Sports
Surging Flyers, Sidney Crosby-led Pens bring rivalry back to playoffs
Mar 31, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) and center Sidney Crosby (87) talk on the ice against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images For the first time in eight seasons and the eighth time overall, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers will meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with the opening game of their first-round series taking place Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
The latest chapter of the Battle of Pennsylvania features a couple teams ending lengthy postseason droughts. The Penguins last made the playoffs in 2022, but beyond that, the franchise’s last series win came in 2018 against the Flyers.
Philadelphia last made the playoffs in 2020. However, Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier and Travis Sanheim are the only players remaining from that squad.
This Flyers team surprised some by reaching the postseason, but they earned their spot thanks to their strong play down the stretch. Coach Rick Tocchet’s club went 18-7-1 after the Olympics, going from sixth in the Metropolitan — eight points back of the then-third-place New York Islanders — to leapfrogging the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets and Islanders for the division’s final playoff spot.
The Flyers may be the third-youngest team by average age in the postseason, according to EliteProspects.com, but Tocchet said the past few weeks have been a playoff-like atmosphere. Now, the question becomes how much slack the coach gives his younger players when the pressure increases, especially when playing a veteran-laden group like the Penguins.
“I don’t want these guys to be nervous if they make a mistake,” Tocchet said. “Then I’m not doing my job if I’m making these guys nervous.”
One young player who has stood out is Porter Martone, who joined the club in late March. He scored 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the Flyers’ last eight games, with points in each of the last six.
Tocchet has already made his choice in goal in Dan Vladar, who played six straight games earlier this month and went 5-1 with a .921 save percentage. He allowed a total of six goals in the five wins and will making his first career playoff start.
The Czech goalie has played the Penguins six times in his career. He is 2-3-1 with an .899 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against average.
Pittsburgh does have a question of who will be its netminder. Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner shared that role during the regular season. Skinner, acquired during the season from Edmonton for Tristan Jarry, has made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, but Silovs also has postseason experience from his time in Vancouver.
While Skinner has more experience, both have fared well against the Flyers. Skinner is 5-1-2 in eight games with a .913 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA, while Silovs is 1-0-1 with a .944 save percentage and a 1.92 GAA.
While the Flyers have youth, the Penguins have a core of 30-somethings looking to make one last run to the Cup. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have three titles in their nearly two decades together in the Steel City. Despite being 38 and 39, respectively, they continue to lead; Crosby put up a team-hgh 74 points in 68 games, while Malkin had 61 in 56.
First-year coach Dan Muse said that leadership has its advantages.
“I don’t have to say anything,” Muse said Friday. “I know for sure that the guys that have the significant playoff experience … are going to be playing a big role there in just terms of helping along the guys that this is their first time.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
BetBoom, 9z, G2 move on to Stage 3 at IEM Cologne
Nov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans react during the League of Legends World Championships between T1 and DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images BetBoom Team, 9z Team and G2 Esports won their Round 4 high matches in Stage 2 on Monday to move onto Stage 3 at the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major in Germany.
They will await three more teams to join them in Stage 3, as the Swiss System format concludes Tuesday to determine the last of the 16 participants in Stage 3.
Eight teams were seeded directly into Stage 3: Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, Team Falcons, The MongolZ, PARIVISION, Aurora Gaming, FURIA and MOUZ. FUT Esports and Team Spirit joined them by going 3-0 in Stage 2.
Teams are competing for their share of the Counter-Strike 2 tournament’s $1.25 million prize pool with the grand final scheduled for June 21. The champion receives $500,000.
Advancement and elimination matches in Stage 2 are best-of-three. All other Stage 2 matches were a single map.
In the first Monday high match (between teams with 2-1 records), BetBoom opened with a 13-7 win over Monte on Nuke. Monte followed with a 13-6 victory on Mirage before BetBoom registered a 13-8 triumph on Dust II. Kirill “Magnojez” Rodnov paced all-Russian BetBoom with 58 kills and a plus-26 kills-deaths differential. Bulgaria’s Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov led Monte with 47 kills and a plus-5 K-D differential.
In the second high match, 9z made quick work of TYLOO, posting a sweep with wins on Overpass (13-10) and Inferno (13-6). Franco “dgt” Garcia of Uruguay led the way for 9z, posting 40 kills and a plus-21 K-D differential. Qianhao “Moseyuh” Chen of all-Chinese TYLOO notched a team-high 29 kills and an even K-D differential.
In the third high match, G2 also picked up a sweep, taking out BIG on Inferno (13-3) and Mirage (13-8). For G2, Guy “NertZ” Iluz of Israel delivered 39 kills and a plus-21 K-D differential. Gleb “gr1ks” Gazin of Belarus led BIG with 23 kills and a minus-2 K-D differential.
In the first of three elimination matches, B8 recovered from a 13-7 loss on Mirage against MIBR, posting back-to-back wins on Nuke (13-10) and Ancient (13-8). Legacy swept M80 with wins on Dust II (13-8) and Inferno (16-13 in overtime). paiN Gaming topped Astralis 2-0, prevailing 13-11 on Nuke and a 13-4 on Overpass.
Stage 3 finishes Tuesday with three matches featuring teams with 2-2 records:
–Monte vs. paiN Gaming
–TYLOO vs. Legacy
–BIG vs. B8
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major prize pool
1. $500,000
2. $170,000
3-4. $80,000
5-8. $45,000
9-11. $15,000
12-14. $15,000
15-16. $15,000
17-19. $10,000
20-22. $10,000 — MIBR, M80, Astralis
23-24. $10,000 — GamerLegion, FlyQuest
25-27. $5,000 — Lynn Vision Gaming, NRG, Team Liquid
28-30. $5,000 — THUNDERdOWNUNDER, Sharks Esports, HEROIC
31-32. $5,000 — Gaimin Gladiators, SINNERS Esports
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners dealing with injuries ahead of rematch vs. Orioles
Jun 8, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a run during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Making adjustments is bound to be a key for the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles as they face off in a four-game series this week.
The teams will meet in Baltimore for the second time Tuesday night, a day after some roster adjustments.
The Mariners will be without shortstop J.P. Crawford for the series after he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a contusion on his right hand. He was hit by a pitch in Friday’s game at Detroit.
“We think it’s probably the smart thing to do at this point,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said of the IL move.
The Orioles already altered their rotation to begin the series with Seattle. The teams will meet seven times in an 11-day period.
The Mariners, largely courtesy of Josh Naylor’s grand slam, won 6-3 in Monday night’s series opener. They’re 2-3 since winning eight games in a row.
Seattle played its most recent game without rookie infielder Colt Emerson, who had been plugged in at shortstop during the weekend. He had back tightness and was scratched from Monday’s lineup.
Crawford’s roster replacement is infielder Ryan Bliss, who supplied a sacrifice fly in the series opener. Bliss played as the second baseman, and Cole Young, who has had a heavy workload all spring, shifted to shortstop.
“He seems to be maintaining his strength and stamina,” Wilson said of Young. “It has been outstanding.”
The Orioles will try to snap a three-game skid Tuesday after blown chances in the series opener.
“We knew we had to grind and really force them to work, and we did that,” Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said. “We just couldn’t come through with the big blow. But it’s one of those games where you’re proud of how they fought.”
The Orioles have had some recent baserunning snafus, a glaring one when Blaze Alexander tagged up from first base and was thrown out at second on a play that cost them a run on what would have been a sacrifice fly.
“It’s one of those things; I love the aggressiveness,” Albernaz said. “It’s just smart aggressiveness (we need).”
Right-hander Logan Gilbert (4-4, 3.79 ERA) will start on Tuesday for the Mariners, aiming for his third consecutive win.
Gilbert hasn’t given up a run in his last three road outings, blanking the Athletics, Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox in a total of 17 2/3 innings. In those three games, he has struck out 21 and walked four.
Gilbert has made three career starts vs. the Orioles, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. The victory came in 2023 in Baltimore.
The Orioles had a disruption before the series when starter Chris Bassitt went on the 15-day injury list Monday due to low back discomfort, but that move shouldn’t directly impact the rotation for the rest of the series.
Left-hander Trevor Rogers (3-6, 6.29 ERA) is Baltimore’s projected starter on Tuesday. He won for the first time since April 1 after allowing one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings on Thursday in an 8-2 victory at Boston.
Rogers has made two career starts against Seattle without a decision. His ERA in those games is 2.03 over 13 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Surging Yankees continue 'gritty' series vs. Guardians
Jun 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) reacts after giving up a hit during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images It’s still early June, but this week’s series between the visiting New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians has the feel of a postseason matchup.
The Guardians will look to even the three-game set at one win apiece on Tuesday night after New York emerged with a 7-5 victory in 10 innings on Monday.
Both managers turned to their bullpens early and often in a game that featured 12 relievers.
Paul Goldschmidt and Ryan McMahon each homered for New York, which won for the ninth time in its last 13 games and is in a virtual tie with Tampa Bay for first place in the American League East.
Goldschmidt is batting .314 with three homers and 13 RBIs over his last 12 games. Cody Bellinger has 11 RBIs in his last 12 games for the Yankees, who are playing without Aaron Judge (fractured right rib), designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (calf strain) and catcher Austin Wells (cervical headaches).
“It wasn’t pretty, but very gritty,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after Monday’s win. “A lot of really winning things that guys did, and everyone obviously involved. A really tough team over there. … A lot of winning plays there to get us to the finish line.”
The word “gritty” also was used in the Cleveland clubhouse after the Guardians lost for the fourth time in their last five games.
Cleveland, which leads the AL Central, went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on Monday. Manager Stephen Vogt turned to Cade Smith in a tie game in the eighth inning and saw his closer allow one hit with three strikeouts across 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
“Every game we’ve played with them has been gritty,” Smith said. “They’re a good team over there, and we’re a good team here. It’s going to be a war of attrition to go out there and win, but that’s what we all work for.”
Tuesday’s pitching matchup will feature a pair of right-handers as New York’s Gerrit Cole (1-1, 2.00 ERA) faces Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi (3-5, 4.92).
Cole allowed four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings in a 5-4 home loss to the Guardians last Wednesday.
After tossing 12 2/3 scoreless innings in his first two starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, Cole allowed three homers in Wednesday’s loss.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” Boone said. “I thought he located pretty well. They pressured him. They were aggressive with him, put the ball in play on him. But obviously, the long ball was the difference.”
Jose Ramirez is 14-for-39 (.359) with three homers against Cole, who is 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Cleveland.
The Guardians will counter with Cecconi, who pitched six innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against the Yankees on Thursday. Cleveland lost 2-1.
Cecconi walked one and struck out four while throwing 53 of his 82 pitches for strikes.
“Slade was phenomenal,” Vogt said. “He did a great job keeping us in that game. We knew going into it that it needed to be a low-scoring affair. I thought Slade threw the ball excellently.”
Cecconi is 0-1 with a 2.63 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
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