標籤: starts

Some players have had incredibly great starts to the year. Very few people keep it up, most of them lose their flame. Think about outfielder Pete Crowe-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs last year or James Wood of the Washington Nationals. Both made it to the All-Star season halfway through, then their bats cooled off noticeably.

But there is another group that starts getting cold even before it gets hot. Consider Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, who hit 19 home runs after the 2025 All-Star break. That group offers hope for those who have begun the cold of 2026. So which hitters are on the list, and who can turn it around?

Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez

The superstar duo has had a very poor start to the year for the Seattle Mariners. The pair have put together a .192/.284/.574 batting line with just four home runs. A lack of production has resulted in the Mariners finishing fourth in the American League West.

Seattle ranks in the bottom third of the MLB rankings when it comes to team batting average (.218) and OPS (.675). Due to the recent injury to Brendan Donovan, the Mariners will need this pair to wake up to compete this year, and soon.

If Seattle hopes to return to the bright lights of the postseason, they will need moments of resurgence from Raley and Rodriguez. They don’t need Raley to be the historic catcher he was with 60 home runs last year, but they need some (and they need it now).

Vinnie Pasquantino

The mainstay first baseman of the Kansas City Royals struggled To start the year. On this list, “Pasquatch” has probably had the worst start, with a .148 batting average and .488 OPS.

The Royals are in the same spot as the Mariners, finishing last in the AL Central so far due to their lack of offensive production. The club ranked 22nd in all of MLB in homers (18) and 24th in average (.223).

Pasquantino was a big factor for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He hit three home runs in one game for Italy, helping lead them to a miraculous semi-final. If he can rediscover that slug in Kansas City, his year will heat up quickly.

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Despite the San Diego Padres’ offensive attack leading the team to the second-best record in MLB (15-7), the superstar duo has suffered losses. Tatis is still missing his first home run of the year. This is the longest homer drought he has ever suffered in the beginning of a season. Machado is sitting there with an even more powerful bat, slashing .186/.330/.630 to start the year.

There are signs of change for Fernando. He’s off to a colder-than-ice start, but, over his last seven games, he’s batting .318/.407/.318. The homer is still to come, but with the series starting tonight at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies, it looks like the first one in one of those hitter-friendly environments could be coming.

The same expectation is true for Machado, who has taken advantage of the Rockies’ high-altitude playing environment in the past. If he can get it going this week, hopefully that continues. He has been one of the strongest hitters for the Padres throughout his career, but it has been an uncharacteristically long drought for a third baseman.

complete new york mets

Wow, have the Mets been bad. The orange and blue have been tough to watch lately as they struggle to last place in the NL East. They lost 11 consecutive games and have yet to emerge from that slump.

Most of those problems have been aggressive. Despite offseason trade acquisition Freddy Peralta’s slow start (4.05 ERA, 26.2 IP), the pitching has been mostly solid. But the crime has become harder to watch. New York’s leader in batting average (50-plus AB) is catcher Francisco Alvarez with a .263 mark. The team has hit a combined .226 (23rd in MLB).

But the Mets have a good roster. Superstars like Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor, Luis Robert Jr. and Juan Soto create a formidable offensive group. It’s just that none of them have clicked yet. When they do (and they should do so soon), Mets fans will be rewarded after a historically difficult stretch.

The NHL has revealed when the first-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning will begin.

According to a social media post published by the NHL’s public relations account, Game One of the first-round series featuring the Canadiens and Lightning is scheduled for Sunday, April 19.

With that in mind, series between the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes, the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars and the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins begin on Saturday, April 18.

There will be three other series joining the Canadiens on Sunday: Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Mammoth vs. Vegas Golden Knights. Unfortunately, despite knowing that games will take place on Sunday, the NHL has yet to confirm an exact start time.

Given that there are still two series to be determined due to the remaining games in the regular season scheduled for Thursday, the Colorado Avalanche’s official opponent has yet to be revealed, while the participants in the Western Conference Finals series have yet to be determined. All things considered, this is a pretty chaotic finale to the NHL regular season. In most years, teams can begin setting up their plans for the playoffs more than 48 hours before they expect to host thousands of fans.

2026 #Stanley Cup Playoffs start Saturday!

There is only one guarantee this year: there will be a new champion.

turn on @ESPN, @NHL_On_TNT, @sportsnet And @TVASports. The full schedule will be announced tonight after all first-round matchups have been determined.

Description:… pic.twitter.com/rPW1og9c3w

– NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) 16 April 2026

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

We can expect the NHL to play with a normal schedule, which means the first two home playoff games at the Bell Center should take place on Thursday and Saturday.

Of course, they have actually modified the usual alternate schedule in the past, but if my memory serves, that was only when the Toronto Maple Leafs were involved, which means we should finally be able to celebrate a home game on a Saturday at the Bell Center for the first time in many years.

There’s no better hockey in the NHL than springtime hockey at the best arena on Earth.

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

The MLB season always starts with a few teams coming out of nowhere to be incredibly hot. Some of them end long before the summer days. Others manage to continue production and force their way into contention.

There have been a lot of standouts so far. Here are some from each division that really shined:

American League East

1. Tampa Bay Rays, first in division (9-7)

The Rays were in an incredibly difficult position at the beginning of the season. In an AL East that looked completely cut-throat (and brimming with trades and free agency pickups), the Rays didn’t do all that much this offseason. This led to a disappointing feeling regarding the club’s return to Tropicana Field.

But Tampa Bay has largely overcome those concerns. They are 7-3 in their last ten games, and Chandler Simpson is playing like an MVP level candidate with a .407 batting average and seven stolen bases. This is all without Junior Caminero, who is hitting .233 with only two homers.

The pitching staff, anchored by Drew Rasmussen (1.13 ERA, 16.0 IP) and a resurgent Nick Martinez (2.16 ERA, 16.2 IP), has gone crazy.

Will Tampa Bay finish in first place in a division dominated by the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays? maybe no. But it’s been wonderful for Rays fans to look forward to the rest of this season with some hope.

American League Central

2. Minnesota Twins, first in division (11-7)

Minnesota had a fire sale at last year’s trade deadline and was deemed uncompetitive in the AL Central, which is largely dominated by the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Tigers. But it is the Twins club, led by Josh Bell and Byron Buxton, that has retained first place.

The offense isn’t putting up particularly incredible numbers (.235/.336/.401 team slash line), but they are third in MLB in home runs (24) and fourth in runs (98). But the real story has been his pitching.

The emergence of Taj Bradley (1.25 ERA) as a co-star with Joe Ryan has been the best thing to watch this year. There’s a lot to suggest that success can’t continue (along with the Twins’ overall success), but Minnesota is off to a great start.

American League West

3. Athletics, first in division (9-8)

Even before Jeffery Springs almost beat the Yankees, the A’s were putting up some wild numbers.

Shea Langeliers at one point led the league in home runs with five. He has a .297/.348/.563 slash line through 16 games this season. There is speculation whether MLB could see another monster season from a catcher after Cal Raleigh’s ridiculous 2025. If anyone can do it, it’s Langeliers.

Returning to the Springs, he posted a 1.46 ERA through 24 2/3 innings. His 0.77 WHIP and .134 opponent batting average are incredible numbers for a starter. That number is likely to increase over the next few weeks as the A’s face the Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies.

4. Los Angeles Angels, 3rd in division (9-9)

I know, I know, I know. The Texas Rangers rank first in athletics. And that’s great for Texas fans. but angels are doing something crazy Recent stuff.

Mike Trout looks vintage with five home runs and 13 RBI on the year. Joe Adell had the best defensive performance of the year (maybe in MLB history?) with three home steals. The Halos hit consecutive homers against the Yankees on Tuesday. Life was very good.

The only problem has been rotation. Aside from Jose Soriano’s emergence as an absolute ace (leads MLB with a 0.33 ERA in 27.0 innings), the rest of the starting group has been weak. Yusei Kikuchi has a 7.50 ERA and has yet to pitch a winless game. Reed Detmers has been better (3.57 ERA, 22.2 IP), but has struggled to miss at bats with a .212 opponent batting average.

It’s great to see Los Angeles competitive again. Whether or not that sticks depends mostly on health (as it does with every team), but they could potentially be a sneaky wild card team.

National League East

5. Atlanta Braves, first in division (11-7)

Drake Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, is dispelling any concerns about a sophomore slump by hitting five home runs for the surging Braves club. Baldwin has a .311/.378/.554 slash line through the first few weeks of the season.

Atlanta has been an offensive powerhouse so far this year. He is second in MLB in runs (100) and batting average (.274), and fourth in home runs (21). their stars are beginning to shine At the end Putting it together after years of confusion since the 2021 World Series.

The best sign has been rotation. He has provided support for the team while half of their pitching staff is returning from injury. Reynaldo López, in particular, has been fantastic (2.18 ERA, 20.2 IP).

This means Atlanta remains in the top spot in the mostly struggling NL East. As the Phillies and New York Mets perform poorly, can the Braves stop them as they begin their comeback?

6. Miami Marlins, second in division (9-9)

If you had told me on MLB Opening Day that Miami would finish second in the NL East this season, I probably would have laughed in your face. But this Marlins club has been must-see baseball.

is rotating Chief. Sandy Alcantara is looking like his Cy Young self every day, making up for Yuri Pérez’s early struggles. But the pitching is compensated for by a stellar offense.

Xavier Edwards leads the team in batting average (.343), and Owen Casey has two home runs with a .245/.309/.449 slash line. They got off to a hot start by defeating the Colorado Rockies in walk-off fashion on the opening weekend. This has given them some relief recently, they have gone 4-6 in their last ten games.

National League Central

7. Pittsburgh Pirates, first in division (10-7)

Pittsburgh has secretly been one of the best teams in baseball this season. His offseason moves sparked new hope that the Pirates could improve, and they have. Newcomer Brandon Lowe is playing sluggish (seven home runs), Oneil Cruz is hitting .328 with his five bombs and Ryan O’Hearn is hitting .305 with a .902 OPS.

The Pirates have seriously outdone themselves so far this year and their pitching has been even better. The combination of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Braxton Ashcraft has been one of the best in MLB.

except cruise interesting Defense in center field, this Pittsburgh club looks healthier than it has in a long time. They’re still my pick to take the NL Central by storm.

8. Cincinnati Reds, first in division (10-7)

For years it has been speculated that there was a demonic spirit locked inside Eli de la Cruz. It looks like the Reds’ shortstop is finally starting to take advantage of it. In 17 games, he has hit .284 with five home runs for a .912 OPS.

But the real offensive force has been rookie Sal Stewart. Stewart made his debut last season and was mostly solid. This time he has changed it. He has posted a .310/.431/.638 slash line so far this year. It adds up to one. 1.069 OPS mark which is the highest for Cincinnati.

The biggest question is about the health of this rotation. If they are able to tread water until top Hunter Greene returns later this year, expect the offense to please them.

National League West

9. San Diego Padres, second in division (11-6)

the padres are on one tears recently. They have won nine of their last 11 games, and are on an MLB-leading six-game winning streak. If they can keep this up, expect them to overtake the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

It’s been an all-around effort for San Diego. After struggling to start the year, the offense has slowed down, going deep nine times in a four-game sweep of the Rockies. Despite the loss of Nick Pivetta to the recent 15-day IL, the rotation has been sterling. And closer Mason Miller is on a historic slump with 29 2/3 scoreless innings.

If the Friars can maintain a good atmosphere throughout April, it will go a long way to assuaging concerns about their postseason hopes.

10. Arizona Diamondbacks, third in division (10-8)

The Dubs got off to a bad start and were swept by the Dodgers early in the year. Since then they have gone 7-3 in their last ten games.

Corbin Carroll has looked like his star self again with a .311 batting average and 11 RBI. There were concerns about his ability to return from hamstring surgery on his non-throwing arm, but he had no problems. The upset so far has been Ketel Marte, who has started the year hitting .211. He has cracked four moonshots, but the average is a bit worrying.

But Eduardo Rodriguez looks every bit as impressive an ace as we saw when he took the mound for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic finals. He has posted a 1.96 ERA to start the year. The WHIP is certainly high (1.22) and so is the opponent’s batting average (.218), but he has gotten out of jams well.

If Arizona’s bullpen can close this out (they haven’t lately), this team will go from good to great. They could also return to the postseason for the first time since reaching the Fall Classic in 2023.

With the Cup Series tipping off this weekend, fans’ focus has turned to NASCAR racing at the iconic Rockingham Speedway. The Truck Series kicks things off this afternoon, but we’ve got the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starting lineup for Rockingham after qualifying on Friday.

Of course, this race is especially notable because YouTuber Cletus McFarland is racing it. Of note, McFarland’s No. 33 car finished 27th fastest in practice (23.652 seconds) in the 55 lap race.

Following the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying results at Rockingham, let’s look at the starting lineup for the North Carolina Education Lottery 250. Next you can find the starting grid.

RELATED: NASCAR Truck Series starting lineup at Rockingham

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying Results: Starting Lineups at Rockingham

NASCAR Oars Starting Grid

Here is the starting grid for the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 following NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying results at Rockingham Speedway.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The Montreal Canadiens (43-21-10) will face the New York Rangers (31-35-9) on Thursday night, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

This will be the third and last time these teams will face each other, with Rangers having won both the previous matches. They were relatively close games, with New York emerging with wins 4–3 in October and 5–4 in December. A lot has changed since then. The Canadiens are close to qualifying for the playoffs, while the Rangers were the second team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention.

As far as Thursday’s meeting is concerned, we can expect another high-scoring affair from the Habs. With 3.31 goals per game (all situations), the Canadiens are third in the NHL in G/PG, while the Rangers are a bottom-12 team in goals allowed (3.09). That being said, the Canadiens are also allowing roughly the same amount of goals per game, a good reminder that the team needs to strengthen its defensive game before the playoffs begin.

Goals are fun, and comebacks are entertaining, but a seven-game series is an entirely different animal. Defensive opponents are quickly taken advantage of.

Lineup Changes

Rookie netminder Jacob Fowler will face the Rangers looking for their third straight win. It should also be noted that Fowler and Jacob Dobbs both now have save percentages above .900, a complete reversal in goaltending fortunes in Montreal. The first-year goaltenders deserve a lot of credit, but the team’s new goaltending guru Marco Marciano also deserves credit.

Since Marciano’s arrival, the numbers have continued to improve, to the point where it would be fair to suggest that hiring him in Montreal could have saved the season.

Three injured players took the ice Thursday morning, but Kirby Dach, Alexandre Carrier and Alexandre Texier are not expected to be in uniform as the Canadiens take on the Rangers.

Alexandre Carriere, Alexandre Texier and Kirby Dach are on the ice in full equipment this morning in Brossard.@DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Roof #carrier #texier pic.twitter.com/TVc0j0lup2

– Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) 2 April 2026

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski

Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov

Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson

Joe Veleno – Philip Danault – Brendan Gallagher

Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson

Jaden Struble- Lane Hutson

Caden Guhle – Arbor Zekaj

jacob fowler

New York Rangers projected lineup

Gabe Perreault – Mika Zibanejad – Alexis Lafreniere

Ty Carthaye – JT Miller – Connor Sherry

Will Quayle – Vincent Trocheck – Adam Sikora

Johnny Brodzinski – Noah Laba – Jaroslav Chmeler

Vladislav Gavrikov – Adam Fox

Drew Fortescue – Braden Schneider

Matthew Robertson – Will Borgen

Igor Shesterkin

How to watch Hubs Vs. rangers

Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers on Thursday, April 2, 2026 will be broadcast on RDS and TSN2. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.

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

The Montreal Canadiens (42-21-10) face the Tampa Bay Lightning (46-21-6) on Tuesday night, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

This will be the third time these two teams will face each other, with the Lightning having won both the previous matches. Montreal lost 6–1 in early December, and while the Habs offered a much better effort in the next meeting, they still dropped a 5–4 decision in late December.

Simply put, Tampa Bay is the type of team that fits Montreal. As things stand, if the playoffs started today, the Canadiens would face the Buffalo Sabres, but there’s also a good chance they would face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, depending on how the final stretch of the season unfolds.

Lineup Changes

Jacob Dobbs is set to start against Tampa Bay, and will be aiming to win his fourth game in a row, a continuation of the excellent results that led to him being named the first Star of the Week in the NHL.

As for the rest of the lineup, the Habs announced that defenseman Alex Carrier will miss between two to four weeks due to an upper body injury, which explains why they recalled Adam Engstrom from the Laval Rocket (AHL).

Engstrom, 24, can play on the left or right side, and is clearly Laval’s most productive defender. He’s also the most NHL-ready player on the farm, and calling up David Rickenbacker would have been interesting, but throwing anyone to the wolves at this point in the NHL season is foolish. Ultimately Rickenbacker’s time will come.

That being said, Engstrom is not expected to play on Tuesday. Instead, Arbor Zekaj practiced with Caden Guhle, giving us a pretty good indication of the potential defensive pairing, and ending his one-game experiment as a fourth-line forward.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski

Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov

Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson

Joe Veleno – Philip Danault – Brendan Gallagher

Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson

Caden Guhle – Arbor Zekaj*

Jaden Struble- Lane Hutson

jacob dobbs

Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lineup

Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Nikita Kucherov

Gage Goncalves – Brayden Point – Jake Guentzel

Zemgus Girgensons – Yanni Gourde – Pontus Holmberg

Corey Perry – Nick Paul – Oliver Bjorkstrand

Darren Radish – JJ Moser

Ryan McDonagh – Eric Cernak

Emile Lilleberg – Charles-Edouard d’Estous

Andrei Vasilevsky

How to watch Hubs Vs. bolt

Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, to air on RDS and TSN2. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.

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

The Montreal Canadiens (33-18-9) are set to face the Anaheim Ducks (34-23-3), with puck drop scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

The Habs will look to bounce back from a disappointing performance against another California club, the San Jose Sharks, on Tuesday. The good news is that the Canadiens managed to find the back of the net on five occasions, but this was overshadowed by their usual chaotic defensive setup, not to mention some questionable netminding, resulting in a 7-5 loss.

If the Canadiens hope to qualify for the playoffs without running their horses into the ground, as was the case last season, they will need every player on the ice moving in the same direction. In other words, they require fewer defensive failures, better support for defenders, and an increased sense of anticipation from goaltenders.

This doesn’t mean Montreal is in great danger of missing the playoffs, as their chances are around 80%, but they will need to curb some of their bad habits in the final stretch of the season. This includes lack of discipline, a recurring issue over the last few years.

Lineup changes, starting goalkeeper

Head coach Martin Saint-Louis will turn to veteran netminder Samuel Montembeault against the Ducks, however, it should be noted that the Habs will also play against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. This suggests we will see rookie goalkeeper Jacob Dobbs in action within 24 hours.

As far as the forward lineup is concerned, we will be treated to new combinations, or more accurately, old combinations that have a history of being successful. Juraj Slafkowski was returned to the first line, a smart move when we consider that no other player has done a better job with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

He will be replaced on the second line by Alex Newhook, who has done a great job providing secondary offense since returning to the game following a long-term ankle injury. He has scored two goals and two assists in three games, and will look to continue his excellent play alongside rookies Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov.

Given that Slafkowski is back to his ideal form, Kirby Dach will be used on the third line as a winger, with Jake Evans and Zachary Bolduc completing the trio. This means that the only line-up that will remain unchanged will consist of the experienced Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher.

It remains to be seen if Mike Matheson will be in uniform, as he missed Thursday’s practice due to a maintenance day. If Matheson is unavailable, Arbor Zekaj is likely to return to the lineup.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski

Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov

Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Kirby Dach

Josh Anderson – Philip Danault – Brendan Gallagher

Mike Matheson* – Caden Guhle

Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson

Jaden Struble – Alex Carrier

samuel montembault

Anaheim Ducks Projected Lineup

Chris Kreider – Leo Carlson – Cutter Gauthier

Jeffrey Viall – Mason McTavish – Beckett Seneca

Alex Killorn – Ryan Poehling – Johnson Harkins

Ross Johnson – Tim Wasche – Ian Moore

Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba

I am Zellweger – Radko Gudas

Pavel Mintyukov – Drew Helson

lucas got it

How to watch Hubs Vs. duck

Montreal Canadiens vs. Anaheim Ducks, Friday, March 6, 2026, will be broadcast on TSN2, RDS. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.

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

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