Friday, July 3, 2026
Wager-Tracker: All Sports Betting Log
Home Blog Page 3134

NHL Preview: Philadelphia Flyers (29-36-13) at New York Islanders (40-30-9)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Philadelphia Flyers (29-36-13) at New York Islanders (40-30-9)

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders
UBS Arena
TV: NBCSP | Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

CURRENT INJURIES
PLAYER INJURY DATES GAMES MISSED
Cam Atkinson IR-upper body 9/25-present 78
Sean Couturier IR-back 9/19-present 78
Ryan Ellis LTIR-groin/hip/back 10/11-present 78
2022-23 TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 404

FLYERS VS. ISLANDERS HEAD-TO-HEAD
FLYERS ISLANDERS
144-100-44 ALL-TIME RECORD 118-135-35
83-37-22 HOME 70-56-20
61-63-22 ROAD 48-79-15
2-3-0 LAST 5 MEETINGS 3-2-0
2-4-4 LAST 10 MEETINGS 8-2-0
931 GOALS SCORED 872
23.9% POWER PLAY 21.4%
78.6% PENALTY KILL 76.1%
van Riemsdyk: 35 pts (12-23=35) in 50 GP
Hayes: 19 pts (12-7=19) in 36 GP
Two players tied at 16 pts

TEAM SCORING LEADERS Parise: 47 pts (25-22=47) in 55 GP
Bailey: 38 pts (12-26=38) in 67 GP
Palmieri: 23 pts (13-10=23) in 29 GP
Hart: 4-4-3, 2.90 GAA, .895 SV% in 11 GP
Sandstrom: 0-1-0, 5.01 GAA, .783 SV% in 1 GP
TEAM GOALTENDERS Varlamov: 10-3-2, 2.66 GAA, .918 SV% in 16 GP
Sorokin: 7-2-1, 1.76 GAA, .938 SV%, 1 SO in 10 GP

2022-23 SEASON SERIES (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
November 26 UBS Arena NYI (5), PHI (2)
November 29 Wells Fargo Center PHI (3), NYI (1)
February 6 Wells Fargo Center NYI (2), PHI (1)
April 8 UBS Arena 7:30 p.m.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
4/7 – Loaned D Ronnie Attard to Lehigh Valley (AHL)
4/5 – Loaned G Samuel Ersson to Lehigh Valley (AHL)
4/3 – Recalled D Ronnie Attard from Lehigh Valley (AHL)

TEAM NOTES
QUICK STATS

  • Philadelphia is 5-4-2 in their last 11 games, including a season-high seven-game point streak (5-0-2) from March 17-30.
  • The Flyers notched two season-high four-game win streaks: March 21-28 & Dec. 29-Jan. 5.
  • Philadelphia has six players with 40-plus points this season, the first campaign of five-plus players with 40-plus points since 2019-20 (6).
  • The Flyers rank third in the NHL with 1,343 blocked shots and fourth with 2,137 hits.
  • Philadelphia has reached 2,000-plus hits in a season for the sixth time in franchise history and for the first since 2016-17. The 2,137 hits this season are the fourth-most in franchise history – the franchise record is 2,511 hits set in 2014-15.
  • The Flyers tallied 40 hits Feb. 11 vs. NSH for their sixth game of 40-plus hits this season. The six games of 40-plus hits are the most in a single season since recording 13 games during the 2014-15 season.
  • Philadelphia recorded a franchise-best 59 hits Nov. 12 vs. OTT. The 59 hits are tied for the ninth-most in a regular season game in NHL history.
  • The Flyers have set a franchise record in blocked shots this season, surpassing their 1,317 set during the 2010-11 campaign.
  • Philadelphia registered 30 blocked shots Feb. 12 at CGY for its fifth game of the season with 30-plus blocked shots

– the most 30-plus blocked shot games in a Flyers season since 2005-06. The Flyers tallied a season-high 32 blocked shots Oct. 27 vs. FLA.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
4/7 – Loaned D Ronnie Attard to Lehigh Valley (AHL)
4/5 – Loaned G Samuel Ersson to Lehigh Valley (AHL)
4/3 – Recalled D Ronnie Attard from Lehigh Valley (AHL)

BACK-TO-BACKS

  • Saturday’s and Sunday’s games mark the Flyers’ 15th and final back-to-back set this season.
  • This set marks the final road-to-home back-to-backs this season:
  1. Oct. 22 at NSH (3-1 W); Oct. 23 vs. SJ (3-0 L)
  2. Jan. 16 at BOS (6-0 L); Jan. 17 vs. ANA (5-2 W)
  3. Jan. 21 at DET (2-1 W); Jan. 22 vs. WPG (5-3 L)
  4. April 8 at NYI; April 9 vs. BOS
  • The Flyers are 5-7-2 in the first game of a back-to-back this season and 2-11-1 in the second.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
DATE NYI RESULT SCORE NYI SCORERS IN GOAL
April 6, 2023 Win NYI 6 vs. TBL 1 Pelech, Nelson,
Palmieri, Pulock,
Holmstrom, Horvat
Sorokin (30/31)

Kyle Palmieri opened the score, Brock Nelson recorded three points, and Bo Horvat and Ryan Pulock each tallied a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 6-1, Thursday night at UBS Arena. 12 Islanders found the scoresheet, including Adam Pelech, who recorded a goal and a team-high plus-three rating, as the Islanders improved to 7-3-0 in their last ten home games and snapped a six-game winless streak against Tampa Bay.

INJURIES GAMES MISSED

3 Adam Pelech Dec. 9 – Jan. 21

8 Noah Dobson Jan. 23 – Jan. 28

10 Simon Holmstrom Dec. 23 – Jan. 6

12 Josh Bailey Nov. 29, Feb. 18 – Feb. 24

13 Mathew Barzal Jan. 6, Feb. 20 –

15 Cal Clutterbuck Oct. 13, Nov. 8, Dec. 2- Dec. 6, Dec. 17 – Jan. 3, Jan. 21 – Mar. 9

20 Hudson Fasching Jan. 19 – Jan. 28

21 Kyle Palmieri Nov. 23 – Dec. 13, Dec. 17 – Jan. 21

25 Sebastian Aho Oct. 13 – Oct. 20, Mar. 21 – Apr. 1

26 Oliver Wahlstrom Oct. 13, Dec. 29 –

28 Alexander Romanov Apr. 2 –

36 Otto Koivula Mar. 11 – Mar. 15

40 Semyon Varlamov Dec. 19 – Jan. 1

44 Jean-Gabriel Pageau Feb. 14 – Mar. 11

Man Games Lost: 203

RECENT RESULTS
Thursday, April 6 vs. Tampa Bay W, 6-1
Sunday, April 2 at Carolina L, 2-1
Saturday, April 1 at Tampa Bay L, 5-0
Wednesday, Mar. 29 at Washington W/SO (2-1)
Monday, Mar. 27 vs. New Jersey W (5-1)
Saturday, Mar. 25 vs. Buffalo L (2-0)

VS. PHILADELPHIA:
Last five meetings (3-2-0)
Feb. 6, 2023 Wells Fargo Center W, 2-1
Nov. 29, 2022 Wells Fargo Center L, 3-1
Nov. 26, 2022 UBS Arena W, 5-2
Mar. 20, 2022 Wells Fargo Center L, 2-1
Jan. 25, 2022 UBS Arena W, 4-3

2022-23 2-1-0
Franchise History 118-135-26-9
NYI Home 70-56-15-5
NYI Away 48-78-11-4

SEASON SERIES
DATE LOCATION RESULT/TIME
Nov. 26, 2022 UBS Arena W, 5-2
Nov. 29, 2022 Wells Fargo Center L, 3-1
Feb. 6, 2023 Wells Fargo Center W, 2-1
Apr. 8, 2023 UBS Arena 7:30pm

TEAM NOTES
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Tonight, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers in the fourth and final matchup between the two clubs this season, and the Islanders’ penultimate home game of the 2022-23 regular season slate. The last time these teams met was February 6, when Kyle Palmieri scored in a 2-1 Islander win at Wells Fargo Center. Tonight’s game is the second time this season that the Islanders have hosted the Flyers, including a 5-2 victory on November 26, 2022. The Islanders are 8-1-0 in their last nine home-ice contests against the Flyers. The Islanders improved to 7-3-0 in their last ten games at UBS Arena with a 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. 12 Islanders found the scoresheet and 17 of 18 Islander skaters registered a plus-one rating or higher as the Islanders snapped a six-game winless streak against the Lightning. It was the second time in their last eight games that the Islanders won by a five-goal margin and the third time this season. It was also the fifth time this season that the Islanders scored four goals in a single period, their season-high. They outshot the Lightning 42-31 in the win.

NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (45-28-6) at Ottawa Senators (37-35-7)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (45-28-6) at Ottawa Senators (37-35-7)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING NOTES:

LAST GAME
Lightning 1 at NY Islanders 6
The Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a second-consecutive contest with a 6-1 loss to the New York Islanders April 6 at UBS Arena…Tampa Bay fell to 45-28-6 on the season with a road record of 18-21-1…The Bolts finished the season series vs. NYI with a 2-1-1 record…After a scoreless first period, NYI rattled off three straight goals in the second period from Adam Pelech (3:46), Brock Nelson (9:54) and Kyle Palmieri (10:43)…Nikita Kucherov got the Lightning on the board at the 16:47 mark of the second after Brayden Point forced a NYI turnover and fed Kucherov, who took the puck in the slot and beat Ilya Sorokin glove side to make it a 3-1 game…Ryan Pulock answered for NYI just 2:53 later and increased the lead to 4-1…Simon Holmstrom (15:14) and Bo Horvat (19:40) scored the only goals of the
third period to conclude the 6-1 win for NYI…Brian Elliott got the start in foal for Tampa Bay and made 36 saves on 42 shots against…Steven Stamkos skated in his 1,000th career game, making him the second player in Lightning franchise history to skate in 1,000 games with the club (also: Vincent Lecavalier, 1,037 GP).
PP: TBL – 0-1 NYI – 0-2
SOG: TBL – 31 NYI – 42
Attendance: 17,255
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Lightning and Senators are playing the third of three matchups this season and the second of two meetings at
Canadian Tire Centre…The Bolts are 1-1-0 vs. OTT this season following a 4-3 win Nov. 1 at AMALIE Arena and a 7-2
loss March 23 at Canadian Tire Centre…Nikita Kucherov leads Tampa Bay in points vs. OTT this season (1-4—5),
while Brayden Point (2-1—3) and Mikhail Sergachev (2-1—3) are tied for the team lead in goals…Kucherov is
riding a five-game point streak vs. OTT (3-6—9) and has found the scoresheet in seven of the last eight meetings (4-
10—14)…Kucherov has picked up 11 points over his last 10 games at OTT (1-10—11)…Point has picked up points in
six consecutive contests vs. OTT (5-8—13) with goals in five of those six games…Point has found the scoresheet in
eight of his 10 career games at OTT (6-6—12)…Steven Stamkos is riding a four-game point streak vs. OTT (1-5—6)
and has found the scoresheet in seven of the last 10 meetings (3-7—10)…Victor Hedman has pointed in 10 of his
last 15 games at OTT (6-8—14)…Sergachev has picked up points in four of his last five games at OTT (2-3—
5)…Andrei Vasilevskiy has won six straight games vs. OTT with a .924 save percentage and 1.98 goals against
average…The Lightning have scored four or more goals in five of the last eight contests vs. OTT (total: 27 goals)…The
Bolts are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games at OTT and 7-3-0 in the last 10 meetings overall…Tampa Bay is 49-52-8 with
two ties all-time vs. OTT, including a road record of 21-29-5…Martin St. Louis (15-28—43) holds the Lightning
franchise record for career points vs. OTT.
TBL ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS VS. OTT

  1. Martin St. Louis – 43 pts. (15-28—43, 48 GP)
  2. Steven Stamkos – 42 pts. (18-24—42, 47 GP)
    T3. Nikita Kucherov – 38 pts. (12-26—38, 30 GP)
    T3. Vincent Lecavalier – 38 pts. (19-19—38, 50 GP)
  3. Victor Hedman – 33 pts. (12-21—33, 43 GP)

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay is playing the third and final game of a three-game road trip tonight, the team’s final road game of the regular season…The Bolts will play three of their six games in April on the road…The Lightning are 18-21-1 on the road and will finish this season with a sub-.500 road record for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign…Tampa Bay is 11-11-1 against Atlantic Division opponents and 24-20-3 against the Eastern Conference this season…The Bolts have given up 12 goals over the past two contests.

INJURIES
2022-23 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 106
Current Injuries:
Anthony Cirelli (Lower-body injury; Day-to-day) 1 Game
Brandon Hagel (Lower-body injury; Day-to-day) 1 Game

OTTAWA SENATORS NOTES:

LAST GAME: April 6, 7-2 loss at Florida: Lyon made 56 saves as the Senators put a season-high 58 shots-on-goal in a 7-2 defeat at FLA Live Arena. The save total marked the second highest in Panthers franchise history. Montour paced the home side with four points (one goal, three assists) to match the team mark for points in a game by a defenceman. Barkov had the game’s lone multi-goal effort while adding one assist for a three-point evening as Forsling (one goal, one assist), Ekblad (two assists), Tkachuk (two assists) and Reinhart (one goal, one assist) also provided multi-point efforts. Cousins and Verhaeghe rounded out the scoring for Florida in a game which saw 166 total penalty minutes as each team established the two highest single game totals this season (Ottawa, 88; Florida, 78). Giroux and Greig replied for the Senators. Meriläinen took the loss for Ottawa in making nine saves in 21:24 of action before being replaced by Sogaard who stopped 14 shots in relief. Scratches: Gambrell, Gauthier, Talbot; Injuries: Brassard, Chabot, Chychrun, Forsberg, Hamonic, Joseph, Kelly, Norris; Shots: OTT – 58, FLA – 30; PP: OTT – 0-6, FLA – 3-6.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: This evening’s game against Tampa Bay will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet 360 and RDS2. On the radio, the game will be available locally via TSN 1200 (English) and 94,5 Unique-FM (French).

WHAT’S NEXT: Ottawa concludes a two-game homestand against Carolina on Monday evening at 7 p.m. The contest will mark the third of three regular-season meetings and the lone matchup at Canadian Tire Centre.

INJURY REPORT: G Forsberg and C Norris are on IR and will not oppose the Lightning this evening. F Kelly has missed the last 13 games with a lower-body injury. D Chychrun has missed the last seven games with a lower body injury. D Chabot has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury. F Brassard and D Hamonic have missed the last four games with lower-body injuries. Total man-games lost: 305.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS: Re-assigned F Greig and G Meriläinen to Belleville (AHL) on April 7.
OTTAWA vs. TAMPA BAY – History:
2022-23 (1-1-0): Nov. 1 @ Tampa Bay (4-3 loss), March 23 @ Ottawa (7-2 win), April 8 @ Ottawa
2021-22 (1-3-0): 11/6/21 @ Ottawa (5-3 loss), 12/11/21 @ Ottawa (4-0 win), 12/16/21 @ Tampa Bay (2-1 loss), 3/1/22 @ Tampa Bay (5-2 loss)

Series record: Overall: 60-41-2-8; Home: 34-19-0-2; Away: 26-22-2-6
Last Ottawa win: @ Ottawa: March 23 (7-2); @ Tampa Bay: 11/10/18 (6-4)
Last Tampa Bay win: @ Ottawa: 11/6/21 (5-3); @ Tampa Bay: Nov. 1 (4-3)
Last OT result: 12/17/19 (4-3 OT loss) @ Tampa Bay
Last shootout: 12/21/17 (4-3 SO loss) @ Tampa Bay
Most goals, game: Scored: 9, (3/8/99, 9-3 win); Allowed: 6, (4x, Last: 1/25/13, 6-4 loss); Both teams: 12, (2x, Last: 1/24/08, 8-4 win)
Last Game: March 23, 7-2 win @ Ottawa; OTT Goals: DeBrincat (x2), Tkachuk (x2), Brassard, Brannstrom, Watson; TBL Goals:
Point, Sergachev; OTT Scratches: Gauthier, Holden; OTT Injuries: Forsberg, Joseph, Kelly, Norris, Talbot; OTT Goalie: Sogaard; TBL Goalie: Elliott; OTT PP: 2-3; TBL PP: 1-4; Shots: 35-29.
Career vs. Tampa Bay: Giroux leads all players in career games played (42), in assists (35), in points (44) and is tied with DeBrincat in
goals (nine); Hamonic leads in penalty minutes (29) against Tampa Bay.

HOME ON THE RANGE: Ottawa has a record of 22-14-3 at home this season … Tim Stützle is the Senators leader with 24 goals at home while also maintaining the club lead with 30 assists at Canadian Tire Centre … Through 39 home games, Stützle leads the team with 54 points on home ice … The Senators earned a record of 15-22-4 at home through 41 home contests in 2021-22.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES: Ottawa played back-to-back games on 12 occasions in 2022-23 and closed its final set with a 4-3 overtime loss at Columbus on April 2 … The Senators played 17 back-to-back sets last season and earned a record of 6-9-2 in the first half of contests on consecutive nights (7-5-0 this season) while posting an 8-8-1 record (6-5-1 this season) in the second half of games on consecutive days.

ON THE POWER PLAY: The Senators are 70 for 293 (23.9%) on the power-play in 2022-23 … Drake Batherson leads with 14 power play goals while Alex DeBrincat and Tkachuk maintain the club lead with 29 points while the team enjoys a man advantage … Ottawa has recorded multiple power-play goals 18 times in an individual contest in 2022-23 after having done so 11 times in 2021-22.

ON THE PENALTY KILL: Ottawa has overcome 228 of the 282 occasions the team has been shorthanded in 2022-23 to maintain an efficiency of 80.9% through 79 regular-season games … The team has registered nine (Stützle x3, Watson x3, Joseph x2, Motte) shorthanded markers this season after recording nine such goals in 2021-22.

NHL Preview: New York Rangers (46-21-12) at Columbus Blue Jackets (24-46-8)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: New York Rangers (46-21-12) at Columbus Blue Jackets (24-46-8)

NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
St. Louis Blues 3, New York Rangers 2 – OVERTIME – April 6, 2023 – Enterprise Center
NYR Goals: V. Tarasenko (18), V. Trocheck (21)
STL Goals: A. Toropchenko (10), T. Pitlick (7), K. Kapanen (15 – OTW)
NYR Goalie: J. Halak (OTL – 19/22)
STL Goalie: J. Binnington (W – 22/24)
NYR Shots: 24
STL Shots: 22
NYR PP: 2/2
NYR PK: 1/1
RECAP/NOTES: In the second half of their final back-to-back of the season, the Rangers rallied to send the game to overtime but fell to the Blues on Thursday night. Vladimir Tarasenko made his return to St. Louis and recorded two points (1G-1A). Jimmy Vesey played in his 500th career NHL game.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

  • The New York Rangers play their final road game of the regular season when they make the trip to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network – Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Blueshirts have three more games left in the regular season (two at home, one on road).
  • The Blueshirts have clinched a spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 62nd time in team history they have made the postseason. New York’s 14 playoff appearances since the 2005-06 season are tied for the second most in the NHL.
  • The Rangers have reached the 100-point plateau for a second consecutive year and 12th time in team history. New York’s six 100-point seasons since 2011-12 are the third most in the NHL behind Boston and Pittsburgh (7). Gerard Gallant is the first coach in franchise history to record 100-point seasons in his first two seasons.
  • The Blueshirts’ 104 points are the eighth most in franchise history while their 46 wins are tied for the 10th most.
  • New York has points in 14 of its last 16 games (11-2-3) and wins in nine of its last 13 contests.
  • Since December 5, New York is 35-11-7 for 77 points. In the NHL in that span, the Rangers rank second in points, points
    percentage (.726), third in wins, second in goals per game (3.57), and second in power play percentage (25.8).
  • Since the All-Star Break, the Blueshirts are 19-7-4, their record since the All-Star break currently ranks as the second-best in team history behind 2014-15 (26-9-3).
  • New York’s plus-54 goal differential ranks fifth in the NHL while its plus-28 differential in the third period ranks fourth in the NHL.
    The Blueshirts have earned at least one point in nine of their last 13 games against Columbus (7-4-2). New York has wins in five of its last eight contests at Nationwide Arena.
  • Mika Zibanejad has 20 power play goals on the year. The Rangers are the first team since the 1992-93 & 1993-94 Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins to have a different player score 20+ power play goals in back-to-back seasons as Chris Kreider had 26 last year.
  • Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin are the third pair of teammates in Rangers history to simultaneously post consecutive 80-point campaigns following Rod Gilbert and Steve Vickers (1974-75 – 1975-76) as well as Gilbert and Jean Ratelle (1971-72 – 1972-73).
  • With a 2.67 mark, the Rangers have allowed the fifth fewest goals against per game in the NHL.
  • The Blueshirts have 21 comeback victories this season, tied for the fourth most in the NHL. New York is 15-2-5 when tied after two periods – their 15 wins are the most in the NHL.
  • When scoring four or more goals, New York is 32-0-0 and the only team in the NHL to have a perfect such record.
  • For the fourth time (2022-23, 2015-16, 2010-11 and 2006-07) in the past 20 years, the Rangers have five different 20-plus goal scorers (Panarin, Zibanejad, Chytil, Trocheck, Kreider).
  • The Rangers defensemen group has compiled 190 points, the fourth most in the NHL.
  • Twenty-two games have been decided in a OT/SO, tied for the most in the NHL.

ALL-TIME RECORD 24-18-1-3 (52 PTS)
2022-23 2-1-0
2021-22 2-1-0
NYR HOME 10-7-1-3 (24 PTS)
NYR AWAY 14-11-0-0 (28 PTS)

ALL-TIME RECORD 24-18-1-3 (52 PTS)
2022-23 2-1-0
2021-22 2-1-0
LEADING SCORER(S) – CURRENT RANGERS IN CAREER G: Kane (25) – A: Kane (52) – Pts: Kane (77)
LEADING SCORER(S) – ALL-TIME IN GAMES W/NYR G: Kreider (15) – A: Stepan (21) – Pts: Kreider (22)

2022-23 SEASON SERIES
October 23 at MSG L, 5-1
January 16 at Columbus W, 3-1
March 28 at MSG W, 6-2
April 8 at Columbus 7:00 PM ET

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS NOTES:

Apr. 8, 2023 Game No. 79 (24-46-8, 56 pts.)
vs. New York Rangers (46-21-12, 104 pts.), Nationwide Arena Home Game No. 39 (15-21-2, 32 pts.)
The Blue Jackets Press Box website, which includes game notes, stats, releases and video/audio clips as well as the 2022-23 Media
Guide can be accessed at bluejackets.com/pressbox. Follow @BlueJacketsPR on Twitter for comprehensive information and
updates on the team.

THE LAST GAME: APR. 6, 2023 – CBJ 1 at NJD 8
CBJ Goal Scorers: Luoto (1)
NJD Goal Scorers: Hughes (41), Tatar (18), PP – Hughes (42), PP – Meier (39), Haula (12), Meier (40), SHG – Severson (7), Graves (8)
Goalies: CBJ – Hutchinson (19/24; 42:07), Gillies (9/12; 17:53); NJD – Vanecek (16/17; 60:00)
CBJ PP: 0/5; PK: 1/3 | Shots: CBJ: 17 / NJD: 36
3 Stars: 1. Hughes, NJD; 2. Meier, NJD; 3. Marino, NJD
Noteworthy: CBJ fell for 2nd-straight game… NJD swept season series 3-0-0… NJD scored the eventual GWG 1:20 into the 2nd period with CBJ scoring their lone goal 11:33 into the 2nd period to trail 3-1… NJD scored 5 unanswered goals in win… Luoto scored his 1st career NHL goal… Robinson tallied his 12th assist of the season to extend his points streak to 3 consecutive contests (2-1-3)… Kuraly registered his 8th assist of the campaign.

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
Danforth (torn labrum); Placed on Injured Reserve (Oct. 25); approximately 6 months (72 games)
Werenski (torn labrum); Placed on Injured Reserve (retro to Nov. 10); rest of regular season (65 games)
Bean (shoulder); Placed on IR (retro to Nov. 15); out indefinitely (63 games)
Laine (triceps strain); approximately two-four weeks (8 games)
Gudbranson (separated shoulder); approximately six weeks (7 games)
Olivier (lower leg bone bruise); approximately two-four weeks (7 games)
Blankenburg (ankle); week-to-week (6 games)
Merzlikins (lower body); day-to-day (6 games)
Pederson (upper body); day-to-day (4 games)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 521

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Apr. 7 Assigned Bjork, Dunne, Luoto and Sweezey to Cleveland (AHL)
Apr. 5 Added Gillies to roster on emergency recall from Cleveland (AHL), assigned Christiansen and Greaves to Cleveland (AHL)
Apr. 4 Signed Chinakhov to one-year contract extension for 2023-24 NHL season
Apr. 3 Added Greaves to roster on emergency recall from Cleveland (AHL), assigned Gillies and Richards to Cleveland (AHL)
Apr. 1 Added Bjork, Luoto and Richards to the roster on emergency recall from Cleveland (AHL) and assigned Fix-Wolansky to Cleveland (AHL)

TONIGHT’S GAME BROADCAST INFO
7pm ET | Bally Sports Ohio | 97.1 The Fan

AGAINST THE RANGERS
2022-23 Series: 1-2-0 (0-1-0 vs. NYR)
2021-22 Series: 1-2-0 (1-1-0 vs. NYR)
All-Time Series: 21-20-1-4 (11-13-0-1 vs. NYR)
Last 10 (Overall | Home): 4-6-0 | 4-5-1
All-Time GF/GA: 139/139
All-Time SF/SA: 1,440/1,442
All-Time PP: 20-of-146
All-Time PK: 115-of-139

THE LAST GAME: MAR. 29, 2023 – CBJ 2 at NYR 6
CBJ Goal Scorers: PP – Marchenko (20), Gaudreau (19)
NYR Goal Scorers: Chytil (22), Tarasenko (16), Kane (21), PP – Panarin (25), Zibanejad (38), EN – Trocheck (20)
Goalies: CBJ – Hutchinson (30/35; 59:03); NYR – Shesterkin (28/30; 60:00)
CBJ PP: 1/4; PK: 1/2 | Shots: CBJ: 30 / NYR: 36
3 Stars: 1. Shesterkin, NYR; 2. Panarin, NYR; 3. Zibanejad, NYR
Noteworthy: NYR scored 1st 3 goals of the game, but CBJ followed up with 2 goals to make it 3-2 heading into the 2nd period… NYR scored 3 unanswered goals to win 6-2 (1 in 2nd and 2 in 3rd)… Gaudreau notched his team-leading 19th multi-point effort of the season with 1-1-2… Marchenko scored his 20th goal of the campaign, tying the club record for most goals in a single-season by a rookie (Dubois, 2017-28)… Roslovic tallied his 33rd assist of the season to extend his points streak to 4-straight games (2-4-6)… Jenner registered his 19th assist of the campaign to give him 6-2-8 in his past 9 outings.

SEASON SERIES LEFT: Series is complete.

NOTED (Team Highlights vs. NYR)
CBJ have picked up points in 11 of the last 18 games in the all-time series since 2/26/17 (10-7-1)…Winning team has scored 4+ goals in 5 of the last 6 meetings… CBJ have recorded 3 of the 4 shutouts in the all-time series but NYR recorded the most recent one by Shesterkin on 10/29/21 (4-0 W at NYR)… NYR own 2 of the 3 hat tricks and penalty shots in the all-time series… Most goals scored vs. NYR: 7 (1/31/19)… Most goals allowed vs. NYR: 5 – 3x (MR:11/13/21).

NOTED (Player Highlights vs. NYR)
Gaudreau notched his 300th career point (2nd goal) on 10/21/18 at NYR… Gudbranson notched his 1st career assist on 12/11/11 at NYR and skated in his 500th career game on 12/22/19 at NYR… Jenner skated in his 100th career game on 4/6/15 at NYR and his 200th career game on 11/18/16 vs. NYR… Laine notched his 4th career hat trick on 3/6/18 at NYR (Lundqvist)… Peeke made his NHL debut on 12/5/19 vs. NYR.

PLAYER NOTABLES vs. NYR
• Gaudreau – 9-8-17 in 16 career GP, including points in six of his last eight games – with four multi-point efforts (7-4-10) – after collecting 1-1-2 in the most recent meeting on 3/28/23

• Foudy – 0-2-2 in 3 career GP, including notching his 1st career multi-assist game in the 1st game of season series on 10/23/22

• Kuraly – 4-2-6 in 22 career GP, including points 2-1-3 in his last four contests against the team

• Roslovic – 1-4-5 in 12 career GP, including assists in each of his last three games against the club (0-4-4)

NHL Preview: Anaheim Ducks (23-45-10) at Arizona Coyotes (27-39-13)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Anaheim Ducks (23-45-10) at Arizona Coyotes (27-39-13)

ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES:

LAST ANAHEIM DUCKS GAME
APRIL 5, 2023 – ANAHEIM 1 vs. EDMONTON 3
The Ducks concluded their four-game season series with the Edmonton Oilers with a 3-1 loss at Honda Center Wednesday night. Troy Terry returned from a four-game absence and scored the Ducks lone goal of the night at 4:56 of the third period. His 22nd goal marked points in three straight games (2-2=4) and in eight of his last 10 (5-5=10). Adam Henrique earned his 15th assist in his first game after missing 19 games due to an MCL sprain. Simon Benoit tallied his seventh assist of the season, extending his career-high in points (3-7=10) and assists. Lukas Dostal stopped 30-of-32 shots in his second straight start and 17th of the season. Dallas Eakins served as head coach for his 400th career NHL game.
PP: 0-1 PK: 1-1 SF: 28 SA: 33 TOI: Cam Fowler (26:13)
Three Stars: 1. K. Kostin (EDM) 2. T. Terry (ANA) 3. J. Campbell (EDM)

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (PT) TV / AUDIO
Apr. 8 Arizona Mullet Arena 2:30 p.m. BSW / Ducks Stream
Apr. 9 Colorado Honda Center 5:30 p.m. TNT / Ducks Stream
Apr. 11 Vancouver Honda Center 7 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Apr. 13 Los Angeles Honda Center 7 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Mar. 30 Assigned G Calle Clang from Rogle (SHL) to San Diego (AHL).
Mar. 31 Acquired reserve rights to RW Judd Caulfield from Pittsburgh for reserve rights to D Thimo Nickl.
Apr. 2 Signed RW Judd Caulfield to a two-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2023-24 season.
Apr. 4 Reassigned D Andrej Sustr to San Diego (AHL).
Apr. 5 Recalled G Olle Eriksson Ek from San Diego (AHL). Activated C Adam Henrique from Injured Reserve.
Apr. 6 Reassigned G Olle Eriksson Ek to San Diego (AHL).
Apr. 7 Recalled G Olle Eriksson Ek from San Diego (AHL).

ANAHEIM DUCKS INJURIES
Man-Games Lost: 403

PLAYER INJURY/ILLNESS EXPECTED ABSENCE GAMES MISSED
John Moore Upper-body Indefinite 78
Jamie Drysdale Torn labrum (shoulder) 4-6 months 70
Urho Vaakanainen Hip surgery 5-6 months 28
Anthony Stolarz Knee surgery Week-to-week 26
John Gibson Illness Day-to-day 1

ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES
TODAY’S GAME: The Anaheim Ducks conclude their 2022-23 road schedule today against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena (2:30 p.m. PT, TV: Bally Sports West, AUDIO: Ducks Stream). Today marks the Ducks’ final of 10 matinee contests this season (three home, seven road), where the club is 1-6-2 to date. Today also opens the final of 11 back-to-back matchups for the Ducks, posting a 2-13-5 record overall, earning points in five of the 10 first-half matchups (1-5-4). Anaheim continues its seven-game April schedule, the final contests remaining on the 2022-23 schedule, with three home contests and one road contest on the calendar. Milestones within reach tonight include Trevor Zegras one goal from matching his career high of 23 set last season, and one point shy of his 61 last season, Cam Fowler one goal to tying his career high in goals set in 2016-17 (11), and Frank Vatrano one point shy of setting a new career-high in points set in 2018-19 with Florida (24-15=39). Following today’s game, the Ducks will conclude the 2022-23 season with a three-game homestand beginning tomorrow, Sunday, Apr. 9 vs. the Colorado Avalanche at Honda Center (5:30 p.m. PT, TNT).

DUCKS-COYOTES: Anaheim and Arizona meet for the final time of a three-game season series today in Anaheim’s second visit to Mullett Arena. The first-ever meeting between the teams at Mullet Arena Jan. 24 marked the fifth such venue these two organizations will have faced in 29 seasons, including Honda Center (Anaheim, Calif., 1993-present), Gila River Arena (Glendale, Ariz., 2003-22), American West Arena (Phoenix, Ariz., 1996-2003) and Winnipeg Arena (1993-96). The Ducks own an 83-42-25 all-time record vs. the Coyotes, including a 37-24-13 mark in Arizona. Anaheim’s 83 wins vs. the Coyotes franchise is the most against a single club. The Ducks have earned points in six straight games against the Coyotes (4-0-2) and in eight of the past 10 games dating to 2020-21 (5-2-3). Anaheim has earned points in six of their past 10 games in Arizona dating to 2018-19 (4-4-2), including each of the last three. Anaheim took each of the first two games of the 2022-23 series with a 5-2 win Jan. 24 in Arizona and a 2-1 OT win Jan. 28 in Orange County. The Jan. 24 win saw Cam Fowler (2-1=3) and Troy Terry (1-2=3) tie their single-game career highs in points. Fowler and Terry co-lead Anaheim in points vs. the Coyotes this season in the two games to date. John Gibson has helped the Ducks pick up points in 14 of his 18 career appearances vs. Arizona, posting a 9-4-5 record with two shutouts, a 2.43 GAA and a .918 SV%. Trevor Zegras has recorded points in each of his last five contests against the Coyotes (3-4=7, +5), including the OT winner Jan. 28 at Honda Center. He has 4-5=9 points in 10 career games vs. Arizona. Cam Fowler (9-26=35 in 59 GP) leads active Ducks skaters in career scoring and assists vs. the Coyotes while Adam Henrique (12-7=19 in 32 GP) leads current Ducks in career goals vs. the Coyotes.

ANA-ARI SEASON SERIES:
DATE LOCATION TIME / RESULT TV / AUDIO
Jan. 24 Mullett Arena 5-2 ANA win
Jan. 28 Honda Center 2-1 ANA OT win
Apr. 8 Mullett Arena 2:30 p.m. PT Bally Sports West / Ducks Stream

ANA-ARI ALL-TIME SERIES:
Overall @ Anaheim @ Arizona/Winnipeg
All-Time Series: 83-42-25 46-18-12 37-24-13
Current Streak: Three ANA wins One ANA win Two ANA wins
Last ANA Win: Jan. 28, 2023 (2-1, OT) Jan. 28, 2023 (2-1, OT) Jan. 24, 2023 (5-2)
Last ARI Win: Dec. 17, 2021 (6-5, OT) Dec. 17, 2021 (6-5, OT) Feb. 24, 2021 (4-3, OT)
ANA Last 10: 5-2-3 5-2-3 4-4-2

ARIZONA COYOTES NOTES:

3 HARD LAPS
• Arizona enters tonight 6-3-1 in its last 10 games at Mullett Arena and holds a .500 point percentage overall since the All-Star break (11-11-7)

• Reigning Third Star of the Month Clayton Keller is closing in on the Coyotes team record for assists and points in a single season. He enters tonight six assists shy of Ray Whitney’s 53 in 2011-12 and three points shy of Keith Tkachuk’s 86 in 1996-97

• Tonight is the third-to-last Coyotes game of the season and begins the final homestand. The last time they played their last three regular-season games at home was 1997-98

LAST GAME
Kraken 4, Coyotes 2 – April 6, 2023 – Climate Pledge Arena
ARI Goals: Hayton (18), Dauphin (1)
SEA Goals: McCann (38), Dunn (14), Eberle (19), Beniers (23)
ARI Goalie: Vejmelka (L) – 30 svs on 33 shots
SEA Goalie: Grubauer (W) – 27 svs on 29 shots
PP: 0-2 PK: 4-4
Notes: ARI dropped both games of its road trip in Seattle…Clayton Keller recorded his 47th assist and 83rd point of the season to snap a two-game pointless skid and enters tonight three points shy of tying Keith Tkachuk for the most points a Coyote has tallied in a season since relocation…Matias Maccelli assisted on Barrett Hayton’s goal to establish a 3-game assist streak and jump into a tie for the 7th most in a season by a rookie in Coyotes/Jets franchise history…Lawson Crouse picked up an assist and has found the scoresheet in both Kraken games this season and holds a career 3-1-4 scoring line in 5 GP against them…Crouse has notched 5 pts (1-4-5) in his last 5 GP overall…Laurent Dauphin posted his first NHL goal and point of the year and is the third player to score for both Arizona and Tucson this season (Carcone, Kelemen)… Jack McBain broke the Coyotes single-season record for hits, entering tonight with 289…Liam O’Brien registered a fighting major and was charged with 19 PIMs, a career-high and the most a Coyote has recorded in a game this season

MAN GAMES LOST (Name/Roster Status/Injury Type/Games Missed/Last Game Played)
Zack Kassian…Day-to-Day…Upper-Body (9 / 3/18)
Total man games lost: 149 games
Liam O’Brien – 23 (12/17 – 2/6) – Upper-Body | 2 (2/11 – 2/13) – Upper-Body
Jakob Chychrun – 16 (10/13 – 11/17) – Upper-Body
Matias Maccelli – 16 (12/27 – 1/24) – Lower-Body
Nick Schmaltz – 15 (10/15 – 11/17) – Upper-Body | 1 (12/31) – Upper-Body | 3 (3/12 – 3/16)
Zack Kassian – 9 (11/1 – 11/21) – Lower-Body
Connor Timmins – 9 (10/15 – 11/5) – Upper-Body
Shayne Gostisbehere – 8 (1/26 – 2/18) – Upper-Body
Andrew Ladd – 6 (N/A) – Undisclosed
Laurent Dauphin – 4 (3/24 – 3/31) – Upper-Body
Josh Brown – 3 (11/23 – 11/27) – Upper-Body | 4 (2/26 – 3/3) – Upper-Body | 6 (3/16 – 3/26)
Ben McCartney – 3 (10/13 – 10/17) – Lower-Body
Juuso Valimaki – 1 (11/23) – Upper-Body
Lawson Crouse – 1 (12/1) – Illness | 4 (1/19 – 1/24) – Upper-Body
Christian Fischer – 1 (3/3) – Illness | 1 (3/12) – Lower-Body
Connor Ingram – 1 (1/8) – Illness
Patrik Nemeth – 1 (3/14) – Lower-Body
Brett Ritchie – 1 (3/22) – Upper-Body | 1 (3/26) – Illness

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

  • 4/1 – Assigned F Nathan Smith to Tucson (AHL)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
DATE TIME (AZ) OPPONENT VENUE TV RADIO
Mon, April 10 7pm vs SEA Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona Extra ESPN 620
Thur, April 13 7pm vs VAN Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona 98.7 FM

YOTES & DUCKS

  • Tonight is the third of three ARI-ANA games this season. The Ducks captured the first meeting 5-2 on 1/24 and edged the Yotes 2-1 in overtime on 1/28
  • Travis Boyd and Christian Fischer both found the scoresheet in the 1/28 contest with assists. Fischer’s six career assists and nine career points (tied) versus ANA mark the most he’s tallied against an NHL team
  • Barrett Hayton registered a goal and an assist in the 1/24 matchup at Mullett and is the lone Coyote to record multiple points against the Ducks this season
  • Nick Schmaltz also picked up a goal in the 1/24 meeting and leads current Coyotes in career points against the Ducks. The 19 pts are the second-most he’s recorded against an NHL team in his career (STL, 29)
  • Arizona has won three of the last five home games against the Ducks
  • Coyotes franchise vs Ducks
    • All-Time: 62-70-5-13
    • Home: 35-32-2-5
    • Road: 27-38-3-8
    • L10: 5-3-2
    • STRK: OT1

SCORING NOTABLES AGAINST THE DUCKS
Clayton Keller…6-12-18…25 career GP
Nick Schmaltz…6-13-19…24 career GP
Barrett Hayton…1-2-3…8 career GP
Travis Boyd…2-4-6…6 career GP
Laurent Dauphin…1-0-1…2 career GP
Career Leaders
Goals (Kassian, 7)… Assists (Schmaltz, 13)…Points (Schmaltz, 19)
Career Leaders Among Defensemen
Goals (-)… Assists (Nemeth, 1)…Points (Nemeth, 1)

2022-23 COYOTES RECORD ON…
1-Day Rest: 19-22-7
2-Days Rest: 3-5-2
3+ Days Rest: 2-5-2

Back-to-Backs
Coyotes record on…
First Game of Back-to-Back: 2-6-4
Second Game of Back-to-Back: 3-7-2

When ARI and opponent is completing a back-to-back: 3-1-0
When completing a back-to-back where opponent is not: 1-6-2
When ARI is not completing a back-to-back but opponent is: 3-1-2

NHL Preview: Chicago Blackhawks (25-47-6) at Seattle Kraken (44-26-8)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Chicago Blackhawks (25-47-6) at Seattle Kraken (44-26-8)

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: NBCSCH+ – Chris Vosters (PxP) and Troy Murray (analyst)
RADIO: WGN-AM 720 – John Wiedeman (PxP) and Joe Brand (analyst)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Monday, April 10 vs. MIN, 8:00 p.m. CT (ESPN, WGN Radio, Univision (Spanish))
Tuesday, April 11 at PIT, 6:30 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio)
Thursday, April 13 vs. PHI, 7:30 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio, Univision (Spanish))
End of Season

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
April 1 – Activated Jonathan Toews from IR … March 29 – Assigned Mike Hardman to Rockford

LAST TIME OUT
Score: Chicago (0) at Vancouver (3) – Thu., April 6 – Rogers Arena
CHI Goals:
VAN Goals: Kuzmenko (38), Kravtsov (4; PP), Miller (30; EN)
Goalies: CHI – Stalock (26/28, 59:15) VAN – Thatcher (33/33, 60:00)
CHI PP: 0/3; PK: 2/3
VAN PP: 1/3; PK: 3/3
Recap: Chicago fell to the Canucks 3-0 on Thursday in Vancouver … Reese Johnson posted a game-high six hits while Caleb Jones and Jujhar Khaira each posted five … Seth Jones paced all skaters in ice time with 24:48 … Boris Katchouk and Tyler Johnson each recorded a team-high four shots.

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT – SEATTLE KRAKEN
The Blackhawks square off against Seattle on Saturday in the final of three matchups during the 2022-23 campaign … Chicago earned their first home win against Seattle this season on Oct. 23 in a 5-4 regulation victory and fell 8-5 on Jan. 14 … Seth Jones has recorded multi-assist efforts (5A) in both games against Seattle this season and has six points (1G,5A) in four career games against the Kraken … Taylor Raddysh registered a three-point night (1G, 2A) on Jan. 14 and has four points (1G, 3A) over his last two contests against Seattle … Jonathan Toews posted two points (1G, 1A) in his last game against the Kraken on Jan. 14 and has three points (1G, 2A) over his last two games against the club … Colin Blackwell was claimed by Seattle in the Expansion Draft in 2021.

2022-23 Schedule/Results: HOME: Oct. 23 (5-4), Jan. 14 (5-8) | AWAY: April 8 
All-Time Record: 2-2-1 | Home: 1-2-0 | Road: 1-0-1 
Last Home Win: Oct. 23, 2022 (5-4) | Last Road Win: Nov. 17, 2021 (4-2) | Last Home Loss: Jan. 14,
2023 (5-8) Last Road Loss: Jan. 17, 2022 (2-3 SO) 
ACTIVE BLACKHAWKS VS. SEA ALL-TIME
GOALS: Tyler Johnson, 2; six players tied with 1 
ASSISTS: Seth Jones, 5; Taylor Raddysh, 3; Jonathan Toews, 2
POINTS: Seth Jones, 6; Taylor Raddysh, 4; Jonathan Toews, 3

BLACKHAWKS RECORD ON…
One-Day Rest: 13-24-1
Two-Days Rest: 6-5-0
Three+ Days Rest: 2-2-2
First Game of a B2B: 2-6-2
Second Game of a B2B: 1-11-1

BLACKHAWKS RECORD BY DAY
Monday: 1-3-0
Tuesday: 5-9-1
Wednesday: 1-7-0
Thursday: 5-8-1
Friday: 5-2-2
Saturday: 5-11-1
Sunday: 3-7-1

SEATTLE KRAKEN NOTES:

LAST GAME
Arizona 2 at Seattle 4
Goals: McCann, Dunn, Eberle, Beniers
Goalie: Grubauer (27/29)
PP: 0/4 PK: 2/2 Shots: Arizona 29 – Seattle 33

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 225)
Joonas Donskoi (upper body; IR) – 78 games – no timeline for return
Andre Burakovsky (lower body) – 28 games – week-to-week
John Hayden (lower body) – 9 games – week-to-week

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
N/A

UPCOMING GAMES
Monday, April 10: Seattle at Arizona, 7 p.m. PT
Tuesday, April 11: Seattle at Vegas, 7 p.m. PT
Thursday, April 13: Vegas at Seattle, 7 p.m. PT

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Tonight’s matchup is the final of three games the Kraken will play against the Blackhawks this season and the first time the two teams are playing in Seattle.

• Tonight’s game is also the 23rd of 24 games the Kraken will play against Central Division teams this season, with Seattle holding an 12-4-6 record against the Central Division this year.

• Since Feb. 14, the Kraken have gone 59-for-66 on the penalty kill. Their 89.4 percent success rate on the penalty kill during that span is the third-best mark in the league.

• Vince Dunn, who has already set a career high with 64 points (14 goals, 50 assists) this season, enters tonight’s game ranked second on the Kraken in scoring. He is ranked in the top 10 among all NHL defensemen in goals (tied ninth), assists (10th), points (10th), even-strength goals (14, second) and even-strength points (49, second). The next game that Dunn plays in will be his 79th of the season, setting a career high.

• Jared McCann has been playing at a point-per-game pace dating back to Jan. 10, totaling 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 39 games. His 39 points during that span are leading all Kraken skaters.

• Daniel Sprong has already set a career high in goals (20), assists (23) and points (43) this season. He is ranked fifth in the NHL in points per 60 (3.13) at five-on-five among players that have played in at least three games.

• Jaden Schwartz became the Kraken’s fourth 20-goal scorer of the season with a goal in the Kraken’s game on April 4 at Vancouver, joining Jared McCann (38), Matty Beniers (23) and Daniel Sprong (20). Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle both enter tonight’s game with 19 goals each.

• With the Kraken’s four-goal outing in their game on March 3 against Columbus, they surpassed their goal total from all of last season in 20 fewer games. Seattle has scored 276 goals in 78 games this season compared to 213 goals in 2021-22. The team’s 276 goals this season are tied for fifth in the NHL.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING
• The Kraken earned their first playoff berth in franchise history with a 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes in the team’s last game on April 6. Entering play Saturday, the Kraken were one of two teams (New Jersey) to earn a berth to the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs after not qualifying for the postseason in 2021-22.

• With the Kraken’s win over the Coyotes, they also set a record for wins by an expansion team (44) in its second season since the Original Six era (1967-68). The team’s 86 points this year are also a league record for an expansion team in its second season since the Original Six era (1967-68).

• With their win over the Predators on March 25, the Kraken improved their point total to 88, a 28-point improvement from last season. Their 28-point improvement set an NHL record for the largest point improvement by and expansion team from its first to its second season since the Original Six era (1967-68).

• The Kraken enter tonight’s game with 13 players that have scored at least 10 goals, the most in the NHL. If Jamie Oleksiak, who has nine goals, were to score tonight, Seattle would become the first team to have 14 players score 10 or more goals in a season since the Detroit Red Wings did so in 1995-96 according to NHL Stats.

BLAKCHAWKS DOWN
• The Kraken recorded their first shootout victory in franchise history with a 3-2 win over Chicago on Jan. 17, 2022 in Seattle. Seattle also posted its second-ever shutout against the Blackhawks on April 7, 2022 in Chicago, with Philipp Grubauer making 29 saves in the 2-0 Kraken win.

• Matty Beniers has three points (two goals, one assist) in two career games against the Blackhawks and has scored in both games he has played against the Blackhawks.

• Ryan Donato has four points (one goal, three assists) in his last four games against Chicago.

• Jordan Eberle has tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in the five games he has played against the Blackhawks as a member of the Kraken.

• Yanni Gourde has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in his last 14 games against Chicago, including notching a four-point night (two goals, two assists) on March 7, 2021, which remains tied for his single-game career high.

• Jared McCann has 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in his last eight games against the Blackhawks including scoring his first-ever hat trick in the two teams’ last meeting on Jan. 14.

• Jaden Schwartz has totaled 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in his last 14 games against the Blackhawks dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season and enters tonight’s game riding a four-game point streak against Chicago.

• Alex Wennberg (one goal, two assists) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (two goals, one assist) each have three points (one goal, two assists) in their last three games against the Blackhawks.

NHL Preview: Montréal Canadiens (31-42-6) at Toronto Maple Leafs (46-21-11)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Montréal Canadiens (31-42-6) at Toronto Maple Leafs (46-21-11)

MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:

À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…

  • Les Canadiens et les Maple Leafs s’affrontent ce soir pour la 765e fois en saison régulière. En incluant les matchs de séries, ce sera la 843e confrontation entre les deux équipes.
  • The Canadiens and Maple Leafs are facing each other for the 765th time in regular season. Including playoff contests, this will be the 843rd match-up between the two teams.

DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – MTL 6 VS. WSH 2 (@ CENTRE BELL)
Buts MTL Goals – Suzuki (DN/PK), Armia (DN/PK), Gallagher, Armia, Armia, Hoffman
Buts WSH Goals – Strome, Backstrom (AN/PP)
Gardien MTL Goalie – Montembeault (24-26)
Gardien WSH Goalie – Kuemper (26-31)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 0/3
Avantage numérique WSH Powerplay – 1/5
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Matheson – 25:45) ; S (Kovacevic – 6) ; HT (Barron, Schueneman – 2) ; BS (Edmundson – 5)

MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
12 AVRIL @ NY ISLANDERS 19 h / 7 p.m.
13 AVRIL VS. BOSTON 19 h / 7 p.m.

RAPPORT MÉDICAL DE LA SAISON / SEASON INJURY REPORT
Joueur Player Date Blessure Injury Matchs ratés Games lost Retour Return
C. Price – Genou / Knee 79 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 79 –
J. Slafkovsky – Bas du corps / Lower-body 35 –
S. Monahan – Bas du corps / Lower-body 54 –
C. Caufield – Épaule / Shoulder 33 –
A. Xhekaj – Épaule / Shoulder 26 –
K. Guhle – Cheville / Ankle 10 –
J. Anderson – Cheville / Ankle 8 –

RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
Les Canadiens ont cédé Cayden Primeau et Corey Schueneman au Rocket de Laval (07/04)
The Canadiens have loaned Cayden Primeau and Corey Schueneman to the Laval Rocket (04/07)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé Cayden Primeau et Corey Schueneman du Rocket de Laval (03/04)
The Canadiens have recalled Cayden Primeau and Corey Schueneman from the Laval Rocket (04/03)
Les Canadiens ont cédé le gardien Cayden Primeau au Rocket de Laval (28/03)
The Canadiens have loaned goaltender Cayden Primeau to the Laval Rocket (03/28)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé le gardien Cayden Primeau du Rocket de Laval (27/03)
The Canadiens have recalled goaltender Cayden Primeau from the Laval Rocket (03/27)
Les Canadiens ont cédé l’attaquant Anthony Richard au Rocket de Laval (22/03)
The Canadiens have loaned forward Anthony Richard to the Laval Rocket (03/22)

STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 07/04 – BEFORE GAMES ON 04/07
PTS (68 – 27e/27th)
V/W (31 – 26e/26th)
BP/GF (220 – 26e/26th)
BC/GA (289 – 29e/29th)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (27.4 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (33.6 – 28e/28th)
MÉ/Hits (1541 – 28e/28th)
MP/PIM (907 – 5e/5th)
AN/PP (16.7% – 28e/28th)
DN/PK (73.1% – 28e/28th)

LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION L’AN DERNIER / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION LAST SEASON
Adversaire Opponent Fiche Record PTS Buts pour Goals for Buts contre Goals against
Atlantique 9-14-3 21 84 89
Centrale 3-9-4 10 39 65
Métropolitaine 6-17-1 13 55 103
Pacifique 4-9-3 11 43 62
Total 22-49-11 55 221 319
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION CETTE SAISON / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION THIS SEASON
Division Fiche Record PTS Buts pour Goals for Buts contre Goals against
Atlantique 6-17-1 13 54 105
Centrale 8-6-2 18 52 53
Métropolitaine 11-10-2 24 73 79
Pacifique 6-9-1 13 46 54
Total 31-42-6 68 225 291
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

MARTIN ST-LOUIS EN CHIFFRES / MARTIN ST. LOUIS’ NUMBERS…
Matchs/Games : 116
Victoires/Wins : 45
Fiche : 45-61-10
Points de classement/Standing points : 100

CANADIENS VS. TORONTO
À vie / All-Time

CANADIENS vs. TOR 366-298-88-12 (764 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 227-106-43-7 (383 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 139-192-45-5 (381 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
D 5-1 L @ TOR (18/02/23)
J. Allen 5-41 | J. Woll 1-30
BG / WG: P. Engvall

10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE TORONTO / LAST 10 GAMES VS. TORONTO:
18/02/23 – MTL 1 @ TOR 5
21/01/23 – TOR 2 @ MTL 3 (P/OT)
12/10/22 – TOR 3 @ MTL 4
09/04/22 – MTL 2 @ TOR 3
26/03/22 – TOR 2 @ MTL 4
21/02/22 – TOR 2 @ MTL 5
13/10/21 – MTL 1 @ TOR 2
08/05/21 – MTL 2 @ TOR 3
06/05/21 – MTL 2 @ TOR 5
03/05/21 – TOR 2 @ MTL 3 (P/OT)

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 1 at Boston 2 – OTL
Date: Thursday, April 6, 2023
TOR Goals: Lafferty
BOS Goals: Coyle, Pastrnak (OTW)
TOR Goaltender: Samsonov, 31/33, .939 SV%
BOS Goaltender: Swayman, 31/32, .969 SV%
TOR Power Play: 0-for-3
TOR Penalty Kill: 4-for-4
Player Notes: – Sam Lafferty scored for the Maple Leafs at 11:34 of the second period. Lafferty recorded his 12th goal of the season and second with the Maple Leafs. Lafferty has posted three points through his last two games (1G, 2A).

  • Zach Aston-Reese registered the lone assist on Lafferty’s goal, posting his fourth assist of the season. Aston-Reese has recorded three points through his last two games (2G, 1A). With the assist, Aston-Reese recorded his 14th point of the season (10G, 4A), just one point away from tying his previous career-high of 15 points which he set in the 2020-21 season with Pittsburgh.
  • Mark Giordano skated in his 1,100th career NHL game in Thursday’s game. Per NHL Stats, “Giordano became the only active undrafted player to reach 1,100 career regular-season games.”
  • Jake McCabe skated in his 500th career NHL game in Thursday’s game.

Team Notes: – The Maple Leafs have posted a 7-11 record in games decided in overtime this season.
TONIGHT’S GAME
2022-23 Matchups vs. Montréal: Fourth of Four
2021-22 Record vs. Montréal: 2-2-0
Toronto Season Record: 46-21-11
Toronto Home Record: 26-8-6

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The Maple Leafs are scheduled to face-off against the Montréal Canadiens tonight in the fourth of four matchups between the clubs this season. Toronto has posted a 1-1-1 record against the Canadiens this season. The Maple Leafs have earned at least one point in five of their last six games (3-1-2) against Montréal. Toronto has posted a 26-8-6 record at Scotiabank Arena this season, currently the third best home ice record in the league. Tonight will mark Toronto’s last home game of the 2022-23 regular season. The Maple Leafs will begin a three-game road trip traveling to Florida, Tampa Bay and New York to conclude the regular season schedule.

With the Ottawa Senators 5-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Monday, March 27th, the Maple Leafs clinched a playoff spot for the seventh-straight season. Earning a playoff spot in seven-consecutive seasons is the fourth-longest streak in franchise history. Toronto earned their spot in the playoffs for the 72nd time in franchise history. The Maple Leafs were the fourth team to clinch a playoff spot for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs following Boston, Carolina and New Jersey. With the Maple Leafs earning one point in their matchup against the Boston Bruins on Thursday, April 6th and the Tampa Bay Lightning losing in regulation to the New York Islanders, Toronto secured home-ice advantage in their first round meeting with Tampa Bay in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: TSN 1050
Toronto Maple Leafs: Media Notes

NEXT GAME
Date: Monday, April 10, 2023
Opponent: at Florida Panthers
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
April 4, 2023 The Maple Leafs recalled goaltender Joseph Woll from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) on an emergency basis. Forward Radim Zohorna has been loaned to the Marlies.
April 2, 2023 The Maple Leafs recalled forward Nick Abruzzese from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) on an emergency basis.
March 31, 2023 The Maple Leafs recalled forward Radim Zohorna from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) on an emergency basis.

INJURY REPORT
Bobby McMann Knee (IR)
Victor Mete Lower Body (LTIR)
Matt Murray Head Injury (Day-to-Day)
Jake Muzzin Neck (LTIR)
Nick Robertson Shoulder (LTIR)

ALL-TIME VS. MONTRÉAL CANADIENS:
First Matchup between Clubs: December 26, 1917 (Toronto 7 vs. Montréal 5)
All-Time Record: 310-347-88-19 (764 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 197-129-45-10 (381 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 113-218-43-9 (383 Games)
Last Home Win vs. Opponent: February 18, 2023 (Toronto 5 vs. Montréal 1)

ACTIVE LEADERS VS. MONTRÉAL CANADIENS:
Games Played: John Tavares (52), Morgan Rielly (43), Wayne Simmonds (40), Luke Schenn (40)
Goals: Auston Matthews (22), John Tavares (18), William Nylander (14)
Assists: John Tavares (26), Mitch Marner (25), Morgan Rielly (20)
Points: John Tavares (44), Auston Matthews (37), Mitch Marner (29)
Penalty Minutes: Wayne Simmonds (54), Luke Schenn (40), Mark Giordano (30)

2022-23 AVERAGES
Points% GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .660 3.36 2.73 25.0 81.0 32.2 29.2 53.2
Montréal .430 2.79 3.66 16.7 73.1 27.4 33.6 48.7

THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2022-23
Power Play: 25.0%
Power Play Goal Leader: 16 – Tavares
Power Play Point Leader: 36 – Tavares (16G, 20A)
2021-22 Power Play: 63/231 (27.3%)

ON THE PK IN 2022-23
Penalty Kill: 81.0%
Shorthanded Goal Leader: 4 – Marner
Shorthanded Point Leader: 5 – Marner (4G, 1A)
2021-22 Penalty Kill: 192/234 (82.1%)

FAST FACTS
Saturday games 22nd of 22 (10 home, 12 road)
Back-to-Backs played 13 of 14
Record in first game of back-to-back 8-5-0
Record in second game of back-to-back 8-4-1
April games 5th of 8 (3 home, 5 road)

NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (41-31-7) at Washington Capitals (34-35-9)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (41-31-7) at Washington Capitals (34-35-9)

FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:

BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT

  • F Patric Hornqvist | Games Missed: 54
  • F Sam Bennett | Games Missed: 9
  • G Sergei Bobrovsky | Games Missed: 5
    Total Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 233

LAST GAME
Panthers 7, Senators 2 – April 6 – FLA Live Arena
FLA Goals: Montour (15), Barkov (21-PPG, 22-SHG), Reinhart (30-PPG), Luostarinen (17-PPG), Cousins (9), Forsling (13)
OTT Goals: Giroux (31), Greig (2)
FLA Goalie: Lyon (W) – 56 Saves
OTT Goalie: Merilainen (L) – 9 Saves, Sogaard – 14 Saves
FLA Shots: 30
OTT Shots: 58
Notes: Alex Lyon won his fifth consecutive game, making the most saves in a game that ended in regulation in franchise history (56)…Brandon Montour (1-3-4) matched the single-game franchise record for points by a defenseman, his second 4-point outing this season…Montour’s 56 assists this season are the most single-season helpers by a blueliner in club history, and he became the first Panthers defenseman to surpass 70 points in a season…Montour extended his point streak to five games (2-8-10)…Aleksander Barkov (2-1-3) scored shorthanded and on the power play for the second time in his career, extending his assist/point streak to five games (2-7-9)…Matthew Tkachuk notched two assists to reach 105 points (39-66-105) on the season, surpassing his previous career mark of 104 from last season…Sam Reinhart (1-1-2) scored his team-leading 16th power-play goal of the season…Gustav Forsling (1-1-2) recorded two points, establishing a new single-season career high for assists (28)…Aaron Ekblad (0-2-2) notched two assists to extend his point streak to a season-long six games (1-6-7)…Florida and Ottawa combined for 166 PIMs…FLA PP: 3-6, FLA PK: 6-6
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

  • April 7: G Mack Guzda loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
  • April 3: F Ryan McAllister agreed to terms on a 3-year, entry-level contract beginning in 2023-24

PANTHERS vs. CAPITALS
ALL-TIME vs. WSH: 57-56-9-11
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. WSH: 25-32-5-4
2022-23 vs. WSH: 2-0-0

CATS STATS

  • From March 4 – April 6, Florida’s 66 goals scored ranked fourth among NHL teams while pacing the league with 37.3 shots per game.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Washington 2, Montreal Canadiens 6
April 6, 2023 * Bell Centre * Montreal, QC
Shots: WSH: 26; MTL: 32
Power Plays: WSH: 1/5; MTL: 0/3
Three Stars: 1. Armia (MTL), 2. Matheson (MTL), 3. Suzuki (MTL)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Recalled forward Beck Malenstyn from AHL Hershey, 4/7
Signed goaltender Mitchell Gibson to a one-year NHL entry-level contract, 4/7
Re-assigned forward Ludwig Persson from BIK Karlskoga (Sweden-2) to the AHL Hershey, 4/7
Signed goaltender Mitchell Gibson to an amateur tryout agreement (ATO), 4/2

INJURIES/ILLNESSES
Carl Hagelin: 10/12/22-4/6/23 (78 games)
Connor Brown: 10/20/22-4/6/23 (74 games)
T.J. Oshie: 10/31/22-11/19/22, 12/19/22-12/31/22, 4/2/23-4/6/23 (19 games)
Trevor van Riemsdyk: 4/2/23-4/6/23 (2 games)
Anthony Mantha: 2/12/23, 2/23/23-2/26/23, 4/6/23 (5 games)
Marcus Johansson: 2/25/23-2/26/23 (2 games)
Tom Wilson: 10/12/22-1/6/23, 1/26/23-2/16/23 (49 games)
Nicklas Backstrom: 10/12/22-1/6/23, 1/24/22 (43 games)
Dmitry Orlov: 11/7/22-12/9/22 (16 games)
Washington Capitals: Media Notes
Erik Gustafsson: 12/11/22 (1 game)
Lars Eller: 12/13/22 (1 game)
Hunter Shepard: 12/17/22 (1 game)
Alex Alexeyev: 12/11/22-12/19/22 (5 games)
Beck Malenstyn: 11/3/22-12/27/22 (26 games)
Nic Dowd: 12/17/22, 1/17/23-2/18/23 (13 games)
Martin Fehervary: 12/5/22-12/29/22, 3/4/23-3/9/23 (15 games)
Alex Ovechkin: 1/21/23, 3/14/23 (2 games)
Nick Jensen: 3/4/23-3/9/23, 3/19/23 (5 games)
John Carlson: 10/31/22-11/9/22, 12/27/22-3/21/23 (42 games)
Sonny Milano: 12/15/22, 3/14/23-3/15/23, 3/25/23-3/30/23 (6 games)
Darcy Kuemper: 12/5/22-12/17/22, 3/19/23-3/21/23 (9 games)
Man Games Lost: 414

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
April 10, 7 p.m. ET vs. New York Islanders (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
April 11, 7 p.m. ET at Boston (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
April 13, 7 p.m. ET vs. New Jersey (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)

TONIGHT’S GAME
The Capitals host the Florida Panthers on Saturday at Capital One Arena for the third and final meeting between the teams this season. Washington is 0-2-0 against Florida this season, falling to the Panthers 5-2 on Nov. 15 at FLA Live Arena and 6-3 on Feb. 16 at Capital One Arena. The Capitals are 67-45-9-12 all-time against the Panthers.

HOME vs. FLORIDA PANTHERS
Record Goals For Goals Against Streak
36-18-5-7 208 165 1 FLA win (2/16/23)

CAPITALS vs. PANTHERS ALL-TIME (Career Totals)
Games Goals Assists Points
Ovechkin (69) Ovechkin (43) Ovechkin (45) Ovechkin (88)
Backstrom (53) Backstrom (14) Backstrom (37) Backstrom (51)
Carlson (40) Carlson/Eller (7) Carlson (19) Carlson (26)

Special Teams

  • Over their last 10 games, the Capitals have converted on nine of 30 power-play opportunities (30.0 percent) and have killed off 22 of 26 opposing power plays (84.6 percent).
  • The Capitals have converted on 17 of 68 power-play opportunities (25.0 percent) since Feb. 16 and own the eighth-highest powerplay percentage in the NHL in that span.
  • Seven different Capitals have scored on the man advantage during the 22-game stretch (Ovechkin: 4 PPG; Oshie: 4 PPG; Nicklas Backstrom: 4 PPG; Tom Wilson: 2 PPG; Sonny Milano: 1 PPG; Evgeny Kuznetsov: 1 PPG; John Carlson: 1 PPG).
  • This season, the Capitals’ 82.8 penalty kill percentage ranks fifth in the NHL, through games played April 7.
  • On average, the Capitals are shorthanded 2.76 times per game, which is tied for the fourth-lowest rate in the League.
  • Washington’s +29 net penalty differential this season ranks fifth in the NHL, through games played April 7.

MLS Preview: Los Angeles Galaxy (0-2-3) at Houston Dynamo FC (2-3-0)

MLS Editor
-
0
MLS Preview: Los Angeles Galaxy (0-2-3) at Houston Dynamo FC (2-3-0)

The Los Angeles Galaxy have prevailed in each of their three previous encounters, including their victories over Houston in the previous two games. Since 216, the Los Angeles Galaxy have only lost two of their last eight matches at Shell Energy Stadium (W4 D2).

Since the end of last season, the Houston Dynamo FC have won four of their last six home games (D1 L1), including both of their home games this year. Since its last three home MLS games in 2019, Houston hasn’t won three straight. The third win in that stretch came against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

For the fourth time in the post-shootout era (since 2000), the Los Angeles Galaxy (D3 L2) have lost five of their first five games of the season. The only time the Galaxy have started a season without a win was in 2003, when they didn’t win their first match until their ninth.

Only one player in Houston’s history, Erick Torres (five goals in 2017), has scored more penalties in a single MLS season than Amine Bassi. Bassi has scored from the spot in each of Houston’s last three games. In the history of the MLS, no player has ever scored a penalty shot in four consecutive games.

Gaston Brugman finished 92 passes for the Los Angeles Universe on Saturday against the Seattle Sounders FC while Riqui Puig finished 85. This season, the only two players with an average of at least 70 successful passes per 90 minutes (minimum 250 minutes) are Brugman (82.9) and Puig (70.0).

MLB Preview: Toronto Blue Jays (5-3) at Los Angeles Angels (4-3)

MLB Editor
-
0
MLB Preview: Toronto Blue Jays (5-3) at Los Angeles Angels (4-3)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS NOTES:

THE LATEST: The Blue Jays plated three runs in the 7th inning to come back and win last night’s game in Los Angeles by a 4-3 final score…Improved to 2-3 when trailing after six innings (7-52 last season)…Three of their five wins have now been of the come-from-behind variety. Toronto has now won four straight games on the heels of a three-game slide…Last claimed five in a row from Sept. 2-5 at 2022.

FEELING THE FLOW: Bo Bichette gave Toronto the 4-3 lead with a three-run blast in the 7th inning last night…Was his 2nd blast of the campaign…Also doubled in his 1st at-bat and wrapped up his night at 2-for-4…Marked his 30th career game with multiple extra-base hits, tied for 12th most among AL hitters since the 2019 season (the year he began his career). The 25-year-old now has hits in all but one of the night games so far, going 13-for-38 (.342) with two doubles, two homers, six RBI, and six runs scored…Led the AL in hits in each of the last two seasons, becoming the only player in team history to lead the league in hits more than once, and was the first player to do so since Whit Merrifield in 2018 and 2019 for the Royals…His 60 multi-hit games since the start of last season are the most in the AL and 2nd most in MLB.

VLADS THE IMPALERS: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was on hand to watch his father, Vladimir Sr., throw out the ceremonial first pitch last night…Jr. went on to single twice and finished 2-for-4 with a run scored…Has reached base in every game this season, now 13-for-31 with a double, two homers, six RBI, and five walks for a .419 AVG (3rd in the AL), a .500 OBP (T-4th) and a 1.145 OPS (7th). The 24-year-old has recorded an MLB-leading 19 hard-hit balls (95+ MPH) this year, one more than 2nd-place Matt Chapman…Recorded 265 hard-hit balls over the course of last season, the most in the Majors (2nd: José Abreu – 256).

READ THIS CHAP-TER: Matt Chapman ripped a line-drive single at 112.5 MPH in the 4th inning of last night’s contest…Is now batting .452 (14-for-31) with six doubles, two walks, and seven RBI for a 1.130 OPS through eight games…The 14 hits lead all MLB batters. The third baseman’s hot start also has him leading MLB in doubles while sitting T-4th in extra-base hits… Among AL batters, currently ranks 6th in OBP (.485), 8th in OPS, and T-11th in SLG (.645).

BOTTOM’S UP: Kevin Kiermaier went 1-for-4 on a single last night…Is now 9-for-25 (.360) while recording hits in each of his six games with an at-bat to start his Blue Jays career… His nine hits while batting 9th are tied for the most in MLB (Orlando Arcia – 9).

HITTING IT: The Blue Jays have notched 83 hits so far, trailing only the White Sox (85) for the most in MLB…Currently rank 1st in the AL in AVG (.287) while sitting 3rd in OBP (.345), 6th in SLG (.401), and 6th in OPS (.746)… Have homered in each of the last five games after going homerless in the first three.

LENGTHY ROAD WORK: The Blue Jays start the season with 10 straight road contests as renovations wrap up at Rogers Centre… Ties the longest road trip to kick off a campaign in team history (10G in 1984)…Marks the 3rd trip of 10+ games to begin a season by any team in the last 20 years, joining the 2019 Red Sox (11G) and the 2022 Athletics (10G)…Played three games in St. Louis (1-2), four in Kansas City (3-1) and will wrap up the trip with a trio here in Anaheim (1-0). Toronto’s .556 road win% in 2022 (45-36) ranked 3rd in the AL and tied for 2nd best in team history (1st: .580 in 1993)…Blue Jays hitters led the AL in road runs (416), AVG (.266), OBP (.331), SLG (.428), and OPS (.759)…The pitching staff ranked 5th in the AL in road ERA (3.70), 5th in road WHIP (1.24), and 6th in road opponents’ batting average (.245).

ROMANO-MATIC: Jordan Romano tossed a 1-2-3 9th inning to close out last night’s game…Now has four saves to lead the Majors (2nd: Félix Bautista/David Bednar – 3).

LUP-ING HIM IN: Jordan Luplow was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo yesterday and made his Blue Jays debut last night as he slotted in at designated hitter (0-for-3, 2K).

LEFT OVERS: The Blue Jays are facing three left-handed starters this series…Are 2-1 in such contests so far…Have batted .299 vs. LHPs in 2023 (4th in the AL).

GETTING ON: Toronto has had an AL-high 110 batters reach base so far this season (2nd: CWS – 108)…Are now on a streak of 26 games with 8+ runners on base, the longest of all MLB clubs (courtesy Stats Perform). The Blue Jays led the AL in times on base in 2022 (2,395) as Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tied for 3rd most among AL hitters at 306.

STARTING PITCHER – José Berríos, RHP #17
TODAY’S GAME:
Making his 2nd start of the season…Took the loss in his last start on 4/3 at KC, giving up 8 runs on 9 hits and a pair of walks over 5.2 innings with 7 strikeouts (89 pitches – 56 strikes). Has made 141 starts since the beginning of 2018, tied for the 3rd most among MLB hurlers (Aaron Nola – 145, Gerrit Cole – 142).

2022 HIGHLIGHTS:
Equaled his 2021 totals with 32 starts, 12 wins, and 17 quality starts. Picked up his 7th win of the year on 7/12 vs. PHI…Surrendered 3 runs on 6 hits over 6.0 innings with no walks and a career-high-tying 13 strikeouts (13K on 6/4/22 vs. MIN)…Became the 3rd pitcher in franchise history to strike out at least 13 batters without walking any, joining Roger Clemens (4x) and Robbie Ray (2x)…Induced a season-high 20 swing-and-misses, one off his career high set on 6/17/19 vs. BOS.

Earned the win on 7/31 vs. DET, throwing 7.0 innings of one-run ball while scattering 3 hits and a walk with 6 punchouts on 80 pitches (56 strikes)… In 6 July starts, went 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA (12 ER/36.0 IP), 7 walks, and 42 strikeouts. The Jays won each of his 13 home starts from 9/19/21-7/31/22, passing Roy Halladay (12G from 5/31/07-4/6/08) for the longest streak in franchise history.

Gave up 2R/1ER over 6.1 frames on 9/12 vs. TB with 6 hits, a walk, and 4 strikeouts…Reached 1,000 career innings after striking out Taylor Walls to end the 2nd inning…Became the 6th Puerto Rico-born pitcher to reach the milestone before the age of 29. On 9/27 vs. NYY, fanned Aaron Hicks in the 4th inning for his 1,000th career punchout…Became the 5th Puerto Rican-born player to reach 1,000 strikeouts and the fastest to reach the milestone, doing so in 179 games (2nd: Javier Vázquez – 182 games).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
Drafted in the 1st round (32nd overall) by the Twins in 2012.

Pitched for Team Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, going 1-0, 8.10 ERA (6.2 IP, 6 ER) with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
Named to 2018 and 2019 AL All-Star teams, pitching 1.0 inning in both games.
Acquired by Toronto from Minnesota on 7/30/21 in exchange for INF Austin Martin and RHP Simeon Woods Richardson.
In 2021, set a career high with 204 strikeouts, good for 5th in the AL…His 3.52 ERA was 5th best in the AL while his 192.0 innings pitched ranked 2nd.

VS. THE ANGELS: Facing the Angels for the 8th time in his career and 3rd time as a Blue Jay…Has allowed 6 runs in each of his last two meetings, both at Angel Stadium…Pitched at least 5.0 frames in each of his first 5 starts against the Halos.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:

LEADING OFF: Today, the Angels play the second (0-1) of six games on the opening homestand of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays (0-1; April 7-9) and Washington Nationals (April 10-12)…Halos went 4-2 on first road trip of year against Oakland (2-1) and Seattle (2-1), marking first time winning each of first two series of a season since 2018 (won first five series).

BALLY SPORTS SO CAL TODAY: Tonight’s game will air live on Bally Sports So Cal…The Los Angeles Kings game against the Colorado Avalanche will be airing on Bally Sports West…The Angels game on Monday vs. Washington will also air on Bally Sports So Cal.

HOME DEBUT: Tyler Anderson is scheduled to make his first home start as a member of the Angels today…He earned the win in his Angels debut on Sunday at Oakland after working 6.0 shutout frames, allowing four hits and two walks with four strikeouts…Anderson signed a three-year contract with Angels, Nov. 16, 2022.

ANGELS RECENT RECORDS TO BEGIN SEASON
AFTER SEVEN GAMES: AFTER EIGHT GAMES:
2023: 4-3 2023: ???
2022: 3-4 2022: 4-4
2021: 5-2 2021: 6-2
2020: 2-5 2020: 2-6
2019: 1-6 2019: 2-6

ON WITH THE SHO: Dating back to last season, Shohei Ohtani has reached base safely (via hit, walk, or HBP) in a career-high 30 consecutive games…It’s the second-longest active streak in the Majors, behind Aaron Judge (40 games).

RENDON IS BACK: Today, Anthony Rendon returns to the Angels active roster today after completing his four game suspension…On Monday, Major League Baseball issued a five-game suspension and an undisclosed fine to Rendon for his actions involving a fan last Thursday in Oakland…The
suspension was ultimately reduced to four games..

STARTING STRONG: Through the first seven games of the season, Angels starting pitching has combined to post a 2.61 ERA (38 IP – 11 ER) with 37 strikeouts…The starters ERA ranks third in the Majors, behind the Twins (1.12 ERA; 40.1 IP – 5 ER) and Dodgers (2.30 ERA; 47 IP – 12 ER).

VS. TORONTO: Today is the second (0-1) of six games this season between the Angels and Blue Jays…Halos will visit Toronto for three games July 28-30…Last year, Toronto won the season series 4-3 with the road team winning all seven games (Blue Jays swept all four games at Angel Stadium and the Angels swept a three game series at Rogers Centre).

SNAP THE STREAK: Angels are looking to snap a five-game home losing streak against the Blue Jays…The five game streak matches the Halos longest ever home losing streak vs. Toronto (also, lost five straight at home vs. Jays from Aug. 21, 2015 – Sept. 16, 2016).

VETERAN ROSTER: The Angels Opening Day active roster featured just one rookie: Logan O’Hoppe.

HOME OPENERS: Angels are now 27-36 all-time in Home Openers following last night’s defeat…LAA has lost last two Home Openers after winning their previous two against the White Sox in 2021 and Mariners in 2020.

ROOKIE RAKING: Logan O’Hoppe has driven in the Angels first run of the game in four of his six starts this season…His eight RBI this season lead the team…He was the first player to have an RBI in each of the Angels first three games of a season since Mike Trout in 2017…Before Trout, it last happened in 2007 by both Vladimir Guerrero and Casey Kotchman.

CANNING ON REHAB: Thursday night, RHP Griffin Canning made a rehab start for Low-A Inland Empire…He struck out 10 across 5.0 innings of work and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks.

THE 11 SPOT: Last Saturday afternoon at Oakland, the Angels plated 11 runs in the top of the third inning, marking the Halos highest scoring frame since July 2, 2016 (11 runs in the 7th inning at Boston)…It was the sixth 11+ run inning in franchise history.

A UNIQUE SAVE: Last Saturday at Oakland, Tucker Davidson earned his first career save after tossing 4.0 scoreless frames to finish off the Angels 13-1 win over the A’s…The 12-run victory marked the largest run differential in a save for an Angels pitcher since Chris Bootcheck (4 IP) in a 14-1 win vs. Royals on May 28. 2005.

BABY BACKSTOP: With his start on Opening Day, Logan O’Hoppe (23 years, 49 days) became the youngest Opening Day catcher in Angels history (previous was Buck Rodgers – 23 years, 237 days in 1962)…He was the first Angels rookie catcher to start on Opening Day since Bengie Molina in 2000.

WELCOME TO THE RENAISSANCE: With Anthony Rendon, Hunter Renfroe & Luis Rengifo hitting 4-6 in the Angels Opening Day batting order, it was the first lineup in franchise history to feature three straight players who have the same first three letters of their last name…The last MLB occurrence was by Detroit on July 20, 2015 (Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez, Jefry Marte).

THE NEW GUYS: Angels Opening Day roster featured eight players new to the organization in 2023: LHP Tyler Anderson, INF Brandon Drury, RHP Carlos Estévez, INF Jake Lamb, LHP Matt Moore, OF Brett Phillips, OF Hunter Renfroe and INF Gio Urshela.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – LHP TYLER ANDERSON
• TODAY’S GAME: Making second start of the season and first at home…Is in eighth Major League season and made seventh straight Opening Day roster…Signed a three-year contract with Angels, Nov. 16, 2022.

• LAST TIME OUT: Earned the win in Angels debut on Sunday at Oakland after working 6.0 shutout frames, allowing four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

• VS. TORONTO: Today marks mark second career start vs. Blue Jays…Took loss in only previous game vs. Toronto on June 29, 2016 for Colorado in fourth game of MLB career (L; 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO).

• AT ANGEL STADIUM: Today marks third career start at The Big A and first as a member of the Angels…In his two career games at Angel Stadium as a visitor, was 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA (7 IP – 14 ER) and eight strikeouts; made one start for Giants in 2020 and one for Mariners in 2021.

• GOOD DAY: Owns a 3.86 ERA (259 IP – 111 ER) for his career in day games, compared with a 4.26 ERA (549.1 IP – 260 ER) at night…Last year, made six starts in day games for Dodgers and pitched to a 2.70 ERA (33.1 IP – 10 ER) and 31 strikeouts.

• THE CHANGE: Last season, held opponents to a .179 (41/229) average against his changeup.

• SPRING RECAP: Made four total starts in Spring Training games, including two in traditional Cactus League play, the Angels exhibition contest vs. Team USA and a Freeway Series game against the Dodgers… Combined to go 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA (15.2 IP – 6 ER) with nine strikeouts.

• 2022 RECAP: Made 30 appearance (28 starts) for Dodgers last season…Was selected to National League All-Star team after going 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA (178.2 IP – 51 ER) and 138 strikeouts…Among N.L. leaders, he ranked tied for second in winning percentage (.750), fifth in ERA, tied for fifth in wins, seventh in WHIP (1.00) and eighth in opponent batting average (.221).

• DODGER LEADER: Led Dodgers staff with 178.2 IP (career-high) in 2022 and ranked third with 15 wins (career-high)…Also had career-bests in ERA (2.57), WHIP (1.00) and opponent average (.221)

• 2022 POSTSEASON: Started Game 4 of the 2022 NLDS for the Dodgers at San Diego and worked 5.0 scoreless innings…Allowed two hits and two walks with six strikeouts in Padres 5-3 win.

• NEAR NO-NO: Took a no-hitter into 9th inning of June 15, 2022 start for Dodgers vs. Angels, walking two and striking out eight…Shohei Ohtani’s one out triple in the 9th inning originally broke up the no-hit bid; following the game, an official scoring change overturned an error call, resulting in Jared Walsh breaking up the no-hitter with a 7th inning infield single.

• GETTING AROUND: Angels are his sixth Major League team…Has previously played with Colorado (2016-19), San Francisco (2020), Pittsburgh (2021), Seattle (2021) and Los Angeles (N.L.) (2022).

• CAREER NOTES: Native of Las Vegas, NV, where he attended Spring Valley HS…Was a first round (20th overall) selection by Colorado in the 2011 Draft out of the University of Oregon…Made Major League debut with Rockies on June 12, 2016 vs. San Diego.

MLB Preview: San Diego Padres (4-4) at Atlanta Braves (6-2)

MLB Editor
-
0
MLB Preview: San Diego Padres (4-4) at Atlanta Braves (6-2)

SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:

Padres even record to 4-4 as Honeywell gets his 1st ML win and Padres edge Braves 7-6

• Nick Martinez got the start and worked 4.2 innings last night with 4 runs allowed (all earned) on 4 hits with 5 walks…he struck out 4 and allowed a homer.

• Nelson Cruz had his 1st 3-hit effort as a Padre, going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and a double.

• In the T-6th, Xander Bogaerts hit a check-swing, RBI single to right field, plating Trent Grisham for the go-ahead (and eventual game-winning) run.

Brent Honeywell’s 1st Major League win comes against his hometown team
• Brent Honeywell, who was born and raised a Braves fan in Augusta, GA and attended Franklin County High School in Royston, tossed a career-high-tying 2.0 innings and got his 1st MLB win last night…said Honeywell, “It’s a pretty surreal moment tonight…It takes a lot. Especially when you don’t play for so long, it’s like you kind of just feel like you’re stuck in a wheel. A lot of my friends here never really let me get stuck in that wheel. Family, friends — a lot of people here know what I’m capable of. I was just happy to do it in front of them.”

Soto’s 1.123 OPS vs. Braves is the highest of any player, all-time
• Among players with at least 250 PA, Juan Soto’s 1.123 OPS against the Braves is the highest of any hitter in Major League history…he’s hit .324 with a .493 OBP and .630 SLG against ATL in 69 games against them in his career.

1-run games against Atlanta
• Since 2021, 8 of the 15 games the Padres and Braves have played against each other have been decided by 1 run…including last night’s 8-7 win, the Padres have been on the winning side of 4 of those games, and the Braves also have 4 1-run wins against San Diego in that time.

1st roadtrip of the year
• The Padres are amidst a 8-day, 7-game roadtrip to Atlanta and Mets…they went 4-3 against the Braves last year (2-1 @ Truist Park from May 13-15, 2022).

PADRES ’23 RECORDS
• After this 4-game set in Atlanta, the Padres will host the Braves when they return from the 7-game roadtrip (will host them for a 3-game series in San Diego after the Padres play a 4-game set against the Brewers).

TOG
• The Padres and Braves game last night was 3:01, but so far this year, all MLB teams have averaged a 2:37 game time…in 2022, the average game time was 3:04, their 2nd longest game so far in 2023 behind their 1st game against the Braves (3:14)…in their 6 home games so far this year, the Padres have averaged a 2:35 gametime, with their shortest being 2:03 on April 2 vs. COL.

Padres in a stretch of playing 18 games in 18 days and 21 games in 22 days
• San Diego had their 1st off day on Wednesday and will not enjoy their 2nd one until April 24th, playing 18 games in 18 days from April 6-23.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – MICHAEL WACHA
Wacha earns win in Padres debut
31-year-old Michael Wacha is set to start Game 3 again, after starting Game 3 of the Opening Series vs. COL in his Padre debut…Wacha earned the win in his first start in Padres brown and gold last Saturday vs. the Rockies…he was scoreless through the first 4 frames before surrendering a combined 4 earned runs in the 5th and 6th as SD went on to win the contest 8-4…it was Wacha’s first matchup vs. an NL West opponent since the 2019 campaign, and he is now 10-9 with a 4.01 ERA (86 ER, 193.0 IP) in his 37 career app. (36 starts) vs. the division. Wacha in search of first career win vs. ATL Wacha faces off vs. the Braves today for the first time since July 16, 2021 as a member of the
Tampa Bay Rays and is in search of his first career winning decision vs. ATL…he has made 8 appearances (6 starts), going a combined 0-4 with a 5.23 ERA (19 ER, 32.2 IP).

Wacha vs. the Braves bats
Orlando Arcia’s 10 at-bats are the most among all current Braves hitters entering today against Wacha, and he owns a .400 AVG against the right-hander…Ozzie Albies is just 1-for7 (.143) vs. Wacha while Austin Riley is 2-for-4 with 2 home runs.

Welcome to the Pads
Enters his 12th professional season and his 11th big league season in ’23…he owns a career 74-50 record and a 4.05 ERA (519 ER, 1153.2 IP) in 225 ML appearances (204 starts) across 10 seasons for STL (2013-19), NYM (2020), TB (2021) and BOS (2022).

Wacha aims to replicate the fast start in ’22
In ’22, he had a 2.61 ERA through 20 starts before allowing 14 runs over 13.1 IP in his final 3 outings…he allowed 2 runs-or-fewer and 4 hits-or-fewer in each of his first 6 starts.

Barkeep…order me another 10-plus win season
The 2022 season was Michael’s 3rd season with 10-or-more wins (17 wins in 2015 and 12 in 2017), and it was his 6th season making 20-or-more starts (and the 3rd time in the last three 162-game seasons).

When it matters most
Has made 8 career Postseason appearances (6 starts) between STL (2013-15) and TB (2021)…owns the MLB Postseason rookie records for longest scoreless-innings streak (18.2 IP in 2013) and most strikeouts in a single Postseason (33 in 2013).

A Wacha in the (Petco) Park
Wacha has made a total of 6 starts at Petco Park, and turned in 5 quality starts, going a combined 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA (13 ER, 37.0 IP)…he earned the winning decision in each of his first 3 starts at Petco from 2015-17, and his Padre debut on April 1 was his first-non QS
at Petco.

Wacha approaching the 10.000 ML service time plateau
Wacha entered the 2023 campaign with 9.062 years of ML service time, which ranked 5th on SD’s Opening Day roster, behind only Nelson Cruz (15.000), Yu Darvish (11.000), Matt Carpenter (10.145) and Manny Machado (10.056).

ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Padres tonight continue a four-game weekend set with the third of seven scheduled meetings between the two teams this season…The teams will play again just eight days after the conclusion of this series with a three-game set at Petco Park.

• San Diego beat Atlanta, 5-4, last night to even the series at one game apiece.

• Atlanta dropped the season series to San Diego, four-games-to-three, last season, snapping a streak of five straight seasons of winning the set…The Braves went 24-16 (.600) against the Padres from 2015-2021.

• The Braves are 12-8 against the Padres here at Truist Park, although they have lost six of the last nine games between the teams here…One of those games was suspended and then completed at Petco Park in 2021…Atlanta’s first series in the history of Truist Park came versus San Diego, and resulted in a four-game sweep for the Braves from April 14-17, 2017.

• RH Charlie Morton has made 11 career starts against San Diego and compiled a 6-2 record with a 2.55 ERA (19 ER/67.0 IP)…He last faced them on May 14 of last season here at Truist Park, and allowed two hits and one run over 6.0 innings in a no-decision…The 6-foot-5, 235-pound righty made his season debut on April 3 at St. Louis and earned the win, allowing three runs over 5.1 innings in the Braves victory, 8-4.

• RH Michael Wacha has never beaten the Braves in eight career appearances against them, including six starts, combining to go 0-4 with a 5.23 ERA (19 ER/32.2 IP)…The Iowa City native last faced Atlanta in 2021 while with Tampa Bay, and allowed five hits and four runs over 4.0 innings in a no-decision…In his Padres debut April 1, he earned the win after allowing six hits and four runs over 6.0 innings.

LOSS: Atlanta fell to San Diego, 5-4, last night for the Braves’ second loss of the season…At 6-2, Atlanta has the second-best record in the National League, trailing just the Brewers (6-1).

• Last night was just the second game this season in which the Braves did not hold a lead, with the only other game being their 4-1 loss to Washington on April 2.

• Atlanta is one of seven teams in baseball this season to win every game in which it has led, and its six such wins are tied with Milwaukee for most in the N.L.

• The Braves also lost for the first time when they hit a homer last night, as Marcell Ozuna drove a solo shot in yesterday’s third inning…Atlanta is now 5-1 when homering on the season.

• The Braves went 91-35 (.722) when they hit at least one home run last season, the most such victories in the major leagues.

ROSTER MOVES: The Braves today selected LHP Danny Young to the major league roster after optioning LHP Jared Shuster to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game…To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta designated RHP Seth Elledge for assignment.

• Young will wear No. 65 for Atlanta.

• Young appeared in two games with Triple-A Gwinnett this season, allowing one hit and one run in 2.0 innings.

• He made his major league debut last season, splitting the season between Seattle and Atlanta… He combined to appear in three games, posting a 4.26 ERA (3 ER/6.1 IP) without a decision.

TWO & THREE: No. 2 hitter Matt Olson and No. 3 batter Austin Riley combined to reach base in eight of their 10 plate appearances last night, and are batting a combined .333/.446/.667 on the season.

• Olson has hit second and Riley has batted third in every game for Atlanta this season.

• Atlanta leads the majors in runs (16), RBI (16), home runs (5, tied) and walks (13, tied) from these two spots in the batting order, and their 1.113 combined OPS ranks fourth.

• Riley reached base a career high-tying five times last night, going 3-for-3 with two walks…His four such games since the start of the 2021 season are second most by a third baseman in baseball, trailing just his counterpart tonight, SD’s Manny Machado.

TWO STRIKES: Atlanta logged four hits and drew four walks with two strikes last night, and is batting .225/.294/.350 when down to its last strike this season… The Braves’ .644 OPS with two strikeouts is tops in baseball, 21 points better than any other club (Boston, .623).

• For reference, the major league average is .170/.248/.266 with two strikes.

• The Braves’ 36 two-strike hits this year lead the National League…The Toronto Blue Jays are the only team with more in the majors (37).

• The club’s 23 runs and 22 RBI in two strike counts are easily the most in the majors, five ahead of Tampa Bay…The next closest National League club, San Francisco, has 14 two-strike RBI.

MULTIPLE RUNS: The Braves’ plated three runs in last night’s third inning, and have 12 multi-run innings this season…That total is tied for fifth most in the majors, and only San Francisco (13) has more in the N.L.

• Atlanta has just 12 single-run frames this season, including last night’s fifth inning.

• The Braves’ three-run third last night was their fifth inning of three-or-more runs this season…Only Baltimore, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, all with six, have more.

• Atlanta ranks third in the majors with 43 total runs this season.

Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #50 Charlie Morton

Today’s Game
• Set to make his second start of the season and 12th career appearance against San Diego.

• His 2.55 career ERA is the lowest against any single opponent (min. 10 appearances).

• Has held San Diego hitters to a .189 batting average through his 11 outings, also the lowest against a single team with at least 10 appearances against.

• Needs two strikeouts to reach 1,700 on his career.

• Will become the 15th active pitcher to record as many punchouts…Max Scherzer leads the active hurlers with 3,201.

• Made his first start of the season against St. Louis last week.

• Allowed three runs and nine hits through 5.1 innings pitched while earning his first win of the season.

• Only struck out one hitter through 5.1 innings pitched against the Cardinals, marking just the ninth time in his career Morton pitched at least 5.0 frames while failing to record at least two punchouts and the first since June 5, 2015 against Pittsburgh.

• Entering his age 39 season, Morton is tied for the fifth-oldest active pitcher in the majors.

• Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Morton has thrown his curveball on 37.3% of pitches, the second highest rate in baseball among qualified starters.

• During that span he has gotten hitters to swing and miss on 52.6% of curveballs thrown, the third highest rate in the majors…The MLB average is 13.1%.

• Trails only Chicago’s Drew Smyly’s 42.4%.

2022 Recap
• Made 31 starts during his 15th major league season and went 9-6 with a 4.34 ERA (83 ER/172.0 IP) and 205 strikeouts…Compiled 1.6 bWAR on the year.

• His 205 strikeouts on the season were tied for ninth most in the majors…Since June 1, his 159 strikeouts were fifth most in baseball.

• Morton’s 205 strikeouts last season were fifth most in the National League, and he is one of just three pitchers in Atlanta franchise history to log at least 200 strikeouts in multiple seasons…He struck out 216 last year…Hall-of-Famers John Smoltz (five seasons) and Phil Niekro (three seasons) were the only others to do so

• Since the start of the 2018 season, Morton’s 904 strikeouts are fifth most in the majors…Only Gerrit Cole (1,207), Max Scherzer (1,050), Aaron Nola (1,011) and Robbie Ray (931) have more.

• Started on August 21 vs. Houston, and allowed five hits and two runs over 6.0 innings…Walked two and struck out 11…Took a no-decision after the Astros rallied for a 5-4 win.

• Fanned 12 in his previous outing, and had double-digit strikeouts in back-to-back games for the fourth time in his career…He last did so in 2019, and has never fanned 10+ in three straight games.

• Had 45 total strikeouts in June, most in the National League and tied for tops in the majors…The White Sox’ Dylan Cease also had 45.

• Morton had never previously struck out 45+ batters in five or fewer starts in a single month…His previous high was 40 strikeouts, done over five starts in May of 2018.

• Furthermore, since the mound-to-plate distance was first set at 60’6” in 1893, Morton is the only Braves pitcher to fan at least 45 batters in five or fewer starts in a single month.

• Research courtesy the Elias Sports Bureau.

• With his start on May 25, became the 10th active pitcher in the majors to make 300 career starts.

• Over his first 150 career starts, from his debut through August 20, 2015, Morton compiled a 44-65 record and a 4.46 ERA…In his next 150 starts, he went 66-33 with a 3.61 ERA.

• Struck out Wil Myers in the third inning of his start, April 14 at San Diego, for the 1,500th strikeout of his career.

• Became the 18th active pitcher to reach 1,500 career strikeouts, with Max Scherzer’s 3,043 strikeouts pacing active players.

Career Recap
• A 15-year major league veteran, has compiled a 116-101 record and a 4.03 ERA (805 ER/1797.0 IP) across 323 games, 322 starts…Has fanned 1,697 and pitched a pair of shutouts.

• Has pitched for Atlanta (2008, ‘21-22), Pittsburgh (2009-15), Philadelphia (2016), Houston (2017-18) and Tampa Bay (2019-20).

• Is a two-time All-Star (2018 & 2019) and won the 2017 World Series while with Houston and 2021 World Series with Atlanta.

1...3,1333,1343,135...4,335Page 3,134 of 4,335

Contact us: info@sportsgamingjournal.com

* PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED AT THIS SITE IS FOR NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. ANY USE OF THIS INFORMATION IN VIOLATION OF ANY FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL LAWS IS PROHIBITED.

FOLLOW US

TODAY"S TOP CATEGORIES

© Copyright 2024, Sports Gaming Journal. All rights reserved.