Sports
2026 Masters takeaways: Justin Rose refuses to be shaken, Scottie Scheffler starts well
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Justin Rose has not yet reached the Rocky Balboa pump-up speech portion of his Masters career, but the point cannot be overstated — it says a lot about the man (not the golfer) that Rose continually gets back up after getting knocked down. he may have stumbled coming into the clubhouse Thursday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club amid a day where “crispy” and “crusty” were used to describe the golf course (not the local pizza joint down Washington Road), but the Englishman rose up the leaderboard across his first 18 holes to set up what could be a magical 21st tournament appearance.
Rose’s opening 70 was not enough for a record sixth first-round lead in the Masters, but it was enough to position him second all-time with 10 top 10s at Augusta National when the tournament reaches its 18-hole mark. Only Phil Mickelson, a three-time green jacket winner, has more (11).
Rose finds himself sharing sixth-place with fellow major champions Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler. The quartet looks up to the man they all eyed in this tournament 12 months ago as defending champion Rory McIlroy signed for a 67, one shot worse than his best round achieved twice while completing his grand slam. Patrick Reed and Jason Day have gotten off to hot starts — just as they did a year ago — with Rose facing the possibility of a sequel with hopes for a different ending.
“The lead at this point is irrelevant,” Rose said. “There’s so much golf ahead that there’s no point in even looking at who is doing what at this moment in time. It’s just about just executing your strategy, feeling like you can run the clock down, playing as well as you can, and then towards the end you’ve got to kind of figure out if you need to change your strategy. But until the final few holes, really, it’s just about doing as good as can you do.”
The 45-year-old more than understands the cadence of major championships and the cliches that come with them. The Masters does not start until the second nine on Sunday. Leave your ball below the hole. You can’t win the tournament on Thursday, but you can certainly lose it.
As eye-rolling as some may sound, they are said for a reason: they’re mostly true.
Rose will navigate his next 54 holes in a way that speaks to his experience. He noted that last year’s third round was the performance that really bothered him when looking back at the 2025 tournament. Rose shot the sixth-highest score of the day with his 75 and bled strokes to the field on the greens. No doubt, it will be on his mind heading into Saturday.
But that won’t happen until Friday is conquered. Off early in the day and receiving a slight — slight — reprieve from the pizza-like conditions under which this golf course has baked, Rose will have a chance to better position himself in this tournament. If he can do so accordingly, perhaps the three-time runner-up will end his fight more like Balboa in “Rocky II.”
Rory in rarified air
Isn’t it funny how a place can go from being a nightmare to a happy hunting ground? Relaxed enough to enjoy a drink (clarified as a Coke Zero) in the champions’ locker room following his first-round 67, McIlroy may have history on the line on Sunday. First, he had to make some on Thursday while flexing on the field, perhaps indicating that he’s now even more dangerous at Augusta National with a green jacket in his locker.
The Northern Irishman became just the sixth reigning champion to grab the first-round lead in his title defense at the Masters, the first since Jordan Spieth a decade ago to do so. McIlroy’s 67 marked the second-lowest first 18 holes of his career at Augusta National and his first sub-70 effort on a Thursday since 2018. That same year, McIlroy played in the final pairing on Sunday.
McIlroy noted that he felt like he got more than his fair share out of his round, believing a 2-under 70 would have sufficed based on how he played the first nine. Instead, he did a few better, but he will need to improve off the tee if he is to keep pressing his luck. McIlroy split just five fairways in the first round, and as Augusta National continues to get crustier, playing from the fairways == especially with his length — will only become more advantageous.
What concerns?
Remember when Scheffer was a horrible first-round performer? Or how about this one: Remember when his iron play had fallen off a cliff? Scheffler was masterful in his first-round 70 as the world No. 1 announced his arrival with a 4-3-3 start that saw him reach 3 under early in his tournament.
While he gave one away over the course of his next 15 holes, the two-time Masters champion let everyone know that (1) there is no rust having not played since The Players Championship and (2) he will have his say in this tournament. Scheffler drove the ball on a string on Thursday, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and trailing only Michael Brennan in terms of strokes gained off the tee.
He ranked fourth in strokes gained tee to green, and if not for letting some par-5 opportunities through his grasp, Scheffler was just about flawless. Like Rose, Scheffler understands this is just the first lap of the race and major championships tend to be marathons, rather than sprints, and over the last four years, he has been the one collecting the bulk of the medals.
Augusta National shines
There was a moment in the early evening on the par-5 13th where Scheffler, Gary Woodland and Robert MacIntyre were eyeing scoring chances. Scheffler and Woodland were forced to lay up, and did so by pushing their seconds down the fairways and in line with the fall line so they could pitch their thirds up it. MacIntyre, meanwhile, hit his drive far enough that he was able to push the envelope and ultimately found the putting surface in two.
All three players played their fourth shots from off the green.
This place is as good as it gets, even for Augusta National’s standards. Without the typical spring rains and that annual pesky storm that halts play and halts the momentum of the golf course, Augusta National is shining under the Georgia sun. Tournament officials can have their way with this place the rest of the way if they wish. They know it, patrons know it, and most importantly, the players know it, too.
Rory McIlroy: “As it gets drier, the grass around the greens gets stickier, that ryegrass. So it makes it more difficult to hit the bump and runs. It also makes the putting through that grass a little bit trickier as well. When the greens get that firm, you really have to think about where the best miss is, and distance control is very important, but also, like, different — missing it left, missing it right.
“When the greens get like this, it’s not going to be soft. So when the greens do get firm like this, it makes it a much more tactical test, and you really have to think about things. As you guys know, I’ve said for the last few years, I’ve started to really relish that type of golf. I really want to excel at that type of golf.”
Shane Lowry: “I think this could be the toughest Masters we’ve played in a while. You look at the forecast. They can do whatever they want with the golf course this weekend. Over the last few years, we’ve had a day every year where it’s been raining, or it’s been heavy rains. It’s kind of helped us a little bit, but I think before the week is out, it’s going to get very, very crusty around here.”
Patrick Reed: “You could tell when you are walking on it and trying to fix a ball mark — I actually broke one tee on the hole trying to fix a ball mark. You already know it’s going to get crusty. You know it’s going to get fast, and it’s going to take a lot of patience.”
Xander Schauffele: “The course is lush. They’re doing what they want with the greens. That’s the beauty about this place. I do feel, when Rory won last year, I feel like they were pretty slick as well. Then, dating 2-3 years back, maybe it’s gone the direction where it’s got a little bit more of the brown in them, that sort of slickness. Just got to adjust. I think adjusting is going to be the big thing. Positioning yourself is really important, too.”
Min Woo Lee: “I take back what I said on Tuesday. I didn’t think it was that firm. Now it’s like a Saturday firm, I would say for a Thursday, which is not really normal.”
LIV Golf stars unravel
After needing 76 shots to complete his first round, Bryson DeChambeau decided to hit another 200 on the tournament practice area afterwards. The two-time U.S. Open champion was on the shortlist of potential winners at the onset of the week, but his tournament was flipped on its head on the par-4 11th for the second consecutive year, only this time it came on Thursday.
Greenside in two, DeChambeau needed three shots to get out of the bunker and put a triple bogey on his scorecard. Momentum was never gained from there as he exchanged two bogeys and a birdie across his final three holes to come in at 4 over and in need of a big round Friday evening just to see the weekend.
“Bunker was softer than I anticipated,” DeChambeau said. “The ball flew 12 yards farther than I wanted it to. I had a good shot.”
His fellow LIV Golf member finds himself in the same boat, albeit with a bigger wave to navigate. The 2023 champion noted that he had no feel in his swing and that sensation carried over to the greens, where Jon Rahm ranked third-to-last in Round 1, ahead of only Mike Weir and amateur Mateo Pulcini. Rahm’s 78 puts him in legitimate danger of missing the weekend at the Masters for the first time in his career.
“It’s a hard golf course,” Rahm said. “Some of the players might have been able to manage a respectable round, but when you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it’s just not an easy one. What I manage? Hopefully get some physio, get some dinner, get something positive going in that sense. Tomorrow is a new day. It’s going to be a very much more uphill battle right now, but I’m going to have to come out tomorrow and most likely post something in the 60s to have a chance to make the cut and give myself a chance on the weekend.”
Old schools the youths
There were seven groupings in the first round that featured a past champion and a player who could be labelled as a “bomber,” and they were surprisingly highly contested bouts. José María Olazábal took it to Gen Zer Aldrich Potgieter, while Fred Couples had Min Woo Lee’s number until he made the number of all numbers on the par-5 15th in the form of a nine. That score was later matched by Robert MacIntyre.
Every player on the first few pages of the leaderboard uttered the word “experience” at some point in their post-round media sessions, and it was put on full display Thursday. It’s not the sexiest golf sometimes, but it always seems to be the correct golf — missing away from the dog legs, to the fat side of the green, below the holes, taking medicine when the doctor calls for it and scoring on the par 5s. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Or something that takes years and years to learn around Augusta National.
“It’s fun. It’s very fun. It’s fun at all times,” Couples said. “It’s challenging at all times. But it’s getting really, really firm. I don’t know what they’ll do tonight. I know I have an early morning tee time tomorrow, so that might help me stop a ball on the green. I still have to hit it, like I did the first 13 or 14 holes. It’s really rock hard…For the really good players I think they want it like this.
“I know the Jon Rahms and Schefflers and Spieths and Rorys. And by the way, Rory may never lose this thing again after last year. I said that on about the 12th hole to my caddie. Then he birdied a couple coming in. You know, he’s really good. He hits it so solid. Scheffler. But I enjoyed it. It stinks to finish that way. I can’t explain it. I’m a little numb because I was cruising along. And I can get it up and down. I’m not the greatest chipper, but around here, I know what I’m doing. Wow, a nine. That’s not real fun.”
First tee jitters
There are first tee jitters and then there are first tee jitters at the Masters. A tournament that every player in this field grew up watching on television and dreaming about playing, the Masters makes major championship nerves look like mincemeat at times. Here is what debutant Ryan Gerard had to say after battling back from a first nine 39 to card an even-par round. (He was not alone.)
“Dude, I was so much more nervous than I thought I was going to be,” Gerard said. “I was like ‘Oh, it’s not that bad. I’ve played majors before. This isn’t too crazy.’ Then I got up there, and we’re sitting there for a little bit longer than — I probably got to the tee a little bit earlier than I should have because then I was waiting for a while. Now I’m sitting around like, ‘OK, wait, wait wait.’
“Keegan [Bradley] blew it way right, and I was like, ‘I’m not going to do that.’ Then I just smother hooked it in the left trees, so I’m glad I didn’t take it off someone’s forehead early on in the round. Yeah, it was definitely more nerve-wracking. Probably the fastest club speed I’ll hit all year on the first tee there. Yeah, just I think I’ll be more prepared for tomorrow.
“You know, my first ever tee shot in a major was the tenth hole at the Country Club at Brookline. It was my first as a professional. Most nervous I’ve ever been in my life, and that probably comes close to this right here. The next day, you kind of have an idea what to expect. Couple more deep breaths and just trust it.”
Gary keeps going
It’s a story that seems to get more impressive by the week as 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland stood Thursday as one of 16 players to find red figures — just one of three to do so in the afternoon wave. Ever since he lifted the weight of his post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, Woodland has lifted his game with his win in Houston, granting him an invitation into the Masters.
“The love and support is amazing,” Woodland said. “Obviously, here everyone is so respectful anyway, but the love and support I got, you know, obviously it was a nice crowd playing with Scottie. You have a big crowd. But to feel the love and support out there was awesome.”
After news that Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is leaving Red Bull for McLaren went viral, rumors of McLaren team principal Andrea Stella moving back to Ferrari have gained traction, especially after comments made by Williams Racing driver Carlos Sainz resurfaced online, linking Stella to Ferrari.
MotorBiscuit reported Lambiase’s exit from Red Bull, set to happen at the end of 2027, as he joins the Papaya outfit in 2028 in a multi-million dollar deal. This comes less than two years after Lambiase became the head of racing at Red Bull during an internal restructuring in 2024.
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Lambiase’s McLaren signing has led to speculation about a potential change in McLaren’s leadership structure, especially amid rumors of Stella moving back to Ferrari, a team where he worked for 15 years as a performance engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen, before becoming a race engineer for Räikkönen and eventually for Fernando Alonso.
Stella joined McLaren in 2015 as head of race operations and became team principal in December 2022. According to a report by F1 Oversteer, Stella is heading to Ferrari in the future, and as a result, Lambiase has been poached from Red Bull to potentially fill his role.
Read More from MotorBiscuit:
Atlassian Williams F1 Team on X | Carlos Sainz
The report quoted F1 reporter Jacky Martens, who stated that Stella has already “signed a pre-contract with Ferrari.” But it remains to be seen who Stella replaces at the Italian team if the rumor turns out to be true. Could it be Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur?
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Amid Stella’s Ferrari rumors, Sainz’s statements from his time with McLaren resurfaced, in which he said he wished to take Stella and other key members with him to Ferrari.
The Spaniard joined McLaren in 2019 but left after the 2020 season to join Ferrari. Appearing on F1’s Beyond the Grid Podcast last month, Sainz acknowledged Stella’s expertise, naming him among the McLaren figures he would bring to Ferrari. Sainz said:
“I remember telling my team when we were leaving McLaren, ‘This team is actually a very good race team. These people are going to go up, they’re going to keep climbing.’
“I know how good Andrea Stella is, I know how good [technical director] Pete Prodromou is and I remember leaving that team and having two, three or four names that if I could have taken them with me to Ferrari, I for sure would have taken them.”
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He added:
“I knew they were doing things well and they were really good people that I enjoyed working with a lot.”
NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Rovman Powell did not hold back after his side’s heartbreaking last-ball defeat to Lucknow Super Giants, pointing to an umpiring “blunder” while also admitting that conditions at Eden Gardens played their part in the result.Defending 181/4, KKR seemed in control when LSG slumped to 128/7 after 16 overs. But a sensational late onslaught from Mukul Choudhary, who smashed an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls, turned the game on its head as LSG sealed a three-wicket win on the final delivery.‘Maybe it was a blunder’The flashpoint came earlier in the innings when Finn Allen was dismissed in controversial fashion. His top-edge was caught at deep third man, but replays suggested the fielder may have brushed the boundary rope. Despite the close call, on-field umpires chose not to refer the decision upstairs.“Definitely more angles should have been looked at,” Powell said. “We thought we had seen in the IPL that umpires have gone upstairs for lesser things, and not as close as that.”“Maybe it was a blunder on their part, but we’re not going to say that is what cost us two points tonight,” he added, stopping short of placing full blame on the officials.‘Not a 220-wicket’Powell also highlighted the nature of the Eden Gardens surface, saying it was far from the high-scoring tracks typically associated with the venue.“It’s not that classic Eden Gardens wicket where you just go and blast. It was not a 220-wicket; there was a little bit in it for the bowlers, especially with slower balls,” he explained.Despite the loss, Powell credited Mukul’s composure under pressure. “You want to make Eden Gardens your fortress… but credit to the youngster, he batted really well,” he said.KKR’s struggles continue, with just one point from four matches so far. However, Powell remains optimistic.“If you see the history, winners build momentum in the middle and back end. It’s not easy when you don’t start well, but our destiny is still in our hands. We still have 10 games left,” he said.
The writings were on the wall as Lucknow Super Giants’ wicket-keeper batter Mukul Choudhary arrived at the Eden Gardens with the hope of reviving his team’s chase of 182 runs. After a cautious start, Mukul went bonkers with the bat, hitting an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls as LSG chased down the target against KKR on the final ball of the match. While many would say that Mukul Choudhary came out of the syllabus, his LSG teammate Arjun Tendulkar had warned the Indian Premier League (IPL) in advance of the six-hitting prowess the 22-year-old possesses.
During an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Arjun narrated how amazed he was upon seeing Mukul’s 360-degree hitting ability.
“Mukul Choudhary hits amazing sixes. Yesterday, in a practice match, I saw his sixes. I was really impressed. He hits everywhere, square-leg, point, upper cut, behind the bowler. I was really impressed by his batting,” Arjun Tendulkar had said during an interview with Shubhankar Mishra.
Arjun Tendulkar’s game knowledge, he said Mukul Choudhary is the player to watch out for this season from LSG pic.twitter.com/LA3ZHwkAtK
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) April 9, 2026
LSG needed 54 runs from the final 4 overs to win the match, with Mukul the only recognised batter in the middle. Despite the fact that he had to face some prominent bowlers in the form of Cameron Green, Kartik Tyagi and Vaibhav Arora in the death overs, the batter put his 360-degree skills to use and struck sixes all across the park. Narrating Mukul’s strength, Arjun had revealed how the batter can sixes even square of the wicket. But, KKR bowlers looked underprepared facing him.
After the game, even LSG skipper Rishabh Pant admitted that he had no words left to describe Mukul’s performance.
“I do not have words to describe but what a fantastic effort. One thing I made sure of personally is trust, and when you believe in someone, a player can do wonders. The character, with each and every match like this, shows something is building. We don’t want to talk much about it, but something is cooking inside,” Pant said on the performance from the young wicket-keeper batter.
LSG coach Justin Langer was also full of praise for the batter from Rajasthan, saying he runs like Virat Kohli and chases totals like MS Dhoni.
“What I love most about him is that he’s a real athlete. The way he runs between the wickets is elite, like Virat. But the other thing is his game sense. We’ve had some practice games, and the way he talks about the game feels like he’s played 300 matches already. He’s got power, he’s a great athlete, and he’s got grace. As we both know, that’s a pretty good combination.”
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AUGUSTA. Ga. — Jordan Spieth swings. And Michael Greller screams.
“Forrrre leeeeft!”
And you salivate. The caddie’s two words — or their siblings, forrrre riiiight — now have a Pavlovian effect. When Spieth goes wayward with shots, you froth — because here comes a Spiethian treat, more often than not, so to the right of Augusta National’s 18th hole you must go, where, under a dozen or so thick tree branches, Spieth’s tee ball ended up.
Spieth called for a rules official. Of course he did. “I just was curious as to how I could back in,” he said. “Like it’s supposed to be path of least resistance.” He pretzeled himself over the ball. Of course he did. He worked a punch shot back to the fairway. He dropped an iron to 10 feet right of the hole.
He somehow parred. Or course, he did. Spieth Spiethed. After day one of the Masters, he was at even par, and five back of the lead. “I did well to get it out in the fairway, and frankly I don’t know how many people in the world make a four from that tee ball,” Spieth said. “So that was — I’m walking off with a smile on my face. I’m happier than you walk off bogeying to shoot one-under … and it’s funny how the game works, right?”
Right?
A decade ago, that was the thought, too, if you were thinking kindly. In 2015, at the age of 21, Spieth was your Masters winner. In 2016, after 63 of 72 holes, he was your Masters leader by five. And he finished three behind winner Danny Willett. And he hasn’t won here since.
Late Thursday afternoon, he reflected on some of that. There have been years of other near-misses. But 2016 is “up there with memorable tournaments for me, good and bad,” Spieth said. The large lead. The large lost lead. The opportunity to repeat. The current search for a second Masters win. But he said he felt he exited with something more than a seemingly awkward moment of fitting Willett into the green jacket.
“I was super resilient,” he said in front of a couple of reporters.
“It’s certainly gone both ways for me here, so stay within arm’s reach and try to make it go my way.”
If anything, it’s what made him charming over the past 10 years. There was some of that on Thursday. He was two-under through Amen Corner, then bogeyed the 14th hole, after his tee ball finished up against a tree, and the 15th hole, on a three-putt from 30 feet. But then came that par on 18.
“What I’ve learned the last 10 years,” Spieth said, “is a lot — anything can happen.”
This year, the results have been mixed. Eight starts. Just one missed cut. Five finishes in the top 30. But zero wins. He’s talked often of how things have felt right, but the scores haven’t reflected that, and Thursday was more of the same. The bogey on 15 was an example.
In the par-5’s right greenside bunker after two shots. Made a bogey six.
“Just I don’t take four to get in from a greenside bunker on 15 very often,” Spieth said. “You know, just had a lie that I thought it was going to come out super fast and didn’t. And then I was — I wasn’t tentative on the greens. I just thought they were quicker and I left a number of putts short. You can’t leave the five-footers downhill for your par putts if you can get it below the hole.
“So I made kind of a couple mistakes in that regard. Got away with one or two and didn’t on 15. That’s the kind of stuff that’s been happening. I’m in position to make birdie and walk off with a six on a random hole. Give me a dozen balls in there I probably make birdie on 10 and make bogey on one and par on the other, you know what I mean?
“I feel good about it. It’s like close to clicking and it just didn’t quite click today.”
But maybe Friday. He’ll be back again.
Funny how the game works, right?
“>
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“Don’t See Cameron Green At KKR For Long”: Rs 25.2 Crore Star Trolled For Expensive Spell vs LSG
Cameron Green finally rolled his arm over for Kolkata Knight Riders but failed to get the desired outcome from their IPL 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens on Thursday. The right-arm fast bowler started with a 12-run over that also included the wicket of Rishabh Pant, but followed it with an extremely poor one. When Green came in to bowl his second over, LSG needed 30 runs to win off the final 12 balls. He was smashed by Mukul Choudhary for two sixes and a four, leaking a total of 16 runs.
The Rs 25.2 crore KKR star was already under the scanner over his poor batting form, and his bowling struggles only added to the trouble. With the bat, Green has scored 56 runs at an average of 18.67 in four matches in IPL 2026. As he struggled with the ball too, fans on social media criticised and trolled him.
Check out some of the reactions:
25crs Cameron Green today
2 overs
28 Runs
14 ecnoEripappa @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/6AHnAXoSCI
— (@RiserAbhiram) April 9, 2026
At this rate I don’t see Cameron Green at KKR for long lol. https://t.co/Ewr4Hls4FO
— Y P (@imYash07) April 9, 2026
Cameron Green: 25 crore
Mukul Choudhary: 2.60 croreSRK …
Goenka
— Pankaj Kumar (@kumar_pank10721) April 9, 2026
Mukul Choudhary announced himself in style! Backed by Arjun Tendulkar, picked cheap by #LSG, he demolished Cameron Green & chased the impossible with ice-cold nerves. 53 off 24? Too easy! A new #IPL superstar is born #PSL #Bangladesh #CricketFever pic.twitter.com/wNUHvbr6se
— Bangladesh Sports Club (@BClubSports) April 10, 2026
Mukul Choudhary was the star of the night as he scored an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls to guide LSG to a last-ball victory over KKR in the match. He smashed two fours and seven sixes.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane backed his bowlers while praising LSG’s Choudhary after the game.
“For them (LSG), it was nothing to lose. Two overs, 30 runs to win. Every ball, it was about swinging. And I thought, as I said, he was really brave to play those shots. There were some brilliant shots. I thought there were a couple of brilliant deliveries (bowled), but the way he batted was amazing. Probably in the fielding, I’d say a couple of misfields, but apart from that, I thought our bowlers did a brilliant job,” the KKR skipper said after the game.
“When you lose a game, you can easily think about things we could have done better. I thought 180-185 was a very good total on this wicket. It wasn’t easy to play big shots. Slow balls were stopping; it was hard to hit. But in the end, I thought, let’s give credit to the batter, the way he (Mukul) batted,” Rahane added.
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Out of the National Hockey League playoff race for months, the Vancouver Canucks continue to be formidable “spoilers.”
On Thursday, they spoiled the Nashville Predators’ wild-card chances by losing 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings. Impacting the race at the top of the Pacific Division, the Canucks hurt the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks by losing twice in nine days to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Before that, the Canucks dealt a setback to the San Jose Sharks by losing to the Kings, and the Winnipeg Jets by losing to the St. Louis Blues.
At the most critical stage of the NHL playoffs races, the Canucks have lost nine out of 10 games in regulation and the only game they won hurt no none — because it was irrelevant to the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.
The Canucks haven’t exactly fulfilled the spoiler role they envisioned for themselves. They are 7-30-5 since peaking at two games under .500 on Dec. 20.
It’s not for lack of trying.
At the embryonic stage of their rebuild, the Canucks just aren’t good enough. They played a far better game Thursday in their three-goal loss against the Kings than they did in their 11-shot, one-goal loss to the Knights on Tuesday.
The Canucks pressed the Kings for stretches, and especially in the second period, generated offensive-zone time with their forecheck, put 25 pucks on Los Angeles goalie Anton Forsberg, outhit their heavy opponents 21-19 and out-attempted them 57-50.
But the Canucks haven’t the talent to outscore their mistakes, and haven’t the experience to prevent them. Marcus Pettersson scored the only Vancouver goal on a shot-pass that caromed in off Los Angeles defenceman Brian Dumoulin.
A step ahead of Linus Karlsson, Adrian Kempe was open in the Vancouver slot to open scoring, Joel Armia made it 2-1 for Los Angeles with an unscreened wrist shot from the high slot after a turnover by Jake DeBrusk, before Kempe and Trevor Moore scored on deflections.
The victory moved the Kings back into the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot, one point ahead of Nashville, three ahead of Winnipeg and four up on San Jose.
Among their four games remaining, the Kings get to play the Canucks for the third time in less than three weeks in Vancouver’s final home game on Tuesday.
In the meantime, the Canucks will visit the Sharks and Ducks in back-to-back road games starting Saturday.
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With a 7:39 pm puck drop, and overwhelming evidence about which way the game was going, referees Kelly Sutherland and Brandon Schrader worked a power-play free contest. There were a few things they could have called (see item below) besides offsetting minors to Elias Pettersson (Junior) and Jeff Malott, but at least the game ended in less than 2 ½ hours.
Easily the most positive aspect of the Canucks’ game was the growing confidence rookie defenceman Zeev Buium exhibited in the offensive zone. The 20-year-old was a one-on-one handful for Kings checkers, using his edges and tight turns to spin away with the puck and create space for himself. He could have drawn a couple of penalties, especially in the second period when Kempe got his stick between Buium’s legs and knocked him down as the Canuck was sidestepping him inside the Los Angeles blue line. Sutherland spent the next television timeout explaining his non-call to Vancouver coach Adam Foote.
Buium’s forays still generally lack endings — sharp passes or superior scoring chances — but his willingness and ability to challenge players with the puck is an excellent sign for someone who will be expected to drive the Canucks’ attack a couple of seasons from now.
Sportsnet’s cameras caught veteran defenceman Filip Hronek, iPad in hand, apparently upbraiding his young defence partner at the Canuck bench after Artemi Panarin easily split the defenders to force a strong save from Tolopilo early in the second period. Whatever the discussion was about, we can confirm that Buium, like half of Vancouver’s young lineup, still has a lot to learn about defending at the NHL level.
On a night when the Kings clobbered the Canucks in the faceoff circle and top Vancouver centre Elias Pettersson went 4-14, it’s easy to see why second-year centre Aatu Raty’s short-term NHL future is connected to the dots.
Although he was 7-10 in L.A., the 23-year-old is fourth in the NHL with a 61.3 per cent win rate on faceoffs among players who have taken at least 300 draws. The three guys ahead of him, Claude Giroux, J.T. Miller and Jonathan Toews, have combined for 3,423 NHL games. Raty has played 110.
Despite his limitations offensively and defensive misreads at times, Raty is already being relied on late in games to win the Canucks the puck. Raty also leads the current Canucks with 159 hits. So, he’s big (6-2, 205 pounds), physical and wins a lot of faceoffs. Players have built careers with less.
Adam Foote to reporters in Los Angeles: “The second period was probably one of our best second periods of the last 30 games. We were great on the forecheck and spent more time in their zone than they did in our zone, and we just had two guys go to the same spot in our end (on Kempe’s goal that made it 3-1) and then they got one. So it was hard to come back.”
Some credible reports this week suggested that the 2026 NFL Draft will feature more trades than usual, so we decided it was time for a VikingsTerritory refresher on draft-night trades.
A few Minnesota draft deals aged extremely well once the picks turned into long-term starters.
The Vikings actually fired the guy who traded like a fiend in late January, but interim boss Rob Brzezinski has been around the franchise long enough — 27 years — to finagle some deals of his own.
Robison, Griffen, and Smith Turned Trade Capital Into Defensive Cornerstones
The NFL draft is the most popular forum in sports for all trades. The following is a list of the Vikings’ three best trades during the draft since 2006, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top draft-night deal).
3. The 2007 Deal for DE Brian Robison
The Trade —
a 2007 4th-Rounder and 6th-Rounder
to TB
for a 2007 4th-Rounder
Trade Aftermath —
Buccaneers Received: DB Tanard Jackson and LB Adam Hayward
Vikings Received: DE Brian Robison
The Vikings moved up four spots in the draft for the cost of a 6th-Round pick and ended up with Brian Robison for 11 seasons. Jackson and Hayward stuck around the league for a bit, but neither came close to matching Robison’s output.
Robison later held down a starting job from 2011 to 2016 in Minnesota and piled up 60 sacks. Every snap of his NFL career came in Minnesota.
2. The 2010 Deal for DE Everson Griffen
The Trade —
a 2010 1st-Rounder and 4th-Rounder
to DET
for a 2010 2nd-Rounder, 4th-Rounder, and 7th-Rounder
Trade Aftermath —
Lions Received: RB Jahvid Best and OL Jason Fox
Vikings Received: DB Chris Cook, DE Everson Griffen, and TE Mickey Shuler
Jahvid Best’s semi-productive stint with the Lions and Fox’s limited role (three starts) were just the beginning. The Vikings initially hoped Chris Cook would be the key acquisition in that trade, but the true value emerged later. When Mike Zimmer became head coach in 2014, Everson Griffen blossomed into a Pro Bowl-caliber player and ultimately became the defining piece of the exchange.
Meanwhile, Shuler never played a game for Minnesota, and Cook remained a low-impact backup. This trade down worked for Minnesota, as Griffen compiled four Pro Bowls with the Vikings.
1. The 2012 Deal for S Harrison Smith
The Trade —
a 2012 2nd-Rounder and 4th-Rounder
to BAL
for a 2012 1st-Rounder
Trade Aftermath —
Ravens Received: OLB Courtney Upshaw and G Gino Gradkowski
Vikings Received: S Harrison Smith
After trading up six spots to re-enter the 1st Round and draft Smith, Minnesota saw an immediate return on their investment. Smith quickly solidified the secondary and has been a mainstay of the Vikings’ defense for 14 seasons. He’s forged a Hall of Fame resume, featuring longevity and staying where his feet were planted.
Although both Upshaw and Gradkowski played in Baltimore, neither received a second contract.
Smith, meanwhile, may or may not return in 2026. The Vikings technically cut him last month, though he has a rather binary decision to return for Year No. 15 or retire.
Star Tribune‘s Andrew Krammer wrote about Smith’s future and the Vikings’ budding safety need last month, “Safety Harrison Smith was celebrated in the finale of his 14th Vikings season as if it were the end. But nothing is official yet. If he’s released, the team will likely use a salary cap lever to free up a marginal amount of room.”
“Smith’s contract is scheduled to void, and releasing him with a post-June 1 designation, a maneuver that defers $7.6 million in remaining cap charges to 2027, frees an additional $1.3 million, according to OverTheCap.com. Smith’s absence would leave a massive hole on the roster.”
Since Krammer’s musings, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman has morphed into the Vikings’ keynote draft darling.
Krammer added, “Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski’s shopping list this month may include a starting safety, of which there are many intriguing pending free agents. This seems like a good year to need help. The Vikings could use a centerfield type to cover deep zones in a way they weren’t able to quickly replicate when safety Cam Bynum got paid by Indianapolis last year.”
“Safety Josh Metellus rightfully got paid as a do-it-all defender, but he’s not at his best when backpedaling. Safety Theo Jackson’s role diminished under coordinator Brian Flores, who started giving late-season looks to safety Jay Ward.”
The Vikings could add to the draft-night trade list in two weeks, as draft pundits expect the event to feature more trades than usual. For example, Minnesota, equipped with the 18th overall pick, could swing a deal with the Miami Dolphins, obtaining the 30th overall pick and two 3rd-Rounders, which would balance on most trade calculators.
Smith wins the trade list. Six Pro Bowls speak for themselves. All with the same franchise.
Manny Pacquiao has made a powerful statement without uttering a single word, as he prepares for a highly anticipated rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The boxing legend’s new Hollywood gym, once associated with his rival, is now being rebranded as ‘Pacquiao Prime Boxing’ and is set to open this summer. Inside, a large image of Mayweather is slated for removal, symbolizing a new era.
It comes as Pacquiao and Mayweather are scheduled to face off again on September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The bout marks more than a decade since their record-breaking encounter in 2015.
However, the nature of the upcoming fight has become a point of contention, with Mayweather characterizing it as an exhibition, while Pacquiao insists on the terms he agreed to. Representatives for Mayweather have not responded to requests for comment.
“He knows what he signed,” Pacquiao, 47, said in an interview this week.
For the Filipino boxer, who ended a four-year retirement last year, the issue is one of principle. The undefeated Mayweather, 49, is returning to the ring nine years after his own retirement.
Pacquiao added: “Dignity. Integrity. That’s what matters.”
Three different agreements
Behind the scenes, the focus has shifted from how the fight is being described to how it moves forward.
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and a producer on the event, said the bout is anchored by multiple signed agreements, and that those terms remain clear. He said Mayweather was well aware.
“Not one, not two, but three different agreements,” Mathur said. “He signed all of them.”
According to Mathur, those agreements outline a professional fight, not an exhibition, and include financial commitments already in motion. His comments come amid broader questions surrounding Mayweather’s plans, including previously reported bouts with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and against kickboxer Mike Zambidis — which could complicate the agreement.
“He took an advance on his purse,” Mathur said. “Everything is black and white.”
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Mathur described the situation as a breach of contract, pointing to public comments that differ from the signed terms. He added that the matter is now being handled through legal channels as both sides work toward a resolution.
“There are consequences that come with that,” Mathur said.
Pacquiao’s focus remains steady. But for him, the situation comes down to clarity and commitment.
“What we signed is a real fight,” he said. “I know that he knows what he signed. … We signed both, and I hope he honors it.”
’He’s a chicken’
When asked what it would signal if the bout does not move forward as planned, Mathur did not hesitate.
“He’s a chicken,” he said.
Standing beside him, Pacquiao responded in his own way, letting out a brief “bawk, bawk, bawk” while flapping his arms, drawing laughter from both.
Beyond the immediate stakes of the fight, Pacquiao also addressed the broader conversation surrounding legacy, including how greatness is defined in boxing. It’s a discussion that has long included both him and Mayweather.
“I don’t even claim myself as the greatest,” said Pacquiao, who noted he’s the only fighter to win titles across four decades. “I let the people say who is the greatest.”
Why take over Mayweather’s gym?
Taking over a space once associated with Mayweather, especially in the lead-up to a high-profile rematch, carries a natural layer of symbolism. But Pacquiao and his team framed the decision through a different lens.
While standing in front of Mayweather’s image — one that will soon be replaced — Pacquiao described a new direction for the space as one centered on performance rather than accessibility.
The facility will operate as a private training center for professional fighters, athletes and select guests. There are plans to expand the model across major markets.
Mathur pointed to location and visibility as key drivers behind the decision, noting the volume of daily traffic through the Hollywood corridor. At the same time, he suggested the opportunity reflects a broader shift in approach tied to the previous business connected to Mayweather’s brand.
“There was a chance to build something much bigger,” Mathur said. “We’re looking at this differently.”
Pacquiao said he wants to create opportunities for the next generation of fighters while expanding his footprint in the sport.
“This is our passion,” he said. “To build more boxing gyms and help develop fighters.”
Building beyond the ring
Beyond the fight, Pacquiao and his team are building with a broader vision in mind.
From fighter development under Manny Pacquiao Promotions to new training hubs through the Hollywood gym, the focus extends well past the ring.
Mathur, who partners with Pacquiao across multiple ventures, described a strategy centered on long-term growth, including efforts to bring Pacquiao’s established business footprint from Asia into the United States and beyond.
“Manny is actively involved,” Mathur said. “This is about building something bigger.”
That vision also includes ventures in financial technology, highlighted by Manny Pay — a digital wallet platform the team is working to expand internationally — along with media and consumer products tied to Pacquiao’s global reach.
In a space being rebuilt for what comes next, Pacquiao is moving forward with focus. He said the balance between business and boxing remains clear.
“Both,” he said, when asked what drives him now. “We’re focused on this fight, and building our own businesses.”
SAN DIEGO — Xander Bogaerts hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning and the San Diego Padres snapped the Colorado Rockies‘ four-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory on Thursday night.
Bogaerts sent a 1-0 pitch from Valente Bellozo (0-1) out to left field for his ninth career grand slam and his second with the Padres.
Fernando Tatis Jr. laid down a sacrifice bunt to begin the 12th, moving automatic runner Jake Cronenworth to third. Bellozo intentionally walked Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado to load the bases before Bogaerts’ shot.
David Morgan (1-0) retired all five batters he faced to get the win after coming in with two on and one out in the 11th.
Cronenworth threw out Willi Castro at home on a grounder to second base to keep the Rockies from scoring in the 12th. Castro went 0 for 5 with five strikeouts.
Brett Sullivan had an RBI double in the 11th to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead, but Luis Campusano tied it with a two-out double.
Tyler Freeman’s RBI single gave Colorado a 2-1 lead in the 10th before Machado tied it with a sac fly.
Brenton Doyle hit a one-out solo shot to centre field off Randy Vásquez for his first home run of the season and a 1-0 Rockies’ lead in the third. Vásquez allowed one run on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight.
Tatis tied it 1-1 with a sacrifice fly in the Padres’ third.
Hunter Goodman left with a laceration on his right middle finger after he was hit by a Vásquez pitch leading off the sixth.
Padres closer Mason Miller needed 10 pitches to strike out the side in the ninth, running his scoreless innings streak to 27 2/3 innings dating to last season. The right-hander has 58 strikeouts and only five hits allowed during the run.
Chase Dollander surrendered one run on four hits in 4 1/3 innings for Colorado after Jimmy Herget opened with a 1-2-3 first.
Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69) starts Friday opposite Padres RHP Walker Buehler (0-1, 9.45).
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