Sports
Bruins search for breathing room in standings vs. scuffling Maple Leafs
Nov 11, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with center Mark Kastelic (47) after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images There is no such thing as breathing room in NHL playoff races this season, but the Boston Bruins look to ride the momentum of a major win into their return home for a Tuesday night matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Boston (39-23-8, 86 points) took over the top Eastern Conference wild-card position with a 4-2 Saturday win over the Detroit Red Wings, improving to 3-0-2 in its last five games and improving its playoff chances by 10.3% due to the win, according to MoneyPuck.com.
Three of the Bruins’ four goals came in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit.
“We’ve been down in the third period a couple of times lately, but there’s no quitting in this team,” Bruins forward Elias Lindholm said. “We just stay with it and keep playing the same way, and we seem to find ways to win.”
Of course, there is no time for celebration yet, as the New York Islanders and Red Wings remain within two points in the standings.
Saturday’s win could stand tall if the Bruins are able to hold onto a playoff spot. A huge effort in the third period, including a game-winner from defenseman Nikita Zadorov and 22 of Jeremy Swayman’s 42 saves, proved to be the difference.
“That was the best I’ve seen (Swayman) play since I’ve been around,” Boston coach Marco Sturm said. “He was unbelievable and kept us in the game, won us the game.”
Swayman is 6-1-1 with a .934 save percentage in eight March outings.
David Pastrnak is looking to extend his point streak to 10 games (six goals, eight assists) after notching a goal and an assist in Detroit.
Unlike recent seasons of late, the Maple Leafs (29-29-13, 71 points) are looking far up at the Bruins in the standings as they have lost three straight games (0-2-1) and won just twice since the Olympic break (2-8-4). Only the New York Rangers sit below them in the conference standings.
Toronto, which lost both of its previous games vs. Boston this season, is coming off a 5-2 Saturday loss to the Ottawa Senators in which they were outshot for the eighth consecutive game — this time, by a whopping 44-14 margin.
Joseph Woll played both games of the team’s back-to-back in goal, making 39 saves against Ottawa after scheduled starter Anthony Stolarz took teammate William Nylander’s warmup shot to the throat and was taken to the hospital for testing. The Carolina Hurricanes put 36 shots on Woll in Toronto’s 4-3 overtime loss on Friday.
“I think he did a great job (preparing for another start), but the team’s got to respond better than that,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said after Saturday’s game.
Stolarz has since been deemed “good to go” after practicing Monday, though Berube did not name the starter for Tuesday’s game.
Outside of the net, 20-year-old Easton Cowan had a goal and an assist — his first career multi-point game — to help Toronto nearly climb out of a 3-0 deficit, and John Tavares also scored to hit the 25-goal plateau for the 14th time in his career. But it was not enough.
“It’s obviously difficult when we’re not playing the way we’re capable of and we’re in the position we’re in,” Tavares said. “But I just try to approach it one day at a time and appreciate the opportunity to play with the guys in the locker room.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kirby Smart, SEC Continue Complaining About College Football’s Future
As the calendar flips to the next day, things continue to change; however, one consistency will always come to the forefront, and it’s that the SEC will be the biggest crybabies on the planet.
Similar to its geographic counterparts, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart went to the media to discuss the SEC’s potential to secede from the NCAA. There are currently two issues causing strife for the SEC.
The major power conferences and Notre Dame want to expand the playoffs to 24 teams, while the SEC only wants to expand to 16 teams. I personally don’t think any expansion should occur, as the regular season should still matter in college football. That said, I’m shocked the SEC doesn’t want the larger expansion.
A larger playoffs means more money, more potential home games, and smaller schools feeling that they can genuinely compete for national titles. The SEC complains every year when their 9-3 teams miss the playoffs, so I’m shocked they wouldn’t want half their conference playing in the postseason.
Kirby has his complaints about playoff expansion, but uncontrolled NIL expansion is his bigger concern. I think most people with common sense believe there needs to be more guardrails around NIL. I’m just not sure that head coaches are the right messengers for these complaints.
NIL isn’t going anywhere, either.
College football head coaches tend to be the highest-paid public worker in most states. They can also leave their job whenever they want and hold their universities over the fire for more money. When you hear Kirby Smart complaining about these kids, many of whom coming from limited money, it feels super disingenuous. These high level coaches keep complaining about the current state of NIL, but aren’t coming up with better solutions. Our current “wild west” of NIL is significantly better than these college athletes playing for free in years past.
NIL isn’t the death of college sports, but the SEC leaving the NCAA would be. Smart argues that the SEC can stand on its own, and doesn’t need to play by rules they don’t like.
Things like this is why everyone hates the SEC. If they don’t get everything they like, they take their ball and go home. If the SEC ever left the SEC, maybe the NCAA could survive, but it would always be a shell of its former power.
Also, I feel this is mostly just a bad bluff by Kirby Smart. Yes, SEC fans love their teams, but having an entire season of only SEC football feels like a disaster waiting to happen. Fortunately, the SEC is locked into contracts through the next 5 years, so they’ll have to wait a little before getting too off the rails.
Sports
Report: Serena Williams wants to make comeback at Queen's Club
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian of Los Angeles Golf Club watch their team against Jupiter Links GC during the TGL finals at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Serena Williams reportedly is planning a return to professional tennis.
The Telegraph reported Thursday that Williams, 44, plans to request a wild card to play doubles with Victoria Mboko, 19, of Canada in the Queen’s Club Championships next month in London. The tournament, which begins on June 8, serves as a grass-court tune-up for Wimbledon.
Williams had great success on the courts at Wimbledon, where she won seven singles titles. She also teamed with her sister, Venus Williams, for six doubles championships in London.
Serena Williams last played on the WTA Tour in a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open.
In her time away from tennis, Williams gave birth to her second daughter in August 2023.
She reportedly re-entered the registered testing pool for the International Tennis Integrity Agency in December. She has completed the mandatory six-month period in that pool.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion initially dismissed comeback rumors in December before slightly changing her tune during an appearance on the “Today” show in late January.
“I’m just having fun and enjoying my life right now,” Williams said, when asked on the show about a potential comeback. “That’s not a yes or no. I don’t know. I’m just gonna see what happens.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
MAAC rebranded, now The Metro Conference
Iona Men’s Basketball vs Siena in MAAC men’s basketball tournament quarterfinal game in Atlantic City on March 10 7:30 PM
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The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is shedding part of its name while trying to maintain tradition.
The conference will rebrand as The Metro Conference effective July 1, as an element of strategic planning launched three years ago.
“The goal of this project was to establish a bold and clear identity that eliminated longstanding confusion surrounding the Conference’s name,” said Travis Tellitocci, MAAC commissioner, in a news release. “Throughout this process, we wanted to create a brand that better positions the Conference for the future while still honoring the tradition and foundation that have defined this league for the past 45 years. We are excited about this next chapter and the future of the Metro Conference.”
Confusion existed with the similar-sounding Mid-American Conference — the Cleveland-based MAC. The length of the full name of the conference also “created inconsistencies in how the brand was referenced and frequently led to the conference being referred to incorrectly,” the new Metro Conference said in its release.
The rebranding includes a new red-and-blue logo with a bold type.
The MAAC was founded in 1980 and has 13 member schools, largely based in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut: Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Marist, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary’s, Niagara, Quinnipiac, Rider, Sacred Heart, Saint Peter’s and Siena.
–Field Level Media
Kirby Smart, SEC Continue Complaining About College Football’s Future
Report: Serena Williams wants to make comeback at Queen's Club
