Francisco Conceicao’s value is now rising and is likely to cause problems liverpool In summer.

sports witness The Reds’ interest in the winger was covered in March. Initial contact has been made and Manchester United has also been mentioned as a possible destination for the Portuguese attacker.

Conceição has contributed eight Serie A goals this season but has become a key player for Luciano Spalletti.

He has started every game since March and it is a clear indication of his growing prominence at the Bianconeri. Liverpool’s task is becoming more complex and his playing time has only helped.

€70m required

corriere dello sport Note how Conceição impressed for Juve against Hellas Verona at the weekend. While Spalletti’s team did not win, he remained a constant threat on the right wing, almost scoring twice after Dusan Vlahovic equalised.

This impressed the Italian manager at a time when Kenan Yildiz was facing problems of his own. Aidan Zvergova also never impressed, leaving Conceição as the main creator in attack. Conceição has now been described as ‘one of the most effective wingers’ in Serie A.

The newspaper has clarified Liverpool’s interest and warned that he could be a potential replacement for Mo Salah. The World Cup will also be important for Conceição, who can build their reputation.

Due to his recent performances, the attacker is now valued at €70m. It was previously €50m but Juve are going above that. Spalletti’s stance is also important, with Conceição considered indispensable to the team.

Our view: The Reds should focus on other goals

The Italian press seems to be hyping Conceicao as if he is actually the second coming of Mo Salah. This is not at all true, as the Portuguese consistently lacks the final ball and is still quite inconsistent.

He has a very reliable ability to beat defenders but his statistics speak volumes about his weaknesses. His 1v1 ability amazes but he still has a long way to go before reaching Salah’s level.

Indeed, the Egyptian was firing on all cylinders at Roma before arriving at Liverpool. Conceição are a level below him and €70m is a ridiculous figure to pay for him.

Montreal – It feels like there’s more Montreal Canadiens news every hour, and we’re all bound to miss a story or two. On Sundays, we always recap relevant NHL news you may have missed, to help you stay in the Canadiens loop.

Given that the Habs played on Sunday, this edition of The Wrap is scheduled for Monday morning.

Make sure you don’t miss any news from Canadians by signing up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for a daily newsletter covering various other NHL teams, or the most exciting developments in the game.[Sportsnaut]

Montreal Canadiens News and Notes

Three of Juraj Slafkowski’s goals came on the power play, but it was really Montreal’s work at 5v5 that should be considered the most encouraging aspect of the Game 1 win. The Habs swept the Tampa Bay Lightning, and by a wide margin. [Canadiens Playoff Analysis: The Key Statistic From Game One Win]

Slafkowski praised head coach Martin St-Louis for his wise use of timeouts against the Lightning. Rather than wait for another opportunity, or lose it on the time clock, St.-Louis decided to call a timeout at the beginning of overtime, which immediately led to Slafkowski’s game-winning goal.

Juraj “The Wolf” Slafkowski…OT Hero and TNT Postgame Interview 🔥🐺 pic.twitter.com/hfn2XCWV0l

– NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) 20 April 2026

He also noted that Canadiens work as a pack, with each player leading the hunt in the same direction.

Juraj Slafkowski on the Wolf cap after the Habs’ win:

“Wolves attack together as a big pack and we try to be like that.” pic.twitter.com/d0bJQnJf0I

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 20 April 2026

Speaking of Slafkovsky, despite excellent work on the powerplay, he was clearly the team’s best player at 5v5. He had more individual high-danger scoring chances at 5v5 (three) than the entire Tampa Bay Lightning lineup (one).

NHL Game Score Impact Card for Montreal Canadiens on 2026-04-19: pic.twitter.com/7Quxe29znP

– hockeystatcards (@hockeystatcards) 20 April 2026

The excitement in practice following the 4-3 overtime win against the Bolts was impeccable.

Above all, don’t change Juraj! 😆 pic.twitter.com/8HAt7kCgjR

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 20 April 2026

The Canadiens did not produce a terrible effort against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game two, however, as some costly mistakes cost the Bolts a 3–2 overtime victory, including a terrible pass attempt by Juraj Slafkowski. That being said, Slafkowski was far from the only player who made a mistake on Tuesday night. [Canadiens Highlights: Exciting Overtime Loss]

The Habs players were quite composed after the disappointing loss. As Mike Matheson explained, they always knew they were going to face a talented team in the Lightning.

Listen to the media availability after tonight’s Game 2 vs. Tampa Bay

Tune in now for live postgame media ops after tonight’s Game 2 against the Lightning#GoHabsGo https://t.co/lWZWqmkEMP

– X – Canadiens Montreal (@CanadiensMTL) 22 April 2026

It remains to be seen if head coach Martin Saint-Louis will make any lineup changes before Game Three on Friday, but there are some good options if he decides to change things up.

I think we might see Joe Velano or Brendan Gallagher #hubs Lineup for Game 3, replacing Kirby Dach.

– Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) 22 April 2026

While the Canadiens generated more high-danger opportunities than the Lightning at 5v5, the momentum shifted strongly to Tampa Bay’s corner about midway through the game. [NST]

With all due respect to Arbor Zekaj, I was expecting him to write “I want it this way” in the first few notes.

Playoff Arbor Zekaj pic.twitter.com/RKvuVRcCGS

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 21 April 2026

Sniper Cole Caufield was the latest athlete to pour his heart out to the Players’ Tribune, in a brilliant piece that can only be described as heartfelt and honest. “To me, hockey is the best game because you can’t really do it alone. Scoring 50 this year was amazing, but it was a team accomplishment. And really, it’s about the whole environment you’re in. The Bell Center has been incredible all season, and scoring No. 50 in front of all you guys and with my dad in the building… it was a great wave to go into these playoffs.” [Players’ Tribune]

Caufield also discussed the upcoming game at the Bell Center and the impact Canadiens fans have on the team’s motivation.

Cole Caufield at tomorrow’s Habs playoff home game:

“We watched Game 3 at the Bell Center on Friday night, everyone was just smiling from ear to ear, like…

‘Fuck me. That would be madness.’

“We know tomorrow night is going to be an absolute blast.” pic.twitter.com/HUGRjxoKqj

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 23 April 2026

The top four have struggled when it comes to shutting down the Lightning, however, the third pairing of Jaden Struble and Arbor Zekaj has stood out. Take a look at how the Canadiens’ defensemen have performed so far in the playoffs. [Canadiens Need Better Results From Top Four]

With the series tied at 1-1, we also take a look at which forward lines have performed well, and which trios need to up their game against the Bolts. [Which Canadiens Lines Are Performing Best In Playoffs]

Zekaj doesn’t seem particularly concerned about Tampa’s continued slickness. He’s got a point, because the Habs have created a lot more high-danger scoring chances than the Bolts, but getting to the line is always a tough proposition, especially when you’re dealing with habitual line steppers.

Arbor Zekaj referred to himself as a “villain” vs. the Habs on the Tampa Bay Lightning today:

“If they want to think that way, fine. We’re here. We’re ready for whatever they offer us.” pic.twitter.com/1cktWPcG71

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 23 April 2026

Head coach Martin St-Louis joins Zekaj when it comes to not losing any sleep over Tampa’s strategy.

Habs coach Marty St. Louis on the Lightning’s intimidation tactics today:

“We’ve talked about it. Did we look scared? I don’t think so. If they want to play that game, we’re able to play that game. We’re equipped to do it.” pic.twitter.com/wdH47yGu2X

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 23 April 2026

It was another even game, at least on the scoreboard. Thanks to an overtime goal from Len Hutson, the Habs emerged with a 2–1 win and a 2–1 series lead. All things considered, the scoreline was a little favorable towards the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team that generated a fair amount of high-danger scoring chances at 5v5. [Canadiens Highlights: Hutson Plays The Hero In Big Win]

Hutson’s game-winning goal was so good it’s worth watching twice.

lane hutson is yours @Energizer Overtime Hero! 🔵⚪️🔴 #Stanley Cup pic.twitter.com/nJCmLD0jod

– NHL (@NHL) 25 April 2026

It should also be noted that Hutson somehow managed to achieve his goal. This may seem arrogant to some, but we all know that’s not Hutson’s style. He is confident in his game and has the results to back it up.

Lane Hutson joked to his teammates before OT that he felt like he had the game-winner tonight.

According to Jaden Struble, Lane just let out a “I think I got it tonight” and went out and scored GWG.

#48 to 6/5 Competitiveness pic.twitter.com/4o2NV82KlW

– Marco D’Amico (@mndamico) 25 April 2026

Captain Nick Suzuki’s dry humor was at play after the thrilling win.

#hubs Nick Suzuki on Lane Hutson’s bomb from the overtime point: “I didn’t think he could hit it that hard…” the captain said with a smile.

– Priyantha Amrith (@HabsInHighHeels) 25 April 2026

While the first line struggles to generate much offense at even strength, Kirby Dach has done a great job in leading the Canadiens to wins, including a two-point effort on Friday night. It was one of his best games in a Habs uniform since joining the team in 2022.

Cole Caufield at tomorrow’s Habs playoff home game:

“We watched Game 3 at the Bell Center on Friday night, everyone was just smiling from ear to ear, like…

‘Fuck me. That would be madness.’

“We know tomorrow night is going to be an absolute blast.” pic.twitter.com/HUGRjxoKqj

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 23 April 2026

It’s very easy to dismiss the play of Arbor Czekaj and Jaden Struble on the third pairing, but it would be intellectually dishonest to ignore the fact that they lead all NHL defensemen in expected goal share. Yes, it is easy to play on the third pair, but it is never easy to control more than 80% of the expected goals. [Canadiens Need Better Results From Top Four]

Xhekaj and Struble currently rank first and second in xGF%.

Yes, the use is easier on the third pair, but it is also true that they have been excellent.

If those numbers were that easy to produce, they wouldn’t be several times ahead of the entire NHL.

This is a very good pair. pic.twitter.com/tCqzFUlQ0x

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 25 April 2026

Ivan Demidov sat down with Elliotte Friedman to discuss his rookie season with the Habs, and how they quickly became part of their family.

Tampa Bay’s strategy of rushing players, harassing goaltenders and punching opponents in every scrimmage is backfiring spectacularly. In fact, in addition to the series lead, the Canadiens have actually had more hits than their opponents through three games. [Tampa Bay’s Strategy Is Backfiring In Series Versus Canadiens]

The discrepancy in high-danger shots in the series is hard to ignore. In fact, after three games, the Canadiens have accounted for 75% of high-danger scoring opportunities at 5v5, the highest mark of all teams in the NHL playoffs.

For fun, here are the HDCF% of the various teams in the playoffs after three games. It reflects the share of high-danger scoring chances a team generates.

#GoHabsGo Leading the league by a huge margin with 75%. https://t.co/vtaVVh8y3G pic.twitter.com/1XZdiqMTul

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 25 April 2026

Apart from the physical battle, which the Habs are winning, there are several other reasons why the Canadiens have managed to take the lead in the series, including the excellent play of the third pair of Arbor Czekaj and Jayden Struble. [Top 3 Reasons The Canadiens Have A Series Lead]

Believe it or not, Shekaz leads the entire NHL in expected goal share with an impressive 83.8%. [NST]

Kirby Dach discusses support from head coach Martin Saint-Louis as he overcomes an endless list of injuries in recent seasons.

Kirby Dach on receiving a vote of confidence from Habs coach Marty St. Louis yesterday:

“I think as a competitor, you want a chance to respond. You want to be able to go out there and prove your worth. This game is tough, there are a lot of mistakes, it’s not… pic.twitter.com/uYFCvEuOqz

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 25 April 2026

This is clearly trolling, but comparatively speaking, it is quality trolling. Additionally, given that Brady Tkachuk appears to be one of the worst leaders in the league, perhaps it is time to examine his position in the Senators organization. Or maybe he is a great leader who never seems to have luck when it comes to leadership. Difficult to say.

Arbor Zekaj has more points than Brady Tkachuk in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/t1j569ZKzS

– Alex (@ivandemigoal) 25 April 2026

The clip embedded below has nothing to do with the Habs, but when a dirtbag like Ridley Gregg starts punching a player who’s being pinned down, it’s hard not to roll your eyes. That is pure cowardice.

Will this despicable act by Ridley Gregg be sanctioned by the NHL?🤔 pic.twitter.com/drSzZb6KrY

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 25 April 2026

The Canadiens actually managed to establish their first two-goal lead in the series on Sunday night, but it was not enough, as a late-game surge by the Lightning resulted in a 3–2 loss, tying the series at two games apiece in the process. [Canadiens Highlights: Late-Game Collapse Costs Habs]

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

On Saturday evening, the Denver Nuggets suffered their biggest loss of the season with an overtime road loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. It appeared that the Nuggets had the game wrapped up by the end of regulation, but Lakers guard Austin Reaves engineered a perfectly executed missed free throw, which he then rebounded and scored to tie the game.

After the game, Nuggets head coach David Edelman explained what happened in the game.

“It’s one of those things that’s 100 in the NBA,” Edelman said, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, formerly of Twitter. “It happened. You give them credit. But there were a lot of things that led to it that we could have done differently, maybe better.”

Some criticized the Nuggets for not placing a fourth player in the lane to join in the rebounding action for Reaves’ second free throw, which went straight to an empty area of ​​the paint, where another Denver player could have been deployed had they so chosen.

A loss to Los Angeles would likely erase the good vibes from Denver’s recent solid win over the San Antonio Spurs, even without Victor Wembanyama.

It was a particularly brutal game for shooting guard Jamal Murray, who scored only five points and was shut out of the contest, a full 180 points from his usual dominance against the Lakers in recent years.

The Nuggets are currently 41-27, and are just a game and a half away from the Phoenix Suns to avoid the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets now have a few days off before they next face off at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday evening.

Well, the New Jersey Devils may have given up three leads, but they still came up with two points.

A back-and-forth affair between the Devils and the Los Angeles Kings ended in victory when Jack Hughes sealed the deal with the game-winning power play goal in the third period.

The Devils took a 1–0 lead on a goal off the stick of Cody Glass at 7:58 of the first period.

Arseniy Gritsyuk collected the loose puck on the right wall and fed the glass into the slot for a one-time chance, beating Anton Forsberg to give New Jersey a one-goal advantage.

Three minutes later, Nico Hischier scored on a rebound by Timo Meier to give the Devils a 2–0 lead in the first period.

New Jersey began the second period of attack. However, Dougie Hamilton sent the Devils to the early penalty kill after being whistled for interference.

On the Los Angeles power play, Anze Kopitar cut the Devils’ lead to 2–1 by hitting a backdoor pass from Bradent Clark.

Just over two minutes later, Artemi Panarin tied the game, skating the puck into the slot and passing it past Jake Allen to tie things at two.

The Kings scored three consecutive goals to take the lead at 11:43 of the middle frame. Clark walked to the Devils blueline with the puck on his stick and passed it to Taylor Ward at the top of the left circle, who beat Allen to give the Kings a 3–2 lead.

It didn’t take long for the Devils to tie the game in the third period.

Lenny Haminaho drove quickly to the Kings’ zone and took a good step to beat the defense. The Finnish rookie fed Gritsyuk backdoor, and Gritsyuk batted in the puck that was in mid-air and tied the game at three.

Quinton Byfield was later whistled for tripping, forcing New Jersey back on the power play for the third time. Hischier played well on the man advantage and the Devils regained the lead at 12:41 of the third period.

However, Haminaho’s puck was modest and the Devils were sent back to the PK, and Kopitar collected his second of the night to tie the game at four.

Kopitar’s second goal of the night saw him break the Los Angeles franchise record for points, the 1,308th of his career.

The Devils gained another man advantage after the whistle for holding Clarke.

Hughes took no time in giving the Devils their third lead of the night, scoring a goal on a FC-off draw to make the game 5–4 in favor of New Jersey.

Meyer deflected the empty-net goal to seal a 6–4 Devils victory.

Jake Allen made 27 saves on 31 shots and earned his 13th win of the season.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

When Mitch Marner left Toronto last summer, he did so with that reputation hanging over his head like a cartoon storm cloud.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a historic, Original Six franchise. Marner left his mark on his record by wearing his hometown team’s sweater during his 657 games. At the conclusion of his Leafs tenure, Marner was fifth in scoring with 751 points. He was and still is fourth in career assists with 520.

But when fans talk about Marner, they don’t even mention his offensive talent, or his perennial candidacy for the Selke Trophy. Instead, they refer to him as someone who disappears when the lights are brightest.

in an article for athleticJonas Siegel called Marner a ‘two-way powerhouse’ who helped the Maple Leafs win a lot of games in the regular season.

He wrote, “But this was not the player who got them in the postseason, at least not often, and certainly not in the biggest games.”

“In [2025] In the playoffs, the Leafs swept their way around the Ottawa Senators in the first round and took a 2–0 series lead against the Panthers, but squandered it in disastrous fashion. Siegel wrote in a separate article, Marner again failed to produce when the Leafs needed him most.

Mark Stone, his teammate on the Vegas Golden Knights, disagreed with the sentiment that Marner was not a ‘clutch’ player.

“As a teammate, I haven’t experienced this,” he said after Marner led Canada to a 4-3 overtime win on Wednesday. “[At] 4 Nations, he gets a big overtime goal for us [against Sweden]Makes for an incredible game for the winner [in the gold medal game]. Then tonight, when we need him most, he makes a play.

“So… I guess it’s a Toronto thing,” Stone finished.

Marner is in the midst of his first season with the Golden Knights. Thus, he has not yet had the opportunity to fully shed his playoff demons. But Stone brought up three different ‘big moments’ where Marner came through for his team.

The first ‘big moment’ was Canada’s first game in the 4 Nations tournament. Canada led 3–1 after 40 minutes, but lost the third period. But in overtime, Marner answered the call and saved Canada from disaster with a heroic solo-try goal.

The second ‘big moment’ came just eight days later in the gold medal game at the 4 Nations tournament. Canada trailed 2–1 in the third period, but Marner forced a Sam Bennett goal to force overtime. And in overtime, Marner again had a big play, finding Connor McDavid alone for the game-winner.

The final – and arguably the biggest – ‘big moment’ was the quarter-final match between Czechia and Canada. Trailing 3–2, Canada scored late in the third period and forced overtime. And in overtime, as he had done against Sweden a year earlier in the 4 Nations, Marner did it himself and scored a goal to send Canada to the semi-finals.

Calling Marner a player who can’t perform in big moments is simply not accurate.

Maybe Mark Stone is right. maybe this Is A ‘Toronto thing.’

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

On Sunday, February 15, 2026, the USA Stars defeated the USA Stripes to win the NBA All-Star Game 21–47. In the championship game, Anthony Edwards emerged victorious with his team following his game-winning innings, earning him the Kobe Trophy as the ’26 All-Star MVP. He finished with 32 points in 3 games.

While he became the talk of the town after the match, this was another moment after the match that went viral on the internet. Edwards was seen autographing 2 Chainz’s jersey after the All-Star Game. Rapper 2 Chainz was seen in conversation with Edwards, requesting an autograph from the Minnesota Timberwolves star following his MVP performance in the 75th NBA All-Star Game.

Anthony Edwards signs a jersey for 2 Chainz after the All-Star Game 😊✍️pic.twitter.com/hBV0Zoyrmv

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 16 February 2026

The two also hugged each other and were photographed holding the jersey for display. The 24-year-old Timberwolves shooting guard and 2 Chainz are both from Atlanta, Georgia. And the rapper was on the court to see Edwards and his team win.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards shares his mindset after the win

Following his MVP performance at the NBA All-Star Game, Edwards made a post-game appearance, where he spoke candidly about cooking up rival teams’ LeBron James and Kevin Durant. “Yeah, sure, I want to cook them every time.”

Despite still being young compared to James and Durant, Edwards is steadily making a name and legacy for himself in the game. Playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Edwards is averaging 29.3 points per game on 49.3 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from deep. By maintaining a winning mentality and attitude throughout the game, Edwards earned his first NBA All-Star MVP trophy.