San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa: Sharks take on Stars and Knights on back to back nights at SAP

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini (A on sweater) will lead the Sharks against the Dallas Stars on Sat Jan 10, 2026 and against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sun Jan 11, 2026 at SAP Center (AP file photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks in scoring and has been one of San Jose’s most dynamic offensive forces this season. On Saturday How will Dallas try to contain him?

#2 Alexander Wennberg has been a key contributor to San Jose’s offense. Can he help drive offense alongside Celebrini against Dallas?

#3 With goaltending performance likely critical in this matchup, which of the Sharks’ netminders can shut down Dallas’ top shooters?

#4 On Sunday can Celebrini’s elite scoring continue against a tough Vegas defense and be the spark the Sharks need to compete in this Pacific Division matchup?

#5 How will Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov handle the Golden Knights’ high-octane attack — and can his performance give San Jose a chance to steal a win at home?

Mary Lisa does the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah Mammoth game wrap: St. Louis Sings the Blues as Schmaltz Scores Twice in 4-2 Mammoth Victory

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Utah Mammoth Nick Schmaltz (8) takes the puck up ice against the Ottawa Senators at the Delta Center on Wed Jan 7, 2026. Schmaltz scored two goals for the Mammoth against the visiting St Louis Blues on Fri Jan 9, 2026 in Salt Lake City. (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah Mammoth netminder Karel Vejmelka held the St. Louis Blues to two goals and becomes first in the league to pick up 20 wins in a 4-2 Mammoth win at the Delta Center.

The Mammoth (21-20-3) laced up on Friday night for the second of seven games on the current homestand against the visiting Blues (17-19-8). The Mammoth, coming off of a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, are enjoying a positive start to the new year entering the game having won three of four contests.

Utah struck first late in the first period on Nick Schmaltz’s 15th goal of the season, banging in a snap shot rebound off a shot by Clayton Keller with the additional assist to Mikhail Sergachev. Karel Vejmelka was perfect in net for the Mammoth as Utah carried a 1-0 lead into the locker room after one.

At 7:45 of the second period, Mammoth forward Lawson Crouse increased Utah’s lead to 2-0 with his 11th goal of the season from the top of the left faceoff circle, assisted by Keller and John Marino. But St. Louis got one back just ten seconds later when Iskar Sundqvist put the puck past Vejmelka for his 3rd of the season, assisted by Nathan Walker, before the arena announcer could even finish announcing the Crouse goal.

Less than four minutes later, however, Mammoth forward Schmaltz passed a rebound across the ice to the stick of defenseman Sean Durzi who one-timed a shot past Joel Hofer of the blues to regain Utah’s two-goal lead with his 3rd goal on the year, with the additional assist to Crouse.

With three and a half minutes remaining in the second period, the Blues cut their deficit to one goal as Pavel Buchnevich netted his 8th of the season with an extra attacker on the ice due to a delayed penalty call against Utah, assisted by Jimmy Snuggerud and Robert Thomas.

Seven minutes into the third period, with Snuggerud in the sin bin for high-sticking against Keller, JJ Peterka sent a pass from the right goal post up the middle in front of the crease to Schmaltz who struck again for the Mammoth with his 16th of the season, with Keller picking up the additional assist.

As reported by the Utah stat crew, Schmaltz and Keller have now factored on the same goal for the 199th time for the highest total by a pair of U.S.-born teammates in NHL history. That would be all Utah would need to go 4-1-0 in the new year, with Vejmelka stopping 26 of 28 on the night en route to becoming the first goaltender to reach 20 victories this season.

In the locker room, Nick Schmaltz talked about winning tight games. “It’s great, we’ve talked about it the last little bit here, about maintaining pressure when we’re up. I thought earlier in the year, we gave up some leads and kind of sat back and watched teams kind of dictate the play. I thought tonight was another big win. We kind of shut it down and scored a big goal, and it mattered. So it shows a lot about this group, and we got to keep it going. … I think we’re making more plays. We’re hitting each other’s tape instead of just kind of flicking it and standing around, not moving our feet. I think we’re being assertive. We’re making plays when it’s there, and when it’s not we’re putting pucks in good areas and making sure we’re putting our teammates in good spots.” With regard to his record with Keller for America-born players, Schmaltz said, “Yeah, it’s great. It feels like we’ve been playing with each other for a long time. We know where each other are at all times on the ice and we’re always looking for each other. It’s been a heck of a ride playing with him, and hopefully we have many more great memories ahead.”

Netminder Karel Vejmelka, when asked about the Mammoth being more comfortable in tight games responded, “I think so. Usually it’s all about focus and being in the right place. So, it’s the same for everybody. And we played a huge game last game. We played another big game tonight. Those one-goal games are really important for the rest of the season.” The penalty kill was big for Vejmelka, who said, “I think it’s huge for me, they cover like other guys on the rebounds. So I just need to focus on the guy who got it by. So it’s kind of easy for me and again, I just focus on what’s going to happen next.” So how does it feel to become only the second Czech native to be the NHL’s first goaltender to reach the 20-win mark in a season? “It’s a big accomplishment. Hašek is one of the best goalies in NHL history. It’s an honor, and I’m glad about it and happy for it.”

Head Coach André Tourigny began his post-game remarks by saying, “A very good game early, but Veggie made key saves. They obviously played hard, and they knew how important that division game is and everything. … Schmaltzy was possessed. He was really, really good. He won battles, the speed he had defensively, his face off, his PK, everything. I liked our power play and the movement. Obviously, our PK came up big at a key moment. But I think the answer from Jack McBain, and what happened in the last game. I think that’s probably the highlight of the night for the Bear,” referring to himself. When asked about maintaining composure down the stretch, Tourigny responded, “It’s important to stay even-keeled, to stay humble, and to play the game the right way. … You cannot get carried away, you cannot get complacent, but you have to be honest. We had a level of confidence in our play defensively. And that doesn’t mean the other team cannot score, cannot have a great scoring chance, or cannot get lucky at some point. I’m not saying they need to get lucky to have a scoring chance; it can be good as well. My point is, I had the feeling we weren’t going to beat ourselves, and they will need to beat us; they will need to do the right things to beat us. And when we made some mistakes, Veggie came up big. So we expect to play good, we want to play good, and trust in each other’s stuff to win. Our opponent tonight showed up, and they played hard, but (I’m) proud of our group.”

Next up for the Mammoth (22-20-3) are the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez: How Sharks size up against Dallas Stars Saturday night

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Los Angeles Kings left Kevin Fiala (23) gets the puck away against the San Jose Sharks left winger Jeff Skinner (53) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 The San Jose Sharks picked up Laurent Brossoit from the Winnipeg Jets in a trade with the Chciago Blackhawks on Thursday. Brossoit agreed to a $6.6 million contract with the Blackhawks but never played for Chciago. Brossoit was out with a right knee injury last season. Brossoit had been playing this season in the minors after having off season hip surgery.

#2 Macklin Celebrini has been one of San Jose’s top offensive threats this season — how can the Sharks leverage his creativity and scoring touch to break through a strong Dallas Stars defensive structure?

#3 With William Eklund showing his knack for clutch goals and playmaking, what role might he play in generating early momentum for San Jose against Dallas?

#4 Alex Wennberg brings veteran leadership and reliable two-way play — how important will his faceoff performance and defensive zone coverage be in slowing down the Stars’ attack?

#5 On the blue line, Mario Ferraro’s physicality and ability to jump into the play could be key — how might his style impact the Sharks’ ability to limit Dallas shots from dangerous areas?

#6 Goalie Yaroslav Askarov has been tasked with net-minding duties — what adjustments must he make to handle the Stars’ skilled forwards and pace of play throughout 60 minutes?

Lincoln does the San Jose Sharks podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Compete Early but Collapse Late in 137-103 Loss to Warriors

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on January 9, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

MISSION BAY, SAN FRANCISCO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night in San Francisco as they took on the Warriors. The two teams in action were a far cry from what they were just two full seasons ago when they faced each other in a first-round matchup in the playoffs that went seven games.

When the two faced off on Friday, the Kings were solidly out of a playoff spot and the Warriors were fighting to be in the eighth seed as of this writing. The Kings gave the Warriors a run for their money, but the Warriors ultimately defeated the Kings 137-103.

Before the game, Doug Christie spoke with the media on the standard of Kings basketball he expects to see from his players, and he certainly got a version of that in the first half.

The Kings, playing Malik Monk in the first half, went toe to toe with the Warriors in a very competitive 24 minutes of basketball. The Kings were outscored in the first quarter 34-29 but managed to outscore the Warriors 30-29 to head into halftime trailing only 63-59.

The Kings shot 52% from the field and 38.5% from deep in the first half to keep pace with the Warriors offense, which put up similar numbers. It’s hard not to draw some sort of conclusion that Malik Monk getting minutes in the first half had some correlation with the Kings being able to match the Warriors. Malik finished the first half with eight points and no turnovers on 4-for-5 shooting during nearly 11 first-half minutes of action.

It was an encouraging half from the Kings, who looked to continue to assert Doug Christie’s desired style of basketball in the second half.

The third quarter was mostly the same for the Kings. They were competing on both ends of the floor, and that led to an 84-84 game with 3:10 to go in the third quarter. However, what followed was a complete meltdown from the Kings. In the remaining time in the third quarter, the Warriors went on a 13-0 run to take a 97-84 lead into the final 12 minutes of action.

The fourth quarter didn’t go much better for the Kings. The Kings were embarrassed in the final quarter as they were outscored 40-19 and fell to the Warriors 137-103 on Friday night at Chase Center. The Kings’ defense gave up in the final quarter of the game and allowed what was a close game for the most part to get away from them and end in blowout fashion.

The Warriors got 66 bench points compared to only 38 points from the Kings bench. The Warriors also got 60 points in the paint compared to the Kings’ 50 points in the paint.

Over the final nearly 15 minutes of the game, the Warriors outscored the Kings 53-19. It was a microcosm of the season in which the Kings show some fight and completely collapse in key moments of the game.

“Speaking to them in there, I said, ‘It’s 180 seconds, you guys relaxed,’” Doug said after the game, referring to the 13-0 run the Warriors went on to finish the third quarter. “It’s unacceptable. It can’t happen. But it’s been a theme. Good enough to win, but also good enough to hang in and then get beat. So there’s a nastiness and a fire that it has to make you mad for you to break through that.”

Speaking with the media in the locker room after the game, Zach LaVine was frustrated but at a loss for solutions.

“I mean, each game you go into, we’re trying to get off the schneid,” Zach said after the game. “Today we had a really good opportunity too, and we let another one get away. It’s not like we’re going to get this back. Eventually we’ve got to put our foot down and figure out how to get a win. It doesn’t matter how good you play through three quarters or whatever. I think we’ve been talking about that enough.”

Enough may never come for this Kings team. The Kings have had their backs against the wall since last season with this roster, and it seems no combination or buttons that Doug Christie presses make any difference in the outcome of the game.

The Kings have now lost seven straight games and have the second-best lottery odds in this year’s NBA lottery with an 8-30 record.

Up next: The Kings will return home to take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday at 6 p.m. PST inside the Golden 1 Center.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba one of the First indoor Stadiums

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Indoor Stadium Havana, Cuba 1958 built before the Astrodome in Houston (photo from the Author)

Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba one of the first indoor stadiums

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba, is a major sports complex (built before communism), which was inaugurated in February 1958. The construction of the Ciudad Deportiva, as well as the inauguration, was completed seven years before the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, the first indoor sports stadium in the US, in 1965.

Baseball, the National Sport of Cuba, was played at the Ciudad Deportiva, as were other sports such as volleyball, basketball, fencing, boxing, and weightlifting; it was also used for exhibitions, conventions, and major national events.

The Ciudad Deportiva, translated as “Sports City,” was a marvel of 1950s architecture. As a kid, I remember visiting with my father, and I remember the Cuban people felt very proud of this achievement. In 2026, this dilapidated complex continues to face the same problems affecting the largest island in the Caribbean, including frequent blackouts, food shortages, severe fuel-related economic challenges, inadequate healthcare, and frequent devastating hurricanes.

Sports in Cuba are suffering today more than ever. The Venezuelan situation is harming the island, as the oil-rich country was its principal ally. Cuba and Venezuela had a symbiotic relationship. Venezuela provided Cuba with cheap oil, and Cuba provided Venezuela with arms and military intelligence that they acquired during the years Cuba was a satellite of the Soviet Union(Russia).

However, as of today, Cuba is no longer a powerful military nation; it is weak, and its government’s collapse is predicted to be more likely today after the demise of Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro. Cuba’s participation in the World Baseball Classic this next March is in doubt, similar issued arose before the 2022 WBC, which was ultimately resolved allowing Cuba to participate, but today it doesn’t look this 2026 situation will be resolved before March.

Sad story for Cuba a country of 11 million people the size of Pennsylvania. Baseball is said to have been introduced in Cuba in 1864 by students returning from the U.S. The first official game on record on the island took place a decade later at Estado Palmar de Junco in Matanzas, considered the oldest active baseball stadium in the world.

Quote: “You don’t walk to get off the island. You hit to get off the island,” -Luis Tiant.

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.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874

From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.

We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro: Sharks open up back to back nights with Dallas and Vegas; SJ picks up goaltender Brossoit from Jets

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Jose Sharks picked up goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the Winnipeg Jets on Thu Jan 8, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 The San Jose Sharks picked up Laurent Brossoit from the Winnipeg Jets in a trade with the Chciago Blackhawks on Thursday. Brossoit agreed to a $6.6 million contract with the Blackhawks but never played for Chciago. Brossoit was out with a right knee injury last season. Brossoit had been playing this season in the minors after having off season hip surgery.

#2 Macklin Celebrini has been one of San Jose’s top offensive threats this season — how can the Sharks leverage his creativity and scoring touch to break through a strong Dallas Stars defensive structure?

#3 With William Eklund showing his knack for clutch goals and playmaking, what role might he play in generating early momentum for San Jose against Dallas?

#4 Alex Wennberg brings veteran leadership and reliable two-way play — how important will his faceoff performance and defensive zone coverage be in slowing down the Stars’ attack?

#5 On the blue line, Mario Ferraro’s physicality and ability to jump into the play could be key — how might his style impact the Sharks’ ability to limit Dallas shots from dangerous areas?

#6 Goalie Yaroslav Askarov has been tasked with net-minding duties — what adjustments must he make to handle the Stars’ skilled forwards and pace of play throughout 60 minutes?

Len Shapiro does the San Jose Sharks podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings battle Warriors Friday night at Chase Center; Sac looking to end six game losing streak

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis tries to hit a shot over the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Tue Jan 6, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Zach LaVine has been the Kings’ leading scorer—how do you expect him to attack the Warriors’ perimeter defense and get his looks against a tough backcourt?

#2 With DeMar DeRozan’s experience and mid-range scoring, how can Sacramento use him to control the tempo early and keep Golden State from building a quick lead?

#3 Russell Westbrook brings veteran playmaking—what role will he play in setting the Kings’ pace and facilitating offense against the Warriors’ switching defenses?

#4 Malik Monk has been a scoring spark off the bench this season—how important will his shooting be in keeping the Kings competitive if Sacramento falls behind early?

#5 Keon Ellis provides energy and 3-point shooting—can he help space the floor and make timely shots to relieve pressure on Sacramento’s stars?

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Sacramento Kings podcasts Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Mammoth Defeats Senators 3-1 As NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Reveals Utah To Host 2027 Winter Classic

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Utah Mammoth will host the 2027 Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the University of Utah Utes football team (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–The Utah Mammoth got all the offense it would need in the first eight minutes and shut the Ottawa Senators down in the final two periods en route to 3-1 victory in first home game of 2026.

The Utah Mammoth (20-20-3) returned to Delta Center on Wednesday night, following a Big Apple road trip to kick off 2026 where they won two of three, to face the Ottawa Senators (20-16-5) for the first of a season-high seven-game homestand which ties a franchise record.

Earlier in the day, Mammoth owners Ryan and Ashley Smith held a press conference with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to announce that Utah will host the 2027 Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the University of Utah Utes football team. The Mammoth are the only NHL team which has never played an outdoor game. The only other two teams never to host one are the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks.

Prior to the puck drop, Utah recognized its four players who have been selected to represent their respective countries in February’s Winter Olympics: Clayton Keller (USA), JJ Peterka (Germany), Karel Vejmelka (Czechia), and Olli Määttä (Finland)..

Lawson Crouse put the Mammoth on the scoreboard at 3:59 of the first period when Clayton Keller skated the puck behind the net and then out front where he found the stick of Crouse who banged it in for his tenth goal of the season, with the additional assist going to Mikhail Sergachev.

Crouse has six points in his past seven games, and is now two goals shy of his total for the 2024-2025 season as well as two points ahead of last season’s overall total. Utah now has six different players with 10 or more goals which ties them for the most in the NHL.

At 7:20, the captain picked up his second assist of the night, feeding a pass to defenseman John Marino who put the puck past Ottawa netminder Leevi Meriläinen for his 3rd goal of the season and first in front of the home fans, with Nate Schmidt picking up the additional assist on the play.

The Senators would claw one back at 17:41 of the period when Ridly Greig beat Karel Vejmelka for his sixth of the season, assisted by Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson. Utah carried the 2-1 lead to the locker room, with Meriläinen stopping 7 of 9 and Vejmelka turning away 6 of 7.

Ottawa applied a lot more pressure in the second period, peppering Vejmelka with 15 shots to no avail. Utah managed only 5 shots in the frame as the score remained 2-1 after two.

At 5:41 of the third period, the Mammoth regained their two-goal lead as a pile of bodies stacked up in front of the Senators goaltender and somehow forward Daniil But pushed the puck over the line for his 2nd goal of the season, assisted by Jack McBain and Brandon Tanev.

Ottawa challenged the goal citing goaltender interference, but the decision on the ice was upheld upon video review. Utah’s defense proved stingy throughout the final frame and never gave the Senators an opening to close the gap. Vejmelka saved 32 of 33 on the night. With the 3-1 victory, the Mammoth are now 3-1-0 in the new year.

Following the game, Utah forward Lawson Crouse said, “It took a lot of grind” to win tonight’s game. “That pressure kept coming from them,” he said, “and we did a good job. We found a way to close it out and that’s what’s important. … There were ups and downs throughout the game, just like there’s gonna be in any game, but like I said earlier, we found a way to close it out and get a big point.” Crouse praised the contributions of Utah defensemen Sergachev, Marino, and Schmidt who each found the scoresheet. “It’s huge. We wouldn’t be here without our D and they contribute all over the ice, defensively and offensively. It’s great to see Johnny get one. He’s obviously a great guy and really good with the puck, and makes some solid plays. It’s nice to see him get rewarded.” Talking about Daniil But’s performance, Crouse added, “He’s got a lot of chances, and I think he had a few more tonight that probably could have gone in and it’s just weird, that’s the one that goes in. But credit to that line, they go to the net hard. It’s nice to see them get rewarded.”

Mammoth defenseman John Marino spoke of the team’s effort in the win. “We got those first two goals early, and we had a big push there in the first. They played well, and they out worked us at times, probably overall in the whole game but we snuck away with that one. I think the way we were able to sustain pressure, at least, and just limit their grade A chances.”

Marino credited Olympian Karel Vejmelka’s performance as well. “Yeah, he’s been great for us all year making those big saves. He definitely bailed us out so many times today. We want to help him out more, but when he plays like that we are a tough team to play against.”

Head Coach André Tourigny began his postgame remarks by saying, “First of all, they’re a good team. They play hard, tough to play against, and I give them a lot of credit. Second, we played very hard, especially at the end of the game.

Even when we took the lead early on, there was a little bit of an adjustment for us in the third. I really think when the game is on the line, when push comes to shove, we really raise our game. We raised our urgency, were really stingy, and we had composure. So, I like the way we closed out the game. When it was 2-1, there was no panic, no stress in our game, just urgency and focus.”

When asked his thoughts about the Winter Classic announcement, Tourigny said, “For the entire organization, [for] the fans, to have the opportunity to experience that – for us coaches and players and our families – to have that opportunity to be in that environment will be absolutely special and will be magical. I think that’s unbelievable. I think for you, for our fans, for everybody, I think that’s a unique opportunity. I’ve never had the opportunity in the NHL. … It’s a huge privilege, as much as you can watch on TV – there’s a few every year – but there’s 32 teams in the league. Not everybody has that opportunity so I think we’re fortunate. I really appreciate the league giving us that opportunity, and that’s a testimony for me to the confidence they have in Ryan and Ashley Smith – the job that they did here with SEG since the team arrived – so I’m grateful for all of it.”

The Mammoth (21-20-3) will face the St. Louis Blues (17-19-8) on Friday for the second contest of their seven-game homestand.

Sharks Beat Kings 4-3 In OT, 3 Point Game for Celebrini

Published on by M WalshLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) puts the stop on a puck shot by the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday. Tyler Toffoli, Adam Gaudette, Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund scored for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for the win. Alex Turcotte, Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings. Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves in the loss. The game was the last between the teams for the regular season.

After the game, Macklin Celebrini talked about how the team is feeling:

“You have a feeling in our group, we’re confident in those situations when we’re down 3-2 or tied 2-2 going in late against a really relly good team, a playoff team, so I th8nk it’s a different kind of swagger and feeling in our group.”

After a scoreless first period, the teams were tied or close in almost all respects: shots were 8-6 Kings, the Sharks had one penalty and the Kings none, and the teams were even in faceoff wins.

On their first power play of the game, the Sharks took a 1-0 lead. Tyler Toffoli scored with a wrist shot at 4:10 of the second period. Assists went to Alexander Wennberg and Macklin Celebrini.

The Sharks held that lead for a bit but Alex Turcotte tied the game at 11:34. His wrist shot got through a scrum in front of the net on a second rebound after Askarov made two saves but came out too far. An assist went to Kevin Fiala.

The second period shots were 13-10 Sharks, the penalties were three for Los Angeles and two for San Jose.

Adam Gaudette gave the Sharks another lead by tipping a shot from Timothy Liljegren for a power play goal at 5:38 of the third. Assists went to Liljegren and Jeff Skinner.

Kevin Fiala tied the game back up with a wrist shot about a minute later. Assists went to Turcotte and Joel Edmundson.

Edmundsson was briefly credited with a goal at 12:09. After a review, the goal was called back as Edmundson had knocked the puck into the net with his glove.

The Kings did take the lead at 17:50 with a shot from the blue line tipped by Alex Laferriere. Assists went to Joel Edmunson and Cody Ceci.

Macklin Celebrini tied it up again with a dazzling skill show at 18:53.

The Sharks won with a goal in overtime from William Eklund off a pass from Celebrini.

The Sharks next play on Saturday at home at 1:00 pm PT against the Dallas Stars.

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong: Kraken on four game win streak; Isles leave it all out on the ice with 9-0 win; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Seattle Kraken Berkly Catton flicks the puck against the Boston Bruins in the third period at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Tue Jan 6, 2026 (AP News photo)

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong:

Can the Seattle Kraken keep rolling after Berkly Catton’s first NHL goals and a nine-game point streak? — Catton scored his first two NHL goals in a 7-4 win over the Bruins, extending Seattle’s four game win streak.

Will the New York Islanders’ dominant 9–0 win and Ilya Sorokin’s franchise shutout record spark a bigger surge in the Metropolitan Division? — Sorokin set the Islanders’ shutout mark in the rout of the Devils.

What’s the latest from the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of their next matchup? — Penguins news and practice updates were released as they prepare for Thursday’s game.

How will the Olympic selections impact the NHL as Akira Schmid is named to Switzerland’s Winter Games roster? — Golden Knights goaltender Schmid earned an Olympic spot.

What do NHL power players say about the league’s growth and fan engagement following the 2026 Winter Classic? — Young ambassadors are sharing insights after the event.

Jessica Kwong does the NHL podcasts every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com