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  Dave McMenaminOct 18, 2025, 02:43 AM ET

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  • Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
  • Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.

LOS ANGELES — Using Friday’s preseason finale as a “dress rehearsal” for next week’s regular-season opener, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick put Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup to fill in for the injured LeBron James.

Vincent capped a strong individual training camp with 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting (4-for-5 from 3), but the Lakers lost 117-116 to the Sacramento Kings to finish the preseason 1-5.

The regular season starts Tuesday night when L.A. hosts the Golden State Warriors. Though the Vincent decision was made, there is plenty more for the Lakers to figure out in the next few days.

“We have two more practices, so we need to clean up some things,” said Luka Doncic, who scored a game-high 31 points to go with nine assists in 33 minutes.

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Vincent said the coaching staff informed him about the lineup change Friday morning. If the staff was uncertain about the choice, Vincent helped his cause in the Lakers’ preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday when he scored 18 points in the first four minutes, going 5-for-5 from 3.

“I think I just bring what I’ve been doing since I’ve been here,” Vincent said when asked about his fit with the starters. “Just defending, try to defend at a high level. Playmake when I have opportunities, space the floor while Luka and [Austin Reaves] are creating themselves.”

James is not expected to return to the lineup until mid-November, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, as he continues to recover from sciatica affecting the right side of his body.

Though Vincent will join Doncic, Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura on the court to tip off the 2025-26 season, Redick made it clear that the current starters are not permanent.

“I don’t know anything about who I’m going to be starting the rest of the season because, again, there’s injuries, and there’s things that happen throughout a year,” Redick said. “I have a pretty good idea who’s going to start Game 1, after that, I don’t know. But I do think in that lineup there’s lot of shooting around Luka and DA, and Gabe is another ball handler, another tough defender.

“I think he fits in well, but you have to take a look at every matchup we play against and have to make a decision there.”

Redick has downplayed the magnitude of his starting lineup decision repeatedly during training camp, pointing out that he used 25 different starting lineups last season.

Redick and his team sounded far more concerned about their defense after allowing 59 second-half points to a Kings team that shot 54.7% overall and 44.8% from 3.

“I think in practice we were more physical,” Doncic said. “We need to work on our physicality.”

The Lakers were without one of their more physical defenders in center Jaxson Hayes for the second half Friday. He left the game because of a right wrist contusion after finishing a lob dunk in the first quarter. Redick said X-rays on Hayes’ wrist were negative, and the Lakers will have a further update on Hayes when they practice Sunday.

Former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who had 14 points and four steals off the bench against Sacramento, vowed to help with the physicality in the meantime.

“Just follow my lead,” Smart said. “That’s really it. I’m going to try to set the tone each and every night. And just kind of piggyback off me.”

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  Tim BontempsOct 17, 2025, 09:36 PM ET

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  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

PHILADELPHIA — For the first time in nearly eight months, Joel Embiid played in a basketball game for the Philadelphia 76ers.

And although it was a preseason game against the reserves of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Embiid and the 76ers came away from the 126-110 win at Xfinity Mobile Arena feeling good about where their superstar is at heading into the 2025-26 regular season.

“I think the biggest thing that I felt was just joy, and just how happy he was to be out there and how happy I was for him to be out there,” said Tyrese Maxey, who had 27 points in 30 minutes in Philadelphia’s final tuneup before the regular season begins next week.

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“The first thing I asked him before we went out there, I was like, ‘Hey, are you excited?’ He was like, ‘Man, I’m so excited just to be out there to play.’ So, I’m happy for him.”

Embiid hadn’t played in a game for the 76ers since Feb. 22 against the Brooklyn Nets before having arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome left knee a few weeks later.

But after practicing for the past several weeks — and playing in Sunday’s open to the public intrasquad scrimmage — Embiid took the floor Friday night and had an encouraging performance, finishing with 18:35 of game time with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers on 5-for-10 shooting, including 2-for-4 from 3-point range, as well as hitting both of his free throws.

“I don’t want to really think about the past,” Embiid said. “I’m just in a good space mentally, physically. … I’m just happy to touch the basketball and be able to play basketball and do what I love.

“When you don’t get [to do] that, it’s tough, but that’s what I’m most happy about. So today, tonight, that’s all I kept thinking about. I’m on the court playing basketball, doing some good things, helping us win and yeah, that’s really what I was focused on.”

Embiid, who looks leaner, seemed to have no issues moving around on the court and appeared to have shed the bulky brace he was using — and frustrated by — last season.

By the time it was over, he had passed his latest test in his hopes to get back to where he was before the knee issues sent his career offtrack.

“Pretty good,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said, when asked for his assessment of Embiid’s performance. “I thought he moved good, played good, shot it good, passed it good. … I didn’t see too many negatives out there.”

Embiid played in only 19 games last season. And while he averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists in that limited action, he never looked like the player who was going back and forth with Nikola Jokic for Most Valuable Player awards during the prior three seasons.

Joel Embiid returned to the court for the first time since February on Friday, finishing with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers in the 76ers’ preseason finale. Bill Streicher/Imagn Images

He looked much more like himself Friday night, however, and remains on track — barring any setbacks from playing against Minnesota — to participate in next week’s season opener in Boston.

“I mean, I won’t say I feel like I was 18 years old again,” Embiid said with a smile, when asked if he felt like the past few weeks have gone as well as could be expected in his ramp-up to the season. “That’s never going to happen. But I’m just taking it day by day. Like I said, just learning. Some days are going to be good, some days I’m going to be a little bit tight, so learn from it and adjust and keep doing the right things.”

Even beyond Embiid, the 76ers had a few things to be excited about Friday night. VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick in June’s NBA draft, had 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals in 34 minutes, creating several highlight plays with his athleticism and reaffirming Nurse’s pregame statement that Edgecombe is ticketed for a spot in the starting five next week.

Quentin Grimes, meanwhile, made his preseason debut after signing the one-year $8.7 million qualifying offer to end his restricted free agency a couple of weeks ago and finished with 22 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in 26 minutes off the bench.

One player who didn’t return Friday and doesn’t seem on track to play opening night is Paul George, who is still working his way back from knee surgery in July. While George has continued to ramp-up his activity level, including participating in practices this week, he still has a few steps to clear before returning.

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The deliberately short-handed Knicks wrapped up their preseason slate on a high note, outlasting the Hornets, 113-108, on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways…

— As much as the Knicks wanted their final exhibition game to serve as a proper dress rehearsal with the regular season opener less than a week away, head coach Mike Brown ultimately erred on the side of caution with a few banged-up starters. Before the game, he ruled out Josh Hart(back), Karl-Anthony Towns (quad), and OG Anunoby(ankle) as preventative measures. Mitchell Robinson (load management) was also given the night off.

— The emphasis on quicker ball movement and frequent three-point shooting was apparent from the jump. As the Knicks’ only lineup regulars, Jalen Brunson tallied 15 first-quarter points (12 shots) with two assists and two rebounds across 11 minutes, while Mikal Bridges added five points with four boards in seven minutes. The planned rest for key players pushed Jordan Clarkson into the starting five, and he demonstrated his value as an impact bench scorer by posting eight points with a pair of made threes. Overall, the Knicks shot 39 percent (7 of 18) from beyond the arc in the period.

— Among the bench players competing for a roster spot is Landry Shamet, and the veteran guard showed some shrewd physicality in the second quarter by forcing a couple of Hornets turnovers. He also scored five points in 11 minutes. Tyler Kolek logged the fewest first-half minutes (6) in the 10-man rotation, and before halftime, Brunson produced 20 points (7 of 15 shooting) and appeared to debut a new archery-style hand celebration. Circling back to that stress on three-point shots — the Knicks took 30 through 24 minutes. At the break, they held a 64-54 lead on 47-percent shooting.

— Brunson and Bridges didn’t treat the preseason finale like a practice session. They maintained regular-season rhythms in the third quarter, combining for 12 points to push their game totals to 27 and 14, respectively. There was a brief injury scare for Miles McBride midway through the period, when he landed awkwardly on the baseline after having a runner emphatically rejected. While he got up gingerly with a limp, he stayed in the game and appeared to jog off the discomfort. The Knicks were outscored by seven points in the third, but still held a 90-87 advantage.

— The start of the fourth quarter didn’t mark the end for the Knicks’ pair of stars. Bridges continued to hustle in transition, pulling off a highlight-reel swat that preceded a one-handed slam midway through the period. Brunson, who was subbed out with 3:33 left in the third, checked back in with 7:41 remaining in regulation. Of course, it wasn’t a dress rehearsal for three Knicks starters, but their captain lived up to midseason form with a laudable 31 points in 34 minutes. Bridges also performed at a high level, racking up 16 points with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks across 33 minutes.

— “I thought we did some pretty good things tonight, especially starting two young guys in [Mohamed Diawara] and [Trey Jemison], but we played in spurts too many times,” Brown said. “We just gotta be a little more consistent with what we’re doing. And if we do, we’re gonna have a chance to be pretty good.”

— Brown has set a goal for the Knicks to average 40 threes per game this season, and they met the mark by posting 48 with a success rate of 38 percent. While the team struggled to contain Hornets starters Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton — they combined for 41 points — they still forced 21 turnovers and won the rebounds (44-41), steals (11-9), and paint points (40-34) battles. McBride found a groove off the bench, scoring 15 points with four assists in 24 minutes, while Shamet added six second-half points to finish with 11 over 20 minutes. Clarkson reached 13 points over 23 minutes.

Highlights

Clarkson fires away immediately pic.twitter.com/LOmbiruwq7

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 17, 2025

Jalen pic.twitter.com/YnDgCXA4da

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 18, 2025

Brunson behind the back to Jemison! pic.twitter.com/BMp6k1C1HS

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 18, 2025

Mikal slam! pic.twitter.com/3RR1aeouMR

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 18, 2025

What’s next

The Knicks will begin regular-season play at home on Wednesday night, in a highly anticipated matchup with the Cavaliers (7 p.m. tip-off).

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When McTominay smashed in Scotland’s second six minutes before the end, he ran away with the nonchalance of a man who was adding a cherry on top of a rich performance instead of settling nerves at the end of a massively fractious game.

In scoring the 13th goal of his international career, McTominay displayed a cool that belied the stress, but it didn’t last and nor did it deserve to last.

Belarus had more attempts on Scotland’s goal than Scotland had on theirs – and when Hleb Kuchko nipped in ahead of Robertson to make it 2-1, it was deserved.

You could argue that they deserved more. A draw would have been a fairer outcome. An away win would not have been a robbery.

Central to the deal when you come to Hampden is the possibility of palpitations, dizziness and nausea – and so it was again on Sunday.

Some of the chat leading up to this game involved the gallows humour so close to the heart of most members of the Tartan Army.

Having put themselves into a highly promising position, with seven points from nine, including a miraculous escape against the Greeks, the fatalists spoke of how typical it would be if Scotland struggled against the weakest team in the group.

This was, in many ways, a continuation of the fretfulness of Thursday, but against an opponent that had only a scintilla of Greece’s ability.

Belarus are point-less and goalless in the campaign. Nobody really thought this would turn into such a horrible experience, but they spoke about the possibility nonetheless, teased themselves with the potential horror of it all.

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Adrien Dumont de Chassart didn’t just set the Korn Ferry Tour’s 72-hole scoring record in relation to par in his victory Sunday at the Compliance Solutions Championship.

The third-year pro out of the University of Illinois clinched his return to the PGA Tour.

Dumont de Chassart opened the week at Patriot Golf Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with back-to-back, 10-under 61s, and his closing 65 on Sunday marked his highest round of the tournament. At 33 under, he beat runner-up Marty Dou, another former PGA Tour pro, by seven shots.

With the win, his second on the KFT following his playoff victory in his pro debut in 2023, Dumont de Chassart moved from No. 26 in KFT points to No. 6. With just one tournament left in the KFT Finals, next week’s KFT Championship at French Lick, Dumont de Chassart has clinched his place inside the top 20 of points, which comes with a PGA Tour card, down from 30 cards in recent seasons.

Dou rose from No. 33 to No. 19, meaning he’s just inside the bubble with one event to go. Mitchell Meissner fell a spot to No. 21 and Julian Suri dropped three placed to No. 22.

The top 75 players in points after this week advance to the KFT Championship. On Sunday, four players officially moved into – and four moved out of – the field at French Lick:

IN
James Nicholas: 78 -> 62
Samuel Anderson: 76 -> 70
Dylan Wu: 81 -> 71
Cole Hammer: 79 -> 72

OUT
Brandon Berry: 71 -> 76
Carl Yuan: 74 -> 77
Augusto Nunez: 73 -> 78
Fabian Gomez: 75 -> 80

KFT Championship full field

Here is the full field for the KFT Championship, listed in order of points rank:

x-clinched PGA Tour card

1. x-Johnny Keefer
2. x-Austin Smotherman
3. x-Neal Shipley
4. x-Emilio Gonzalez
5. x-Hank Lebioda
6. x-Adrien Dumont de Chassart
7. x-Chadler Blanchet
8. x-S.H. Kim
9. x-Zach Bauchou
10. x-Davis Chatfield
11. x-Christo Lamprecht
12. x-Pierceson Coody
13. S.T. Lee
14. Trace Crowe
15. Kensei Hirata
16. Jeffrey Kang
17. John VanDerLaan
18. Pontus Nyholm
19. Marty Dou
20. Sudarshan Yellamaraju
21. Mitchell Meissner
22. Julian Suri
23. Jeremy Gandon
24. Justin Suh
25. Alvaro Ortiz
26. Josh Teater
27. Austin Hitt
28. Logan McAllister
29. Myles Creighton
30. Ross Steelman
31. Kyle Westmoreland
32. Trent Phillips
33. Kevin Dougherty
34. Russell Knox
35. Nicolo Galletti
36. Patrick Welch
37. Davis Shore
38. Robby Shelton
39. Rick Lamb
40. Cole Sherwood
41. Ian Holt
42. Marcelo Rozo
43. Bryson Nimmer
44. Peter Kuest
45. Michael Johnson
46. Cooper Dossey
47. Zach James
48. Trey Winstead
49. Nick Gabrelcik
50. Stuart Macdonald
51. Alistair Docherty
52. Dylan Menante
53. Sebastian Cappelen
54. Barend Botha
55. Tyson Alexander
56. Blaine Hale Jr.
57. Shad Tuten
58. Ben Taylor
59. Caleb VanArragon
60. Jorge Fernandez Valdes
61. Wilson Furr
62. James Nicholas
63. Sandy Scott
64. S.Y. Noh
65. Tyler Duncan
66. Bryce Lewis
67. Matthew Anderson
68. Harry Hillier
69. Rob Oppenheim
70. Samuel Anderson
71. Dylan Wu
72. Cole Hammer
73. Taylor Montgomery
74. Joe Weiler
75. Blades Brown

SUNRISE, Fla. — Niko Mikkola had an assist on a goal that gave the Florida Panthers an 8-0 lead. Problem was, he’d been kicked out of the game a few minutes earlier and nobody noticed.

It was that kind of night between the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Florida defeated Tampa Bay 7-0 in the preseason finale for both clubs Saturday night, though the score was irrelevant. There were 65 penalties for 312 minutes on the stat sheet, including 13 game misconduct penalties — seven for Tampa Bay, six for Florida. The penalty count kept rising after the game, as officials were making sure everything that was called got logged.

“I have no idea,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said, when asked what message Tampa Bay was trying to send with its style of play. “I’m not worried about it; training camp is over. We had some good games … and no one was complaining about ice time by the end of it, so it’s over.”

Florida had 17 power-play chances in the game, by the NHL’s count.

“It got silly. It got stupid by the end of it,” Florida forward Evan Rodrigues said. “It wasn’t really hockey out there.”

The parade to the penalty boxes started about two minutes into the game when Tampa Bay’s Scott Sabourin — who was among six players the Lightning called up for the game — went after Florida’s Aaron Ekblad. Sabourin got a major penalty after playing only 19 seconds.

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“It made you think there might be something coming,” Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen said, when asked what he thought when he saw the Lightning called up players for the game.

What would have been the eighth Florida goal of the night, midway through the third period, was taken away 15 minutes after Jesper Boqvist scored. Off-ice officials realized that Mikkola couldn’t have had an assist on the play — since he’d been ejected earlier in the period.

The teams skated with the scoreboard saying Florida led 8-0 for about five minutes of actual game time, before officials informed both teams that the goal had been taken away and Mikkola had to leave the game.

The Lightning took nine penalties and had no shots on goal in the third period.

Saturday’s game came two nights after the teams combined for 49 penalties and 186 minutes in another preseason contest, one the Lightning won 5-2.

Tampa Bay went to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals from 2020 through 2022, winning two titles in that span. Florida has been to each of the past three Stanley Cup Finals and has won the past two Cups. And there has long been a heated rivalry between the franchises.

“I think anybody that’s been a part of this rivalry would probably look at this box score and A, not be surprised and B, I can’t believe it’s taken this long for something like that to happen,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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JACKSON, Miss. — Garrick Higgo shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship, with no plans to play it safe Sunday at the Country Club of Jackson.

“I’m going to play as if I’m behind tomorrow and be as aggressive as I can be and make as many birdies as I can,†Higgo said.

The South African player has fought through a labrum injury after winning an opposite-field event in the Dominican Republic the week after the Masters. He debated having surgery on his hip after the regular season, but realized he could handle it with a change in his fitness routine. He is lifting less and being smarter.

Steven Fisk and Danny Walker were tied for second. Fisk had his second straight 65, and Walker shot 67.

“Just more play like I’ve done the last three days,†Walker said. “It’s hard to say with what Garrick does. He could run away. Nothing I can do about that. If I just keep playing like I am and maybe have one or two less mistakes, I think that would take care of it.â€

Unlike most players in the Fall Series event, Higgo’s FedExCup rank is of little consequence. Having won the Puntacana Championship, he has his PGA Tour card locked up and is in The Players Championship. The Fall Series events no longer get a Masters invitation.

Only the top 100 keep full PGA Tour cards after the Fall Series end in November. Five tournaments are left on the schedule.

Walker is 104th in the FedExCup, while Fisk is 135th.

“Just really in control of the driver and hit a bunch of fairways,†Fisk said†Just tried to kind of pick my spots and where I can be aggressive and where I just kind of need to play for par.â€

Taylor Montgomery was 15 under, following a second-round 63 with a 69. He’s 147th in the standings.

Matt Kuchar (65) was 13 under with Frankie Capan III (68) and Vince Whaley (68). Whaley is 102nd in the standings, Kuchar 115th and Capan 157th.

Final-round tee times and TV times for the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Higgo birdied the par-5 14th and par-4 15th to get to 18 under, then parred the final two.

“I’d say it was quite a good fight,†Higgo said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I mean, it’s never easy. Golf never really goes your way. I just stayed patient and tried to put good swings on it and tried to roll the ball as good as I can.â€

Higgo played in the final group with Scottie Scheffler at the Procore Championship last month, where he tied for seventh.

“I seem to be playing well,†Higgo said. “I think all of us always try and stay patient. Some weeks it’s easier than other weeks.â€

The Buffalo Sabres tried to return the favor after the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated them at home on Wednesday, but the clu surrendered a 4-2 lead in the third period, allowing power plays goals from Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby to tie the game, and Crosby to give Pittsburgh a 5-4 victory with his second of the game nine seconds into overtime.

Jiri Kulich scored twice, Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker added singles for Buffalo, and Alex Tuch had a pair of assists in the contest. Alex Lyon allowed two goals on 13 shots in the opening 40 minutes, but Alexandar Georgiev relieved Lyon in the third period and faced 17 shots. The Sabres end the preseason with a record of 3-2-1 and will have to cut down to 23 players by Monday afternoon.

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, defenseman Michael Kesselring, and winger Jordan Greenway will likely not be available for the season opener against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center on Thursday, and could be placed on injured reserve to help get the Sabres down to 23.

Other Sabres Stories

Projecting Sabres Trade Cost – Lawson Crouse

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

In other news, the Philadelphia Flyers placed Buffalo native and former Sabre Dennis Gilbert on waivers on Saturday. The 28-year-old played 25 games for the Sabres last season before being included in the Josh Norris – Dylan Cozens trade with Ottawa. Other former Buffalo players that have been on the waiver wire and cleared are Casey Fitzgerald (NY Rangers) and Kale Clague (Winnipeg).

Ex-Sabre forward Tyson Jost was claimed by the Nashville Predators earlier in the week after being placed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

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In the last preseason game of the 2025-26 season, the Edmonton Oilers headed to Vancouver with a mostly full lineup to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Stuart Skinner was out due to illness, Jake Walman still wasn’t ready, and Mattias Janmark was injured, out another week. Of course, there was still no Zach Hyman. Meanwhile, the Canucks also ice most of their starters, so this was as close to a real game as preseason would offer.

The question for the Canucks would be if they could contain the top line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Trent Frederic, who combined for seven points in the previous preseason game between these two teams.

The Canucks allowed Draisaitl to get one on the power play, but they did a much better job limiting the top line’s chances. The Oilers went up 2-1, but the Canucks scored two, including an overtime winner from Conor Garland to give the Canucks the 3-2 win.

EDM lineup vs. VAN:

Draisaitl – McDavid – Frederic

Podkolzin – RNH – Mangiapane

Henrique – Philp – Savoie

Howard – Tomasek – Kapanen

Ekholm – Bouchard

Nurse – Stecher

Kulak – Emberson

Pickard

Tomkins

Oilers’ Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Goalies

Oilers’ Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Forwards

Oilers’ Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Defense

First Period:

The opening period was fairly evenly played, with Vancouver holding a slight edge in shots. It was the last shot of the period that was the best of the first 20 minutes, and it gave Vancouver a lead going into the intermission.

The Canucks generated the more dangerous looks.

The Oilers earned the first power play when Kiefer Sherwood was called for tripping. David Tomasek took the net-front role and nearly converted on a slick feed from McDavid, but Thatcher Demko turned him aside. Edmontonâ€s second unit struggled to sustain momentum, with Ike Howard fanning on a pass that stalled the sequence.

Out of the box, Sherwood nearly created a chance the other way, but Calvin Pickard came out aggressively to deny him.

At 17:48, Kasperi Kapanen was whistled for interference, sending Vancouver to its first man advantage. Former Oiler Evander Kane forced Pickard into a solid save, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins generated a shorthanded look. But with 9.3 seconds left in the frame, Jonathan Lekkerimäki wired a high shot over Pickardâ€s glove to break the deadlock. Braeden Cootes picked up the assist, giving the Canucks a 1–0 lead.

Second Period:

Leon Draisaitl opened the second period with a substantial shift, showcasing his puck protection skills. He felt he should have drawn a penalty when he was taken down, but he didnâ€t get the call. The first whistle didnâ€t come until 3:12, and through the opening five minutes, neither side generated much offense as the play remained scrambly.

Edmonton finally pushed back with some extended zone time, highlighted by a pair of chances, the best by Andrew Mangiapane. Vancouver managed to survive the pressure. Another four minutes ticked away before the next stoppage, during which Teddy Blueger forced Calvin Pickard into a solid save.

The Canucks began to build momentum, but it was quickly halted when David Tomasek sprung Kasperi Kapanen on the rush. Kapanen hammered a one-timer past Demko and shifted play back in Edmontonâ€s favor.

Moments later, pressure from Noah Philp, Matthew Savoie, and Adam Henrique drew a holding penalty, sending the Oilers to the power play. Edmonton wasted little time converting—Evan Bouchardâ€s point shot produced a rebound that landed on Draisaitlâ€s stick, which he buried to give the Oilers a 2–1 lead.

Third Period:

Defenseman Elias Pettersson didnâ€t return to start the third period after taking a shot to the chin from teammate Vasily Podkolzin, but he rejoined the play around the 2:30 mark, indicating he was fine to continue.

The Oilers opened the frame with an early chance from Andrew Mangiapane, who couldnâ€t quite pull the puck from his backhand to forehand in tight on Thatcher Demko. Vancouver responded with a strong shift around the three-minute mark, hemming Edmonton in, before the Oilers pushed back with a few dangerous looks—again led by Mangiapane.

Mattias Ekholm took the first penalty of the period, and the Canucks made him pay. Jonathan Lekkerimäki blasted home his second goal of the night, wiring a one-timer past Calvin Pickard to make it 2–2.

The game opened up at the midway point, with chances at both ends. Edmonton ran into penalty trouble soon after, as Mangiapane was called for roughing and Leon Draisaitl for removing Petterssonâ€s helmet, putting the Oilers down two men. Evander Kane then tripped Ty Emberson, leading to a brief 4-on-3 situation after a Canucks timeout. Remarkably, the Oilers killed off all three penalties.

As time wound down, several Edmonton rushes were broken up before they could develop. Connor McDavid tried to generate speed through the neutral zone a few times but was denied each time by the Vancouver defense.

In the final minute, the Oilers loaded up their top line in search of the winner, but couldnâ€t break through. Regulation ended with the teams deadlocked at 2–2, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime:

The Canucks controlled play for the first 90 seconds of overtime, pulling the puck in and out of the zone. Conor Garland eventually danced around a tired trio of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard. He potted it past Pickard, and the Canucks took the win.

There were some bright spots for the Oilers, including Tomasek, who got plenty of opportunity to be a difference-maker. There was some solid hustle from Mangiapane and noticeable speed from Savoie.

Edmonton will now finalize its roster cuts and prepare for the opening game of the season on Wednesday, October 8.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins announced the roster for their final preseason game on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres.

As expected, this game will serve as the “dress rehearsal” for the A squad, but not everyone on the roster will play. Friday’s roster includes 14 forwards, nine defensemen, and three goaltenders. The morning skate at 10:30 a.m. ET will be pretty telling when it comes to who will be in the lineup.

Here’s the full roster:

Forwards

Sidney Crosby

Evgeni Malkin

Rickard Rakell

Filip Hallander

Justin Brazeau

Blake Lizotte

Tommy Novak

Connor Dewar

Anthony Mantha

Ville Koivunen

Philip Tomasino

Noel Acciari

Ben Kindel

Avery Hayes

Defensemen

Ryan Shea

Matt Dumba

Ryan Graves

Parker Wotherspoon

Harrison Brunicke

Caleb Jones

Erik Karlsson

Kris Letang

Connor Clifton

Goaltenders

Tristan Jarry

Arturs Silovs

Sergei Murashov

All 26 of these players practiced with the main NHL group on Thursday at Noon ET. The practice lasted for 90 minutes and was intense and competitive, just like the other training camp practices.

There will be a morning skate before Friday’s game at 10:30 a.m. ET in Cranberry at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Puck drop from PPG Paints Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET.

Fans in Pittsburgh can watch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh+ or listen to it on 105.9 ‘The X.’

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