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Deadspin | NHL roundup: Mammoth, Penguins clinch playoff berths Apr 9, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) celebrates with defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) after defeating the Nashville Predators in the third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the Utah Mammoth, who clinched a playoff berth shortly after earning a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Salt Lake City. The Anaheim Ducks’ subsequent 6-1 win over the San Jose Sharks allowed Utah to seal a postseason bid in its second season. Clayton Keller had three primary assists for the Mammoth, who won their fifth straight game. Kailer Yamamoto and Lawson Crouse also scored goals, and Logan Cooley added two assists. Karel Vejmelka finished with 29 saves. Erik Haula scored a goal and Juuse Saros made 23 saves for Nashville, which had a four-game point streak (3-0-1) snapped. The Predators are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot. Penguins 5, Devils 2 Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov scored nine seconds apart for Pittsburgh, which clinched its first playoff spot since 2022 by winning in Newark, N.J. Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins. Chinakhov and Sidney Crosby had a pair of assists apiece, while Malkin and Karlsson both added a helper. Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots. Paul Cotter and Jack Hughes were the goal-scorers for the Devils. Jake Allen made 25 saves. Avalanche 3, Flames 1 Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas had a goal and two assists each as Colorado beat Calgary in Denver to clinch the top overall seed for the postseason. MacKinnon set a career high with his 52nd goal, Gabriel Landeskog also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 28 shots, helping the Avalanche clinch the Presidents’ Trophy for the fourth time. Tyson Gross scored his first NHL goal in his third career game and Dustin Wolf made 38 saves for the Flames, who have dropped four of their past five games (1-3-1). Hurricanes 7, Blackhawks 2 Logan Stankoven had two goals and an assist and Mark Jankowski scored twice to lift visiting Carolina to a victory over Chicago. The Hurricanes moved two points ahead of Buffalo for home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Frederik Andersen made 23 saves for Carolina while William Carrier earned three assists. Taylor Hall recorded a goal and an assist, and K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker also scored. The Blackhawks sputtered to their seventh loss in eight games (1-6-1). Anton Frondell scored twice for Chicago, Louis Crevier had two assists, and Spencer Knight stopped 15 shots. Senators 5, Panthers 1 Fabian Zetterlund scored twice, Jake Sanderson had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 22 saves as Ottawa inched closer to a playoff berth with a victory over visiting Florida. Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Giroux also scored for Ottawa, which completed a 4-1 homestand and stayed three points ahead of the Islanders and the Red Wings for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card slot. The Senators also moved within two points of the idle Boston Bruins for the first wild-card slot. Jesper Boqvist scored with 5:43 remaining in the game for the Panthers, slipping the puck past Ullmark to avoid the shutout. Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 23 of 27 shots. Islanders 5, Maple Leafs 3 Matthew Schaefer tied the rookie record for goals by a defenseman (23) as New York, in its first game with Peter DeBoer as head coach, defeated visiting Toronto. Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist and Tony DeAngelo returned from an injury absence to register two assists as the Islanders snapped a four-game skid. Ilya Sorokin made 13 saves. The Maple Leafs got goals from Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly. Artur Akhtyamov stopped 39 of 44 shots in his first NHL start. Red Wings 6, Flyers 3 Dylan Larkin recorded a hat trick and an assist to highlight Detroit’s resounding victory over visiting Philadelphia. Alex DeBrincat became the first Red Wings player with 40 goals in a season since Marian Hossa in 2009. Moritz Seider had a goal and four assists and Patrick Kane added a goal and two helpers for Detroit, which had lost seven of its previous nine games (2-6-1). Porter Martone had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who had won three in a row. Christian Dvorak and Luke Glendening also scored for Philadelphia. Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 0 Colten Ellis made 37 saves for his first career shutout in host Buffalo’s win over Columbus. Josh Doan had two goals and Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the first-place Sabres, who won their third straight game and remained two points up on Montreal in the Atlantic Division. Josh Norris and Logan Stanley had two assists each. Jet Greaves stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets, who are 1-6-1 in their past eight as their playoff chances absorbed a potentially mortal blow. Canadiens 2, Lightning 1 Juraj Slafkovsky scored with 1:04 remaining in the third period and host Montreal edged Tampa Bay. Cole Caufield notched his 50th goal of the season for the Canadiens. Suzuki had two assists, Slafkovsky tallied a goal and an assist and Jakub Dobes made 17 saves. Darren Raddysh tallied and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves for the Lightning, who have lost three straight and trail the second-place Canadiens by two points and the first-place Sabres by four in the Atlantic Division. Jets 3, Blues 2 Mark Scheifele reached 99 points on the season with two assists as Winnipeg won its third straight, prevailing at St. Louis. Alex Iafallo, Josh Morrissey and Jonathan Toews scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves as Winnipeg kept its faint playoff hopes alive. The loss all but guaranteed the Blues will miss the postseason. Dylan Holloway had a goal and an assist for St. Louis. Colton Parayko also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 31 stops. Kraken 4, Golden Knights 3 (SO) Rookie Berkly Catton sparked a rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period and scored the winner in the fifth round of a shootout as Seattle kept its slim postseason hopes alive with a victory against visiting Vegas. Jared McCann and Bobby McMann also scored in regulation and Vince Dunn had two assists for the Kraken, who snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Joey Daccord made 31 saves and stopped four of five shootout attempts. Mark Stone scored twice, Brett Howden also tallied and Adin Hill stopped 30 shots for the Golden Knights, who lost for the first time in five games under new coach John Tortorella. Vegas is tied with the Anaheim for second in the Pacific Division, both teams one point behind Edmonton. Stars 5, Wild 4 Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Colin Blackwell each had a goal and an assist in Dallas’ comeback win over visiting Minnesota. The game was a postseason preview, as the teams will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Cameron Hughes scored his first career goal and Esa Lindell had two assists for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots. The Wild got two goals from Kirill Kaprizov and a goal and an assist from Quinn Hughes. Ryan Hartman also scored, Mats Zuccarello had three assists, and Matt Boldy added two helpers. Filip Gustavsson made 15 saves. Kings 4, Canucks 1 Adrian Kempe scored two goals and Anton Forsberg stopped 24 of 25 shots as Los Angeles gave its playoff hopes a huge boost with a victory over visiting Vancouver. Trevor Moore and Joel Armia scored goals and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Kings, who vaulted past the Predators in the race for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. Marcus Pettersson scored and Nikita Tolopilo made 22 saves for the Canucks, who lost their fourth straight game. Ducks 6, Sharks 1 John Carlson’s first career hat trick paced Anaheim to a win over visiting San Jose. Leo Carlsson, Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano had the other goals as the Ducks snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Beckett Sennecke, Pavel Mintyukov, Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund chipped in a pair of helpers each, and Lukas Dostal made 18 saves. Shakir Mukhamadullin tallied and Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 shots for the Sharks, who have dropped back-to-back games. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #NHL #roundup #Mammoth #Penguins #clinch #playoff #berths

Deadspin | NHL roundup: Mammoth, Penguins clinch playoff berths
Deadspin | NHL roundup: Mammoth, Penguins clinch playoff berths Apr 9, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) celebrates with defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) after defeating the Nashville Predators in the third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the Utah Mammoth, who clinched a playoff berth shortly after earning a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Salt Lake City. The Anaheim Ducks’ subsequent 6-1 win over the San Jose Sharks allowed Utah to seal a postseason bid in its second season. Clayton Keller had three primary assists for the Mammoth, who won their fifth straight game. Kailer Yamamoto and Lawson Crouse also scored goals, and Logan Cooley added two assists. Karel Vejmelka finished with 29 saves. Erik Haula scored a goal and Juuse Saros made 23 saves for Nashville, which had a four-game point streak (3-0-1) snapped. The Predators are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot. Penguins 5, Devils 2 Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov scored nine seconds apart for Pittsburgh, which clinched its first playoff spot since 2022 by winning in Newark, N.J. Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins. Chinakhov and Sidney Crosby had a pair of assists apiece, while Malkin and Karlsson both added a helper. Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots. Paul Cotter and Jack Hughes were the goal-scorers for the Devils. Jake Allen made 25 saves. Avalanche 3, Flames 1 Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas had a goal and two assists each as Colorado beat Calgary in Denver to clinch the top overall seed for the postseason. MacKinnon set a career high with his 52nd goal, Gabriel Landeskog also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 28 shots, helping the Avalanche clinch the Presidents’ Trophy for the fourth time. Tyson Gross scored his first NHL goal in his third career game and Dustin Wolf made 38 saves for the Flames, who have dropped four of their past five games (1-3-1). Hurricanes 7, Blackhawks 2 Logan Stankoven had two goals and an assist and Mark Jankowski scored twice to lift visiting Carolina to a victory over Chicago. The Hurricanes moved two points ahead of Buffalo for home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Frederik Andersen made 23 saves for Carolina while William Carrier earned three assists. Taylor Hall recorded a goal and an assist, and K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker also scored. The Blackhawks sputtered to their seventh loss in eight games (1-6-1). Anton Frondell scored twice for Chicago, Louis Crevier had two assists, and Spencer Knight stopped 15 shots. Senators 5, Panthers 1 Fabian Zetterlund scored twice, Jake Sanderson had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 22 saves as Ottawa inched closer to a playoff berth with a victory over visiting Florida. Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Giroux also scored for Ottawa, which completed a 4-1 homestand and stayed three points ahead of the Islanders and the Red Wings for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card slot. The Senators also moved within two points of the idle Boston Bruins for the first wild-card slot. Jesper Boqvist scored with 5:43 remaining in the game for the Panthers, slipping the puck past Ullmark to avoid the shutout. Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 23 of 27 shots. Islanders 5, Maple Leafs 3 Matthew Schaefer tied the rookie record for goals by a defenseman (23) as New York, in its first game with Peter DeBoer as head coach, defeated visiting Toronto. Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist and Tony DeAngelo returned from an injury absence to register two assists as the Islanders snapped a four-game skid. Ilya Sorokin made 13 saves. The Maple Leafs got goals from Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly. Artur Akhtyamov stopped 39 of 44 shots in his first NHL start. Red Wings 6, Flyers 3 Dylan Larkin recorded a hat trick and an assist to highlight Detroit’s resounding victory over visiting Philadelphia. Alex DeBrincat became the first Red Wings player with 40 goals in a season since Marian Hossa in 2009. Moritz Seider had a goal and four assists and Patrick Kane added a goal and two helpers for Detroit, which had lost seven of its previous nine games (2-6-1). Porter Martone had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who had won three in a row. Christian Dvorak and Luke Glendening also scored for Philadelphia. Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 0 Colten Ellis made 37 saves for his first career shutout in host Buffalo’s win over Columbus. Josh Doan had two goals and Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the first-place Sabres, who won their third straight game and remained two points up on Montreal in the Atlantic Division. Josh Norris and Logan Stanley had two assists each. Jet Greaves stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets, who are 1-6-1 in their past eight as their playoff chances absorbed a potentially mortal blow. Canadiens 2, Lightning 1 Juraj Slafkovsky scored with 1:04 remaining in the third period and host Montreal edged Tampa Bay. Cole Caufield notched his 50th goal of the season for the Canadiens. Suzuki had two assists, Slafkovsky tallied a goal and an assist and Jakub Dobes made 17 saves. Darren Raddysh tallied and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves for the Lightning, who have lost three straight and trail the second-place Canadiens by two points and the first-place Sabres by four in the Atlantic Division. Jets 3, Blues 2 Mark Scheifele reached 99 points on the season with two assists as Winnipeg won its third straight, prevailing at St. Louis. Alex Iafallo, Josh Morrissey and Jonathan Toews scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves as Winnipeg kept its faint playoff hopes alive. The loss all but guaranteed the Blues will miss the postseason. Dylan Holloway had a goal and an assist for St. Louis. Colton Parayko also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 31 stops. Kraken 4, Golden Knights 3 (SO) Rookie Berkly Catton sparked a rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period and scored the winner in the fifth round of a shootout as Seattle kept its slim postseason hopes alive with a victory against visiting Vegas. Jared McCann and Bobby McMann also scored in regulation and Vince Dunn had two assists for the Kraken, who snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Joey Daccord made 31 saves and stopped four of five shootout attempts. Mark Stone scored twice, Brett Howden also tallied and Adin Hill stopped 30 shots for the Golden Knights, who lost for the first time in five games under new coach John Tortorella. Vegas is tied with the Anaheim for second in the Pacific Division, both teams one point behind Edmonton. Stars 5, Wild 4 Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Colin Blackwell each had a goal and an assist in Dallas’ comeback win over visiting Minnesota. The game was a postseason preview, as the teams will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Cameron Hughes scored his first career goal and Esa Lindell had two assists for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots. The Wild got two goals from Kirill Kaprizov and a goal and an assist from Quinn Hughes. Ryan Hartman also scored, Mats Zuccarello had three assists, and Matt Boldy added two helpers. Filip Gustavsson made 15 saves. Kings 4, Canucks 1 Adrian Kempe scored two goals and Anton Forsberg stopped 24 of 25 shots as Los Angeles gave its playoff hopes a huge boost with a victory over visiting Vancouver. Trevor Moore and Joel Armia scored goals and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Kings, who vaulted past the Predators in the race for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. Marcus Pettersson scored and Nikita Tolopilo made 22 saves for the Canucks, who lost their fourth straight game. Ducks 6, Sharks 1 John Carlson’s first career hat trick paced Anaheim to a win over visiting San Jose. Leo Carlsson, Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano had the other goals as the Ducks snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Beckett Sennecke, Pavel Mintyukov, Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund chipped in a pair of helpers each, and Lukas Dostal made 18 saves. Shakir Mukhamadullin tallied and Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 shots for the Sharks, who have dropped back-to-back games. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #NHL #roundup #Mammoth #Penguins #clinch #playoff #berthsApr 9, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) celebrates with defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) after defeating the Nashville Predators in the third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the Utah Mammoth, who clinched a playoff berth shortly after earning a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Salt Lake City.

The Anaheim Ducks’ subsequent 6-1 win over the San Jose Sharks allowed Utah to seal a postseason bid in its second season.

Clayton Keller had three primary assists for the Mammoth, who won their fifth straight game. Kailer Yamamoto and Lawson Crouse also scored goals, and Logan Cooley added two assists. Karel Vejmelka finished with 29 saves.

Erik Haula scored a goal and Juuse Saros made 23 saves for Nashville, which had a four-game point streak (3-0-1) snapped. The Predators are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot.

Penguins 5, Devils 2

Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov scored nine seconds apart for Pittsburgh, which clinched its first playoff spot since 2022 by winning in Newark, N.J.

Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins. Chinakhov and Sidney Crosby had a pair of assists apiece, while Malkin and Karlsson both added a helper. Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots.

Paul Cotter and Jack Hughes were the goal-scorers for the Devils. Jake Allen made 25 saves.

Avalanche 3, Flames 1

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas had a goal and two assists each as Colorado beat Calgary in Denver to clinch the top overall seed for the postseason.

MacKinnon set a career high with his 52nd goal, Gabriel Landeskog also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 28 shots, helping the Avalanche clinch the Presidents’ Trophy for the fourth time.

Tyson Gross scored his first NHL goal in his third career game and Dustin Wolf made 38 saves for the Flames, who have dropped four of their past five games (1-3-1).

Hurricanes 7, Blackhawks 2

Logan Stankoven had two goals and an assist and Mark Jankowski scored twice to lift visiting Carolina to a victory over Chicago.

The Hurricanes moved two points ahead of Buffalo for home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Frederik Andersen made 23 saves for Carolina while William Carrier earned three assists. Taylor Hall recorded a goal and an assist, and K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker also scored.

The Blackhawks sputtered to their seventh loss in eight games (1-6-1). Anton Frondell scored twice for Chicago, Louis Crevier had two assists, and Spencer Knight stopped 15 shots.

Senators 5, Panthers 1

Fabian Zetterlund scored twice, Jake Sanderson had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 22 saves as Ottawa inched closer to a playoff berth with a victory over visiting Florida.

Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Giroux also scored for Ottawa, which completed a 4-1 homestand and stayed three points ahead of the Islanders and the Red Wings for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card slot. The Senators also moved within two points of the idle Boston Bruins for the first wild-card slot.

Jesper Boqvist scored with 5:43 remaining in the game for the Panthers, slipping the puck past Ullmark to avoid the shutout. Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 23 of 27 shots.

Islanders 5, Maple Leafs 3

Matthew Schaefer tied the rookie record for goals by a defenseman (23) as New York, in its first game with Peter DeBoer as head coach, defeated visiting Toronto.

Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist and Tony DeAngelo returned from an injury absence to register two assists as the Islanders snapped a four-game skid. Ilya Sorokin made 13 saves.

The Maple Leafs got goals from Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly. Artur Akhtyamov stopped 39 of 44 shots in his first NHL start.

Red Wings 6, Flyers 3

Dylan Larkin recorded a hat trick and an assist to highlight Detroit’s resounding victory over visiting Philadelphia.

Alex DeBrincat became the first Red Wings player with 40 goals in a season since Marian Hossa in 2009. Moritz Seider had a goal and four assists and Patrick Kane added a goal and two helpers for Detroit, which had lost seven of its previous nine games (2-6-1).

Porter Martone had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who had won three in a row. Christian Dvorak and Luke Glendening also scored for Philadelphia.


Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 0

Colten Ellis made 37 saves for his first career shutout in host Buffalo’s win over Columbus.

Josh Doan had two goals and Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the first-place Sabres, who won their third straight game and remained two points up on Montreal in the Atlantic Division. Josh Norris and Logan Stanley had two assists each.

Jet Greaves stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets, who are 1-6-1 in their past eight as their playoff chances absorbed a potentially mortal blow.

Canadiens 2, Lightning 1

Juraj Slafkovsky scored with 1:04 remaining in the third period and host Montreal edged Tampa Bay.

Cole Caufield notched his 50th goal of the season for the Canadiens. Suzuki had two assists, Slafkovsky tallied a goal and an assist and Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.

Darren Raddysh tallied and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves for the Lightning, who have lost three straight and trail the second-place Canadiens by two points and the first-place Sabres by four in the Atlantic Division.

Jets 3, Blues 2

Mark Scheifele reached 99 points on the season with two assists as Winnipeg won its third straight, prevailing at St. Louis.

Alex Iafallo, Josh Morrissey and Jonathan Toews scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves as Winnipeg kept its faint playoff hopes alive. The loss all but guaranteed the Blues will miss the postseason.

Dylan Holloway had a goal and an assist for St. Louis. Colton Parayko also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 31 stops.

Kraken 4, Golden Knights 3 (SO)

Rookie Berkly Catton sparked a rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period and scored the winner in the fifth round of a shootout as Seattle kept its slim postseason hopes alive with a victory against visiting Vegas.

Jared McCann and Bobby McMann also scored in regulation and Vince Dunn had two assists for the Kraken, who snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Joey Daccord made 31 saves and stopped four of five shootout attempts.

Mark Stone scored twice, Brett Howden also tallied and Adin Hill stopped 30 shots for the Golden Knights, who lost for the first time in five games under new coach John Tortorella. Vegas is tied with the Anaheim for second in the Pacific Division, both teams one point behind Edmonton.

Stars 5, Wild 4

Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Colin Blackwell each had a goal and an assist in Dallas’ comeback win over visiting Minnesota. The game was a postseason preview, as the teams will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cameron Hughes scored his first career goal and Esa Lindell had two assists for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots.

The Wild got two goals from Kirill Kaprizov and a goal and an assist from Quinn Hughes. Ryan Hartman also scored, Mats Zuccarello had three assists, and Matt Boldy added two helpers. Filip Gustavsson made 15 saves.

Kings 4, Canucks 1

Adrian Kempe scored two goals and Anton Forsberg stopped 24 of 25 shots as Los Angeles gave its playoff hopes a huge boost with a victory over visiting Vancouver.

Trevor Moore and Joel Armia scored goals and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Kings, who vaulted past the Predators in the race for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Marcus Pettersson scored and Nikita Tolopilo made 22 saves for the Canucks, who lost their fourth straight game.

Ducks 6, Sharks 1

John Carlson’s first career hat trick paced Anaheim to a win over visiting San Jose.

Leo Carlsson, Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano had the other goals as the Ducks snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Beckett Sennecke, Pavel Mintyukov, Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund chipped in a pair of helpers each, and Lukas Dostal made 18 saves.

Shakir Mukhamadullin tallied and Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 shots for the Sharks, who have dropped back-to-back games.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #NHL #roundup #Mammoth #Penguins #clinch #playoff #berths

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Apr 9, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) celebrates with defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) after defeating the Nashville Predators in the third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the Utah Mammoth, who clinched a playoff berth shortly after earning a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Salt Lake City.

The Anaheim Ducks’ subsequent 6-1 win over the San Jose Sharks allowed Utah to seal a postseason bid in its second season.

Clayton Keller had three primary assists for the Mammoth, who won their fifth straight game. Kailer Yamamoto and Lawson Crouse also scored goals, and Logan Cooley added two assists. Karel Vejmelka finished with 29 saves.

Erik Haula scored a goal and Juuse Saros made 23 saves for Nashville, which had a four-game point streak (3-0-1) snapped. The Predators are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot.

Penguins 5, Devils 2

Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov scored nine seconds apart for Pittsburgh, which clinched its first playoff spot since 2022 by winning in Newark, N.J.

Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins. Chinakhov and Sidney Crosby had a pair of assists apiece, while Malkin and Karlsson both added a helper. Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots.

Paul Cotter and Jack Hughes were the goal-scorers for the Devils. Jake Allen made 25 saves.

Avalanche 3, Flames 1

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas had a goal and two assists each as Colorado beat Calgary in Denver to clinch the top overall seed for the postseason.

MacKinnon set a career high with his 52nd goal, Gabriel Landeskog also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 28 shots, helping the Avalanche clinch the Presidents’ Trophy for the fourth time.

Tyson Gross scored his first NHL goal in his third career game and Dustin Wolf made 38 saves for the Flames, who have dropped four of their past five games (1-3-1).

Hurricanes 7, Blackhawks 2

Logan Stankoven had two goals and an assist and Mark Jankowski scored twice to lift visiting Carolina to a victory over Chicago.

The Hurricanes moved two points ahead of Buffalo for home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Frederik Andersen made 23 saves for Carolina while William Carrier earned three assists. Taylor Hall recorded a goal and an assist, and K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker also scored.

The Blackhawks sputtered to their seventh loss in eight games (1-6-1). Anton Frondell scored twice for Chicago, Louis Crevier had two assists, and Spencer Knight stopped 15 shots.

Senators 5, Panthers 1

Fabian Zetterlund scored twice, Jake Sanderson had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 22 saves as Ottawa inched closer to a playoff berth with a victory over visiting Florida.

Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Giroux also scored for Ottawa, which completed a 4-1 homestand and stayed three points ahead of the Islanders and the Red Wings for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card slot. The Senators also moved within two points of the idle Boston Bruins for the first wild-card slot.

Jesper Boqvist scored with 5:43 remaining in the game for the Panthers, slipping the puck past Ullmark to avoid the shutout. Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 23 of 27 shots.

Islanders 5, Maple Leafs 3

Matthew Schaefer tied the rookie record for goals by a defenseman (23) as New York, in its first game with Peter DeBoer as head coach, defeated visiting Toronto.

Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist and Tony DeAngelo returned from an injury absence to register two assists as the Islanders snapped a four-game skid. Ilya Sorokin made 13 saves.

The Maple Leafs got goals from Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly. Artur Akhtyamov stopped 39 of 44 shots in his first NHL start.

Red Wings 6, Flyers 3

Dylan Larkin recorded a hat trick and an assist to highlight Detroit’s resounding victory over visiting Philadelphia.

Alex DeBrincat became the first Red Wings player with 40 goals in a season since Marian Hossa in 2009. Moritz Seider had a goal and four assists and Patrick Kane added a goal and two helpers for Detroit, which had lost seven of its previous nine games (2-6-1).

Porter Martone had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who had won three in a row. Christian Dvorak and Luke Glendening also scored for Philadelphia.

Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 0

Colten Ellis made 37 saves for his first career shutout in host Buffalo’s win over Columbus.

Josh Doan had two goals and Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the first-place Sabres, who won their third straight game and remained two points up on Montreal in the Atlantic Division. Josh Norris and Logan Stanley had two assists each.

Jet Greaves stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets, who are 1-6-1 in their past eight as their playoff chances absorbed a potentially mortal blow.

Canadiens 2, Lightning 1

Juraj Slafkovsky scored with 1:04 remaining in the third period and host Montreal edged Tampa Bay.

Cole Caufield notched his 50th goal of the season for the Canadiens. Suzuki had two assists, Slafkovsky tallied a goal and an assist and Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.

Darren Raddysh tallied and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves for the Lightning, who have lost three straight and trail the second-place Canadiens by two points and the first-place Sabres by four in the Atlantic Division.

Jets 3, Blues 2

Mark Scheifele reached 99 points on the season with two assists as Winnipeg won its third straight, prevailing at St. Louis.

Alex Iafallo, Josh Morrissey and Jonathan Toews scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves as Winnipeg kept its faint playoff hopes alive. The loss all but guaranteed the Blues will miss the postseason.

Dylan Holloway had a goal and an assist for St. Louis. Colton Parayko also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 31 stops.

Kraken 4, Golden Knights 3 (SO)

Rookie Berkly Catton sparked a rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period and scored the winner in the fifth round of a shootout as Seattle kept its slim postseason hopes alive with a victory against visiting Vegas.

Jared McCann and Bobby McMann also scored in regulation and Vince Dunn had two assists for the Kraken, who snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Joey Daccord made 31 saves and stopped four of five shootout attempts.

Mark Stone scored twice, Brett Howden also tallied and Adin Hill stopped 30 shots for the Golden Knights, who lost for the first time in five games under new coach John Tortorella. Vegas is tied with the Anaheim for second in the Pacific Division, both teams one point behind Edmonton.

Stars 5, Wild 4

Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Colin Blackwell each had a goal and an assist in Dallas’ comeback win over visiting Minnesota. The game was a postseason preview, as the teams will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cameron Hughes scored his first career goal and Esa Lindell had two assists for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots.

The Wild got two goals from Kirill Kaprizov and a goal and an assist from Quinn Hughes. Ryan Hartman also scored, Mats Zuccarello had three assists, and Matt Boldy added two helpers. Filip Gustavsson made 15 saves.

Kings 4, Canucks 1

Adrian Kempe scored two goals and Anton Forsberg stopped 24 of 25 shots as Los Angeles gave its playoff hopes a huge boost with a victory over visiting Vancouver.

Trevor Moore and Joel Armia scored goals and Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Kings, who vaulted past the Predators in the race for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Marcus Pettersson scored and Nikita Tolopilo made 22 saves for the Canucks, who lost their fourth straight game.

Ducks 6, Sharks 1

John Carlson’s first career hat trick paced Anaheim to a win over visiting San Jose.

Leo Carlsson, Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano had the other goals as the Ducks snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Beckett Sennecke, Pavel Mintyukov, Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund chipped in a pair of helpers each, and Lukas Dostal made 18 saves.

Shakir Mukhamadullin tallied and Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 shots for the Sharks, who have dropped back-to-back games.

–Field Level Media

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I feel complete support: Arne Slot says he has backing from Liverpool bosses despite Premier League form <div id="content-body-70846824" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he feels “complete support” from the club’s ownership even though his team is on a three-game losing streak and facing a trophyless season.</p><p>Liverpool’s midweek 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal followed a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup last eight and a 2-1 loss at Brighton in the Premier League.</p><p>The season had started with high hopes after the club’s record summer spending of $570 million on new players following a Premier League title in Slot’s first campaign.</p><p>“The club knows in which period of time we are in. In the meantime, I feel complete support,” Slot said Friday.</p><p><b>ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/bayern-munich-vs-aston-villa-pre-season-friendly-august-hong-kong-tour-news/article70846612.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bayern Munich to face Villa in lucrative Hong Kong pre-season friendly</a></b></p><p>Liverpool is in fifth place in the Premier League — 21 points back of leader Arsenal but chasing Champions League qualification. The team, which has one win in its past six games in total, hosts Fulham on Saturday.</p><p>“I feel a lot of support but not only from the owners,” he said. “As weird as it might sound I also feel the support of the fans.”</p><p>Slot noted the fan enthusiasm at Parc des Princes during warmups as well as after being outplayed by PSG: “They were still singing for us and clapping for us.”</p><h4 class="sub_head">Slot ‘hails’ Robertson intensity</h4><p>Robertson and the club announced Thursday that the left back will be leaving at the end of the season when his contract expires.</p><p>“What I remember most about him probably is the intensity he’s always playing with — we’ve learned something about intensity two days ago,” Slot said in reference to the PSG game, which Robertson didn’t start.</p><p>“This season he didn’t play as much as he was used to — still a lot but not as much as he was used to,” Slot said. “As a result of that, he’s leaving probably next season but not only that, I think it’s also difficult to be in that position longer than a season.”</p><p>Asked if playing time was Robertson’s motivation, Slot said: “Every player wants as much regular first-team football as possible, but it’s a question you should ask him.”</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 10, 2026</p></div> #feel #complete #support #Arne #Slot #backing #Liverpool #bosses #Premier #League #form

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Deadspin | LIV Golf touts ‘strong momentum’ despite New Orleans postponement The LIV Golf logo and team flags at LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament in 2025. Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images LIV Golf said the league looks forward to continuing its “strong momentum” despite postponing its New Orleans event scheduled for June amid questions about its future beyond 2026. In a statement provided to Field Level Media on Wednesday, LIV said it intends to “explore” a potential fall event in Louisiana while citing summer heat, a crowded sports calendar and course conditions among the reasons for the postponement. “In coordination with the Governor of Louisiana and Louisiana Economic Development, we have made the strategic decision to explore moving LIV Golf Louisiana to a new window later this fall,” the statement read. “This shift allows us to avoid the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar while ensuring the course is in the championship condition our fans and players expect. “We are grateful for the continued partnership and flexibility of the state of Louisiana as we work together to deliver a world-class debut this fall. Our team is focused on maintaining the strong momentum of the 2026 season and we look forward to sharing finalized dates in the near future.” However, the postponement comes in the wake of reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is preparing to pull its funding for the league. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil had promised employees in an email that the current season would go “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” However, the postponement of the New Orleans event scheduled for June 25-28 leaves a gap between LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain (June 4-7) and LIV Golf United Kingdom (July 23-26). The league is set to return to action with LIV Golf Virginia next weekend. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s statement on Tuesday confirmed reports that Louisiana has so far paid .2 million of a million agreement. LIV “is expected to return all state incentive funds” totaling .2 million; the other million was spent on improvements to the golf course, Bayou Oaks at City Park. “We appreciate LIV’s good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year,” Landry said. “We are grateful for the work of our local partners and the collaboration that supported this effort.” NOLA.com reported Monday that LIV was exploring a smaller, “exposition-style” event in New Orleans in the fall. The league’s team championship in late August is the last event currently scheduled, with the LIV Golf Louisiana event now listed at the bottom of the website’s schedule page without a date. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #LIV #Golf #touts #strong #momentum #Orleans #postponementThe LIV Golf logo and team flags at LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament in 2025. Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

LIV Golf said the league looks forward to continuing its “strong momentum” despite postponing its New Orleans event scheduled for June amid questions about its future beyond 2026.

In a statement provided to Field Level Media on Wednesday, LIV said it intends to “explore” a potential fall event in Louisiana while citing summer heat, a crowded sports calendar and course conditions among the reasons for the postponement.

“In coordination with the Governor of Louisiana and Louisiana Economic Development, we have made the strategic decision to explore moving LIV Golf Louisiana to a new window later this fall,” the statement read. “This shift allows us to avoid the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar while ensuring the course is in the championship condition our fans and players expect.

“We are grateful for the continued partnership and flexibility of the state of Louisiana as we work together to deliver a world-class debut this fall. Our team is focused on maintaining the strong momentum of the 2026 season and we look forward to sharing finalized dates in the near future.”


However, the postponement comes in the wake of reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is preparing to pull its funding for the league. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil had promised employees in an email that the current season would go “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”

However, the postponement of the New Orleans event scheduled for June 25-28 leaves a gap between LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain (June 4-7) and LIV Golf United Kingdom (July 23-26). The league is set to return to action with LIV Golf Virginia next weekend.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s statement on Tuesday confirmed reports that Louisiana has so far paid $3.2 million of a $7 million agreement. LIV “is expected to return all state incentive funds” totaling $1.2 million; the other $2 million was spent on improvements to the golf course, Bayou Oaks at City Park.

“We appreciate LIV’s good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year,” Landry said. “We are grateful for the work of our local partners and the collaboration that supported this effort.”

NOLA.com reported Monday that LIV was exploring a smaller, “exposition-style” event in New Orleans in the fall. The league’s team championship in late August is the last event currently scheduled, with the LIV Golf Louisiana event now listed at the bottom of the website’s schedule page without a date.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #LIV #Golf #touts #strong #momentum #Orleans #postponement">Deadspin | LIV Golf touts ‘strong momentum’ despite New Orleans postponement The LIV Golf logo and team flags at LIV Golf Dallas golf tournament in 2025. Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images LIV Golf said the league looks forward to continuing its “strong momentum” despite postponing its New Orleans event scheduled for June amid questions about its future beyond 2026. In a statement provided to Field Level Media on Wednesday, LIV said it intends to “explore” a potential fall event in Louisiana while citing summer heat, a crowded sports calendar and course conditions among the reasons for the postponement. “In coordination with the Governor of Louisiana and Louisiana Economic Development, we have made the strategic decision to explore moving LIV Golf Louisiana to a new window later this fall,” the statement read. “This shift allows us to avoid the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar while ensuring the course is in the championship condition our fans and players expect. “We are grateful for the continued partnership and flexibility of the state of Louisiana as we work together to deliver a world-class debut this fall. Our team is focused on maintaining the strong momentum of the 2026 season and we look forward to sharing finalized dates in the near future.” However, the postponement comes in the wake of reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is preparing to pull its funding for the league. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil had promised employees in an email that the current season would go “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” However, the postponement of the New Orleans event scheduled for June 25-28 leaves a gap between LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain (June 4-7) and LIV Golf United Kingdom (July 23-26). The league is set to return to action with LIV Golf Virginia next weekend. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s statement on Tuesday confirmed reports that Louisiana has so far paid .2 million of a million agreement. LIV “is expected to return all state incentive funds” totaling .2 million; the other million was spent on improvements to the golf course, Bayou Oaks at City Park. “We appreciate LIV’s good-faith efforts and look forward to maintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later this year,” Landry said. “We are grateful for the work of our local partners and the collaboration that supported this effort.” NOLA.com reported Monday that LIV was exploring a smaller, “exposition-style” event in New Orleans in the fall. The league’s team championship in late August is the last event currently scheduled, with the LIV Golf Louisiana event now listed at the bottom of the website’s schedule page without a date. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #LIV #Golf #touts #strong #momentum #Orleans #postponement

Deadspin | Braves bring historic pace into series finale vs. Tigers Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates after a walk-off two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images The Braves will look for their 11th straight win against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon when the teams play the finale of a three-game series in Atlanta. Matt Olson and the Braves gut-punched the Tigers on Wednesday when the first baseman crushed a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning. Detroit hasn’t beaten Atlanta since June 12, 2023. “When you have good years, you tend to have games like that,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “You look back and there’s always 10 or 12 games you won that you necessarily shouldn’t have. And we’ve had a few of those already. That’s a good sign.” Atlanta owns a major-league-best 22-9 mark, its best start in 26 years. The Braves have not lost a series, going 9-0-1. The 1983 team went a franchise-record tying 10 straight series without a defeat to open the season. The 1889 and 1892 Boston Beaneaters also opened their seasons with 10 straight series wins. “Like I said the other day, we’ve had innings where we’ve put up five, six and seven spots, so it kind of makes it feel like you’re in every ballgame when you feel like you can do that,” Olson said. Atlanta will pit right-hander Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.95 ERA) against Detroit southpaw Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.41) in the series finale. Elder, in his latest outing on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two. The Braves eventually lost 8-5 in 10 innings. Elder has made one career start against the Tigers, beating them last Sept. 19 by allowing one run — on a solo homer by Spencer Torkelson — in seven strong innings. Valdez did not receive a decision when he faced the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. His control was shaky and he allowed two runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. He threw 89 pitches, only 47 strikes. Valdez is 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA in two career starts against the Braves, both while a member of the Houston Astros. He took a loss against Atlanta last Sept. 14 when he allowed five runs over four-plus innings. Detroit rookie Kevin McGonigle went 2-for-4 on Wednesday and extended his hitting streak to 13 games, during which he has hit .358 (19-for-53). He has reached safely in his past 26 starts. The Tigers had to put left-hander Casey Mize (right adductor strain) and shortstop Javier Baez (right ankle sprain) on the injured list on Wednesday. Detroit recalled lefty Emmanuel De Jesus and third baseman Jace Jung from Triple-A Toledo. “Hopefully time heals that and (Mize) will continue with his arm-moving and things like that,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Javy’s is a pretty significant ankle sprain, so I don’t know what that means in terms of a timeline.” The biggest decision involves who will take Mize’s spot in the rotation, as the Tigers don’t have another day off until May 7. The Braves announced that right-hander Spencer Strider, out all season with a left oblique strain, would make his first start on Sunday at Colorado. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #bring #historic #pace #series #finale #TigersApr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates after a walk-off two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Braves will look for their 11th straight win against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon when the teams play the finale of a three-game series in Atlanta.

Matt Olson and the Braves gut-punched the Tigers on Wednesday when the first baseman crushed a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning. Detroit hasn’t beaten Atlanta since June 12, 2023.

“When you have good years, you tend to have games like that,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “You look back and there’s always 10 or 12 games you won that you necessarily shouldn’t have. And we’ve had a few of those already. That’s a good sign.”

Atlanta owns a major-league-best 22-9 mark, its best start in 26 years. The Braves have not lost a series, going 9-0-1. The 1983 team went a franchise-record tying 10 straight series without a defeat to open the season. The 1889 and 1892 Boston Beaneaters also opened their seasons with 10 straight series wins.

“Like I said the other day, we’ve had innings where we’ve put up five, six and seven spots, so it kind of makes it feel like you’re in every ballgame when you feel like you can do that,” Olson said.

Atlanta will pit right-hander Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.95 ERA) against Detroit southpaw Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.41) in the series finale.

Elder, in his latest outing on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two. The Braves eventually lost 8-5 in 10 innings.


Elder has made one career start against the Tigers, beating them last Sept. 19 by allowing one run — on a solo homer by Spencer Torkelson — in seven strong innings.

Valdez did not receive a decision when he faced the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. His control was shaky and he allowed two runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. He threw 89 pitches, only 47 strikes.

Valdez is 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA in two career starts against the Braves, both while a member of the Houston Astros. He took a loss against Atlanta last Sept. 14 when he allowed five runs over four-plus innings.

Detroit rookie Kevin McGonigle went 2-for-4 on Wednesday and extended his hitting streak to 13 games, during which he has hit .358 (19-for-53). He has reached safely in his past 26 starts.

The Tigers had to put left-hander Casey Mize (right adductor strain) and shortstop Javier Baez (right ankle sprain) on the injured list on Wednesday. Detroit recalled lefty Emmanuel De Jesus and third baseman Jace Jung from Triple-A Toledo.

“Hopefully time heals that and (Mize) will continue with his arm-moving and things like that,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Javy’s is a pretty significant ankle sprain, so I don’t know what that means in terms of a timeline.”

The biggest decision involves who will take Mize’s spot in the rotation, as the Tigers don’t have another day off until May 7.

The Braves announced that right-hander Spencer Strider, out all season with a left oblique strain, would make his first start on Sunday at Colorado.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Braves #bring #historic #pace #series #finale #Tigers">Deadspin | Braves bring historic pace into series finale vs. Tigers Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates after a walk-off two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images The Braves will look for their 11th straight win against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon when the teams play the finale of a three-game series in Atlanta. Matt Olson and the Braves gut-punched the Tigers on Wednesday when the first baseman crushed a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning. Detroit hasn’t beaten Atlanta since June 12, 2023. “When you have good years, you tend to have games like that,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “You look back and there’s always 10 or 12 games you won that you necessarily shouldn’t have. And we’ve had a few of those already. That’s a good sign.” Atlanta owns a major-league-best 22-9 mark, its best start in 26 years. The Braves have not lost a series, going 9-0-1. The 1983 team went a franchise-record tying 10 straight series without a defeat to open the season. The 1889 and 1892 Boston Beaneaters also opened their seasons with 10 straight series wins. “Like I said the other day, we’ve had innings where we’ve put up five, six and seven spots, so it kind of makes it feel like you’re in every ballgame when you feel like you can do that,” Olson said. Atlanta will pit right-hander Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.95 ERA) against Detroit southpaw Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.41) in the series finale. Elder, in his latest outing on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two. The Braves eventually lost 8-5 in 10 innings. Elder has made one career start against the Tigers, beating them last Sept. 19 by allowing one run — on a solo homer by Spencer Torkelson — in seven strong innings. Valdez did not receive a decision when he faced the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. His control was shaky and he allowed two runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. He threw 89 pitches, only 47 strikes. Valdez is 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA in two career starts against the Braves, both while a member of the Houston Astros. He took a loss against Atlanta last Sept. 14 when he allowed five runs over four-plus innings. Detroit rookie Kevin McGonigle went 2-for-4 on Wednesday and extended his hitting streak to 13 games, during which he has hit .358 (19-for-53). He has reached safely in his past 26 starts. The Tigers had to put left-hander Casey Mize (right adductor strain) and shortstop Javier Baez (right ankle sprain) on the injured list on Wednesday. Detroit recalled lefty Emmanuel De Jesus and third baseman Jace Jung from Triple-A Toledo. “Hopefully time heals that and (Mize) will continue with his arm-moving and things like that,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Javy’s is a pretty significant ankle sprain, so I don’t know what that means in terms of a timeline.” The biggest decision involves who will take Mize’s spot in the rotation, as the Tigers don’t have another day off until May 7. The Braves announced that right-hander Spencer Strider, out all season with a left oblique strain, would make his first start on Sunday at Colorado. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #bring #historic #pace #series #finale #Tigers

Deadspin | Hunter Dobbins set for Cardinals debut vs. Pirates, Paul Skenes Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Hunter Dobbins will go up against a formidable opposite number in his Cardinals debut on Thursday afternoon when St. Louis opposes the host Pittsburgh Pirates. The 26-year-old right-hander will face the Pirates’ ace, reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes (4-1, 2.48 ERA). St. Louis has won the first three contests of the four-game series after holding on for a 5-4 victory on Thursday night, which ended with Nathan Church leaping at the left field wall to snare Nick Gonzales’ long drive with a runner on. Dobbins will be activated from the injured list to make a spot start with St. Louis in the team’s stretch of 17 games in 17 days. Dobbins has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis, where he went 3-0 with a 4.37 ERA in five starts. The Texas Tech product is set to make his first major league appearance since last July, when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox and tore his right ACL during a fielding play. That injury and an elbow strain limited him to 61 innings as a rookie in 2025. Dobbins will be trying to follow an outstanding start by Andre Pallante on Wednesday night, in which he allowed a run and five hits over six innings. Dobbins went 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA, 17 walks and 45 strikeouts in 13 games (11 starts) for the Red Sox last year. The Cardinals obtained Dobbins and two other pitching prospects when they traded Willson Contreras to Boston in December. Dobbins faced only two of Pittsburgh’s current players last season. Jake Mangum singled against him as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ryan O’Hearn went 0-for-2 vs. Dobbins while playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Skenes, who has 30 strikeouts and a 0.72 WHIP in 29 innings, is coming off a 6-0 win over the host Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in which he took a perfect game into the seventh. Jake Bauers’ two-out groundball single broke up the quest for perfection. Skenes had to settle for seven innings of one-hit, scoring ball. He struck out a season-best seven, walked none and threw a season-high 93 pitches. “That’s the best I’ve ever seen from anyone, I think,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after the game. Opponents are hitting .141 against Skenes this season. He held foes to a .198 average while winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and a .199 average in his Cy Young campaign last season. “I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that he came up two years ago and he’s in his third season in the big leagues,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He’s continuing to get better, which is amazing considering what he’s already done in the game.” Even so, Skenes has yet to defeat St. Louis in his short career. Despite a 2.39 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings over six starts against the Cardinals, Skenes has a 0-4 record in those contests. St. Louis has only managed 27 hits with seven walks against him. Though his try for a game-winning walk-off home run was foiled by Church, Gonzales did extend his hitting streak to 10 games with a single earlier Wednesday night. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Hunter #Dobbins #set #Cardinals #debut #Pirates #Paul #SkenesApr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Hunter Dobbins will go up against a formidable opposite number in his Cardinals debut on Thursday afternoon when St. Louis opposes the host Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 26-year-old right-hander will face the Pirates’ ace, reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes (4-1, 2.48 ERA).

St. Louis has won the first three contests of the four-game series after holding on for a 5-4 victory on Thursday night, which ended with Nathan Church leaping at the left field wall to snare Nick Gonzales’ long drive with a runner on.

Dobbins will be activated from the injured list to make a spot start with St. Louis in the team’s stretch of 17 games in 17 days. Dobbins has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis, where he went 3-0 with a 4.37 ERA in five starts.

The Texas Tech product is set to make his first major league appearance since last July, when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox and tore his right ACL during a fielding play. That injury and an elbow strain limited him to 61 innings as a rookie in 2025.

Dobbins will be trying to follow an outstanding start by Andre Pallante on Wednesday night, in which he allowed a run and five hits over six innings.

Dobbins went 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA, 17 walks and 45 strikeouts in 13 games (11 starts) for the Red Sox last year.

The Cardinals obtained Dobbins and two other pitching prospects when they traded Willson Contreras to Boston in December.


Dobbins faced only two of Pittsburgh’s current players last season. Jake Mangum singled against him as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ryan O’Hearn went 0-for-2 vs. Dobbins while playing for the Baltimore Orioles.

Skenes, who has 30 strikeouts and a 0.72 WHIP in 29 innings, is coming off a 6-0 win over the host Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in which he took a perfect game into the seventh. Jake Bauers’ two-out groundball single broke up the quest for perfection.

Skenes had to settle for seven innings of one-hit, scoring ball. He struck out a season-best seven, walked none and threw a season-high 93 pitches.

“That’s the best I’ve ever seen from anyone, I think,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after the game.

Opponents are hitting .141 against Skenes this season. He held foes to a .198 average while winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and a .199 average in his Cy Young campaign last season.

“I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that he came up two years ago and he’s in his third season in the big leagues,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He’s continuing to get better, which is amazing considering what he’s already done in the game.”

Even so, Skenes has yet to defeat St. Louis in his short career. Despite a 2.39 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings over six starts against the Cardinals, Skenes has a 0-4 record in those contests. St. Louis has only managed 27 hits with seven walks against him.

Though his try for a game-winning walk-off home run was foiled by Church, Gonzales did extend his hitting streak to 10 games with a single earlier Wednesday night.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Hunter #Dobbins #set #Cardinals #debut #Pirates #Paul #Skenes">Deadspin | Hunter Dobbins set for Cardinals debut vs. Pirates, Paul Skenes Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Hunter Dobbins will go up against a formidable opposite number in his Cardinals debut on Thursday afternoon when St. Louis opposes the host Pittsburgh Pirates. The 26-year-old right-hander will face the Pirates’ ace, reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes (4-1, 2.48 ERA). St. Louis has won the first three contests of the four-game series after holding on for a 5-4 victory on Thursday night, which ended with Nathan Church leaping at the left field wall to snare Nick Gonzales’ long drive with a runner on. Dobbins will be activated from the injured list to make a spot start with St. Louis in the team’s stretch of 17 games in 17 days. Dobbins has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis, where he went 3-0 with a 4.37 ERA in five starts. The Texas Tech product is set to make his first major league appearance since last July, when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox and tore his right ACL during a fielding play. That injury and an elbow strain limited him to 61 innings as a rookie in 2025. Dobbins will be trying to follow an outstanding start by Andre Pallante on Wednesday night, in which he allowed a run and five hits over six innings. Dobbins went 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA, 17 walks and 45 strikeouts in 13 games (11 starts) for the Red Sox last year. The Cardinals obtained Dobbins and two other pitching prospects when they traded Willson Contreras to Boston in December. Dobbins faced only two of Pittsburgh’s current players last season. Jake Mangum singled against him as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ryan O’Hearn went 0-for-2 vs. Dobbins while playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Skenes, who has 30 strikeouts and a 0.72 WHIP in 29 innings, is coming off a 6-0 win over the host Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in which he took a perfect game into the seventh. Jake Bauers’ two-out groundball single broke up the quest for perfection. Skenes had to settle for seven innings of one-hit, scoring ball. He struck out a season-best seven, walked none and threw a season-high 93 pitches. “That’s the best I’ve ever seen from anyone, I think,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after the game. Opponents are hitting .141 against Skenes this season. He held foes to a .198 average while winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and a .199 average in his Cy Young campaign last season. “I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that he came up two years ago and he’s in his third season in the big leagues,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He’s continuing to get better, which is amazing considering what he’s already done in the game.” Even so, Skenes has yet to defeat St. Louis in his short career. Despite a 2.39 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings over six starts against the Cardinals, Skenes has a 0-4 record in those contests. St. Louis has only managed 27 hits with seven walks against him. Though his try for a game-winning walk-off home run was foiled by Church, Gonzales did extend his hitting streak to 10 games with a single earlier Wednesday night. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Hunter #Dobbins #set #Cardinals #debut #Pirates #Paul #Skenes

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