No three-peat: Florida Panthers eliminated from NHL playoff contention

TheFlorida Panthers' quest for a rare three-peat was almost over before it started.

The two-time defending champions were already without Matthew Tkachuk because of offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia that he played through during the playoffs.

Then, on the first day of fall practice, captain Aleksander Barkov, a three-time Selke Trophy winner as top defensive forward,tore his ACL.

That was a major blow after an offseason in which general managerBill Zito defied the oddsand got Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad re-signed.

Instead of the Panthers pushing for the NHL's first three-peat since the 1980s, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a9-4defeat against thePittsburgh Penguinson April 4.

Normally, a team with Barkov's situation would place him on long-term injured reserve and bring in someone, but the newly enactedplayoff salary capmakes that tougher to pull off.

The Panthers opened the season with three consecutive wins then lost four in a row as the injuries piled up.

Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov had surgery for an upper-body injury in mid-October with an estimated recovery time of five months.

"We're not allowing any short-term injuries this year," coach Paul Maurice quipped at the time.

Advertisement

Eetu Luostarinen missed eight games with burns after a"barbecuing mishap."Seth Jones missed 2½ months afterbeing hit with a puckat the Winter Classic. Marchand missed 11 games in the lead-up to the Olympics.

Tkachuk was able to return on Jan. 19 and the Panthers got to a season-best eight games above .500 (three points out of a playoff spot) on Jan. 25 before they fell again.

After the Olympics, in which the Panthers sent a league-best nine players, the Panthers began shutting down injured players,including Marchand. And Niko Mikkola, Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues suffered long-term injuries recently.

"The most dangerous job in sports right now is to play for theFlorida Panthers," Maurice told reporters.

Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits

Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.

What did the Florida Panthers accomplish?

Now that the Panthers are out of the playoffs, here's a look back at what they accomplished in recent years:

• Won the Presidents' Trophy in 2021-22 but lost in the second round.

• Traded for Tkachuk in July 2022, recovered from a 3-1 series deficit against the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round and reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996. They lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.

• Won the Atlantic Division title in 2023-24 and captured their first Stanley Cup title, beating the Edmonton Oilers in the final.

• Won four rounds in the 2025 playoffs despite lacking home-ice advantage and beat Edmonton again for back-to-back titles.

What's next for the Florida Panthers?

The Panthers' position near the bottom of the NHL standings will be advantageous. They moved their 2026 first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Jones, but it's top 10 protected so they should be able to hang onto it. This draft is considered deep.

Florida moved Jeff Petry at the trade deadline but retained Sergei Bobrovsky and other pending unrestricted free agents and will try to re-sign them.

The Panthers had played 12 playoff rounds in the last three years, plus had heavy representation in the 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics. A season out of the playoffs will help them rest and heal.

Once Barkov returns, the Panthers will automatically be better. IfBobrovsky re-signsand returns to form and Florida is able to avoid this season's spate of injuries, it should be a Stanley Cup threat again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Panthers eliminated from NHL playoff contention; why champs are out

byCustos Caelorum

in

April 04, 2026

No three-peat: Florida Panthers eliminated from NHL playoff contention

TheFlorida Panthers' quest for a rare three-peat was almost over before it started. The two-time defendi...

Read More

The Big Jumper: Angels RF Jo Adell robs 3 homers, 1 from Cal Raleigh, in 1-0 win over Mariners

Any MLB hitter would be happy with a three-homer game. Jo Adell did the defensive equivalent on Saturday.

The Los Angeles Angels outfielder pulled off a hat track of home run robberies against the Seattle Mariners,in a game the Angels won 1-0. That's what we call making a defensive impact.

The first was at the expense of star Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who remains homerless in nine games this season after hitting 60 long balls in 2025.

Facing Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz, Raleigh clubbed a ball 104.7 mph and 370 feet to right field. It was a bona fide barrel … and landed just low enough for the 6-foot-2 Adell to snag it.

Call it the Big Jumper robbing the Big Dumper.

Six innings later, Adell did it again at the expense of Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor.

And then came the wildest catch in the ninth inning. Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford hit what would have been a game-tying homer off Angels closer Jordan Romano, but Adell brought it back with a leaping grab into the right-field stands.

Because Adell fell into the crowd, the Mariners challenged to see if the play could still count as a homer, but the call was confirmed because Adell made the catch before falling out of play.

Oh, and he went 1-for-3 at the plate.

Advertisement

"Sometimes you've got to help on the other side of the ball. I'm glad I did my job tonight," Adell said on the Angels broadcast before receiving his traditional Gatorade bath.

The feat is unprecedented, at least far as this stuff has been recorded. Sports Info Solutions started tracking home run robberies in 2004 andthis is the first time they've ever seen three from a single player in a single game. Only two players — Nook Logan in 2005 and Jesús Sánchez in 2025 — had even record two.

In attendance was former Angels outfielder Torii Hunter, who had his own track record of home run robberies during his playing days. The nine-time Gold Glover was impressed.

"[Hunter] stopped by my locker before the game. Maybe a little bit rubbed off," Adell said earlier with a laugh.

Adell is a former top 100 prospect who has been an up-and-down presence for the Angels in his seven-year career. Last season was his best as a hitter, hitting a career-high 37 homers as their starting center fielder. He's off to a slow start this season on offense, but clearly has some reason for confidence in his abilities going forward.

When will Cal Raleigh get his first HR?

It's also been a slow start to the season for Raleigh, who is slashing .121/.216/.152 after Saturday. He has so far registered only four hits while striking out 17 times in 37 plate appearances, tied for the most punchouts in MLB.

And that's after going 0-for-14 at the plate for Team USA at the 2026 World Baseball Classic in March.

At least on Saturday he had the excuse of Adell, and praised the outfielder accordingly withMLB.com's Daniel Kramer:

"You just tip the cap. I don't think I've ever seen a guy rob two homers in a game, much less three. So it's just one of those things where baseball can amaze you night in and night and night out. You can see something you've never seen before."

Is that cause for panic? Well, food for thought, this time last year Raleigh was hitting 125/.250/.250 in seven games. He did have a homer by then, but the point is that disappointing numbers in early April are very easy to erase. Raleigh went on to finish second in AL MVP voting and become only the seventh player (or fourth, if you remove players with steroid allegations) in MLB history to reach 60 homers.

byCustos Caelorum

in

April 04, 2026

The Big Jumper: Angels RF Jo Adell robs 3 homers, 1 from Cal Raleigh, in 1-0 win over Mariners

Any MLB hitter would be happy with a three-homer game. Jo Adell did the defensive equivalent on Saturday. Th...

Read More

'SNL' welcomes Jack Black to five-timers club in cameo-filled sketch

Welcome to the club,Jack Black.

The "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" actor kicked off the April 4 episode of"Saturday Night Live"with a star-studded monologue welcoming him into the "five-timers club," the informal group of celebrities who have hosted "SNL" that many times.

Traditionally, a star's fifth "SNL" episode as host includes a sketch where other five-timers induct them into the club and give them their own jacket, and Black's show was no exception. During the monologue,Jonah Hillwasthe first five-timer to enter. "There's something wrong with the five-timers club," he warned before bringing Black to the club lounge, which had become run down and filled with cobwebs.

Inside, Tina Fey showed up and quipped that Black is "officially the first Black in the five-timers club." But she acknowledged the club lounge has "seen better days" and offered a meta critique on the premise of the cameo-filled five-timers club sketches, saying the idea had been "run into the ground."

"For example, and this is true, this is my fifth five-timers club sketch," Fey pointed out.

Advertisement

'SNL' cold open:The show takes on Pam Bondi's firing by Trump

Candice Bergen entered next, followed soon after by Melissa McCarthy, who complained that there was no alcohol in the bar lounge other than "these warm cans of John Mulaney's beer."

Musical guest Jack White was the final cameo, and he joined Black in a musical performance to bring the sketch to a close.

'SNL' mocks Trump:Cold open sends up rising gas prices

Black previously hosted "SNL" for his fourth time in 2025, tied to the release of "A Minecraft Movie." Prior to that, though, he had not hosted the show since 2005. Black also previously hosted "SNL" in 2002 and 2003.

Before Black, the last star to enter the "SNL" five-timers club was Martin Short, who hosted his fifth episode in 2024. Other stars who hosted their fifth "SNL" in recent years include Kristen Wiig, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and John Mulaney.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'SNL' – Every star who joined Jack Black five-timers club sketch

byCustos Caelorum

in

April 04, 2026

'SNL' welcomes Jack Black to five-timers club in cameo-filled sketch

Welcome to the club,Jack Black. The "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" actor kicked off the April 4 episode...

Read More

Messi scores, but Inter Miami only gets 2-2 tie with Austin FC in opener of new stadium

MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi scored on the long-awaited opening nightin his new home stadium.And Luis Suarez found a way to tie things up late in the second half.

MLS Austin Inter Miami Soccer

It was good enough to salvage a point for Inter Miami.

Messi scored on a headerin the 10th minute, Suarez hammered home a volley in the 82nd minute and Inter Miami escaped with a 2-2 tie against Austin FC in the defending MLS champions' first match at their still-under-construction stadium near Miami International Airport on Saturday night.

Inter Miami (3-1-2) is now unbeaten in its last five MLS matches, and Austin (1-2-3) is now winless in its last four contests.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at the match, lauding the work that David Beckham — who picked Miami 13 years ago — did to get to this day. Inter Miami is in its seventh MLS season, its third with Messi, but has played home matches in Fort Lauderdale until now.

Garber touted the stadium opening as the latest sign of growth for MLS.

"I think our best days are still ahead," Garber said. "David shined a light on our league, and Leo's taking that torch, and he's showing it around. And we're getting calls from players around the world."

The Herons never led; Austin took a 1-0 lead on Guilherme Biro's goal — the first ever at Nu Stadium — in the sixth minute, and the visitors went up 2-1 when speedy reserve Jayden Nelson scored in the 53rd minute.

Messi and Suarez both got tying goals, and Inter Miami missed some chances for a potential winner in the final minutes. Maybe the best of the lot: Mateo Silvetti's chance in the 87th minute, when he accepted a cross from the right wing and tried to one-time the ball but sent it sailing high.

"We already know what Leo is capable of and the trouble he causes for the opposition, and even without the ball as well," Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcon told Apple TV after the match. "And Luis, too — whenever he's inside the box, he's lethal, and he proved that once again."

Advertisement

Suarez thought he scored in the 90th minute after a free kick from Messi, but the play was called offside. And Messi had a chance about three minutes later from inside the box, but Brad Stuver got low for a save diving to his left to keep the game knotted at 2-2.

Stuver said it was a great result, especially given the circumstances — against the MLS champs, who were opening their new stadium.

"We got to be the villains," Stuver said.

Austin led much of the second half, after Nelson came on at intermission and gave his club a spark.

Nelson — who played for Vancouver against Inter Miami in last season's MLS Cup final — got behind the defense, avoided going offside and took a pass from Myrto Uzuni in the middle of the field about 30 yards from the goal.

He sent a low shot that got past charging Inter Miami goalie Dayne St. Clair and kissed off the inside of the left goalpost before settling into the net.

Up next

Austin: Host LA Galaxy on April 11.

Inter Miami: Host New York Red Bulls on April 11.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byCustos Caelorum

in

April 04, 2026

Messi scores, but Inter Miami only gets 2-2 tie with Austin FC in opener of new stadium

MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi scored on the long-awaited opening nightin his new home stadium.And Luis Suarez found a way to...

Read More

Pistons clinch No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference with win over 76ers

The Detroit Pistons cruised toa 116-93 win over the Philadelphia 76erson Saturday night and secured a critical milestone in the process.

With the win, the Pistons clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They leave Saturday with a 57-21 record and four games remaining in the regular season. They're 4.5 games ahead of the second-place Boston Celtics, who cannot catch them in the standings.

Saturday's win was secured via a balanced offensive effort as seven different Pistons scored in double figures. Tobias Harris led the way with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.

The Pistons limited a 76ers team playing without Joel Embiid to 44% shooting from the floor and 28% shooting from 3 while forcing 15 turnovers. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 23 points.

The No. 1 seed is the first for the Pistons since the 2006-07 season. They lost in the Eastern Conference finals that season to LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers.

Advertisement

Will Cade Cunningham be back for playoffs?

Detroit will be guaranteed home-court advantage as along as it advances through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Doing so won't come easy as the status of All-Star and team leader Cade Cunningham remains unclear.

Cunningham has missed 10 straight games since being diagnosed with a collapsed lung in mid-March. ThePistons announced on Thursdaythat he's making progress in his recovery, but a precise return timeline remains unclear.

Cunningham is scheduled to be re-evaluated next week. The playoffs are scheduled to start on April 18.

The Pistons have gone 8-2 in Cunningham's absence and no longer have much to play for in the regular season. Surpassing the 61-16 Oklahoma City Thunder and the 59-19 San Antonio Spurs for guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs would be a long shot even with Cunningham in the lineup.

The Pistons can now shift their focus to the postseason and hope that Cunningham will be available for a first-round matchup.

byCustos Caelorum

in

April 04, 2026

Pistons clinch No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference with win over 76ers

The Detroit Pistons cruised toa 116-93 win over the Philadelphia 76erson Saturday night and secured a critical milestone...

Read More

Lakers' Austin Reaves will miss rest of the regular season with an oblique strain

The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Saturday thatAustin Reaves will miss the rest of the regular seasonwith a Grade 2 oblique strain.

The news is a devastating blow to a Lakers team that's already playing the remainder of the regular seasonwithout injured All-Star and MVP candidate Luka Dončić, who's sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

The Lakers will now play the rest of the regular season without their top two scorers. They have five games remaining on their schedule. Dončić is reportedly out indefinitely, and his status for a first-round playoff series is unclear.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Reaves is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with his injury, projecting to sideline him for any first-round playoff series and possibly beyond that if the Lakers advance out of the first round. The playoffs are scheduled to start on April 18.

Advertisement

Reaves sustained the injury during Thursday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder,the same game in which Dončić was injured.

The Lakers were previously waiting results of an MRI exam before determining Reaves' status.According to head coach JJ Redick, a second MRI was necessary because the Dallas Mavericks scanned the wrong area when they performed imaging on Reaves. The Lakers are in Dallas for a game against the Mavericks on Sunday.

The Lakers entered Saturday in third place in the West at 50-27, one game ahead of the Denver Nuggets, two games ahead of the Houston Rockets and four games ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The top four teams in the conference will have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Reaves, 27, is in the midst of a career-best season. He's averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field and 36% from 3. He's become a go-to scoring option on a roster that features Dončić and LeBron James. The Lakers will be at a significant disadvantage as long as he and Dončić remain out.

byCustos Caelorum

in

April 04, 2026

Lakers' Austin Reaves will miss rest of the regular season with an oblique strain

The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Saturday thatAustin Reaves will miss the rest of the regular seasonwith a Grade 2 ob...

Read More

After 13 years, David Beckham's dream comes true. Inter Miami calls Miami home

MIAMI (AP) — Don Garber remembers the earliest days of David Beckham's plans to bring Major League Soccer to Miami, the quest that started more than a dozen years ago.

MLS Austin Inter Miami Soccer

There were twists. There were turns. Eventually, there was Lionel Messi, too.

But there was never Miami — until now.

"We believed in Miami," Beckham said. "And Miami believed in us."

Inter Miami finally played a game in its namesake city on Saturday night, hosting Austin FC after more than six years of calling Fort Lauderdale its home. Garber — the MLS Commissioner — was there for the ribbon-cutting of Miami Freedom Park, a complex with construction still very much in progress and one that needed temporary approvals from civic officials just so Saturday's match could be held.

Beckham picked Miami as his spot in 2013, the league made it official in 2014 when he formally exercised his option for an expansion franchise, and now, there's a home.

"We made a commitment to him that he would have an option on the team, and he exercised that in Miami," Garber said. "And it was a journey. And that journey, in many ways, didn't end when Leo Messi joined the club. The journey really came to its conclusion today with the opening of this building."

The team says the stadium holds 26,700 seats. A public golf course near Miami International Airport was plowed under to make room for the stadium, and tons of construction equipment — from cranes to hard hats and everything in between — is still scattered all over the site. The lack of certain aesthetics didn't stop some fans from spending more than $1,000 on the resale markets for the best seats on Saturday, which was Inter Miami's first "home" match since winning last season's MLS Cup championship.

"It's a great day for the club," Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano told Apple TV before the match. "It's our dream day."

By the time Messi came onto the field for warmups, most of the seats were filled. Beckham and the rest of Inter Miami's ownership group came out to applaud the fans moments earlier,even mingling with somein the most ardent supporters' section behind one of the goals. It was an event, with pink glow sticks being waved in the stands and music icon Marc Anthony performing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Let the record show that Messi didn't score the first goal in the stadium; that distinction went to Austin defender Guilherme Biro. Messi got the first Inter Miami goal, a header four minutes after Biro's goal.

Advertisement

"There were times of trouble, you know, but David, he's an optimist," Garber said. "I think he was an optimist as a player. Again, he's got a lot of courage. You've seen that throughout his career. He has that same courage as a businessperson."

Beckham is a global icon when it comes to soccer, entertainment and fashion — and in many ways, MLS changed forever when he came to the U.S. to play for the LA Galaxy. It was through that deal that he got the option for an expansion franchise, which ultimately meant Miami.

"When I came to America and the MLS 20 years ago, my dream was to win championships, help raise the game of soccer that I love so much and to build my own team," Beckham said. "Thirteen years ago, I announced Miami was my choice. We had no name. We had no fans. We had no stadium. Today, I stand in our new home. We are champions of the MLS. We have the best player in the history of the game playing in Miami. Dreams really can come true."

Beckham's celebrity level got things started. Messi put the team onto a global stage. And others now will try to replicate it — including Austin, which has actor and producer Matthew McConaughey as part of its ownership group.

McConaughey wrote an open letter of sorts to Beckham on Saturday.

"As Austin visits Miami today for a little shindig on your new pitch, I want to first shout out a sincere "thank you" — you didn't create soccer over here in the US, but you damn sure supercharged it," McConaughey wrote. "When you came to the Galaxy you gave MLS fresh legitimacy, you turned games into events, and essentially changed MLS from a proving ground to a premier destination. THANK YOU."

Much work remains, both in terms of finishing the construction, all the surrounding areas — the team has promised parks, soccer fields, retail shops and more as part of the complex — and there's still final certifications to obtain from various governmental agencies. Garber said he isn't worried about any of that affecting Inter Miami's home schedule going forward.

MLS gave Inter Miami several road matches to start the season, buying the team time to get closer to finishing construction. And though outside was a traffic nightmare, things seemed to go off without a hitch inside the stadium.

Garber said his initial assessment Saturday was that the stadium was "breathtaking."

"What's happened in the last 30 days to where they are today is just remarkable," Garber said. "It's way further along than I expected it to be. And I've learned a lesson that when people tell you things are going to get done, sometimes you've just got to trust them."

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byCustos Caelorum

in

April 04, 2026

After 13 years, David Beckham's dream comes true. Inter Miami calls Miami home

MIAMI (AP) — Don Garber remembers the earliest days of David Beckham's plans to bring Major League Soccer to Miami, ...

Read More