Sports
Flyers’ playoff hopes teeter ahead of consequential Ducks clash
Mar 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) reacts with right wing Nikita Grebenkin (29) against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Flyers kick off a three-game, make-it-or-break-it California road trip on Wednesday night when they face the Anaheim Ducks.
Entering Tuesday, Philadelphia was seven points behind both the third-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division and the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 16 games remaining.
That makes the trip to sunny California, where Philadelphia also plays the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday and the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, a crucial one when it comes to maintaining the team’s playoff hopes.
The Flyers, 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, come in off a disappointing 2-1 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Rookie forward Alex Bump scored the lone goal for Philadelphia, which went 0-for-3 in the shootout.
It’s a homecoming game for Flyers center Trevor Zegras, the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Ducks, and defenseman Jamie Drysdale, picked sixth overall in 2020 by Anaheim.
Zegras, who is second on the team with 22 goals and 54 points, was traded to Philadelphia last June for forward Ryan Poehling and two draft picks. Drysdale, who has seven goals and 27 points, was dealt to the Flyers along with a second-round pick in January 2024 for forward Cutter Gauthier.
Drysdale said the Flyers remain focused on their playoff pursuit despite the tough loss Saturday and the 90-plus degree temperatures they’re encountering in southern California.
“I think every guy in the room is one-track minded still on getting in,” Drysdale said. “There are no ifs, ands or buts. … We’re not out until we’re out, so I think the team can build off the (overtime loss), and that’s kind of our attitude. I know for a fact that’s how everyone in the room feels.”
Anaheim returned home from a 2-2-0 Canadian road trip with a one-point lead in the Pacific Division over the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Ducks capped the trip with a 4-3 victory at the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. Gauthier, who scored the winner with 2:30 remaining, leads Anaheim in goals (34) and points (59).
Forward Troy Terry, back after missing nine games with an upper-body injury, scored once, contributed two assists and earned a plus-3 rating. Leo Carlsson scored two goals and added an assist, while Lukas Dostal made 27 saves for the Ducks.
Defenseman John Carlson, acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals on March 6, made his Anaheim debut in the win and was a plus-1 in 22:59 of ice time.
“He was a horse. Wow, what a game,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “That was impressive. I mean, just coming into our team, systematically he looked like he played here his whole career. And poised, patient, play recognition. There’s a lot of kids back there that he’s helping every shift. I can’t speak highly enough of what we just saw in one game.”
This is the second of two meetings between the teams this season. Spurred by two goals from Zegras, the Flyers won 5-2 in Philadelphia on Jan. 6.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Senators seek strong finish against struggling Maple Leafs
Mar 19, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) and goalie James Reimer (47) share a moment forllowing their win against the New York Islanders at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images The Ottawa Senators will hope to jumpstart their playoff hopes when they host the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Embroiled in an ultra-competitive Atlantic Division, the Senators (35-24-9, 79 points) have a tall task ahead of them as they aim to get a leg up with the season dwindling down. A strong end to the season could clinch them their first consecutive playoff berths since 2011-12 and 2012-13.
“High pressure moments and big games are what’s fun,” goaltender James Reimer said after a statement win against the New York Islanders on Thursday. “That’s what you dream of when you’re seven years old playing street hockey, you know, you dream of Game 7 in the finals.”
It was captain Brady Tkachuk who scored with 11.1 seconds remaining in regulation, pouncing on a rebound to flip the puck over a sprawling Ilya Sorokin to seal a 3-2 victory for the home team.
Tkachuk appeared revitalized after a dismal showing the night before in Washington in which he failed to register even a single hit. He opted to change that on Thursday, dropping the gloves with Islanders captain Anders Lee off the opening draw.
“I felt like I wasn’t great last night in a big game, and I just know I needed to be a lot better today to help this team,” Tkachuk said.
Trade deadline acquisitions in Warren Foegele and Jordan Spence also aided Ottawa’s third-period comeback. Foegele tied the game early in the final frame while Spence floated the point shot on net that led to Tkachuk’s winner. The Senators averted what would have been their first consecutive losses in nearly two months.
They will want to seize the opportunity to claim both points against the hobbled Maple Leafs (29-28-13, 71 points), who have been in abominable form since returning from the Olympic break. Toronto heads to Ottawa for the second game of a back-to-back after dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.
Rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin ended that game just 41 seconds into overtime with a wrist shot from the face-off circle that sailed past goaltender Joseph Woll. The Leafs have dropped 11 of 13 games since the Olympics and have been outshot in all but one of those contests.
“We’ve got to shoot more. We didn’t shoot enough. And there’s more opportunities to get more shots on net,” head coach Craig Berube said after the game. “The first goal is a great example of just a nothing shot. It’s a rebound. You put it in, right? It’s just that mindset of getting more pucks to the net.”
The shot in question came off the stick of Bo Groulx before Dakota Joshua slapped in a rebound to open the scoring. Groulx has been a rare bright spot in the Leafs’ bottom six since he was called up from the minors earlier this month. The assist made it five points in six games for the 26-year-old center who has not seen NHL action since the 2023-24 season.
“They’ve been good,” Berube said of his makeshift third line of Groulx, Joshua and Mattias Maccelli, whom he gave the game’s opening shift. “I thought Groulx had another strong game.”
The two teams met at the end of February, where Ottawa prevailed 5-2. The Senators have won three of their last four games.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Hawks pursue 10th straight home win in clash vs. Warriors
Mar 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) drives to the basket against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images The Atlanta Hawks will look to stretch their home winning streak to 10 games when they return from a two-game road trip to face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
The Hawks (38-32) had their season-long 11-game winning streak broken on Friday in a 117-95 loss at Houston, ending their longest streak since setting the franchise record with 19 straight victories during the 2014-15 season.
Atlanta hasn’t lost at home since Feb. 20 against Miami.
The Warriors (33-37) will play their fifth game of a six-game road trip when they stop in Atlanta. They are 1-3 on the trip after Friday’s 115-101 loss to Detroit.
Atlanta remains in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, one-half game behind No. 6 Orlando, and is trying to avoid the play-in tournament. Golden State is No. 10 in the West, one game behind the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers.
“We’re in a situation now down the stretch where we have to approach these games like the playoffs have already started,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said. “One of the things we’ve been able to do while winning is continue to get better. I think it is important to raise your level, and we need to do that.”
Saturday’s game could mark a return to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis, who played 17 games for the Hawks in an injury-marred season before being traded to Golden State last month.
Porzingis is averaging 14.9 points in seven games since joining Golden State, but he might not play Saturday after leaving Friday’s game in the second quarter with a lower back injury.
“I thought we were hanging in there the first half, but when (Porzingis) went out to take away our five against a great defensive team, you knew it was going to be hard to find openings,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “And the second half just got away from us.”
Kerr blamed turnovers. The Warriors committed 25, four each by Draymond Green and De’Anthony Melton, which led to 32 points.
“It was disappointing because I felt good coming into the game,” Kerr said. “I didn’t think we made good decisions early, and it kind of set the tone. We were knocking down some shots and doing some good things but just set a poor tone with the turnovers, and it really got away from us in the second half.”
Atlanta has won six straight games on its home court against Golden State, a streak that dates to Dec. 3, 2018. The Hawks beat the Warriors 124-111 on Jan. 11 in San Francisco behind 24 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
The Warriors have been stripped of many of their top players because of injuries. The list includes Stephen Curry (right patellofemoral), Seth Curry (left adductor strain), Al Horford (right calf strain), Moses Moody (right wrist strain) and Quinten Post (right foot injury management) and Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery).
Golden State is 6-14 since Stephen Curry was injured on Jan. 30.
The Hawks played Friday without Jonathan Kuminga, who continues to deal with a left knee bone bruise he had when he was acquired in the trade with Golden State at the deadline last month.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Venezuela’s WBC Win Exposed What Team USA Must Fix
Team Venezuela winning the gold medal at the World Baseball Classic earlier this week set off alarms in two different hemispheres.
Not long after the Venezuelans eliminated his team in the quarterfinals, Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata reportedly announced his intention to resign. Ibata’s departure comes amid criticism that Team Japan’s offense strayed too far in the WBC from a “small ball” style that served them well in previous international competitions.
Team Venezuela also knocked off Team USA in the finals, which of course has American supporters asking what the U.S. needs to change to win at their own game the next time the WBC comes around.
For his own part, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said he’s game for another try when the WBC returns in 2030. It would be his third turn at the helm, which so far has produced two silver medals. DeRosa’s enthusiasm isn’t likely to be met by many fans disappointed by his team’s performances. In addition to the end results, DeRosa received criticism along the way for his lineups and in-game decisions—like many managers do.
There are also the comments DeRosa won’t ever live down—the ones indicating he didn’t understand the rules of advancing beyond pool play and how he prepared the team as a result.
That mistake aside, let’s be fair about the limitations every WBC manager works under. Considering the time of year the tournament is played, the influence major league teams have over how their players are used, and the realities of pitchers preparing for the long regular season ahead, WBC skippers are in an impossible spot. They serve too many masters.
The WBC already has proved to be a great tournament, no matter who wins. Record TV ratings, record attendance, anecdotal but powerful reactions from a plurality of competitors on every team. It’s the best baseball tournament yet devised. It would be even better with some tweaking—and the right changes would benefit the U.S. by coincidence.
How could WBC change?
Some have suggested moving the WBC to July to coincide with the MLB all-star break every other year. That’s one solution, but a better one might be what right-hander Max Scherzer suggested to Fox Sports.
At least play the knockout rounds around the time MLB usually schedules its opening week. Reduce the regular-season schedule by eight games, or so, going back to the old 154-game calendar. Remove a bunch of regular-season games from the last week in March and the first week in April, when it’s often too cold in too many U.S. cities to really enjoy baseball anyway.
Is Scherzer signaling some details to negotiate during the upcoming collective bargaining talks between owners and the players association? Sounds like it.
Moving the WBC to the end of Spring Training and the beginning of the regular season would reduce fears MLB pitching coaches have about interfering with their starting pitchers’ preparation time. The entire kerfuffle with left-hander Tarik Skubal, for example, could have been muted if he and the Detroit Tigers weren’t afraid to let him go a little full bore for Team USA.
Changing the timing of the WBC would let the U.S. fully use its greatest advantage over every other country: starting pitching.
It might be difficult for some U.S. fans to accept, but much of the world is about as good at baseball as their country is. Starting pitching still separates the U.S., though, and having Skubal, Paul Skenes and any number of other starters ready to pitch six or seven innings multiple times, instead of what we have now, would give a future U.S. team a huge advantage.
It’s true the U.S. could have won the 2026 tournament too, had the players in their lineup not been pressing so much. Nobody should buy that the Americans didn’t care enough. If anything they caught themselves caring too much. They just don’t express themselves like players from Venezuela or the Dominican Republic do. It would be great if they did, but only if it came naturally. Maybe it will one day.
Give Team USA full use of its greatest asset, strong starting pitching, and next time the hitters likely will perform better. And the U.S. will win gold at the WBC. No matter who is managing them.
Moving the tournament finale to around April 1 will benefit every team in the field, trim some fat off the MLB schedule, and make it all even more enjoyable for fans. It should be a priority.
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