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  • Associated Press

Apr 29, 2024, 01:52 PM ET

DENVER — Winnipeg Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov suffered a fractured cheekbone when a puck hit him on the left side of his face in Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche, the team said Monday.

Jets coach Rick Bowness said that Namestnikov stayed overnight in Denver and was returning to Winnipeg on Monday. Bowness added there was no orbital damage to Namestnikov’s eye. His availability for Game 5 on Tuesday was uncertain.

“I sent him a text last night and he answered this morning and said he’s feeling better,” said Bowness, whose team lost 5-1 on Sunday and trails the Avalanche 3-1 in the first-round series. “It could have been a lot worse.”

Bowness wasn’t ruling out Namestnikov possibly wearing a helmet with a protective cage.

“Listen, nothing would surprise me with Vladdy,” Bowness said. “Again, he’s a tough kid. That’s why we keep picking him up. He does a lot of good things. He’s a great teammate. His versatility helps, but it’s just toughness, mental toughness. I’ll never rule anything out.”

Namestnikov was trying to jump out of the way of a shot from teammate Nate Schmidt when the puck hit a stick and struck him. Namestnikov stayed down on the ice as trainers rushed out. He skated off with help and exited through the Avalanche bench in the third period. Namestnikov, 31, had a towel pressed to his face.

“It’s scary,” Winnipeg teammate Mark Scheifele said. “You never want to see that much blood, no matter what, no matter who it is. Especially a guy on our squad. That sucks. All you can do is hope and pray that he’s OK. That’s a scary one. Just got to pray for him.”

Also Sunday, Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers each took pucks to the face in the first period of Game 4 of their first-round series.

Josi was struck near his right ear and skated only 4:53 of the first period. Nashville center Tommy Novak‘s shot at the right circle hit Myers near his nose with 1:35 left. Myers dropped to the ice, and a trainer rushed out to put a towel to his face before going with him to the bench. Both players returned early in the second period.

For the Jets, it was the second scary situation against the Avalanche.

In Friday’s game, Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon suffered a deep cut on his hand that required stitches. Dillon was apparently cut by a skate blade during a scrum after the final horn. He skated toward the locker room holding his bleeding hand.

Dillon was ruled out Sunday and is considered day-to-day.

“We’re not going to put him in harm’s way, let’s put it that way,” Bowness said of Dillon’s possible availability for Game 5. “He’d play with two broken hands if he could, if we let him. We’ll make the right decision based on what’s best for him. We’re not going put him out there unless we’re 100% sure there can be no more damage done.”

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NHL playoff watch: Inside the Western wild-card race

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2 hours ago

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March 16, 2025

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NHL playoff watch: Inside the Western wild-card race

Though it lacks the volume of teams in close proximity like the Eastern Conference wild-card race, the Western derby is no less wild. Sunday’s action will provide yet another clue as to who will earn the final spot in that half of the postseason bracket.

Heading into Sunday’s slate, the Minnesota Wild appear pretty well locked in to the the first wild-card spot, with 79 points and 29 regulation wins through 67 games. But who gets the second one?

  • Right now it’s the Vancouver Canucks, with 73 points and 24 RW in 66 games. They’re taking on the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+). Once past that game, they’ll play eight games of their final 15 against playoff teams.

  • Next up are the Calgary Flames, with 71 points and 24 RW in 65 games. They are idle on Sunday and will play against teams currently in playoff position in nine of their final 17 contests.

  • The St. Louis Blues are also two behind the Canucks in points, with 23 RW through 67 games. Jordan Binnington & Co. host the Anaheim Ducks (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+), then play just four of their final 14 against teams in playoff spots.

  • Speaking of the UHC, following Sunday’s game against the Canucks, seven of the remaining 15 games are against current playoff-positioned clubs.

Stathletes gives the Canucks the best playoff chances of the group (31.1%), followed by the Blues (30.2%), Hockey Club (22.4%) and Flames (20.2%). The “prize” for the team that wins this race is likely a first-round matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, but upsets do happen!

There is a lot of runway left until April 17, the final day of the regular season, and we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 New York Rangers
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Vancouver Canucks
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Sunday’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Vegas Golden Knights at Detroit Red Wings, 1 p.m. (TNT)
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche, 3:30 p.m. (TNT)
Anaheim Ducks at St. Louis Blues, 6 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Florida Panthers at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at Vancouver Canucks, 8 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at Seattle Kraken, 9 p.m.

Saturday’s scoreboard

Buffalo Sabres 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3 (SO)
Pittsburgh Penguins 7, New Jersey Devils 3
Washington Capitals 5, San Jose Sharks 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Boston Bruins 2
Ottawa Senators 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Montreal Canadiens 3, Florida Panthers 1
Carolina Hurricanes 5, Philadelphia Flyers 0
New York Rangers 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 0
St. Louis Blues 5, Minnesota Wild 1
Los Angeles Kings 1, Nashville Predators 0 (OT)
Vancouver Canucks 6, Chicago Blackhawks 2

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 104.0
Next game: @ NYI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: vs. PHI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 98.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 88.2
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 10.4%
Tragic number: 32

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 84.5
Next game: vs. VGK (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 7.4%
Tragic number: 29

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. BUF (Monday)
Playoff chances: 8.8%
Tragic number: 25

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 73.2
Next game: @ BOS (Monday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 21

Metro Division

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 117.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 14
Points pace: 94.1
Next game: @ CBJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 97.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 88.1
Next game: vs. EDM (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 43.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 87.0
Next game: vs. NJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 21.9%
Tragic number: 31

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 83.3
Next game: vs. FLA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 9.3%
Tragic number: 29

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 78.4
Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.8%
Tragic number: 21

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 77.2
Next game: @ TB (Monday)
Playoff chances: 2.1%
Tragic number: 21

Central Division

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 117.5
Next game: @ SEA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 108.5
Next game: @ COL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 15
Points pace: 101.6
Next game: vs. DAL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 96.7
Next game: vs. LA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 96.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 86.9
Next game: vs. ANA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 30.2%
Tragic number: 29

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: @ VAN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 22.4%
Tragic number: 29

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 72.1
Next game: vs. STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 18

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 60.0
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7

Pacific Division

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 106.9
Next game: @ DET (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ MIN (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.7%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 80
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 16
Points pace: 99.4
Next game: @ NYR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 90.7
Next game: vs. UTA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 31.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 89.6
Next game: @ TOR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 20.2%
Tragic number: 33

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 80.8
Next game: @ STL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 25

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 75.9
Next game: vs. WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 20

Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 54.3
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 1

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24

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Hanshin Tigers sweep Cubs, Dodgers in shutouts

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4 hours ago

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March 16, 2025

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Hanshin Tigers sweep Cubs, Dodgers in shutouts

  • Associated Press

Mar 16, 2025, 06:18 AM ET

TOKYO — For two days in Japan, it’s the Hanshin Tigers who have looked like the class of the National League.

In another sign that Japanese baseball has never been better, the Tigers capped a two-game sweep over MLB clubs with a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at the Tokyo Dome.

Even more impressive, the Tigers didn’t give up a run in either game. Daichi Ishii recorded the final out, freezing James Outman for strike three on a 95 mph fastball to cap 18 scoreless innings in a row.

“These two days were priceless,” Hanshin manager Kyuji Fujikawa said through an interpreter.

Hanshin tagged two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell for three runs in the fourth inning when the first two batters reached base before Teruaki Sato smoked a three-run homer into the right-field seats, where a jubilant Tigers fan club erupted in celebration.

On the mound, right-hander Hiroto Saiki threw five dominant innings, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out seven. Saiki struck out Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to start the game and coaxed a harmless popup from the slugger in the fourth.

“Really good ballclub,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I thought they played really good defense. They can handle velocity, good with the fastball. The starter [Saiki] had major league stuff. Good command, good split. And then Sato, he looks the part. He’s a really impressive baseball player.”

Saiki was one of the best pitchers in Japan last season, finishing with a 13-3 record and a 1.88 ERA over 167⅔ innings. The Tigers had a 74-63 record last season, which was good for second place in Japan’s Central League.

The Tigers started the two-game sweep with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday after 20-year-old lefty Keito Mombetsu threw five perfect innings. No Cubs player reached base until Miguel Amaya smacked a single through the infield in the sixth that just got past the shortstop.

Hanshin also dominated on the basepaths against the Cubs, going 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts.

“They clearly showed they can play at the top level,” Roberts said.

Japanese players have made a huge mark on MLB, particularly over the past three decades. Former Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki was recently elected to the Hall of Fame, and this week’s Tokyo Series features five Japanese players, including three on the Dodgers with Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga play for the Cubs.

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Pirates ace Skenes to start opener at Marlins

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10 hours ago

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March 16, 2025

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Pirates ace Skenes to start opener at Marlins

  • Associated Press

Mar 15, 2025, 04:26 PM ET

BRADENTON, Fla. — Paul Skenes is going to start for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day.

Pretty easy call for manager Derek Shelton.

Skenes is coming off a dominant performance in his first season in the majors. The 22-year-old right-hander went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts for Pittsburgh in 2024, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

The Pirates posted a video on social media on Saturday that showed Shelton informing Skenes of his decision.

In the video, Skenes walks into Shelton’s office and answers a couple questions about how his bullpen went and how he was feeling. Shelton later got up from behind his desk and informed Skenes he would be starting March 27 at Miami. He shook hands with Skenes and gave him a hug.

“Congrats, brother,” Shelton said to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

“Appreciate it,” Skenes responded.

The 22-year-old Skenes has been working on incorporating a cutter and a running two-seam fastball to go along with his blazing four-seam fastball.

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