Manchester United has said goodbye to one of its former staff members.
Silvino Louro, United’s former goalkeeping coach under Jose Mourinho, passed away yesterday.
Death
The club announced yesterday on their official website, “Manchester United is saddened to learn our former goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro has passed away at the age of 67.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
They added, “our thoughts are with Silvino’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
One of his former clubs, Real Madrid also released a statement saying, “Real Madrid wishes to express its condolences and its love and affection to his family, his teammates, his clubs and all his loved ones.”
Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea also posted a photo on Instagram which simply stated, “rest in peace”.
Career
Louro played for numerous clubs across Portugal, most notably for SL Benfica between 1984 and 1994 and FC Porto from 1995 to 1997. He also won 23 caps for his country.
Advertisement
He began a successful career as a goalkeeping coach at illustrious clubs such as Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United, all while working closely with Jose Mourinho.
Advertisement
Louro joined United in 2016 and stayed at the club until late 2018. He worked closely alongside David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Sam Johnstone and Joel Pereira.
The former goalkeeping coach was also part of the team that won the FA Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League during his first year at the club.
Advertisement
He was instrumental in Vítor Baía, Petr Čech, and Júlio César winning the UEFA Best Goalkeeper award under his tutelage.
Portuguese newspaper A Bola, referred to him as “an unavoidable figure” in Portuguese football.
They reported that he finally “succumbed to a prolonged illness”.
From Jordan Spieth’s kids lining up a putt, to Brooks Koepka’s son playing in the sand and to Frankie Fleetwood trying to drive the green, here are 20 of the best shots of the day.
And to watch the big tournament on Thursday, here is everything you need to know about the first round of the Masters.
Masters Par-3 Content: 20 best photos
Scottie Scheffler, wife Meredith and their son.
Getty Images
Advertisement
Jon Rahm’s wife, Kelley, and their daughter.
Getty Images
A young Scheffler lines up a putt.
Getty Images
Max Homa’s son chases after a ball on the green.
Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler, wife Meredith and their son.
Getty Images
Advertisement
A foursome looks on as Rory McIlroy putts.
Getty Images
Jon Rahm, wife Kelley and child walk down the fairway.
Getty Images
Viktor Hovland and girlfriend on Wednesday.
Getty Images
Danny Willett’s wife, Nicole, and Dustin Johnson’s wife, Paulina Gretzky.
Getty Images
Advertisement
Brooks Koepka, wife Jena Sims and their son play in the sand.
Getty Images
The McIlroy, Lowry and Fleetwood children check out the view.
Getty Images
Kid caddies track down the tee shots.
Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler and his son.
Getty Images
Advertisement
Scottie Scheffler tees off among the crowd.
Getty Images
Justin Thomas and his daughter walk down the fairway.
The Sigor Bounty in Crimson Desert requires you to find and apprehend an Orc named Sigor in the Delesyia region. The notice suggests he is wanted for public urination, and bringing him in to the authorities can help you receive 15 silver. As such, you will want to look for him to make some quick bucks.
This article explains how to complete the Sigor Bounty in Crimson Desert.
How to start Sigor Bounty in Crimson Desert
Pick up Sigor’s bounty poster (Image via Pearl Abyss || YouTube/@manugames92)
Since the Sigor Bounty in Crimson Desert can only be completed in the Delesyia region, you must first unlock the region by completing Chapter 11 of the game. Afterward, you can find a bounty poster for Sigor while exploring on bounty boards, poles, walls, and more.
Advertisement
How to complete the Sigor Bounty in Crimson Desert
Head to the marked location (Image via Pearl Abyss || YouTube/@manugames92)
Once you have found a bounty poster for Sigor, the next objective is to find him. The culprit is located at a camp north of the “S” of Delesyia on the main map, as marked on the map above.
You can easily reach the location by first fast traveling to the Abyss Nexus north of the “L” of Delesyia on the main map. From here, move up the cliff toward the east. Then jump down here and use your flight ability to slowly glide down toward the camp.
Chase Sigor at the camp and catch him (Image via Pearl Abyss || YouTube/@manugames92)
As soon as you arrive in the vicinity of the camp, you will spot Sigor running away from you while wearing a mustard yellow shirt. Simply chase after him to apprehend him.
Following that, tie him up and carry him on your horse to Delesyia cityand hand him over to the guards to claim your silver.
Also check out our other Crimson Desert articles:
Advertisement
Why did you not like this content?
Was this article helpful?
Advertisement
Thank You for feedback
Are you stuck on today’s Wordle? Our Wordle Solver will help you find the answer.
You’ve waited many long months, and now the 2026 Masters has arrived at Augusta National. But did you know you can watch the entire tournament free of charge online? Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Masters for free this week.
How to watch Masters free online
The Masters has always featured limited TV coverage compared to other major championships. While the coverage has increased over the years, fans are still limited to four-and-a-half hours on ESPN Thursday and Friday, and five hours on CBS Saturday and Sunday.
Alternatively, in recent years Masters streaming options have exploded. This year, there are more platforms than ever offering Masters streaming coverage. They include the ESPN App, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+ and DirecTV. Paramount+ will provide early coverage on the weekend, and Prime Video will stream early coverage on Thursday and Friday for the first time.
But before you tear your hair out trying to make sense of the streaming schedule (or empty your bank account to sign up for new streaming platforms), we have some very good news. You don’t actually have to pay anything to watch all of the 2026 Masters this week.
That is thanks to the good people at Masters.com and the Masters App.
In addition to multiple featured hole streams, featured group streams and videos of every shot hit at the tournament, Masters.com and the Masters App are offering something truly rare this year. You can watch all of the TV coverage, plus the early Prime Video and Paramount+ streaming coverage for free.
You read that right. While Prime Video and ESPN are splitting the coverage for Round 1 and Round 2, you can watch both for free on Masters.com from 1-7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday. Similarly, Paramount+ and CBS are sharing coverage on Saturday and Sunday. But you can catch watch it all free of charge on Masters.com from 12-7 p.m. ET each day.
Advertisement
A tradition unlike any other, indeed.
You can check out the full 2026 Masters streaming schedule below.
2026 Masters streaming coverage schedule
THURSDAY, APRIL 9 Honorary Starters: 7:30 a.m. (Masters.com, Masters App) Masters On the Range: 8:30-10-30 a.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+) Featured Groups: 9:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+, Prime Video, ESPN App, DirecTV) Featured Holes (4, 5 and 6): 8:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, ESPN App) Featured Holes (Amen Corner, 11, 12 and 13): 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+, Prime Video, ESPN App, DirecTV) Featured Holes (15 and 16): 11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+, Prime Video, ESPN App, DirecTV) Round 1 Prime Video Coverage: 1-3 p.m. (Prime Video) Round 1 ESPN Telecast: 3-7:30 p.m. (ESPN App) Full Round 1 Stream: 1-7:30 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App)
FRIDAY, APRIL 10 Masters On the Range: 8:30-10-30 a.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+) Featured Groups: 9:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+, Prime Video, ESPN App, DirecTV) Featured Holes (4, 5 and 6): 8:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, ESPN App) Featured Holes (Amen Corner, 11, 12 and 13): 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+, Prime Video, ESPN App, DirecTV) Featured Holes (15 and 16): 11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App, Paramount+, Prime Video, ESPN App, DirecTV) Round 2 Prime Video Coverage: 1-3 p.m. (Prime Video) Round 2 ESPN Telecast: 3-7:30 p.m. (ESPN App) Full Round 2 Stream: 1-7:30 p.m. (Masters.com, Masters App)
A “peace gesture” was made before the start of a Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 game between Peshawar Zalmi and Hyderabad Kingsmen on Wednesday, as team captains Babar Azam and Marnus Labuschagne, along with PSL CEO Salman Naseer, released a white dove during the toss. The act came in the aftermath of the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran concerning geopolitical tension in the Gulf region. However, the PSL’s “peace gesture” received criticism from several users on social media.
These people were saying that there should be no politics in cricket a few months ago, what are they doing now?
Meanwhile, Babar Azam found himself at the centre of a heated moment off the field after dismissing comparisons with Virat Kohli during a post-match press conference in the Pakistan Super League 2026.
The Peshawar Zalmi skipper, who guided his side to a tense last-ball victory over the Hyderabad Kingsmen, appeared visibly displeased when questioned about his ability to finish games in comparison to Kohli.
While Babar contributed a measured 43 off 37 balls in the chase of 146, he was not at the crease at the end, prompting the query.
Advertisement
Responding in a seemingly frustrated manner, Babar brushed aside the suggestion and urged the journalist to move on from such debates. “Finish these things. Keep these things to yourself. End the comparison and move on. It’s your misconception that I have not finished matches,” he said.
The exchange quickly gained traction, once again highlighting the scrutiny surrounding cross-border comparisons between leading cricketers. Widely regarded as Pakistan’s premier batter, Babar has often been praised for his consistency, though his approach in T20 cricket has drawn criticism, particularly around strike rate and finishing ability.
With IANS inputs
Featured Video Of The Day
IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss
Gyms could provide vital to support governments and the healthcare systems to tackle obesity / shutterstock_Amorn Suriyan
Trade associations from around the world have joined forces to lobby governments and health systems on the importance of prescribing lifestyle interventions, including physical activity and nutrition, alongside GLP-1 medications.
The World Obesity Federation, UK Active, the Health and Fitness Association, AUSactive, Exercise New Zealand and Fitness Industry Council of Canada have worked together to outline a global framework for integrating prevention, treatment and long-term health outcomes.
The message of the statement is that obesity medications are not a standalone solution and reliance on medication alone may lead to poor long-term outcomes, including loss of muscle mass, diminished functional capacity and widening health inequalities.
Advertisement
Richard Beddie, CEO of Exercise New Zealand, said although GLP-1 therapies can be a significant tool in addressing obesity if they’re not paired with strength training and other lifestyle changes, “the result will be increased long-term health costs for the health system and worse health outcomes for individuals.”
The organisations call for a wraparound approach that combines pharmacological treatment with sustained investment in physical activity, nutrition and supportive environments. The organisations have also committed to advancing evidence-based, integrated approaches that combine medication with physical activity and nutrition support.
“Medication is only one piece of the puzzle,” said Zach Weston, executive director of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada. “For these therapies to deliver true, sustainable health outcomes, they must be anchored by the professional guidance and supportive environments found in our fitness centres.
“Our facilities are more than just places to exercise; they are essential community hubs for maintaining the muscle mass and functional capacity that are often at risk during rapid weight loss.
Advertisement
“By integrating fitness infrastructure into the global rollout of these medications, we ensure that patients aren’t just losing weight but are gaining the strength and long-term vitality necessary for a healthier life.”
Almost three billion adults worldwide are overweight or living with obesity and the figure is projected to rise to four billion by 2035.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which collaborates with The World Obesity Federation, published its policy on GLP-1s in December 2025.
European knockout rugby takes centre stage again this weekend with Leinster, Ulster and Connacht all facing huge tests in the EPCR Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. Leinster welcome Sale Sharks in a heavyweight Champions Cup clash, while Ulster and Connacht are both in Challenge Cup action against French opposition. Below is a full look at the expected handicap lines and match predictions for all three fixtures.
Leinster v Sale Sharks prediction, handicap and preview
Competition: Investec Champions Cup Date: Saturday Time: 5:30pm
Leinster look capable of putting up another huge score this weekend. They were ruthless in the previous round and, on current form, they have the firepower to blow most teams away once they get on top physically. Sale Sharks deserve real credit for being the only away side to win in the Round of 16, but this is a much bigger challenge altogether.
The injuries to Luke Cowan-Dickie and Bevan Rodd are major setbacks. Against a Leinster side that can dominate at the set-piece, flood the breakdown and punish mistakes with ruthless efficiency, those losses could be badly exposed. Leinster’s depth, pace and power should tell over 80 minutes, especially if they build scoreboard pressure early.
Advertisement
Sale will need a near-perfect display to stay in touch, but it is hard to see them living with Leinster for the full contest. The Irish province should control territory, possession and the physical battle.
Expected handicap: Leinster -20
Prediction: Leinster to win comfortably
Likely margin: 30 to 40 points would not be a surprise
Ulster v La Rochelle prediction, handicap and preview
Competition: EPCR Challenge Cup Date: Friday Time: 8:00pm
This looks one of the ties of the weekend. Ulster at home always makes life awkward for any visiting side, but La Rochelle bring serious pedigree and huge motivation into this one. With their season having lacked consistency, there is every reason to think Ronan O’Gara will send his team out with full focus. Winning this competition would go a long way towards rescuing their campaign.
Ulster will believe they have a real chance if they can bring energy, accuracy and emotion from the first whistle. Ravenhill under the lights can be a serious venue when the home side get momentum, and that makes this far trickier than a straightforward French power game.
La Rochelle probably shade it on raw quality and big-game experience, but not by much. This feels like one that could swing on discipline, maul defence and who handles the pressure better in the final quarter.
Advertisement
Expected handicap: La Rochelle -5
Prediction: Too close to call with confidence
Verdict: Genuine toss-up
Montpellier v Connacht prediction, handicap and preview
Competition: EPCR Challenge Cup Date: Saturday Time: 12:30pm
Connacht come into this game in excellent form after five straight wins, but this is a serious jump in class. Montpellier have far greater power, depth and top-end quality than the teams Connacht have been beating, and that is what makes this fixture so difficult to assess positively from an Irish perspective.
Connacht have shown real resilience and confidence in recent weeks, and there is no question they are playing with belief. Even so, Montpellier at home is a different proposition entirely. Their physicality through the middle of the pitch, combined with the ability to turn pressure into quick scores, means they can put teams away in bursts.
For Connacht to stay in the contest, they will need to start well, manage territory intelligently and avoid letting the game become a loose, broken-field battle dominated by the hosts. On paper, though, Montpellier look too strong.
Expected handicap: Montpellier -16
Prediction: Montpellier to win
Likely margin: Somewhere around the handicap looks about right
European rugby weekend predictions summary
Leinster look the most straightforward call of the three Irish provinces this weekend and should have too much for Sale Sharks in the Champions Cup. Ulster against La Rochelle has all the ingredients of a classic and feels the hardest match to confidently pick. Connacht’s recent run deserves respect, but Montpellier away in the Challenge Cup looks a step too far.
Best bet on the handicap: Leinster -20
Hardest game to call: Ulster v La Rochelle
Most dangerous away trip: Connacht at Montpellier
Suggested SEO title
EPCR Predictions: Leinster v Sale, Ulster v La Rochelle and Montpellier v Connacht Handicaps
Suggested meta description
Full EPCR weekend predictions, handicap lines and previews for Leinster v Sale Sharks, Ulster v La Rochelle and Montpellier v Connacht.
Advertisement
Suggested tags
Leinster, Sale Sharks, Ulster, La Rochelle, Connacht, Montpellier, Champions Cup, Challenge Cup, EPCR, rugby predictions, rugby handicap betting, Irish rugby
X post embed
Expected Handicaps & Predictions – Champions Cup Weekend
Harry Maguire will remain at Man Utd for an eighth season but his time at the club has featured some painful lows as well as some memorable highs. He reflected on that in Ireland this week.
Harry Maguire can remember the day he hit rock bottom. It had been building up for a couple of years, but at Hampden Park in September 2023, it all became too much, if not for Maguire, then for his family at the very least.
He was a half-time substitute in the fixture between Scotland and England, and so low had his reputation sunk that his every touch was greeted with cheers from the Scottish fans. The same had happened when he came on for Manchester United at Arsenal a week earlier.
Advertisement
This was where Maguire now was. The world’s most expensive defender, in the team of the tournament in the European Championship in 2021, but now considered such a figure of fun that his mere presence on the pitch gave encouragement to opposition supporters. It had gone from abuse to mockery.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
Maguire played pretty well in that game but still scored an own goal. Afterwards, he tried to work out why he had gone from a cult hero in 2018, loved for being one of the lads and serenaded for drinking the vodka and the Jäger, to the most derided and abused footballer in the country.
“Sometimes it did cross my mind at the time just thinking, ‘Why? I don’t know why it has done this. I don’t know where it’s come from’,” he said.
Advertisement
Content cannot be displayed without consent
“My form dipped a little bit, yeah, of course, everyone does that in their career. But I was in a situation where I was just a lad from Sheffield playing for such a huge club.
“I thought this is what happens – this is the fault of the club not performing well. But when you look back it probably did go a little bit too far. At the time, I can remember thinking I just don’t know how this has really happened. I don’t know how it’s changed so quickly.”
It was still before 9am when a punctual Maguire strode into the Fitzgerald Suite in Carton House, taking up a seat on a plush sofa with the grounds of an idyllic rural retreat visible from the bay windows behind him.
The 33-year-old held court for 25 minutes on the highs and lows of an Old Trafford career that is unlike any other. Maguire can sometimes be formal in interview situations, but this was a figure who looked relaxed and at ease. It was more in line with his reputation as the funniest player in the squad.
Advertisement
It is the first time he has returned to Ireland with his club side since being booed at the Aviva Stadium when playing for United in a pre-season friendly in 2023.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
A year earlier, he had been jeered by United fans in Melbourne, while he was given the same treatment in Las Vegas in 2023. It was the middle of a slump that it felt like Maguire might never recover from. United stripped him of the captaincy and tried to sell him to West Ham that summer, and had a deal been reached over his wages, he would have gone.
Advertisement
Then came the Scotland game in September. Maguire insists that being so laid back meant he usually shrugged off the struggles and the abuse, but for his family it wasn’t so easy. Mum Zoe took to social media after that game to label the treatment of her son as “disgraceful”.
Maguire asked his mum not to put the post out, but she told him she wasn’t listening to him on this occasion and went public. Then the tide began to turn, helped by an improvement in his own performances. Now the 33-year-old has just signed a new contract, taking him into an eighth season at Old Trafford, and he is the poster boy for the kind of character and resilience needed to make it at United.
“I think there’ll be a lot who want to maybe just close the book and just go elsewhere and restart their career,” Maguire said of that period.
“I think it’s probably broken them a little bit earlier. I think it got to a point where it got really that low, the mocking and the abuse – if you want to call it abuse – that there was only one way it could go.”
Advertisement
Maguire believes there was a three or four-year period around his move from Leicester City to United when he was in the conversation to be the best centre-back in the world. That culminated with the Euros in 2021 and, like several of his international teammates, he struggled after a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy in the final, having also seen United lose the Europa League final to Villarreal in the same manner.
It was also a season that unravelled spectacularly at club level. Maguire was sent off in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final game, a 4-1 defeat at Watford, and the way his form collapsed left him feeling regret for letting the Norwegian down. The appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager only made matters worse.
“I was coming off the back of two big final defeats. The Euros on penalties, Europa League on penalties. I probably just didn’t handle that as well as I should have,” he said.
Advertisement
“I think there were so many lads who struggled in that period after the Euros. When you’re Manchester United captain and when you’re a central defender, you can’t get away with that. You can’t get away with struggling.
“There were lots of different things in that season. Losing Ole was a big, big loss. I felt a lot of responsibility for that as performances leading up to Ole losing his job weren’t good enough.
“The back end of the season was a mess. It really was a mess. I was the captain, and I took a lot of the brunt for it. We were all over the place, the back six months of that season.
“It wasn’t to do with Ralf, it was more to do with how us as players and as a squad handled it. I just felt like we didn’t handle it as well as we should have with an interim manager coming in, compared to how we’ve handled it this time under Michael.”
Advertisement
Maguire’s slump would eventually end with him losing the captaincy, unceremoniously dumped by Erik ten Hag in favour of Bruno Fernandes. He admits to “anger and disappointment” at that decision at the time, although his form since losing the armband has improved again.
But his Old Trafford career survived and as he looks ahead to what he hopes will be a title challenge, he rightly takes pride in the fact that he has lasted so long, pointing to David Beckham and Wayne Rooney for inspiration as players who also emerged from their own dark days at United.
“When you play at the top level, unless you are one of the superstars and a world, world-class player, you have ups and downs and you have things that you have to deal with,” Maguire said. “That’s why you see so many players have two or three years at the top, then they drop off and they wander off and go into a different country and you don’t hear too much about them again. To play at the top, you’ve got to deal with the ups and downs.
“I always looked to the experience with players like David Beckham and Wayne Rooney and how they overcame it. They were unbelievable, world-class players, so if it happens to them, it can happen to anyone.
Advertisement
“I just kept my head down. I have great self-belief, more importantly, that I’m a top player, and I believe that. I think that’s what helps me when things are tough.”
Mark Calcavecchia, the winner of the 1989 Open Championship, was allegedly removed by Augusta National Golf Club security for using his phone this week at the Masters.
Golfweek spoke to Calcavecchia, who didn’t deny taking out his phone out on the grounds, which is automatic dismissal.
Mark Calcavecchia of the United States plays his shot from the ninth tee during the continuation of round one on day two of the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Golf Club in The Woodlands, Texas, on May 3, 2025.(Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
“I’ve got nothing negative to say about Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters, so I think we should literally hang up right now,” he said.
While Calcavecchia, 65, isn’t a previous Masters winner, he did play in the event 18 times during his career from 1987-2008. He even finished in second place in 1988.
Winners of the three other majors like Calcavecchia had do get a five-year exempt invitation to play in the Masters, and then they become “honorary invitees” for life.
But the rules are the rules, especially at Augusta National. No one is above the law on the premises, and the Masters official website says so when it comes to cell phones.
Mark Calcavecchia plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Boeing Classic at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie, Wash., on Aug. 9, 2024.(Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
“The use of any device for phone calls, emails, text messaging, or to record and/or transmit voice, video or data is strictly prohibited,” the website reads.
Augusta National does provide phone service on the grounds. Designated phone banks, where AT&T provides service as a “champion partner” with the Masters, are found on the course to make phone calls if needed.
Advertisement
Any other technological form of communication is strictly forbidden, and Calcavecchia is paying the price.
Mark Calcavecchia of the United States plays his shot from the ninth tee during the continuation of round one on day two of the Insperity Invitational 2025 at The Woodlands Golf Club in The Woodlands, Texas, on May 3, 2025.(Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
It’s the unfortunate reality for some who don’t abide by the rules, but the Masters is all about logging out and living in the present, adding to the wonder and mystique that is the first golf major of the golf season.
Dec 8, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Calgary Flames at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
All eyes will be on Peter DeBoer as he takes his place behind the New York Islanders’ bench for a crucial tilt against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
The Islanders (42-31-5, 89 points) parted ways on Sunday with Patrick Roy, their head coach of two-plus years, after an ill-timed four-game losing streak near the tail end of the season.
The last time New York took the ice, 36 saves from goaltender Ilya Sorokin weren’t enough to keep out the high-flying Carolina Hurricanes, who prevailed 4-3 on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. The Islanders managed just 16 shots on goal in Roy’s last stand.
“We all love Patty and wish that we could have done better over the last 10 days,” Islanders center Mathew Barzal said after practice on Monday. “You look in the mirror and there’s chances that I missed. … As competitors, you feel disappointment, just thinking you could have done more.”
The bad string of results dropped the Islanders outside a playoff spot. They sit three points behind the Ottawa Senators, who occupy the second Eastern Conference wild-card position, and trail the Philadelphia Flyers by three points for the third slot in the Metropolitan Division. All of those teams have four games remaining.
Advertisement
The Islanders will hope DeBoer’s postseason pedigree gets them over the hump. With a 97-82 record in 179 playoff games, DeBoer ranks fifth all-time in postseason wins — the most of any coach without a Stanley Cup. DeBoer reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils and in 2016 with the San Jose Sharks but lost in six games on both occasions.
“After 18 years in this league, I’d like to say that I think I have really strong beliefs on how a team needs to play, what’s important to winning and what’s important to winning in the playoffs,” said DeBoer, who had been out of a job since the Dallas Stars fired him after a loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Western Conference finals. “I have a lot of non-negotiables on those things.”
The new-look Islanders will hope to claim both points against a battered Maple Leafs team entering the second night of a back-to-back. Toronto (32-32-14, 78 points) dropped a third consecutive game on Wednesday, an uninspired 4-0 loss to the visiting Washington Capitals.
Advertisement
Toronto, eliminated from playoff contention last week, already was dealing with the absence of captain Auston Matthews for the remainder of the season. Now the Maple Leafs will find themselves even thinner on Thursday.
Brandon Carlo, Dakota Joshua and goaltender Anthony Stolarz all left the Washington game with injuries. None of them will play on Thursday.
In Stolarz’s place, Berube confirmed that 24-year-old Artur Akhtyamov would get his first NHL start. Akhtyamov has appeared in one game, making five saves in relief for Toronto against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 13.
“He has a great personality. He has played well down there (in the AHL), and he is a competitor,” Berube said of Akhtyamov. “He really has fast reflexes and is competitive as hell. I like the kid a lot.”
Advertisement
Berube also indicated that center Luke Haymes, 22, would make his NHL debut against New York.
The Islanders, in turn, hope defenseman Tony DeAngelo can suit up for his first game since March 24, when he sustained a lower-body injury.
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
You must be logged in to post a comment Login