While the New Jersey Devils watch the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs from home, one of their most ardent supporters still has something to play for.

Josh Langer, Devils season-ticket holder and the voice behind one of the largest Devils fan accounts on Instagram, @devils.fanpage, placed second out of more than 616,000 entries in the NHL’s official ‘Bracket Challenge.’

He has correctly predicted the outcome of all 12 playoff series so far – and determined the exact number of games for every series except three.

has the potential to He Okay up to this point? About one in 200,000.

UPDATE!! Now through two rounds a perfect bracket!!

I’m now ranked second in the world out of 616,147 in the NHL’s Bracket Challenge

Oh my 🤯🤯🤯 https://t.co/srUltFqhBj pic.twitter.com/Bvz5L1GIAt

– Josh (@joshlangerr) 19 May 2026

All that remains for completion is the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals, with the Avs winning it all. According to NHL.com, both of these teams are “overwhelming favorites” to advance in their respective series.

The first place bracket belonging to user “galastorn” predicted the same finals result. But the total number of goals scored in the final could become a potential tiebreaker; Langer predicted 35, while Galstorna predicted 33.

If Langer is able to leap into the first place bracket and win it all, he will win an all-expenses-paid trip to any NHL event as well as a limited edition Norken watch valued at over $10,000. not bad.

Even if he is unable to do so, he will still have a pile of rewards from the individual groups he is involved in, of which Langer says he is “absolutely guaranteed to win at this rate.”

It took him only five minutes to make the bracket.

“I’m a big hockey fan and follow enough regular season action to make my own picks from the dome when looking at the bracket for the first time,” Langer explained. “And from there I think I have a good chance right from the start.”

One call he’s particularly proud of? Picking the Anaheim Ducks to upset the Edmonton Oilers in the first round:

He said, “It feels like Edmonton’s window is slowly closing without proper goaltending, meanwhile Anaheim’s window is opening with young star talent.” “The only way I could have gone different was based on playoff experience, but I still went with Anaheim.”

Many of her more than 51,600 followers on Instagram have supported her bid for first place.

“With the way the internet is these days, you’d probably expect some trash talk to accompany anything I post,” he laughs, “but I’m not sure I’ve seen much, if any, under my bracket success posts, it’s been mainly fun, positive words and most importantly shocking.”

The Devils’ two most recent playoff sweeps have come at the hands of the Hurricanes. Naturally, he’s eating her out.

“I’ve been a Devils fan since birth,” Josh told me. “I was 8 days old when they won their third title in 2003, so I was instantly obsessed with my father and that’s been in my life forever.”

However, the Hurricanes’ success against the Jersey side hasn’t stopped them from being objective when it matters. In fact, he says the opposite is true.

“When filling out a bracket my Devils fandom is put aside. All biases are put aside and I make my picks based on how that team performed that season in my mind… Picking Carolina to go to the Finals this year, I wouldn’t do it if my Devils fandom got in the way.”

Langer has filled out an NHL bracket every year since 2018 or 2019 — it’s a tradition he, his family and his friends look forward to like many during March Madness.

Of course, as a Devils fan, it will be a bit strange for him to watch the Eastern Conference Finals.

He said, “I won’t be rooting for Carolina, but I won’t be as upset if they win the ECF this year compared to the year I didn’t have the right bracket.” “If Montreal wins, great. I won’t be upset because I would love to see them in the finals. If Carolina wins, great too, because it’s good news for my class.”

What if it all comes together and he wins the entire challenge?

“Yeah, I mean it would be great, right?” Josh said with a big smile.

For a man who has been going to games since childhood and now runs one of the largest Devils communities online, a national bracket title would be the final ray of hope after a disappointing Devils season.

Daniel is the New Jersey Devils beat reporter for SportsNut. He graduated from Montclair State University in 2025… More about Daniel Amoia

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 124–116 for their seventh consecutive win. It was also the Lakers’ second win against the Rockets in three days, giving them a tiebreaker in the battle for the No. 3 seed. According to LA sports reporter Law Murray, after the win over the Rockets, the Lakers have now won the tiebreaker against all of their closest Western Conference opponents.

“The Lakers should be the 3rd seed in the West and a trip to the semifinals. This season they have all the relevant tiebreakers – 2-1 vs. Rockets (can only play three quarters) – 2-1 vs. Nuggets (lost in Memphis) – 3-0 vs. Timberwolves (ant knee),” Law posted on X.

The Lakers swept a two-game set in Houston this week. Remarkably, this was a huge turnaround after their poor performance against the Rockets on Christmas Day. The win gave Los Angeles a 1.5-game lead over the Timberwolves with a 44–25 record. They also hold a 2.5 game lead over the Rockets.

As the final stretch of the regular season approaches, the Lakers are hitting their stride. Currently, the No. 3 seed appears to be the goal as they trail the San Antonio Spurs by seven games with 13 games remaining. Because of this, if the Lakers continue to win they will likely start the playoffs as the No. 3 seed.

These two wins were a major achievement in the playoff preview between the Lakers and the Rockets. If the teams meet again, it could turn out to be one of the best series of the playoffs.

No one saw this coming. A year ago, the Las Vegas Raiders were a punchline. They finished 3-14, had a roster full of question marks and a franchise that couldn’t find a quarterback with a map and a torch. Now, less than 72 hours into the 2026 NFL free agency period, second-year GM Jon Spytek has turned the Silver and Black into the most interesting team in the AFC West. Probably the most interesting team in the entire conference.

Let him breathe for a second.

SpyTech performs big on day one of Raiders rebuild

Spytek began a period of legal tampering by landing Tyler Linderbaum on a record-setting deal for a center – three years, $81 million. This is not a move by a rebuilding team. This is a team that knows what it’s doing and isn’t afraid to pay for it. Linderbaum, just 25 years old and coming off consistently impressive seasons in Baltimore, is one of the two or three best centers in football. He doesn’t just upgrade the Raiders’ offensive line; He lays the foundation for what Fernando Mendoza’s career would turn out to be. You can’t spend so much money in a center without planning who is taking pictures behind it.

Then Spytech continued. Kwiti Paye on a $48 million deal. Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker – former college teammates who are thrilled to play together – bolster a linebacker corps that desperately needs it. Terron Johnson, a former second-team All-Pro, was added at cornerback in a trade that cost a minor pick swap. Kicker Matt Gay, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams. One after another, the moves have been efficient, targeted and consistent.

AFC West strangely quiet behind Raiders

Now look at the entire division.

The Kansas City Chiefs spent the offseason bleeding heart. They traded Trent McDuffie – one of the league’s best young corners – to the Rams for a pick. They lost Jaylen Watson and Brian Cook. Yes, they signed Kenneth Walker III to address the backfield, and Travis Kelce is back for another year. But this is a Chiefs roster with massive flaws in the secondary and a defense that is finished in 2025 and looks nothing like the units that dominated this league for more than a decade. Brett Veach is hoaxing, not scheming.

Denver Broncos? They re-signed JK Dobbins and kept things relatively quiet. Sean Payton’s team isn’t devoid of talent, but they haven’t made any moves that change the conversation. After losing Linderbaum to the Raiders, the Chargers have been busy revamping their offensive line with the additions of Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange. They are filling holes, not creating anything. Jim Harbaugh’s team has shown promise, but they’ve been reacting rather than directing this offseason.

Spytek is directing.

Max Crosby’s Boomerang SpyTech is a boon for the Raiders

What makes it particularly impressive is its context. The Max Crosby trade with Baltimore collapsed when the Ravens backed out after a reportedly worrisome physical condition. One less front office panic. They leave Crosby for whatever they can get.

Spytech’s response was essentially: We’ll stop.

Teams are already calling. He is not disappointed. He has the signatures of Paye and Koonce, the Caps can manage it, and if the right deal comes along, he will do it. Crosby is still a chip on the table. That’s property management, not property worrying.

Everything happens for a reason. Believe everything you hear and half of what you see. I am an attacker. I am back. Run that sh*t. 🦅🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/8IZXiDYMio

– Max Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) 12 March 2026

There are still a lot of blanks to fill. The Raiders went 3-14 last year and a few free agency signings can’t erase that. The AFC West remains the Chiefs’ division until someone physically takes it from them, and Patrick Mahomes makes a fool of a good-looking roster every autumn. Mendoza has not yet thrown an NFL pass.

But here’s the thing about reconstruction: The best ones don’t announce themselves with fanfare. They declare themselves through consistent decision-making, a clear vision, and a front office that treats every move as if it matters. Spytech is doing all these three things. They do not have AFC West counterparts.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1…More about Scott Gulbransen

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Miami Heat 124-117 on Thursday night. In the win, Maxey led all Sixers players with 28 points, although was a poor 9 of 25 from the floor. Nevertheless, the 76ers guard made history by surpassing Allen Iverson for most triples made in franchise history.

Entering the game, he had made 882 triples in his career, three less than Iverson. He knocked down five of them in the win, making 5 of 12 from deep, including four in the first quarter.

After the win, Maxey shared his thoughts on surpassing Iverson.

“Honestly, it’s just a blessing. I’m so happy, man. I’m blessed,” Maxi said humbly.

“I thank God. I thank the 76ers organization for preparing me, trusting me and believing in me… I’m grateful to my coaches, Doc [Rivers], [Nick] Nurse, she gave me a lot of confidence.

“Last but not least are my teammates, man. Everyone… I yelled to Tobias. [Harris] First. My freshman year, he told me I was a great shooter, even though I wasn’t shooting as well as I wanted to. Finally, Joel [Embiid]. He had been thinking about me shooting 10 threes a game since my sophomore or sophomore year. I appreciate.”

After a few relatively steady years in Philadelphia, Maxey has taken off like a rocket this season. He is averaging better than 29 points per game, which is good enough for fourth in the NBA. But he has become more than just a lethal scorer.

The 76ers guard averages nearly seven assists, four rebounds and, perhaps most impressively, two steals per game.

The city of Detroit hasn’t had this kind of hope basketball-wise since the mid-2000s. But thanks to Cade Cunningham’s emergence as one of the best players in the association, the Pistons have become one of the best teams in the NBA. Their relentless defense and constant physicality makes them really troublesome to play against and it helped them to a 124-116 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While the Thunder were missing some key players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, the win over the defending champions is nothing to scoff at. OKC has been very competitive no matter who they have on the court, and the Pistons did well not to let their defense down in the trap game.

Fans at Little Caesars Arena knew how much it meant for the Pistons to beat the Thunder. After the game, they were so excited and expressing so much of their affection for their star man in Cunningham as were the fans. pounce on him As soon as he gave some autographs.

“We love you! Oh my god!” Some fans can be heard yelling toward the Pistons star.

Via The Detroit Times on X (formerly Twitter):

Cade Cunningham signing autographs for fans after tonight’s game ❤️

pic.twitter.com/aDn2oonCz1

— 26 February 2026

Pistons remain favorites in the East

The Pistons are being slightly underrated by some fans, given that they have not been very proven on the grand stage yet. They made the playoffs last year and lost to the New York Knicks in six games, but mounting a deep playoff run is going to be a different beast than the team has experienced yet.

But their play throughout the season should lead many to believe they are a legitimate contending team. They carry themselves with a lot of swag and their best player is a genuine superstar who steps up in big moments.