George Russell praised his Mercedes as a “joy to drive” as he took pole for the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday to continue his team’s dominant start to the new era of Formula 1.
Russell is the driver to beat in Shanghai after his dominant win in Australia last week. With teammate Kimi Antonelli qualifying second and no other team close, Mercedes is on target for another 1-2 finish in Saturday’s sprint, which is followed by qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“The car has been feeling amazing,” Russell said. “The engine is performing really well and today it was a real joy to drive.”
Lando Norris was 0.621 of a second adrift, a vast gap in F1 terms, in third for McLaren. Only Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari in fourth and Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri in fifth got within a second of Russell’s time.
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Hamilton might be the biggest threat to the Mercedes pair because the Ferrari is quick off the line, which allowed teammate Charles Leclerc to jump into the lead in Australia last week before a strategy error ended his victory hopes. Russell suggested Mercedes has improved its sluggish starts, though.
Verstappen, the most prominent critic of the new regulations, had another tough qualifying session in eighth, though not as bad as the crash which left him at the back of the grid in Australia last week.
Ferrari debuts Macarena’Russell and Mercedes led the way in Friday’s sole practice session, as Ferrari failed to find a significant advantage from its unique rear wing which rotates upside-down for more speed on the straights.
Leclerc had the fifth quickest time (1:33.599) followed by Lewis Hamilton (1:34.129).
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Hamilton touched tires with Norris in practice and also spun as he lost control on another lap.
Dubbed the “flip-flop” or “Macarena,” it was used briefly in testing, dropped for Australia, and is the sort of innovation which could help Leclerc and Hamilton compete with Mercedes. It could also disrupt the airflow and hinder cars following close behind.
Changes on the wayF1’s governing body, the FIA, could take stock of how the racing is going and make changes, potentially even in time for the Japanese Grand Prix later this month.
One gripe so far has been the lack of control by drivers of when the electrical power kicks in and how much is used.
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They can’t stop the power being deployed in typical straight-line driving and can only add an extra boost, which in Australia resulted in cars finishing the formation lap with an empty battery and lacking pace at the start. That’s “not a lot of fun and also quite dangerous,” Verstappen said Thursday.
A related issue ended home hero Oscar Piastri’s race before it began in Australia, when the extra power kicked in unexpectedly and tipped him into the barriers before he even reached the grid.
If F1 can’t race next month in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which remain on the schedule for now despite the Iran war, it would leave a five-week gap in the calendar, which teams could use to refine any changes.
Zhou a boost for CadillacThere hasn’t been a Chinese driver on the F1 grid since Zhou Guanyu left Sauber at the end of 2024, but he’s still a big celebrity in his home country. As reserve driver for Cadillac, he could give the new team extra recognition in a key market after its solid but unspectacular debut in Australia.
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It was a tough day for Cadillac as Valtteri Bottas was 21st in sprint qualifying, slower than even the unreliable Aston Martins, while Sergio Perez couldn’t start because of a problem with his fuel system.
Team USA is moving on in the 2026 World Baseball Classic bracket. The Americans held on for a 5-3 win against Canada on Friday night at Daikin Park in Houston. Team USA’s win sets up the biggest game of the tournament so far: USA vs. the Dominican Republic on Sunday in the semifinals.
The Dominican Republic improved to 5-0 in the WBC on Friday night, smashing Korea with a 10-0 rout. Team USA and D.R. are the two biggest favorites to win the WBC title, but only one will reach the title game. Paul Skenes will get the ball for the Americans against the loaded Dominican Republic lineup.
Italy, Puerto Rico, Japan and Venezuela are on the other side of the bracket, and they’ll all play quarterfinal matchups on Saturday. Italy, which went 4-0 and took down Team USA earlier this week, will face Puerto Rico. Venezuela will try to knock out Shohei Ohtani and reigning champion Japan.
The quarterfinals are being held Friday and Saturday, the semifinals will be Sunday and Monday, and the 2026 World Baseball Classic championship game is set for Tuesday. The semis and title game will be held at Marlins Park in Miami.
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Here’s a look at the 2026 World Baseball Classic bracket:
2026 World Baseball Classic bracket
World Baseball Classic/MLB
Team USA’s advancement out of pool play was more nerve-wracking than expected, but the Americans are through to the semifinals thanks to Italy’s win over Mexico on Wednesday night. Team USA lost to Italy on Tuesday and had to sweat out Wednesday’s result. A narrow Mexico win would’ve sent the Americans packing.
Team USA finished in second place in Pool B, going 3-1 in group play. The U.S. easily beat Brazil and Great Britain before a close win over Mexico. The Americans then shockingly lost to Italy on Tuesday and set up a scenario where their quarterfinal fate was out of their hands. Italy, though, finished off a perfect round of pool play by beating Mexico to earn first place in Pool B. Italy’s win over Mexico prevented the knockout spots from being determined by the complicated WBC tiebreaker rules.
World Baseball Classic knockout scores, schedule
All games are available to stream on fubo (Try for free).
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Quarterfinals
Friday, March 13 Dominican Republic 10, Korea 0 (7) United States 5, Canada 3
Saturday, March 14 Italy vs. Puerto Rico, 3 p.m. ET, FS1 Japan vs. Venezuela, 9 p.m. ET, Fox
Semifinals
Sunday, March 15 Dominican Republic vs. United States, 8 p.m. ET, FS1
Monday, March 16 TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, FS1
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Championship game
Tuesday, March 17 TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, FS1
FanDuel considers Team USA to be the favorite to win the WBC (+125 odds). The Dominican Republic is second (+200), ahead of Japan (+400) and Venezuela (+1000). The Americans are considered -162 favorites in the head-to-head matchup with the Dominican Republic, with Skenes likely to be opposed by Luis Severino.
Japan took down the United States in the 2023 title game, with Ohtani famously striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out. Will the bracket provide a rematch? Or will the star-studded Dominican lineup or another team make a run at the trophy this year? We’ll find out in the coming days.
The tensions between Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes continued on SmackDown, as the segment once more ended with Sami getting frustrated. However, a new feud also started in the process.
This week on SmackDown, in a backstage segment, Sami Zayn congratulated Cody Rhodes and said that he did exactly what he claimed he would, which was to reclaim the Undisputed WWE Championship. Sami also wished Randy Orton well, and this became a point of tension, with Sami telling Cody that he looked up to Randy Orton and not to The American Nightmare. The reason for this, according to Sami, is that Orton is a 14-time World Champion and a legend, whereas Cody Rhodes is his friend. This is why he considers himself an equal to Cody despite the fact that he is a World Champion and Sami isn’t. Cody once again suggested that Sami was trying to “position himself” for a title shot after WrestleMania 42, and Sami responded by saying that he couldn’t believe Cody thought so low of him.
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Cody then told Sami Zayn that he doesn’t need to look up to him – he just needs to look at the (WWE) Title. As he walked away, Sami once again found himself throwing bottles and smacking objects in frustration. After this, Zelina Vega and Aleister Black came swooping in, asking Sami whether he thought that maybe the World Title wasn’t meant for him. Sami told Aleister Black that he needed to stay far away, essentially kickstarting a new feud.
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It’s going to be interesting to see what comes of this tense set of exchanges between Sami and Cody. One would imagine that they will eventually make up and become friends again, or one of them, presumably Sami, decides to turn and betray the other. Either way, the Aleister Black feud might just play into that.
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Mar 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund (72) bats the puck out of the air for a goal past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
The San Jose Sharks aim to stay in the win column and strengthen their position in the Western Conference playoff race when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
The Sharks moved into the West’s second wild-card spot on Thursday with a 4-2 road win against the Boston Bruins, who had previously won 13 straight on home ice.
San Jose forward William Eklund had the highlight-reel goal of the evening in the third period. His initial shot was stopped by Jeremy Swayman, but Eklund batted in his own rebound while he was falling to the ice for his first goal since Jan. 7.
“It’s going to be like that during the season, and you’ve got to play through stuff,” Eklund said. “You’re not going to feel 100% every night. You’ve just got to push through it.”
Macklin Celebrini tallied the primary helper on Tyler Toffoli’s second-period goal to bring himself to 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists) in his second NHL season. Celebrini is on pace to join Pittsburgh Penguins legend Sidney Crosby as the only active NHL players to hit 100 points in a season before the age of 20.
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Backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 39 saves.
“I felt like I was seeing the puck good,” Nedeljkovic said. “Things were pretty clear out there. We were doing a good job of keeping guys out of the way early on, and if there was a rebound, we did a good job of tying up sticks or just clearing pucks right away. We were pretty solid in our own end for most of the night.”
Meanwhile, the Canadiens are pushing to stay in good standing in the Eastern Conference. They have won three straight games and got an extra day of rest after beating the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Wednesday night.
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Ivan Demidov scored the go-ahead goal at 12:40 of the third period to secure the road victory. Drake Batherson scored twice to give the Senators a 2-1 advantage in the first frame, but Jacob Fowler’s 32 saves put the Habs in position to win.
“It was pretty hectic,” said Fowler, a rookie who was making his 11th start (5-4-2). “A couple plays there that our guys on the ice were pretty gassed, and a lot of huge blocks there down the stretch, the last few minutes there. A lot of guys doing a lot of hard things there to get a win, and that’s what it takes this time of year.”
Captain Nick Suzuki has recorded a team-high 75 points (21 goals, 54 assists) for the Canadiens, who are third in the Atlantic Division. Sniper Cole Caufield (37 goals) missed the Ottawa game due to illness.
This is the teams’ second and final meeting of the season. Defense fell by the wayside on March 3 when Celebrini racked up a goal and three assists in San Jose’s 7-5 home victory.
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Montreal is 18-11-2 at home this season, and San Jose is 14-16-1 on the road.
A season to forget for Ole Miss will have an ending to remember, regardless of what happens from here. The Rebels stunned Alabama in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday, outlasting the Crimson Tide 80-79 for their third win in three days.
Ole Miss needs two more victories to reach the NCAA Tournament. But after knocking off three projected at-large teams in three days, the Rebels shouldn’t be counted out. After all, they haven’t trailed at any point so far during what’s becoming the top Cinderella story of conference tournament week.
One season after reaching the Sweet 16, Ole Miss cratered by losing 12 of its last 13 regular-season games. The precipitous slide left coach Chris Beard’s club as the No. 15 seed for the SEC Tournament. They are still just 15-19 after Friday’s win, but after beginning the week with 300-to-1 odds of winning the SEC Tournament, hope is alive.
Can the Rebels keep their run going on Saturday? They will have no choice if they want to reach the Big Dance. Either way, it’s been a fun ride in Nashville for a team that most had left for dead entering the week.
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Here is the rundown of other Bracketology-oriented winners and losers from Friday’s action.
Get up-to-date results, plus what they mean for the NCAA Tournament bubble and seeding with our CBS Sports Bracketology LIVE BLOG.
Winner: Atlantic 10 stalwarts advance
The Atlantic 10’s top two seeds were each tested in quarterfinal action, but Saint Louis and VCU both found ways to survive and advance. The top-seeded Billikens rallied from a 21-point deficit to edge George Washington 88-81 behind 22 points from Robbie Avila, who scored 15 in a big second half for a Saint Louis team that struggled through a 3-3 finish to the regular season.
VCU trailed Duquesne by seven in the first half before stabilizing for a 71-66 victory. The win kept the Rams’ at-large hopes ablaze for another day as they will remain among the “Last Four In” within CBS Sports Bracketology. The A10’s hopes of being a two-bid league are alive and well.
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Loser: Auburn’s hopes get slimmer
VCU hanging around on the right side of the bubble was bad news for Auburn, which will likely need the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West to be one-bid leagues. The Tigers (17-16) can do nothing but sit, hope and pray after losing to Tennessee on Thursday in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. But they are firmly on the wrong side of the bubble in CBS Sports Bracketology, and they didn’t get the help they needed from VCU.
Loser: Illinois drops from No. 2 seed
Illinois dropped from the No. 2 seed line in CBS Sports Bracketology with its 91-88 overtime loss against Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The Illini are now 0-4 in overtime games since the start of February. If the inverse were true, this team would be in the mix for the final No. 1 seed. But great predictive metrics can only get you so far, and the Illini (24-8) won’t have a case for a No. 2 seed on Selection Sunday. In fact, with selection metrics in the mid-teens, Illinois should now be pleased if it gets a No. 3 seed.
Purdue is now the final No. 2 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology — for the time being — after thrashing Nebraska 74-58 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The Boilermakers desperately needed the authoritative victory after dropping four of six games to close the regular season. To actually end up as a No. 2 seed, the Boilermakers may still need another victory. Iowa State is lurking in the mix for a No. 2 seed and owns a head-to-head win over Purdue, which could be an influential factor if they are scrubbed side by side.
Loser: Seton Hall bows out
Seton Hall’s at-large aspirations were bleak entering the day. But they were officially extinguished in a 78-68 loss to St. John’s in the Big East Tournament semifinals. Though the Pirates have 21 wins, they have just one victory over a projected at-large team (NC State), and they will arrive at Selection Sunday well outside the top 50 in the all-important Wins Above Bubble metric. This was a great defensive team that merely lacked the offensive firepower to break through for needle-moving wins.
Winner: Arizona pulls off the comeback
Arizona fell behind 14-2 out of the gate and trailed by eight in the second half. But the Wildcats rallied for a thrilling 82-80 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. The victory keeps Arizona alive in the race for the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance, as they will play for a “double title” on Saturday after winning the Big 12’s regular-season title by two games. Anthony Dell’Orso played the role of hero with four 3-pointers in the second half as he finished with a game-high 26 points on 10 of 14 shooting.
Loser: Tennessee fades against Vanderbilt
One day after using a 20-0 run in the second half to roar back and beat Auburn, Tennessee ended up on the wrong side of a similar equation in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Vanderbilt used a 10-0 run to flip the script on the Volunteers and earn a 75-68 win over its in-state rival. Vandy remains firmly on the No. 4 seed line in CBS Sports Bracketology, and the Commodores aren’t done yet, as losses from Alabama and Nebraska may have opened a narrow path to the No. 3 seed line.
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Winner: Florida looks inevitable
Florida endured its worst 3-point shooting performance of the season and still kept Kentucky at arm’s length in a 71-63 SEC Tournament quarterfinal victory. The Gators needed the win to keep their grasp on the final No. 1 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology, and the outcome was scarcely in doubt. The reigning national champions own the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 12 games — trailing only High Point at 14 — and are two wins away from repeating as SEC Tournament champions. A national title repeat appears to be squarely within the realm of possibility, too.
Jade Cargill had a lot of words to say about her WrestleMania 42 opponent, Rhea Ripley. However, when Ripley came to confront her, Cargill seemingly got exposed in an instant.
This week on SmackDown, Jade Cargill finally went to war with Michin, who tried to exact revenge on her for that attack a few months ago. The two women have been going back and forth for a while now, but things were finally put to rest on SmackDown, with the WWE Women’s Champion picking up a decisive victory over the veteran Michin. In the post-match promo, Cargill simply claimed that she wasn’t scared of Rhea Ripley, as she has never been scared of a single thing her entire life. She vowed that come WrestleMania, she will beat Ripley and prove why she is always on top.
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Rhea Ripley would then finally make her way out, and just as she entered the ring, Jade Cargill would exit, seemingly exposing her prior words as being false. For if she wasn’t scared, why would she run away in an instant? Cargill simply refused to engage while Ripley vowed to her that she would make Cargill her “b***h” at WrestleMania 42.
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It’s going to be interesting to see how things play out as they still have a little over a month to build up to their dream match at WrestleMania 42. Ripley is the overwhelming sentimental favorite, but whether you love her or hate her, Jade Cargill is undeniably the real deal in the ring, and there’s a reason why she is the reigning WWE Women’s Champion.
A lot will happen at WrestleMania, and their feud got off to a heated start as they seemingly broke the fourth wall, or atleast Cargill did. They had one face-to-face segment, and it looks like they are on a collision course to do that again before WrestleMania 42.
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Wood has been plagued by injuries during his career – including multiple knee and elbow operations – which have robbed England for periods of one of their finest strike bowlers.
He spent seven months rehabilitating his knee in order to be fit for the Ashes and lamented not being able to play some games for his county before heading to Australia for the series.
“I tried to get back at certain points but my knee wasn’t quite ready,” he said.
“It’s easy in hindsight, even if I was at 80% then at least the game would have given us an indicator of where I was.”
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He was thought to have been close to a return in the home summer, but ultimately did not take the field until England’s only Ashes warm-up game against the Lions at Lilac Hill in November.
He bowled eight overs but was only cleared to play in the first Test following a hamstring scan.
For now, although focused on his recovery, Wood said he has been thinking about life after cricket: “I’ve started thinking about other things, doing podcasts, doing my coaching badges.
“I’ve now started to try and think for the first time about what I should do if this doesn’t go well.”
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Wood – regarded as one of the fastest bowlers to play for England – has taken 119 wickets in 38 Tests since making his debut in 2015.
He was part of the 2015 Ashes-winning side, lifted the 2019 50-over World Cup and won the T20 World Cup in 2022.
Wakefield Trinity produce a dominant second-half display as they recover from 14-12 down at half-time to beat Leeds Rhinos 24-14 and reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals for the second season in a row.
Mason Greenwood’s move from Manchester United to Marseille was contentious for both clubs, particularly when it came to those in the boardroom for the French side
21:38, 13 Mar 2026Updated 21:38, 13 Mar 2026
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A police report was filed after Marseille executives quarrelled over the decision to sign Mason Greenwood from Manchester United.
Marseille signed him from the Reds for around £26.7m in July 2024, in a move which divided many in France. The contention around his arrival was not limited to the wider football world, as there were many within the Marseille boardroom who were not happy about the prospect of signing him.
Reports in France have claimed an argument about signing the West Yorkshireman led to a police report being filed. It’s been claimed by La Provence a police report was filed by a club senior executive after sporting director Mehdi Benatia clashed with Cecilia Barontini, who had spent four years within the Stade Velodrome’s human resources team, about signing Greenwood.
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Club president Pablo Longoria is understood to have instructed Barontini to take charge of several administrative matters alongside Alban Juster, but she was “opposed” to the idea of buying Greenwood.
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She also expressed disagreement against Marseille’s move for Algeria international defender Youcef Atal, who had been handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence and a €45,000 fine for sharing an anti-Semitic video after attacks were carried out on the Gaza Strip soon after October 7, 2023.
All of these disagreements reportedly culminated in a “heated confrontation” in Longoria’s office, which led to an incident report being compiled by local police forces. In the end, the French heavyweights chose to sign Greenwood, who has made 73 appearances for the Ligue 1 side.
Longoria recently explained his decision making around Greenwood, when he realised there was an opportunity to sign the ex-United academy graduate. He strangely said he ran the idea past his mother, before he made his decision.
He recently told The Telegraph: “For me, it’s correct to speak openly about it. Creating taboos in life is never positive. For us it was a massive market opportunity from a sporting perspective where we analysed, very carefully, what really happened.
“In that case, having done due diligence and having all the information – and this is the first time I speak about this – with all the information I called my mother. And I said ‘what do you think, knowing all the situation?’
“And my mother, who used to work in the prison system in Spain, having a very innovative prison system model in Spain – she was recognised with the medal of the state.
“So I ask her, having all this information, ‘what would you do in my position?’ And she said to me ‘do it’. With all the information.
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“It was important because I wanted someone who doesn’t have the incentive of the sport, because the talent is there, that her only incentive is the good of her son. As a man, not as a president. And, for me, it was very important that she said to me, knowing all of this, ‘do it’.”
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Longoria went on to say: “I know that there is criticism. I know that the situation, it’s so many times, potentially reputational [damage].
“But, I repeat, if you think that you are taking the right decision, with the right level of information, and from a human perspective as well, because Mason, he’s a good kid, seriously. From that time, I sleep at night.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.
In the second period, not long after Matthews scored a power play goal to cut the Ducks’ lead to 3-2, the Toronto captain put a move on Gudas in front of the Anaheim net. Unable to lay a good hit on Matthews, Gudas extended his leg into Matthews’ left knee.
Matthews immediately went down in agony, holding his injured knee. He eventually had to be helped off the ice and down the tunnel.
Gudas received a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced a five-game suspension for Gudas on Friday night following his hearing via conference call.
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Because Gudas only received a conference call hearing — as opposed to an in-person hearing — a five-game suspension was the maximum penalty he could receive. In a statement to ESPN, Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, blasted the ruling and went scorched Earth on the Department of Player Safety.
“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am very disappointed and shocked that the league would allow for such a ruling,” Moldaver said. “A phone hearing and five games is just laughable and preposterous. While the hearing process is pre-fixed in our CBA, that there was no further discipline is a reckless and ridiculous position for player safety. This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. The player safety department should be suspended.”
Toronto came back to win the game, 6-4, but the loss of Matthews is a devastating final blow that will likely end a frustrating season for the Maple Leafs. Matthews leads the team in goals with 27, and he’s fourth on the team in points with 53. The top heavy nature of the team’s lineup means all the stars have to be healthy and firing on all cylinders for everything to click, and that won’t be the case the rest of the way.
If the Leafs’ playoff hopes haven’t already been extinguished, losing Matthews for the rest of the season will likely do the trick.
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Maple Leafs’ address lack of response to “dirty” hit
When the hit first occurred, and Matthews was laying on the ice, none of his Maple Leafs teammates confronted Gudas in any way. Toronto has been flat for most of the 2025-26 season, but it was still shocking not to see anyone rush to Matthews’ defense.
In their postgame press conferences, assistant captains John Tavares and Morgan Rielly described the hit as “dirty” and said the team should have done more to defend Matthews initially. Rielly shouldered the blame for the lack of a response.
“I didn’t have a good view of it just because the puck was going the other way, but it’s on me for not responding earlier to Gudas,” Rielly said. “It’s a dirty hit. I didn’t understand how bad he got him in the moment. I take full responsibility for not being the first one in there or the first one to respond. … Ultimately, when your captain goes down like that on a dirty play, you have to respond as a group. I also take responsibility for not being the first one in there on the hit.”
There was a more physical response in the third period, when Easton Cowan fought Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe, and the teams racked up a combined 48 penalty minutes. Toronto coach Craig Berube appreciated that effort, but he admitted the other four players on the ice at the time of Matthews’ injury should have taken action.
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“We should’ve had four guys in there doing something about it,” Berube said. “It didn’t happen then, but I thought we responded in the third. It was a good response there, but we’d like to see everybody get in right away.”
Generally, it would be unfair to judge a team based on a 15-second stint following an ugly hit on its captain. However, Toronto has failed to meet the moment on numerous occasions this season, which is why it’s eight points out of a playoff spot with 19 games remaining. The lack of an immediate response wasn’t exactly out of character for the 2025-26 Maple Leafs.
