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LIV Golf has surprisingly backtracked on one of its founding principles by announcing tournaments in the fourth season of the Saudi Arabian-backed league will be played over 72 holes. Until now, LIV has proudly operated over 54 holes and three days, with the name itself partly based on a Roman numeral reference point. Could a rebrand to LXXII be imminent?

The dramatic shift, which is believed to have come after pressure from players, means LIV will soon mirror the schedule traditional golf tours it once tried to upstage. LIV will, however, continue to run both individual and team competition elements.

“The most successful leagues around the world – IPL, EPL [English Premier League], NBA, MLB, NFL – continue to innovate and evolve their product,†said Scott O’Neil, LIV’s chief executive. “And as an emerging league, we are no different. LIV Golf will always have an eye towards progress that acts in the best interest of LIV Golf and in the best interest of the sport.â€

A LIV statement added: “For each regular season event, the individual competition will be decided over 72 holes of stroke play, while the team competition will continue to run concurrently, with each team’s cumulative individual stroke play scores determining the team’s result.â€

The degree of “innovation†to which O’Neil refers will raise eyebrows given four days and 72 holes had been the model in golf’s existing ecosystem before LIV blasted onto the scene, coaxing household names with exorbitant contracts. It is understood some players in the LIV environment felt under-prepared for major championships due to the abbreviated nature of their standard playing domain. Umpteen players own equity in LIV teams. Golf’s official world-ranking system has also failed to recognise LIV, a matter which may change under the 72-hole model.

“LIV Golf is a player’s league,†said the two-time major winner Jon Rahm. “We are competitors to the core and we want every opportunity to compete at the highest level and to perfect our craft. Moving to 72 holes is the logical next step that strengthens the competition, tests us more fully, and if the growing galleries from last season are any indication, delivers more of what the fans want.â€

Dustin Johnson added: “Playing 72 holes just feels a little more like the big tournaments we’ve all grown up playing.†Johnson, also a double major winner, has not finished in the top 10 in one of the big four events since 2023.

All of this presents something of a public relations quandary. O’Neil’s predecessor, Greg Norman, explained two years ago why LIV had been given that precise name. The Australian said: “It is the Roman numeral for 54, which has two meanings: 54 is the lowest score you could shoot if you were to birdie every hole on a par 72 course, so there is an aspirational aspect to the thinking. It is also the number of holes to be played in each event.â€

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Those relegated from LIV at the end of its 2025 campaign included the former Open champion Henrik Stenson.

Next Match:

Cal Poly Humboldt

11/7/2025 | 5 p.m.

Nov. 07 (Fri) / 5 p.m.

 Cal Poly Humboldt

History

SAN FRANCISCO — Cal State LA’s women’s volleyball team did not have much success in is second meeting with defending national runner-up San Francisco State on Saturday.

Just two weeks after sweeping the Gators in Los Angeles, the Golden Eagles saw San Francisco State return the favor in a 26-24, 25-22, 25-18 in a California Collegiate Athletic Association match in San Francisco Federal Credit Union Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza. Cal State LA (15-6, 11-3 CCAA) lost in three sets for the first time this season.

Ayjah Landers had a team-high 12 kills and one block for the Golden Eagles, while Samarah DaCoud had 10 kills and nine digs.Â

Aidan Goodrich had a match-high 17 kills and three service aces for San Francisco State (8-13, 7-7 CCAA).

Zuhal Cetin had a team-high 13 digs and six kills for the Golden Eagles.

San Francisco State had a 42-40 advantage in kills and outhit the Golden Eagles, .308-.240. Both teams had three blocks, while the Gators had 11 service aces and 12 errors, while the Golden Eagles had four aces and seven errors.

The Golden Eagles fell behind early, 14-8, but rallied back and took a 22-21 lead after a kill by Landers, an ace by Juliana Speiski and an attack error. A kill by Landers made it 23-22 and a kill by DaCoud saved a set point at 24-23, but the Gators scored the final two points to take the opening set.

The Golden Eagles had a 12-10 lead in the second set, but the Gators responded with a 6-0 run to take control. Cal State LA fouight back to tie it at 21-21 after back-to-back kills by Landers, but San Francisco State scored the next three points to get to set point and eventually closed out the set on a kill by Goodrich.

Cal State LA fell behind early in the final set, 10-6, and never could recover. A service ace by Seriah Demski got the Golden Eagles within 20-16, but they couldn’t get ‘any closer.

Cal State LA will return to action with a home match against Cal Poly Humboldt on Friday at 5 p.m.

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Matthew Wood had a goal and an assist for the Predators, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Jonathan Marchessault and Filip Forsberg also scored, and Juuse Saros made 33 saves.

Jonathan Huberdeau and Joel Farabee scored for Calgary in its third consecutive loss. Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley combined to make 20 saves.

Bunting scored the gameâ€s first goal 10:29 into the first on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that beat Wolf on the glove side.

Wood made it 2-0 at 11:18 when he wired a wrist shot from the right circle just underneath the crossbar on the far side. Wood scored his first NHL goal Thursday in Philadelphia.

Marchessaultâ€s power-play goal at 14:17 of the first gave Nashville a 3-0 lead.

Prior to Saturday, the Predators had scored just five first-period goals though their first 12 games.

Cooley replaced Wolf at the start of the second. Wolf stopped eight of the 11 shots he faced in 20 minutes. Cooley stopped all 12 shots he faced.

Calgary made a late push. Huberdeau spoiled Saros†shutout bid at 4:39 of the third when Jake Beanâ€s initial shot came to him on the right side and he scored on a one-timer.

Farabee made it 3-2 with his second of the season with 8:03 remaining, but Forsberg’s empty-net goal in the final minute closed it out.

The Flames visit Philadelphia on Sunday. The Predators host Vancouver on Monday.

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Next Match:

at Southern New Hampshire University

10/28/2025 | 6:00 p.m.

Oct. 28 (Tue) / 6:00 p.m.

at Southern New Hampshire University

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. –On Tuesday night, Pace University Volleyball fought hard but came up short in a five-set thriller against Southern Connecticut State inside the Goldstein Fitness Center. The Setters dropped the match 3–2 (25–21, 14–25, 21–25, 25–19, 8–15), moving to 8-8 overall and 0-5 in the Northeast 10 Conference.

Pace opened strong with a 25-21 win in the first set, powered by key kills from Emily Cineus and Cyanna Shirley. After the Owls captured the next two frames, the Setters roared back with their best offensive stretch in the fourth, hitting .385 as Keelah Chambliss (11 kills, .474) and Kadence Ackmann (14 kills) led the attack. Cineus added seven kills and five blocks, while Aralyn Saulys dished out 26 assists to steady the offense.

The decisive fifth set saw the Owls jump ahead early and hold off a late Pace push.

Alice Bender highlighted the back row with 23 digs, while setters Saulys and Camila Rodriguez combined for 44 assists. Shirley and Skyler Tennant chipped in 10 and five kills, respectively.

The Setters travel to Manchester, N.H., to face Southern New Hampshire University next Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. match-up.
 
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CALGARY — Called out on national TV and all but counted out as playoff contenders just six games in, the Calgary Flames and their fans needed something to cheer about.

They got it shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday when the Blue Jays†win prompted the best Game 7 Saddledome celebration since Johnny Gaudreauâ€s overtime magic against Dallas.

However, an hour after fans returned their gaze to the floundering Flames, the reality of their sordid start hit home once again.

“When you get a wounded dog, you get one of two things — itâ€s either going to bite you, or they are going to put their tail between their legs,†said Jets coach Scott Arniel, setting up their matchup with the 1-5 Flames.

“And I donâ€t think theyâ€ll do the tail part.â€

But despite mustering plenty of the fight and fortitude that prolonged their unlikely playoff hopes to 81 games last season, they fell short in heartbreaking fashion, allowing a late third-period goal to fall 2-1.Â

For those keeping track at home, that’s six straight losses for the Flames.

After spending the morning defending the culture and work ethic that came under attack by Kevin Bieksa after Saturdayâ€s shellacking in Vegas, the Flames made good on their pledge to step up their compete.

But as has been the case in the last six outings, their will was beaten by skill.

Despite putting forth their best and most complete effort of the season, it still wasnâ€t good enough.

“It hurts,†said Dustin Wolf of a loss that came despite his heroics and his teamâ€s tenacity.

“We have to play a gritty game each and every night. We don’t have all the skill that a lot of these teams do. We have the grit, we have the grind, and that’s the character and identity we have to play to. We can’t try to stray from it.â€

On Tuesday, they stayed true to their brand, mucking their way to a 1-0 lead midway through the second period of a low-event game that saw Rasmus Andersson cap off fourth-line frothiness with a point blast that ended with a trademark Death Stare he aimed at a rinkside Jets fan.

That swagger was muted by a Jonathan Toews power-play goal early in the third, and obliterated with a Mark Scheifele two-on-one conversion just past Wolfâ€s outstretched pad with five minutes left.

It spoiled a 26-save effort by Wolf that sure felt like it would have been enough last year.

“I thought we looked really good tonight, besides, obviously, the result,†said Kadri, whose team did indeed play up to its capabilities, despite having to try killing five power plays.

“We’re not huge fans of moral victories, or anything like that, but I mean, they go post-in, we go post-out. It’s the difference in the game.â€

One shift after Scheifeleâ€s dagger, Sam Honzek beat Connor Hellebuyck with a shot off the iron.

Seven games in, the Flames have just ten goals, prompting plenty of heartbreak for lads like Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato, Jonathan Huberdeau and others who are struggling to convert.

At 1-6, the last place Flames sit dead last in offence and goal differential, prompting early hope from Team Tank that the Flames will finally beef up for a draft lottery that happens to include Gavin McKenna.

Rasmus Andersson seemed particularly irked by Bieksaâ€s criticism of Yegor Sharangovich and the team culture, saying after the game, “I guess he knows best when he sits on a panel.â€

He was then asked how to walk the line between urgency and panic.

“It’s a fine line, if I’m honest with you,†said Andersson, the only Flames defenceman to score this year.

“Obviously, panic is never good, but you know, the desperation is pretty high right now.â€

Sharangovich was a healthy scratch Monday, with Ryan Huska explaining that he was part of the 50 per cent of his players whose effort was subpar Saturday — a rarity on a roster known for its pugnacity.

“He needs to be competitive, he needs to shoot the puck a lot and he needs to make sure heâ€s working on his game a lot in practice because thatâ€s typically where a player builds his confidence and where he allows himself to feel good going into games,†said Huska of Sharangovich, whose compete level has long been challenged even though he scored 31 and 17 goals his last two seasons.

“Play the guys that care,†said Bieksa of the Belarusian, who is in the first year of a five-year deal paying him $5.75 million annually.

“If youâ€re going to get an effort like that from a guy, get rid of him, you know what I mean? Youâ€re disgracing the NHL with an effort like that.â€

The problem is, his innate ability to finish is exactly what the Flames need most right now.

Well, that, and a bunch of wins.

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TORONTO — The magic ran out for the Mariners in this 2025 season, one that will go down as one of the most memorable in franchise history, but with an ending whose sting will stand the test of time.

Seattle was in the driverâ€s seat all night Monday in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, but it blew a two-run lead when Eduard Bazardo surrendered a back-breaking, go-ahead, three-run homer to Toronto’s George Springer in the seventh inning that wound up being the decisive moment.

With it, the Mariners were stunned in a 4-3 loss — and now, they face an abrupt entry into the offseason, one that they believed wouldâ€ve instead begun with a parade.

“It just sucks,†said Cal Raleigh, who was in tears at one point outside the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre. “It hurts.â€

Still the only franchise that has never reached the World Series — but were eight outs away on Monday night — this one will hurt for an eternity.

For being on the precipice of the pinnacle. For Mondayâ€s stupefying swing of events. For having it ripped away from their grasp by a nemesis in Springer that they know too well. For the same familiar feeling, even if they had never been this close to the Fall Classic in their 49 seasons of existence.

“I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure,†Raleigh said. “That’s what we expected, was to get to the World Series and win the World Series, and that’s what the bar is and the standard is. And that’s what we want to hold ourselves accountable to.â€

Bazardo was on the mound for the soul-sucking moment, but the chaos truly began in the sequences just prior, via their All-Star ace.

Bryan Woo issued a leadoff walk to Addison Barger to begin the seventh, then a single immediately after that brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Andrés Giménez moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, at which point Mariners manager Dan Wilson turned to Bazardo to face Springer and the top of Torontoâ€s loaded lineup, despite Andrés Muñoz also being available.

Bazardo has been the bullpenâ€s catalyst all season, and especially in October. But Muñoz is their two-time All-Star closer, and he did wind up pitching a scoreless eighth — essentially, an inning too late.

Because there was no bottom of the ninth. No lead left to protect. Nothing that Muñoz could do other than limit the damage and hope that the Mariners conjured more of the magic thatâ€s defined this season.

“Bazardo has been the guy that’s gotten us through those situations, those tight ones, especially in the pivot role,†Wilson said. “And that’s where we were going at that point.â€

Added Muñoz: “Everybody was ready. But in that moment, they thought that was the best decision, and we all support that, because we’ve been doing that through the whole season. So today it didn’t work. It doesn’t mean that they made a wrong call. It was just that today wasn’t the day. That’s it.â€

And Bazardo: “It’s a little bit amazing for me, because I didn’t lose one game all year. That is the most important, and they got me. That is baseball. That can happen.â€

Indeed, Bazardo was never on the hook for a loss as a pitcher of record in the regular season, and Monday was just his second blown save. And indeed, heâ€s been their pivot pitcher all season.

But this was Game 7, and Wilson managed like it for much of the night until that fateful moment. He relieved George Kirby after just four strong innings of one-run ball because Kirby was slated to face Toronto a third time through. And he then turned to Woo, who before this ALCS had never pitched in relief, for the fifth and sixth then the start of the seventh.

“You make your decisions, and sometimes you have to live and die with it,†Wilson said. “I think, again, the way Bazardo has thrown the ball all season long, we were comfortable with where we were and it just, again, didn’t go our way.â€

This one will be dissected all winter, and for a starved fanbase, maybe even longer.

Seattle jumped to separate leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1 on Monday, thanks to an RBI single from Josh Naylor in the first inning then solo homers from Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh in the third and fifth, respectively.

But as has been the case throughout this series, while the Mariners were able to create traffic on Monday, much of it was squandered. Seattle stranded seven runners and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position in Game 7. Overall, they hit .195 with men on base over these seven games, and their Nos. 7-9 hitters — who were at the plate for three of Mondayâ€s stranded baserunners — hit .071 in those instances.

“There were plenty of shoulda-woulda-coulda’s that you think about,†said J.P. Crawford, who was in the No. 7 spot and laid down a sacrifice bunt with no outs that moved two runners into scoring position in a scoreless second. Crawford also had a one-out double in the fourth but was stranded.

Beyond Monday, the Mariners had series leads of 2-0 and 3-2, becoming just the fourth team to win the first two games of a best-of-seven playoff series but ultimately not advance. Teams with that much of a cushion had moved on in 25 of the previous 28 instances.

“This stings and there’s no question that it’s going to sting,†Wilson said. “But the kind of season they had, doing things that no team in this organization has ever done, and knocking on the door of a World Series — all that, it’s due to how hard they’ve worked, how hard they’ve played all season long.â€

Wilson is right about that reality, and that the Mariners are built to get back to this point long term — even if itâ€s a truth that wonâ€t resonate in the immediate, given its timing.

Seattle has a core of foundational players that will all be back in 2025, and in many cases, well beyond. Rodríguez (through 2029) and Raleigh (through 2030) are both locked up to mega contract extensions, while their entire homegrown rotation of Woo (free agent after 2029), Kirby (2028), Bryce Miller (2029) and Logan Gilbert (2027) are all in their pre-arbitration or arbitration years.

Muñoz has three club options beginning in 2026, the first of which the club will certainly exercise. Crawford has one year left on his extension, same with Victor Robles. Randy Arozarena has one year of arbitration-eligibility remaining.

There will be notable voids — Trade Deadline acquisitions Naylor and Eugenio Suárez will be free agents, and Jorge Polanco will likely test the open market for a more lucrative deal than the one-year, $6 million vesting player option he achieved in a turnaround season.

Thereâ€s still a lot to work with in 2026. The sad part for the Mariners — which was evident in a somber clubhouse in Toronto — is that they believed they still had more magic to conjure in 2025.

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Next Match:

Southern Connecticut State University

10/21/2025 | 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 21 (Tue) / 7:00 p.m.

 Southern Connecticut State University

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. –In a match filled with momentum swings and long rallies, the Pace University volleyball team battled fiercely but came up just short in a five-set showdown against Saint Michael’s College on Saturday afternoon at the Goldstein Fitness Center. After dropping the first two sets, the Setters stormed back to even the match before narrowly falling 3-2 (17-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 14-16). The result moves Pace to 8-7 overall and 0-4 in the Northeast 10 Conference, while the Purple Knights improve to 5-13 and 2-2 in league play.

The opening frames saw Saint Michael’s capitalize on early errors, but once the Setters found their rhythm, the energy inside Goldstein shifted dramatically. Behind the offensive consistency of Cyanna Shirley and Kadence Ackmann, the Blue and Gold clawed their way back into contention and used strong serving and net defense to seize momentum in the middle stages of the match.

Shirley powered the attack with 14 kills on a .407 hitting percentage and four blocks, while Ackmann matched her with 14 kills, 18 digs, and a pair of aces. Emily Cineus added eight kills and four blocks, while Aralyn Saulys posted 17 assists, 14 digs, and two service aces to lead a balanced offense. Setter Camila Rodriguez finished with 16 assists, one ace, and five digs, and Alice Bender anchored the back row with 13 digs and two aces.

After the Setters won back-to-back sets to force a decisive fifth, both sides traded points in a tense final frame that featured seven ties and five lead changes. Despite Pace’s relentless defense and a surge of late kills from Shirley and Ackmann, the Purple Knights escaped with a 16-14 finish to close the match. The Blue and Gold tallied 83 digs, 22 total blocks, and 10 aces in the loss, highlighted by Leah Mendez’s eight block assists at the net.

Pace will look to bounce back on Tuesday, October 21, when it returns home to host Southern Connecticut State University in another NE10 match-up at the Goldstein Fitness Center.
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After losing three of their first four games of the 2025-26 season, the Los Angeles Kings entered Thursday night looking for a much-needed victory to get their season back on track.

However, they would have to battle through some early adversity as they would be without their captain and starting goaltender. Anze Kopitar and Darcy Kuemper were both sidelined against the Pittsburgh Penguins with injury.

The losses proved to be critical as the Kings once again fell short in a game that they should have come out on top.

Final from LA. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/BlqsVTx33S

— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 17, 2025

First Period: Fast Start Gets Rewarded

From the initial drop of the puck, the Kings were the better team for the entire first period. The Kings were solid on both sides of the ice. At one point, they were outshooting Pittsburgh 8-2 before finishing the period with an 11-8 advantage in shots on goal.

Less than five minutes into the opening frame, Warren Foegele buried his first goal of the season. Foegele was rewarded after winning the battle for a loose puck off the rebound of his first shot attempt. After battling for the puck, Foegele powered it past Arturs Silovs to give LA an early 1-0 lead.

FIRST FOEGOAL OF THE YEAR! pic.twitter.com/uPddEqViMa

— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 17, 2025

Just under halfway through the period, Kevin Fiala made it 2-0 Kings with his third goal of the year. Fiala finished off a beautiful passing play by Joel Armia and Quinton Byfield. Armia carried the puck into the offensive zone before dishing it over to Byfield, who then found Fiala with a gorgeous setup.

After 20 minutes of play, it was clear that the Kings were the better team. With strong play on both ends of the ice, LA holds a 2-0 lead with 40 minutes of play to go.

Second Period: All of a Sudden, We’re Tied

The Kings started the second period off strong, generating an early scoring chance. Fiala rifled a shot off the post after a nice play by Byfield. This is the second post for LA as Trevor Moore rang one off the iron in the first period.

After a rare occurrence of no penalties in the first, the Kings found themselves shorthanded early in the second period after Byfield was called for hooking. Special teams hurt them once again as Evgeni Malkin beat Anton Forsberg on the man advantage. Forsberg was beaten with a wrister from the face-off dot, one that he probably wants back.

Not even one minute after Malkin cut the LA lead in half, Conor Dewar made it 2-2. Dewar scored after gaining possession of a loose puck in front of the Kings’ net. Kind of a whacky goal, but another one that Forsberg probably wants another stab at.

With just under four minutes left in the middle frame, LA found themselves on the man advantage after Sidney Crosby was called for tripping. Despite the Pens captain being in the box, the Kings couldn’t get anything going on the power play.

Third Period: Special Teams Prove to be not so Special

Once again, that silly red post got in the way of a potential Kings goal as Cody Ceci fired a shot off the crossbar. After a slower-paced third period, LA had a chance to redeem themselves on the power play after Crosby was called for his second stick infraction of the evening.

They did exactly the opposite. Another terrible power play proves to be costly. The Penguins managed to escape their zone, leading to a brief two-on-one that was shut down. However, the Kings fell asleep after that, and Filip Hallander took advantage by banging home the loose puck for his first career NHL goal, which was also the eventual game-winning goal.

Los Angeles pushed to tie the game, but to no avail. With 30 seconds left in the final frame, Crosby iced the gam,e making it 4-2 with an empty net goal.

Result: Penguins Win 4-2

Another disappointing loss. After a first period that looked like the Kings might run away with the game, the Penguins competed hard and battled back to steal two points. This loss is due to horrendous special teams and the lack of big saves. Hopefully, those issues can be chalked up to the absence of Kopitar and Kuemper. If not, those issues need to be figured out as soon as possible.

The Kings (1-3-1) will have their hands full next game as they face the Carolina Hurricanes (4-0-0) on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. PT, 9:00 p.m. ET.

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Emma Raducanu has brought an early end to her season following physical struggles in China. The British No 1 had hoped to put together a strong finish to 2025 to guarantee herself a seeding at the Australian Open in January but that is now up in the air.

There is good news on the coaching front, though, with Francisco Roig reaching a deal to continue their work together in 2026.

Raducanu retired during the second set of her match against Ann Li in Wuhan last week with dizziness in hot and humid temperatures, and later posted a picture on social media of herself at a doctorâ€s office. She said she felt better and chose to play the Ningbo Open this week but was clearly not 100% and again lost her opening match.

Emma Raducanu receives treatment after wilting in the heat in the first round of the Wuhan Open. Photograph: Sky Sports

Raducanu won the first set against Zhu Lin but looked lethargic in the second and had her blood pressure checked, while she struggled with a recurrence of lower back issues in the decider and was barely moving by the end.

Raducanu had been due to play in next weekâ€s Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and then the Hong Kong Open beginning on 27 October, but has instead decided to focus on recovery. The former US Open champion has been feeling unwell over the past 10 days and has made the decision not to push her body further.

She will now take some time away from the court before linking up with Roig, the long-time former coach of Rafael Nadal who she began working with in August, for a pre-season training block.

It has been an up-and-down season for Raducanu, who experienced a difficult first few months on and off court, with her then coach Nick Cavaday stepping down because of ill health before she was left in tears during a match in Dubai after spotting a man exhibiting fixated behaviour in the crowd.

Emma Raducanu reached the quarter-finals of the Miami Open in March. Photograph: Robert Prange/Getty Images

She had won only three matches before at the Miami Open but a temporary coaching arrangement with Mark Petchey bore immediate fruit as she reached her first WTA 1000 quarter-final.

That heralded a fine spring and summer, with Raducanu consistently winning matches and nearly halving her ranking, but the optimism that surrounded her when she left New York with Roig in tow has taken another dip.

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She made a late decision to pull out of representing Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and will have bridges to rebuild on that front, while she won just two matches in four tournaments in Asia, losing from match points up against both Barbora Krejcikova and Jessica Pegula.

Raducanu may have done enough to be seeded in Melbourne, boosting her chances of avoiding the sort of draws she has faced at grand slams this season, and she has given herself a good platform to build from. Having gone into this yearâ€s Australian Open ranked 61st, Raducanu has elevated herself to 29th in the world while, crucially, she has shown her body can mostly stand up to a full season. If she can continue to gel with Roig, find stability again on the physical training front and put together a strong pre-season, there should be high hopes for a positive 2026.

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A day after making perhaps one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history, the Calgary Flames were humbled 5-1 by the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Thursday night.

Here are my three takeaways for the game:

After outshooting the home team 3-2 for the first 5:41 of the first period, not only did the Canucks restrict the Flames to just two shots on goal, but they put six on them for the rest of the period including a goal off a giveaway.

But Calgary, being a great comeback team it is, rebounded in the second period.

By the second break, the Flames had outshot the Canucks 39-26 in total shots in the game. Even though the stat sheet showed 16-13 shots on goals as favoring Canucks, the scoring opportunities were 17-9 in Calgary’s favor., including seven high-danger scoring opportunities for Flames versus a flat out zero for the hometown Canucks. Yet, Vancouver was still up 1-0 by the second intermission.

Unfortunately, it was the third period, where the Flames crapped the bed. More on that below.

This was probably the most disappointing. A team that has four opportunities at the man-advantage and comes up with zero goals is not going to go very far in the regular season.

During Calgary’s first power play, they were 0-for-3 in faceoffs, which was a big reason why the man-advantage didn’t materialize into anything. So they need to clean up their faceoff act as well.

Yeah, I’m not a pro hockey player, but even I know you don’t stop playing until the ref blows the whistle.

I get how the Calgary players were concerned about their comrade Kevin Bahl getting hit in the head and falling on the ice, but that doesn’t mean you freeze up and leave the goal unguarded.

As a result, Vancouver’s Filip Chytil scored a goal and put the Canucks up 2-0.

How costly was that?

It drained all the life out of the Calgary bench, and until the next Chytil goal 5:59 minutes later, the Canucks outshot the Flames 10-3 in total shots.

After that, Vancouver put on two more goals.

Except for a Morgan Frost goal, the Flames never recovered and frankly never had a chance.

As to things that I did like, going 4-for-4 on the penalty kill is amazing. The Flames did get out of their zone more easily than they did against Edmonton and they did have a lot more scoring opportunities than against the Oilers, but ultimately it was that second goal that just killed any life on the Calgary bench.

The Flames will now host the St. Louis Blues for their home opener on Saturday.

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