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Mets sign three-time Cy Young Justin Verlander

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Mets sign three-time Cy Young Justin Verlander

FLUSHING, N.Y., – The New York Mets announced today that the club has signed three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League Most Valuable Player Justin Verlander to a two-year contract. The deal runs through the 2024 season and includes a vesting option for 2025.

Verlander, 39, won a World Series championship with Houston last season and was a unanimous selection for his third career American League Cy Young Award. He led the major leagues with a career-best 1.75 ERA (34 ER/175.0 IP) and 0.83 WHIP and paced the AL with 18 wins. He was named an All-Star for the ninth time in his career and earned AL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

“Alex and I are delighted to welcome Justin, his wife, Kate, and their daughter into our Mets family,” Mets Owner, Chairman and CEO Steve Cohen said. “We feel a deep connection with his drive to succeed and we know Mets fans will love watching him pitch.”

The 17-year major league veteran finished the 2022 season ranked 12th all-time and first among active pitchers with 3,198 strikeouts. He is also the active leader in wins with 244 career victories.

“Justin Verlander is, by every standard, one of the game’s most accomplished players,” Mets General Manager Billy Eppler said. “I want to thank Steve and Alex Cohen for their continued commitment to bringing top-tier talent to New York. We are all looking forward to watching Justin author another chapter in the rich pitching history of this franchise.”

Verlander will be the eighth pitcher to suit up for the Mets after winning multiple Cy Young Awards. New York’s other multi-Cy winners include: Tom Seaver, Bret Saberhagen, Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana, Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer. No other franchise has employed more than four multiple Cy Young Award-winning hurlers.

With Verlander and Scherzer, the 2023 Mets will be one of three teams in major league history to feature multiple three-time Cy Young Award winners on its roster in the same season (Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw on the 2021 Dodgers, Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver with the 1986 White Sox).

In 102 starts with Houston after joining the Astros in 2017, Verlander went 61-19 with a 2.26 ERA (164 ER/652.0 IP), winning two of his three Cy Young Awards. Since his Astros debut in September 2017, he leads the majors with a 0.83 WHIP, .184 opponent batting average and .763 winning percentage. His 2.26 ERA was the best mark in the AL from his Astros debut through the end of 2022.

A two-time world champion, the 2017 ALCS Most Valuable Player has more Postseason strikeouts (230) than any pitcher in major league history and ranks in the top five all-time in Postseason wins (16, second), starts (34, tied for third) and innings pitched (207.2, fourth). Verlander has pitched in five World Series, making a total of nine Fall Classic starts.

Verlander is one of just two players in major league history to be named Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year (2006), Cy Young (2011, 2019, 2022) and Most Valuable Player (2011), joining Don Newcombe. He won the pitching Triple Crown in 2011 en route to winning both the AL MVP and Cy Young Award. In 17 major league seasons with Detroit and Houston, Verlander is 244-133 in 482 starts with a 3.24 ERA (1,139 ER/3,163.0 IP).

Brewers make two selections in Rule 5 Draft

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Brewers make two selections in Rule 5 Draft

Milwaukee picks right-handed pitcher Gus Varland in Major League phase

SAN DIEGO – The Milwaukee Brewers selected right-handed pitcher Gus Varland from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft held today at the Baseball Winter Meetings in San Diego. The Brewers selected infielder Isaac Collins from the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the Triple-A phase.

The team did not lose a player in the Rule 5 Draft. The 40-man roster currently stands at 39. An updated version of the 40-man roster can be found here. 

Varland, 26, appeared in 41 games (7 starts) at Double-A Tulsa in 2022. After beginning the season as a starting pitcher, Varland made his final 34 appearances out of the bullpen, going 4-1 with a 4.67 ERA and 2 saves as a reliever. He went 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA and a save over his final 15 outings, striking out 32 batters and issuing just 5 walks over 19.2 innings during that stretch. 

Selected by Oakland in the 14th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Concordia University, St. Paul (MN), Varland was traded to Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2021. He is 7-10 with a 4.30 ERA in 75 career Minor League appearances (36 starts).

Collins, 25, played in 110 games at Double-A Hartford in 2022. He made 105 starts (74g at 2B, 13g in LF, 11g in CF, 5g in RF, 2g at DH). His best Minor League season came in 2021 when he batted .308 with 9 HR and 54 RBI in 95 games between Class-A Fresno (17g) and Class-A Spokane (78g). Collins was selected by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft.

Tigers select RHP Mason Englert from Texas in Major League phase of Rule 5 Draft

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Tigers select RHP Mason Englert from Texas in Major League phase of Rule 5 Draft

SAN DIEGO, CA – The Detroit Tigers selected righthanded pitcher Mason Englert from the Texas Rangers in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Englert, 23, made 24 appearances last year, all as a starting pitcher, between Single A Hickory and Double A Frisco, posting a combined 8-6 record and 3.64 ERA (118.2IP/48ER) on 31 walks and 136 strikeouts. Most of his action came with Hickory, where he went 7-5 with a 3.57 ERA (103.1IP/41ER) over 21 starts, holding opponents to a .193 batting average.

His only other professional experience came in 2021, making his debut with Single A Down East. That season he posted a 6-3 record and 4.35 ERA (80.2IP/39ER), walking 26 and striking out 90.

Englert, a native of Forney, TX, was drafted by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Forney High School (TX), and currently ranks as the Rangers No. 29 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. During his senior year of high school, he went 11-1 with a 0.57 ERA, establishing a Texas high school state record with a 55.1-inning scoreless streak.

With the selection of Englert, the Tigers 40-man roster is now at 39.

Mets select RHP Zach Greene in Rule 5 Draft

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Mets select RHP Zach Greene in Rule 5 Draft

FLUSHING, N.Y., – The New York Mets today announced that the club has selected right-handed pitcher Zach Greene from the New York Yankees in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Greene, 26, posted a perfect 9-0 record and a 3.42 ERA (26 ER/68.1 IP) while striking out 96 over 48 appearances (four starts) in 2022 with Scranton/Wilkes Barre, the Yankees Triple-A affiliate.

In three minor league seasons, the Jacksonville, Florida native has gone 14-8 with a 3.08 ERA (50 ER/146.0 IP) in 96 outings in the Yankees system. He has a 35 percent strikeout rate in the minor leagues, punching out 211 of the 595 batters he has faced. Greene was originally selected by New York (AL) in the eighth round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Alabama.

NHL Preview: Los Angeles Kings (14-10-4) at Toronto Maple Leafs (16-5-6)

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NHL Preview: Los Angeles Kings (14-10-4) at Toronto Maple Leafs (16-5-6)

LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:

DEC. 8 vs. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS – 7:00 PM ET (4:00 p.m. PT) // Venue: Scotiabank Arena // TV: Bally Sports West // Radio: iHeartRadio
-The LA Kings visit the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second, and final, meeting between the clubs this season (4-2 W, Oct. 29).

-The Kings look to sweep the season series with the Maple Leafs.

-Tonight’s game marks the second game of the Kings’ six-game road trip (5-2 W, Dec. 6 at OTT; Dec. 10 at MTL; Dec. 11 at CBJ; Dec. 13 at BUF; Dec. 15 at BOS).

WARM-UPS
1) The LA Kings have won three of their last four games against the Maple Leafs dating back to March 5, 2020.

2) Viktor Arvidsson recorded his fifth multi-point game of the season Tuesday night, putting him over the 20-point plateau for his seventh consecutive season.

3) The LA Kings are 10-1-0 (.909%) when leading after two periods of play this season.

4) Pheonix Copley stopped 31 of 33 shots versus the Senators on Tuesday in his LA Kings debut, earning his 17th career NHL victory.

5) The Kings are 6-0-1 against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Vegas (8-0-1) is the only other team in the league without a regulation loss against the Atlantic Division.

vs. TORONTO ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 69-64-21-2
Home: 41-26-10-0
Away: 28-38-11-2
OT: 3-2 (10 ties)
Shootout: 3-1
2021-22: 1-1-0
2022-23: 1-0-0

FRANCHISE LEADERS vs. TORONTO:
Marcel Dionne – 44 GP, 64 PTS (23-41=64)
Dave Taylor – 40 GP, 52 PTS (23-29=52)
Wayne Gretzky – 26 GP, 51 PTS (12-39=51)
Butch Goring – 48 GP, 43 PTS (16-27=43)
Luc Robitaille – 33 GP, 40 PTS (18-22=40)
*-denotes active roster player

LAST MEETING vs. TORONTO: Oct. 29, 2022 – LAK 4 vs. TOR 2
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
LAK Goals: Kempe (6), Arvidsson (2), Vilardi (7), Fiala (2)
TOR Goals: Tavares (4), Engvall (1)
Goalies: LAK: Petersen (W, 26 saves, 28 shots) TOR: Samsonov (L, 25 saves, 29 shots)
LAK PP: 2-for-6
LAK PK: 3-for-4

THE NEXT THREE:
Sat., Dec. 10 | at Montreal Canadiens | 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
o Phillip Danault returns to Montreal for the second time since with the LA Kings on July 28, 2021.

Sun., Dec. 11 | at Columbus Blue Jackets | 6:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
o The Kings swept the season series against Columbus last year, outscoring the Blue Jackets 6-4.

Tues., Dec. 13 | at Buffalo Sabres | 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
o Alex Iafallo returns to his home state to play the Sabres for the ninth time in his career. Iafallo grew up in Eden, N.Y., 20 miles south of Buffalo. In eight career games against Buffalo, Iafallo has six points (1-5=6).

INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Games Missed, Date(s), Status
F Alex Iafallo, 23 games, Oct. 18 – Dec. 3 (lower-body)
F Brendan Lemieux, 11 games, Nov. 14 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Quinton Byfield, 6 games, Oct. 27 – Nov. 5 (illness)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 2 games, Oct. 13 (illness); Oct. 25 (illness)
D Sean Durzi, 2 games, Nov. 19 – Nov. 22. (lower-body)
F Gabriel Vilardi, 1 game, Nov. 27 (lower-body)
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 45

RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 12/8/22)
Dec. 1 – Tobias Bjornfot (D) and Samuel Fagemo (F) recalled from Ontario (AHL), Rasmus Kupari (F) and Jordan Spence (D) loaned to Ontario.
Dec. 1 – Tyler Madden (F) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Dec. 2 – Tyler Madden (F) loaned to Ontario (AHL).
Dec. 3 – Aidan Dudas (F) recalled form Ontario (AHL).
Dec. 4 – Aidan Dudas (F) loaned to Ontario (AHL).
Dec. 7 – Brandt Clarke (D) loaned to Team Canada (IIHF)

LA KINGS TEAM NOTES:
POWER PLAY GURUS
The Kings have found success on the man advantage as of late, scoring on the man advantage in their last seven consecutive games, dating back to Nov. 22. During that time, the Kings have tallied multiple power-play goals in four of those contests, have gone 11-for-20 (55%) and are the only team in the league with a successful power-play percentage over 50%. In the past month, since Nov. 8, the Kings’ power play sits atop the league at 35.9%, cashing in on 14 of their last 39 power-play opportunities.

Best PP% in league since Nov. 8
Team GP PP%
LA Kings 14 35.9%
Buffalo Sabres 14 33.3%
Ottawa Senators 14 32.7%
Tampa Bay Lightning 13 32.6%
New York Islanders 14 31.7%

The Kings’ seven-game power-play streak is the longest active PPG streak and is tied for the fifth-longest streak of its kind this season. With a power-play goal tonight, the Kings can establish an eight-game power-play goal streak for the first time since the 2012-13 season (9 PPGs in 8 GP, April 6, 2013 – April 21, 2013.)

Longest PPG streaks in the league this season
Team Streak PPGs
Boston Bruins 10 games 15
Tampa Bay Lightning 10 games 15
Colorado Avalanche 8 games 10
Buffalo Sabres 8 games 11
LA Kings* 7 games 11
Vancouver Canucks 7 games 11
*denotes active streak

500 GAMES FOR PHIL
Forward Phillip Danault is set appear in his 500th career NHL game tonight, becoming the 27th player from the 2011 NHL Draft class and 12th active skater from the province of Quebec to reach such mark:

Most games played among active Quebec-born skaters
Player GP
Patrice Bergeron 1,241
Marc-Edouard Vlasic 1,190
Paul Stastny 1,097
David Perron 998
Derick Brassard 968
Kris Letang 962
Marco Scandella 699
David Savard 697
Jonathan Huberdeau 694
Nicolas Deslauriers 533
Jonathan Marchessault 508
Phillip Danault 499

Entering tonight, Danault has accumulated 269 points (89-180=269) in 499 career NHL games along with 27 power-play points, nine shorthanded points and 14 game-winning goals. In 28 games this season, he has registered 19 points (7-12=19), tied for fourth on the Kings.

WE’RE GOING STREAKIN’
Defenseman Sean Durzi enters tonight riding a career-long six-game assist and point streak (1-8=9) after extending both Tuesday night against the Senators with his fourth multi-point game (0-2=2) of the season. In doing so, Durzi became the second Kings defenseman in the past 10 years to record an assist streak of six games or longer (Drew Doughty, 7 GP, Jan. 21, 2017 – Feb. 4, 2017). Durzi’s streaks stands as the longest active point streak in the league among defensemen and tied for the longest active assist streak among all skaters with Toronto’s Michael Bunting:

Longest active point streaks among defensemen
Player Streak Points
Sean Durzi (LAK) 6 games 9 (1-8=9)
Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) 5 games 9 (1-8=9)
Nick Leddy (STL) 4 games 4 (0-4=4)
8 Players 3 games n/a

Longest active assist streaks among all skaters
Player Streak Points
Sean Durzi (LAK) 6 games 9 (1-8=9)
Michael Bunting (TOR) 6 games 7 (0-7=7)
Jake Guentzel (PIT) 5 games 8 (2-6=8)
Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) 5 games 9 (1-8=9)
Tage Thompson (BUF) 5 games 14 (8-6=14)
Zach Hyman (EDM) 5 games 8 (0-8=8)

Durzi’s previous longest point streak was three games (1-3=4) that began in his NHL debut on Nov. 24 vs. Toronto, where he scored a goal and assist to become the third Kings defenseman in franchise history to score a goal in their NHL debut joining Jean Potvin (1970) and John English (1988).

LET’S GO APPLE PICKING
Forward Kevin Fiala increased his team-leading point total to 30 (9-21=30) on Tuesday night, becoming the first Kings player this season to reach 30 points. Per NHL PR, Fiala is the fifth LA Kings skater in the past 20 years to reach the 30-point mark in 28 games or fewer, joining Anze Kopitar (19 GP in 2009-10, 24 GP in 2020-21, 28 GP in 2017-18), Pavol Demitra (22 GP in 2005-06), Alex Frolov (24 GP in 2005-06) and Ziggy Palffy (24 GP in 2003-04).

In 28 games this season, Fiala’s 21 assists are tied for ninth-most in the league among forwards and sits seven behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (28) for the league lead. Of Fiala’s 30 points, 21 have come at even-strength. Since the beginning of last season, Fiala has notched 88 even-strength points, which is the seventh-most among all skaters in the league:

Most even-strength points since 2021-22
Player GP EVP
Johnny Gaudreau 107 113
Connor McDavid 107 104
Matthew Tkachuk 106 98
Auston Matthews 100 96
Kirill Kaprizov 106 94
Leon Draisaitl 107 91
Kevin Fiala 110 88
Mitchell Marner 99 87
Steven Stamkos 106 87

Fiala has the third-most points this season among members from the 2014 NHL Draft class behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (27 GP, 18-26=44) and Boston’s David Pastrnak (25 GP, 18-18=36).

CLIMBING THE RANKS BEHIND THE BENCH
LA Kings HC Todd McLellan won his 542nd game as an NHL head coach Tuesday night in Ottawa, tying Billy Reay for the 24th-most wins by a head coach in league history. Tuesday’s victory also marked McLellan’s 108th with the LA Kings, taking sole possession of seventh place for most wins by a head coach in franchise history:

Most wins by a Head Coach in LA Kings history
Ranks Coach Games Coaches Wins

1 Darry Sutter 425 225

2 Andy Murray 480 215

3 Bob Pulford 396 178

4 Terry Murray 275 139

5 Larry Robinson 328 122

6 Tom Webster 240 115

7 Todd McLellan 236 108

8 Bob Berry 240 107

Most wins by a Head Coach in league history
Ranks Coach Games Coaches Wins

20 Jacques Lemaire 1,262 617

21 Jacques Martin 1,294 613

22 Bruce Boudreau* 1,067 610

23 Marc Crawford 1,169 556

T-24 Todd McLellan* 1,042 542

T-24 Billy Reay 1,102 542

*-denotes actively serving as head coach in NHL

MULTI-ASSIST PRO
Entering tonight, LA Kings captain Anze Kopitar has multi-point performances in three of his last five games, including his second three-assist game of the season and 24th of his career on Tuesday in Ottawa. Kopitar is tied with Bernie Nicholls for the fourth-most games with three or more assists in franchise history:

Most games with 3+ assists in LA Kings history
Player 3+ assist games
Wayne Gretzky 67
Marcel Dionne 43
Dave Taylor 28
Anze Kopitar 24
Bernie Nichols 24

KING ARTHUR
A big contributor to the team’s recent power-play success has been Arthur Kaliyev, who enters tonight with three power-play goals in his last five games. Kaliyev scored his team-leading seventh power-play goal last Saturday night against Carolina to establish a new career-high, surpassing his total of six set last season through 80 games. Kaliyev sits four behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (11) for the lead league. Since his NHL debut on Feb. 2, 2021, no Kings skater has scored more on the man advantage than Kaliyev (13):

Most PPGs by Kings skaters since Feb. 2, 2021
Player PPGs
Arthur Kaliyev 13
Adrian Kempe 10
Anze Kopitar 10
Drew Doughty 9
Gabriel Vilardi 8
Viktor Arvidsson 8

Last season, Kaliyev placed second in power-play goals among all rookies behind his draft classmate, Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras (9). Kaliyev is tied with New Jersey’s Jack Hughes (13) for most power-play goals among members of the 2019 NHL Draft class:

Most PPGs among 2019 NHL Draftees
Player GP PPGs
Arthur Kaliyev (LAK) 108 13
Jack Hughes (NJD) 192 13
Trevor Zegras (ANA) 126 11
Cole Caufield (MTL) 103 8
Matt Boldy (MIN) 72 6
THE MICHIGAN MAN
Defenseman Matt Roy scored his fourth goal in his 28th game of the season Tuesday night in Ottawa, tying his career-high previously set in the 2019-2 season through 70 games. All four of Roy’s goals have come on the road and at even-strength. No defenseman in the league has scored more even-strength goals on the road than Roy.

Among defensemen from the 2015 NHL Draft class, the Michigan-born blueliner ranks fourth in plus/minus:
Best +/- among defensemen from 2015 NHL Draft class
Player GP +/-
Brandon Carlo (BOS) 424 +73
Erik Cernak (TBL) 247 +48
John Marino (NJD) 215 +38
Matt Roy (LAK) 234 +37
Travis Dermott (VAN) 268 +33

TWO FROM 100
Forward Adrian Kempe sits two goals shy of his 100th career goal. With two more goals, he can become the 13th skater from the 2014 NHL Draft class to eclipse 100 career NHL goals. Since his NHL debut on Feb. 16, 2017, Kempe’s 98 goals rank third-most on the team during that time while his 202 points sit fourth:

Most goals by an LA King since Feb. 16, 2017
Player GP Goals
Anze Kopitar* 425 123
Dustin Brown 359 99
Adrian Kempe* 418 98
Alex Iafallo* 366 73
Tyler Toffoli 249 62
*denotes active on LA Kings

Most points by an LA King since Feb. 16, 2017
Player GP Points
Anze Kopitar* 425 375 (123-252=375)
Drew Doughty* 381 234 (45-189=234)
Dustin Brown 359 217 (99-118=217)
Adrian Kempe* 418 202 (98-104=202)
Alex Iafallo* 366 174 (73-101=174)
*denotes active on LA Kings

CLIMBING THE GWG RANKS
Drew Doughty is one goal shy of tying Rob Blake (29) for the most game-winning goals by a defenseman in franchise history. In doing so, Doughty would also tie Blake, Mike Murphy and Butch Goring for the seventh most GWGs in LA Kings history:

Most GWGs by an LA Kings defenseman
Player GWG
Rob Blake 29
Drew Doughty 28
Steve Duchesne 13
Alec Martinez 12
L’ubomir Visnovsky 10

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 4 at Dallas 0
Date: Tuesday, December 6, 2022
TOR Goals: Tavares, Matthews, Sandin, Kerfoot (EN)
DAL Goals: –
TOR Goaltender: Murray, 44/44, 1.000 SV%
DAL Goaltender: Oettinger, 25/28, .893 SV%
TOR Power Play: 0-for-2
TOR Penalty Kill: 7-for-7
Player Notes: – Mitch Marner recorded the primary assist on John Tavares’ goal. Marner extended his point streak to 20 games where he has posted 27 points (9G, 18A). Per NHL Stats, Marner is “the fourth active player to record a point streak of at least 20 games. The others: Patrick Kane (26 GP in 2015-16 & 20 GP in 2018-19), Sidney Crosby (25 GP in 2010-11) and Paul Stastny (20 GP in 2006-07).” Marner’s point streak marks the 31st point streak in NHL history to hit the 20-game mark. – Auston Matthews scored for Toronto at 17:36 of the first period.
Matthews has scored in four of his last five games. Matthews also recorded the secondary assist on Rasmus Sandin’s goal. Matthews extended his point streak to five games where he has recorded nine points (4G, 5A). – Michael Bunting recorded the primary assist on Sandin’s goal. Bunting extended his assist streak to six games (7A), marking the longest assist streak of his NHL career. – Semyon Der-Arguchintsev skated in his NHL debut and Conor Timmins skated in his Maple Leafs debut. – Matt Murray stopped 44 of 44 shots he faced in Tuesday’s win. Murray recorded his first shutout as a Maple Leaf and the 15th shutout of his NHL career.

TONIGHT’S GAME
2022-23 Matchups vs. Los Angeles: Second of Two
2021-22 Record vs. Los Angeles: 1-1-0
Toronto Season Record: 16-5-6
Toronto Home Record: 8-2-3
TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The Maple Leafs face-off against the Los Angeles Kings tonight in the second of two matchups between the clubs this season. Toronto was on the losing end of a 4-2 decision in their first game of the season on Oct. 29 at Crypto.com Arena. The Maple Leafs are entering tonight’s game on a 12-game point streak (9- 0-3), marking the second longest point streak in franchise history. The franchise record stands at 16 games which was set during the 2003-04 season (11/22/2003 – 12/26/2003). Toronto has posted an 8-2-3 record on home ice this season.

NEXT GAME
Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
Opponent: vs. Calgary Flames
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
December 4, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev from the
Toronto Marlies (AHL).
November 30, 2022 The Maple Leafs have activated goaltender Ilya Samsonov from injured reserve. Goaltender Erik Källgren has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL). November 23, 2022 The Maple Leafs acquired defenceman Conor Timmins in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes.

INJURY REPORT
Jordie Benn Upper Body (IR)
TJ Brodie Oblique (IR)
Carl Dahlström Shoulder (IR)
Calle Järnkrok Groin (IR)
Jake Muzzin Neck (LTIR)
Morgan Rielly Knee (LTIR)

ALL-TIME VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS:
First Matchup between Clubs: October 25, 1967 (Toronto 4 vs. Los Angeles 2)
All-Time Record: 66-66-21-3 (156 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 40-27-11-1 (79 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 26-39-10-2 (77 Games)
Last Home Win vs. Opponent: November 5, 2019 (Toronto 3 vs. Los Angeles 1)

2022-23 AVERAGES AND RANKINGS
Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .704 3.07 2.44 23.3 80.0 30.8 29.5 52.8
Los Angeles .571 3.43 3.54 26.0 72.0 32.3 29.5 52.4
Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
Opponent: vs. Calgary Flames
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)

THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2022-23
Power Play: 23.3%
Power Play Goal Leader: 7 – Tavares
Power Play Point Leader: 14 – Tavares (7G, 7A)
2021-22 Power Play: 63/231 (27.3%)

ON THE PK IN 2022-23
Penalty Kill: 80.0%
Shorthanded Goal Leader: 1 – Järnkrok, Giordano, Marner
Shorthanded Point Leader: 2 – Marner (1G, 1A), Kämpf (2A)
2021-22 Penalty Kill: 192/234 (82.1%)

FAST FACTS
Thursday games 5th of 15 (7 home and 8 road)
Back-to-Backs played 5 of 14
Record in first game of back-to-back 2-3-0
Record in second game of back-to-back 4-0-1
December games 3rd of 12 (5 home, 7 road)

NHL Morning Skate – Dec. 8, 2022

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NHL Morning Skate – Dec. 8, 2022

* Tage Thompson stole the show Wednesday after a five-goal and six-point performance – all of which were tallied in the first 40 minutes – landing him on a number of noteworthy lists.

* Connor McDavid posted a four-point performance and became the first player to reach the 50-point mark in 2022-23, requiring the fewest games in his career to do so.

* Artemi Panarin posted a three-assist outing to surpass the 600-point milestone and owns a point total that only trails Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Kane since he entered the NHL in 2015-16.

* Alex Ovechkin’s “Road to 800” continued Wednesday as he found the back of the net twice and moved within 99 goals of the legendary No. 99 on the NHL’s all-time list.
 


LAST NIGHT IN TWO WORDS: TAGE THOMPSON
Tage Thompson (5-1—6) accounted for over half of Buffalo’s nine goals Wednesday and factored on six of them – creating a plethora of #NHLStats along the way, enough for a period-by-period breakdown of the highest-scoring game of the night.

First Period:
* The Sabres scored four times in the opening 7:50 – they have tallied four faster goals to begin a contest just twice before: March 27, 1990 (7:24) and Dec. 26, 2006 (7:30).
 

* Thompson, who concluded the opening frame with 4-1—5, became the fourth player in NHL history to score four goals in the first period of a regular-season game, joining Peter Bondra (Feb. 5, 1994), Grant Mulvey (Feb. 3, 1982) and Joe Malone (Feb. 23, 1921).

* Thompsonbecame the sixth player in the past 40 years to record four goals in any period, joining Patrick Marleau (Jan. 23, 2017), Mario Lemieux (Jan. 26, 1997), Bondra(Feb. 5, 1994), Joe Nieuwendyk (Jan. 11, 1989) and Al Secord (Jan. 7, 1987).

* With his fourth goal, Thompson recorded his 20th of 2022-23 (26 GP). Only three players in Sabres history have required fewer games in a season to reach the 20-goal mark: Alexander Mogilny (23 GP in 1992-93), Pat LaFontaine (24 GP in 1991-92) and Richard Martin (24 GP in 1972-73).
 



Second Period:
* After Columbus scored the first two goals of the second frame, Thompson notched goal No. 5 of the evening and matched the franchise record for the most in a single game, joining Dave Andreychuk (5-1—6 on Feb. 6, 1986) atop the record books.

* A Phoenix, Ariz., native, Thompson became the second U.S.-born player to score five goals in a game, joining Mark Pavelich (Eveleth, Minn.) on Feb. 23, 1983 (5-0—5).

* Thompson improved his season totals to 21-19—40 (26 GP) and became the fourth player this season to record 40 points. OnlyLaFontaine(18 GP in 1992-93 & 24 GP in 1991-92) required fewer games among Sabres skaters to reach the mark in a season.


Third Period
* Despite being held off the scoreboard in the third period, the Sabres matched the Kraken (9 on Nov. 29) for the most goals in a game by a team this season. It was also the first time Buffalo scored nine times in a contest since Nov. 3, 2018 (9-2 W vs. OTT).

* Thompson (5-1—6) concluded the contest one point shy of the Sabres record for the most points in a single game, trailing only Gilbert Perreault on Feb. 1, 1976 (2-5—7), and moved into third place in the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race, behind Connor McDavid (24) and Jason Robertson (23).

* Rasmus Dahlin finished Wednesday with 1-2—3 and surpassed 30 points in 2022-23 (9-23—32 in 25 GP), tying Phil Housley (25 GP in 1988-89 and 1983-84) for the fewest games to 30 points in a campaign by a Sabres blueliner. He also moved within three points of Erik Karlsson (11-24—35 in 29 GP) for the most among defensemen.


ANOTHER NIGHT OF McDAVID DOING McDAVID THINGS
Maintaining his place atop the Art Ross Trophy race with a four-point performance Wednesday, Connor McDavid (2-2—4) became the first player to hit the 50-point mark this season (24-28—52 in 27 GP) while also overtaking Jason Robertson (23-218—41 in 26 GP) as the frontrunner for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.

* McDavid became the first player to reach the 50-point mark in a season for the fifth time in his career (outright or tied), requiring two fewer games to do so than his previous best (29 GP in 2020-21 & 2019-20). Only three players in NHL history have been the first to hit 50 points in more campaigns: Wayne Gretzky (11x), Gordie Howe (6x) and Mario Lemieux (6x).



* The Oilers captain also extended his goal streak to six games for the second time in his career (6 GP from March 28-April 7) and became the fourth player in Oilers history to record multiple runs of at least as many contests, joining Gretzky (7x), Jari Kurri (4x) and Glenn Anderson (4x). 

* Wednesday marked the 28th four-point performance of McDavid’s career, moving him past Mark Messier (27) for the third most in Oilers history. The only players with more are Gretzky (158) and Kurri(45).

OVECHKIN 99 GOALS FROM NO. 99, AND MORE FROM WEDNESDAY
While the Sabres’ offensive outburst took “center sTage” on Wednesday, there were plenty of other notable moments highlighted in #NHLStats: Live Updates, including Alex Ovechkin moving within double digits of catching Wayne Gretzky on the NHL’s all-time goal list, Kirill Kaprizov establishing new Wild streak records, Elias Pettersson scoring his second straight overtime winner and Artemi Panarin surpassing the 600-point milestone.

* Ovechkinscored twice to record his 405th multi-point game – surpassing Ray Bourque (404) for the 13th most in NHL history – and moved within five goals of becoming the third member of the 800-club (795-642—1,437 in 1,302 GP). The Capitals captain is now just 99 goals shy of Gretzky (894-1,963—2,857 in 1,487 GP) for the most in NHL history.

* In just one season, Kaprizovhas rewritten the streak section of the Wild record book. He scored Minnesota’s opening tally to extend his goal streak to seven games, the longest by any player this season, and his point streak to 13 contests – both stand alone as the longest such streaks in franchise history. On Dec. 1, he established a new franchise record for longest assist streak (9 GP).

* After a back-and-forth 60 minutes that saw both teams erase deficits, Pettersson netted the decisive goal in overtime to lift Vancouver to victory. He became the second player in Canucks history to score the overtime winner in consecutive games (also Dec. 5 vs. MTL), joining Mike Santorelli (Oct. 6 & 8, 2013).



QUICK CLICKS

* Preparation, coaching key to success on power play, penalty kill
* Mets’ Pete Alonso takes in Lightning game in hometown of Tampa
* Alex Pietrangelo out indefinitely for Golden Knights because of family illness
* Nathan MacKinnon out 4 weeks for Avalanche with upper-body injury
*Jack Roslovic is giving back to his community through his foundation Rosie’s Gear for Goals

HRONEK EYES ELITE COMPANY WITH ANOTHER ROAD POINT
Filip Hronek will put his season-opening road point streak (11 GP) on the line when the Red Wings (13-7-5, 31 points) travel to Florida to take on the Panthers (12-10-4, 28 points) in an Atlantic Division showdown on Hulu, ESPN+ and Sportsnet 360. Hronek, with 4-11—15 as a visitor in 2022-23, can join Edmonton’s Paul Coffey (4-16—20 in 12 GP; 1986-87) as the second defenseman in NHL history to post a 12-game road point streak from the start of a season.

NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets (14-10) at Portland Trail Blazers (13-11)

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NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets (14-10) at Portland Trail Blazers (13-11)

The Denver Nuggets have hit a sudden roadblock and will aim to halt a season-worst, three-game losing streak when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

The Nuggets won two-thirds of their first 21 games. But December began with road setbacks to the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans before Denver sustained a 116-115 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Bones Hyland was one of the many distraught Nuggets after the loss to Dallas.

Hyland scored 20 points in 30 minutes against the Mavericks. But he was in the doghouse two nights earlier when he played just five minutes against New Orleans before being benched by coach Michael Malone.

Malone said he addressed some issues with Hyland.

Aaron Gordon scored a team-best 27 for the Nuggets against Dallas while two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic tallied 19.

Jamal Murray had just 11 points on 2-of-11 shooting and is 8-for-28 from the field over the past two games.

Portland has won its past two games, coming on a back-to-back that began with a 116-111 road win against the Utah Jazz on Saturday and followed with a 116-100 home victory against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

Six-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard returned from a seven-game absence due to a right calf injury to contribute 21 points and six assists in 32 minutes in the win over the Pacers.

Lillard has been sidelined twice this season due to right calf injuries — he has played in just 12 games — and was pleased with how well things went during his return.

Lillard said he didn’t want his return to affect the performances of guard Anfernee Simons or forward Jerami Grant. For good reason.

Simons has scored 20 or more points in 15 of his past 17 games, including topping 35 points in three of five games prior to a 22-point outing against the Pacers in Lillard’s return. The fifth-year Simons is averaging a career-best 24.7 points this season.

Grant scored 28 points against Indiana and has topped 30 points in three of his past six games. He is averaging a career-high 23.0 points per game.

Portland’s consecutive victories came after the club lost seven of eight games. Lillard completely missed five of the losses, and that causes coach Chauncey Billups to have good feelings about his club nearly 30 percent of the way through the regular season.

Portland routed the visiting Nuggets 135-110 on Oct. 24 when it outscored Denver 80-49 in the second half. Lillard scored 31 and Simons added 29.

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (7-17) at San Antonio Spurs (6-18)

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NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (7-17) at San Antonio Spurs (6-18)

The San Antonio Spurs will be rested and ready to break a lengthy losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets on Thursday in the first matchup this season between the Lone Star State rivals.

The problem with that scenario is that San Antonio is getting the Rockets at a time when Houston is playing its best basketball of the season.

The Spurs haven’t played since Sunday, when they were caught short-handed in a 133-95 loss at home to Phoenix, the Western Conference leader. San Antonio was led by Keldon Johnson’s 27 points while Devin Vassell had 14, Keita Bates-Diop scored 12 and Tre Jones added 10 in the setback.

The Spurs scored 11 points in the second quarter and just 41 points in the first half, both season lows for the team. San Antonio also surrendered 71 points to Phoenix in the first half, the most it has allowed this year. All that added up to a 30-point halftime deficit from which the Spurs would not recover.

San Antonio needed the break to heal and get its collective act together. The Spurs played without starters Jakob Poeltl (right knee) and Jeremy Sochan (right quad) and key reserves Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott (both with right ankle sprains). Coach Gregg Popovich also missed the game, his second in a row, after he underwent a minor medical procedure last week.

The Spurs have dropped 11 straight games, their worst losing streak since 1989 when they lost 13 straight. San Antonio has not won since Nov. 11 and has just one victory in its past 17 outings, a stretch that’s seen them plummet to the bottom of the West after a once-promising 5-2 start.

The Rockets have found their stride of late, winning two of their past three games and four of their last seven to climb out of the cellar in the West. Houston’s most recent outing produced a 132-123 double-overtime win at home over Philadelphia on Monday in which Jalen Green scored 27 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 24.

Porter, Eric Gordon (14 points) and Jabari Smith Jr. (16 points, 11 rebounds) poured in 3-pointers in the second extra period to help Houston seal the win. Tari Eason had 18 points off the bench and Kenyon Martin Jr. hit for 14 for the Rockets.

Houston coach Stephen Silas lauded his team for doing the little things it needed to beat the 76ers.

The Rockets open a season-long, seven-game homestand on Sunday against Milwaukee, lasting through Dec. 23 following Thursday’s trip to San Antonio.

NBA Preview: Los Angeles Clippers (14-12) at Miami Heat (11-14)

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NBA Preview: Los Angeles Clippers (14-12) at Miami Heat (11-14)

The Los Angeles Clippers will try to rebound from a confounding loss in the first half of a back-to-back set when they continue a four-game road swing on Thursday against the Miami Heat.

After opening its Eastern Conference tour on Monday with a 119-117 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles coughed up an 18-point, first-quarter lead on Wednesday and lost in overtime to the Orlando Magic, 116-111.

The Clippers went the final 3:22 of regulation without scoring against the team with the NBA’s worst record, giving up the last six points. Los Angeles again was outscored 6-0 down the stretch of overtime.

Since Nov. 19, Los Angeles is 5-5 and scored at least 114 points in each of the five wins. The Clippers scored 112 points or fewer in each of the five losses.

Los Angeles’ offensive woes were pronounced at Orlando.

No Clippers starter scored more than 16 points — a mark that Ivica Zubac and Nicolas Batum both reached — while reserve Terance Mann set the pace with 19 points. Paul George had 10 points in the game’s first five minutes, but he notched just one more point the rest of the night.

Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup at the beginning of the road trip and hit the game-winning basket against the Hornets. Against the Magic, he finished with 14 points, playing under a time restriction as he adjusts to game speed.

Leonard shot 4-for-15 from the floor in 30 minutes. George also was limited, and he shot 3-for-12 in 33 minutes.

The usage of George and Leonard on the second leg of a back-to-back will be an important subplot entering the Thursday game.

The Clippers are not alone in their search for offensive consistency amid roster fluctuation.

Miami was held to double-digit scores in each of its last two games, both losses. Following a 101-93 road defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, the Heat returned home the following night for a 116-96 blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons.

While the Miami offense has endured a rough patch, the team’s signature defensive tenacity has waned in recent games. The Tuesday loss marked the third time in the past four outings that the Heat surrendered at least 116 points.

Miami played Tuesday without Jimmy Butler, the five-time All-Defensive honoree and six-time All-Star who just returned from a seven-game absence on Friday against Boston.

Butler was instrumental in a 120-116, overtime victory over the NBA-leading Celtics, posting 25 points and 15 rebounds. Butler finished with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the loss at Memphis. His absence against Detroit was attributed to reconditioning, and he is listed as questionable for Thursday.

Miami’s Gabe Vincent (knee) will miss a second straight game on Thursday, while Dewayne Dedmon (foot) is questionable to return from a one-game absence.

World Cup Preview: Netherlands at Argentina

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World Cup Preview: Netherlands at Argentina

A berth in the final four at the World Cup will be on the line when the Netherlands and Argentina square off in the quarterfinals at Lusail Iconic Stadium on Friday. The two nations are meeting at the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when Argentina won in penalties en route to a runner-up finish.

Netherlands Vs Argentina Opening Odds
Argentina opened as the favorite at +115 on the moneyline with the Netherlands getting +250 as the underdog. The total was set at 2.5 goals with the UNDER going 7-3-1 in Argentina’s last 11 matches. Both sides go into this match confident and in good form, so it’ll be hard to pick a clear favorite in any Netherlands vs Argentina prediction.

Netherlands Cruises Past USA In Round Of 16
The Netherlands rolled to a smooth 3-1 win over the USA on Saturday to earn their place in the quarterfinals. Memphis Depay opened the scoring just 10 minutes in before Daley Blind added another at the stroke of halftime. Haji Wright brought the Americans within one in the 76th minute but Denzel Dumfries replied for the Dutch in the 81st to seal the win.

The Netherlands remains undefeated in Qatar, going 2-1-0 in the group stage prior to its Round of 16 victory. Cody Gakpo failed to score for the first time in the tournament against the USA, but remains one of the top performers at this World Cup with three goals – tied for second with several others behind France’s Kylian Mbappe (5).

While Gakpo is the only Dutch player with multiple goals in the tournament, Dumfries and Davy Klaassen have been key performers as well, notching a goal and two assists each.

Messi Leads Argentina Into Quarterfinals
The score line may not have been as flattering as Argentina may have wanted, but they came out with a 2-1 win over Australia on Saturday to stay alive in the tournament. Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a classic left-foot finish before Julian Alvarez doubled their lead in the second half.

Australia’s goal came in the 77th minute after a shot deflected off Enzo Fernandez and into Argentina’s net, but it was the lone blemish on an otherwise strong performance.

There will be plenty of pressure on Argentina to deliver in this match as Messi has confirmed that this will be his final World Cup. The Argentines came close in 2014, losing 1-0 to Germany in the final, before a Round of 16 loss in 2018. Messi and company will look to avenge that disappointment, and that starts with a difficult matchup against the Netherlands.

Netherlands Vs Argentina Game Prop: Total Goals OVER 2.5 (+140)
Both teams had plenty of goals and hit the OVER in their Round of 16 wins, so it’s very possible that trend continues Friday. The Netherlands ranks fourth in the tournament with eight goals while Argentina ranks fifth with seven, so it’s hard to imagine the two teams not combining for at least three in this match.

Netherlands: Keys To Win
The Netherlands is a strong team at No. 8 in the world, but they probably don’t have the same quality as their No. 3-ranked opponents. That difference in quality has been borne out in the stats as the Dutch are averaging just 52 percent possession while relying heavily on their goalkeeper, Andries Noppert, who ranks second in the tournament with 17 saves. Noppert has two clean sheets in four matches so far and he’ll likely need to be great again to defeat Argentina.

Argentina: Keys To Win
Argentina has been one of the most impressive attacking teams in the tournament, ranking first in shots on goal (27) and second in possession (65%). If they can control the ball the same way against a strong Dutch side, they certainly have enough finishing ability up front to get the job done.

Argentina is 7-3-1 in its last 11 matches.
Netherlands is 10-3-1 in its last 14 matches.
The UNDER is 8-6 in Netherlands’ last 14 matches.

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