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The Vegas Golden Knights absolutely demolished the Calgary Flames 6-1 in Sin City on Saturday night NHL action.

The Flames have now lost five in a row and are dead last in the overall NHL rankings for the season.

Here are the takeaways:

What’s Going on with Dustin Wolf

As of the end of this game, Wolf has given up 15 goals in five games in even-strength hockey and has an Expected Goals Against (xGA) value of 8.33. That is below expected by 6.67, the BIGGEST in the league.

Safe to say he is in a sophomore slump, but it’s still early in the season to pick it up.

Second Period Slump

You could make the argument the Flames just got unlucky in the first period. The first shot of the game ended up being a Mitch Marner goal. After that shot, until the 11:25 mark of the first period, the Flames and Knights were even at 5-5 in shots on goal, including trading PP goals, that put the Knights up 2-1.

Calgary then outshot Vegas 8-1 until the second-last minute. Unfortunately, that lone Knights shot found the back of the Flames net, putting them up 3-1 at the first intermission.

That’s pretty unlucky.

But there was no excuse for the nightmare that was the second period.

Forget about the shot count: The Golden Knights had 15 scoring opportunities while the Flames had two. In terms of high-danger scoring opportunities, Vegas had five, including a shorthanded attempt. Two of those ended up being goals.

Calgary had zero high-danger scoring opportunities. They were no threat for Vegas goalie Adin Hill. The second period was basically a walk in the park for him.

The Flames would stage a comeback in the third period, but could not produce any goals.

Poor Penalty-Kill

The Flames went 0-for-3 on the penalty-kill. You cannot expect to put on a respectable season record if the penalty-kill is zero on the dot.

Bottom Line

As for as what I liked with the Flames, Nazem Kadri was 11-of-15 (73.3%) on the face-off.

That’s about it.

The Flames will now come back home to take on the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

To know how bad the Calgary offense was going into this game, check out this to see who had the most individual total shots for the team all season.

HINT: It’s a defenceman…

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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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The Colorado Avalanche concluded their two-game road trip with an undefeated record.

Their latest triumph came Thursday night at Nationwide Arena, where they dictated pace and possession in a 4–1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets — a performance that showcased both their offensive precision and defensive composure.

Scott Wedgewood once again was dominant with 22 saves on the night. Valeri Nichushkin led the offensive charge with a pair of goals, while Cale Makar marked his 400th NHL game with a goal and an assist. Brock Nelson notched his first tally of the season, and captain Gabe Landeskog recorded his first point of the campaign with an assist.

Ivan Provorov scored the lone goal for Columbus and netminder Elvis Merzlikins was solid in defeat with a 32-save performance.

First Period

Early on, Nelson displayed his hand-eye coordination by splitting two defenders and batting a loose puck out of midair before firing a shot just wide of the net.

Moments later, Victor Olofsson broke free down the left wing and tested Merzlikins with a sharp wrist shot that was neatly gloved.

Artturi Lehkonen nearly broke the deadlock for Colorado, powering through two defenders to get a clean look at Merzlikins, but his attempt ricocheted off the netminder’s right pad.

Brent Burns was called for hooking Mathieu Olivier, granting Columbus a power-play opportunity. But much like their 0-for-5 showing on Monday against New Jersey, the Jackets’ man advantage sputtered, managing only a single shot as Colorado’s penalty kill stood tall.

Late in the period, Devon Toews nearly capitalized with a wrist shot from the left circle that nicked the top of Merzlikins’ stick before sailing out of play.

Second Period

Provorov opened the scoring just 1:36 into the frame, snapping a wrister from the left circle that beat Wedgewood cleanly. The play came together after a brutal turnover at the other end of the ice gave Columbus an ample opportunity to make the Avalanche pay, and that’s exactly what they did.

From there, Colorado flipped the script in emphatic fashion — a sequence that could only be described as a deflection masterclass.

First, in his 400th career game, Makar buried a pinpoint wrist shot off a Martin Nečas feed to even the score.

Barely a minute later, Nelson tipped home Burns’ cannon from the point to put the Avalanche ahead 2–1.

Then, with just over three seconds left in the period, Nichushkin redirected a Sam Malinski shot to cap a three-goal outburst and send Colorado into the intermission with all the momentum.

Third Period

Nečas was whistled for hooking Yegor Chinakhov, but Colorado’s penalty killers continued their perfection — even as Wedgewood absorbed a heavy shot from Adam Fantilli that briefly winded him.

Dmitri Voronkov’s hold on Makar earned Colorado their first power play of the night, but the Avs couldn’t extend the lead.

With eight minutes to play, Colorado maintained a 3–1 advantage and a 29–20 lead in shots. Nichushkin nearly made it a multi-goal night earlier, streaking down the right side and flipping a backhander that Merzlikins denied with the glove.

Columbus emptied the net with 3:31 remaining, but the gamble backfired. GLandeskog found Nichushkin racing down the right wing, and the winger tapped in his second of the game — sealing a 4–1 Avalanche victory.

Takeaways

This was a solid performance that saw a lot of players contribute towards the outcome. Most importantly, we know the offense is the primary strength of this team, but defensively, although there was a turnover that led to the only goal for the Blue Jackets, there were far less turnovers than the previous game against Buffalo. As long as we continue to get better at keeping the puck in our possession, we have a solid foundation.

Nečas is now on a five-game point streak. Sign the man. Nothing more needs to be said about that.

Columbus had two “goals” nullified and in both cases they involved hand passes.

Next Game

The Avalanche (4-0-1) return to Ball Arena on Saturday to take on David Pastrňák and the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. local time.

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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. 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Oct 13, 2025, 11:09 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA — Sean Couturier wrestled with a bad back and slogged through a strained relationship with his former coach in recent years, and — at times — it was too close to call which hurdle irked the Philadelphia Flyers’ captain more.

Feeling healthy and starting the season with a clean slate under new coach Rick Tocchet, Couturier flashed a reminder of just how productive he can be for a Flyers team itching to move out of a rebuild and into the playoffs.

Couturier had two goals and two assists to make Tocchet a winner in his home coaching debut and lift the Flyers to a 5-2 win over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday night.

“I think he trained hard this year. He came into camp in really good condition,” Tocchet said of Couturier. “When your captain comes in in good condition, it helps the coach out. It was nice of him to come in real good shape for us.”

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The 32-year-old Couturier has been sidelined with back issues and was even a healthy scratch under former coach John Tortorella. Two seasons ago, Tortorella benched Couturier only 34 days after he was named team captain. Couturier was on the fourth line for the home opener last season — seemingly a lifetime ago and now anchored by a strong relationship with Tocchet.

“I’m starting to find my confidence back,” Couturier said.

Couturier, who was a rookie in the 2011-12 season, became the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia sports once Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham retired at the end of last season.

Tocchet easily received the loudest cheers from fans during pregame introductions ahead of the home opener. The Flyers hired the former fan favorite as coach in hopes his return would push them out of an extended rebuild and into playoff contention. Tocchet, who played more than a decade with Philadelphia in separate stints at the start and end of his career, is at the start of his fourth head-coaching job after time with Tampa Bay, Arizona and Vancouver.

Tocchet took over months after the Flyers fired Tortorella with nine games left in another losing season for a franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2020.

“Love the first win type of thing but I’m just happy the guys for the guys, the way they’ve been working on the concepts,” Tocchet said.

Philadelphia, once a model franchise in the league, has one of the longest championship droughts in the NHL.

The Flyers have failed to win the Stanley Cup since going back to back in 1974 and ’75. Those Broad Street Bullies teams have become a cherished part of the franchise’s past but also a reminder of how much time it has been since the Flyers won: They last played in the final in 2010.

The Flyers opened with a somber nod to those Bullies teams with a tribute for Bernie Parent. Parent, who died in September at 80, won Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies in back-to-back seasons for the Stanley Cup champions. The Flyers painted his retired uniform number “1” behind each net and chose to bypass a moment of silence for fans to instead “show the same passion he lived for with a standing ovation.” They will wear a “1” jersey patch this season.

“It was a great effort in his honor,” Couturier said. “He’ll definitely be missed around here. We used to always seem him around at the games. He always had that quality of just light, lighting everything up and putting a smile on everyone’s face.”

The Flyers gave the player of the game a goalie mask in the style of Parent’s version that he wore in the 1970s and netted the goaltender the cover of Time magazine. Dan Vladar had 24 saves on 26 shots to earn his first win with the Flyers and become the first player to wear the mask.

Vladar helped hand the Panthers their first loss in four games — which included a win in Florida over the Flyers last week.

“Every single guy had goosebumps during the ceremony,” Vladar said. “It was a sad thing but what a hell of a player and a hell of a person he was.”

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In 2019 and 2020, WWE stars Otis and Mandy Rose took part in a romantic onscreen storyline that had Otis become infatuated with Rose, eventually earning a kiss from her after beating Dolph Ziggler at WWE WrestleMania 36. As it turns out, that wasn’t the first time Otis had a crush on a prominent WWE star. During an episode of the now-defunct series “WWE Ride Along,” Otis revealed to Rose that, as a child, he was tackled by security at a WWE event after believing that Trish Stratus was signaling for him to get closer.

“I thought she pointed at me. I lost my mind,” Otis told Rose. “I kind of looked like an adult. I was 200 pounds in fifth grade. … I’m going down the stairs and this security guard basically spears me right in the side. … I landed at the edge of the stairs. The whole time, I’m like, ‘Trish! Touch me!'”

Asked if he has ever brought the story up to Stratus, Otis stated that he couldn’t bring himself to do it. However, with Stratus spending more time in WWE since the “Ride Along” episode was filmed, the Alpha Academy member has had plenty of time to change his mind.

The storyline involving Otis and Rose only lasted a short while, coming to an end following their shared kiss. In the aftermath, Otis wound up winning the Money in the Bank briefcase but eventually lost it to The Miz. He’d later go on to join up with Chad Gable, and he remains a member of Gable’s Alpha Academy faction even though Gable eventually moved on.

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Four hundred forty-three times before, J.P. Crawford had crossed home plate as a member of the Seattle Mariners. But never quite like this.

This time, as Crawford approached the plate in the bottom of the 15th inning of ALDS Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers, he paused. Rather than rush across the plate to confirm the run scored as soon as possible, he slowed and looked down at the white pentagon in the dirt that had seemed like an impossible destination for both teams over the previous five hours. He held both arms in the air, helmet in hand, savoring the magical moment he was about to unlock.

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Then, he took a step and scored.

[Get more Seattle news: Mariners team feed]

Driven in by a hard-hit single to right field by Jorge Polanco with the bases loaded, Crawford represented the winning run for Seattle in its jaw-dropping, stomach-churning, hair-pulling, history-making, series-clinching 3-2 victory over Detroit to advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2001. Polancoâ€s walk-off hit was the final act in a contest loaded with unforgettable sequences that combined to produce a postseason clash for the ages.

“We’ve talked about the fight all year long,†Seattle manager Dan Wilson said afterward. “To go 15 innings tonight, 15 rounds, so to speak, and to come out on top — that sure feels good.â€

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It took 4 hours, 58 minutes for the Tigers and Mariners to play 15 innings — the longest winner-take-all game in postseason history. Fifteen pitchers combined to throw 472 pitches, with the highest pitch count belonging to Tigers starter Tarik Skubal, whose 99 pitches produced 26 whiffs and 13 strikeouts in one of the more spectacular playoff pitching performances in recent memory — and one that somehow faded into the background as the ultra-close contest continued deep into the night.

“I feel like I pitched three days ago, if I’m being honest,†Seattle starter George Kirby said postgame.

Skubalâ€s sensational outing was the headlining performance in a game dominated by pitching on both sides; the two teams combined to hit .163 (16-for-98) while striking out 37 times. Before Polancoâ€s hit enabled Crawfordâ€s right cleat to touch home plate, just four runs had been mustered over the first 14 and a half frames, all of which required their own extraordinary sequences to come to be.

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Seattle struck first in the second inning courtesy of Josh Naylor, who reached out and poked a 100.2-mph sinker from Skubal well off the outside corner down the left-field line to put himself into scoring position. And while it was Naylorâ€s strength that enabled an extra-base hit on such a ridiculously uncomfortable-looking swing, it was his speed that shined next — or, perhaps more accurately, his baserunning acumen. Despite ranking as one of the slowest players in baseball, according to Statcastâ€s sprint speed, Naylor has become a basestealing fiend in 2025, frequently taking advantage of opponents who underestimate his willingness and ability to swipe bags.

And knowing that runs would be difficult to come by against Skubal — and recognizing that T-Mobile Park with the roof closed was far too loud for Skubal to hear his teammates alerting him that the runner was getting such a gigantic lead — Naylor took off for third and nabbed it successfully, making him a perfect 20-for-20 on stolen bases as a Mariner. Mitch Garver then drove in Naylor with a sacrifice fly that put the Mariners up 1-0 in the second inning.

Meanwhile, Seattle starter George Kirby was cruising in the early going, but he arrived at a predictable pivot point in the sixth inning, with Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter coming to the plate with a runner on second after Javier Baez led off with a double. Carpenterâ€s home run against Kirby in Game 1 — his fifth against the pitcher in 11 plate appearances to that point — plus two more hits already in Game 5 ensured that Wilson called on lefty reliever Gabe Speier to handle Carpenter in this scenario.

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And that matchup promptly backfired, as Carpenter drilled Speierâ€s second pitch deep to center field for a stadium-silencing, two-run homer that made it 2-1 Detroit.

With Skubal still in the game — having struck out eight of 10 hitters since Garverâ€s sac fly, including a postseason-record seven in a row — the prospect of scoring another run with just four innings left seemed awfully daunting for Seattle. But Skubal left it all on the table in the sixth. His final pitch of the game was also his hardest: 100.9 mph right down the middle to blow away Cal Raleigh for his 13th strikeout. Skubal roared as he bounced off the mound toward the dugout.

“After the fifth, I checked in on him how he was doing physically and emotionally, and we both knew that he had one left,†Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said postgame. “He emptied his tank and obviously was emotional coming off the mound, and I think that signals exactly where we were in the game. He gave us everything he could.â€

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With that, Skubalâ€s night was over.

For everyone else, it was only just beginning.

As soon as Skubal departed, Seattle conjured a rally in the seventh against Detroit reliever Kyle Finnegan. A Polanco walk plus another Naylor hit put Polanco in scoring position for … Leo Rivas?

On his 28th birthday and with zero postseason plate appearances to his name — not to mention just 197 in the regular season — the switch-hitting utility infielder was called on to pinch-hit against lefty reliever Tyler Holton. Holton had entered after the Mariners announced lefty slugger Dominic Canzone would be pinch-hitting for Garver, but Wilson opted to burn Canzone and instead tab Rivas for the high-stakes spot and the chance to be the unlikeliest of heroes.

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And Rivas delivered. He smacked the second pitch from Holton into left field for a game-tying single, sending the crowd into euphoric disbelief while simultaneously (and unknowingly) settling the game into a stalemate of epic proportions.

Over the next seven-and-a-half scoreless innings, a stunning carousel of pitchers cycled through the ballgame for both teams, ranging from traditional high-leverage arms (Will Vest, Matt Brash, Andrés Muñoz, Eduard Bazardo) to versatile swingmen (Troy Melton, Keider Montero) to full-blown starting pitchers (Logan Gilbert, Jack Flaherty, Luis Castillo). All of these pitchers had already been asked to cover pivotal innings in this series against these same hitters, yet all of them were up to the task of continuing their efforts in a sudden-death scenario.

All of them, until Tommy Kahnle in the bottom of the 15th, put up zeroes.

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“It felt like it was a pretty quiet game, from an opportunity standpoint, until we got into extras,†Hinch said, “and then there were runners everywhere, and there were double plays, and thereâ€s caught stealing, and there’s bunts, and there’s guys picking up each other on errors or misplays.â€

Tigers closer Vest carved through the middle of Seattleâ€s lineup with ease. Gilbert, who starred for Seattle in his Game 3 start just three days earlier, made his first relief appearance since his sophomore year of college and provided two scoreless innings. Melton, Detroitâ€s Game 1 starter, was touching 100 just two days after throwing three scoreless innings in relief in Game 4. Bazardo, whoâ€d already pitched for the Mariners in the first four games of the series after 73 appearances in the regular season, recorded eight outs, two more than he had in any outing all year. Tigers starter Flaherty has barely pitched out of the bullpen in his career, and he delivered two hitless frames, navigating around three walks. Castillo, Seattleâ€s Game 2 starter, made his first relief cameo since he was in A-ball nearly a decade ago — and earned the win.

While Detroitâ€s cavalcade of hurlers led by Skubal unquestionably did their part, Seattleâ€s pitching staff was ever-so-slightly better, and their collective effort to preserve the tie and set the stage for Polancoâ€s walk-off will be remembered as one of the great triumphs in franchise history.

“You can’t say enough about the bullpen and two starters we had up there in the bullpen, just taking the ball and just running with it and not wanting to come out of the game, wanting to keep throwing pitches, keep throwing innings,†Wilson said postgame. “… They don’t want to leave the ballpark until they win. And tonight was that.

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“They didn’t want to leave the ballpark until they won, and they made it happen.â€

It was Crawford, though, who began the sequence that ensured the Mariners didnâ€t need to throw any more scoreless innings. He led off the bottom of the 15th with a single against Kahnle, scooping a 3-2 changeup into right field for his first hit of the game. Kahnle then plunked Randy Arozarena with his next pitch to move Crawford into scoring position. After a Raleigh flyout allowed Crawford to advance to third, Julio Rodriguez was intentionally walked to load the bases, with Detroit seeking a double play from Polanco after theyâ€d wiggled out of jams in the 12th and 13th.

But Polanco stayed on the changeup from Kahnle and laced it into right field for the game-winner, allowing Crawford to take the 90-foot journey home.

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“It was bound to happen at some point,†Kirby said later. “The more you keep letting us into the game, especially at home, you know, we’re going to find a way.â€

As Seattleâ€s longest-tenured player, Crawford knows as well as any what his winning run meant. His acquisition from Philadelphia via trade in December 2018 was a critical one in a series of transactions that marked the start of a rebuild. Crawford is the only current Mariner who endured the non-competitive lows of the 94-loss 2019 season. He raised his national profile by winning a Gold Glove in 2020, but the team was still quite bad. 2021 marked a huge step forward, as the team won 90 games, but their minus-51 run differential was a sobering indicator that the club was miles away from being a real contender.

In 2022, Crawford got his first taste of the spectacular highs and devastating lows of postseason baseball. Seattle ended its dreaded playoff drought and even won a wild-card series against Toronto, but the Mariners were emphatically swept out of the ALDS by the rival Astros. Their season ended in a game eerily similar to Fridayâ€s thriller: an epic marathon of prolific pitching in which scoring seemed impossible until one swing from Jeremy Peña delivered the ultimate gut punch in a 1-0 loss in 18 innings.

But this time was different. It had to be. After coming up painfully short of qualifying for the postseason the previous two seasons, the Mariners aggressively assembled a roster worthy of returning to baseballâ€s premier month. Urged in August by franchise icon Ichiro Suzuki to not take an opportunity like this for granted, the Mariners surged in September en route to their first division title since Ichiroâ€s rookie season in 2001 and home-field advantage in the ALDS — an advantage that proved vital as Seattle leaned into its core strength and pitcher-friendly ballpark while tossing 15 nearly flawless innings to punch its ticket to the ALCS.

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Four wins against the top-seeded Toronto Blue Jays now separate the Mariners from a place they’ve never been before. For all the ups and downs Crawford has experienced in his seven years as Seattleâ€s shortstop, they represent merely a fraction of this franchiseâ€s tortured history as the only major-league team that has never even appeared in the World Series, much less won one.

It was 30 years ago that Edgar Martinezâ€s iconic walk-off double defeated the Yankees to send the Mariners to the ALCS for the first time. That Martinezâ€s walk-off sustains as the premier franchise highlight in nearly a half-century of existence is a testament to the magic of the moment — and a reflection of how little Seattle has accomplished in three decades since. Several superstars have come and gone, with feats of individual brilliance and a few formidable ballclubs along the way. But only rarely has the World Series been remotely within reach. The ‘95 team faltered in the championship round. Back-to-back trips to the ALCS in 2000 and ’01 produced the same result. And then, a drought — thedrought. Sure, 2022 was a salve of sorts, but it was nowhere close to the ultimate prize.

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But in toppling the Tigers and advancing to Toronto — Game 1 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Sunday at Rogers Centre — the 2025 Mariners have arrived at a special opportunity. Their five grueling games against Detroit served as a reminder that nothing comes easy this time of year — and evidence that Seattle has the talent and resilience to succeed in these pressure-packed postseason affairs.

What happens next for the Mariners in their quest to finally reach the Fall Classic remains to be seen. But in emerging victorious on Friday — and giving the Seattle crowd a night to remember — they made sure that elusive goal is still within reach.

“That was an incredible win for them, which means it was an incredible loss for us,†Hinch said. “But I wish them well in the next round. They earned it, and that was an epic game.â€

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

Tuesday nightâ€s (10/7) episode of AEW Dynamite on TBS averaged 321,000 viewers, compared to 465,000 the prior week and the 638,000 the week before that. The current ten-week rolling average is 570,000. NXT averaged 625,000 for their special NXT vs. TNA theme show.

Last year, when Dynamite moved to Tuesday, it experienced a similar drop to 329,000 from 680,000 the prior week. The ten-week rolling average a year ago was 649,000.

Two years ago when it moved to Tuesday, it drew 609,000 compared to 800,000 the prior week.

NOTE 1: Additional viewers watch AEW Dynamite on Max streaming service as of Jan. 1, 2025, and those viewers are not part of the TBS data. That data is not made available.

NOTE 2: Nielson as of this fall is compiling ratings using new methodology called Big Data + Panel. It’s incorporating a wider array of sourcing of viewing data to then extrapolate a total viewership estimate. It means that ratings before this fall were created with a different method and thus there could be differences built in that affect how comparable past data is to new data.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller†on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

In the key 18-49 demo, it drew a 0.07 rating, compared to 0.09 and 0.14 the prior two weeks. The ten-week rolling average is 0.13.

One year ago, it drew a a 0.10 rating with a ten-week rolling average of 0.20.

Two years ago, it drew a 0.26 rating with a ten-week rolling average of 0.30.

The announced matches and segments were…

• “Hangman†Adam Page and Samoa Joe face-to-face
• Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) vs. Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita – Double Jeopardy Eliminator match
• Jon Moxley vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Pac vs. Orange Cassidy
• Kyle Fletcher vs. Kyle Oâ€Reilly – TNT Championship Kyle vs. Kyle 2
• The Hurt Syndicate (MVP & Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) vs. The Demand (Ricochet & Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) – Street Fight
• Mercedes Moné TBS Championship Open Challenge
• Jurassic Express (Jack Perry & Luchasaurus) to be in action

(You can always reach PWTorch editor Wade Keller at kellerwade@gmail.com. You can also send live event results and news tips to pwtorch@gmail.com. Also, we’re always looking for volunteer contributors to help us round out of coverage of the pro wrestling scene.)

Follow us on Blue Sky, a great Twitter alternative, as we shift away from TwitterX…

(search “pwtorchâ€)

(search “thewadekellerâ€)

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One of the most impressive parts of LeBron James†career has been his durability — he has played more minutes than any player in league history. Another example, in 22 seasons, he had never missed an opening night.

That changes this year. LeBron James is out with sciatica on his right side and will be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks, the Lakers have announced. That means he is out for opening night, Oct. 21, when the Lakers host Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the second game of a double-header, the games that mark the return of the NBA to NBC and its debut on Peacock.

Even the most optimistic timeline has LeBron missing the Lakers†first six games, but with him being re-evaluated in a month expect that number to climb into the double digits at least. A return in mid-November seems more likely.

One of the most well known cases of sciatica in the NBA is LeBronâ€s Mind the Game cohost Steve Nash. Nashâ€s sciatica was linked to multiple bulging discs in his back and spondylolisthesis,

— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) October 9, 2025

Sciatica is a shooting pain, often accompanied by weakness or numbness, along one side of the body due to pressure on the sciatic nerve. That nerve runs from the lower back through the hips and down the leg to the feet. That compression of the nerve can be caused by a number of things, such as a herniated disc, a bone spur, lifting something heavy incorrectly, or other issues. The treatment rarely involves surgery, but is more about rest, specific stretches and exercises (depending on the cause of the pain) and heat/ice on the affected area.

LeBron, 40, was a second-team All-NBA player for the Lakers last season, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds a game. The Lakers had hoped to use this yearâ€s training camp to get LeBron and Luka Doncic more comfortable playing next to one another, but LeBronâ€s sciatica has put that on hold. Doncic has been a full participant in practices, Lakers coach J.J. Redick said today.

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Apr 17, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Edmonton Oilers assistant coach Glen Gulutzan against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The 2025-26 NHL regular season is finally here, with Opening Night on Tuesday.

Final rosters for all 32 teams were submitted Monday. The ECHL has 60 players on NHL opening-day rosters, marking the 24th season in a row with more than 50 former ECHL players in that category.

The Premier ‘AA†Hockey League, the ECHL has a player or coach on each of the 32 teams and has affiliations with 30 of the 32 teams in the NHL, marking the 29th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.

There are 57 coaches with an ECHL background working behind the benches of teams in the NHL including Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan, San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy and Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery. All previously were ECHL head coaches.

In addition, Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette is a former ECHL player. It is the 15th consecutive season that there have been 30 or more coaches with an ECHL background working in the NHL.

Last season, Carbery became the third former ECHL coach to win the Jack Adams as NHL Coach of the Year, joining Cassidy (2019-20) and Bruce Boudreau (2007-08).

In the 2022-23 season, Cassidy became the third former ECHL head coach to lead his team to a Stanley Cup title, joining Laviolette (Carolina, 2006) and Bednar (Colorado, 2022).

In 2021-22, Bednar became the first coach to lead teams to championships in the ECHL (South Carolina, 2009), AHL (Lake Erie, 2016) and NHL (Colorado, 2022).

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