pct.) and 60-of-72 on the penalty kill (83.3 pct.) against the Bruins in 24 all-time meetings at Nationwide Arena.
Who To Watch For TheBruins
Morgan Geekie leads Boston with 38 goals.
David Pastrnak leads the team with 70 assists and 99 points.
Joonas Korpisalo is 13-9-6 with a SV% of .892.
CBJ Player Notes vsBruins
Boone Jenner 14 points in 25 career games against Boston.
Zach Werenski has 15 points against the Bruins.
Mason Marchment has 9 points in 10 games vs. Boston.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 42 Games IR - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Damon Severson - Missed 8 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Dmitri Voronkov - Missed 7 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Mathieu Olivier - Missed 6 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 210
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers go for the series sweep as they host the Texas Rangers this afternoon.
Roki Sasaki will try to right his early-season wrongs, toeing the rubber against veteran Jacob deGrom.
That gives the visitors a massive starting pitching advantage, so I’m siding with the underdog for my Rangers vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks below.
Who will win Rangers vs Dodgers today: Rangers (+110)
Roki Sasaki should be in the Minor Leagues right now, and that’s where he’d be if it weren’t for a wave of Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher injuries.
The 24-year-old ranks 165th out of 171 starters in Location+ (80), which has led to a 12.2% walk rate. You can’t start at this level with a 1.56 WHIP, and Texas is good enough against RHP (107 wRC+) to capitalize.
Jacob deGrom has still got “it”, posting a 111 Stuff+ and an elite 32.4 K-BB%. The Texas Rangers have won both of his starts, and here’s betting on another victory.
COVERS INTEL:The projected L.A. lineup has faced deGrom 95 times, collecting 19 hits (.200 AVG) compared to 30 strikeouts.
Rangers vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-105)
If anyone is capable of keeping down a potent Dodgers lineup that's plated 14 runs through the first two games of the series, it’s deGrom. It also helps to have a bullpen with a 2.32 ERA behind you.
The ball isn’t carrying in MLB as it has recently, with home run rates down across the board. On a wet and rainy day in Chavez Ravine, it’ll be a surprise if a few balls leave the yard for either team.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 3-4, -0.75 units
Over/Under bets: 3-5, -2.26 units
Rangers vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Rangers +110 | Dodgers -130
Run line: Rangers +1.5 (-220) | Dodgers -1.5 (+160)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Rangers vs Dodgers trend
The Rangers are 4-1 in Jacob deGrom's last five starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Rangers vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Sunday, April 12, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
CW 33, SportsNet LA
Rangers starting pitcher
Jacob deGrom (0-0, 3.72 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (0-1, 7.00 ERA)
Rangers vs Dodgers latest injuries
Rangers vs Dodgers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 07: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners takes batting practice prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mariners are swinging slower and hitting worse, but connecting these dots isn’t as simple as it seems.
Bat speed is down for half the Mariners’ lineup over the first 2 1/2 weeks of the season. These batters are swinging 0.7 mph slower on average than they were last year. It’s become a fixation in the early going, especially as the team entered the weekend with a 79 wRC+ — bottom five in the majors. Some blame the slower swings for the disappointing start at the plate, and others point to Seattle’s frigid temperatures as the culprit for the decline.
These points were brought to Dan Wilson before Saturday’s game. He shot down either premise.
“That’s pretty negligible from what we’ve seen before,” Wilson said of the decline in bat speed. “It’s colder weather- there’s just a lot of different factors that could be involved there. That’s not something that’s concerning us. Obviously, we track, we monitor, but there’s nothing that’s discernible. We’re fourteen games in, there’s so much more season to go. We want to get off to a good start, obviously as a player you want to get off to a good start, but you know, sometimes those things take a little bit of time to get going. It’s not anything different.”
I pretty much agree.
The first thing to point out is only three Mariners have bat speed drops greater than 1 mph. Randy Arozarena has lost 3.5 mph from last year (the largest change in the majors), Leo Rivas has lost 1.6 mph, and Brendan Donovan has lost 1.3 mph. The next thing to point out is Arozarena and Donovan are the top two hitters on the team so far by wRC+. Bat speed is important, but it isn’t everything.
Now, there are several players with <1 mph bat speed drops who have indeed struggled. Josh Naylor, for instance, has lost 0.9 mph, and Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez have each lost about 0.5 mph.
But the further you dig into the decimals of bat speed, the more difficult it becomes to separate noise from signal, especially in just 16 games. Let’s look at Julio’s rolling bat speed, for example:
Bat speed goes up and down naturally over the course of a season. That doesn’t always reflect a change in ability. These ebbs and flows can partially be attributed to the measurement itself. Bat speed is captured at the moment when the sweet spot of the bat crosses with the path of the ball. In other words, it tells us how fast the barrel is traveling at point of contact (or missed contact, in the case of whiffs).
This “point of contact” piece is crucial. A swing isn’t one, constant speed. It starts slow as the batter fires, and gains speed as the batter follows through. The “bat speed” for any given swing not only depends on how fast the batter swings, but how far they progress in their swing by the time the ball reaches the plate.
What does that mean for interpreting bat speed data? Well, that means observed bat speed can change with the pitch type, velocity, location, and the batter’s ability to identify such variables out of the pitcher’s hand. So if Julio took the exact same swing at a 99-mph fastball on the inner-third as he did on an 84-mph sweeper out of the zone away, he’s not likely to record the same “bat speed” on both swings. And that’s before considering how Julio might change his swing to match each pitch. From that perspective, bat speed is not only a matter of physical strength and ability, but a function of timing and circumstance.
For batters like Arozarena, who display very large changes in bat speed, it’s worth considering the underlying changes pushing their swing to new… slows:
But for pretty much every other Mariners’ batter exhibiting a decline (or gain) in bat speed, there simply hasn’t been enough time to say what, if anything, is different. I’m more likely to look at slower swings as a symptom of early struggles, rather than a cause. I kind of think the Mariners’ timing is just off.
Now, one theory that’s cropped up to explain the drop in bat speed is Seattle’s cold weather. Several people have pointed out the relationship between bat speed and temperature, noting swings are slower when it’s cold and faster when it’s hot.
I did some math on this last week for FanGraphs. My conclusion was, yes, bat speed likely depends on the temperature, and colder means slower. As Patrick Dufor points out in an excellent follow-up analysis, some of that could be the drag created by denser air at lower temperatures. But Dufor also notes drag doesn’t quite explain the full change. It’s possible batters might just be less comfortable in the cold. Julio agreed in an interview with the Seattle Times. “We’re not trying to swing slower; it’s just cold as (expletive) in Seattle,” he said, responding to concerns about the team’s bat speed decline.
Regardless, I estimated the change in bat speed at about 0.2 mph per 10 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s not a lot. While Seattle is the coldest city in the majors over the course of the season, it’s typically not the coldest city in the early part of the season. Lots of places are cold right now. In fact, T-Mobile Park is more neutral than you’d expect in April. It’s the late summer, when the rest of the country warms up and Seattle still has some bite after sunset, that we see the park flex its muscles. That’s to say, yes, it’s possible the Mariners are swinging slower because of the cold. But it’s probably not a big issue, and certainly not one unique to them. And it’s not the only thing that could be pushing bat speed down.
Again, my sense is the Mariners were kind of just bad the first two weeks of the season. I think their timing was off, I think they were swinging at bad pitches, and I think they were falling behind in counts. Each of those things could explain their bat speed slump, and I doubt it’s the other way around.
The Mariners entered the weekend with a 79 wRC+. After walking all over Astros’ pitching the last two nights, they enter Sunday with a 93 wRC+. We are not even 10% of the way through the season. It can swing in a jiff.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Xavier Neyens #9 of the Houston Astros bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (9-5) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
Ullola started for Sugar Land and allowed 1 run over 2.2 innings before leaving with an injury. It appeared to be leg related and not arm related. Fleury went the next 2.1 innings allowing 1 run. The offense got on the board in the 5th on a Winkler hit by pitch. In the 7th, Alexander tied the game with a sac fly. The Sugar Land bullpen continued to pitch well as the game stayed tied into the 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, Sugar Land walked it off scoring a run on a wild pitch as they won 3-2.
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (WIN)
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (4-4) lost 4-3 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got on the board in the 2nd inning scoring a run on an error. In the 3rd inning, Sacco added a solo HR. Gillis got the start and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. Garcia would add a solo HR in the 5th to extend the lead. The bullpen was solid until the 9th when Chirinos allowed 2 runs. The game went to extra innings and in the 10th, San Antonio walked it off as the Hooks fell 4-3.
Railin Perez, RHP: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (3-5) lost 11-6 (BOX SCORE)
Asheville jumped out to a big lead early scoring 6 runs in the first inning on a Frey RBI single, Call RBI single, Daudet hit by pitch, Holy RBI groundout, Brutcher sac fly and Hernandez RBI single. Howard got the start for Asheville and went 3.2 innings allowing 3 runs. The pen struggled allowing 8 more runs as the Grasshoppers took the lead. The Asheville offense was quiet the rest of the way as they fell 11-6.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (1-7) lost 6-3 (BOX SCORE)
Pecko madę another rehab start and after allowing a leadoff home run, he settled down striking out 3 over 3 innings. The Woodpeckers offense got on the board in the first inning on a Monistere sac fly. They got another run in the 2nd inning on a Diaz solo home run. In the 5th, Neyens connected on a solo home run, his first professional home run. The pen allowed five runs as the RiverDogs took the lead but the offense was unable to respond as the Woodpeckers fell 6-3.
Note: Neyens home run had a 116 MPH exit velocity.
Season finales with nothing at stake may be boring across most of the league, but the Minnesota Timberwolves have made sure to make tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans a headline event in the Twin Cities. Kevin Garnett is returning for the first time since 2018.
With few angles to bet in what is effectively an exhibition game, my Pelicans vs. Timberwolves predictions and these NBA picks put a touch of stock in Garnett’s influence on Minnesota’s reserves on Sunday, April 12.
Pelicans vs Timberwolves prediction
Pelicans vs Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves -6 (-110)
If you know a Minnesota Timberwolves player’s name, he's either sitting tonight or is named Donte DiVincenzo, and the latter is playing tonight simply to have played in all 82 games this season. He is not likely to see a full workload.
However, are Minnesota’s reserves better than the New Orleans Pelicans in general? Quite possibly. Terrence Shannon Jr. figures to score 30 points in this role. Joan Beringer may grab 15 rebounds if he can stay out of foul trouble. This is quite possibly Joe Ingles’ final NBA game.
There are ways of envisioning the Timberwolves putting up some numbers tonight.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are not opposed to losing. They have a slight hope of tying the Grizzlies and Mavericks for the sixth-worst record in the league. In fact, Dallas is favored by 6.5 points tonight against the Bulls, the one inter-conference game on the slate.
Kevin Garnett at courtside should only further Shannon’s and Beringer’s motivation, though perhaps not holding as much mystique for Ingles, who overlapped with the Hall of Famer by two seasons in the NBA, the two seasons in which Garnett returned to Minnesota.
That motivation and the Pelicans’ lack of it should keep this a multi-bucket game.
Pelicans vs Timberwolves same-game parlay
Betting on the Timberwolves early and betting on an Over are both bets on Terrence Shannon Jr. The second-year wing has been stymied by injury this season, slowed to start the year, and then sidelined for two months in the middle of it.
With Minnesota coasting into the postseason, however, Shannon has taken center stage in the last two games, shooting 19-for-27 from the field and 10-for-14 from deep while scoring 33 and then 23 points.
He does not take long to get going, and once rolling, Shannon does not stop. It is not a coincidence that each of Minnesota's last two games went Over the total.
Pelicans vs Timberwolves SGP
Timberwolves -6
Timberwolves first half -3
Over 236
Pelicans vs Timberwolves odds
Spread: Pelicans +6 | Timberwolves -6
Moneyline: Pelicans +220 | Timberwolves -270
Over/Under: Over 236 | Under 236
Pelicans vs Timberwolves betting trend to know
The Pelicans are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Timberwolves.
How to watch Pelicans vs Timberwolves
Location
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Tip-off
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
Pelicans+, FDSN-North
Pelicans vs Timberwolves latest injuries
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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 23: New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer (91) and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) share a laugh in warm ups before a game between the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils on March 23, 2024 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Matchup The New Jersey Devils (41-36-3) versus the Ottawa Senators (43-27-10)
The Time: 7:00 PM EDT
The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN2; Radio — Devils Hockey Network
The End
Happy final Sunday of the 2025-26 New Jersey Devils season. This is our final home game until September, and the Devils are giving us a real treat to mark the end of this season: the last use of the “Jersey Jersey” designed like a crossover of a Los Angeles Kings jersey with a linesman uniform.
I am glad to see the Jersey Jersey go away. Maybe it’s just associating the Devils with an uptick in losing since their record-setting 52-win season, and maybe it’s the goaltender the team traded for and signed to a bad extension saying he cannot see the puck through the jersey pants. But I enjoy seeing the Devils wear red at home, or at least white throwbacks, or green. The idea of a black alternate was always intriguing, but the execution here was poor. If this is the last time I see it on the ice, I would be pretty happy.
Nico Daws to Start, Topias Vilen to Play
While the Devils called up two more from the Utica Comets to play at the end of the season, neither were on the ice yesterday. Jake Allen played a very solid game in net, to his credit, while Dennis Cholowski continued to play on a pairing with Johnny Kovacevic. Tim recapped that game for us, and while Cholowski actually did his job pretty well (a rarity since his first NHL appearance of the season against the Kings), it should be his last game in a Devils uniform.
Topias Vilen will make his NHL debut on Sunday, and play again in Boston.
He will take warmups tomorrow but won’t play. #NJDevils
Nico Daws, meanwhile, should be getting the second half of this back-to-back. Since being relegated to the AHL for the most part at the start of the 2024-25 season, Daws has a .945 save percentage and 1.49 goals against average in seven NHL games. That’s pretty good! I would think that, if he was so out of his depth in the NHL, he would be sitting a bit lower than a .945 save percentage over scattered use. Jumping from the AHL to the NHL is not easy with the differences in speed and the quality of shooters, but the AHL has its own problems for goaltenders with the proliferation of grinders and poorer defense.
I am excited to see Daws share the ice with Vilen, and I hope they give the 23-year old defenseman a good pairing to work on. As Tim mentioned last night, the Dillon-Nemec pairing has been a really tough watch. He wrote:
Dillon and Nemec are one of the worst positional D pairs I have ever seen. Both routinely over commit at both blue lines and get burned for odd mans the other way. I am going to write about personnel for next season, and I think I’ve had enough of both of them. I realize Dillon is a great dude and has an element we lack, but if you’re going to be a “defensive defenseman” than maybe do it. It’s like the are actively trying to sabotage each other.
I have thought about this as well. I think the Dillon-Hamilton pairing worked so well last season because it was effectively chaotic. If an opponent skater did not keep their head up, Brenden Dillon might blow them up at center ice. But go the other way, and they had 6’7” Dougie Hamilton in their business. Those two were made for quick strikes back at the other team, with Dougie’s slap shot and Dillon’s eagerness to rush up the ice. But Simon Nemec is not Dougie Hamilton. He does not use a 6’7” frame to seal off the wall and reach out to disturb puck carriers. He’s smaller, slower, and plays more like a rover. He totally lacks physicality away from the net, too, so pairing him with a defensive guy like Dillon who plays his best defense by jumping the play before it happens is a recipe for disaster more often than not.
Tonight, I think a Vilen-Nemec second pairing and a Dillon-Kovacevic third pairing would be a smart choice. The Devils have nothing to gain in the standings by winning, so holding the veterans up for more ice time is unnecessary. I would much rather see what Vilen and Nemec can do against guys like Brady Tkachuk than I want to see Vilen play 10 minutes against Lars Eller and Nick Cousins. In the AHL, Vilen has arguably been Utica’s steadiest defenseman since Kevin Bahl graduated to the NHL, and he has done so while being a decent point producer. He might have shown more promise at a younger age in that area, but he has not fallen to pure shutdown levels of offense.
Different Bottom Six Look, Please
While this does not really matter, I am really not seeing what there is to be gained out of giving Marc McLaughlin and Brian Halonen more looks with Paul Cotter. I do not think that line has really worked much at all, and I would rather see Maxim Tsyplakov in the lineup so he can get an actual chance on the third line with Cody Glass and Lenni Hameenaho. Nick Bjugstad is still a good enough player to have in the bottom six, but I would rather see Tsyplakov-Glass-Hameenaho and Cotter-Bjugstad-Halonen/McLaughlin than the paradigm Keefe has been running with lately.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of tonight’s game? Will you be watching? What do you think of Vilen and Daws? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball as AJ Green #20 of the Milwaukee Bucks plays defense during the game on January 27, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks have their final game of the 2025-26 regular season, traveling to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers. Philly has won all three games and will look to complete a season sweep.
Where We’re At
What a season; I don’t think anybody expected this. To be honest, a lot went wrong. The Bucks didn’t have much control of injuries to key rotation players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, and Kevin Porter Jr., or regression from role players like Gary Trent Jr. A portion of the problems was self-inflicted, stemming from roster construction, effort in games, and coaching malpractice. The Bucks will not be playing in the postseason for the first time in 10 years, and what happens next will be the biggest question for Bucks ownership.
Philadelphia has had an interesting season. Some might view their current 8th place as underachieving, but with Joel Embiid injured and Paul George suspended for 25 games, maybe they handled it better than most teams, like the Bucks, would have. The Sixers do have something to play for: a win and other results could have them move up to sixth place and avoid the play-in game(s), but a loss could have them in the 9-10 game against the Miami Heat.
Injury Report
The Bucks will not have Giannis Antetokounpo (knee), Kevin Porter Jr. (knee), Bobby Portis (wrist), Kyle Kuzma (achilles), Myles Turner (ankle), Gary Trent Jr. (oblique), and Ryan Rollins (thumb). Gary Harris (groin) and Pete Nance (knee) are listed as questionable.
The Sixers will not have Joel Embiid (appendicitis) and Johni Broome (knee), but will have Tyrese Maxey (finger) available.
Player To Watch
Ousmane Dieng has been a nice addition for the Bucks, and with Rollins out, the Bucks will lean on him for the playmaking and offensive burden. The Sixers will make him work hard for it.
How To Watch
5:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
The New York Yankees (8-6) face the Tampa Bay Rays (7-7) in an AL East matchup. Cam Schlittler, boasting a 1.62 ERA, is expected to start for the Yankees against Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen, who has a 1.80 ERA.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Chris Martin #31 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers (7-7) face the Los Angeles Dodgers (11-3) in the final game of a tied three-game series. Jacob deGrom is expected to start for Texas while Roki Sasaki pitches for Los Angeles.
How to watch Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Nordi Mukiele’s deflected shot sent Spurs even deeper into the relegation mire, while Forest earned a crucial point against Villa and Palace beat Newcastle
And there looks to be a more solid look about the side he’s sent out, with players in their natural positions. In particular, I like the legs in midfield, though I’m still concerned about where the goals might come from – none of the front three can reliably create for themselves, and there’s a lack of wingers and invention around and behind them.
All that said, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Spurs look, having had a couple of weeks to absorb new instructions. I very much doubt De Zerbi leaves things alone for fear of confusing them – I’d expect his instructions to be the pro forma, from now.
COVERS INTEL:
