The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers meet in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. The Celtics took a 2-1 lead in the series after winning Game 3 108-100. Boston is 7.5-point favorites for Game 4. The over/under for the matchup is set at 213.5.
How to watch Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers +240 (28.2%) / Boston Celtics -300 (71.8%)
Over/Under: 213.5
Series schedule
Game 1:Celtics 123, 76ers 91 Game 2:76ers 111, Celtics 97 Game 3:Celtics 108, 76ers 100 Game 4: Sun., April 26 at Philadelphia (7 p.m., NBC) Game 5: Tue., April 28 at Boston (TBD) *Game 6: Thu., April 30 at Philadelphia (TBD) *Game 7: Sat., May 2 at Boston (TBD)if necessary
Los Angeles, CA - April 25: Freddie Freeman #5 high-fives teammate Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after scoring on a Teoscar Hernández (not pictured) single against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Looking to take two of three, the Dodgers host the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Justin Wrobleski faces Shota Imanaga.
Boston, MA - April 12: Boston Celtics center Luka Garza celebrates after hitting a late 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. The Celtics and Orlando Magic played at TD Garden on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA — At Celtics shootaround on Sunday, Luka Garza has ice on his knees, his usual post-workout regimen.
In his head, he is prepared to play heavy minutes in Sunday’s Game 4 against 76ers, just as he did in the Celtics’ final regular season game, when he exploded for 27 points in a season-high 38 minutes of action.
More likely, he’ll play just a few minutes.
But, just as he has all year, he’ll be ready for any outcome.
“I expect to play,” Garza said. “If I do, or I don’t — it doesn’t matter. It’s just I got to have that mindset to be ready and go out there and try to make some plays.”
In Friday’s Game 3 Celtics win, Garza played 4 minutes, all of which came in the second quarter. In that span, he secured an offensive board that led to a Baylor Scheierman three-pointer, hit a top-of-the-key three of his own, and again found Scheierman for his second triple.
His mindset in these playoffs has been the same it’s been all year.
“I just stick to what’s worked for me in the past — obviously, just trying to screen, make energy plays, offensive rebound, do what I can to kind of help the offensive flow,” Garza said. “And try to not make any game plan mistakes and stuff like that.”
Asked Luka Garza how he approaches a 4-min stint like the one he got in Game 3:
“I just stick to what's worked for me in the past — obviously, just trying to screen, make energy plays, offensive rebound, do what I can to kind of help the offensive flow. And try to not make any… pic.twitter.com/QXHvVfgJYb
After a career season, Garza is mostly out of the playoff rotation, but he’s staying ready for those spurts when his number is called.
Joe Mazzulla turned to Garza for rotation stints in Games 1 and 3, with the Celtics two primary bigs in foul travel; Queta has averaged 4 fouls in 19 minutes per game, and Nikola Vucevic has averaged 3.7 fouls in 22 minutes per game this series.
“When I see someone getting foul trouble a little bit, I know it’s probably coming,” Garza said. “I just prepare my mind for every single game.”
Jaylen Brown referred to Friday’s Game 3 as a Game 7.
Garza said the team will need to dig deep and embrace that mindset again.
“If you want to win a championship, it’s not hard,” Garza said. “So, you got to have that mindset every single night in the playoffs. You know how important it is. It’s mandatory.”
History would suggest the Celtics are in a pretty good spot. Of the 600 NBA teams that have taken a 2-1 series lead, 480 have gone on to win the series.
But for Celtics aren’t worried about that history.
For them, the only past that is on their mind is their 111-97 loss in Game 2.
“There’s obviously a heightened sense of urgency knowing what happened in Game 2,” Garza said. “So we know we got to have a certain humility about us, knowing that we got two more games to win. We got to approach it that way. And obviously, it’s a huge one.”
Victor Wembanyama has been cleared from concussion protocol.
Victor Wembanyama will play in Game 4 on Sunday against the Trail Blazers after clearing concussion protocol.
The all-world San Antonio Spur took a scary, knockout-like fall in Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series against Portland, which took him out of the game and forced him to miss Game 3.
Now, five days after suffering the concussion, he has been cleared to take the floor as the Spurs maintain a 2-1 lead in the series.
Victor Wembanyama (concussion protocol) is OUT for the remainder of the game after hitting his head on the court. pic.twitter.com/qP8tAf6osN
San Antonio took Game 3, 120-108, behind the breakout performance of rookie guard and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, who exploded for 27 points on 75 percent shooting and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Stephon Castle led the way for San Antonio with a game-high 33 points on 10-for-18 shooting, along with five assists.
Wembanyama led the Spurs to a Game 1, 111-98 victory at home against the Blazers, where he scored 35 points and drained 5 of 6 from deep in 33 minutes of play.
Victor Wembanyama has been cleared from concussion protocol. Getty Images
In Game 2, the Spurs fell apart down the stretch after initially holding a lead in Wemby’s absence, eventually losing 106-103.
Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, earned the honor of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2025-26, and was the first to win the award unanimously.
This past season, the French phenom averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game while leading San Antonio to a 62-20 record and the No. 2 seed out west behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Apr 25, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
After a slow start to the 2026 season, Detroit Tigers’ first baseman Spencer Torkelson is suddenly scorching hot. His approach has remained strong throughout some early struggles, with a consistently low chase rate and plenty of walks. He just wasn’t swinging at enough strikes. Problem solved. On Sunday, Torkelson homered for the fifth straight game, tying Marcus Thames most recently, along with four other Tigers including the legendary Hank Greenberg, Willie Horton, Rudy York, and Vic Wertz for the franchise record last accomplished in 2008.
Torkelson didn’t get his first home run of the season until Wednesday, when he took Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick deep in the fourth inning of a Tigers victory. On Thursday he upped his game, walking off the Brewers with a blast to left field off of Abner Uribe. On Friday in Great American Ballpark, Torkelson took Tony Santilan deep though the Tigers crumbled late with a loss. On Saturday, Torkelson’s victim was Brady Singer, with another fourth inning shot.
On Sunday, the Tigers were down 3-2 after a solid start from Keider Montero, but one that featured a pair of Great American Park specials from the Reds. In the seventh inning, Gleyber Torres reached on a Ke’Bryan Hayes error, and rookie Hao-Yu Lee mashed the first home run of his major league career to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead. Riley Greene struck out, and Reds manager Terry Francona pulled his lefty in favor of right-hander Pierce Johnson to face Torkelson. It went…poorly for them.
Really good to see the big bat heating up.
Spencer Torkelson has tied a franchise record by homering in five consecutive games.
He's the 6th Tigers player to accomplish the feat, joining: Marcus Thames (2008), Willie Horton (1969), Vic Wertz (1950), Hank Greenberg (1940), and Rudy York (1937).#DNMWpic.twitter.com/Jd8Kh1yA45
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the ball during the West First Round Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers game on April 21, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Kevin Durant may have played his last game against the Lakers these playoffs.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Kevin Durant will not play in Game 4 with a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, an injury that will sideline him for weeks.
Houston's Kevin Durant is expected to miss Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Durant has a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, which would sideline him 2 to 3 weeks in season. He's had around-the-clock treatment to play but has not been cleared by doctors. pic.twitter.com/DpOdclPEAw
Shams went on to report that Durant was at the team’s facility on Sunday and took part in a film session, but that the injury will prevent him from playing for some time.
Even if the Rockets force a Game 7, that would be next Sunday, May 3, or only a week away. It would require some incredible healing for Durant to be back that quickly.
Game 4 will be the third game KD’s missed this series. He opened the series by missing Game 1 with a knee contusion before playing in Game 2. Late in that contest, he sprained his ankle, leading to him missing Game 3 and 4 and, potentially, the rest of the series.
Notably in Game 3, he did not appear on the bench, leading to much discussion. It didn’t sound like he had been particularly involved with the team over recent days, either.
Dave McMenamin says Amen Thompson has no idea how Kevin Durant is feeling:
"Amen Thompson was asked how KD was feeling and he said 'To be honest with you, I don't know.' Whether that means KD has been doing all of his rehab away from the team or the team hasn't been checking in… pic.twitter.com/EnfRl1VIF3
The Lakers will still need to execute to win one more game and finish off the series. Fortunately, their mindset appears to be the appropriate one in that the job is not finished.
But they are firmly in the driver’s seat and reinforcements don’t seem to be coming for Houston.
The Red Sox’s shock firing of Alex Cora was “necessary” in the eyes of team president Sam Kennedy, but the move is seemingly not sitting well with players.
Cora and five members of his coaching staff were dismissed on Saturday amid the team’s 10-17 start and last place standing in the AL East.
However, Trevor Story told reporters on Sunday that the higher-ups’ explanation of the move was insufficient.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora was fired from his post on Saturday. Getty Images
“Some of the best coaches in the world didn’t get a fair shot,” he said.
Garrett Whitlock added: “They made it very clear that we get paid to play baseball, and we need to just focus on playing baseball.”
As reported by the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey, players were not invited to ask higher-ups any questions about the changes during a meeting on Sunday morning.
“It’s up in the air what the true direction of the franchise is,” Story said.
Hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, third-base coach Kyle Hudson and assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson were all part of the wholesale changes as well, while game-planning coach Jason Varitek will be reassigned elsewhere in the organization.
Chad Tracy, who had been managing Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester, was named interim manager.
During a press conference on Sunday, Kennedy revealed the move was the “bold decision” of general manager Craig Breslow, with the latter explaining the timing of the move.
Trevor Story seemed none too pleased by Cora’s dismissal. AP
“By acting today, it gives us 135 games ahead of us, so we’ve got almost a full season’s worth of run to take advantage of this fresh start and ultimately to compete for a division and deep postseason run in the way that we talked about it and envisioned and believed heading into spring training,” Breslow said.
“We believe in the group of players that we have in the clubhouse, down the hallway, and we believe that a new direction is warranted, new voices, and something that enables us to take a fresh start.”
Despite their 17-1 win on Saturday in Baltimore, the Red Sox have gotten off to a slow start this season.
Boston’s offense has struggled mightily, with the team’s OPS of .667 ranking 27th in MLB. The Red Sox have also struggled on the mound, with their team ERA of 4.44 tied for 20th in the league.
The move to fire Cora and four other coaches was described as the “bold decision” of general manager Craig Breslow Getty Images
“Yesterday was definitely painful, but we felt it was a necessary move, and we felt it necessary to take decisive action to achieve the goal of a fresh start for the 2026 season,” Kennedy said.
“We have full confidence in the players in that room to perform at the very highest level and get us back to playing baseball in October, which is the goal. Ultimately, what matters is the performance on the field at the major league level, and a new beginning starts today.”
Breslow, meanwhile, added that he also has “full confidence” in Tracy.
Apr 25, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) reacts after scoring during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
ALERT! Game time is now 3:10 p.m. CT, because of the impending weather tonight.
First pitch for tonight's game vs. the Los Angeles Angels has been moved up to 3:10 p.m. CT. pic.twitter.com/hgYajmB44k
The Royals are going for just their second sweep on the season, after winning just their second series this year. They lost to the Twins in the initial homestand this season, losing the finale 5-1.
The Royals have dominated the first two games, winning 6-3 and 12-1. Seth Lugo gets the start tonight for the Royals. Lugo has been nearly untouchable in his first five starts. Despite the 1-1 record, due to lack of run support, Lugo has a 1.15 ERA, striking out 28 batters in 31.1 innings. In his last start, Lugo threw 7 scoreless innings of one hit ball against Baltimore.
The Royals have scored 5 or more runs in all 5 games on the homestand so far. So, the offense has seemingly turned the corner, hopefully that continues for Lugo today. Here is the starting lineup behind Seth Lugo.
The Los Angeles Angles are now 12-16 on the season, after a decent start to the season, they have now lost 6 of their last 7 games. Lefty Reid Detmers will start for the visitors today. Detmers threw out of the bullpen last season after being a starter the first four seasons in the MLB. This year, the Angels have decided he is a starter again. So far, he has a 4.08 ERA in his 5 starts this year. In his last outing, He gave up 4 runs to the Blue Jays over 6 innings of work, walking 2 and striking out 5.
Here are the starters behind Detmers.
Angels 4/26
Neto SS Trout CF Moncada 3B Soler DH Schanuel 1B Adell RF Lowe LF d'Arnaud C Frazier 2B
The game has been moved up three hours due to the impending weather for tonight in the Kansas City area. First pitch is now set for 3:10 p.m. CT. The game can still be watched on NBCSN or Peacock.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Scott Wedgewood #41 of the Colorado Avalanche, Anze Kopitar #11 of the Los Angeles Kings and Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche battle for position during the first period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche have battled through three tightly contested games thus far in their first-round series, emerging victorious despite, among other things, the stifling defensive tactics employed by the Los Angeles Kings.
With a victory today, the Avalanche can be the first team in the Western Conference to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche (3-0)
The Opponent: Los Angeles Kings (0-3)
Time: 2:30 P.M. MDT/4:30 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT + (Avalanche Broadcast Area), FDSNSC (Kings Broadcast Area), HBO Max, TNT, truTV (US National Broadcast), SN360, SNP, SNW, SN+, TVAS2, TVAS+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
Scoring had been hard to come by for the Avalanche in the first two games against Los Angeles, with their first goals not coming until the second and third periods, respectively. Game Three was a different story, as a shot from Gabe Landeskog ricocheted off the end boards before bouncing off the skate of goaltender Anton Forsberg early in the first period to give the Avs the lead. Los Angeles would tie the game with a bounce of their own off Trevor Moore in the second period, but Cale Makar’s first goal of the playoffs restored the lead. A shorthanded goal from Artturi Lehkonen would give the Avs some breathing room in the third, but a power-play goal for Los Angeles would make things interesting late. Brock Nelson would cap off the night with an empty net goal to secure a 3-0 series lead to wrap up a game that featured more end-to-end action for both teams. Scott Wedgewood stopped twenty-four of twenty-six shots for his third consecutive playoff win.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Parker Kelly – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Gabe Landeskog – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Cale Makar – Devon Toews Brett Kulak – Sam Malinksi Nick Blankenburg – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Los Angeles Kings
What do you do if you’re the Los Angeles Kings coming into today’s game? The League’s most potent offense, featuring the current Rocket Richard winner in Nathan MacKinnon—who hasn’t scored a goal during this postseason—has been held to eight total goals. The power play has found success in three straight games. The penalty kill has been flawless. Anton Forsberg has been solid. Artemi Panarin has been the primary driver on offense, which is what General Manager Ken Holland was banking on when he made the trade for him.
The ingredients for playoff success are there, and what’s been the end result? An elimination game scenario on your own ice after three consecutive losses to start the postseason.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs giveth, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs taketh away.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artemi Panarin – Anže Kopitar – Adrian Kempe Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright Mathieu Joseph – Samuel Helenius – Jeff Malott
Defense: Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (L) walks on the field with Tyler Glasnow #31 during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on February 13, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers plan to start Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow in that order for their three-game series against the Miami Marlins beginning Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
That really isn’t news, except that they could have pushed Ohtani to Wednesday’s series finale, which would line up him to start two consecutive pitching outings the day before team off days on April 30 and May 7, as a way to minimize his fatigue. With Ohtani back to full-time status for the first time since 2023, how the Dodgers manage his time is one of the keys to the season.
Ohtani this season has batted 125 times and faced 92 batters as a pitcher, involved in 217 total plate appearances through the first 31 days of the season, his largest monthly workload since being involved in 252 PA in June 2023 with the Angels. Finding avenues for extra rest will be something to watch, but now is not one of those times.
“We don’t have to be beholden to the off day,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. “We talked to Shohei Ohtani, and he feels good about going on Tuesday.”
Had the Dodgers decided to move Ohtani to Wednesday against the Marlins, that would have meant Glasnow on Tuesday on four days rest, something no Dodgers starting pitcher has done yet this season. They aren’t averse to it, and have talked about Glasnow and Blake Snell in particular preferring to pitch more often whenever possible.
But after Glasnow pitched eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to beat the San Francisco Giants, they decided to keep him in line to start Wednesday against Miami on five days rest.
Dodgers vs. Marlins pitching probables
Monday, 7:10 p.m.: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Chris Paddack
Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.: Shohei Ohtani vs. Janson Junk
Wednesday, 12:10 p.m.: Tyler Glasnow vs. Sandy Alcantara
After missing one game with a concussion, Victor Wembanyama is listed as active and will return to the court on Sunday for San Antonio as it takes on Portland in Game 4 of their first-round series.
Wembanyama exited Game 2 last Tuesday after a nasty face-first fall to the hardwood, and he was later diagnosed with a concussion and entered the NBA's concussion protocol. That process requires Wembanyama to be symptom-free after increasing levels of exertion, all monitored by a league-approved neurologist.
A return after five days is as quick as could reasonably have been expected.
Wembanyama, the 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, scored 35 points, with five rebounds and a couple of blocks in the opener in this series, a San Antonio win. However, the Trail Blazers came back to win Game 2 after Wembanyama exited following his concussion. The Spurs have a 2-1 series lead after rookie Dylan Harper scored 28 points off the bench and Stephon Castle scored 33 in Game 3 in Portland — a game that was a blown chance for the Trail Blazers to get a win against a shorthanded Spurs team.
Wembanyama is one of the finalists for MVP this season after averaging 25 points and 11.5 rebounds a game this season, while shooting 34.9% from 3-point range, and lifting the Spurs to 62 wins. His return puts the Spurs in the driver's seat in their first-round series.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 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
BOSTON — The Bruins had a great chance to bounce back from their Game 3 loss against the Buffalo Sabres three days ago and even their first-round playoff series with a Game 4 win Sunday afternoon at TD Garden.
The Sabres became the first team since the Hartford Whalers in 1991 to score four goals against the Bruins in the first period of a playoff game. Buffalo dominated from start to finish in a 6-1 victory to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Now the series shifts back to Buffalo for Game 5 on Tuesday night, and the Bruins must win that matchup (and the next two) to stave off elimination.
Here are four quick takeaways from the Bruins’ historic defeat.
1. David Pastrnak is really struggling
David Pastrnak led the playoffs in scoring with five points (one goal, four assists) through the first two games of the series. Was he dominating in those matchups? No, but he was making an impact at even strength and the power play.
He hasn’t given the B’s much of anything offensively the last two games, though, and it’s one of the primary reasons why Boston faces a 3-1 series deficit.
Pastrnak tallied zero points in Games 3 and 4 in Boston. He was especially ineffective Sunday with zero shots on net through two periods and one shot through 60 minutes. Nearly every time Pastrnak tried to make a move past a Sabres player, he lost the puck and the rush up ice was halted.
Pastrnak was asked postgame if he’s healthy and replied, “Yes.”
Even if he’s not 100 percent, the Bruins need him to play like a top 10 offensive player (which he is) to have any chance at mounting a series comeback. The Bruins badly need goals — they’ve scored only one in each of the last two games — and as a five-time 40-goal scorer, he has to lead the way in that department.
2. Turnovers prove costly
The Bruins were very sloppy with the puck, especially in the first period. Three of the Sabres’ first four goals were the direct result of a B’s turnover in their own zone.
Buffalo’s 10 goals scored within 10 seconds of forcing a turnover lead the playoffs.
“They did a good job getting on us quick. They had a lot of speed tonight,” Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “They came out on us quick. It’s something we have to look at to try to be a little stronger on pucks and kill their speed a little bit and not play into their game.”
3. Marco Sturm’s lineup changes don’t work
Taking top prospect James Hagens out of the lineup and putting Lukas Reichel in at third-line left wing did not have the intended impact. Reichel had a golden look at the net in the second period but he couldn’t get off a shot and failed to score. He didn’t make much of an impact the rest of the game.
Hagens is 19 years old and has very limited playoff experience. He didn’t play amazing in Game 3. But his speed and high-end offensive skill set are really needed for the Bruins right now. Putting him back into the lineup for Game 5 should be a no-brainer.
Jordan Harris also replaced Mason Lohrei on the right side of the second defense pairing next to Hampus Lindholm. It was a tough night for Harris in his playoff debut. He turned the puck over in the first period and the Sabres immediately capitalized with a goal that increased their lead to 3-0. Harris had enough time and space to clear the zone but didn’t execute.
ZACH BENSON BURIES HIS FIRST #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFF GOAL 😤
Harris was on the ice for two goals against, he had two turnovers and played the fewest minutes (13:37) by far of any Bruins defenseman. The Sabres had a 12-3 edge in scoring chances during Harris’ 12:18 of even-strength ice time.
In fairness, the whole team was bad, not just Harris. Now Sturm has to decide what to do with the blue line entering Game 5. Will the Bruins go back to Lohrei? Could Henri Jokiharju draw in? There aren’t many good options.
4. No home-ice advantage
The Bruins played awesome at home this season. Their 29 wins at TD Garden were tied for the second-most home wins of any Eastern Conference team in the regular season.
Finding that same success in the playoffs has proven very difficult. But it’s not just a 2026 problem.
The Bruins lost the last two games of this series at home, extending their losing streak in home playoff games to five. Boston’s last home playoff victory was Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 first round.
The B’s have lost 10 of their last 13 playoff games at the Garden dating back to the 2023 first-round series versus the Florida Panthers.
“Very disappointing,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said when asked about the team’s home struggles in this series. “I don’t know if we maybe thought it would just be easy here. I don’t know what happened, but we can’t do anything about it now except look forward and realize this is still a series.”
Home-ice advantage isn’t as powerful in the NHL as it used to be, but there’s still no reason for the Bruins to play so poorly in their own building, especially when it’s not an issue the first six months of the season.
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - APRIL 25: General view of Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú prior the MLB Mexico City Series game between San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on April 25, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (18-8) at Arizona Diamondbacks (14-12), April 26, 2026, 3:05 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu – Mexico City, Mexico
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In BC, all eyes are on the Vancouver Canucks heading into the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5. The Canucks, who finished 32nd overall in the NHL, will enter the lottery with the highest odds of drafting first-overall. Earning the first-overall selection would make them the second professional hockey team in Vancouver to earn a first-overall pick in their respective 2026 Entry Drafts, as the Vancouver Goldeneyes clinched this feat on Saturday night.
The Goldeneyes finished their inaugural PWHL season with a record of 9–3–4–14, ultimately being eliminated from playoff contention on April 18. This activated their race for the Gold Plan, which is a system that helps decide which of the eliminated teams will be awarded the first-overall pick. From after a team is eliminated until the end of the regular season, they will continue to collect points in the standings; however, these points will instead go towards a potential draft order, with the team that collects the most points being awarded the first-overall selection in the upcoming draft.
After taking a 4–3 overtime win against the Minnesota Frost on Saturday, and having the Seattle Torrent lose in a shootout, the Goldeneyes were able to secure the rights to the first-overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft.
The Canucks have yet to pick first-overall throughout franchise history, though their current odds should set them up well to do-so. They have made four selections at second-overall (Daniel Sedin, 1999; Petr Nedvěd, 1990; Trevor Linden, 1988; and Dale Tallon, 1970) and four at third-overall (Henrik Sedin, 1999; Dennis Ververgaert, 1973; Don Lever, 1972; and Jocelyn Guevremont, 1971).
Photo Credit: @Canucks - X
Interestingly, this would not be the first time a city’s (or overall demographic) NHL and PWHL team were both awarded the first-overall draft pick. This honour belongs to New York, as the Islanders and the Sirens both selected first-overall in the 2025 Draft, with the Islanders picking defenceman Matthew Schaefer and the Sirens selecting forward Kristýna Kaltounková.
The options at first-overall are bountiful for both the NHL and PWHL. For the NHL, forward Gavin McKenna appears to be the favourite to go first, though Ivar Stenberg has made a strong case for himself. From a PWHL standpoint, all signs point towards defender Caroline Harvey going first-overall; however, defender Laila Edwards, forward Abbey Murphy, and centre Tessa Janecke have all made notable impressions in their respective seasons.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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