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  • Q&A: Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk discusses his injury, introduction to pro hockey, and more

    Q&A: Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk discusses his injury, introduction to pro hockey, and more

    Summary

    During the recent Olympic break, the Flyers called up a few youngsters to fill out their roster for a series of practices.

    One of those players was top defensive prospect Oliver Bonk, who is finally settling in with Lehigh Valley after an upper-body injury cost him all of training camp and delayed the start of his pro career until mid-December. The Inquirer caught up with Bonk last Thursday for an interview to discuss his frustrating start to the season, his adaptation to the pro game in the minors, and much more.

    • While Bonk said he was frustrated that his injury prevented him from competing to make the NHL roster, he said, “you can’t dwell on bad stuff” and that he is “just trying to get back up [to the NHL] for me has been the only objective.”
    • Bonk said he takes notes of things that he wants to work on in a journal and then targets two or three things to focus on before and after practices that week until he improves at them.
    • The Flyers defenseman called watching former London teammate and close friend Denver Barkey “awesome,” adding that he’s been “playing unreal” since his call-up to the Flyers.
    Is the Flyers’ rebuild working? Here’s a look at their moves over the last three years

    More Details

    During the recent Olympic break, the Flyers called up a few youngsters to fill out their roster for a series of practices.

    One of those players was top defensive prospect Oliver Bonk, who is finally settling in with Lehigh Valley after an upper-body injury cost him all of training camp and delayed the start of his pro career until mid-December. The Inquirer caught up with Bonk last Thursday for an interview to discuss his frustrating summer, his adaptation to the pro game in the minors, and much more.

    Q: To start, what has this year been like for you?

    A: Yeah, I mean, it’s been a learning year. Trying to, even after the rehab, trying to learn how to take care of my body better, and learning how to play pro hockey. Learning how to be a good player up there and not just being an average player up there. You want to be the best so you can make it back up [to the NHL]. So I think just learning all about that, how to be a pro, and kind of just learning as I go along.

    Q:Are you someone who prefers to watch tape?

    A: I like watching, especially after games. I like watching the clips. Some guys get focused on what they messed up and keep looking at that, but I just kind of let that go. Everyone’s going to make mistakes. It’s hockey, it’s not a perfect game. It’s never going to be. I’m not striving to be perfect every time I’m out there; just improving every time and making sure I’m making the right [reads] and then not making the same mistakes over again.

    Q: What’s the transition been like for you to the pro game, especially after not playing until early December?

    A: Yeah, it was a tough first 10 games, until I started kind of feeling like fully myself again. So it was definitely a learning curve there. But I think now, I’m kind of back to the way I want to play, and just improving my game every day and feeling good about myself. So it was tough at the start, but I think I’m on a good path right now.

    Oliver Bonk (orange jersey) spent a few days last week practicing with the Flyers during the Olympic break.
    Q: Is there anything you are particularly focused on improving?

    A: There’s a lot. Every week, I kind of try to work on different things, whether it’s closing guys off with speed one week, or it’s hard passes, or it’s hand-eye coordination. Every week’s got something different, which is kind of different than in Junior. You mess around in practice and whatever; you shoot a couple of pucks, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, great.’ So I think it’s a lot different. It makes me excited to come to the rink every day, knowing that every week I’ve got something different planned, and something else to work on. So it’s good.

    Q: You mentioned at development camp in July that you wanted to make the NHL team. How hard was it when the injury happened to reset how the year was going to go?

    A: It’s tough. I thought I had a chance to make the team, and I believed that I could do it. But a setback, and now you’re starting the season off in the AHL — and still a very good league with very good players. So I think it’s just, it happened, and there’s really nothing you can do about it. But just like I said before, you can’t dwell on bad stuff that happens. It’s never going to help you. So I think just trying to get back up here, for me, has been the only objective, and just keep working at that every day.

    Q: Two years ago, you had 67 points in 60 games. Last season, it was 40 in 52. Do you feel like your game has a good balance now?

    A: I still try to work on both [sides of the puck] the most you can. After my draft year, I scored the 24 goals, and then the year after, it kind of slowed down. Our power play didn’t do as well, but we won the [Memorial] Cup, so I must have been doing something well. … People will say whatever they want, and, ‘Oh, you can’t put up points,’ and whatever. But we won and that was the biggest thing for me that year. I didn’t score 20-whatever goals, but we ended up winning the Memorial Cup and the OHL, so I think obviously we must have been doing something right there.

    Q: You have just over 20 games left this season, so what will be your focus?

    A: I think it’s just playing the best I can for the team. Doing the most I can, give them the best effort every night to help us win. And play how I want to play, not just one side of the puck, but be a real 200-foot player that can be versatile and in any situation and stuff like that. So I think that’s the focus for me.

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    Everything

    During the recent Olympic break, the Flyers called up a few youngsters to fill out their roster for a series of practices.

    One of those players was top defensive prospect Oliver Bonk, who is finally settling in with Lehigh Valley after an upper-body injury cost him all of training camp and delayed the start of his pro career until mid-December. The Inquirer caught up with Bonk last Thursday for an interview to discuss his frustrating summer, his adaptation to the pro game in the minors, and much more.

    Q: To start, what has this year been like for you?

    A: Yeah, I mean, it’s been a learning year. Trying to, even after the rehab, trying to learn how to take care of my body better, and learning how to play pro hockey. Learning how to be a good player up there and not just being an average player up there. You want to be the best so you can make it back up [to the NHL]. So I think just learning all about that, how to be a pro, and kind of just learning as I go along.

    Oliver Bonk (orange jersey) spent a few days last week practicing with the Flyers during the Olympic break.
    Q: Are you someone who prefers to watch tape?

    A: I like watching, especially after games. I like watching the clips. Some guys get focused on what they messed up and keep looking at that, but I just kind of let that go. Everyone’s going to make mistakes. It’s hockey, it’s not a perfect game. It’s never going to be. I’m not striving to be perfect every time I’m out there; just improving every time and making sure I’m making the right [reads] and then not making the same mistakes over again.

    Q: What’s the transition been like for you to the pro game, especially after not playing until December?

    A: Yeah, it was a tough first 10 games, until I started kind of feeling like fully myself again. So it was definitely a learning curve there. But I think now, I’m kind of back to the way I want to play, and just improving my game every day and feeling good about myself. So it was tough at the start, but I think I’m on a good path right now.

    Is the Flyers’ rebuild working? Here’s a look at their moves over the last three years
    Q: Is there anything you are particularly focused on improving?

    A: There’s a lot. Every week, I kind of try to work on different things, whether it’s closing guys off with speed one week, or it’s hard passes, or it’s hand-eye coordination. Every week’s got something different, which is kind of different than in Junior. You mess around in practice; you shoot a couple of pucks, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, great.’ So I think it’s a lot different. It makes me excited to come to the rink every day, knowing that every week I’ve got something different planned, and something else to work on. So it’s good.

    Q: Do you plan that out, or is it in consultation with someone like defense coach Nick Schultz?

    A: No, it’s just kind of whatever I make up. I have a notebook of things that you do and things that need improving and you just go every week. You don’t want to change it every day, because you want to kind of have a steady look of how you’re improving. So last week, maybe hand-eye coordination, trying to bat down two-on-ones, and stuff like that. So you just focus on that for a week, and you kind of see how, by the end of the week, you’re more comfortable, you’re better doing it.

    Q: You mentioned you keep a journal. After games, do you jot things down to track your development?

    A: It’s more like, this week you work on this, this, this; three things you want to work on after practice, a couple of things before practice. You just bang that out during the week, and then next week, you can reset and see what you didn’t do well that week, and maybe improve on that.

    Q: Do you talk to your father, former NHLer Radek Bonk, about what to work on to get ideas?

    A: We talk about it, and we always talk pretty much every day. Like about practice and what he thought about the game and stuff like that. But I think most of it’s got to come from me. I definitely lean on him heavily … he’s my dad, and he’s here to support me, but I got to kind of figure it out because he’s not coaching me anymore, and he’s not always here with me, so I kind of got to figure it out on my own what I got to improve on.

    Q: You mentioned at development camp in July that your focus was on making the NHL team. How hard was it when the injury happened to reset how the year was going to go?

    A: It’s tough. I thought I had a chance to make the team, and I believed that I could do it. But a setback, and now you’re starting the season off in the AHL — and still a very good league with very good players. So I think it’s just, it happened, and there’s really nothing you can do about it. But just like I said before, you can’t dwell on bad stuff that happens. It’s never going to help you. So I think just trying to get back up here, for me, has been the only objective, and just keep working at that every day.

    Q: You said in September you gained 15 pounds of muscle, and then the other day you mentioned that you gained a little bit of weight when out with the injury. How hard was it to get back into game shape when you hadn’t played a game since June 1?

    A: I mean, there’s shape, but then there’s game shape. Every hockey player knows that once you get on the ice, it’s so much harder. It’s so much different when you get on the ice. And even just, from being on the ice and practicing, doing your rehab skate is tough, but then playing is a whole different thing. I did a lot of conditioning when I was here, but I still had a bit of weight. And then once you start playing, the five pounds that I lost, and I started to just feel a bit quicker and a bit more explosive and a bit better. So it’s not like I’m losing, like 15, 10 pounds, it’s not like going like that; it’s just little increments. But I feel like I lost five pounds, and it really helps.

    A first-round pick in 2023, Oliver Bonk missed most of the offseason with an upper-body injury. He made his professional debut in December.

    Q: When John Tortorella was here, he mentioned your pace of play as an issue. Do you feel like you’re learning to play with better pace in the AHL and getting reps at that speed?

    A: Yeah. Our team, we try to play the same way as Philly and do the same stuff. We’re not as skilled, obviously, because we’re in the AHL, but I mean, we try to do the same stuff and play the same way and play a pace game, trying to score off the rush and do all that stuff. So I think it’s a big thing that [Phantoms coach John Snowden] has been on us too, like, move the puck up and try to just get up, get in the rush. Don’t just hold it, because then the forwards are crossing and it’s annoying for them. So yeah, it’s definitely been a big thing of focus for all the [defensemen] this year in Lehigh.

    Q: Two years ago, you had 67 points in 60 games. Last season, it was 40 in 52. Do you feel like your game has a good balance now?

    A: I still try to work on both [sides of the puck] the most you can. After my draft year, I scored the 24 goals, and then the year after, it kind of slowed down. Our power play didn’t do as well, but we won the [Memorial] Cup, so I must have been doing something well. … People will say whatever they want, and, ‘Oh, you can’t put up points,’ and whatever. But we won and that was the biggest thing for me that year. I didn’t score 20-whatever goals, but we ended up winning the Memorial Cup and the OHL, so I think obviously we must have been doing something right there.

    Q: You and Denver Barky know each other well from London. What’s it like watching him in the NHL now?

    A: Well, it was great to see him in Lehigh, and I was excited to spend the season with him, and then he gets called up right away. So, there’s still guys at Lehigh, but [Ty] Murchison got hurt, and then [Hunter] McDonald got called up, so I’m like there’s no more young guys to hang out with. But, yeah, it’s great. It’s awesome seeing him here, and he’s playing unreal, and he’s a great player. But we miss him, definitely, in Lehigh, but it was great to see him here, and great to see how he’s learning and blossoming. It’s awesome.

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    Q: You have just over 20 games left this season, so what will be your focus?

    A: I think it’s just playing the best I can for the team. Doing the most I can, give them the best effort every night to help us win. And play how I want to play, not just one side of the puck, but be a real 200-foot player that can be versatile and in any situation and stuff like that. So I think that’s the focus for me.

    Q: Flyers assistant coach Todd Reirden was saying he had some drills last week that were specifically designed to see where you and McDonald were at. How did those go?

    A: Yeah, we went through it [last Thursday], and he had video clips of the practice yesterday. But he had a couple of ones testing how well we’re going to react to the speed here. He was giving the forwards all the speed that they wanted, and then coming down on us. So it was a test for us, but I think we both did pretty well. And yeah, it’s just another thing to learn. And stuff is so much quicker, even from here to the AHL. It’s more on the tape, quicker, better players. So I think it’s another thing to get used to and another thing to learn.

  • Don Mattingly could give Bryce Harper’s career a boost with the Phillies. Maybe Harper can reciprocate.

    Don Mattingly could give Bryce Harper’s career a boost with the Phillies. Maybe Harper can reciprocate.

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — For 30 minutes Wednesday, on the half-field adjacent to the Phillies’ clubhouse, Larry Bowa flipped baseballs to Bobby Dickerson, who hit one-hoppers and choppers and line drives at Bryce Harper.

    Over and over. Again and again.

    Ninety feet from Harper, a nine-time Gold Glove-winning first baseman and former captain of the Yankees stood with a glove on his right hand and a paper folded lengthwise in his back pocket. He didn’t say much. Mostly, he observed.

    Then, after the drill, Don Mattingly conferred with Harper.

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    The Hitman and the Showman.

    Imagine being a fly on the wall for that.

    “I mean, it’s Donnie Baseball,” Harper said, smiling. “I grew up a Yankee fan, so knowing he played first base in the Bronx and had a great, storied career in the Bronx and was one of the best first basemen to ever do it, I have such a respect for him and the way he went about it.”

    The admiration is mutual.

    “He’s going on his 15th year, and I’m like, ‘Wow,’” Mattingly said. “I had a decent career, but I don’t know if I really can talk about some of the things that he can do. Because he can do things that, I think he’s kind of that Barry Bonds-type guy. It’s different.”

    Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (right) has an appreciation for the career of new bench coach Don Mattingly (center).

    OK, let’s move beyond the pleasantries — and Mattingly’s modesty about a Hall of Fame-worthy playing career in New York — and get to what Mattingly and Harper can do for each other, notably winning the World Series championship that has eluded both.

    The Phillies didn’t hire Mattingly to be their bench coach because of the effect he could have on any one player. But they do believe he will bring a different form of credibility to a coaching staff that is well-regarded within the sport but light on major league playing experience.

    Harper has solid relationships with manager Rob Thomson and especially hitting coach Kevin Long and Dickerson, the infield coach who slings grounders with a fungo bat and a roux of encouragement and trash talk through a Mississippi drawl. All are good at their jobs. None played a day in the majors.

    But Mattingly was the face of baseball back when baseball could still call itself the national pastime. A word from him surely resonates differently with Harper, among the biggest stars in the sport for a decade and a half.

    “We have such a good staff, and to be able to bring him in and be part of that, he’s just going to make us that much better,” Harper said. “Being able to have a guy on the staff — and no disrespect to anybody — that has done it at the highest of levels, it’s so good to be able to bounce stuff off of him.”

    Two weeks into camp, Mattingly said he’s still getting a feel for everyone, including Harper. He isn’t the hitting coach or the infield instructor. Long and Dickerson have those areas covered. But he’s a fresh set of eyes on a staff that has been together since Thomson took over as manager in 2022.

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    And after two weeks of watching pitcher fielding practice, live batting practice, and baserunning drills, peeking on hitters in the cage, and offering feedback to Thomson and the coaches, Mattingly has a few observations.

    “I like the way guys work here,” he said. “It’s concentrated when they’re in the cage, and the work’s been good on the field for pitchers. It’s not like you’re coming in here to a 96-win team and try to say, ‘You guys should be doing this, this, or this.’ It’s a really good club.

    “You’re just trying to find the details of how do you get a little bit better?”

    Marginal improvements could make the difference between the Phillies losing three games by a total of four runs to the Dodgers in the divisional round and advancing to the NL Championship Series.

    Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly (left) talks with first baseman Bryce Harper in Clearwater, Fla., on Monday.

    In the case of Harper, who will play this season at age 33, Mattingly’s influence could help extend his peak.

    Harper was still in diapers when Mattingly retired in 1995. But as a baseball obsessive with an appreciation for the sport’s past, Harper has studied highlights — “ESPN Century, all that kind of stuff,” he said — from Mattingly’s career.

    “The little crouched-down stance,” Harper said. “Bat-to-ball skills were unbelievable. The short porch [in right field at Yankee Stadium] was really good for him. But just a doubles machine that knew how to hit.“

    Mattingly hit it off with star infielder Bo Bichette in his last job as bench coach of the Blue Jays. Last season, Bichette batted .311 with 44 doubles, 18 homers, and a 129 OPS-plus.

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    “I think they really came together, and you saw Bo have the great year that he had,” Harper said. “Probably learned a lot of stuff from Donnie and what he does. It’s no coincidence.

    “And I love being coached. I don’t care where I’m at or how old I am. I love being coached at the highest level by guys like him because just an ounce of information from him could change the dynamic of somebody’s career. I think everybody should have an open mind and open ears to him.”

    Harper is 3-10 in 13 career postseason series. The Nationals famously won the World Series one year after Harper joined the Phillies.

    Mattingly is chasing something similar. A year after he retired from playing, the Yankees began their run of four World Series championships in five years. He managed the Dodgers before they became a dynasty. The Blue Jays just lost in Game 7 of the World Series.

    After 14 seasons as a player, 12 as a manager, and 10 as a coach, Mattingly is still aiming to win a World Series.

    With a talented Phillies lineup, Don Mattingly says, “You’re just trying to find the details of how do you get a little bit better.”

    Maybe Harper can help with that.

    They’re still getting to know each other. Mattingly’s early observations include Harper’s attention to detail in the batting cage and solid footwork around first base. Harper will leave camp Saturday to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. Upon his return, the work with Mattingly will continue.

    “He’s a different animal than almost anybody else as far as, he’s been here for a long time, still in great shape, still big-time bat speed,” Mattingly said. “He’s a guy that has a chance to win a Gold Glove, in my mind. I’ve had different first basemen, and he’s as good as any.

    “Sometimes I think guys like that, you start to take for granted how good they are. And that’s what I think about with him. That doesn’t mean you don’t try to get better in different areas. But he’s going to have a pile of numbers there that, as he gets toward the end of his career, people are going to be going, ‘Holy [bleep], this guy’s been incredible.’”

    A mid-career boost from Donnie Baseball can’t hurt.

  • Brandon Graham, Jaelan Phillips among athletes working with organization to prepare for post-playing career

    Brandon Graham, Jaelan Phillips among athletes working with organization to prepare for post-playing career

    It’s common advice, Brandon Graham said, to plan out what you’re going to do after you retire while you’re still playing pro sports.

    You never know when your career will be over, the Eagles defensive end said. Just take it from him — Graham retired at the end of the 2024 season, then decided to come back midway through the 2025 campaign.

    But it’s easier said than done to plan for later while you’re still in the game. Being a professional athlete takes up a massive amount of time and mental energy, and their bubble is often made up primarily of people who play their sport.

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    Enter Pro Athlete Community, an organization dedicated to supporting professional athletes across all sports as they transition into post-playing careers. Graham, 37, got involved with the organization in its early stages in 2018, just after the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win.

    “When we won, when I finally got out of that label, I started to really take it seriously and try to make sure that I have something to look forward to when I’m done, so that I won’t be behind the eight ball on that,” Graham said.

    PAC claims to be like “the locker room outside the locker room.” Through group conferences and networking events, it connects active and retired pro athletes with business leaders and career fields that are interested in bringing pro athletes into the fold.

    One of the discussions that resonated most with Graham was on real estate investing, and finding a way to continue to generate income without working a 9-to-5 job. Through PAC, he has started making connections with people who make their money through investments, and learning about how to manage those opportunities.

    “For me, I don’t want to be locked up in a job,” Graham said. “I’ve been locked up in the job for a long time. It’s been a good job, don’t get me wrong, playing, but it’s stressful, too, and then on top of that, I’ve got kids, so I want to be available to them.”

    Eagles pass rusher Jaelan Phillips has been involved with PAC since his rookie season. He played for the Miami Dolphins when the Dolphins Business Combine expanded beyond the organization to become what is now PAC in 2022.

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    Getting involved with the organization so early was key for Phillips, 26, because PAC was not only useful for him to learn about what comes after football but for what he does off the field during his NFL career.

    When Phillips suffered a torn ACL in 2024, he spent the recovery period doing a business fellowship with PAC, working to organize events and engage more athletes.

    “It’s really cool to be able to go to these combines and see and hear athletes that you’ve heard of,” Phillips said. “Maybe you know them personally, maybe you don’t, but you might, after 20 minutes, [you] figure out that, ‘Man, I have a lot in common with this guy.’”

    Jaelan Phillips came to the Eagles from the Dolphins in a deal at the trade deadline in November.

    From there, Phillips said, he has made new friends and business connections. Retired athletes, like former NFL players and twins Devin and Jason McCourty, who are on the board of the organization, regularly share their paths and provide support for PAC members.

    And because of the unique skill set of pro athletes, business leaders are especially excited about the prospect of bringing them in.

    “It’s not just like this conceptual idea of, ‘Oh, go to PAC and learn a bunch of things,” Phillips said. “I’ve actually seen it firsthand, where people start to take action and start to do some really cool things based on the information and the people they’ve met at PAC.”

  • Villanova’s Bryce Lindsay is breaking out of his slump at the right time for the Wildcats

    Villanova’s Bryce Lindsay is breaking out of his slump at the right time for the Wildcats

    Bryce Lindsay isn’t very superstitious, so he didn’t take Kevin Willard up a few weeks ago when the Villanova coach suggested maybe he should reorient himself in bed and sleep a different way.

    Lindsay did, however, take Willard and his family and support staff up on their advice in recent days. Lindsay was 13-for-65 from three-point range in the 11 games that preceded his 15-point effort, behind four triples, last week in an overtime road win over Xavier. The redshirt sophomore guard carried Villanova at times through its nonconference schedule, but being the focus of the opposing team’s scouting report was taking its toll.

    “They’re telling me, ‘Go out there and be you,’” Lindsay said Wednesday night after Villanova’s 82-73 win over Butler. “‘Don’t think too much. Focus on defense, focus on the other things, and your shot will come.’”

    Lindsay scored 19 points Wednesday and helped Villanova get to 22-6 on the season and 13-4 in Big East play. He went 2-for-6 from three-point range and was 6-for-14 from the field overall and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. It was Lindsay’s first time making six shots in a game since a Jan. 3 road win at Butler. He made six or more in eight of Villanova’s first 14 games before a 13-game drought.

    Villanova has fared just fine despite Lindsay’s prolonged slump. But there’s no denying how much easier the offense comes when Lindsay — who shot 40.8% from deep at James Madison last season — is filling it up.

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    It did take a bit for Lindsay to understand that there was more to impacting a game than just making shots. This was the first real slump he remembers going through. He had some off shooting nights at JMU last season, but things never snowballed the way they did in recent weeks.

    “That was probably one of the hardest things I have ever went through in my life,” Lindsay said. “I’ve never, ever played that bad until now. It comes with the game. When you’re the No. 1 player on the scout, they’re going to try to take you away and that’s what they did. I’m just figuring out ways to maneuver through that.”

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    Willard would certainly disagree with Lindsay’s assessment of his play, and he spent recent weeks trying to build him up and remind him of that when he noticed Lindsay’s frustration showing up in his body language.

    “Sometimes when you’re a shooter and you’re not shooting good and you’re standing on the court and you’re thinking about it, it’s like the worst thing you can do,” Willard said. “Just trying to get them to focus on all of the positive stuff.

    “There are times on the floor where he’s plus-8, plus-9, but he’s 0-for-4. You can see his body language. You can see everything going down. But your team is playing well when you’re out there.”

    Lindsay, who is averaging 14.3 points over the last three games, was plus-12 in 31 minutes Wednesday night. The advanced stats show a team that has a much better net rating in conference play with Lindsay on the floor.

    “In my head I feel like I was playing bad, but in their head I’m not playing bad because [of] the stats, my plus-minus is good,” Lindsay said. “I was always able to make shots, but when I don’t see the ball go in it’s hard.

    “These past few games I tried not to focus on it as much.”

    His effort Wednesday helped Villanova bounce back from Saturday’s deflating loss to No. 6 UConn in front of a sold-out Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Wildcats built a 14-point halftime lead but started sloppily in the second half and allowed Butler to climb back into the game. The lead was one before Lindsay extended it back to three with a layup with more than eight minutes to play. He again scored inside to bump an eight-point lead back to double digits with four minutes to go, then helped seal the game with four free throws inside the final two minutes.

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    The fact that Lindsay scored all 10 of his second-half points inside the arc is a positive sign, too. It seemed at times that he was becoming too reliant on shooting threes in trying to break out of his slump.

    “Just focusing on other things,” Lindsay said when asked how he navigated it all. “My defense, my rebounding …”

    Willard, who was seated at the postgame podium between Lindsay and Devin Askew — who scored 16 points Wednesday — leaned over as Lindsay went on with his answer and circled a stat on the sheet in front of Lindsay.

    Focused on rebounding? Lindsay had zero rebounds Wednesday.

    The player and coach shared a laugh. After six weeks of slumping, Bryce Lindsay can finally smile.

  • St. Joe’s plays a complete game to roll past George Mason, 81-63

    St. Joe’s plays a complete game to roll past George Mason, 81-63

    St. Joseph’s coach Steve Donahue said following a win over Loyola Chicago on Saturday that his Hawks may not shoot well for all 40 minutes, but they would do everything else well.

    The Hawks showed what could happen if they played a complete game against George Mason on Wednesday night at Hagan Arena.

    St. Joe’s (18-10, 10-5 Atlantic 10) clicked on both ends of the floor, knocking down 11 three-pointers while forcing 11 turnovers in an 81-63 win over the Patriots. In a game to help decide which team receives a double-bye in next month’s A10 tournament, George Mason (21-7, 9-6) had no answers.

    “We can be unstoppable, honestly,” said guard Derek Simpson. “I think the biggest part with us is being on the same page.”

    Khaafiq Myers drives on George Mason’s Kory Mincy during the first half on Wednesday. Myers scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

    Statistical leaders

    St. Joe’s shot 51.6%, led by Simpson (23 points) and Jaiden Glover-Toscano (21). It is the second straight game the Hawks have had two players score 20 or more points.

    The Hawks also limited the Patriots to 39.7% shooting. They trailed for just 36 seconds to send George Mason home with its fourth straight loss.

    What we saw

    The Hawks went down 2-0 in the first minute of the game and never trailed again.

    With the game tied at 10, St. Joe’s guard Austin Williford drained a three-pointer to kickstart a 13-0 run, which included back-to-back threes from Glover-Toscano for a 23-10 lead with 11:09 left in the first half.

    The Patriotsscored just 11 points in the first 11 minutes of the first half

    “We want to get loose,” Simpson said. “I feel like we didn’t do that the last game. We weren’t able to get out and have fun. I feel like we slowed the pace a lot. We were dead in the legs and stuff like that. But today we said we weren’t going to do that.”

    The Hawks went into halftime with a 44-25 lead after going on a 21-8 run over the final 8:48 of the first half.

    George Mason didn’t fare much better in the second half.

    The Hawks shot 51.7% from the floor in the second half. They used their pace to stifle the defense with 22 fastbreak points and got 15 points off turnovers.

    Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham watches St. Joe’s take on George Mason on Wednesday night.

    Game-changing play

    Playing in his second game since missing two, St, Joe’s guard Khaafiq Myers scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

    George Mason trimmed the lead to 66-49 with 8:13 left in the game, but the Hawks were still looking for extra cushion. Myers helped, drilling a three with guard Devin Booker in his face and on the ensuing Patriots’ possession, he hauled in a defensive rebound and passed to Simpson for a dunkto go up 71-49 with 7:33 remaining.

    “I thought [Myers] was terrific tonight, and that’s another thing,” Donahue said. “Our offense really needs someone to just push it and get somebody else an easy basket. He did that tonight.”

    Up next

    St. Joe’s will hit the road to face Rhode Island (15-12, 6-8) on Saturday (noon,ESPN+).

  • Dan Vladař sharp in net, but Flyers fall to Capitals in first game back from Olympic break

    Dan Vladař sharp in net, but Flyers fall to Capitals in first game back from Olympic break

    WASHINGTON ― It feels like it’s been 84 years since the Flyers last played an NHL game.

    On Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals, they kicked off the final 26 games of the season. Entering the night, Philly sat four points back of Washington — with three games in hand — and eight points back of a playoff spot.

    By the end of the night, the Flyers were six points back of Washington, after losing 3-1 at the Capital One Arena. They remain eight points back of the idle New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, and have a game in hand on the Islanders.

    Trevor van Riemsdyk scored the decisive goal, giving the Capitals a 2-1 lead with 5 minutes, 52 seconds left in regulation. Off the rush, Declan Chisholm dropped the puck to Aliaksei Protas and got it back near the left post. He then hit van Riemsdyk, the brother of former Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk, as he crashed the net.

    As coach Rick Tocchet noted postgame, the Flyers came out with some pep in their step to start the game. “The first nine minutes we were dominating,” he said. But they were unable to capitalize until the third period, when Noah Cates deflected a shot by Travis Sanheim 29 seconds in.

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    Rasmus Ristolainen applied pressure, creating a turnover to Matvei Michkov, who found Bobby Brink. The winger carried it down into the left face-off circle before hitting Sanheim for the quick shot, which Cates deflected past goalie Logan Thompson. Cates tied the game at one — and ended an 18-game goal drought.

    “I didn’t like my January,” said Cates, whose last goal came Dec. 30. “I thought the team struggled as well, and I feel like when I struggle, the team struggles. You just want to get out of it and get going.

    “So to get that goal and feel good about our line, we were making some plays and just playing the right way, playing how we can play with Bobby [Brink] and [Michkov]. So, yeah, good to get going.”

    The trio had several other chances, notably in the third period when Brink, while under pressure, sent a cross-crease pass to Michkov alone at the right post. Thompson robbed him of a sure goal as he stretched across and made a toe save. According to Natural Stat Trick, when they were on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers had 10 shot attempts, a game-high 1.05 expected Goals For, and nine scoring chances.

    Philly did put 24 shots on Thompson, with 18 coming in the first two periods, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Dan Vladař kept them in the game all night.

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    The goaltender told The Inquirer on Sunday that he “wasn’t the best” in his one game at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, a 6-3 win against France, when he allowed the trio of goals on 12 shots for Czechia. So maybe he had something to prove.

    Vladař faced seven shots in the first period, and robbed the owner of 919 NHL goals, Alex Ovechkin, of his 920th. “The Great 8″ was left wide-open in front after Ristolainen had the puck poked away from him in the corner by Dylan Strome, who fed Ovechkin. Vladař then stopped Strome’s point shot as Travis Konecny’s clearing attempt went right to him.

    “He gives us a lot of confidence. He was making huge saves out there for us,” center Christian Dvorak said. “He’s been doing that all year, and it would have been nice to get him a win tonight. He definitely deserved it. He’s been big for us, and we just got to work on being better for our goalies.”

    In the second period, the Capitals outshot the Flyers 12-9 and seemed to have the ice tilted their way. Although they broke through once — and missed the net a few more times — Vladař came up big again to keep the score close.

    He stopped a point shot by Ethan Frank off a face-off win, kicked out a Ryan Leonard shot to the boards, and then seconds later made a masterful stop on another shot by Leonard.

    Unhappy with his game, Matvei Michkov ‘was training every day’ over break
    Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (bottom) was a bit shaken up after defenseman Nick Seeler (24) fell over him late in the second period.

    Later, Vladař made a save on a Brandon Duhaime shot from nine feet out, and Nick Seeler pushed it back for him to cover. But there was a bit of a scramble, and Seeler fell over him, and the goalie seemed a bit stung. He flexed his right arm at the next whistle but stayed in the game.

    Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin scored the Capitals’ opening goal in the period. Philly regrouped and reset after a three-on-two by Washington — and Michkov broke up a pass in front, but then allowed the blueliner to skate down from the point behind him. Hendrix Lapierre found him for the 1-0 goal.

    And while he again allowed a goal in the third period, Vladař kept his team in the game. With the Flyers on the penalty kill, Pierre-Luc Dubois got the puck near the net and turned to take a shot, but Vladař was aggressive with the stick and poked it away. He was tracking the puck well all night and seconds later squared up to snare a Strome tip-in attempt on a point shot.

    With the game tied, he robbed Lapierre, who got a return touch pass from Duhaime in the slot after the Flyers couldn’t break out of their own end.

    “He’s a battler,” Tocchet said. “He’s done it all year for us. But the lateral goals are the tough ones; we don’t want to give those up. That’s the one thing. Vladdy’s played really well for us, but if we eliminate those that will really help. It’ll help Vladdy, too, [because] those laterals are tough to save.”

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    Breakaways

    Protas added a short-handed empty-net goal with 25.6 seconds left in the game. … Defenseman Emil Andrae and forward Nic Deslauriers were the Flyers’ healthy scratches. What does Andrae, who hasn’t played since Jan. 26, need to do to get back into the lineup? “He’s not a PK guy,” said Tocchet pregame. “So actually, this week, he’s worked on his penalty killing. That’s really what it’s going to come down to.“ … Forward Carl Grundström, who has been playing wing all season, centered the fourth line. … The Flyers went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and 0-for-2 on the power play.

    Up next

    The Flyers’ restart is already grinding away as they face the New York Rangers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., ESPN).

  • Temple women put up a fight but can’t end Rice’s unbeaten run in the American

    Temple women put up a fight but can’t end Rice’s unbeaten run in the American

    Temple knew it had a tall task as it welcomed Rice, undefeated in the American Conference, to the Liacouras Center Wednesday night. When an eight-point run by the home Owls trimmed the visiting Owls’ lead to five points entering halftime, an upset felt possible.

    But the deficit crept back to double digits by the end of the third quarter, and Rice (25-3, 15-0) ultimately stayed unblemished in the conference with a 77-66 victory over Temple (12-15, 6-9).

    “It was a tough game today,” head coach Diane Richardson said. “I think we could have done better. I think we could have shown what talents we have. But again, without the consistency, we come up on the losing end.”

    What we saw

    Temple and Rice traded baskets throughout most of the first quarter before poor transition defense and a stagnant offense began to plague the home team in the second quarter. Rice used an 8-0 run to take a 13-point lead with four-and a-half minutes remaining before halftime. Rice center Shelby Hayes (19 points) and guard Dominique Ennis (21 points on 8 of 13 shooting) established themselves early for the visitors.

    But Temple found momentum on both sides of the ball in the final minutes before halftime. It prevented Rice from getting the open looks it was getting in the first quarter and it found cleaner looks on offense. A 10-2 run sent Temple to halftime trailing 40-35. It shot 44.4% from the field and made all 10 of its free throw attempts in the first 20 minutes.

    But Temple could not build on that momentum out of the locker room, and Rice began to pull away again. Temple committed six turnovers in the frame which allowed Rice to push its lead back into double digits. It struggled to find an answer and entered the fourth quarter trailing, 61-47.

    Temple never made it competitive in the final 10 minutes, only getting as close as 11 points in the closing minutes.

    “This is a talented team, but you can’t let a team take your superpowers from you,” Richardson said. “So we’ve got to build that confidence up.”

    Temple head coach Diane Richardson lamented the Owls’ lack of consistency on Wednesday night.

    Hayes dominates down low

    When Temple and Rice played on Jan. 28, a 65-56 Rice win, Temple could not contain Hayes, who finished with 17 points on 7-10 shooting. Temple looked to have more success against Hayes on Wednesday, but to no avail.

    Hayes routinely got behind her defender in the paint for easy layups, with her 19 points coming on 8-11 shooting. When Temple did stop Hayes down low, it required multiple defenders which then left shooters open beyond the arc for easy looks.

    “One of the things in our adjustments was not overhelping,” Richardson said. “When they started to spread their offense and have the overload on [Hayes], we overhelped and then they could kick it out for a three.”

    Rice was red-hot from the field and three, shooting 53.6% and 42.1%, respectively. The visitors finished with 24 assists on 30 made baskets.

    Molina leads Temple’s statistical leaders

    Temple did not have a bad shooting day, hitting 47.2% of its shots from the field, but went just 2 of 10 from three and committed 20 turnovers. Forward Jaleesa Molina paced Temple with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Kaylah Turner led Temple with 22 points on 10-18 shooting.

    “They were switching on ball screens,” Molina said of her performance. “So I was just posting up my mismatch and that’s what it was.”

    Next up

    The Owls will hit the road to take on Alabama-Birmingham (10-16, 3-11) on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+).

  • Inside Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s history with Anthony Edwards, VJ Edgecombe’s three-point routine, and more

    Inside Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s history with Anthony Edwards, VJ Edgecombe’s three-point routine, and more

    INDIANAPOLIS — As soon as the 76ers boarded their flight following a brutal loss at the New Orleans Pelicans, the conversation turned serious.

    “What do we want to do? What team do we want to be?” All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey recalled of the message. “… This is a defining moment in our season. It’s not make-or-break, but it’s time to go.”

    What began as a woeful three-game road trip quickly flipped into a successful one. The Sixers snapped a four-game skid by pulling off an impressive victory at the Minnesota Timberwolves on the second night of a back-to-back, then took care of business against the shorthanded and tanking Indiana Pacers. Joel Embiid returned from what he called a stress reaction in his right leg against Indiana, totaling 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, six rebounds, and five assists in an outing he said felt “OK.”

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    Yet the most encouraging development for the Sixers is that Maxey is officially humming again, after a rough shooting start out of the All-Star break. He totaled 39 points and eight assists against Minnesota, attacking immediately with his speed instead of overanalyzing schemes, coach Nick Nurse said. Maxey followed that by nearly amassing a 32-point triple-double (nine rebounds, eight assists) in three quarters of work, which was bolstered by Embiid’s presence.

    And Maxey ripped off a highlight dunk on fellow All-Star and friend Anthony Edwards, saying that play encapsulated how the Sixers “needed to let some emotions out after the last week or so.”

    “Amazing mental adjustment for him,” Nurse added of Maxey following that victory in Minneapolis. “To come in and have some tough games, and then just kind of know we really need him to have a great one, and he just does it.

    “He plays like that, and then all of a sudden everybody else gets lifted, too. And that’s what great players are supposed to do.”

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey carried his team to an important victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

    Fueling that surge after the New Orleans disaster, Maxey said, were “encouraging words” he received from family back home, who told him there “ain’t no chance you’re going to let your team lose five in a row.” Teammate and close friend Trendon Watford also provided some tough love on that plane ride, saying, “Go help your team win a game, and do whatever it takes.”

    The Sixers return home for one game against the Miami Heat while hanging on to the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference standings entering Wednesday (32-26). After that is a marquee showdown at the Boston Celtics, who sit second in the East and are arguably the NBA’s biggest surprise this season.

    Until then, here are some snapshots from the road trip …

    Tyrese and Ant Man

    Dive into the video archives belonging to the mother of Maxey’s best friend, Chris Harris, and one would find footage of them playing against Edwards as fifth-graders.

    “Short, chubby, strong,” Maxey said of Edwards back then. “And now, he’s that.”

    Since then, Maxey and Edwards have coincidentally remained alongside each other during their journeys into NBA stardom.

    They hung out “every single day” at the McDonald’s All American Game as high schoolers. They both played their one college basketball season in the SEC — Maxey at Kentucky, and Edwards at Georgia. They were selections in a strange 2020 draft, with Edwards going first overall and Maxey slipping to 21st. And earlier this month, their young Team Stars won the All-Star tournament. Edwards was the MVP of the event, while Maxey was prominently featured as the top American fan vote-getter.

    “[He’s] a guy that I really appreciate talking to,” Maxey said of Edwards. “I appreciate his craft. I appreciate his story. We just kind of clicked.”

    So when Maxey and Edwards faced off Sunday, it was all competitive love. Maxey said that when Edwards scored on him early and talked trash, “it kind of woke me up a little bit.” Then Maxey returned the favor by jamming the ball on Edwards — a player known for his thunderous dunks — and gave Edwards the mean mug.

    Tyrese Maxey finished a highlight-reel dunk over Anthony Edwards. VJ Edgecombe was not impressed.

    “I didn’t know that he was going downhill,” Edwards told reporters after the game. “I just end up turning my head and I’m thinking he’s going to lay it up, and he punched it. It was a quick little dunk, too. I couldn’t even get a chance to block it.

    “That’s why we play the game. I’m not mad at that.”

    VJ Edgecombe has been better from three-point range than expected when the Sixers drafted him.

    ‘Three-J’ Edgecombe

    VJ Edgecombe simply did not care — about his three-point shot, that is. If he got an open look against the Timberwolves, he let it fly.

    “Thank God I wasn’t missing,” he said after the game.

    The result was a career-high six makes on seven attempts, as part of a 24-point night for the Sixers’ standout rookie guard. He followed that up with a 23-point effort at Indiana, including a 2-of-4 mark from long range. Edgecombe entered Thursday shooting 36.4% on 5.7 three-point attempts per game, and has a knack for knocking down clutch deep shots (12-of-22 when a game is within five points with five minutes or less remaining).

    “That’s a really great attitude to have,” Nurse said of Edgecombe’s “doesn’t care” approach. “That’s what he should do. Take rhythm shots. Take bailout ones when we need him at the end of the shot clock.”

    That combination of confidence and results continues to make Edgecombe’s shooting — the biggest knock against his game before being drafted third overall — a pleasant surprise.

    VJ Edgecombe’s athleticism is electric. But his basketball IQ is driving the Sixers rookie’s early success.

    He shot 34% on 4.6 attempts during his one season at Baylor, although coach Scott Drew said that mark improved with a midseason form adjustment. Nurse called Edgecombe’s mechanics “pretty good” during the predraft process. And Edgecombe ignored such critics.

    “The people saying I couldn’t shoot,” Edgecombe told The Inquirer from the locker room in Minneapolis, “are the people that are not playing basketball.”

    Edgecombe credits the “countless reps” put in with assistant coach Rico Hines, from the summer until now. They achieved a higher arc on his shot. Now, he is working on making his release quicker and getting more comfortable launching off the dribble.

    If minor details — such as the ball pickup before shooting — do not feel right, Edgecombe will repeat the repetition. They continue to drill “until I like the make, for real.”

    When does that occur?

    “All net,” he said. “Like a swish.”

    The Sixers outscored the Pacers by 27 points in the 15 minutes Adem Bona spent on the floor.

    Bona’s burst

    Plus-minus is considered to be a flawed or incomplete stat. But reserve center Adem Bona was a plus-27 in less than 15 minutes against the Pacers, an insane metric that matched the eye test that identified the performance as one of his best of the season.

    Bona made an across-the-box-score impact, with six points on 3-of-3 shooting, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. He was in the middle — literally and figuratively — of the Sixers’ second-quarter run to flip an eight-point deficit into a double-digit advantage, and the second-half surge to extend the lead to as many as 28 points.

    “I just do what I do,” he said. “… Inject energy to the team, communicate, and just anchor the defense.

    “I realized [my plus-minus] after the game. But that’s my goal whenever I step on the floor, to impact the team positively.”

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    Small-ball Barlow?

    The Timberwolves entered Sunday’s game undersized, with Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid both out. And when fill-in starter Joan Beringer got into foul trouble, Minnesota went small and then “super small,” as Nurse described.

    The Sixers countered at the end of the first half with a three-guard lineup, plus the 6-foot-9 Dominick Barlow at center. Barlow also played that position for a stretch in New Orleans the previous night.

    Sixers forward Dominick Barlow has taken shifts at center when teams go “super small.”

    Barlow said Saturday that he still has not practiced at that spot much throughout this season, while elevating himself to a starting forward spot and having his two-way contract converted to a standard deal earlier this month. But Nurse sees potential for Barlow to be an offensive “hub” in the middle, because of his ability to handle the ball, roll, and back cut in the middle of the floor.

    “I kind of just figured it out,” Barlow said, “and try to have that approach whatever position I’m playing.”

    An off-day routine

    The friendship between Nurse and Minnesota coach Chris Finch, who both cut their teeth in the British Basketball League and the NBA D-League (now G League), remains a popular topic whenever their teams match up. When asked Sunday if he spends more time watching Timberwolves games, Nurse acknowledged Finch’s team “probably gets double time, just to see what’s going on.”

    So what is Nurse’s game-watching routine on nights the Sixers do not play?

    He generally focuses on whichever teams the Sixers will face in the near future. He will keep track of other scores on an iPad. And when he notices another game is close in the final three minutes, he will flip over to catch the end.

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    Peanut butter & jelly time

    As veteran guard Kyle Lowry grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the visitors’ locker room before Tuesday’s game in Indiana, teammate Cameron Payne asked for one, too. Lowry then complimented the bread, calling it perhaps the best he has had this season.

    That meal so often associated with childhood is wildly popular across professional sports, either in traditional form or as a Smucker’s Uncrustable. So popular that ESPN published a 2017 feature on PB&J, calling the sandwich “the NBA’s secret addiction.”

    But a question must accompany this culinary choice: Grape or strawberry jelly?

    Payne and Barlow, who was sitting nearby during the exchange, chose grape. Lowry’s preference is strawberry.

  • New Phillies reliever Brad Keller shows off his starter’s arsenal with strong spring debut

    New Phillies reliever Brad Keller shows off his starter’s arsenal with strong spring debut

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — If the idea had never been floated last year at Chicago Cubs camp that Brad Keller could make the switch from starting to relieving, his life today would probably look completely different.

    “I was basically destined to go to Iowa and just be kind of a bulk starter down there and kind of see what happens,” he said. “Definitely a career changer.”

    But instead of pitching for the Cubs’ triple-A affiliate in Des Moines, Keller tried out the bullpen. The switch revitalized his career, as he developed from journeyman starter to key reliever for a team in a playoff race, and then signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies this winter to be a high-leverage arm.

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    Keller pitched the first inning of a Phillies bullpen game on Wednesday, a 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. He needed just 11 pitches to retire the side in order.

    “It was good to get in there and face hitters, get in front of the stadium instead of just the live backfields and stuff like that. So it was good. Felt good,” Keller said.

    Keller’s fastball jumped from 93.7 mph in 2024 to 97.1 mph last season after his move to the bullpen. In his first Grapefruit League outing, he blew two fastballs by Colt Keith clocking 97.3 mph and 96.9 mph to strike him out swinging.

    “High velocity, and the slider was really good,” said manager Rob Thomson. “He looked great.”

    Rather than paring down his starter’s arsenal when he made the switch to the bullpen, Keller actually added a pitch — a sweeper. He typically uses it as a weapon against righties, throwing one Wednesday to Gleyber Torres that he fouled off, before getting him to ground out on his sinker.

    Keller, who will join Team USA to prepare for the World Baseball Classic on Saturday, said he always knew he had the potential for higher velocity.

    “I knew it was always in there,” he said. “It’s just my mentality was always starting. I started my whole career, minor leagues and most of the big leagues. And so I just never really reached back for anything. Last year was a little bit of a surprise, because I feel like I didn’t ever have to reach back. It was just there, which was nice.”

    Who stood out

    Edmundo Sosa hit a ground-rule double to left field in the third inning.

    Alec Bohm made a nice play on a sharply hit ground ball at third base, and turned a double play to end the top of the fourth. Bohm finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

    “He’s in really good shape this year, and he’s a little bit stronger. He’s done a lot of work, so he’s ready for this,” Thomson said. “He’s been swinging the bat well and hitting the ball the other way. I thought our at-bats today were good.”

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    Otto Kemp hit a home run onto the center-field berm, and Bryce Harper doubled to right to drive in a run in the fifth inning.

    Justin Crawford also made a big defensive play, leaping to catch a deep fly ball from Matt Vierling on the center-field warning track.

    On the mound

    Following Keller, Zach Pop, Kyle Backhus, Zach McCambley, Tim Mayza, Trevor Richards, and Génesis Cabrera each pitched an inning. Those six are competing for the final two bullpen spots.

    Pop, Backhus, and Richards each sidestepped a single for a scoreless frame. McCambley allowed a run on a walk and two straight singles, but induced a double play to escape the jam. A run scored on Mayza after two singles put runners on the corners and a wild pitch went to the backstop.

    Cabrera tossed a 1-2-3 seventh.

    Phillies shortstop Edmundo Sosa celebrates after hitting a ground-rule double during the third inning against the Tigers on Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla.

    Injury check

    Infield prospect Aidan Miller (sore back) has continued to get treatment and has begun to ramp up in the weight room. The Phillies are being cautious with him and do not have a timeline for when he will start swinging a bat.

    Outfielder Brandon Marsh jammed his hand during sliding drills on Tuesday and has some inflammation and soreness. To be cautious, Thomson said Marsh likely won’t play until after Monday’s off day.

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    Quotable

    “He’s been throwing strikes and the slider’s good,” Thomson said of Pop. “He’s got a bowling ball fastball, heavy sink to it. It’s a mid-90s fastball. He’s throwing the ball well. Backhus, again, threw the ball well today. So yeah, we’re going to have some tough decisions at the end of this thing.”

    On deck

    The Phillies host the Nationals at 1:05 p.m. Thursday at BayCare Ballpark, with Taijuan Walker set to start.

  • Penguins place Sidney Crosby on injured reserve after he got hurt at the Olympics

    Penguins place Sidney Crosby on injured reserve after he got hurt at the Olympics

    PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to start their playoff push without Sidney Crosby.

    The club placed its longtime captain on injured reserve Wednesday. The move comes after Crosby suffered a lower-body injury during the Olympic hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Games.

    The 38-year-old three-time Stanley Cup winner went down in the second period of Canada’s quarterfinal win over Czechia. The Canadians held out hope Crosby would be able to return, but he sat out a semifinal win over Finland and a loss to the United States in the gold medal game.

    Crosby, who is expected to miss at least four weeks, does not regret his decision to play in Milan.

    “It’s the Olympics and it’s an amazing experience just as an athlete, not just as a hockey player,” he said, later adding, “Obviously injuries are part of the game.”

    Crosby did not have an issue with the hit he absorbed from Czechia defenseman Radko Gudas.

    “He was trying to be physical and play hard as any defenseman would and it just went the wrong way as far as on my end of it,” he said.

    Crosby credited the medical staff in Italy with helping him have a shot at playing in the gold medal game. He believes he came “a lot closer” than he thought he would to suiting up for Team Canada in the final.

    Asked if he considered playing in a limited capacity, such as being relegated to strictly the power play, Crosby shook his head.

    “If you can’t go out there and do a job and be relied upon … then you can’t force it and that’s really what it came down to,” he said.

    The injury comes with the surprising Penguins in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh is looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

    Crosby has been his usually productive self this season. He leads the Penguins in goals (27), assists (32) and points (59) and is on pace to extend his NHL record of averaging at least a point a game to 21 years and counting.

    “Obviously, I want to be back out there as soon as possible,” he said. “Just have to figure out what that looks like and how that’s going to be and be at my best when I come back.”

    Pittsburgh opens the post-Olympic break at home against New Jersey on Thursday. The matchup with the Devils is the first of 13 games in a 24-day stretch for the Penguins.

    “All year we’ve had injuries [and] guys have stepped up,” he said. “To get to where we’re at at this point, it’s because of our team play.”