NHL podcast with Len Shapiro Fri Mar 28, 2025: Pens Sid the Kid sets point per game record for most seasons; Sens Ullmark 31 saves edges Red Wings 4-3; plus more NHL news

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Pittsburgh Penguins Sid Crosby (87) prepares to face off against the Buffalo Sabres at Key Bank Center in Buffalo on Thu Mar 27, 2025. (AP News photo)

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro Fri Mar 28, 2025

#1 Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins broke former NHL great Wayne Gretzky’s record for having the most seasons (20) averaging at least a point per game. In spite of the record breaking performance the Penguins lost to the Buffalo Sabres 7-3 at Key Bank Center on Thursday.

 #2  Linus Ullmark saved 31 shots for the Ottawa Senators and the Senators were able to stop the Detroit offense for a 4-3 win at Little Caesars Pizza Arena on Thursday. Ullmark said after the game that the Senators played a lot of good minutes and the Wings were a desperate team but the Sens responded well.

#3 Tampa Bay Lightning Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and had three assists, Bolts goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy threw a 8-0 shutout against the Utah Hockey Club at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay on Thursday, Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots. It was the sixth shutout of the season for Vasilevskiy and his 40th of his NHL career.

#4 The Philadelphia Flyers Brad Shaw picked up his first win as Flyers head coach against the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Shaw who was an assistant coach was promoted to head coach after the Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella on Thursday. The Flyers were on a six game losing streak when Tortorella was fired. Was Torts mainly fired because the Flyers just couldn’t get on track or was he fired because he lost the dressing room?

#5 Minnesota Wild’s Matt Boldy scored a goal and had an assist as the Wild overcame the visiting Washington Capitals in a comeback on Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center. With just 8.5 seconds left in the second period Boldy would score what would be the game winner putting the Wild on top 3-2 for the eventual 4-2 win.

The Caps Alexander Ovechkin didn’t score a goal and still remains six goals behind Wayne Gretzky for 894 career goals record.

Len Shapiro does the NHL podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

LaVine and Sabonis Lead the Charge in Kings’ Dominant Win Over Blazers 128-107

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Zach LaVine taking a quick rest during the game on Thursday night (Photo: Sacramento Kings on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night in Sacramento. The Kings, on the heels of a four-game losing streak, reeling from losing and an illness making its way through the locker room, welcomed in the Portland Trail Blazers. The game tipped off at 7 PM PST as the Kings defeated the Trail Blazers 128-107.

In the first quarter, the Kings played a very impressive and fluid first quarter. The Kings outscored the Trail Blazers 36-27 to take the early lead in the game. Keegan Murray got going early with nine points and three rebounds to lead the Kings in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to put pressure on the Trail Blazers as they again outscored them. The Kings managed 32 points in the second compared to the Blazers’ 23 points. The Kings went into halftime leading 68-50 and in complete control of the game. The Kings shot 35% from three and 64% from the field in the first half compared to 24% and 36%, respectively, for the Trail Blazers. Zach LaVine led the Kings with 20 first-half points as Deni Avdija paced the Trail Blazers with 17 points.

In the third quarter, the Trail Blazers made their first real push on the Kings as both teams scored 32 points in the quarter. For the moment, the Trail Blazers stopped the bleeding and hoped for a miracle comeback in the fourth quarter. The Kings led 100-82 as the game headed into the final frame of the game. Domantas Sabonis had a monster third in which he scored 14 points to bring his game total to 22 points after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings sealed the deal and handed the Trail Blazers a 128-107 loss. The Kings outscored the Blazers 28-25 in the fourth as the Blazers struggled to mount any offense late. The Kings were led in victory by Zach LaVine, who scored 29 points in the win. Deni Avdija paced the Blazers in defeat with 24 points.

With the win, the Kings remain in the ninth seed and are .5 games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks in 10th. The Phoenix Suns are one game behind the Kings for the ninth spot.

Up Next: The Kings go on the road to take on the Orlando Magic on Saturday at 2 PM PST.

Sharks Win in Dramatic Fashion over the Maple Leafs

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San Jose Sharks roster celebrates their win over Toronto Maple Leafs at SAP Center in San Jose on Thu Mar 27, 2025 (San Jose Sharks Media)

By: Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE–After a little break from last Saturday’s game, The Sharks came in full energy to get a much needed win.

We all love it when our Canadian neighbors make a stop at the Tank. Thursday night, the San Jose Sharks played host one of the powerhouses in hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division with almost a sealed ticket to the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks surprised SAP Center with an upset over the Maple Leafs in a narrow 6-5 win in a shootout.

The game started with the Sharks making a statement that this game was going to be well-fought, and indeed, the Sharks communicated that. Tyler Toffoli put the Sharks up by one seven minutes into the first period to silence a the Go-Leafs-Go noise.

14 minutes in, and the Leafs responded with a goal by William Nylander who made it 41 goals in the season so far to tie things up. The Sharks bounced back with another goal by Collin Graf to finish the period 2-1.

Second period marked more intensity by both teams with penalties and goals. Alexander Wennberg opened up the scoring in the second, putting 3-1 over the Leafs.

Auston Matthews, a Bay Area native, made his presence felt, scoring the second goal for the Leafs.

Luck was not in favor of the Leafs as a deflected puck from a shot by William Eklund put the Sharks up again. The physicality of both teams was tested throughout the period as the Penalties took place. Max Domi was ejected due to misconduct, and Lucas Carlsson for tripping over John Tavares. Also, Zach Ostapchuk  got a cross-checking misconduct.

Scott Laughton closed out the scoring of the second period with San Jose at 4 goals over 3 for Toronto.

During the third period, the noises of Go-Leafs-Go turned into a Let’s Go Sharks in a house that predominantly looked like a sea of blue. Toffoli found his way to put the puck into the net to seal the 5th goal of the night for the Sharks.

At the final minute, Toronto refused to give up after several attempts by the Sharks to close out the game in regulation.

Tavares and Nylander gave Toronto life, scoring two goals 40 seconds apart to tie the score. This is the third time this has happened that both teams do not end it in regulation..

In overtime, both teams kept a clean sheet, but it was worth highlighting the performance of Will Smith and Maklin Celebrini and veteran Toffoli for carrying the weight of the team on their shoulders, in a match where the home team seemed doomed to lose.

In the shootout, Smith and Celebrini led to a victory in home-ice.

The Sharks are back at the tank this Saturday against the New York Rangers.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2025 A’s Sharing the Park with Replacement Grass

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Fans pack Sutter Health Park during an exhibition game between the San Francisco Giants and the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in West Sacramento. Photo by JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS Sacramento Bee

2025 A’s Sharing the Park with Replacement Grass

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury PI-González

Fifty-six years ago, the Oakland A’s were the talk of the Bay Area as a recently arrived Major League franchise from Kansas City, roughly ten years after the Giants relocated from New York to San Francisco.  And just like that, the Bay Area started the rivalry of the A’s vs San Francisco Giants, the very cool Bay Bridge Series, and the very historic 1989 World Series, which was interrupted by an earthquake and was won 11 days later by the Oakland As in a sweep. Something that has been engraved in my brain forever. But Sacramento ended that story.

Fifty-six years ago (1969), the last time a Major League team played an entire season in a minor league ballpark, the Seattle Pilots and Montreal Expos, respectively. Sicks Stadium is in Seattle, and Jarry Park is in Montreal. Years later, the Seattle Mariners became the Expos, and the Expos became the Washington Nationals.

The ATH (also known as the Athletics) will play at Sutter Health Park close to the Sacramento River, within walking distance of the park, with the Sacramento River patch on the sleeves of A’s players. The A’s will have to share this park with the Rivercats, the AAA team of the San Francisco Giants.

The groundskeepers will have the most challenging job, and they will have replacement grass on standby. Sacramento gets an average of 18 inches of rain annually, with April being the last month with the possibility of precipitation. After that, and during summer, it is as dry as any place in California, with temperatures averaging between 80-100 Fahrenheit.

The A’s story has many angles, turns, and everything that fascinates some people and irates others. The Rivercats and the A’s will have to share the same field this season, and probably the rest of the A’s temporary stay in Sacramento, for three years total. The biggest challenge of two baseball teams sharing a field for an entire season would be the potential for scheduling conflicts, logistical issues, and the strain on the field itself, leading to potential damage and uneven playing conditions.

Beginning this season, the City of Sacramento listed a population of approximately 530,000, which is last among all cities hosting Major League Baseball. This is less than the current population of Milwaukee, which, with 562,000, is now the next-to-last.

The A’s opened their season today in Seattle.

What is the national media saying about the A’s?

New York Post sports journalist Jeff Passan, which is a national baseball writer, recently said on the A’s,  “The Oakland A’s were “killed by greed”  John Fisher, the owner, did not have to move the team, it was a choice, not a necessity”   Something that has been said by many during this whole ordeal of relocation, especially here in the Bay Area.

Did you know?  In1953, four cities in the United States had two major league teams. Chicago, (Cubs and White Sox), Boston (Red Sox and Braves), Philadelphia, (Phillies and Athletics), and St Louis (Cardinals and Browns)

Hasta la Vista Baby!’

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

NBA podcast with Michael Roberson: Warriors Payton out indefinitely with torn thumb ligament; LeBron pleasantly surprised on making buzzer beater; plus more news

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Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II against the Sacramento Kings during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 13, 2025, in San Francisco. Payton is out with a torn ligament on his left thumb. Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press

NBA podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II suffered a torn ligament on his left thumb and the Warriors say Payton is expected to be out indefinitely. Payton injured the thumb on Tuesday night against the Miami Heat in Miami. Payton had been averaging 10.4 points per game.

#2 LeBron James said he was trying to check to see if his buzzer beater made it into the basket as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 120-119 on Wednesday night. LeBron said he didn’t have too much emotion because see if it went in real time but later got a look at it on the replay. He couldn’t see the shot because he was getting mobbed on the floor by his teammates.

#3 Dallas Mavericks All Star Kyrie Irving had successful ACL surgery for his left ACL on Wednesday. Irving has the surgery at a New York City hospital performed by specialists in ACL surgery. Dr. Riley Williams who is chief of sports medicine did the surgery repairing the tear in the left knee and there was no other damage to the ligament, meniscus. Irving hurt the knee on Mar 3 in Sacramento.

#4  Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said he had confidence that the Bucks will remain competitive with their star player Damian Lillard. Rivers said that it will take multiple players to cover from the loss of Lilliard. Lillard who is a seven time All Star and is suffering from vein thrombosis in his right calf and is taking medication for blood thinning.

#5 Warrior guard Stephen Curry who suffered a pelvic contusion is expected back soon. The Warriors have lost two games without him is his absence a reflection of those loses and a demonstration of how his absence impacts the Warriors?

Join Michael Roberson for the NBA podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips: How Giants size up going into opener today in Cincinnati

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb seen here pitching against the Athletics on Wed Jul 31, 2024 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Webb will be the starting pitcher against the Cincinnati Reds on Thu Mar 30, 2025 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati for opening day. (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 The Giants open up today in Cincinnati and they’ll be starting pitcher Logan Webb. Webb was 13-10 last season and was healthy can he continue to win games and stay healthy?

#2 Robbie Ray looked good against the Detroit Tigers when he pitched on Monday night going five innings, four hits and two earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts. He’s back from taking a chunk of time off last season. He had his pitches working for him on Monday and he could be a force on that starting rotation.

#3 Justin Verlander had himself an impressive spring training going 2-0 ERA 3.43 Verlander in spring training has struck out 19 batters this spring. Some doubted he had it anymore but he’s showing that at age 42 he has the stamina to pitch at a high level. Will that translate into the regular season?

#4 Morris with an infield of  Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Tyler Fitzgerald, LaMonte Wade Jr., Wilmer Flores, Casey Schmitt, Christian Koss can that part of the Giants line up help them to be a potential playoff type team?

#5 With MIke Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Jon Miller and Dave Flemming signing a deal that runs through 2026 to broadcast Giant games does that strengthen KNBR the Giants flagship station’s chances to continue to carry Giants broadcasts?

Morris Phillips does the San Francisco Giants weekly podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA G-League action: Kings putting up the shots crushing Sioux Falls 122-106 at Adventist Health

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Guard Mason Jones of the Stockton Kings led in scoring with 28 points, two rebounds, and 12 assists against the visiting Sioux Falls Skyforce at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Wed Mar 26, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings hosted the Sioux Falls Skyforce in their final home game of the regular season on Wednesday night. Entering the night, the Kings had already clinched a playoff berth with three total games remaining. Despite that, they were in a fight to win the #1 seed, which would give them a major advantage in the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Skyforce were trying to chase down the Santa Cruz Warriors, who currently hold the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both teams had playoff implications riding on the outcome of this game, which meant it should be a competitive one.

After Jon Elmore gave the fans in attendance a short thank-you message, the game got underway. Mason Jones got the Kings on the board to start the night with a quick three-pointer. Although the Kings pulled out to a quick lead, it was short-lived as the Skyforce fought back to tie it up just a couple of minutes later.

While the Skyforce kept it close for a few minutes, the Kings quickly got out to their biggest lead of the night so far around the halfway point of the first quarter, when they led 16-9. Terry Taylor gave the Kings a 34-24 lead a the end of the quarter, with a thunderous putback dunk right before the clock expired.

The Kings kept extending their lead into the second quarter, making it 51-38 at the halfway point of the second frame. By the end of the quarter, it seemed that we were on our way to a blowout as the Kings had a commanding lead heading into halftime. They were up 67-48 with 24 minutes remaining in the game.

Sioux Falls slowly started cutting into the lead in the third quarter, but weren’t able to make much of a dent into it. Mason Jones was given a technical foul halfway through the third, and with the free throw, the Skyforce cut the Kings’ lead to 13. By the end of the quarter, though, the Kings got it back to 17, and led 96-79.

The final quarter was more of the same, as the Kings maintained their lead for the most part but the Skyforce had a few runs of their own as they looked to cut into the lead. Ultimately, they’d be unable to do so, and Stockton would walk away victorious with a final score of 122-106. Mason Jones led the way in scoring with 28 points for the Kings, but Terry Taylor and Isaac Jones weren’t far behind with 23 of their own. Josh Christopher led the way for the Skyforce with 26 points.

Barracuda fall 4-3 in the final matchup with Gulls

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San Jose Barracuda vs San Diego Gulls on Wednesday March 26th at Pechanga Arena (via SDGullsAHL/x)

By Madison Montez

In this last matchup between the San Jose Barracuda and San Diego Gulls this season, the Barracuda fell short falling 4-3 on Wednesday night.

San Jose kept their scoring spree up, scoring six minutes into the game on a goal courtesy of Lucas Vanroboys. San Diego’s Roland McKeown tied the game, ten minutes later.

Ethan Cardwell gave San Jose their lead back, three minutes into the second period.

San Diego took the lead going into the third, scoring twice in the second period. Ryan Carpenter with his 19th goal, Jan Mysak with his 17th goal of the season.

To send the game into overtime, Pavol Regenda scored his fifth power-play goal of the season. With the secondary assist, Poturalski recorded two assists on the night. This power-play goal set a team record of power-play goals in tenth consecutive games.

2:29 into the overtime period, Carsen Twarynski scored his fifth goal of the season.

Gabriel Carriere got the start, his second in a row. Making 22 saves on 25 shots, Carriere recorded his 9-6 win/loss of the season.

Each team had equal amounts of power-play time. San Jose had four power-play opportunities while San Diego also had four. San Jose was the only one that could capitalize on the penalties.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  • 1. Carsen Twarynski, 1G
  • 2. Roland McKeown, 1G 1A
  • 3. Ian Moore, 2A

The Barracuda will be back in action Friday night, hosting the Abbotsford Canucks for the last matchup between the two teams. In the Pacific Division, San Jose and Abbotsford are in a three way tie for third with Coachella. This weekend will be important for a San Jose play-off chasing team.

Golden State Warriors podcast David Zizmor: Warriors take on Pelicans in the Big Easy Smoothie King Arena Friday

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Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (right) and the Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (left) embrace before the game on Tue Mar 25, 2025 in Miami at the Kaseya Arena in Miami. (AP News photo)

Golden State Warriors podcast David Zizmor:

#1 The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo scored 27 points and Tyler Herro chalked up 20 points as the Miami Heat turned back the return of former Heat Jimmy Butler to Miami as the Heat Beat Golden State 112-86 on Tuesday night.

#2 The Warriors without Stephen Curry whose suffering from a pelvic contusion missed his second game. Butler scored 11 points, Jonathan Kuminga scored 15 points, Brandin Podziemski scored 14 and Gui Santos had 13 for the Warriors scoring.

#3 The Warriors head to New Orleans for game 2 of this six game road trip on Friday night a 5:00pm PDT tip off. The Pelicans are dead last in the NBA Eastern Conference at 14th place at 20-53. The Warriors are coming off two straight loses how do you see this Warriors-Pelicans match up at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans?

Join David Zizmor for the Warriors podcasts Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Falter Early, Late Surge Fizzles in 121-105 Loss to Thunder

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Zach LaVine shoots during the Kings vs Thunder Tuesday night inside Golden 1 Center. (Photo: Sacramento Kings on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — On Tuesday, the Kings were reeling after losing their third in a row to the Boston Celtics the night before. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Kings welcomed in the NBA’s best team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder came into Sacramento just a win shy of 60 wins on the season.

Pregame, Doug Christie addressed what Zach LaVine had described as “bad vibes” after the loss to the Celtics. “He was incorrect,” Doug said of the bad vibes. “I think when you ask a question like that, after going through a bit of a losing streak, it’s more about not being happy that you lost,” Doug continued. Regardless of where the locker room was, Doug wasn’t going to let any rumors continue about the so-called “bad vibes.”

In what has been a historic season for the Thunder so far, they came into Sacramento to face the Kings at 7 PM PST. The Thunder took care of the Kings with ease, 121-105.

In the first quarter, the Kings were getting it handed to them by the Thunder. The Thunder outscored the Kings 31-21 in the first to get off to a hot start. The Kings’ energy and effort were not matching what OKC was giving them early.

In the second quarter, it was more of the same for the Kings. The lack of physicality and effort cost the Kings as the Thunder outscored them 33-21 in the second quarter. The Thunder took a 64-42 lead into halftime, with hopes of winning their 60th game of the season. In the first half, the Kings shot 36% from three and 37% from the field as the Thunder pulled away. On the other hand, the Thunder shot 57% from three, 59% from the field, and 100% from the line on six attempts in the first half. Domantas Sabonis was the Kings’ leading scorer at halftime with 10 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 18 first-half points.

In the third, the Kings flipped the script on the Thunder. The Kings’ offense caught fire in the third as they ran the Thunder out of the gym, outscoring them 39-25 in the quarter. The Kings, led by Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis, and Jake LaRavia, showed some signs of life. The Kings went into the final frame down 89-81.

Unfortunately, the Kings couldn’t keep up the energy in the fourth. The Thunder took back over the game in the fourth and outscored the Kings 32-24 to seal the victory, 121-105. It was another disappointing loss for the Kings. However, it was not surprising on the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings were led in scoring by Keegan Murray, who had 28 points in the game. The leading scorer for the Thunder was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led all scorers with 32 points.

After the game, a game in which the Kings failed to have the needed effort early to keep the game close—a common occurrence for the team this year—I asked Doug Christie if he has seen any improvements in the team’s process in approaching games.

“The ability to manifest is one… we talked last game about shooting 24 threes, unacceptable… so we had a conversation, some film, and they go out and shoot 48 threes, they get 32 assists. You demonstrate that is who you are and that’s what you can do… But again, the consistency at what you do is gonna say how high you go. For that group [Kings], sky’s the limit.”

Doug isn’t normally a moral victory guy. However, on Tuesday night, it seemed he was trying to highlight the fight he saw in his team in the third quarter.

With the loss, the Kings fell to 35-37 and are a game under .500 at home with a record of 18-19.

Key Performers:
Keegan Murray made 9-13 threes to score 28 points in the game.
Zach LaVine scored 19 points on 7-16 from the floor.

Playoff Picture: With the loss, the Kings are 35-37 on the season, which is good enough for a tie for 9th/10th with Phoenix in the Western Conference. The Kings are .5 games up on the Dallas Mavericks for the 11th seed.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home for an off day on Wednesday prior to Thursday when they welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to Golden 1 Center. Tip-off is set for 7 PM PST.