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Observations From Blues’ 3-1 Win Vs. Stars For First Home Win

ST.
LOUIS – It
was pretty low-keyed around here for the St. Louis Blues after their
last home game on Wednesday.

They
were lambasted by the Chicago Blackhawks, 8-3, and dropped to 0-2-0
at Enterprise Center and outscored 13-3. Coach Jim Montgomery was
wanting to see “more of a competitive spirit by our team.”

Well
he got that and then some on Saturday night against a very good
Dallas Stars, and the Blues responded with arguably their most
complete effort of the season, winning 3-1 for their first home win
of the season.

Jordan
Kyrou scored his first goal of the season, Jimmy Snuggerud added his
third in three games, Pius Suter iced it with an empty-net goal, and
Jordan Binnington came within 2:18 of earning his first shutout of
the season, but the Blues’ netminder made 18 saves.

“Obviously
way better game overall,” Kyrou
said.
“I thought our habits were great. I thought our effort was great,
our compete was great. It’s great to get that first win at home.”

Lets
look at Saturday’s observations:

*
Best stick
game in years? – Well, according to Montgomery, it was, in fact the
best game using
their sticks to break up plays since
a special time around these parts.

“Our
sticks were probably the best I’ve seen them since probably the
year after the Blues won the Cup,” Montgomery
said.
“That was a really good year and that team had great sticks.
Something we’ve been preaching and the players are starting to do
it. Hopefully we can develop that consistently.”

The
Stars have plenty of weapons, and in particular, if you allow them to
gain a head of steam, especially from their defensemen moving pucks
in transition, you will get burned.

The
Blues as a group were killing plays, and when the Stars were gaining
the zone, the D-men were efficient in not allowing pucks to get to
the net, they intercepted seam passes, tied up sticks in front of
Binnington and used those break-ups to their advantage.

“We
were just moving our feet,” Kyrou
said.
“We were staying on top, not really diving down and not letting
them get too many odd-man rushes, just staying on top of them and
good sticks.

“They’re
a super dynamic offensive squad. We want to kind of limit them as
much as possible and try to take away any sort of speed that they can
get. Obviously with the forecheck it kind of helped.”

*
Forecheck was highly efficient – The Blues had a great advantage
with offensive zone time and a large part of it was due to their
forecheck. They got in on the body, and the forecheck and stick work
went hand in hand this game.

The
Stars were having to chase the puck for extended shifts in the
D-zone, and for an efficient team that’s good at turning pucks out,
they had their issues handling the Blues on this night.

It
helped fuel the two goals scored in the second period when the Blues
outshot the Stars 12-5.

“I
think it was a big factor, but more importantly, we tried to force
too many offensive plays because we had time to make plays,”
Montgomery
said.
‘Instead of just possessing it and then either finding someone open
in the slot five to seven seconds later, we wanted to find someone in
the first period right away. But in the second period, I think that
might have been our best period of the year so far.”

*
Needed a bounce back – Quite simply, the game Wednesday against the
Blackhawks was embarrassing for the Blues.

It
was a game of pond hockey at its best but for all the wrong reasons.
An effort and executed game like that against a top-notch Western
Conference team would not have looked pretty.

But
the players regrouped, realized it was put up or shut up and they
rose to the occasion.

“We
knew we needed to respond,” Binnington
said.
‘… We’re
still building something here. We got right back to work on Friday
and now we’re building each day and it was a big response by us.”

Added
defenseman Cam Fowler, who
had an exceptional defensive game with partner Colton Parayko, “That
was a lot better. Obviously we were disappointed with the effort that
we had in that last game and even the game before that on home ice.
We didn’t come out to play either of those games. Tonight was a lot
better overall team effort against a really good hockey team. A good
victory for our group moving forward.”

*
Kyrou’s goal example of effort paying off – What
amounted to be a tight-checking game where mistakes would need to be
limited and the first goal would provide to be a huge one, Kyrou took
matters into his own hands, and it was the start of the goal that put
the Blues ahead 1-0 at 2:27 of the second period that signified the
rewarding feeling of making a solid defensive play and turning it
into offense.

Kyrou,
who had his stick work on par in this game, was able to backtrack
into the neutral zone, check the puck back before working up the
right side into the zone, cut it back to Brayden Schenn, get it back,
ease past Matt Duchene before beating Jake Oettinger low glove:

“
Feels
good to get the first one finally,” Kyrou
said. “Great
play by ‘Schenner’ to get it to me there. I kind of just saw low
glove side so I just shot it there.

“Obviously
none of us had a great game the other day, including myself. I wanted
to try and have a bounce-back game.”

Montgomery
was certainly appreciative.

“
Kyrou
in particular, his first goal was just an incredible reload where he
back-checks and he has his stick on the ice and his God-given ability
took over,” Montgomery
said.

*
Tucker middle net drive on Snuggerud goal – Blues
coaches always encourage the defensemen to pinch offensively, and
when the Blues got a 3-on-2 breakout, Tyler Tucker knew exactly what
he needed to do: act like a forward.

As
the defenseman starting the transition, he left the puck off for
Pavel Buchnevich while taking his man with him to the net. Buchnevich
would get off a shot from the slot, get another attempt that allowed
Snuggerud, at the net where he should be, enough wherewithal to poke
the puck past Oettinger at 13:52 for a crucial goal and a 2-0 lead:

“It
was a really good example of it,” Montgomery
said.
“We want our defensemen to be active. I actually think that once we
get in sync and we get in rhythm, our D-corps can be one of the
highest-scoring D-corps in the league. I think we already have a fair
amount of goals from our D-corps, but I think it’s going to be more
and more. We’ve had a lot of good deflections off their shots.”

*
Binnington glove save on Johnston – The
Blues had control of the game, but a strong team like the Stars, you
knew a third-period push was coming.

If
Dallas gets an early goal to make it a one-shot game, it would have
been game on.

But
when Binnington gloved Wyatt Johnston’s effort in tight to keep it
a 2-0 game at 5:35, it just felt like at that moment it would be the
Blues’ night:

“He’s
a nifty player and I know he can get it up quick,” Binnington said
of Johnston. “It just worked out well there. Unfortunately they got
one at the end there, but it’s hockey so it was a fun game, fun
atmosphere and fans were great too.”

*
Suter effort on ENG typified solid team game – The
Blues were buckled down after Mikko Rantanen in fact spoiled
Binnington’s shutout with 2:18 remaining. That meant that the
5-on-6 group would have to go to work again, and Montgomery had some
of his most trusted and reliable defenders on the ice at the time.

Suter
was one of them, and his effort along the wall to not only be able to
push a puck out of the zone, but fight through Miro Heiskanen before
diving and having enough to poke the puck down the ice for the
clincher was the icing on the cake of several strong efforts in this
game:

“The
more we’re getting to know him, the more we realize how smart he is
as a hockey player everywhere, and his defensive instincts are really
good,” Montgomery said of Suter. “I
really liked how well we checked,
and it was for 60 minutes. That was a really good team effort. They
feel really good about themselves. When you work and you play as five
(man units) … our goaltender had to make some great saves, but they
weren’t 15. They were less than five.”

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Baseball

Shohei Ohtani is first pitcher with leadoff home run

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had himself quite the first inning against the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

His three strikeouts in the top half were impressive. His leadoff home run in the bottom half was historic.

And then, for good measure, he homered again in the fourth.

In providing his own early run support in the potential clincher, Ohtani became the first pitcher in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run — in either the regular season or the postseason. It was also the first home run by any Dodgers pitcher in postseason history.

The last postseason homer by a pitcher came when the Brewers and Dodgers faced off in the 2018 NLCS, with Brandon Woodruff taking Clayton Kershaw deep in Game 1.

Despite all the firsts, Ohtani’s solo shot off Brewers starter Jose Quintana still had a bit of a familiar feel to it. That’s because it was exactly one year ago to the day that Ohtani hit a leadoff home run … off Quintana (then with the Mets) … in Game 4 of the NLCS. Per Elias, Ohtani is the fourth player to homer off the same pitcher on the same calendar day in multiple postseasons, joining Justin Turner (off Max Scherzer, Oct. 7, 2016 and 2019), Manny Ramirez (off Cole Hamels, Oct. 15, 2008 and 2009) and Dusty Baker (off Steve Carlton, Oct. 8, 1977 and 1983).

Ohtani entered Friday just 3-for-29 (.103) since the start of the NLDS. He had not homered since his two-homer game in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series on Sept. 30.

Ohtani put an end to that drought with his third career postseason leadoff home run (which traveled a Statcast-projected 446 feet). That’s tied with Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins for the second most in MLB history, trailing only Kyle Schwarber (five).

Ohtani’s second blast traveled even farther, coming in at 469 feet and clearing the roof of the Right Field Pavilion. It made him the first pitcher in history with a multihomer postseason game.

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Baseball

Mariners pitching pounded again as Seattle squanders ALCS lead at home

SEATTLE — After coming home with a huge advantage in the American League Championship Series, the Seattle Mariners quickly squandered it on the mound.

Luis Castillo turned in Seattleâ€s second consecutive shaky start and the Toronto Blue Jays pounded Mariners pitching again in an 8-2 victory that tied the best-of-seven ALCS at two games apiece.

Seattle starters have given up 11 runs and 13 hits in 6 1/3 innings over the past two games, and the entire staff has allowed 21 runs, 29 hits and seven homers in 18 innings.

“Theyâ€re a good team,†Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh said. “When you leave pitches in the middle, they usually take advantage. So weâ€ve just got to do a better job of executing.â€

After winning twice on the road in Canada, the Mariners arrived home to sellout crowds needing two wins in three potential games in their own ballpark to reach the franchiseâ€s first World Series.

It seemed an ideal setup.

Now, no matter what occurs in Game 5, theyâ€re going to have to travel north of the border once again to try to close out the series in Toronto.

“This is two good teams going at it,†Seattle manager Dan Wilson said. “This is what the Championship Series is all about. We will make our adjustments and continue to do the things that we do that make us successful as well.â€

The winning formula for the AL West champion Mariners this year has been no secret to the rest of the league: They had strong starting pitching and a stingy bullpen, and their lineup is stacked with home run hitters.

Seattle hit three homers in Game 3 and another in Game 4, but the pitching staff has flopped at T-Mobile Park.

Mariners starter George Kirby was rocked for eight runs and eight hits — including three homers — in four innings of a 13-4 loss. The 32-year-old Castillo didnâ€t even last that long. He left with the bases loaded and was charged with three runs and five hits on 48 pitches in 2 1/3 innings.

No. 9 batter Andrés Giménez homered off Castillo — the second two-run shot for Giménez in two days.

Left-handed reliever Gabe Speier walked in a run and gave up an RBI double to George Springer, who scored on Matt Brashâ€s wild pitch to make it 5-1 in the fourth.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. connected off Eduard Bazardo in the seventh for his fifth postseason homer.

“Theyâ€re a good hitting team, and weâ€re aggressive with our pitches,†Speier said. “They got us in the last two, for sure. Weâ€re going to continue to attack. We need to play a little bit better, throw a little bit better pitches. But other than that, keep attacking.â€

Wilson also insisted the Mariners will keep going right at Blue Jays hitters with strikes.

“On the mound, we attack the zone, and we just need to continue to get back to that,†he said. “Thatâ€s what we do well, and weâ€ll get back to that tomorrow and bounce back in the series.â€

Josh Naylor hit an early solo homer off 41-year-old Toronto starter Max Scherzer and finished 3 for 3 at the plate, but the rest of the Mariners went 2 for 26 combined. And their best chance at a comeback was thwarted when Naylor made a baserunning blunder to end the sixth, getting thrown out at third base on an RBI single by Eugenio Suárez.

Seattle shortstop J.P. Crawford, the longest-tenured player on the Mariners roster, said the plan for Game 5 is simple: flush the bad feelings from the last two games and get ready to play.

“Our game is tomorrow,†Crawford said. “Be ready for that. Get some good sleep and be ready to compete tomorrow.â€

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Home crowd will help us shine at Star Contender, say England aces

October 16, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Englandâ€s stars are relishing the chance to get under the spotlight at the biggest table tennis event in London since 2018.

WTT Star Contender London brings together Olympic medallists, top-20 world stars and a battalion of English athletes at the iconic Copper Box Arena on Londonâ€s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

With hundreds of spectators cheering them to the rafters, the Box That Rocks will ignite!

It all starts with the qualifying rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday, with established and up-and-coming England stars bidding to join the leading lights in the main draw.

England will also be well represented at that stage, with the likes of Tom Jarvis and Tin-Tin Ho aiming to get in amongst the top seeds as they start their campaigns from Thursday morning.

We caught up with Tom, Tin-Tin and some of the other English stars and found out they canâ€t wait to show their skills in front of a passionate home crowd.

For Tom Jarvis, there are happy memories of the ITTF Team World Cup at the same venue in 2018, when England won bronze medals for reaching the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by all-conquering China.

And he believes home crowds, building on the successful WTT Feeder Manchester events in the past two seasons, will help the players.

Tom said: “I think the Manchester Feeders have been a massive success and weâ€ve all really, really enjoyed them. Weâ€ve had big crowds and I think for all of us it doesnâ€t get more fun that playing in front of a home crowd.

“Obviously, theyâ€ve taken it up a notch from Manchester in a bigger arena. Weâ€ve played in that before at the World Cup. Itâ€s really big for all of us and hopefully some of us can put up a good run.

“WTT is very tough, especially starting in the main draw. You canâ€t really play anyone outside the top 70 or 80 in the world, so any win you get there is going to have to be a real battle.

“I think that home crowd gives you that extra little boost of energy, it makes it mean more. Some people get maybe get nervous in it, but I find it more fun to play in that. Itâ€s what we practise for, to play in front of big crowds at big tournaments.â€

Womenâ€s No 1 Tin-Tin Ho, who also played at the Team World Cup in her home city in 2018, says having family and friends in the crowd will also make a big difference.

“Itâ€s so exciting having a big WTT in London and really exciting to go back to the Copper Box,†she said. “We played World Cup there and it was a really good experience playing so close to home and having the players from other countries visit London as well.

“Itâ€s nice just knowing the crowd have got your back and Iâ€m excited for hopefully my parents and friends to watch as well.â€

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Hockey

Observations From Blues’ Embarrassing 8-3 Loss Vs. Blackhawks, Falling To 0-2 At Home

ST.
LOUIS – The
St. Louis Blues thought they had their game trending in the right
direction following a two-game Western Canada sweep.

Wins
over the Calgary Flames (4-2) and Vancouver Canucks (5-2) were
supposed to get the Blues continuing in their march and trending in
the right direction.

Well
…

They
hit the home ice for the second time in as many games this season,
this time against their Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks,
who they had beaten five games in a row and outscored 28-15, but the
Blackhawks took advantage of a rare night of shoddy goaltending and
poor team habits and play, blitzing the Blues 8-3 at Enterprise
Center on Wednesday.

Jake
Neighbours had a goal and an assist, Dylan Holloway and Tyler Tucker
scored for the Blues (2-2-0), but Joel Hofer, who was terrific last
Saturday in Calgary, was pulled in the second period before
re-entering the game in the third.

“I
thought that our game was building the right way in Vancouver, but
our execution today did not match the Hawks’ execution,” Blues
coach Jim Montgomery said.
“We’re playing the hawks, division rival, our biggest rival. I
don’t think that was the case. We didn’t execute well. That’s
just our mental sharpness was not great.”

Let’s
look at Wednesday’s observations:

*
Hofer had a rare bad night – In his young career, Hofer has had off
nights, but nothing like this.

He
allowed four goals on 14 shots, and the first two that went inset the
tempo for what would be a horrendous night. He departed the game at
7:09 of the second period, then Jordan Binnington finished the rest
of the period before returning for the third. In the end, it was
seven goals allowed on 22 shots. His numbers after one game (2.00
goals-against average, .931 save percentage) ballooned to 5.01 GAA
and .824 save percentage at the end of the night.

“Our
tandem
is excellent,” Montgomery
said.
“Some nights, you’re going to win games 2-1. We won in Calgary,
we won in Vancouver because our goaltenders were excellent. Sometimes
we need to win 5-4.”

Hofer
is normally so good as a puck handler, and he was already on display
killing Chicago’s rims around the net, but when he went behind the
net, got a puck, looked up the middle of the ice and tried to play it
to Pavel Buchnevich, it was so off the mark and right onto the tape
of Ilya Mikheyev, who couldn’t believe his fortune and deposited
the biscuit into the net at 3:09 for a 1-0 Hawks lead:

The
Blues fought back with Neighbours, who has four goals in four games,
finding the back of the net for the fourth time in three games when
he collected a loose puck in front of Colton Parayko’s jab at the
puck to tie it 1-1 at 4:29:

But
Hofer allowed another bad goal, this time to Lukas Reichel from a bad
angle at the bottom of the left circle on the short side at 5:23 to
make it 2-1 Chicago:

They
fought back again when Holloway started a play and finished it,
getting his first of the season at 14:54 to tie the game 2-2,
creating a turnover in the neutral zone, then finishing from the left
circle Jordan Kyrou’s pass:

“In
the first period, we showed good resolve, came back twice and then
just our habits just weren’t consistent enough to play winning
hockey,” Montgomery
said.
‘Can’t give up that many odd-man rushes, we can’t give up that
many Grade A looks off the rush.”

The
Blues are so used to their goalie tandem either keeping them in a
game or even stealing them games. They’re not nearly used to having
to bail them out, perhaps a reason why they played so poorly after
the first period.

“I
don’t think we’re worried about our goaltenders at all,” Blues
captain Brayden Schenn said. “We have two of the best goalies in
the league and a great tandem. If you want to talk about the goals,
let’s maybe talk about the team and how we’re giving up odd-man
rushes and point-blank chances. You can talk about the goals all you
want, but if we’re not doing a good enough job in front of them, it’s
just that simple.

“People
are going to look at our goaltenders, (but) I think we’re looking at
ourselves individually and as a team playing in front of them. We
just haven’t done enough of a good job defensively, especially at
home, in front of them. Obviously the goalies would say different,
but as a players we feel that we have to do a way better job.”

Chicago’s
expected goals in the game were at 3.09, according to
naturalstattrick.com, which tells you that there were too many pucks
on this night going in that shouldn’t have, including the one
Binnington allowed to Jason Dickinson at 8:52 of the second that made
it 5-2:

*
Two bad results at home – Including the playoffs, the Blues won
their last 15 games on home ice and on most of those occasions, done
so in convincing fashion.

It’s
only two games, yes, and I agree, the result in the opener (a 5-0
loss to the Minnesota Wild) wasn’t as bad as the score indicated,
but this marks two games now in which the Blues have not even been
competitive in, in front of their home fans, being outscored 13-3.

“That’s
a fair question. It’s been only two games … I think through two
road games, even six periods on the road, we’ve played four good
periods,” Schenn said. ‘We need to clean up a lot of things with
our habits and details and tracking and puck play and willingness to
compete for one another. I think it starts with that.”

Why
has it happened so often here, though?

“The
details are obviously not sharp,” Blues
defenseman Colton Parayko said. “It’s
not our group and not where we want to be. We’re going to rebound
as a group, we’re going to come ready to work. We have a great
group in this locker room. We all believe in each other. We’re
going to rebound, just come prepared to come work for each other in
practice Friday and obviously Saturday at the game.”

Former Blue Scottie Upshall said it best in a tweet and I agree with the soft hockey, and that’s inexcusable for a team that was a playoff team a year ago and looking to maintain its stature:

*
Habits weren’t sufficient enough, play looked very soft – The
Blues had their fair share of attacks at the Hawks, and had a goalie
(Arvid Soderblom) they’d been able to beat up quite a bit (5-0-0),
but the times they either didn’t funnel pucks to the goal or were
not connecting in the O-zone, they were getting counter-attacked
often and giving up prime scoring chances.

It
occurred often in the second period when Chicago outscored the Blues
3-0 and at one point held an 8-1 edge in shots on goal.

“Habits
and details aren’t there, especially at home,” Schenn
said.
“We have to take pride in playing for one another, especially at
home, make it a hard place to play. I take full responsibility for
that. Obviously I can help with that and lead the charge. I think one
of the things you can control is your compete level and your habits.
We, and I, have to be better at that.”

Montgomery
mentioned reloads of the puck, and it was not near good enough, which
in turn allowed Chicago to play the way the Blues were playing in the
two games they won: on their toes, their front feet and transitioning
in five-man units.

“We’ll
watch the tape, we’ll look back at it,” Montgomery
said.
“This game got away from us because of our own habits and actions.

“Reloads
and gaps are a big part of how we want to play. The reloads were not
consistent and that makes it hard on the defensemen.”

* Mailloux’s struggles continue – It’s tough to pick on one
particular player when so many did not meet expectations,
particularly that top line of Neighbours, Robert Thomas and Pavel
Buchnevich, which was a combined minus-6 with three shots on goal and
on the ice for four goals against.

But
for Mailloux, who was a team-worst minus-4 Wednesday and now is a
minus-7 for the season in just four games, he’s been on the ice for
exactly zero goals-for at 5-on-5 and seven against.

He
coughed up the puck trying to rim it around the net early in the
second period that was picked off by Connor Bedard that led to
Reichel’s go-ahead goal that made it 3-2 at 2:49 that started a
snowball affect for the game:

I’ll
say it over and over that comparing Mailloux to Zack Bolduc is like
comparing apples to oranges. One is a defenseman that has barely
scratched the surface, one is a forward who has more experience and
who was ahead of the curve as far as teaching last season that was
coming on.

The
Blues believe in the 22-year-old and understand this is going to take
time.

“He’s
going to be a great player,” Parayko
said.
‘You watch him skate, you watch him shoot, he’s steady, he’s
strong back there. There’s no doubt about that. I’m looking
forward to watching that guy grow and become a dominant force back
there. I have full faith in him. He’s a great player. We’re just
all looking forward to watching him grow, but at the end of the day,
it’s a group effort no matter what. That’s the bottom line. We’re
all wearing the Bluenote together.

“It’s
got to be difficult obviously going to a new team and you want to
play well and things like that. He’s a great player. I have full
confidence in him. I’m just looking forward to watching him
continue to grow and just keep building.”

We
know the offensive capabilities Mailloux has, but here’s an example
of a pinch that went awry when he pinched along the right boards, the
puck was tipped out and Mailloux is caught out of the play and Frank
Nazar turns it onto a goal with Neighbours trying to chase him down
when Philip Broberg probably should have:

They’re
details that – again – with time will be worked out. By the way,
Mailloux did get physical on the play when Neighbours was tackled after the goal when he was trying to defend Hofer after Nazar ran into him in the net.

There are options the Blues will have to look at here.

Do they sit Mailloux in favor of Matthew Kessel? Do they go with seven defensemen inserting Kessel into the lineup to watch some of Mailloux’s minutes? Or … do they send him down to Springfield since he is waiver’s exempt? Remember, GM Doug Armstrong said it’s Mailloux’s job to lose.

“He’s
played 11 games or 12 games,” Schenn said. “There’s a lot of
pressure on him coming from outside. I believe in Logan Mailloux, we
believe in Logan Mailloux, and the organization does. I think people
are always going to look at this one-for-one. It’s not a one-for-one.
It’s a long-term plan, and he’s a great player.

“Like
I said, he’s played four games for us and it’s a new organization …
new coaching, new system, there’s a lot of stuff that goes into it.
Honestly, I think he’s getting … there’s no reason to put pressure
on the kid. He’s young, and he’s getting his feet wet, and he’s going
to be a good player for a long time, and I firmly believe that.”

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Mammoth beat Flames in home opener

SALT LAKE CITY — JJ Peterka and Barrett Hayton scored second-period goals, Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves, and the Utah Mammoth beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Utah became the sixth NHL franchise to win each of its first two home openers. The Mammoth also earned their fourth straight win over Calgary after going 3-0 against the Flames last season.

Kevin Stenlund added an unassisted empty-net goal with 22.2 seconds remaining to complete the scoring for Utah.

Calgary has surrendered 19 goals through its first five games and has a minus-9 goal differential — second-worst in the NHL. Devin Cooley made his season debut for the Flames and finished with 29 saves.

Rasmus Andersson opened the scoring for Calgary on a power-play goal at 8:37 of the first.

Hayton got Utah on the board at 1:16 of the second. He levelled it at 1-1 after snapping the puck straight down the middle. Peterka gave the Mammoth their first lead at 4:24 of the second, scoring on a close-range wrist shot off an unassisted breakaway.

Utah created many scoring chances in the second period because of six Calgary penalties. The Mammoth had an 18-3 advantage in shots on goal during the period, but failed to convert on four power-play opportunities. They are just 1 of 16 on the power play so far this season.

Flames: At Vegas on Saturday night.

Mammoth: Host San Jose on Friday night.

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Basketball

NHL’s Mammoth Unveil New Mascot ‘Tusky’ in Photos Ahead of Home Opener vs. Flames

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The Utah Mammoth unveiled their new mascot, Tusky, during Wednesday night’s home opener against the Calgary Flames.

The Mammoth—formerly the Arizona Coyotes before the organization was transferred to the expansion franchise Utah Hockey Club—have started the season 1-2.

“We named the Utah Mammoth mascot Tusky to lean into our team’s ‘Tusks Up’ rallying cry,” Utah owners Ryan and Ashley Smith said in a statement. “Tusky is going to be a big part of our community, creating memorable experiences in and out of the arena. Fans can expect to see Tusky everywhere—from Mammoth games and team events to community gatherings, schools and hospitals.”

Tusky stands at 6’5″ and wears No. 00. The team has said he’s a great skater, shoots left-handed and his position is the center… of attention.

The team’s nickname, the Mammoths, is a nod to the prehistoric animal that lived in Utah during the last Ice Age.

“Tusky embodies the strength, momentum and earth-shaking presence of the herds that once roamed Utah more than 10,000 years ago,” the team said.

And listen, while Tusky might look a bit aggressively angry, you’d probably be a bit perturbed as well if you emerged from a block of ice in the middle of a hockey arena—like Tusky did on Wednesday night—and learned that the rest of your species was extinct.

Perhaps he’ll reach out to Gritty for consolation, who is assuredly is the only member of whatever his species is to ever exist.

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Kyle Schwarber four home run episode of Abbott Elementary airing Wednesday night

Kyle Schwarber four home run episode of Abbott Elementary airing Wednesday night

\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:” Schwarber hit four home runs against the Braves, becoming just the 21st player in baseball history to homer four times in a game. It made everything about the episode more Hollywood than anybody in Hollywood could have imagined.\n\n“For it to be Kyle, for it to be Schwarbs, who homered four times, who was already such a big part of the episode, that was just wild and ecstatic,†said Chris Perfetti, who plays the character Jacob Hill. “It was surreal. We had the freedom to sort of react to the game, to just stay in character and be there. But I remember, it was after the third homer, I think, we all just stood up as ourselves, losing our minds that it was Kyle again.\n\n“I remember just looking at Quinta and being like, ‘What is happening?â€â€”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2025-08-29T03:27:37.793Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:” Schwarber joins JP Morosi following hitting four home runs to discuss bouncing back after a series sweep and more”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:02:12″,”slug”:”kyle-schwarber-on-historic-performance-four-homers”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-143″,”title”:”Philadelphia Phillies”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:143″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-656941″,”title”:”Kyle Schwarber”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:656941″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”vod”,”title”:”vod”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-network”,”title”:”MLB Network”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlbn-showcase”,”title”:”MLB Network Showcase”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”interview”,”title”:”interview”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”team-featured”,”title”:”team featured”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”rivalry”,”title”:”rivalry”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:” Schwarber on historic performance, four homers”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/kyle-schwarber-on-historic-performance-four-homers”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Long before that historic night, Major League Baseball had reached out to “Abbott Elementary†about its potential interest in shooting an episode at the ballpark with the Phillies.\n\nIt loved the idea.\n\n“Do you think we could shoot it at a game?†the show asked.\n\nAbsolutely.\n\nBoth parties got to work.\n\n“Theyâ€re pitching story and characters, weâ€re pitching how to make it baseball authentic,†said Nick Trotta, who is MLBâ€s vice president of global media programming and licensing. “But this was one of destiny. It was meant to be.â€\n\nItâ€s not uncommon to have scenes in TV shows and movies set at professional sporting events. Oftentimes, however, those scenes are not shot at the home ballpark, stadium or arena.\n\nAs a result, it looks and feels like it was shot at a random college outside Pasadena, Calif., which it probably was.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:””,”providerName”:”MLB”,”providerUrl”:null,”thumbnail_url”:” everything in this episode was real. It was all shot in Philly at the Bank.\n\n“Every time I see that happen on television, I cringe,†said \”Abbott Elementary\” executive producer and director Randall Einhorn. “We did it there. We filmed two days without anybody else there, and then we came back and filmed during the game. During the game is where we caught some real extra bonus energy. Seeing our cast feed off whatâ€s happening on the field, seeing Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs … oh my God, that was crazy. You canâ€t script that type of energy, and it really came across on the screen.â€\n\nThe episodeâ€s writer was on set, so when Schwarber hit his first homer, everybody could adjust and react accordingly.\n\n“The baseball gods were smiling on us,†Trotta said. “After the second homer, I joked with the writer, ‘This has to be part of the episode, because heâ€s gonna hit a third one.†And then he hits a third one and a fourth one. So while the show is completely fictional, Kyle Schwarberâ€s historic four-homer game is now part of Abbottâ€s cinematic universe.â€\n\nEinhorn made a point to be as authentic as possible throughout the episode, besides getting in-game footage of Schwarber homering and rounding the bases. Phillies public address announcer Dan Baker made the in-game announcements. Perfettiâ€s character references real Phillies programs, happenings and food offerings at the ballpark.\n\n“I donâ€t think you can fake that place or that energy,†Einhorn said.\n\nEinhorn wanted Schwarber to be real, too.\n\n“The first thing Kyle said during rehearsals is, ‘Look, I have no idea what Iâ€m doing. Iâ€m not sure what to say,â€â€ Einhorn said. “I said, ‘Anything Kyle Schwarber would say, Kyle Schwarber can say. Anything Kyle Schwarber would do, Kyle Schwarber can do. Just be Kyle Schwarber in the scene. Say what you want to say, think what you want to think and itâ€s going to be great.†What I wanted most was authenticity from Kyle. And he was fantastic. Thatâ€s a smart dude who can hit a baseball.â€\n\n“I really enjoyed making my acting debut with such a great crew on a show thatâ€s so Philly and hilarious,\” Schwarber said. \”Quinta and the team definitely brought me some luck that night.â€\n\nSure enough, Schwarberâ€s scene looks and feels natural.\n\n“I thought he killed it,†Perfetti said. “After you give a performance like that in your chosen field, Iâ€m sure he was riding high. But I appreciate him and the fact that he was able to come down from that game and be able to perform so well and be so generous with his time. I just couldnâ€t believe it. Weâ€re going to have to find some way for him to come back.\””,”type”:”text”}],”relativeSiteUrl”:”/news/kyle-schwarber-four-homer-episode-of-abbott-elementary”,”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”Kyle Schwarber crushed it.\nHours before the Phillies played the Braves at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 28, Schwarber rehearsed his cameo for a scene in Wednesday nightâ€s episode of ABCâ€s “Abbott Elementary,†whose creator and star is Philadelphia native Quinta Brunson. 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9 minutes ago

Todd Zolecki

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WWE

Rangers Make NHL History After Being Shut Out in 1st 3 Home Games of 2025-26 Season

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If the New York Rangers could stop playing at Madison Square Garden, they might be a Stanley Cup Final contender.

After a 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, the Rangers became the first team in NHL history to start a season losing three straight games at home via shutout.

Tuesday’s game is at least easy to explain away because the Oilers are arguably the best team in the league right now and are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

The combination of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have allowed a total of four goals on 67 shots faced in three games for Edmonton this season.

New York’s first home game, though, was against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens have allowed 13 goals in their three games since the season opener, including six to the Rangers when they met in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“This is a unique start to a season,” Rangers captain J.T. Miller said after Tuesday’s loss. “It sucks that we had a couple games where we feel like we’ve really thrown a lot at the other team and we’re not getting rewarded.”

Per the Associated Press, the previous modern-era record for the longest streak without a home goal to start a season belonged to the 2001-02 Florida Panthers (155:17).

The good news for the Rangers is positive regression is almost certainly coming soon because they’ve had no issues scoring on the road. They have 10 goals in two games away from MSG, and their next two games are on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

New York’s next chance to end the home scoring drought will come on Oct. 20 against the Minnesota Wild.

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Hockey

Rangers first NHL team to be shut out in first 3 home games

Oct 15, 2025, 01:49 AM ET

NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad was at a loss for words after he and the New York Rangers made history Tuesday night by becoming the first team in NHL history to get shut out in each of its first three home games of the season.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Zibanejad said after a 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. “I honestly don’t know.”

The Rangers’ 180-minute drought at Madison Square Garden is the second-longest to start a season at home, behind only the now-defunct Pittsburgh Pirates in 1928. They went the first 187:19 without a goal at Duquesne Gardens before Hib Milks scored. The Pirates’ streak was longer because of overtime.

The previous longest in the modern era among teams that still exist was 155:17 by the Florida Panthers in 2001.

“This is a unique start to a season,” captain J.T. Miller said. “It sucks that we had a couple games where we feel like we’ve really thrown a lot at the other team and we’re not getting rewarded.”

Artemi Panarin had an early chance all alone in front against Edmonton that was stopped by Stuart Skinner. Will Cuylle also got the puck on net after an Oilers turnover only to be turned aside, and fourth-liners Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe had quality opportunities on the edge of the crease.

“We can all go home and sleep well knowing we played another good home game,” Miller said. “We’re competitors. We want to win. We’d love to see the puck go in the net. Right now, it’s not.”

Sam Carrick, who arguably was one of New York’s best players, almost scored with 2:31 left, but Skinner flashed his glove to make the save.

None of those shots made it over the goal line, and a couple of other attempts rang off the crossbar and out.

“We have two crossbars that go crossbar or post that goes right by the goal line,” Zibanejad said. “I think we’re creating lots of chances. I think there’s enough high-danger chances that we’re creating, but we’re not scoring. Simple.”

The Rangers have failed to score on their first 90 shots on goal at home, and fans booed at one point when they came up empty on consecutive power plays.

“You’re dying to give the fans a reason to cheer,” Carrick said. “They support us every night hugely here. Obviously they want to come and see goals. That’s the frustrating part.”

They’ll have to wait nearly a week for their next game on home ice. New York goes on the road for games at Toronto and Montreal before returning to host Minnesota on Monday night. Every player who spoke after the Oilers game had the same train of thought about not abandoning the structure that contributed to winning twice on the road and being competitive.

“It’s on us to make sure that the mindset stays the same in here and we don’t go off the grid to find something,” Miller said. “We need to stay the course. Over time, results will come.”

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