Kings Roll Over Mavericks, Stay Hot in Playoff Push

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Keegan Murray shoots in the game vs Dallas (Photo Sacramento Kings on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO— The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night in Dallas, Texas. Sacramento entered the game after defeating the Houston Rockets 113-103 on Saturday in Houston. It was a gritty win for the Kings, who lost star center Domantas Sabonis just over a minute into the game due to a hamstring strain. On Sunday, the Kings announced that Sabonis would be listed as “Out” and re-evaluated in one week. His return timeline remains uncertain, though it’s reasonable to expect he will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks. Additionally, the urgency of his return will likely depend on how the Kings perform in the coming games without him. Despite his absence, the Kings defeated the Dallas Mavericks 122-98 on Monday night.

In other news, following the announcement of Sabonis’ injury, the Kings signed Skal Labissière to a 10-day contract. Labissière previously played for the Kings from 2016 to 2019, appearing in nearly 150 games for the franchise.

Having spent the past few days in Texas, the Kings faced the Mavericks inside American Airlines Center, tipping off at 5:30 PM PST.

The Kings got off to a strong start in the first quarter, jumping ahead early as Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd called a timeout at the 5:42 mark with Sacramento leading 15-7. Keegan Murray found his rhythm quickly, scoring eight points in the opening period, including two three-pointers. However, the Kings didn’t close the quarter as they would have liked, allowing Dallas to cut the lead to 27-24 by the end of the first.

Also in the first quarter, Kyrie Irving suffered a left knee sprain and was helped off the court by Anthony Davis and the Mavericks’ coaching staff. He did not return, and his timeline for recovery remains unknown. Before the injury, Irving had seven points in the game.

In the second quarter, the Kings maintained their strong play, though the Mavericks remained competitive. However, Sacramento managed to create some separation towards the end of the quarter. The Kings outscored Dallas 33-26 in the second quarter, extending their lead to 60-50 at the break. Sacramento’s defense was communicating well, and the team played cohesively. Keegan Murray (15 points), DeMar DeRozan (15), and Zach LaVine (14) led the charge in the first half, combining for 44 points. The Mavericks’ leading scorer at halftime was Kai Jones with 13 points.

The third quarter was a one-sided affair. The Kings dominated, outscoring the Mavericks 34-16 to take full control of the game. Sacramento was firing on all cylinders while Dallas struggled to generate any offense. Zach LaVine finished the quarter with 22 points, making him the Kings’ leading scorer. By the end of the third, Sacramento held a commanding 94-66 lead.

In the final frame, the Kings turned to their bench, marking the only quarter in which Dallas outscored Sacramento. The Mavericks won the fourth quarter 32-28, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the deficit as they fell 122-98. It was a rough night for Dallas, which not only lost Irving but also saw Jaden Hardy exit with an injury. Overall, Sacramento delivered an impressive performance on both ends of the floor. The starting unit—each player finishing in double figures—led the way, spearheaded by Zach LaVine’s 22 points. On the other side, the Mavericks’ bench provided the bulk of their scoring, as none of their starters reached double digits. Kai Jones led Dallas in defeat with 21 points.

Postgame, Doug Christie spoke about Keegan Murray’s aggressiveness after his 18-point performance.

“Keegan’s aggressiveness, paired with the fact that he’s usually guarding the best player defensively, means he’s learning how to play hard on one end while still staying aggressive and finding his shots on the other end. That’s a skill and a talent in and of itself.”

After the game, I asked Keegan about his approach to staying aggressive.

“I think the more impact I have on the game, the better it is for our team,” he said. “That’s not just offensively but defensively too… just trying to stay aggressive.”

I also asked Zach LaVine if he felt the team’s defensive communication was improving, as it appeared from the outside.

“As much as everyone wants it to click from the first game… it just doesn’t work that way,” LaVine said. “Playing live games always helps. You need to go through some ups and downs before you take off and start to understand everybody.”

The Kings have now won four straight games. However, we’ve seen similar stretches before against weaker opponents. The real test will come when they face tougher competition. It would be premature to say the Kings have fully turned a corner with this new group, but time will tell.

With this win, Sacramento improves to 32-28, sitting in the eighth seed in the Western Conference—just half a game behind the Golden State Warriors for the sixth spot.

Up Next: The Kings fly to Denver on Tuesday to take on the Nuggets at Ball Arena on Wednesday at 6 PM PST.

Sharks Rally to Defeat Maple Leafs 3-2 in Shootout; Win ends San Jose’s 8 game loss streak

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San Jose Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli (73) is thrilled after scoring his third period goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Mon Mar 3, 2025 (Canadian Press via AP)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks won 3-2 in a shootout against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Thompson and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks. Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund scored to win the shootout. Alexandar Georgiev made 25 saves and three in the shootout for the win. John Tavares and Matthew Knies scored for the Maple Leafs, and William Nylander scored in the shootout. Anthony Stolarz made 20 saves and two in the shootout loss.

The win ended an eight-game losing streak and, for the Leafs, it ended a five-game win streak. The Sharks not only won, but came back from a two goal deficit to start the third period. Also to the Sharks’ credit, the two goals they gave up came on the power play. The game was hard won for the Sharks.

John Tavares scored the first goal after a scoreless first period. At 8:28 of the second, Tavares tipped a shot from Mitch Marner on a power play. Assists went to Marner and Nylander.

Matthew Knies made it 2-0 at 19:55 of the second, again on the power play. Knies redirected Auston Matthews’ shot from the goal line. An assist also went to Tavares.

Jack Thompson started the Sharks comeback at 2:23 of the third. Alexander Wennberg sent the puck in from the blue line. The shot went off of the boards behi8nd the net and back up to Thompson for a shot form above the faceoff dot. Assists went to Wennberg and William Eklund.

Tyler Toffoli tied the game at 10:10. Wennberg carried the puck into the zone, around behind the net and then centered it for a waiting Toffoli. An assist also went to Shakir Mukhamadullin.

In the shootout, Georgiev stopped Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and John Tavares. William Nylander scored.

Stolarz stopped Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund scored.

The Sharks next play on Tuesday at 4:00 PM PT in Buffalo against the Sabres.

Gardino Ristorante Italiano Los Gatos remote podcast Mon March 3, 2025

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Gardinos podcast panel from left and going up Pete Jillo (Gardinos owner), Lee Leonard (producer), Charanbir’s older brother (IND USA TV), Charanbir Mahal (IND USA TV), Daisy Amaya (Advertising Dept), Giancarlo Roca (Sales and Promoter), right side of table going left to right Michael Roberson (Stanford Cardinal beat writer), Vince Cestone (NBC Radio), Marko Ukalovic (San Jose Barracuda beat reporter and host) photo by (Phillip Gardino customer)

Sportstalk remotes from Gardino’s Ristorante Italiano in downtown Los Gatos our thanks to owner Pete Jillo. Our podcast host for the Gardino’s remote Marko Ukalovic (San Jose Barracuda beat writer), Charanbir Mahal (IND TV USA), Michael Roberson (Stanford Cardinal beat writer), Vince Cestone (NBC Radio), and producer Lee Leonard.

Sheila Sanchez of patch.com wrote: The mom-and-pop Italian restaurant, located at 51 No. Santa Cruz Ave., is owned by Peter Jillo. It now has nearly 1,100 square-feet of extra space with 45 tables, a raised ceiling and a new food service counter where patrons can eat and drink cocktails.

One Yelp reviewer wrote “This place Rocks! The restaurant had a complete makeover and expansion just recently. They installed a beautifuyl new Bar, with a Granite counter, right behind which they put in an ice counter about 12 inches wide where you can put your drinks to keep them cool. It’s a nice touch.”

San Jose Barracuda podcast Marko Ukalovic Mon Mar 3, 2025: Barracuda host Gulls Wed night; Cuda on two win streak

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San Jose Barracuda Danil Gushchin forward (75) scored two goals in the third period to force overtime against the Henderson Silver Knights at Tech CU in San Jose on Sun Mar 2, 2025 (San Jose Barracuda photo)

On the San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 Marko if you like lots of scoring Sunday’s Henderson Silver Knights and San Jose Barracuda game was your kind of game ending with a 6-5 Barracuda win in overtime at Tech CU in San Jose.

#2 Scoring in the first period the Barracuda scored the first two goals with Lucas Carlsson and Andrew Poturalski the Knights Alexander Holtz scored making it 2-1 Cuda after the first period.

#3 The Barracuda Danil Gushchin scored San Jose’s only goal in the second period. The Knights answered back with two goals from Holtz with his second and third goals of the game for a 3-3 tie after two periods.

#4 The third period you can’t keep a good man down Holtz scored his four goal of the game to start the period Henderson taking the lead 4-3. The Knights Kai Uchacz scored an insurance goal putting the Knights up 5-3. The Barracuda would rally with three unanswered goals to win it 6-3. Gushchin Scored two goals in the third period to force overtime at 5-5. In overtime the Barracuda Ethan Cardwell scored the game winner.

#5 Next up for San Jose the San Diego Gulls at Tech CU on Wednesday night a 7:00pm PT face off. The Gulls are ninth in the Pacific Division winning seven of their last ten games. The Barracuda have won four of their last ten games and are fifth in the Pacific Division. How do you see this match up on Wednesday?

Marko Ukalovic does the San Jose Barracuda podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Mar 3, 2025: Kings looking for fourth straight win tonight in Dallas

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Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk left drives around the Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (right) in first half action at the Toyota Center in Houston on Sat Mar 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 On Saturday night the Sacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and considering Domantas Sabonis didn’t play against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston the the Kings won it 113-103.

#2 The Kings Zach LaVine scored 20 points and the the Kings had a 13-3 run that gave them a 97-85 lead with just ten minutes left in the game. LaVine and Keon Ellis each hit a three pointer and DeRozan got five points in those last few minutes.

#3 For the Rockets Alperen Sengun led with 30 points and ten rebounds. Jalen Green scored 24 points in the Houston effort but it wasn’t enough as the Rockets snapped their two game win streak.

#4 Sabonis came into Saturday’s game with a 19.9 points scoring average and 14.4 rebounds but suffered a hamstring injury and didn’t come back into the game. Sabonis’ injury came when he was running down the floor and pulled up holding his left hamstring.

#5 The Kings are in ninth place in the NBA Western Conference and have won three straight games. They next play in Dallas against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are in tenth the Western Conference and have won six of their last ten games. How do you see this match up tonight?

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: It is Time for Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame

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Former Cincinnati Red and Philadelphia Phillie Pete Rose doffs his cap at Phillies Alum day at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia Aug 7, 2022 two years before his passing in 2024 (AP News file photo)

It is Time for Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

It was in 2004 when Pete Rose admitted to betting on baseball as a player. It has been 21 years since his admission and since then sports betting has taken place in any sport, including, football, basketball and baseball, from collegiate sports to professional sports sports books are regulated all over the country by state governments.

Legal sports gambling is more widespread than ever. Missouri voters in November became the latest to approve it, making it legal in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Last year, Americans bet more than $121 billion on sports, according to the American Gaming Association. The $121 Billion posted for sports bets in the United States by Americans is more than the GDP(Gross Domestic Product) in other words, the economies of these countries: Ecuador, Sudan, Kenya, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Jordan, Angola, Croatia, El Salvador, Cambodia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Panamá, Ghana and dozens more all around the world.

The last time baseball topped the list as America’s favorite sport for fans to watch was in 1960, since 1972 football took the top list and has remained on top, all you have to do is look at the #1 TV event in the US, NFL The Superbowl with a record $1.4 Billion placed in bets this year. Following Football, Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey and Soccer the most popular leagues in the country and where the majority of the bets are going.

Let’s stop the hypocrisy, everybody knows that Pete Rose is worthy of the Hall of Fame, the last person to walk on water is documented in the most popular book ever, the Bible, the best selling book of all time with over 5 billion books sold and distributed. As far back as 4,000 to 3,000 BC ancient Egyptians bet on dice and board games, including chariot racing. Betting on sports took place during the ancient Olympic Games, around 800 to 700 BC. Yes, before the Designated Hitter took effect in baseball.

It is good news that the Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering removing Pete Rose from the ineligible list. That is a good first step to have Pete Rose where he belong and for the good of baseball, in Cooperstown. I think this is just common sense.

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

Cardwell lifts Barracuda with OT winner for an improbable 6-5 comeback win over Silver Knights

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San Jose Barracuda forward Ethan Cardwell celebrates his game winning goal in overtime with defenseman Braden Hache (#86) and the rest of his teammates after his team’s 6-5 win over the Henderson Silver Knights at Tech CU Arena on Sunday MAR 2, 2025. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

Danil Gushchin’s first career hat trick which included two goals to even the game late in the third period propelled an unfathomable comeback as the San Jose Barracuda overcame a two-goal deficit to win 6-5 in overtime over the Henderson Silver Knights on Sunday afternoon at Tech CU Arena.

Andrew Poturalski set up Ethan Cardwell’s game winning goal 41 seconds into the overtime period to give San Jose a thrilling comeback win after blowing two different two-goal leads earlier in the game. Cardwell skated in with speed from the right wing before depositing a wrist shot to the short side for his ninth goal of the season.

“I got some speed through the neutral zone, and I figured why not use one more burst before I changed. And I was lucky enough to see (the) middle (of the) ice and took my chance when I got it. There was little opening in the top right corner, and I was lucky enough to find it,” Cardwell said.

San Jose swept the weekend series and finished 6-1-0-1 against their Pacific Division rival in the season series. Henderson has dropped two in a row after being 8-2 in its past 10 games as they anchor the division.

San Jose (28-20-2-3-61 points) drew first blood early in the first period with an even strength goal. Cardwell skated from behind the net and sent the puck up to the left slot where Lucas Carlsson blasted a one-timer past Silver Knights goalie Akira Schmid through the five-hole for his ninth goal of the season at the 5:09 mark.

“When we play the right way, I think we’re a pretty good team. (In the) first period tonight, we took care of the puck, put it in the right places and were able to get it back. Spent the majority of the period in the offensive zone,” Barracuda head coach John McCarthy said.

The Barracuda doubled its lead late in the opening frame. After a clean faceoff win by Thomas Bordeleau, Ethan Frisch’s shot from the point was initially saved by Schmid but Poturalski cleaned up the rebound into an open net for his team leading 23rd goal of the season at the 15:43 mark.

Poturalski has 16 multi-point games this season and leads the AHL in points with 57 points in just 49 games.

Henderson (22-30-3-0-50 points) answered back with 19.4 seconds left in the period with a power play goal. Former San Jose Shark defenseman Calen Addison’s shot was cleaned up by Alexander Holtz as he beat Cuda goalie Georgi Romanov with a wrist shot for his first goal of the contest and second goal of the season.

San Jose regained its two-goal lead with a power play goal near the halfway point of the second period. Pavol Regenda sent a pass through the crease to Danil Gushchin. The Russian forward skated into the middle before firing a shot on net. The rebound bounced up in the air and was accidentally knocked into the back of the net by Henderson defenseman Lucas Johansen. It was Gushchin’s 17th goal of the season at the 9:34 mark.

The Silver Knights cut the lead to a one-goal game with its second power play goal of the game late in the middle frame. Addison’s attempted shot on net hit off the skate of Cuda captain Jimmy Schuldt. The rebound went to the stick of Holtz who buried a one-timer into an open net for his second goal of the game and third goal of the season at the 15:54 mark.

Holtz, who played in just his fifth game with the Silver Knights, completed his hat trick, the first of his career, just under two minutes later as Henderson scored the equalizer. Jonas Rondbjerg sent a puck into the Cuda zone. Holtz collected the puck after it pinballed off Schuldt and beat Romanov top-shelf to the short side for his fourth goal of the season at the 17:49 mark.

Holtz wasn’t done as he gave the Silver Knights their first lead with his fourth goal and the team’s third power play goal of the game in the third period. Addison found Holtz in the left slot and he buried a wrist shot between the five-hole of Romanov for his fifth goal of the season at the 12:10 mark. Holtz became first player to score four goals in a game against San Jose in its franchise history.

Henderson went up by two goals thanks to a giveaway by the Barracuda at their offensive blue line. Kai Uchacz skated in all alone and beat Romanov with a wrist shot for his 12th goal of the season at the 15:11 mark.

Gushchin started the comeback when he scored his second goal of the game when McCarthy pulled Romanov for an extra attacker with over three minutes remaining in the period. Gushchin picked up the puck along the left boards and skated in before unleashing a wrist shot past a screened Schmid for his 18th goal of the season at the 16:41 mark.

San Jose scored the equalizer when Gushchin completed the hat trick with just 31.2 seconds left in the period to force overtime when once again Romanov was pulled for an extra attacker. Luca Cagnoni found Gushchin along the right slot and Gushchin rifled in a one-time through a sea of traffic in front of Schmid for his 19th goal of the season.

“I think from a character perspective, sticking with it and getting two (goals) with the goalie out and the winner in overtime feels good,” McCarthy said.

Romanov (11-6-3) stopped 20 of the 25 shots he faced in earning his 11th win of the season. It was Romanov’s first start since February 1st against the same Silver Knights club. Schmid (7-18-1) made 40 saves on 46 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-3 on the power play. Henderson went 3-for-3.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Holtz (4G,0A) 2) Gushchin (3G,0A) 3) Cardwell (1G,2A).

UP NEXT: San Jose closes out their four-game homestand against the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday 3/5 at 7:00pm at Tech CU Arena.

March Is Just Beginning For Cal Women After Their Regular Season-Concluding 82-63 Win Over Miami

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Michelle Onyiah and the Cal women are on a roll at the right time.

Onyiah led Cal with 26 points and 10 rebounds in their regular season-ending 82-63 win over Miami on Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion. Now the Bears can turn their attention to the post-season with aspirations they haven’t held in six seasons.

“We still have a lot of work to do which is a good thing,” coach Charmin Smith said.

The Bears will be seeded seventh in the upcoming ACC Tournament and will be matched with the winner of Pittsburgh/Virginia in their opening game on Thursday afternoon. Visiting Miami needed to win Sunday to finish in the top 15, and they conclude their season at 14-15.

Cal’s seven seniors–Kayla Williams, Marta Suarez, Claudia Langarita, Ioanna Krimili, Natalia Ackerman, Jayda Noble and Onyiah–were honored in a ceremony before the game. The emotional beginning transferred to the game as Cal opened an 11-3 lead five minutes into the game.

The hosts extended their lead to 11 at the half and 21 after three quarters. Cal registered a 39-26 edge in rebounding, and scored 36 points in the paint, punctuated by Onyiah making her first 10 shots from the floor before finishing 10 of 12. Suarez added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Williams had 11 points in just 26 minutes of activity.

Haley Cavinder had 16 points for the Hurricanes.

The Bears won for the 16th time at home, establishing a new program record with their only loss to North Carolina. Krimili added three 3-pointers giving her 431 in her career, which ranks ninth all-time at the Division 1 level.

Headline Sports podcast Charlie O Sun Mar 2, 2025: Pete Rose being considered for reinstatement; Bucs Skenes expected to make a splash this season; plus more news

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Major League Baseball All Time hits leader Pete Rose is being considered by Commissioner Rob Manfred to lift the lifetime ban against Rose for gambling on baseball. Rose’s family has petitioned Manfred and MLB to reconsider the ban. (AP News photo)

Headline Sports podcast Charlie O Sun Mar 2, 2025:

#1 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred reportedly is considering lifting baseball’s lifetime ban on former Cincinnati Reds and MLB all time hit leader Pete Rose. The Rose family had petitioned Manfred and he is considering the request. If the ban is lifted the late Reds player and manager could be eligible for being nominated for the Hall of Fame.

#2 Pittsburgh Pirates right hander Paul Skenes showcased his handy work during during the Grapefruit League for the first time in spring training. Skenes is know for his success last season going 11-3, ERA 1.96 with 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. There is little doubt why the Pirates selected him as the number one pick in the 2023 draft.

#3 New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will start the 2025 campaign on the injured list with elbow injuries. The elbow injury has kept Stanton from any spring training action since camp started. Stanton has received platelet rich plasma on both elbows. Stanton also has been away from camp due to a personal matter and expected back next at George M Steinbrenner Park in Tampa. Yanks infielder DJ LaMahieu is suffering from a calf muscle injury on Saturday against the Houston Astros. Manager Aaron Boone says the LaMahieu injury is “a little concerning.”

#4 An emotional former Milwaukee Brewer Willy Adames now with the San Francisco Giants faced his old teammates for the first time since the death of former legend broadcaster Bob Uecker. Adames if he would share his conversation with Uecker after finishing the NL Wild Card round. He said it was deep, emotional. Charlie didn’t realize how close Adames was to Mr. Baseball.

#5 John Shea of the San Francisco Standard wrote a piece regarding former Oakland A’s Spanish broadcasters Amaury Pi Gonzalez who is part of our broadcast crew and Manolo Hernandez Douen will not be returning to the A’s Spanish booth. The A’s although they have not announced a new Spanish radio flagship station and new broadcasters said in a statement that they will be making those changes but Pi Gonzalez and Hernandez Douen will not be returning. Shea said that the move was not fair after all the years that Pi Gonzalez put in since 1977 and he was notified on the first day of pitchers and catchers.

Join Charlie O for Headlines podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah HC Bedeviled As Swiss Snipers Snap Streak In 3-1 Loss

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Utah Hockey Club’s defenseman Mikhail Segachev scored Utah’s only goal against the New Jersey Devils at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Sat Mar 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Swiss Forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier solve Karel Vejmelka in 3-1 New Jersey Devils win over Utah HC, snapping Utah’s four-game home win streak.

The Utah Hockey Club looked to extend their 4-game home winning streak on Saturday against the visiting Devils who in October gave Utah their first road loss of the season in a 3-0 shutout in New Jersey.

Nico Hischier was first to strike in the game, putting New Jersey up 1-0 in the first with his 25th goal of the season, assisted by Luke Hughes and Tomas Tatar. The Devils edged Utah 9-7 in shots on goal for the period, a deceptive statistic considering how much time New Jersey spent in their offensive zone. Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka, who entered the matchup on a personal four-game winning streak, turned away two Grade A breakaways in the frame to limit the Devils to a single goal.

At 10:03 of the second period, Mikhail Sergachev tied things up with his 11th goal of the season, a new career season high for the Russian defenseman, assisted by Liam O’Brien and Kevin Stenlund. When the PA announcer called out the players who scored, the loudest shouts came for fan-favorite O’Brien who recorded just his 2nd point of the season in his 22nd game. Earlier in the first he fired up the crowd fighting New Jersey’s Brenden Dillon.

Just 14 seconds into the third period, Devils forward Timo Meier found the back of the net for his 16th goal of the season, assisted by Dawson Mercer and Johnathan Kovacevic. New Jersey’s offense continued to be relentless throughout the period, further padding their lead at 12:44 of the third on the second goal of the season by Curtis Lazar, assisted by Jack Hughes and Nathan Bastian. Devils goalie Nico Daws was brilliant in net, saving 24 of 25 shots for the win which ended streaks for Utah at home and Vejmelka overall.

After the game, Liam O’Brien spoke with the media about his assist on Sergachev’s goal. “Yeah, I mean, just Sergy getting into a good spot, and he’s got such a dangerous shot, so when you get him the puck, it’s gonna go in the net.” Talking about any adjustments the squad might make heading into the road trip, O’Brien said, “I think the biggest thing is just rest. I think it’s been kind of a grind since break. I think just doing the right things away from the rink, and taking care of our bodies and getting ready to roll on the road.” With regard to his fight, O’Brien added, “Just wanting to get the momentum, that’s it.”

Mikhail Sergachev commented on O’Brien’s assist. “Well, hell of a pass by Tuna. I was in the slot, so I had to shoot it. It was a knuckleball. Nothing special.” With regard to his new career high in goals, Sergachev added, “Obviously I want to score as many as possible, but it’s all about winning for me. If I can contribute scoring goals, great. If not, I’ll play defense. I’m not chasing goals.” Speaking of Vejmelka’s performance in goal, Sergachev said, “He’s been unreal all season long. He’s been a rock back there for us and an unbelievable goalie. Obviously it gives you confidence to play when you have a great goalie back there. He makes timeless saves for us.”

Head coach André Tourigny offered his takeaways from the game. “The first takeaway is that’s a really good team on the other side, and they played a really good game. They played with a really high pace and credit to them. Having that said, I think when you are in those kinds of games, you need to rise to the occasion. I think our level of focus and detail on what we knew they would do was not high enough. I think we went into that game wanting to play our game, which is fine, but you need to also know exactly the details of how you need to play against each opponent. I didn’t like our level of focus on those.” Tourigny also had praise for his netminder. “At key moments, he was great. In the first period, I think we were in deep water and he made key saves. He kept us there and allowed us to come back and tie the game. It’s a really good team. It’s a tight game. I’m not forgetting the fact we’re five games in eight days, and we’re at the end of it. It’ll be a welcome break for us to regroup, recover. But at the same time, in life you win or you learn, and it’s important. We had a few learning lessons in that game, and we cannot pass by.”

Utah now hits the road for a pair of games in Detroit and Chicago before returning March 10 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.