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  • Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterMay 6, 2023, 07:00 AM ET

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      Ryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.

LAS VEGAS — Given the current landscape in the NHL, a team can give up four goals in a Stanley Cup playoff game and its coach can still feel like it had “defensive success.”

That was Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy’s point in using those words while offering his assessment of his team after a 6-4 win Wednesday night against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. He wasn’t trying to deflect questions about Vegas’ blue-line play. Nor was he attempting to take anything away from the individual who scored all four Edmonton goals, superstar center Leon Draisaitl.

All Cassidy was saying is what constitutes defensive success in the NHL these days is a more nuanced concept than most might believe.

And he’s not the only person associated with either the Golden Knights or Oilers who is making the same point.

“For us, in the end, we’re about the end result in the playoffs. 8-7 is a win for us,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said. “Are there things you can improve defensively? Yes. We’re quite aware that we were the top team down the stretch. But we’re also aware the second-hottest team down the stretch is the one we’re playing. They have certain attributes, and one of those attributes is that they can score.”

Several scenarios could play out Saturday in Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena. There could be fewer goals. But there is also the realistic chance that this could be another game with close to — or even more than — the combined 10 goals Vegas and Edmonton scored in the series opener.

So what does defensive success look like in a playoff series that features the two teams that are the proverbial poster children for the NHL’s continuing offensive surge?

When asked that question, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse paused for a few seconds and chuckled before answering.

“We look back at the games that we’ve played against them all season long and we’ve held them to three goals or in that area,” Nurse said. The Oilers held the Golden Knights to an average of 3.5 goals in the regular season. “I’d say that’s probably a better picture of where our defensive game should be at.

“We shouldn’t have 10 goals in the first game of a series. But that’s what happens when you have two teams with high firepower. To judge it from a defensive standpoint, [giving up] three and under is probably a good way to look at it.”

Returning to what Woodcroft said about how the regular season ended, the Oilers entered the playoffs tied for the most wins since March 1 while also leading the league with 4.43 goals per game. The Golden Knights were third in wins and eighth in goals with 3.55 per contest in that span.

Those figures are further evidence of the leaguewide increase in scoring. During the regular season, the NHL had the most combined goals per game (6.36) in nearly 30 years. That has bled into the postseason with teams combining to average 6.32 goals per game, which is both slightly above last year’s pace (6.31) and is not far from the most since the 1994-95 playoffs, when teams averaged 6.36 goals per game.

Goals are the most obvious metric one might consider in determining whether a team had defensive success. But again — nuance.

Cassidy had the empirical and scientific evidence from Wednesday’s 5-on-5 sequences to support his argument. The Golden Knights aggressively interacted with Oilers superstar Connor McDavid every time he had the puck. They paid attention. They used their bodies and sticks to serve as speed bumps against a player who skates at a pace that often leaves teams in his wake, searching for answers.

Vegas held Edmonton to eight high-danger scoring chances, with seven of them coming in the third period when the Oilers were making a push. The Oilers are second in the playoffs in shots at 34.1 per game yet were kept to 27 in Game 1. They are second in scoring chances per 60 minutes at 34.85 but managed just 27, and also finished well below their average of 15.29 high-danger scoring chances per 60, which is second in the NHL, per Natural Stat Trick.

So there was success.

“I didn’t think it was a barrage,” Cassidy said. “They had a real good push in the third where we got on our heels a little bit. We cannot do that against this team. We almost had to go back to playing like we were behind once it got to 5-4.”

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Leon Draisaitl notches 4-goal performance in Game 1 loss

Leon Draisaitl finds the back of the net four times but it’s not enough as the Oilers lose Game 1 to the Golden Knights 6-4.

But there were also issues. Like the Oilers going 2-for-3 on the power play. Or Draisaitl, one of Edmonton’s two Hart Trophy winners, scoring four times. On one of those goals, Draisaitl banked the puck off Laurent Brossoit’s back in a move that reinforced why he’s one of the best players in the world.

“Obviously, he made a good play and you look at it, take three seconds and you gotta move on,” Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. “You can’t change what happened. You gotta try and fix it and you just gotta pay attention again to the details of defending certain guys that are on the ice. Again, that’s up to the five guys that are on the ice to recognize that and you make sure you get the job done.”

But this is something of a two-way street regarding what defensive success can look like in this series. Even though they gave up five even-strength goals (one an empty-netter), the Oilers too found areas of success. They limited the Golden Knights to seven high-danger chances and 21 total scoring chances in 5-on-5 play, numbers that are below what Vegas has averaged throughout the playoffs.

Plus, it’s not like the Golden Knights could ever really find comfort. They took a 3-1 lead only to have Draisaitl score with 11 seconds left in the first period. And when the Oilers tied the game at 3-3 early in the third, the Golden Knights pushed it to 5-3 by scoring two goals less than 60 seconds apart, only to see Draisaitl make it a one-goal game five minutes later.

Also, consider who scored for Vegas. Ivan Barbashev, who has won a Stanley Cup, scored twice. The all-around threat that is Mark Stone, who becomes even more dangerous in the postseason, brought his point total to 10 through six games. Chandler Stephenson, who has used his time in Vegas to cement himself as a top-six forward, also has a Stanley Cup on his résumé. His game winner was his fifth goal of the playoffs, which is more than he had in his previous 66 postseason games combined.

Now throw in the goal from Michael Amadio and the empty-netter from Jack Eichel with less than a minute left. Those are five players whose individual efforts reinforced what makes finding defensive success against the Golden Knights a challenge in its own right.

That specific challenge being they can all put the puck in the net. Vegas had 12 players finish the regular season with more than 10 goals and 20 players who had more than 10 points.

It’s why Woodcroft said the Oilers must look to avoid giving up the “freebies,” something Nurse explained in greater detail.

“That’s the turnovers that give up a grade A [scoring chance] and giving up 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s,” Nurse said. “The freebies are the things that are in our own control where you can grind a team down low and make plays toward the net and not give up a chance against. Those are the things you can control.”

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Infant son of NASCAR’s Reddick has chest tumor

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October 5, 2025

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Infant son of NASCAR's Reddick has chest tumor

  • Associated Press

Oct 5, 2025, 01:19 PM ET

CONCORD, N.C. — Tyler Reddick raced Sunday with his championship hopes on the line at the same time his infant son has been diagnosed with a tumor in his chest that is affecting his heart.

Rookie Reddick, the second of Tyler and Alexa Reddick’s two boys, was born in May, and Alexa said last week that he has been dealing with serious health complications. The couple provided an update ahead of Sunday’s race at The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Reddick was starting from the pole, needing a victory to remain in contention for the Cup Series title.

Alexa Reddick posted a social media update on Rookie’s condition after Reddick’s pole-winning run, saying he has a “tumor that’s ‘choking’ the renal vein & renal artery. Telling the heart ‘Hey I’m not getting enough blood … pump harder.'”

She said it has caused an enlarged heart, and the four-month-old will need a kidney removed because doctors determined it is no longer functioning.

“He will undergo open surgery to remove his right kidney. We’re just not sure when,” she wrote. “Waiting is ok right now to give his heart a break while he’s on BP medication. They expect his heart to fully recover because it was just an innocent bystander. We have answers but a journey ahead to bring our little Cookie home.”

She added that her son was happy spending time blowing bubbles, playing and “interacting with every nurse & doctor that comes in his room.”

Reddick had kept his son’s health situation private until his wife went public before last week’s race at Kansas Speedway when she announced that Rookie was at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte showing signs of heart failure.

Reddick finally addressed Rookie’s health at Charlotte.

“Healthier is probably not the right word, but I’ve never seen him happier. His color looks good. He’s gained weight. A lot of things are going well,” Reddick said. “All that being said, some of the the tougher moments are definitely ahead. We’re definitely not in the clear. There are some things we need to get through first.

“So, on one hand, I’m really happy and it makes me feel great that he’s doing much better right now, but certainly we have some hurdles we have to get through first before we’re even thinking about leaving the hospital or thinking about what comes next.”

Reddick, who made it to the championship-deciding finale, enters Sunday’s race below the cutline of drivers who will be trimmed from 12 to eight after the race. The bottom four — Reddick, his 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric — all likely need a victory Sunday to avoid elimination.

“For me, this weekend where we’re at in points, it just is what it is,” Reddick said. “I’m going to go out there and give it my best effort while I’m here certainly. For me, this week, the elimination, everything that is happening in the racing world is taking a back seat as it should.”

Denny Hamlin, co-owner of Reddick’s car, said 23XI Racing has been supportive and involved in getting Rookie the best care.

“We’ve tried to do everything we could as a company to tap into all the resources that we possibly can, to get him second, third opinions, all the things, get him in contact with specialists,” Hamlin said. “We feel not a relief, but it is a little relief that they kind of understand now what the path is forward, versus, kind of not knowing.

“I could not imagine being in their places. He’s got enough to think about. I’m sure he’s probably breathing a little sigh relief that he still goes there to do his job at a high level, given everything that’s going on off the track.”

Reddick will start alongside Shane van Gisbergen, who has won four races this year on road and street courses. The New Zealander is the heavy favorite, and any driver hoping to avoid playoff elimination will have to beat van Gisbergen.

Reddick, meanwhile, was grateful for the support he and his family have received and reflected on the emotional impact this has had on his family.

“Just countless individuals have helped out,” Reddick said. “Countless individuals have reached out, provided support whatever it might be. It’s been really eye-opening. I agree with my wife this is the hardest thing that I’ve had to go through. … Certainly being away (last week) wasn’t ideal.

“That was a decision me and her came to a conclusion on when I was in Kansas. He was going in the right direction. Yes, like I said, big things ahead that we have to fix, but for that past weekend he was stable and going in the right direction. It was difficult to stay and race [at Kansas], but we were on the same page about it. I just wanted to get off that plane so bad on Sunday night and get back to the hospital.”

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MLB division series Day 1: Takeaways and top moments from four-game Saturday

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October 5, 2025

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MLB division series Day 1: Takeaways and top moments from four-game Saturday

Oct 5, 2025, 12:05 AM ET

The 2025 MLB division series started with a bang on a four-game Saturday.

The Milwaukee Brewers rode a six-run first inning to a dominant win over the Chicago Cubs in the first game of the day. A second pair of division rivalries faced off as the Toronto Blue Jays slugged their way to an almost double-digit thumping of the New York Yankees. Then, in a highly anticipated NLDS showdown, Shohei Ohtani started his first career postseason game as the Los Angeles Dodgers took a late lead to secure a win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

In the final matchup of the night, the Detroit Tigers took the lead in the 11th inning to secure a thrilling Game 1 victory against the Seattle Mariners.

We’ve got you covered with all the action from Day 1, from the top moments to postgame takeaways from every matchup.

Key links: Mega-preview | Series outlooks | Bracket | Schedule

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Takeaways | Top Moments

Takeaways

Detroit leads series 1-0

The Tigers nearly collapsed at the end of the end of regular season, barely hung on to a playoff spot and then took two of three in Cleveland. Now, they’ve won Game 1 of the ALDS against Seattle — on the night before their ace, Tarik Skubal, takes the mound. On Saturday, Troy Melton, the rookie right-hander coming off a brutal showing in the wild-card round, provided four quality innings. Kerry Carpenter came up with a big two-run homer against an electric George Kirby. Zach McKinstry provided a two-out, run-scoring single in the 11th inning. And, in the end, Keider Montero retired the top of the Mariners’ order to secure the victory, continuing a dominant effort from basically the entire Detroit bullpen. Keep counting out the Tigers all you want; they keep finding a way. — Alden Gonzalez

Los Angeles leads series 1-0

The Dodgers were reeling. Down 3-0, facing Cristopher Sanchez, at the house of horrors that is Citizens Bank Park, they were at risk of dropping Game 1 against Philadelphia. Then, Enrique Hernández whacked a two-run double that helped chase Sanchez. And Teoscar Hernandez followed with a three-run, opposite-field home run off reliever Matt Strahm. And with Tyler Glasnow, Alex Vesia and Roki Sasaki throwing three scoreless innings, the Dodgers took Game 1 on the strength of their depth more than their stars showing out. Los Angeles showed last October that its depth is as much a hallmark as its stars. As this series continues with the Dodgers having home-field advantage after securing a win on the road, the Phillies know the challenge ahead: There is no such thing as a safe lead against Los Angeles. — Jeff Passan

Toronto leads series 1-0

Add Saturday’s sixth inning to the vault of Aaron Judge‘s October troubles. Toronto’s Kevin Gausman cruised through five scoreless innings, needing just 50 pitches to secure 15 outs, before finding trouble. Anthony Volpe drove a leadoff double, Austin Wells smacked a single, and Trent Grisham walked to load the bases for Judge. The Yankees’ superstar had singled off Gausman in the first inning for his fifth hit (all singles until that point) of this postseason, and Judge has more career home runs off Gausman than any other pitcher in his career. It was a prime opportunity to supply his first major moment in these playoffs. But Judge fell short, striking out on a 3-2 slider down and away that would’ve been ball four. Cody Bellinger followed with a walk to score a run, but that’s all the Yankees scored in the frame — and in the game — after Ben Rice popped out and Giancarlo Stanton struck out.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, didn’t waste their opportunities. They went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position as they chased Luis Gil in the third inning and forced the Yankees to use five relievers. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered. Alejandro Kirk homered twice. Rogers Centre, hosting its first postseason game since 2016, roared with each of the 10 runs scored. — Jorge Castillo

Milwaukee leads series 1-0

The decision to start Matthew Boyd on three days’ rest backfired on the Cubs so quickly that it’s impossible not to point to that choice as the turning point in Game 1.

Boyd wasn’t sharp down the stretch of the regular season, and after throwing 58 pitches on Tuesday, there were questions around whehter he could return to the mound so quickly and be effective. It was a head-scratching decision considering the team had a more-than-capable starter in Javier Assad ready to pitch after he was left off the wild-card roster. But Assad didn’t make the NLDS roster either — Cubs manager Craig Counsell called that a tough call — making the whole situation confusing. The Cubs blew this game long before Boyd lasted just two-thirds of an inning in Saturday’s opener. — Jesse Rogers

Top moments from Day 1

Tigers at Mariners

Detroit breaks 2-2 tie in the 11th to take the lead and win Game 1

“Julio” chants are loud in Seattle as J-Rod RBI ties the game

One swing flips the game — and Tigers take the lead

J-Rod gives Seattle crowd its first home playoff home run in 24 years

What a special moment at T-Mobile Park

Dodgers at Phillies

Roki Sasaki earns his first MLB save in Dodgers win

Teoscar Hernandez hits three-run blast to give L.A. its first lead

Dodgers get on the board thanks to a double from Enrique Hernandez

J.T. Realmuto triples to give the Phillies an early lead

Cristopher Sanchez strikes out the side to begin Game 1 — starting with Shohei Ohtani

Yankees at Blue Jays

Jays players hyped after Game 1 win

Toronto piles on with four-run inning

Jays get out of zero-out, bases-loaded jam with just one run given up

Alejandro Kirk joins in on the HR fun

Jays bust out new postseason home run jacket

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gives the Jays an early lead against Yankees

Cubs at Brewers

Milwaukee finishes off a dominant Game 1

Brewers bat around, put up six runs in first inning

Brewers answer in a hurry

Cubs come out swinging in Milwaukee

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With Skubal up next, Tigers notch ‘huge’ G1 win

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October 5, 2025

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With Skubal up next, Tigers notch 'huge' G1 win

  • Alden GonzalezOct 5, 2025, 12:30 AM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

SEATTLE — Zach McKinstry came to bat against Seattle Mariners right-hander Carlos Vargas with two outs, the score tied and the winning run on second base in Saturday’s 11th inning. A right-handed hitter, the free-swinging Javier Baez, loomed on deck, a much better matchup for Vargas than the left-handed-hitting McKinstry. The Mariners could have elected to intentionally walk him with first base open.

“We talked about it,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Obviously, Vargy gets the ball on the ground, and that’s what he does best, righty or lefty and, you know, he got the ball on the ground.”

That grounder bounced four times before finding the outfield grass at T-Mobile Park, hit just hard enough to evade a diving J.P. Crawford, plate Spencer Torkelson and send the Detroit Tigers — marked for dead with their season unraveling in epic fashion near the end of September — to a 3-2, extra-inning victory. After winning two of three in Cleveland to overcome the wild-card round, a Tigers team that has spent the last two weeks on the road has taken a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five American League Division Series.

A.J. Hinch, the fifth-year-manager, called these Tigers the “sum-of-the-parts team,” and it showed once again.

It began with Troy Melton, a rookie right-hander used mostly in relief this season, providing four quality innings. Seven relievers — including Keider Montero, a starting pitcher who was called on for a save — followed by holding the Mariners to one run in seven innings. In between, Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run homer and McKinstry provided the clutch single. Now, with ace Tarik Skubal lined up for Game 2, the Tigers have a chance to take a commanding lead in a series few saw them winning.

“It’s huge,” Carpenter said. “To get a win before the best pitcher in the world pitches is pretty special, and I feel like Skubal is made for these moments.”

The last time Melton took the ball, he recorded one out and was charged with four earned runs in the eighth inning of the second wild-card game on Wednesday. Hinch informed him via text on the plane ride to Seattle on Thursday night that he would start Game 1. He described the decision as a reflection of Melton’s stuff and poise, but really, with Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty already used this week, Hinch had few other options.

Melton responded with four innings of one-run ball in what amounted to his fifth major league start all year, allowing only a Julio Rodriguez solo homer.

“It was kind of normal for me,” Melton, 24, said. “My parents were here. I got dinner with them last night, breakfast with them today. It was like the same routine as when I pitched in college. That kind of made it a little bit more normal. Obviously this environment is a little bit different, and it means a little bit more than my college games did, but I tried to make it as normal as possible. Once I got out there, it was just about executing pitches.”

Mariners starter George Kirby didn’t just execute early; he dialed up his fastball, using the adrenaline of a home playoff start to throw his fastball consistently in the upper 90s early on, roughly two ticks faster than his season average. Kirby navigated some trouble but kept the Tigers scoreless through the first four innings while striking out eight.

In the fifth, he allowed a one-out single to Parker Meadows and got Gleyber Torres to ground out, bring up Meadows, the left-handed-hitting outfielder who was 4-for-10 with four home runs lifetime against him. Wilson had lefty Gabe Speier warming up in the bullpen, a move that would have prompted Hinch to pinch-hit with the right-handed-hitting Jahmai Jones. But Wilson decided to let Kirby face Carpenter a third time.

“It’s a tough one,” Wilson said, “and you do the best you can and try to take the information that you have and what you’re seeing. And we thought George continued to throw the ball pretty well there and still had pretty good stuff and a lot left in the tank.”

Kirby just missed inside with an 0-2 sinker. He then went to the sinker for a third straight time, but it traveled middle-up, about chest high, and Carpenter sent it 409 feet to give the Tigers a lead.

“I was seeing him well tonight, especially after that first at-bat,” Carpenter said. “I feel like I got my timing back a little bit. And I just wanted to make sure to get a good pitch to hit that at-bat, because they had a base open, and I didn’t know how they were going to pitch me. And so I felt like I was on time and had a good approach there.”

Rodriguez tied the game with an opposite-field single in the sixth, but the Mariners couldn’t do further damage in a half-inning that saw each of their first three hitters reach. Tyler Holton relieved a struggling Rafael Montero and recorded three quick outs. Tommy Kahnle, Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest followed by allowing one baserunner in four innings, setting up the game-winning sequence in the top of the 11th.

Spencer Torkelson drew a leadoff walk against Vargas, a lanky right-hander who can reach triple-digits. Wenceel Perez and Dillon Dingler struck out, but McKinstry turned on a first-pitch, 99.6-mph sinker near the middle of the zone and came up with a base-hit up the middle, deflating a sold-out crowd that has waited 24 years for the Mariners to win a home playoff game.

In the bottom half, Montero faced the top of the Mariners’ lineup and navigated it without much issue, allowing a two-out single to Rodriguez and then coming back to strike out Josh Naylor to record the first save of his pro career.

It was the realization of a dream.

“When I was in little league, they would use me like that,” Montero, a 25-year-old from Venezuela, said in Spanish, “and I always told my teammates in the minor leagues that my dream was to close out a game.”

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