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NHL: Bruins Look to Bounce Back

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SALT LAKE CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Bruins look to erase a string of three consecutive losses and finish their first Western Conference road trip of the season strong, paying a Sunday night visit to Salt Lake City to clash with the Utah Mammoth.

Marco Sturm made the first major lineup shake-up of his young Bruins coaching tenure ahead of a 4-1 Saturday loss to the 5-0-1 Colorado Avalanche, opting to bring Johnny Beecher in for his season debut while Pavel Zacha joined Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak on the top line.

“Against a team like Colorado, we need the whole package. We spread it out a little bit more (on the lines),” Sturm said, noting Beecher’s strong penalty-killing and faceoff ability.

Come Sunday, though, it could be back to the drawing board for Sturm.

Beecher rewarded his new coach with a first-period goal just 3:11 in, but the Bruins were dominated to the tune of 38-14 in shots and went more than 17 minutes without a single shot at one point.

Not nearly enough Bruins were going. For one, Pastrnak finished without a shot and had a minus-2 rating.

“My grinders were the best players again. If your grinders are your best players rather than your best players, you’re going to be in trouble,” Sturm said in a television postgame interview.

Defenseman Hampus Lindholm did give the Bruins a veteran boost after being considered a game-time decision on Saturday morning. He returned from a three-game absence (lower-body injury) to play 20:44 against Colorado and hopes to finish the back-to-back in Utah.

“It’s nice to be out there playing. Tough game tonight, but lots of stuff to build on for myself, and I feel like as a team, (we want to) get back on the horse,” Lindholm said.

Jeremy Swayman tended the goal for the first two games of Boston’s trip, which began Thursday with a 6-5 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Joonas Korpisalo is expected to make the Sunday start.

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The Mammoth has turned around a 1-2-0 start with back-to-back wins for the first time this season, including a season-high scoring output in a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday. Utah enters Sunday as one of just five teams (2-0-0) still unbeaten at home this season.

“Eighty-two games, it’s a race for improvement. We’re far from the finish line, we need to improve,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. ” … I’m proud of the focus of the guys, the way they commit to what we have to do.”

Nick Schmaltz and captain Clayton Keller paced Utah as the first pair of teammates to record four points in the same game this season.

While Keller recorded his fifth four-point game in the last two seasons, Schmaltz notched his second career hat trick and the second in Utah franchise history with the help of two goals in a span of 3:52 in the first period. Schmaltz’s first goal broke the team’s 0-for-13 drought on the power play, which was a league-worst 1-for-16 entering the game.

Schmaltz leads the Mammoth with seven points, including at least one in four of the first five games.

“I feel like I’ve had a lot of chances early on in the season here and (I’m) trying to shoot the puck more, take it to the net, be around the net more,” Schmaltz said. “A couple guys made some great plays to me and found me in open areas. It was fun to see a couple go in there.”

The teams split their two meetings last season. Utah won its home game 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 19, 2024.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | October 19

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St. John’s is issuing “Replica Rings” to longtime fans (file photo)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – As the 2025-26 college basketball season is now underway (St. John’s defeated Towson, 73-63, in a Saturday afternoon exhibition at Carnesecca Arena in Queens), there’s a new kid in town as some major Div I basketball programs appoint celebrity (and full time) General Managers to the mix of coaches, assistant coaches, graduate assistants and other assorted people on the team bus.

Boston Celtics great Jayson Tatum (recovering from an injured Achilles) made some headlines in Boston and Durham, North Carolina when he and Duke University announced the NBA All-Star would be the new GM of the Blue Devils. Tatum will still keep his “daytime” job as a star player for the NBA Celtics as he works his way back into playing, jumping, sprinting and full court defensive condition. Tatum’s rehab and therapy session are reportedly ahead of schedule for a possible return come NBA Playoff time.

But Tatum lending his name, his game and his money to the Duke University basketball program follows a very interesting trend which is not new to this season but trending upward as the money flows into collegiate sports.

Back in April of 2023, Villanova Vice President and Director of Athletics Mark Jackson announced the creation of a new position, General Manager of Basketball, and named former Wildcats’ Associate Head Coach Baker Dunleavy to fill the role.

There were a sprinkling of others which led to the big scoop. St. Bonaventure alum and multi-million dollar earner Adrian Wojnarowski left his mobile device and his 24/7 job as an NBA Insider for ESPN, dropped the serious coin and became the GM of men’s basketball for his alma mater. It was more of less a dream “retirement” job where Woj can still work 24 hours a day, but rather than scoop San Antonio Spurs leads, he can improve the Bonnies’ chances of making the big Dance. Surely, he’ll get some good tips on up & coming talent from RC, right?

Davidson basketball GM Austin Buntz spent several years at Under Armour, and originally joined Davidson’s athletic department in the fundraising department. But he’s recently moved over into the GM role, which he describes as “an extension” of the coaching staff.

Buntz was “one-upped” when Golden State Warriors guard and Davidson Wildcats’ most famous alum, Stephen Curry, signed on as defacto GM. Curry, at the direction of Coach Bob McKillop, led the 2008 Davidson team to a wild ride through March Madness only to fall a game away from the Final Four. And, while Curry fell short in college he made up for it in the pro game as an 11-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA champion, in addition to his three-time USA Basketball gold with the senior national team at the Paris Olympics (2024) and twice at the Worlds (2010-Turkey; 2014-Spain).

Curry lending his name and frequent appearances on campus helps build the Davidson brand globally while raising much needed money for NIL, and general expenses, noting the small collection of alum from such a small Carolina school.

Think that’s enough? How about other active NBA players like Portland’s Damian Lilliard as a GM for Weber State; Brooklyn’s Terance Mann helping out at Florida State; Atlanta’s Trae Young lending a GM hand at Oklahoma.

It’s not just hoops, either, as Andrew Luck is a football GM for his alma mater, Stanford; Michael Lombardi has an active, day-to-day gig as GM with Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels and former NFL head coach Ron Riviera is lending a hand at Cal, all according to a short list assembled by The Old Gray Lady,” The New York Times by way of its sports subsidiary, The Athletic.

For major change, however, college athletic departments, as a whole, need to operate in similar fashion as a pro franchise, complete with a pro mentality of investing in their product, staffing up properly – especially in ticket sales – more facility and game operation improvements, along with front office savvy. Of course, the initial investment is something college ADs refuse to entertain, so they dip their toe in the water, a bit, as long as the newly created positions come with a major donation. to the “U.”

The changes need to be much more substantial. Colleges and the NCAA have long kept a straight arm up against the professional sports leagues, citing the need for compliance and keeping their products squeaky clean and far away from the big bad wolf of professionalism and money.

Well, the barn door blew wide open when the NCAA lost its case to Ed O’Bannon and the world of N.I.L. hit the colleges like a cold slap in the face. No longer could the payments go under the table or in FedEx envelopes to addresses unknown. As it’s been written here before, Now, It was Legal (NIL). Let the Vitamin Water guy (Mike Repole) fund coach Rick Pitino’s St. John’s starting five and some.

GM positions for college basketball are the perfect example of what is really needed. Instead of the head coach making each and every decision as it relates to his program, a trusted GM – even one reporting on a dotted line to both the basketball coach and the AD – can accomplish much more, especially in season. A good GM can run a much better and deeper scouting department (both high school prospects and potential transfer portal options, never mind the upcoming oppenents.

A good GM can make 10 decisions a day that the head coach need not concern himself with at any level. It would free-up time for the coach to coach his team and better prepare for the next game. In addition to a good GM, college coaches for both basketball and football should have a right hand man to clear and guard his/her schedule for the most important activities. If the school marketing department needs a photo shoot, schedule it through the right hand man. If the development office needs some meet and greets on a road trip, run it through the right hand man to best schedule the task. That way, it’s sure to get done and the head coach doesn’t get five calls from five different people for the same requirement/obligation.

The big question is whether the power hungry, control everything head coaches, who control all aspects of basketball and football, will yield their power and responsibilities to a newfound colleague or not?

Of course, football and basketball are the revenue generators but a more professional approach needs to take place within every sport and the athletic office as a whole.

Can the colleges and college conferences make sacrifices for the greater good of college sports as a whole?

Along with the schools moving ahead, the NCAA and individual college conferences need to call a cease fire and form a truce. No more raiding each others’ colleges until a fair and universal approach can be negotiated. In other words, will the NCAA or the colleges have the clout, or will the NCAA be relegated only to run post season play?

The BIG EAST Conference will gather industry leaders this week to discuss the “Future of College Basketball” (Monday, Oct. 20, from 2:00 to 5:30pm (ET), at the Empire State Building), a day ahead of BIG EAST Basketball Media Day on Tuesday, Oct. 21st.

The seminar will start with a “One-on-One” with NCAA president and former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker who will sit down with Bonnie Bernstein, a former reporter for CBS and ESPN and now Founder/CEO, of Walk Swiftly Productions.

There will be four additional panel discussions which are all listed in the BIG EAST agenda – HERE.

The BIG question for Big Charlie – will he re-establish the NCAA and his own power to rule over all of college athletics or will he allow each conference to run amok the way things have been going, which resulted in the Pac-10 imploding? Stanford and Cal playing in the ATLANTIC Coast Conference and other abnormal activities have turned college athletics into a very bad lesson in geography and business sense.

three white baseballs on gray textile

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: MLB’s Gold Gloves finalists were named earlier this week. These players are the best defensive gloves in the game of baseball. Players from the Boston Red Sox are in BOLD.

American League

P – Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers; Max Fried, New York Yankees; Luis Severino, The Athletics.

C – Dillon Dingler, Detroit Tigers; Alejandro Kirk, Toronto Blue Jays; Carlos Narváez, Boston Red Sox.

1B – Ty France, Minnesota/Toronto; Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays; Carlos Santana, Cleveland Guardians.

2B – Andrés Giménez, Cleveland Guardians; Luis Rengifo, Los Angeles Angels; Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers.

3B – Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays; Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals; José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians.

SS – Corey Seager, Texas Rangers; Taylor Walls, Tampa Bay Rays; Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals.

LF – Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians; Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers; Tyler Soderstrom, The Athletics.

CF – Kyle Isbel, Kansas City Royals; Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox; Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners.

RF – Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox; Adolis García, Texas Rangers; Cam Smith, Houston Astros.

UTIL – Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays; Mauricio Dubón, Houston Astros; Daniel Schneemann, Cleveland Guardians.

National League

P – Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs; David Peterson, New York Mets; Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants.

C – Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants; Carson Kelly, Chicago Cubs; Luis Torrens, New York Mets.

1B – Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies; Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves; Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds.

2B – Xavier Edwards, Florida Marlins; Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs; Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers.

3B – Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pittsburg/Cincinnati; Ryan McMahon, Colorado/NY Yankees; Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs.

SS – Nick Allen, Atlanta Braves; Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers; Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals.

LF – Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs; Tommy Pham, Pittsburgh Pirates; Kyle Stowers, Florida Marlins.

CF – Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs; Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals; Jacob Young, Washington Nationals.

RF – Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks; Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers; Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres.

UTIL – Miguel Rojas, Los Angeles Dodgers; Javier Sanoja, Florida Marlins; Jared Triolo, Pittsburgh Pirates.

Winners will be announced on November 2nd.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Formula-1 racing dumped ESPN to sign a five-year deal with Apple TV. While the fringe sports trend towards big money and long term deals with streaming services, they fall short with the ability to extend their audience/reach. F-1 can kiss nightly/weekly news highlights on SportsCenter goodbye.

In other words, the ESPN TV coverage of F-1 will be as terse as their parting shot statement after the Apple TV deal was announced: “We’re incredibly proud of what we and Formula 1 accomplished together in the United States and look forward to a strong finish in this final season. We wish F-1 well in the future.”

Sort of an F-U to F-1?

Speaking of ESPN, many an NBA fan expressed some outright glee when former Golden State team GM and now former NBA on ESPN studio analyst Bob Myers took a lofty position as president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment – the parent company for the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), New Jersey Devils (NHL), Washington DC Commanders (NFL) and The Prudential Center in Newark (home of the NJ Devils).

“Our goal has been to hire, grow, and retain the best and brightest executives in the world and we are a stronger, more dynamic organization with the addition of Bob Myers,” Harris and Blitzer said in a statement.

Myers was already working as a senior advisor on the Commanders’ reorganization plans.

Let’s see if the Commanders, Sixers and Devils can get one of the greatest players in their respective sports with the seventh pick of the draft?

Miami’s Erik Spoelstra was named head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team through 2028. Spoelstra was selected by USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill and was approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

In addition to an Olympic gold coaching effort as an assistant coach at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Spoelstra was an assistant coach to Steve Kerr at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup, where the USA finished fourth. He also served as head of the 2021 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team, which trained alongside the 2020 USA Men’s National Team ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Spoelstra is the perfect choice for this time and place, but it’s sort of amazing his boss, Pat Riley, never had an opportunity to coach the USA at the Olympic Games.

Ohtani Leads LA with All-Time Outing

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LOS ANGELES  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Instead of postgame orange slices there was champagne as Shohei Ohtani made the one of baseball’s biggest stages look like Little League.

Ohtani was a one-man show, hitting three home runs and striking out 10 in six-plus scoreless innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series for the second consecutive season with a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

Ohtani hit home runs in the first, fourth and seventh innings as the defending champion Dodgers swept the best-of-seven National League Championship Series. Los Angeles will attempt to become the first team to win consecutive titles since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000.

Ohtani (2-0), who gave up two hits and walked three, became the first pitcher in major league history — regular season or postseason — to hit three home runs and strike out at least one in the same game. The performance earned him series MVP honors.

The two-way star went deep for the first time since he hit a pair of homers in the wild-card opener against the Cincinnati Reds. Ohtani, a three-time regular-season MVP, entered the night batting .121 (4-for-33) over his previous eight games.

“There were times during the postseason where (Teoscar Hernandez) and Mookie (Betts) picked me up. And this time around it was my turn to be able to perform,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Just looking back over the course of the entire postseason, I haven’t performed to expectations, but I think today we saw what the left-handed hitters could do.”

Los Angeles is headed to the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons, getting past the Brewers in the NLCS for the second time in that stretch (2018).

Veteran left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1) allowed three runs on six hits over two-plus innings as the Brewers saw their season end after compiling the majors’ best regular-season record at 97-65. Quintana walked one and fanned one.

Milwaukee ended the four-game series with four total runs on 14 hits.

“Obviously, the last five days were not good, not the way we wanted to go,” said the Brewers’ Christian Yelich, who went 1-for-14 with two walks in the series. “It’s how it (can) be sometimes, and hopefully we can learn from this as a team and get back to this point and take that next step.”

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Ohtani opened the game from the mound by walking Brice Turang. He followed that by striking out the next three Milwaukee batters, then led off the bottom of the first inning with a 446-foot home run to right field on Quintana’s sixth pitch. He became the first Dodgers pitcher to hit a home run in a playoff game.

Los Angeles put up two more runs in the first inning, taking a 3-0 lead on an RBI single from Tommy Edman and a run-scoring groundout from Teoscar Hernandez.

Ohtani did not give up a hit until Jackson Chourio doubled to lead off the fourth. The right-hander retired the next three Milwaukee batters, including the last two by strikeout.

Ohtani belted a 469-foot home run in the fourth inning that landed on top of the corrugated metal roof at the back of the right field bleachers. He added a 427-foot homer to center field in the seventh as the Dodgers took a 5-0 lead.

“What he did on the mound, what he did at the bat, he created a lot of memories for a lot of people,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So to do it in a game-clinching game at home, wins the NLCS MVP, it’s pretty special. I’m just happy to be able to go along for the ride.”

After walking Yelich and giving up a single to William Contreras to open the top of the seventh inning, Ohtani left the mound to a standing ovation. Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda and Roki Sasaki recorded the final nine outs.

The Brewers’ lone run came on a Turang RBI forceout in the eighth.

“We were part of, tonight, an iconic, maybe the best individual performance ever in a postseason game,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I don’t think anybody can argue with that. A guy punches out 10 and hits three homers. (But) I’m really proud of our team. I admire our team.”

–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media

Celtics Sign Harper, Jr. to 2-Way Deal

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Celtics announced the player contract for guard-forward Ron Harper Jr. was converted to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. The slot opened when the Celtics waived R.J. Luis – the 2025 BIG EAST Player of the Year – was waived on October 15.

Harper Jr. (6-5, 233) has appeared in 56 career regular season G League games (49 starts) across three seasons with Toronto (2022-24), Maine (2024-25), and Motor City (2024-25), averaging 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 32.6 minutes per game. The 25-year-old scored in double figures in 23 outings last season, including nine games with 20+ points and three games with 30+ points. Harper Jr. posted a G-League career-high 38 points (13-20 FG, 11-18 3FG, 1-1 FT) to go with three rebounds, eight assists, and one steal in a victory over Long Island Feb. 1.

The New Jersey native has seen action in 11 NBA games over three seasons with Toronto (2022-24) and Detroit (2024-25) with averages of 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per game. In three appearances with Boston in the 2025-26 preseason, Harper Jr. averaged 4.3 points and 1.0 assists in 10.6 minutes per game. Prior to going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Harper Jr. spent four seasons at Rutgers (2018-22) where he posted averages of 12.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 121 career games (109 starts). He earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors his senior season after averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game and shooting a career-high 39.8 percent (68-171 3FG) from 3-point range. Harper Jr. is the son of former NBA first-round pick Ron Harper, and his younger brother, Dylan, currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs.

Twins Peeking

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -The Minnesota Twins are seeking permission to interview Boston Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez for their managerial opening, MLB Network reported on Tuesday. The Twins parted ways with skipper Rocco Baldelli on Sept. 29 after finishing 70-92 and fourth in the division in his seventh season.

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Vazquez, 49, has been part of Boston’s coaching staff since 2018. He was promoted to bench coach in 2022.

On May 19 this season, Vazquez filled in for Red Sox manager Alex Cora and recorded a 3-1 win over the New York Mets. Cora was away for his daughter’s college graduation.

Vazquez played shortstop, third base and second base for parts of nine seasons in the majors with six teams from 2001-09. He was a career .254 hitter with 22 homers and 176 RBIs in 696 games.

Baldelli recorded the third-most wins in franchise history with a record of 527-505 (.511).

–Field Level Media

Bruins Ex-STURM-inated

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli’s planted a pair of first-period goals which helped the visiting Lightning build a three-goal lead and hold off the Boston Bruins for a 4-3 victory on Monday afternoon.

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Pontus Holmberg had a goal and an assist, Yanni Gourde added a goal, and Jonas Johansson made 30 saves for the Lightning, who shook their first 0-2-0 start under coach Jon Cooper.

Tampa Bay’s Gage Goncalves and Jake Guentzel each had two assists.

The Lightning finished 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, with the last coming during Johansson’s 10-save third period.

Casey Mittelstadt, Jordan Harris and Morgan Geekie each scored a goal for the Bruins, who saw their three-game season-opening win streak come to an end. Boston’s Joonas Korpisalo stopped 19 shots.

The Lightning scored 1:09 into the game as Cirelli tipped home Guentzel’s shot from the right side. Guentzel picked off Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy at neutral ice and bumped the puck to Goncalves, who made the play with a cross-ice pass.

Cirelli made it 2-0 at 13:16 when he deposited Guentzel’s backhand from behind the goal over Korpisalo’s glove-side shoulder. Another turnover extended the Lightning’s zone time before the goal.

After Boston was held scoreless in the first period for the first time this season, Tampa Bay extended its lead to 3-0 on the opening shift of the second period. Holmberg drove to the net and spun to feed a wide-open Gourde for a tap-in at the 39-second mark.

Mittelstadt responded with Boston’s first goal just 30 seconds later, scoring a wrist shot from the high slot off a strong rush sequence.

Tampa Bay reestablished a three-goal lead at 3:37 of the second period when Holmberg banged in a loose puck in the crease after Max Crozier centered it from the side wall.

Harris scored his first as a Bruin at 5:31. After David Pastrnak chipped the puck off the defensive zone wall, Harris beat Johansson with a short-side wrister.

Pavel Zacha’s faceoff win led right to Geekie for a quick flick of the wrist from the left circle, bringing Boston back within 4-3 at 11:35.

With Boston skating 6-on-5 in the final minute, Pastrnak blocked Brandon Hagel’s shot at an empty net before Johansson’s key rebound stop on Geekie in the slot preserved the victory.

–Field Level Media

 

STURM-IN-ATORS

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Under new coach Marco Sturm, the Boston Bruins have continued a familiar trend. The Bruins have won their first three games this season, doing so for the fourth time in seven campaigns. They will look to continue their October pace when they close a three-game homestand against the Tampa Bay Lightning this afternoon.

Boston passed its first Atlantic Division test in a 3-1 victory Saturday over the Buffalo Sabres. Pavel Zacha, Mark Kastelic and Sean Kuraly each scored a goal and the Bruins received strong goaltending from Jeremy Swayman (21 saves), while going 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

“(We’re) paying attention to our system and having high attention to detail,” Swayman said. “There’s a reason why we’re getting results — because each guy is buying in and sticking to our system the coaches put together.”

Since the Morgan Geekie-Elias Lindholm-David Pastrnak top line did all of the scoring in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at the Washington Capitals, Boston has received top-to-bottom contributions.

Defenseman Jordan Harris provided a perfect example in his Bruins debut, subbing for Hampus Lindholm (lower body). The Massachusetts native played a strong game and chipped in immediately with the primary helper on Zacha’s first goal.

In net, Swayman has allowed just one goal in each of his two starts.

“(Saturday) was just a good example of how we want to play,” Sturm said. “It doesn’t always have to come from the big boys. I think everyone is chipping in and excited to get out there.”

The Bruins’ results have come in close games as well, closing two victories with empty-net goals and winning the other in overtime.

“It’s not easy to play tight games like that at this level,” Harris said. “Every team has players that can make plays. I think it’s really impressive how we stuck to our game.”

Following a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, the veteran-laden Lightning are 0-2-0 for just the third time ever and the first in Jon Cooper’s 13 full seasons as head coach.

Tampa Bay allowed three goals in a five-minute stretch during Saturday’s first period. Two nights earlier, the Ottawa Senators erased a pair of first-period deficits and handed the Lightning a 5-4 loss to begin the season.

“There were a lot of uncharacteristic plays left out there that guys that are normally used to making them weren’t making. So that’s part of the reset too,” Cooper said. “And then ultimately, you have to just go back to basic winning hockey habits. We did it for a while, clearly not enough.”

All three members of Tampa Bay’s top unit have contributed multiple points so far, including center Brayden Point with a team-high four and defenseman Darren Raddysh with two goals. But there is work to do.

The Lightning has been outshot by at least nine in both games, with former Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy off to a rough start (.855 save percentage).

“We just didn’t go from a good team to a bad team in two games,” Cooper said. “You lose two in a row in January, it’s one thing. When you lose two in the beginning, it’s a little eye opening. So, a lot of runway left here.”

Cooper’s team hopes hitting the road for all four games this week can provide a bit of a fresh start. The first of two back-to-backs in that span moves from Boston to Washington for a Tuesday tilt.

“It’s only two games, and we’re gonna go on the road, we’re gonna come out hard,” Lightning forward Yanni Gourde said. “That’s all we can control is the next game and the first shift of the next game, and we go from there.”

–Field Level Media

Drake Maye’s Big Day

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Drake Maye passed for 261 yards and three touchdowns as the visiting New England Patriots defeated the New Orleans Saints 25-19 on Sunday afternoon. Maye completed 18 of 26 passes as the Patriots (4-2) matched their win total from last season while improving to 3-0 on the road.

Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 26 for 227 yards and Blake Grupe kicked four field goals for the Saints (1-5).

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A high-scoring first half was followed by a second half featuring no touchdowns.

The Patriots received the second-half kickoff and drove to a 24-yard field goal by Andy Borregales that increased their lead to 25-16, which held up the rest of the way.

On the third play of the fourth quarter, Grupe kicked a 54-yard field goal to pull the Saints within 25-19.

New Orleans got the ball back and drove across midfield, but Juwan Johnson fumbled and Craig Woodson recovered for New England at its 49.

The Saints got the ball again after a punt, but wound up punting with 3:43 to go. Maye threw for two first downs as the Patriots ran out the clock.

On the first play of the game, Rattler connected with Chris Olave for a 53-yard completion that led to Grupe’s 34-yard field goal.

On the fourth play of the ensuing possession, Maye hit DeMario Douglas for a 53-yard touchdown that gave the Patriots a 7-3 lead. Grupe responded with a 48-yard field goal that pulled the Saints within one point with 5:09 left in the quarter.

Maye’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte gave New England a 14-6 lead at the end of the first.

Taysom Hill’s 1-yard touchdown run pulled New Orleans within one point. The Patriots crossed midfield on the next possession, but on fourth-and-7 an errant snap got past Maye and he fell on the ball at the New England 47.

That led to Grupe’s 38-yard field goal that gave the Saints a 16-14 lead with 1:51 left in the half.

Maye and Boutte teamed up once again on a 29-yard touchdown pass. After two penalties on New Orleans, Maye sneaked for a two-point conversion to give the Patriots a 22-16 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

NFL: It’s Brand New England vs. Orleans

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Game Preview: New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints

October 12, 2025 – Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Kickoff: 1:00 PM ET | Broadcast: FOX | Weather: Dome-controlled 

In the heart of the Big Easy, where jazz flows as freely as the Mississippi and the air is thick with the scent of beignets and anticipation, the New Orleans Saints are set to host the New England Patriots in what promises to be a Week 6 showdown blending old-school grit with Southern swagger. This isn’t just another Sunday afternoon gridiron battle—it’s a narrative of redemption, rising stars, and the relentless pursuit of playoff positioning in a tightly contested NFL season. With both teams hovering around .500 records early on (Patriots at 3-2, Saints at 2-3, based on our hypothetical standings through Week 5), this game could be the spark that ignites a midseason surge or the stumble that deepens the doubts.

The Patriots’ Tale: From Dynasty Echoes to a New Blueprint

Picture this: Bill Belichick’s shadow still looms large over Foxborough, but under the steady hand of head coach Jerod Mayo, the Patriots are scripting a new chapter. Gone are the days of Tom Brady’s precision-guided missiles, but in their place is a young quarterback phenom, Drake Maye, who’s been turning heads with his dual-threat prowess. Maye, the 2024 third overall pick, has already notched three 300-yard games this season, blending arm strength with elusive scrambles that evoke memories of a certain No. 12. But it’s not all on the kid—veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson anchors a ground game that’s pounded out over 150 rushing yards per contest, providing the balance Mayo craves.

Defensively, the Pats remain a force of nature. Christian Gonzalez and Kyle Dugger lead a secondary that’s allowed the fewest passing touchdowns in the AFC East, while edge rusher Matthew Judon continues to terrorize quarterbacks like a ghost from Patriot lore. The storyline here? Resilience. After a rocky rebuild post-Brady, New England is hungry to prove they’re back in contender conversations. A road win in the raucous Superdome could silence the skeptics and build momentum heading into a brutal divisional stretch.

Key Patriot to Watch: WR Kendrick Bourne. Fresh off a contract extension, Bourne’s route-running wizardry could exploit the Saints’ injury-riddled secondary, potentially turning short slants into explosive plays.

The Saints’ Saga: Bayou Bounce-Back and Home-Field Magic

Flip the script to the Crescent City, where the Saints are channeling that signature NOLA resilience after a sluggish start. Head coach Dennis Allen, under the microscope after last season’s playoff miss, has his squad leaning into their identity: a high-octane offense fueled by Derek Carr’s veteran poise and a defense that’s as opportunistic as a Mardi Gras pickpocket. Carr, who’s thrown for 1,200 yards and 10 TDs through five games, has found chemistry with wideout Chris Olave, who’s emerging as a true WR1 with his acrobatic catches and yards-after-contact flair. Add in Alvin Kamara, the ageless wonder at running back, who’s still dodging defenders like he’s auditioning for a highlight reel—expect him to feast on New England’s occasionally vulnerable run defense.

On the flip side, the Saints’ defense, led by Tyrann Mathieu’s ball-hawking instincts and Cameron Jordan’s relentless pass rush, has forced turnovers in every game this season. They’re particularly lethal at home, where the Superdome’s deafening roar has turned many a visiting team into a shell of itself. The narrative thread? Revival. With a new offensive coordinator injecting creativity (think more RPO plays and trickery), New Orleans is poised to turn their early-season woes into a symphony of success. A victory today could propel them back into NFC South contention, especially with the Falcons and Bucs breathing down their necks.

Key Saint to Watch: DE Carl Granderson. Underrated but explosive, Granderson’s speed off the edge could pressure Maye into mistakes, tilting the game toward the black and gold.

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Matchup Breakdown: Where the Magic Happens

This isn’t a clash of titans—it’s a chess match. The Patriots’ disciplined, bend-but-don’t-break defense will test the Saints’ explosive playmakers, while New England’s evolving offense faces a Saints secondary that’s allowed big plays but thrives on creating chaos. Expect a low-scoring first half as both teams feel each other out, but watch for fireworks in the third quarter when fatigue sets in and big plays emerge.

  • Offensive Edge: Slight nod to the Saints at home, where Carr’s experience could outshine Maye’s youth in crunch time.
  • Defensive Battle: Patriots might control the line of scrimmage, but the Saints’ turnover machine could swing the momentum.
  • X-Factor: Special teams. New Orleans’ Blake Grupe has been money from deep, while Pats returner Marcus Jones is a threat to house any punt.
  • Prediction: In a game that feels like a jazz improv session—unpredictable and full of flair—the Saints edge it out 27-24 on a late field goal, riding the home crowd’s energy to victory. But don’t count out the Pats; if Maye channels his inner legend, this could be the upset that defines their season.Whether you’re a die-hard Pats fan bundled up in the Northeast or a Who Dat loyalist savoring some gumbo pre-game, this matchup is pure NFL theater. Tune in, grab your snacks, and let the drama unfold. What’s your take—Patriots pull off the road warrior win, or do the Saints keep the party going in NOLA? If you want stats deep dives, player props, or fantasy advice, just ask!

Bruins surge past Sabres, 3-1

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -In a Saturday night showdown at TD Garden, the Boston Bruins outpaced the Buffalo Sabres with a dramatic third period and a decisive final stretch, climbing to a season-record of (3-0) that underscores their basic depth and resilience, supported by good goalkeeping.

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Mark Kastelic led the Bruins with the game-winning goal and an assist. Boston never trailed, taking a 2-0 lead on Kastelic’s second-period tally while Pavel Zacha and Sean Kuraly bookended the home team’s scoring. Boston G Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves in the victory, with 13 coming in the second period.
Jason Zucker netted the lone goal and Alex Lyon stopped 28 shots for Buffalo, which has dropped its first two games of the season.
Boston finished with a 31-22 shots on goal advantage, including a dominant 17-2 in the first period.
Boston’s start included a 6-1 edge in shots even before earning its first of two power plays halfway through the first. Zacha opened the scoring with 4:12 left, sending a one-timer from the left circle through a screen after taking a feed from Massachusetts native Jordan Harris in the corner.
Lyon continued to play well and keep the Sabres in the game in the second. A few minutes after Swayman denied Peyton Krebs from close range, the Buffalo netminder made one of his best stops 8:52 into the period when he robbed Elias Lindholm with a glove save at the doorstep.
The Bruins doubled their lead less than two minutes later at the 10:21 mark. Kastelic got credit for scoring a shot from above the right wing circle that changed directions multiple times before beating Lyon five-hole.
Zucker ended Swayman’s shutout bid with 10:14 left in regulation. Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke’s breakout pass was intercepted at neutral ice, and after a Mattias Samuelsson feed, Zucker skated to the top of the left circle and fired a shot that went in off a body in front.
In the third period, Bruins killed off a Charlie McAvoy tripping penalty with 9:53 left and survived a long extra-attacker flurry before Kuraly’s empty-net goal with 2.2 seconds left.
–Field Level Media