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  • Villanova’s Big East opener is taking Kevin Willard back to a place he loves. The game has big stakes.

    Villanova’s Big East opener is taking Kevin Willard back to a place he loves. The game has big stakes.

    The thoughts and feelings facing Kevin Willard this week hadn’t crossed his mind until Sunday, he said.

    Villanova, with no classes to rush home for, spent the night in Milwaukee on Friday after finishing its nonconference schedule with an overtime victory over Wisconsin. The Wildcats traveled home Saturday with their 9-2 record and their ascending metrics tucked away with the cargo.

    It’s time for Big East play, Willard’s first conference campaign since taking over at Villanova after three years coaching Maryland. Up first: Seton Hall on the road and a return to a place Willard spent 12 years from 2010 to 2022. Credit to the conference schedulers, who probably couldn’t have predicted it would be the 9-2 Wildcats against the 11-1 Pirates. They nailed it nonetheless.

    On Sunday, though, Willard and his wife, Julie, started reminiscing. Willard didn’t play Seton Hall in any of his three seasons at Maryland, although he did coach a game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Seton Hall’s home court, last season, coincidentally a Maryland victory over Villanova.

    Tuesday will be much different. The Willards have numerous family photos that document memories around the Seton Hall program. There are pictures of their children, Colin and Chase, running around on basketball courts at the Prudential Center and on road trips. Willard said he has about 80 people attending Tuesday’s game, a mix of family and friends.

    It’s a community he remains connected to. Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway was one of his assistants for eight years and the guy he wanted to succeed him. He still goes on golf trips with Seton Hill alums and stays in touch with former players, like Sandro Mamukelashvili, a Raptors forward who was in Milwaukee on Thursday night playing against the Bucks.

    Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard talking with guard Myles Powell in November 2019.

    Willard said he imagines he’ll be emotional seeing former staff members and fans Tuesday night.

    “There’s a little bit more to this one,” he said Monday. “I love Seton Hall. I raised my kids in Jersey, my kids grew up there, my wife and I spent 12 great years at Seton Hall and in the community. It’s a great fan base, it’s a great alumni base.

    “It’s probably going to be a little bit harder for me going back than I think it is.”

    That being said …

    “It’s obviously a league game, so it’s not like I’m going to be crying at halfcourt,” he said. “But it’s definitely a place that I hold very dearly and will always be the love of my life to be honest with you.”

    Tyler Perkins embraces his many roles at Villanova. This year, it’s about being a leader.

    That is the balance Willard will need to find Tuesday night. He will surely be cheered, and for good reason. Willard led the Pirates to five NCAA Tournament appearances in his last seven seasons, and a sixth would have happened if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. Seton Hall won 20 games just once in the first decade of this century before Willard hit that mark seven times in 12 seasons.

    But whatever fanfare Seton Hall has planned for Willard’s return is only a distraction from what is a critical Big East Conference game.

    Villanova entered Monday 29th in the NCAA’s NET rankings while Seton Hall was 36th. At the metrics site KenPom, Villanova was 28th and Seton Hall was 43rd. Meanwhile, ESPN’s bracket guru Joe Lunardi on Saturday had Villanova as a No. 10 seed, the 39th-ranked team in his 68-team field, and Seton Hall was a No. 7 seed, the 28th-ranked team.

    Kevin Willard coaching Villanova against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Finneran Pavilion on Dec. 13.

    It may be a little early for such discussions — the teams are barely one-third of the way through their 2025-26 schedules — but it is surely a game that could be a big deal come March. That is not a reality Willard hides from, a departure from his predecessor at Villanova, who treated every game like the “Super Bowl” and didn’t talk to his players about bubbles and rankings and metrics.

    “We talk about where we are, where we’re standing,” Willard said. “We talk about our NET numbers. I let them know everything.”

    Judge dismisses lawsuit by Villanova’s Kris Jenkins against NCAA

    When Bryce Lindsay decided to make a layup rather than run the clock out in the waning seconds of Friday’s win, Willard said the guard told him afterward that he was trying to protect Villanova’s NET ranking.

    What’s the benefit of keeping his players aware of it all?

    “Because you’re going to go through some parts of the season where you struggle,” Willard said. “Everybody does. If the players understand where you are and what your numbers are and what opportunities you have, it’s much easier to get them out of that struggle because they’re sitting there saying, ‘OK we lost a couple games, it’s over.’

    “Nope. I lost a game last year on the road and my NET went up. It’s all about your opportunities … and once you get to conference play, as long as you did what you had to do for the most part in the nonconference, you’ve just got to stay focused and keep guys focused.”

    Villanova did what it had to do in the nonconference portion of its schedule. It is, as Willard said, time to focus on the 20-game Big East schedule. But taking his own advice will be harder Tuesday night than the other 19 contests.

  • South Jersey’s ‘King of Collectibles’ has laid his hands on Messi’s childhood soccer jersey

    South Jersey’s ‘King of Collectibles’ has laid his hands on Messi’s childhood soccer jersey

    Even after selling more than $2 billion worth of sports and pop culture memorabilia, and adding celebrities like Drake, Kim Kardashian, and Shane Gillis to his client list, South Jersey’s Ken Goldin hasn’t lost the thrill of the chase.

    During a visit to Japan last summer, Goldin made sure to post on social media that he wanted to meet nearby collectors and appraise their items.

    Goldin’s years of collecting are evident in his office. The walls are lined with framed photos, encased music records, World Series trophies, and other prized collectibles, like signed baseball bats from Phillies legend Mike Schmidt and Reebok sneakers worn by Shaquille O’Neal.

    The owner of Goldin Auctions in Runnemede said the things he has collected are invaluable heirlooms. Yes, they are rare, but they are also artifacts that carry the glory of pivotal moments in sports history, especially ones he witnessed himself.

    Ken Goldin holds a 1976 Phillies bat used by Mike Schmidt, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey-based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.

    Every time Goldin, 60, looks at the signed 1980s Phillies team poster in his office, he’s reminded of the World Series games he attended with his parents, sitting in the 500 level at Veterans Stadium.

    The Phillies were playing the Kansas City Royals, and the teenage Goldin watched relief pitcher Tug McGraw tap his chest on the mound, a sign of his fiery competitiveness.

    It’s those memories, not the money, that keep Goldin in the auction game, he said. They’re also the reason Netflix built a reality show around his collection and his business of selling high-value memorabilia.

    “Every collectible I sell is a moment, it’s a piece of history,” he said. “And to me, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. What drives me is that I really enjoy what I do.”

    Ken Goldin shows a childhood soccer jersey that belonged to Lionel Messi, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at his office. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.

    On Tuesday, Goldin invited viewers back to his office to take a peek at his treasures for Season 3 of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch. “We got lucky this season,” he said.

    Among the season’s biggest surprises is a soccer jersey worn, or verifiably used, by Lionel Messi as a child. The story of how it landed in his hands, he said, is almost too good for TV.

    “I’m not allowed to say any more than that, except that the provenance is unbelievable and the story behind it is remarkable,” he said in an interview prior to Tuesday’s premiere.

    For Philly sports fans like himself, Goldin said there will be several Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson items making an appearance on the six-episode season.

    Ken Goldin unpacks a 2006 signed Allan Iverson jersey on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 at his office in Runnemede. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.

    Some will be things Goldin acquired on his travels to Tokyo, where he met the “single-best Iverson collection in the world.”

    Among the people who responded to his social media post was this Iverson fan who had a signed 2006 alternate blue jersey of the Hall of Fame player. It features a classic “Sixers” wordmark with white letters, and red and black trim. It was photo-matched and could be forensically linked to Iverson.

    “When I saw it, I was like, ‘Whoa,’” Goldin said.

    When it comes to Philly sports, certain athletes and figures transcend international lines, and Iverson is one of them, Goldin said.

    “AI is one of those players who connects with everyone, whether they’re 14 years old or in their 50s,” he said. “I’ve lived and breathed Philly sports my whole life, so I know.”

    Ken Goldin holds a pair of Converse basketball sneakers on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, that belonged to 76ers star Julius “Dr. J” Erving and were worn during a game against the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.

    On a recent Thursday afternoon, Goldin dug into his personal collection to reveal the sneakers of another legendary Philly sports icon: Julius “Dr. J” Erving.

    The Converse All-Stars, worn by the revolutionary ABA and NBA star, feature his signature on both shoes. The sneakers are photo-matched to an early 1980s game that Erving’s Sixers played against Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics.

    No stranger to TV-level theatrics, Goldin wore former Phillies center fielder and famed broadcaster Richie Ashburn’s 1980s World Championship ring that afternoon.

    “I wear it almost never. It is set in a vault. But for this [interview], I said, ‘I’m going to put the ring on,’” Goldin said.

    Ken Goldin shows his 1980 Richie Ashburn bicentennial ring on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.

    But sports memorabilia won’t be the only thing Goldin is dealing with this season.

    To further hone in on the Philly nature of the show’s new season, Goldin promised a Rocky-related find but wouldn’t share details. The show will also showcase high-priced items like Paul McCartney’s guitar, paintings by Bob Ross, and even the alleged mummified hand of Cleopatra.

    Goldin said there will also be guest appearances from Logan Paul, Steve Aoki, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and his three brothers.

    He knows Sixers fans aren’t the most welcoming to Eastern Conference contenders, but Goldin makes an exception for Antetokounmpo. “I know it’s Philly, but you have to love the guy,” he said of the Milwaukee player, before signing off with something of a prophecy.

    “Who knows, maybe we can get him next year.”

    The new season of “King of Collectibles” is streaming on Netflix.

  • Flyers pull away from the Canucks, 5-2, with four third-period goals

    Flyers pull away from the Canucks, 5-2, with four third-period goals

    Skating in front of a sellout crowd of 19,994 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Flyers gave the faithful something to cheer about.

    In their final home game of 2025, the Flyers beat the Vancouver Canucks, coach Rick Tocchet’s old team, 5-2.

    “Happy to be home,” said Owen Tippett. “Obviously, a long road trip, so you want to have a bounce back and use your fans as much as you can. So they were great tonight. Obviously, in warmup[s], you can tell there’s a lot of people here. So, we were ready to go in the room.”

    After struggling to close out games, including the last game of the four-game road trip that saw the Flyers blow a third period lead to the Rangers, they scored four goals in the third period to seal the win.

    “I think in the past, we just kind of sat back a little bit too much … But I thought we were more aggressive tonight and controlled most of the play,” Christian Dvorak said. “We have a lot of chances, and capitalized on them. So I thought that was a big step for us in the third tonight.”

    ‘Enough is enough’: Rick Tocchet sounds off after latest questions about Matevi Michkov’s usage

    The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Orange and the Black. It is their second win in the past seven games and their fourth win out of 11 games in December (4-3-4).

    Vladař solid in net

    Standing on the Chase Bridge at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Flyers general manager Danny Brière revealed that goalie Dan Vladař had “a little, little boo-boo.” He added that his upper-body injury is “nothing too serious” and that “he should be back, we hope, by Monday.”

    After not dressing on Saturday, Vladař was indeed back between the pipes on Monday, and the netminder picked up right where he left on in his last start, a 4-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens last Tuesday.

    “All the trainers did an awesome job, especially [assistant athletic trainer] Joe Mele, so all the credit to him, and [he] got me back as soon as possible,” Vladař said postgame. “So I’m very thankful. And he’s got magic hands.”

    Any nervousness getting back between the pipes?

    “As a goalie, you’ve got to be a little bit nervous every game,” he said. “So obviously, it’s something that comes with playing goalie. But no, health-wise, just no fear as usual.”

    Vladař played his angles well as his defense kept the Canucks away from the front of the net. Through the first two periods, he stopped all 17 shots on goal he faced.

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar stopped 23 of the Canucks’ 25 shot attempts on goal.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, only one — on the power play — was a high-danger shot; and it was the only shot he stopped across two penalty kills. Eleven of the shots were low-danger. Late in the second period, it looked like he even made a save off his mask on a shot by Evander Kane.

    In the third period, things fell off a little bit.

    The Czech netminder was 6 minutes, 55 seconds away from getting the first Flyers shutout of the season, but Vancouver’s Max Sasson ended the bid. Conor Garland drew in Emil Andrae and made a leading pass to Sasson, who skated in alone and scored.

    Drew O’Connor added a goal with 18 seconds left for the Canucks, who had eight shots on goal — with both coming from a high-danger spot

    May the fourth be with you

    The fourth line has been retooled, and it is working. Nikita Grebenkin and Carl Grundström each got on the board for the Flyers.

    Grebenkin gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead 13:13 into the second period. Grundström made it 2-0 5:58 into the third period.

    “We played pretty direct and got pucks to the net, and we got rewarded for it today,” Grundström said.

    Should the Flyers have gone harder after Quinn Hughes? And what now for a team lacking a No. 1 center and defenseman?

    To open the scoring, Grebenkin got a stretch pass from Cam York down the left wing boards and, although it bounced off his stick, he chased down the puck. The Russian winger then sent a backhand pass up the boards to Rodrigo Ābols, who was providing support.

    Ābols curled away from his check and sent the puck up to Andrae at the point. The Swedish defenseman put a one-timer toward the net, and Grebenkin, who went to the net after being checked along the end boards, tipped in the puck past Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.

    It was Grebenkin’s second goal of the season and his first since Nov. 4 in Montreal, which was also the first of his NHL career.

    Grebenkin then played a big role in helping Grundström pad the lead with his fourth goal of the season. The 22-year-old winger got the puck high along the right boards from Grundström and carried it down behind the net.

    Along the way, he avoided a check by Filip Hronek and then did a little fake before going deeper into the zone. He sent a backhand chip pass to Grundström in front, finding an open lane despite four Canucks surrounding the Swede.

    Grundström, who had peeled off and headed to the net after getting the puck to Grebenkin, quickly got the shot off on Demko before getting a second chance and burying it to put the Flyers up 2-0.

    “[Grundström]’s an NHLer,” said Ābols, who had two assists for the first multipoint game of his career. “He’s got 300 games, you know, he’s playing with confidence. It’s something maybe some of us were lacking down there. He comes out with confidence, a lot of speed, a lot of skill, and we can feed off it.”

    The game was one of the better ones for Grebenkin, who has played in 24 of the Flyers’ 35 games.

    “The goal, that’s what I saw in training camp, get to the net, he was around the net,” said Tocchet. “Then behind the net [on Grundström’s goal] he made a [heck] of a play to hold it.

    “We knew hash mark down [he’s good]. The other parts [of his game] he’s getting better at not overthinking. But I think getting that goal really helps him. Like, that’s the places where he’s got to go.”

    Dvorak’s big role

    Brière also added that Dvorak would miss Saturday’s game, and he did with a minor lower-body injury. Like Vladař, he returned on Monday and played a big role in the win.

    “I guess whenever you miss the game, there’s concern, but I felt a lot better after taking a couple of days off, and that’s kind of what I needed,” Dvorak said. “And felt pretty good tonight.”

    In the third period, the Flyers headed up the ice, and Travis Konecny hit York coming late. The defenseman handed it back to Konecny, who then fed Trevor Zegras skating down the slot.

    His shot attempt was blocked by Brock Boeser and went off the glass behind the net before Dvorak batted the puck out of the air into the back of the net at the left post to put the Flyers ahead 3-0.

    The goal was reviewed for a potential high stick; however, Dvorak said he purposely waited until it was below the crossbar before knocking it in for his eighth of the year.

    “Yeah, it was crazy,” said Tippett with a grin when asked about the snazzy passing leading up to the goal. “Obviously, the patience on [Dvorak], too, to wait for it to drop below the crossbar before he whacked it in, it was pretty special too.”

    Breakaways

    Tippett pulled off a highlight-reel move — going inside-outside on Vancouver’s Tom Willander — to add a breakaway goal in the third period for his 11th of the season. On one of his 10 shots on goal, which tied his career high, he had a breakaway chance earlier in the game that he could not capitalize on. “I wasn’t too happy with the first breakaway; I don’t think I really got him moving too much,” he said. “So kind of learned and improved the next time.” … Matvei Michkov added an empty-netter for his first goal in December. … Zegras extended his point streak to eight games (five goals, five assists). … Forwards Garnet Hathaway and Nic Deslauriers, and defenseman Noah Juulsen were healthy scratches. It was the second straight scratch for Hathaway and the fourth straight for Juulsen.

    Up next

    The Flyers get right back at it on Tuesday against the Blackhawks in Chicago (9 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max).

  • The Day After: Are the Eagles really playing their best?

    The Day After: Are the Eagles really playing their best?

    Are the Eagles really playing their best football of the season? That was their head coach’s claim following the team’s solid performance against Washington last weekend. But despite the Eagles outscoring the opposition by a combined 60-18 margin in back-to-back wins, trends are emerging with both promising and cautionary implications. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Jeff Neiburg highlight these developments, and address whether they agree with Nick Sirianni’s current assessment of the defending Super Bowl champs.

    00:00 Nick Sirianni says the Eagles are playing their best football. Is he right?

    10:20 Shades of 2024 – Saquon Barkley and the run game are looking great

    18:40 Handing out three defensive stars

    27:17 Should the Eagles start looking for another kicker?

    unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.

  • Former Eagles player’s Super Bowl LIX ring fetches more than $120,000 at auction

    Former Eagles player’s Super Bowl LIX ring fetches more than $120,000 at auction

    Less than one year removed from winning Super Bowl LIX, former Eagles practice-squad offensive tackle Laekin Vakalahi put his Super Bowl ring up for auction. On Saturday, that ring sold for $124,440 on Heritage Auctions.

    The ring was designed by Jason Arasheben, the founder of Jason of Beverly Hills, and features 145 diamonds in the bezel of the ring, paying homage to the team’s 145 playoff points.

    The ring also features 18 green stones paying tribute to the team’s 18 victories last season. The top of the ring spells “world champions” in 40 diamonds to represent the 40 points they scored against the Chiefs, and there is a pair of moving wings that open with a push of a button to reveal Nick Sirianni’s motto, “You can’t be great without the greatness of others.”

    The auctioned ring features Vakalahi’s last name printed across the side with a custom ring box that features a turntable and LED lighting. The rings were first revealed during a team ceremony on July 18.

    The New Zealand native Vakalahi came to the Eagles in 2024 as a member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP), and spent the Super Bowl season as a member of the practice squad. He was released on Aug. 26, 2025 as a part of the team’s final roster cuts.

  • Phillies believe new reliever Brad Keller is ‘one of the best in the business’

    Phillies believe new reliever Brad Keller is ‘one of the best in the business’

    It’s not unusual for a pitcher’s velocity to increase a little after transitioning from starting to relieving. But when Brad Keller moved to the Chicago Cubs bullpen last season, his fastball jumped over 3 miles per hour.

    The increased zing — an average of 93.7 mph in 2024 became 97.1 mph last year — was followed by a career season. Keller posted a 2.07 ERA and 0.962 WHIP in 69⅔ innings with the Cubs, primarily pitching in a setup role. And he parlayed that into a two-year, $22 million contract with the Phillies last week.

    “There’s nothing like the adrenaline spike when the phone rings and your name’s called,” Keller said on Monday. “So I really grew into that.”

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    Behind closer Jhoan Duran, Keller is set to become one of the Phillies’ top right-handed relief options along with Orion Kerkering. The Phillies also added righty Jonathan Bowlan to the mix last week in a trade for Matt Strahm. Another righty in competition for a bullpen spot will be Zach Pop, whom the Phillies signed to a major league deal on Monday. Pop, 29, has a 4.88 ERA in 162⅓ career innings, and spent most of last season in triple A in the Mariners and Mets organizations.

    “We love Keller. We think he’s one of the best in the business, the way he stepped up last year as a reliever with the Cubs,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “So we really like the way the bullpen now shapes up.”

    It wasn’t just the move to the bullpen that led to Keller’s velocity increase last year. He also made some key mechanical adjustments, focusing on using his lower body more. And most important, Keller felt completely healthy.

    The right-hander had thoracic outlet decompression surgery during the 2023 offseason, a procedure that Phillies ace Zack Wheeler also underwent on Sept. 23. Before his diagnosis with thoracic outlet syndrome, Keller’s hand would swell up so much because of the lack of blood flow that he couldn’t grip a baseball.

    Keller returned to the mound in the spring of 2024 after signing with the Chicago White Sox. He said he didn’t quite feel like himself until the All-Star break.

    Like Zack Wheeler, new Phillies pitcher Brad Keller has undergone thoracic outlet decompression surgery.

    “Granted, I kind of rushed my rehab because I had surgery in the offseason,” he said. “And I was a free agent that year, and I really tried to be with the team and finish rehab with the team, and then kind of roll through there.”

    Keller was designated for assignment by the White Sox in May 2024 and spent the rest of that season in the Red Sox organization.

    “I just carried that second half into last year, where it’s like, ‘All right, that’s in the rearview. I feel good. I don’t have to worry about that stuff anymore,’” Keller said.

    When Keller signed with the Cubs last January, it was to be a starter. But after the deal came together late in the offseason, and the Cubs underwent an accelerated spring training before the Tokyo Series, he wasn’t fully built up. Chicago tried him out in the bullpen. And not only did Keller find success there, he also enjoyed the new role.

    Phillies free up some payroll by trading Matt Strahm to the Royals

    The Phillies believe the 97-mph version of Keller is here to stay.

    “All of our scouting work, our analytical work, our pitching people that have taken a look at him, between [pitching coach] Caleb [Cotham] and the rest of the group,” Dombrowski said, “people that we’ve talked to feel like, ‘OK, this is him now.’ I mean, he’s a legit back-end-type guy.”

    Keller still has a starter’s arsenal, using a five-pitch mix of four-seam, sinker, slider, changeup, and sweeper, which he introduced last season. He and Cotham have already discussed ways he could improve the newest offering.

    “He thinks very similar to how I think about things,” said Keller, 30. “And he brought up some ideas of things that we feel like would be fun things to try, like throwing sweepers to lefties, changeups to righties, things like that that’s kind of a little unorthodox.”

    This winter, other teams inquired about Keller’s willingness to return to a starting role. He said he was open to it, but he had more fun coming out of the bullpen.

    Most fun of all, though, was experiencing the playoffs for the first time in his career. Keller had a 1.59 ERA in five postseason appearances with the Cubs in 2025, recording two saves and one hold. One of his biggest priorities in free agency this winter was joining a contender.

    “Once you get a taste of that,” Keller said, “that’s what you crave every single year.”

  • ‘Enough is enough’: Rick Tocchet sounds off after latest questions about Matvei Michkov’s usage

    ‘Enough is enough’: Rick Tocchet sounds off after latest questions about Matvei Michkov’s usage

    In mid-October, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said the quiet part out loud.

    “I know he’s the lightning rod for everybody around here,” he said of Matvei Michkov.

    A talented offensive player, the recently turned 21-year-old Russian, who arrived in North America two years earlier than expected, led the Flyers — and all NHL rookies — with 26 goals and finished second on the team with 63 points last season. He also won the league’s rookie of the month award twice, becoming the first Flyer in 30 years to do so.

    But this season, Michkov has struggled to find that spark with 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 34 games. He has also taken several unnecessary penalties and seen his ice time decrease from 16 minutes, 41 seconds last season to 14:43 this year.

    Should the Flyers have gone harder after Quinn Hughes? And what now for a team lacking a No. 1 center and defenseman?

    Although Natural Stat Trick has the Flyers with 51.74% of the shot attempts when Michkov is on the ice — tops on the team — and an expected goal-share of 53.6%, which is No. 2 among players who have played at least five games, he has struggled defensively and shown a tendency to cherry-pick at times.

    As Tocchet said, he is a lightning rod, so, of course, he is often a topic of conversation.

    On Saturday, the television broadcast caught Michkov, Tocchet, and assistant coach Jaroslav “Yogi” Svejkovský having an animated conversation on the bench. The conversation appeared to happen right after Michkov drew a minor penalty when New York Rangers winger Will Cuylle cross-checked him from behind.

    “It happens all the time. It’s not Mich, it’s just a story, because it’s Mich. It wasn’t even an argument. It was about when he should switch, and not with [Denver] Barkey. And he’s getting it, when to switch and when not to on the power play,” Tocchet said, although it’s not clear if he meant to say power play as he did appear to stop himself, and the Flyers were heading to their first power play of the game.

    “But that was all. He was just getting frustrated on when to switch and when he shouldn’t switch. I know it’s a lot of media people like to let him do what he wants. But there’s a time to switch and when not to switch, and that’s really what it comes down to.”

    It is worth noting that Michkov and Barkey picked up assists on Travis Sanheim’s power-play goal directly following the Russian’s animated conversation with Tocchet.

    Michkov has five assists in December but does not have a goal this month. A follow-up question asked the bench boss about Michkov having the right attitude but getting frustrated when he’s not scoring.

    Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov, 21, has just 19 points in 34 games this season.

    “Guys who want to score goals get frustrated, but you can’t let it affect your overall game,” Tocchet said. “You’ve got to continue to go to the spots, you keep going to the middle, keep getting to that slot area when you already have two guys down low, like — don’t go behind the net — like things like that.

    “He’s just got to stay with it, because he’ll get those chances. He had some chances against the Rangers. … Now he’s got [to] play a little faster and separate himself. That’s what it comes down to. You can’t get frustrated, and just keep working.”

    Barkey and Michkov switched one time before the bench interaction. It came with 11:49 left in the first period, and it occurred after Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin froze the puck. So was it about switching shifts and the short shifts by Michkov that have been discussed recently?

    “We tell our players, when you’re tired, get off. So if he’s tired after 20 seconds, get off. I don’t know. I don’t know what you want me to say. Yeah, he’s getting enough shifts. He’s coming off short because sometimes he’s tired. I don’t know what the big deal of that is,” Tocchet snapped.

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    The fourth question about Michkov noted that Tocchet and the Russian winger were seen speaking before practice. Does the coach like that he’s willing to work on things, showing his sheer competitiveness?

    “We’re 17-10[-7], we have a good record. I’ve answered six Michkov questions. I mean, enough is enough,” Tocchet said.

    “We’ve got [Dan] Vladař having a great year. [Jamie] Drysdale is playing really good five-on-five for us. [Cam York’s] doing a really good job. We’ve got a lot of other players playing good and a team game.

    “I mean, this is the fifth question. I appreciate it, but you’re trying to make something that it’s not. He’s got to learn to play the game, and he’s trying. He’s a lot better defensively. He’s a lot better playing a team game, and that’s how you win hockey. It’s not about catering to one person. I hate to tell you guys. That’s it.”

    Breakaways

    Goalie Aleksei Kolosov was sent back to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Monday morning. Vladař (upper-body injury) and Christian Dvorak (lower-body injury), who both missed Saturday’s game against the Rangers, were at the team’s morning skate. Tocchet expects Dvorak to play, but said Vladař is a game-time decision. … Barkey will make his Xfinity Mobile Arena debut on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks (7:30 p.m., NHLN, NBCSP). … Defenseman Noah Juulsen and forwards Garnet Hathaway and Nic Deslauriers are expected to be healthy scratches.

  • To play or not to play: Eagles face looming rest decisions; no competition coming for Jake Elliott

    To play or not to play: Eagles face looming rest decisions; no competition coming for Jake Elliott

    To play, or not to play, that is the question that will face Eagles coach Nick Sirianni over the final two weeks of the season.

    The No. 2 seed in the NFC is still up for grabs, and will be at the time the Eagles kick off Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park, N.Y., for a marquee matchup with the Buffalo Bills. But the seeding could be decided before the Week 18 finale vs. the Washington Commanders, and we know how the Eagles went about their business last season when they rested almost all of their starters in the season finale.

    As it pertains to offensive tackle Lane Johnson and defensive tackle Jalen Carter, though, Sirianni will have to weigh risk vs. reward for two of his best players in the trenches. According to a report from ESPN, both players are in line to be available for Sunday’s game vs. the Bills. Carter has missed the last three games after undergoing procedures to both of his shoulders. Johnson, meanwhile, has been out since the first quarter of Week 11 with a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot.

    “Every guy is a little different,” Sirianni said Monday. “Every scenario is a little different.”

    Offensive tackle Lane Johnson watching his teammates warm up before the Eagles played the Washington Commanders on Saturday.

    Sirianni pointed to last season’s finale vs. the New York Giants. The Eagles rested their starters, but tight end Dallas Goedert had been out for more than a month and the Eagles decided to get him on the field for two series at the beginning of the game and threw six targets his way. “That was good for him,” Sirianni said.

    “You do think about your past situations and when you’ve been through those things before,” he said. “But you’re trying to do and make the best decision for each guy and everyone’s just a little bit different.”

    Handing out credit for the Eagles’ record playoff run, also what NFL refs got right and DK Metcalf did wrong in Week 16

    Carter and Johnson are certainly different, and the Eagles are likely to weigh getting Carter on the field as a higher priority than Johnson given Carter’s early-season struggles with conditioning.

    Still, the Eagles will enter Sunday with plenty to play for. There is a realistic path to the No. 2 seed, a spot that would ensure a second home game with a win in the wild-card round. The simplest math is for the Chicago Bears, the current No. 2 seed, to lose their final two games and the Eagles to win their final two. The Bears play at San Francisco in Week 17 before hosting the Lions, who could be in desperation mode, in Week 18.

    What’s the math look like?

    According to FTN Fantasy‘s playoff projections, the Eagles are at 10.3% to get the No. 2 seed based on thousands of simulations. They’re at 88.7% to stay in the No. 3 spot and have minuscule chances at the No. 1 seed (0.1%) and No. 4 seed (0.9%).

    Time will tell how the Eagles approach the last two weeks of the season.

    No competition coming for Jake Elliott

    Sirianni reiterated his confidence in Jake Elliott after the kicker missed two field goals and had another miss negated by a penalty during Saturday’s win.

    Elliott has missed five field goals over the Eagles’ last five games and also has a missed point-after attempt during that stretch. His 70.8% conversion rate (17-for-24) on field goals this season is the lowest of his nine-year NFL career.

    Eagles kicker Jake Elliott reacts after missing a 52-yard field goal attempt during the second quarter Saturday.

    Sirianni said the Eagles will not be bringing in outside competition. He pointed to Elliott’s struggles late in the season last year and how he rebounded in the Super Bowl as something to draw confidence from.

    “All I’ve ever seen him do was get up out of that and rise from that,” Sirianni said. “I have no doubt in my mind of the competitor he is and how mentally tough he is to be able to rise from this situation as well.”

    Report: No suspension for Tyler Steen

    According to a report from ESPN, there will be no suspensions following the kerfuffle near the end of the Eagles-Commanders game after the Eagles’ two-point conversion. The league will review the play for fines.

    The skirmish happened after the successful try that bumped the Eagles’ lead to 29-10, a decision Sirianni said was analytics-based and not an attempt to run up the score, though it appeared that Commanders coach Dan Quinn was not pleased with the choice.

    Eagles offensive tackle Fred Johnson and guard Tyler Steen get into a brawl on the field with the Commanders during the fourth quarter Saturday.

    In the middle of it all for the Eagles was right guard Tyler Steen, who was ejected for his role in the scuffle.

    Sirianni, as he normally does, declined to go into details about his conversations with Steen.

    “But we never want anything like that to take place,” he said. “We want to play fast and physical and we want to be able to do that all within the rules of the game. I understand the game gets chippy at times, but we always want to make sure we’re keeping our cool in those scenarios.”

  • Handing out credit for the Eagles’ record playoff run, also what NFL refs got right and DK Metcalf did wrong in Week 16

    Handing out credit for the Eagles’ record playoff run, also what NFL refs got right and DK Metcalf did wrong in Week 16

    Eagles GM Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie make the big decisions, and most of their decisions in the past five years turned out to be sound. But they didn’t take a single snap, run a meeting, or call a play during the Eagles’ five consecutive playoff runs, culminating Saturday in the first back-to-back NFC East championships since Andy Reid’s Eagles did it four times from 2001-04.

    Eagles use big second half to overwhelm Commanders, become first repeat NFC East champs since 2004

    Five straight postseason runs ties those Reid-era Eagles for most consecutive playoff appearances. It also is the longest active streak, technically, but Buffalo (six straight from 2019-24) and Tampa Bay (five straight) both have a chance to extend theirs. Kansas City’s 10-year run, which is second only to the Patriots’ 11-year run, just ended; the Eagles’ win in KC on Sept. 14 helped to exclude Reid and his Chiefs.

    In all cases, consistent excellence and dedication have pushed a wealth of talent to accomplish what is every NFL team’s goal at the start of every season. These are the front line people who were a part of it in Philly for all of the last five years:

    Nick Sirianni, whose coaching ability far outstripped anyone’s expectations. On Saturday, he tied George Seifert as the coach with the most regular-season and playoff wins in his first five seasons as a head coach in the Super Bowl era, but Sirianni’s 64 wins are much more impressive than Seifert’s. Seifert inherited a Super Bowl team with legends all over the 49ers roster. Sirianni inherited Jalen Reagor.

    Jalen Hurts, whose quarterbacking ability far outstripped anyone’s expectations. His 61 wins, including playoffs, rank third behind the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Bills’ Josh Allen.

    Lane Johnson, right tackle, who might be the best Eagle ever.

    DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, who already is the Eagles’ all-time leader in playoff receiving yards with 595.

    Landon Dickerson, left guard, part of the best left side in Eagles offensive line history.

    Jordan Mailata, left tackle, the other part of the best left side in Eagles offensive line history.

    Brandon Graham, defensive lineman, who was drafted in 2010, retired after 2024, unretired in mid-2025, changed positions from end to tackle two weeks ago, and has three sacks since.

    Jake Elliott, who has missed five of his last 11 kicks, but who set a Super Bowl record in February with 16 points when he made four field goals in New Orleans.

    Dallas Goedert, tight end, whose 52 postseason catches are a franchise record.

    Jeff Stoutland, the offensive line coach and the best assistant in the history of Philadelphia.

    Michael Clay, special teams coordinator, who entered the NFL coaching ranks in 2014 thanks to former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who should be credited for a lot of changes in Eagles culture.

    Kevin Patullo, first-year offensive coordinator, former passing game coordinator, and Sirianni’s longtime majordomo. Currently, he is unpopular.

    Jemal Singleton, running backs coach and current assistant head coach who has overseen the best seasons of Saquon Barkley, D’Andre Swift, and Miles Sanders.

    Jason Michael, the tight ends coach who made Goedert a top-five tight end and helped sixth-rounder Grant Calcaterra last for four years in the NFL.

    Aaron Moorehead, the receivers coach tasked with keeping A.J. Brown in line.

    Jeremiah Washburn, who has coached edge rushers including Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Jaelan Phillips, and Josh Sweat. Also Bryce Huff and Joshua Uche.

    “Big” Dom DiSandro, security chief, Howie’s adviser, game-day and sideline sheriff, whose basic job it is to keep everybody safe and out of trouble.

    Honorable mention: Lurie and Roseman delegate liberally, and their scouts and support staff are remarkably loyal and proficient.

    DK Metcalf’s swing at fan costs Steelers

    Late in the second quarter of their game in Detroit, Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf approached a blue-wigged Lions fan in the stands and exchanged words. He then grabbed the fan’s shirt, pulled the fan down closer to him, then appeared to try and strike the fan as he released the fan’s shirt and walked away. Metcalf, through reported sources, claimed the fan, with whom he interacted during last year’s game, used a racial slur and also insulted Metcalf’s mother.

    Metcalf remained in the game — officials afterward said they didn’t see it happen. The league apparently did not believe Metcalf’s explanation of provocation or didn’t believe it warranted his action.

    He was suspended (as always, without pay, in this case $555,556) for the Steelers’ last two games, which could be devastating. The Steelers, 9-6 and atop the AFC North, face the Browns, then the 7-8 Ravens to finish the year. Metcalf plans to appeal the decision.

    Refs got it right

    Social media, Rams fans, and Lions fans nearly shared a group embolism after several unusual plays with intricate rules applications affected the outcomes of games with significant playoff implications — plays on which officials ultimately landed on the correct calls, with no room for argument.

    On Thursday night, the Seahawks were granted a two-point conversion that tied their game with the Rams, 30-30, on a bizarre sequence:

    Sam Darnold threw a backward pass to Zach Charbonnet, which deflected off Rams linebacker Jared Verse’s hand, then his helmet. The second deflection sent the ball forward, just over the goal line. As Charbonnet dejectedly retrieved the ball, a whistle blew.

    Officials gathered to discuss the play and they ruled that, even though the whistle blew, the ball remained live. Further, since there is a distinction between a backward pass and a fumble — the offense cannot advance a fumble on a two-point conversion — Charbonnet’s recovery was valid.

    Not only did the refs get this right, TV rules analyst Terry McAulay immediately explained why officials were discussing the play and he accurately predicted a reversal. Minutes later, the Football Zebras account took to Twitter/X and explained the intricacies of the determination.

    If you’re interested, early Friday morning McAulay used his own entertaining Twitter/X account to further explain and defend his comments and opinion, including a quote-tweet of one of his posts from 2023, which explains the rules and emphasizes the confusion regarding the whistle. This includes a reply to an esteemed, retired Inquirer writer who covered the Eagles.

    You might not agree with the rules enforced here, but they have existed for a long time, and they were appropriately applied. That said, I understand the outrage. I’ve been covering the NFL for 35 years and I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure what I was watching. I am sure, however, that, between the nuances of the backward pass and the whistle, I would have gotten at least part of it wrong.

    The refs, in the end, did not.

    Notably, this all happened with more than six minutes to play in regulation. Each team had three more possessions before overtime, so the conversion didn’t directly determine the winner. Each team scored a touchdown in overtime, and after the Seahawks scored the answering TD they were successful with a bold, if benign, two-point conversion. The win put them at 12-3, gave them the current top seed in the NFC, and the lead in the NFC West over the 11-4 Rams.

    On Sunday evening, another bizarre play did determine the winner of the Steelers-Lions game, with possibly even greater playoff consequences that included a third team.

    The Lions drove to the Steelers’ 1-yard line with 25 seconds to play, trailing by five points. They scored a touchdown on the next play, but it was nullified by offensive pass interference on Jameson Williams, called for an illegal pick on a Steelers defender. Good call.

    Two plays later, the final play of the game, Jared Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown near the goal line. St. Brown was stopped but not declared down; instead, he lateraled to Goff, who vaulted into the end zone for a touchdown after time expired.

    Unfortunately, Goff had vaulted past two flags on the ground. Brown had clearly pushed his defender away to get open.

    A lengthy discussion determined that St. Brown had indeed committed offensive pass interference before the catch. The penalty nullified the touchdown. Since time had expired, the game was over.

    The fallout: The Steelers clinched a playoff spot for the 49ers and essentially ended the Lions’ season, since, due to tiebreaker rules, the 8-7 Lions now cannot catch the 10-4 49ers in the wild-card race. The Steelers, now 9-6, also greatly improved their own postseason hopes with a crazy 29-24 win in Detroit, where they were seven-point underdogs.

    Anyway, kudos, refs.

    Then, on Sunday Night Football, as if to spite their few supporters, officials failed to call a blatant pass interference penalty against the Ravens late in the Patriots’ comeback win at Baltimore, probably the worst missed call of the year. The Pats still scored on that drive and won the game, but come on, fellas.

    Extra points

    The Bears’ comeback win over the Packers on Saturday night virtually locked the Eagles into the No. 3 seed behind the Seahawks (12-3) and the Bears (11-4). … The Chiefs could be moving from Missouri to Kansas to secure a new stadium, with an announcement coming as soon as Monday afternoon. … The Patriots’ win not only locked in their first playoff berth since 2021, it gave them a 12-3 record, same as the Broncos, who lost in Jacksonville (11-4), though the Patriots lose the top-seed tiebreaker against the Broncos (common opponents). … The Jags have won six in a row.

  • Eagles open as underdogs against the Bills, but their Super Bowl odds improve

    Eagles open as underdogs against the Bills, but their Super Bowl odds improve

    Been there, won that.

    The Eagles clinched the NFC East and secured a spot in the playoffs Saturday with a 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders. With two games left in the regular season, the Eagles will face the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday.

    From the Birds’ chances this weekend to updates on year-end awards, here are some of the latest odds at two of the biggest sportsbooks …

    Eagles-Bills odds

    The last time these teams met was in Week 12 of the 2023 season in a game that saw the Birds pull out a 37-34 overtime win at Lincoln Financial Field.

    The 10-5 Birds are the third seed in the NFC behind the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks and the No. 2 Chicago Bears. However, they could claim the second seed if the Bears lose their last two games and the Birds win their last two. Meanwhile, Sunday is a must-win game for the 11-4 Bills to keep their AFC East title hopes alive.

    Heading into the Week 17 matchup, the Bills opened as 2.5-point favorites over the NFC East champions.

    FanDuel

    • Spread: Bills -2.5 (-110); Eagles +2.5 (-110)
    • Moneyline: Bills (-134); Eagles (+114)
    • Total: Over 45.5 (-104); Under 45.5 (-118)

    DraftKings

    • Spread: Bills -2.5 (-112); Eagles +2.5 (-108)
    • Moneyline: Bills (-142); Eagles (+120)
    • Total: Over 44.5 (-115); Under 44.5 (-105)
    Josh Allen and the Bills lost to the Eagles in overtime in their last meeting, in 2023.

    NFC odds update

    At both sportsbooks, the Eagles remain as the team with the third-best odds to win the NFC. They continue to trail the Los Angeles Rams and the Seahawks.

    FanDuel

    DraftKings

    Super Bowl odds

    The defending champions have worked their way back into FanDuel’s top three favorites to win the Super Bowl, trailing the Rams and the Seahawks. However, they have fallen outside DraftKings’ top five favorites.

    FanDuel

    DraftKings

    Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the betting favorite to win the MVP award.

    MVP odds

    Closing in on the end of the regular season, the MVP race is between Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye. Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, and Justin Herbert trail both quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts is essentially out of the running.

    FanDuel

    DraftKings