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Deadspin | Astros, Rockies kick off series searching for reversal of fortune  Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images   On Monday, the Houston Astros completed a 10-game road trip so nightmarish that a starting pitcher allowing six earned runs over laborious six innings essentially represented a high point.  The Astros dropped the finale of a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Monday, extending their losing streak to eight games, the longest for the club since 2013. Houston, which will host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series, placed five players on the injured list during the road trip, including three members of its starting rotation.  With ace Hunter Brown and fellow right-handers Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai on the IL, the Astros’ rotation is in flux. Only Mike Burrows, who worked six innings on Monday, and Lance McCullers Jr., who didn’t escape the fifth inning on Saturday, remain in the rotation. Despite being in an early stage of the season, the Astros are in desperate need of a reset.  “This is a road trip that’s one to forget,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got to go home and start all over again.”  Left-hander Colton Gordon, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, is scheduled to start the series opener for the Astros. Gordon finished 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts) as a rookie last season. He made his big league debut on May 14, 2025, against the Kansas City Royals, but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 4-3 victory after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In three starts with Sugar Land this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.  In his lone career appearance against the Rockies, Gordon allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 6-5 road win on July 1, 2025.   Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) is the probable starter for the Rockies on Tuesday. He worked a scoreless inning of relief against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in his first appearance out of the bullpen after three turns through the rotation. Lorenzen is in his first season with the Rockies after pitching for the Royals last season and splitting time between Kansas City and the Texas Rangers in 2024. After spending his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen has pitched for six organizations since 2022.  Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA across seven career appearances (five starts) against the Astros. He earned the win against Houston on April 8 after allowing one run on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in the Rockies’ 9-1 home victory.  The Rockies followed their three-game sweep of the Astros last week by dropping all four games of a weekend series with the San Diego Padres. With their bullpen already taxed after the Padres scored 21 runs in the first three games of the series, the Rockies scratched left-hander Kyle Freeland before the series finale. Valente Bellozo salvaged things by working 4 1/3 innings of relief, but Colorado was looking forward to the off day in Houston on Monday.  “The off day will help big time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.  According to Schaeffer, left-hander Jose Quintana should be available during the series against the Astros after a recent bullpen session. Quintana landed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on March 30.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Astros #Rockies #kick #series #searching #reversal #fortune

Deadspin | Astros, Rockies kick off series searching for reversal of fortune
Deadspin | Astros, Rockies kick off series searching for reversal of fortune  Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images   On Monday, the Houston Astros completed a 10-game road trip so nightmarish that a starting pitcher allowing six earned runs over laborious six innings essentially represented a high point.  The Astros dropped the finale of a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Monday, extending their losing streak to eight games, the longest for the club since 2013. Houston, which will host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series, placed five players on the injured list during the road trip, including three members of its starting rotation.  With ace Hunter Brown and fellow right-handers Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai on the IL, the Astros’ rotation is in flux. Only Mike Burrows, who worked six innings on Monday, and Lance McCullers Jr., who didn’t escape the fifth inning on Saturday, remain in the rotation. Despite being in an early stage of the season, the Astros are in desperate need of a reset.  “This is a road trip that’s one to forget,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got to go home and start all over again.”  Left-hander Colton Gordon, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, is scheduled to start the series opener for the Astros. Gordon finished 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts) as a rookie last season. He made his big league debut on May 14, 2025, against the Kansas City Royals, but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 4-3 victory after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In three starts with Sugar Land this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.  In his lone career appearance against the Rockies, Gordon allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 6-5 road win on July 1, 2025.   Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) is the probable starter for the Rockies on Tuesday. He worked a scoreless inning of relief against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in his first appearance out of the bullpen after three turns through the rotation. Lorenzen is in his first season with the Rockies after pitching for the Royals last season and splitting time between Kansas City and the Texas Rangers in 2024. After spending his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen has pitched for six organizations since 2022.  Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA across seven career appearances (five starts) against the Astros. He earned the win against Houston on April 8 after allowing one run on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in the Rockies’ 9-1 home victory.  The Rockies followed their three-game sweep of the Astros last week by dropping all four games of a weekend series with the San Diego Padres. With their bullpen already taxed after the Padres scored 21 runs in the first three games of the series, the Rockies scratched left-hander Kyle Freeland before the series finale. Valente Bellozo salvaged things by working 4 1/3 innings of relief, but Colorado was looking forward to the off day in Houston on Monday.  “The off day will help big time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.  According to Schaeffer, left-hander Jose Quintana should be available during the series against the Astros after a recent bullpen session. Quintana landed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on March 30.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Astros #Rockies #kick #series #searching #reversal #fortuneApr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

On Monday, the Houston Astros completed a 10-game road trip so nightmarish that a starting pitcher allowing six earned runs over laborious six innings essentially represented a high point.

The Astros dropped the finale of a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Monday, extending their losing streak to eight games, the longest for the club since 2013. Houston, which will host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series, placed five players on the injured list during the road trip, including three members of its starting rotation.

With ace Hunter Brown and fellow right-handers Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai on the IL, the Astros’ rotation is in flux. Only Mike Burrows, who worked six innings on Monday, and Lance McCullers Jr., who didn’t escape the fifth inning on Saturday, remain in the rotation. Despite being in an early stage of the season, the Astros are in desperate need of a reset.

“This is a road trip that’s one to forget,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got to go home and start all over again.”

Left-hander Colton Gordon, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, is scheduled to start the series opener for the Astros. Gordon finished 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts) as a rookie last season. He made his big league debut on May 14, 2025, against the Kansas City Royals, but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 4-3 victory after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In three starts with Sugar Land this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.


In his lone career appearance against the Rockies, Gordon allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 6-5 road win on July 1, 2025.

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) is the probable starter for the Rockies on Tuesday. He worked a scoreless inning of relief against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in his first appearance out of the bullpen after three turns through the rotation. Lorenzen is in his first season with the Rockies after pitching for the Royals last season and splitting time between Kansas City and the Texas Rangers in 2024. After spending his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen has pitched for six organizations since 2022.

Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA across seven career appearances (five starts) against the Astros. He earned the win against Houston on April 8 after allowing one run on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in the Rockies’ 9-1 home victory.

The Rockies followed their three-game sweep of the Astros last week by dropping all four games of a weekend series with the San Diego Padres. With their bullpen already taxed after the Padres scored 21 runs in the first three games of the series, the Rockies scratched left-hander Kyle Freeland before the series finale. Valente Bellozo salvaged things by working 4 1/3 innings of relief, but Colorado was looking forward to the off day in Houston on Monday.

“The off day will help big time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

According to Schaeffer, left-hander Jose Quintana should be available during the series against the Astros after a recent bullpen session. Quintana landed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on March 30.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Astros #Rockies #kick #series #searching #reversal #fortune

Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

On Monday, the Houston Astros completed a 10-game road trip so nightmarish that a starting pitcher allowing six earned runs over laborious six innings essentially represented a high point.

The Astros dropped the finale of a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Monday, extending their losing streak to eight games, the longest for the club since 2013. Houston, which will host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series, placed five players on the injured list during the road trip, including three members of its starting rotation.

With ace Hunter Brown and fellow right-handers Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai on the IL, the Astros’ rotation is in flux. Only Mike Burrows, who worked six innings on Monday, and Lance McCullers Jr., who didn’t escape the fifth inning on Saturday, remain in the rotation. Despite being in an early stage of the season, the Astros are in desperate need of a reset.

“This is a road trip that’s one to forget,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got to go home and start all over again.”

Left-hander Colton Gordon, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, is scheduled to start the series opener for the Astros. Gordon finished 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts) as a rookie last season. He made his big league debut on May 14, 2025, against the Kansas City Royals, but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 4-3 victory after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In three starts with Sugar Land this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.

In his lone career appearance against the Rockies, Gordon allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 6-5 road win on July 1, 2025.

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) is the probable starter for the Rockies on Tuesday. He worked a scoreless inning of relief against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in his first appearance out of the bullpen after three turns through the rotation. Lorenzen is in his first season with the Rockies after pitching for the Royals last season and splitting time between Kansas City and the Texas Rangers in 2024. After spending his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen has pitched for six organizations since 2022.

Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA across seven career appearances (five starts) against the Astros. He earned the win against Houston on April 8 after allowing one run on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in the Rockies’ 9-1 home victory.

The Rockies followed their three-game sweep of the Astros last week by dropping all four games of a weekend series with the San Diego Padres. With their bullpen already taxed after the Padres scored 21 runs in the first three games of the series, the Rockies scratched left-hander Kyle Freeland before the series finale. Valente Bellozo salvaged things by working 4 1/3 innings of relief, but Colorado was looking forward to the off day in Houston on Monday.

“The off day will help big time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

According to Schaeffer, left-hander Jose Quintana should be available during the series against the Astros after a recent bullpen session. Quintana landed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on March 30.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Astros #Rockies #kick #series #searching #reversal #fortune

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UCL 2025-26 — Bayern in driving seat but wounded Real Madrid could be dangerous, says Manuel Neuer <div id="content-body-70862164" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Treble-chasing Bayern Munich is in control of its Champions League quarterfinal tie against Real ​Madrid after a 2-1 first-leg win but the Spanish giant, ‌struggling for form, could prove dangerous with its ​backs to the wall, Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer ⁠said on Tuesday.</p><p>The Bavarians host Real in the return leg on Wednesday, hoping to book a semifinal spot to go along ‌with their German Cup semifinal place and a 12-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.</p><p>Real, ‌out of Spain’s Copa del Rey and second ‌in ⁠La Liga, nine points behind Barcelona, has only ⁠one realistic shot at a trophy.</p><p>“Yes, it is a big chance for Real to improve things,” Neuer told a press conference. “It is a ​really difficult period for a ‌club like Real at the moment. We have experienced it ourselves in the past. When you are with your back to the wall you can move mountains,” Neuer ‌said.</p><p>But the Spaniards will be facing a Bayern ​team in stellar form. On Saturday it set a new Bundesliga all-time goal record, with ⁠its 5-0 demolition of St Pauli, to take its season tally to 105 goals with five games still remaining. The ‌previous best mark was 101 goals in the 1971-72 campaign.</p><p>“We are in a flow right now. We are still in all competitions and it’s in our own hands,” Neuer said. “We are sitting in the driver’s seat.”</p><p>Bayern can potentially secure the league title as early as this ‌weekend if Borussia Dortmund slips up on Saturday against Hoffenheim. It also ​faces Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup semifinal on April 22.</p><p>“We won the first match but ⁠there is only one goal difference,” the 40-year-old Neuer said. “We ⁠know the fight we have to deliver. But we have that one goal advantage.”</p><p>“Our motivation is sky ‌high so the starting point is good but we cannot overestimate it. We have experienced how ​Real can hit back but we are confident,” he said.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 14, 2026</p></div> #UCL #Bayern #driving #seat #wounded #Real #Madrid #dangerous #Manuel #Neuer

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Declan Rice left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with another injury worry on the eve of its Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Sporting Lisbon after missing the club’s open training session Tuesday.

Rice withdrew from England’s recent international against Japan but returned for Arsenal’s match against Sporting in Lisbon last week. He was also the stand-in captain for the table-topping Gunners’ shock defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.

ALSO READ: UEFA rejects Barcelona handball complaint ahead of Champions League second leg quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid

But the 27-year-old midfielder was not involved at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, also missing the session.

Saka has been sidelined from Arsenal’s last three matches, while captain Odegaard, in and out of the team through injury this season, was not fit enough for Arsenal’s loss against Bournemouth last weekend.

Timber, one of Arsenal’s best players this season, last featured in a 2-0 win against Everton a month ago.

Arsenal heads into Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates with a slender 1-0 lead from last week’s opening leg against Sporting secured by Kai Havertz’s late goal.

It will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth which allowed Manchester City to cut its advantage at the top of the table to six points. Arsenal travels to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.

Published on Apr 14, 2026

#UEFA #Champions #League #Rice #misses #training #add #Arsenal #injury #concerns #ahead #Sporting #clash">UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Rice misses training to add to Arsenal injury concerns ahead of Sporting clash  Declan Rice left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with another injury worry on the eve of its Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Sporting Lisbon after missing the club’s open training session Tuesday.Rice withdrew from England’s recent international against Japan but returned for Arsenal’s match against Sporting in Lisbon last week. He was also the stand-in captain for the table-topping Gunners’ shock defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.ALSO READ: UEFA rejects Barcelona handball complaint ahead of Champions League second leg quarterfinal against Atletico MadridBut the 27-year-old midfielder was not involved at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, also missing the session.Saka has been sidelined from Arsenal’s last three matches, while captain Odegaard, in and out of the team through injury this season, was not fit enough for Arsenal’s loss against Bournemouth last weekend.Timber, one of Arsenal’s best players this season, last featured in a 2-0 win against Everton a month ago.Arsenal heads into Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates with a slender 1-0 lead from last week’s opening leg against Sporting secured by Kai Havertz’s late goal.It will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth which allowed Manchester City to cut its advantage at the top of the table to six points. Arsenal travels to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.Published on Apr 14, 2026  #UEFA #Champions #League #Rice #misses #training #add #Arsenal #injury #concerns #ahead #Sporting #clash

UEFA rejects Barcelona handball complaint ahead of Champions League second leg quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid

But the 27-year-old midfielder was not involved at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, also missing the session.

Saka has been sidelined from Arsenal’s last three matches, while captain Odegaard, in and out of the team through injury this season, was not fit enough for Arsenal’s loss against Bournemouth last weekend.

Timber, one of Arsenal’s best players this season, last featured in a 2-0 win against Everton a month ago.

Arsenal heads into Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates with a slender 1-0 lead from last week’s opening leg against Sporting secured by Kai Havertz’s late goal.

It will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth which allowed Manchester City to cut its advantage at the top of the table to six points. Arsenal travels to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.

Published on Apr 14, 2026

#UEFA #Champions #League #Rice #misses #training #add #Arsenal #injury #concerns #ahead #Sporting #clash">UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Rice misses training to add to Arsenal injury concerns ahead of Sporting clash

Declan Rice left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with another injury worry on the eve of its Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Sporting Lisbon after missing the club’s open training session Tuesday.

Rice withdrew from England’s recent international against Japan but returned for Arsenal’s match against Sporting in Lisbon last week. He was also the stand-in captain for the table-topping Gunners’ shock defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.

ALSO READ: UEFA rejects Barcelona handball complaint ahead of Champions League second leg quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid

But the 27-year-old midfielder was not involved at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, also missing the session.

Saka has been sidelined from Arsenal’s last three matches, while captain Odegaard, in and out of the team through injury this season, was not fit enough for Arsenal’s loss against Bournemouth last weekend.

Timber, one of Arsenal’s best players this season, last featured in a 2-0 win against Everton a month ago.

Arsenal heads into Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates with a slender 1-0 lead from last week’s opening leg against Sporting secured by Kai Havertz’s late goal.

It will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth which allowed Manchester City to cut its advantage at the top of the table to six points. Arsenal travels to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.

Published on Apr 14, 2026

#UEFA #Champions #League #Rice #misses #training #add #Arsenal #injury #concerns #ahead #Sporting #clash
Deadspin | Hurricanes complete playoff prep against Islanders  Apr 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) in action against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images   For most of the past several months, the regular-season finale between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders looked as if it would be a potential playoff preview.  However, while the Hurricanes will be in tune-up mode on Tuesday, the Islanders will be wondering where a previously successful season went wrong as they prepare for an uncertain spring and summer.  The Hurricanes and Islanders will close out their regular-season schedules on Tuesday when Carolina faces New York in a battle of Metropolitan Division rivals in Elmont, N.Y.  The Hurricanes will be completing a back-to-back road set after falling to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in the shootout Monday night. The Islanders were off Monday after their costly late-season skid continued Sunday, when they were eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-1 loss to the visiting Montreal Canadiens.  The Islanders (43-33-5, 91 points) needed to win their final two games and have the Flyers lose their final two to have any chance of getting the third and final playoff berth from the division.  However, getting eliminated on the ice served as a stark reminder of the scope of the collapse for the Islanders, who were in third place in the Metropolitan for most of the previous four months before going 4-9-0 since March 19.  First-year general manager Mathieu Darche fired head coach Patrick Roy on April 5. The Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 in Peter DeBoer’s debut on Thursday, but New York then fell 3-0 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday before being blanked into the third period on Sunday.  “I feel for them,” DeBoer said Sunday night. “They put in 81 games here and seven months. So that’s a lot of blood, sweat and work that went into that. And when the lights go out on a season, it’s never easy after you put in that kind of time.”   The hard part may be coming for Darche and the Islanders, who found a franchise cornerstone in rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer (23 goals and 59 points). But New York has four defenseman 30 or older, and Darche needs to decide the fate of captain Anders Lee, who is 35 and headed for free agency.  The short-term focus is much different for the Hurricanes (52-22-7, 111 points), who won the Metropolitan Division and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference by collecting a point for the shootout loss on Monday.  Carolina will oppose the second wild card — either the Boston Bruins or the Senators — in the first round of the postseason this weekend.  “That’s a huge accomplishment,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It says you had a real good year and you came to play every night. You can’t luck into that.”  Carolina is in the playoffs for the eighth straight season, breaking the franchise record set by the then-Hartford Whalers from 1986 through 1992. But the Hurricanes have yet to appear in the Stanley Cup Final during their current run, They reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2019, losing to the Bruins, and fell in the East to the Florida Panthers in both 2023 and 2025.  With the playoffs on the horizon, the Hurricanes scratched Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis — their first-, second- and fourth-leading scorers — on Monday along with captain Jordan Staal and top defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jaccob Slavin.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Hurricanes #complete #playoff #prep #IslandersApr 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) in action against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

For most of the past several months, the regular-season finale between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders looked as if it would be a potential playoff preview.

However, while the Hurricanes will be in tune-up mode on Tuesday, the Islanders will be wondering where a previously successful season went wrong as they prepare for an uncertain spring and summer.

The Hurricanes and Islanders will close out their regular-season schedules on Tuesday when Carolina faces New York in a battle of Metropolitan Division rivals in Elmont, N.Y.

The Hurricanes will be completing a back-to-back road set after falling to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in the shootout Monday night. The Islanders were off Monday after their costly late-season skid continued Sunday, when they were eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-1 loss to the visiting Montreal Canadiens.

The Islanders (43-33-5, 91 points) needed to win their final two games and have the Flyers lose their final two to have any chance of getting the third and final playoff berth from the division.

However, getting eliminated on the ice served as a stark reminder of the scope of the collapse for the Islanders, who were in third place in the Metropolitan for most of the previous four months before going 4-9-0 since March 19.

First-year general manager Mathieu Darche fired head coach Patrick Roy on April 5. The Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 in Peter DeBoer’s debut on Thursday, but New York then fell 3-0 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday before being blanked into the third period on Sunday.


“I feel for them,” DeBoer said Sunday night. “They put in 81 games here and seven months. So that’s a lot of blood, sweat and work that went into that. And when the lights go out on a season, it’s never easy after you put in that kind of time.”

The hard part may be coming for Darche and the Islanders, who found a franchise cornerstone in rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer (23 goals and 59 points). But New York has four defenseman 30 or older, and Darche needs to decide the fate of captain Anders Lee, who is 35 and headed for free agency.

The short-term focus is much different for the Hurricanes (52-22-7, 111 points), who won the Metropolitan Division and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference by collecting a point for the shootout loss on Monday.

Carolina will oppose the second wild card — either the Boston Bruins or the Senators — in the first round of the postseason this weekend.

“That’s a huge accomplishment,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It says you had a real good year and you came to play every night. You can’t luck into that.”

Carolina is in the playoffs for the eighth straight season, breaking the franchise record set by the then-Hartford Whalers from 1986 through 1992. But the Hurricanes have yet to appear in the Stanley Cup Final during their current run, They reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2019, losing to the Bruins, and fell in the East to the Florida Panthers in both 2023 and 2025.

With the playoffs on the horizon, the Hurricanes scratched Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis — their first-, second- and fourth-leading scorers — on Monday along with captain Jordan Staal and top defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jaccob Slavin.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Hurricanes #complete #playoff #prep #Islanders">Deadspin | Hurricanes complete playoff prep against Islanders  Apr 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) in action against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images   For most of the past several months, the regular-season finale between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders looked as if it would be a potential playoff preview.  However, while the Hurricanes will be in tune-up mode on Tuesday, the Islanders will be wondering where a previously successful season went wrong as they prepare for an uncertain spring and summer.  The Hurricanes and Islanders will close out their regular-season schedules on Tuesday when Carolina faces New York in a battle of Metropolitan Division rivals in Elmont, N.Y.  The Hurricanes will be completing a back-to-back road set after falling to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in the shootout Monday night. The Islanders were off Monday after their costly late-season skid continued Sunday, when they were eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-1 loss to the visiting Montreal Canadiens.  The Islanders (43-33-5, 91 points) needed to win their final two games and have the Flyers lose their final two to have any chance of getting the third and final playoff berth from the division.  However, getting eliminated on the ice served as a stark reminder of the scope of the collapse for the Islanders, who were in third place in the Metropolitan for most of the previous four months before going 4-9-0 since March 19.  First-year general manager Mathieu Darche fired head coach Patrick Roy on April 5. The Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 in Peter DeBoer’s debut on Thursday, but New York then fell 3-0 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday before being blanked into the third period on Sunday.  “I feel for them,” DeBoer said Sunday night. “They put in 81 games here and seven months. So that’s a lot of blood, sweat and work that went into that. And when the lights go out on a season, it’s never easy after you put in that kind of time.”   The hard part may be coming for Darche and the Islanders, who found a franchise cornerstone in rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer (23 goals and 59 points). But New York has four defenseman 30 or older, and Darche needs to decide the fate of captain Anders Lee, who is 35 and headed for free agency.  The short-term focus is much different for the Hurricanes (52-22-7, 111 points), who won the Metropolitan Division and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference by collecting a point for the shootout loss on Monday.  Carolina will oppose the second wild card — either the Boston Bruins or the Senators — in the first round of the postseason this weekend.  “That’s a huge accomplishment,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It says you had a real good year and you came to play every night. You can’t luck into that.”  Carolina is in the playoffs for the eighth straight season, breaking the franchise record set by the then-Hartford Whalers from 1986 through 1992. But the Hurricanes have yet to appear in the Stanley Cup Final during their current run, They reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2019, losing to the Bruins, and fell in the East to the Florida Panthers in both 2023 and 2025.  With the playoffs on the horizon, the Hurricanes scratched Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis — their first-, second- and fourth-leading scorers — on Monday along with captain Jordan Staal and top defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jaccob Slavin.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Hurricanes #complete #playoff #prep #Islanders

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