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Utah Mammoth game wrap: Seattle Sleepless In Salt Lake City As Schmidt Scores Four Points In 6-3 Mammoth Victory Over Kraken

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The Seattle Kraken and the Utah Mammoth mix it up in the second period at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Sat Jan 17, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY– Utah Mammoth veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt scored two goals and two assists in Utah’s Saturday matinee slaughter of the Seattle Kraken 6-3.

The Mammoth (24-20-4) took to the ice at Delta Center for an early Saturday afternoon tilt against the visiting Kraken (21-16-9). The new year has been good to Utah thus far where they have gone 4-0-1 at home and 6-1-1 overall.

The first minute of the first period wasn’t so good to Utah as the Mammoth didn’t seem quite ready to go and Jordan Eberle put the puck past Karel Vejmelka at 1:07 for his 17th goal of the season, assisted by Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers, to go up early 1-0.

At 2:36 of the period, Brandon Tanev was whistled for hooking against Ben Myers. Though Seattle won the ensuing faceoff in their offensive zone, Mammoth defenseman Ian Cole recovered the puck and passed to Lawson Crouse who went the length of the ice, passing at the last moment to Kevin Stenlund who easily tipped the puck past Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer for the shorthander, his fourth goal of the season to even things up 1-1.

It was Utah’s fourth short-handed goal on the season. Almost immediately following the ensuing faceoff, Mammoth forward Jack McBain joined Tanev in the sin bin for cross-checking against Shane Wright, putting Utah in the position of defending a 5-on-3 power play for a minute and 37 seconds, but the Mammoth managed to kill off both penalties to maintain the tie score which carried through the balance of the period. Grubauer and Vejmelka each finished the period stopping 11 of 12 opponent shots.

Utah came out flying to begin the second period, with defenseman Nate Schmidt delivering a perfect impression of Mikhail Sergachev just 28 seconds in, firing a missile from the offensive corner between the faceoff circle and blue line to beat Grubauer and give the Mammoth their first lead of the game.

The 34-year-old defenseman in his thirteenth season tallied his third goal on the year, assisted by Dylan Guenther and Michael Carcone, with his wife and kids in the stands watching dad play the early afternoon game.

At 4:31, Utah forward Nick Schmaltz made it 3-1, banging in a rebound off a shot by Crouse for his 18th goal of the season, with the additional assist to Schmidt, the 200th helper of his career. Courtesy the Mammoth stat crew, Schmidt joins Torey Krug (STL) and Neal Poink (WPG) as the only undrafted active defensemen to achieve that milestone.

Kraken forward Matty Beniers brought the Kraken back to within a point with his 10th goal of the season at 15:11 of the period, assisted by Vince Dunn and Berkly Catton, and with a little more than two minutes remaining in the period, Chandler Stephenson completed the comeback, putting the pack past Vejmelka’s glove hand for his 13th goal of the season, assisted by Freddy Goudreau and Eeli Tolvanen, sending both teams to their locker rooms tied up at 3-3. Once again, Grubauer and Vejmelka kept pace with one another, each stopping 5 of 7 opponent shots during the frame.

Saturday’s tilt was neck-and-neck until 14:30 of the third period when Schmidt netted his second goal of the game, assisted by Clayton Keller, to go up 4-3. 42 seconds later, Schmidt and Keller assisted on the 12th goal of the season by Crouse to pad Utah’s lead 5-3 with under five minutes to go.

With Grubauer pulled for the extra attacker, Barrett Hayton scored his 5th of the season into an empty net with 51 seconds left, assisted by John Marino and netminder Karel Vejmelka, to put the game away for good at 6-3.

The assist was the second of the year for Veggie, who stopped 18 of 21 shots on the night and now leads all NHL goalies with 23 victories. Seattle managed only two shots on goal in the final frame. With the victory, Utah is now 5-0-1 on the current homestand and 7-1-1 in 2016.

In the Utah locker room, Mammoth forward Lawson Crouse talked about how adversity has shaped the team. “We talked about coming into the third, and we came back to our game, and we did that. There were parts throughout the game that we didn’t love, but (we) came away with (a) big two points.” On defenseman Nate Schmidt’s big night, Crouse praised him as “a wise veteran who brings a lot to our locker room, and a very hard-working, team-first guy.” Crouse continued, “Obviously, very happy to see him get rewarded, and we were all cheering for him to get that empty-net at the end there, but the defenseman made a nice play grabbing it down.”

Schmidt, whose four-point night tied a personal best (he had a four assist game with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019), talked about the adjustments the team has been making. “I think as the year’s gone on, we’ve gotten into situations where we’re not panicking. We’re a little more poised with pucks late in games. It’s something you have to have. As you grow as a team, that’s got to be something that grows with you. That was a really big part of today’s game. You could look at the first couple periods and we liked some parts of our game, didn’t like some other parts. But in order to get there in the third (period), tie ballgame at home, that’s the way you want to finish it off.” Schmidt has found chemistry with defensive linemate John Marino, of whom he said after quickly checking to make sure he was no longer in the locker room, “He is such a calm, poised, cool, collected guy back there. We really do a lot of chatter and a lot of communication, whether it’s on the ice or off the ice. I feel like he always says he can hear me on the ice, which is always a plus. Sometimes it’s too much, but I tell him it’s never (too much).” Playing his first season in the Beehive State, Schmidt was asked how much he enjoys playing here so far. “It’s been great. … I think the way that this organization has built itself and how it has started and set the standard for how they want to move forward, how the team wants to move forward long after I’m gone…It is quite a testament to not only the fans, but to the Smiths and everybody they’ve brought in here so far.” Schmidt said that he didn’t know if his kids would remember his four-point afternoon, but was happy that they were able to wave to one another during the game, and he will remember it forever.

Head Coach André Tourigny opened his post-game comments by saying, “A big win. It’s a team we’re racing with, so it’s an important win. It’s a big two points. I liked the way we were opportunistic, and we found a way to score a big goal in that key moment. We didn’t start the way we wanted. They scored, and then we scored a big goal on the PK. That settled us a little bit because we didn’t have the best start. Early in the second, we scored a big goal to loosen up our game a little bit, and in the third period, obviously, we had a good push.” On the penalty killing unit, which scored a goal and withstood a lengthy 5-on-3 kill, Bear said, “Huge. The moment they scored the goal in the PK, it wasn’t just scoring a goal on the PK. At that moment, we were a little bit on our heels, to say the least. … I think one of the key moments was the five-on-three. There’s no doubt about it. I think that was a huge moment for us. I think that the momentum definitely shifted quickly. When they scored after our power play, we missed our chance. We could have put a nail in the coffin on the power play, and we had good chances, but we didn’t. Right away, they scored on the next shift, so that shifts the momentum. They scored right away after. It made the third period a little bit more interesting.”

Utah (25-20-4) will play its seventh and final game of the current homestand next Wednesday when they face off against the Philadelphia Flyers (22-17-8).

Shorthanded Spartans drop contest to UNLV 76-62

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San Jose State Spartans Melvin Bell Jr scored a career high 22 points against the UNLV Runnin Rebels at Provident Union Event Center at San Jose on Sat Jan 17, 2026 (SJSU photo)

By Ryan Hannagan

San Jose — UNLV pulled away late to defeat shorthanded San Jose State 76-62 on Saturday afternoon, capitalizing on its depth and timely scoring runs to secure a Mountain West victory.

The Spartans dressed just seven players and were without leading scorer Colby Garland, who remains sidelined with a concussion. San Jose State also missed Ben Roseborough, Javaughn Hannah, Yaphet Moundhi and Jermaine Washington, leaving the Spartans thin against a UNLV team that entered the game favored.

Despite the limitations, San Jose State (6-12, 1-6 Mountain West) showed early resilience, trading baskets with the Rebels before UNLV began to find rhythm offensively. A Rebel run midway through the first half pushed the lead to eight, but the Spartans responded with a 9-1 surge to tie the game at 14.

San Jose State relied heavily on its interior offense in the opening half, drawing fouls and converting at the free throw line as perimeter shots failed to fall consistently. The Spartans briefly regained the lead at 20-19 with 8:23 remaining, but UNLV answered with a decisive 16-5 run to seize control.

Adrian Myers provided a spark late in the half, knocking down a 3-pointer and converting a pair of free throws to pull the Spartans within four. UNLV closed the half on another run and took a 40-31 lead into the locker room.

The Rebels opened the second half with efficient shooting, extending their advantage, but San Jose State adjusted offensively and found success from beyond the arc. A strong stretch of perimeter shooting cut the deficit to three and briefly swung momentum.

As the half progressed, the Spartans balanced inside scoring with perimeter looks, but UNLV maintained a cushion for much of the second half. Each San Jose State push was met with a response from the Rebels, who repeatedly halted comeback attempts.

Fatigue eventually set in for the undermanned Spartans, and UNLV pulled away in the closing minutes to secure the 76-62 win.

UNLV improved to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in conference play, while San Jose State fell to 6-12 overall and 1-6 in Mountain West action.

Cal Bears game wrap: Bears barely hold on in traumatic thriller for miraculous 84-78 win over #14 UNC:

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Cal Bears forward Lee Dort (left) throws down against UNC Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) in the first half at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sat Jan 17, 2026 (AP News photo)

#14 North Carolina Tar Heels 78 (14-4 Overall; 2-4 ACC)

California Golden Bears 84 (14-5 Overall; 2-4 ACC)

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

By Stephen Ruderman

BERKELEY–The Bears nearly blew a 19-point lead, but at the end they came out on top in a wild and emotional thriller with a nevertheless miraculous 84-78 win over the 14th-ranked UNC Tar Heels.

Another large crowd packed into Haas Pavilion on this Saturday afternoon to see the Bears take on another ranked team. Today, it was the 14th-ranked UNC Tar Heels. Cal came into today’s game 1-4 in ACC play.

The Bears got the crowd into the game right away. Lee Dort opened the scoring with a layup and an alleyoop dunk, and John Camden hit a three to give Cal a 7-0 start.

Derek Dixon hit a three to put UNC on the board, and remind everyone that they were here to play. Dixon’s three also reminded everybody that UNC had a large contingency of fans ready to make a lot of noise as well. Dai Dai Ames hit a three to make it 10-3, but UNC scored seven unanswered points to tie the game at 10-10.

The Bears responded with an impressive 19-5 run to open up a 29-15 lead. However, the Tar Heels came charging right back with an 11-2 run to close Cal’s lead to 31-26 with 6:51 left in the first half.

Caleb Wilson went for a jumper to try and cut Cal’s lead to just three, but he missed, which spurred a monumental momentum shift for the Bears. Chris Bell hit a three to make it 34-26, and from there, the Bears went on a roll.

Camden made a layup, and was fouled. He was sent to the line, where he made his shot, and Cal now led 37-26. Seth Trimble was fouled, and hit his second of two shots from the line to make it 37-27.

Justin Pippen then hit a three to make it 40-27. Trimble hit a jumper to make it 40-29, but every time UNC was able to score two, Cal followed it up with a three. That sequence was capped off with a three by Pippen to open Cal’s lead to 52-35.

Zayden High missed a three for UNC, which killed the drill. Dai Dai Ames then hit a jumper for two, and Dixon got a layup in. Cal led 54-37 at the half.

The Bears dominated the final six minutes and 17 seconds of the first half, and closed out the half with a 23-11 run. The question was then whether Cal could carry the momentum through the layover, and into the second half. While the Bears had a rather-comfortable lead, they were still up against the 14th-ranked team in the country, and as a result their lead was far from safe.

Pippen fired the opening salvo with a dunk to make it 56-37, and Cal got their lead to 20 at 63-43. However, UNC got a little bit of momentum, back, and scored seven unanswered points to close it to 63-50. Camden threw a bad pass, which resulted in a turnover, but Wilson was thrown out of bounds. Montas Koncanas then hit a three to get the Bears back on track.

The Bears had regained the momentum, and an Aimes jumper put the Bears back ahead by 19 at 74-55 with 8:26 to go.

Then suddenly, everything changed. Wilson and Trimble were both fouled, and both hit each of their two shots from the line. Dixon then hit a three to cut Cal’s lead to 12, which was their slimmest since the first half.

It got even worse. Jayden Young hit a three to cut it to 74-65, and the sea of light blue that made its way all the way from North Carolina was on fire. After Wilson was fouled and sent to the line, UNC fans were chanting so loud, it felt like a literal UNC home game.

Caleb hit one of two from the line, and Pippen gave Cal a brief reprieve with a three to get their lead back to 11. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t last long. Henri Veesaar threw down an alleyoop dunk; Dixon hit a three and Jaydon Young was fouled and hit both shots from the line.

It was now just a four-point game at 77-73, and while the Bears still had the lead, the Tar Heels were in complete control. UNC showed throughout this entire comeback why they were the 14th highest-ranked team in the country, and that they were the clearly-superior team in this game. Even with three minutes still remaining, the Bears were doing everything they could to run down the clock.

Pippen hit a jumper to make it 79-73 with 2:52 to go. Neither team scored in their next position, and then the Bears were hit with a shot clock violation.

Trimble was fouled by Dort with 1:47 to go, which sent the former to the line. Trimble hit both, and it was back to a four-point game at 79-75.

Both teams missed shots on their next possessions. After Trimble missed a jumper, there was a scramble for the ball, but Dort was able to hold onto it to give Cal the possession. Dort was fouled by Young, so the Bears threw the ball back in. Pippen got the ball, but he too was fouled by Young. Since that was UNC’s seventh team foul, Pippen went to the line with 57 seconds left.

Pippen hit both shots from the line, but the Bears were still not out of the woods. Trimble missed a three for UNC. Dort was then fouled, and unable to hit his first shot from the line. Veesaar also missed a three.

Veesaar took another shot from beyond the arc with 19 seconds left, and it was back to a three-point game at 81-78. All the Tar Heels had to do was foul; hope whoever was fouled misses his first shot; and then hit a three to tie it.

Veesaar fouled Pippen with 10 seconds left, but Pippen hit both shots, to make it 83-78, and the Bears were now in good shape. Wilson missed a three, and that pretty much did it. Dort was fouled, and hit a three throw for the hell of it.

Dort missed his second free throw, but who cared? Because someway, somehow, the Bears miraculously held on for a big 84-78 upset over the 14th highest-ranked team in the country.

It was really three guys who pulled this one off for the Bears. John Camden led the scoring with 20 points, and Dai Dai Ames was right behind him with 19.

While Justin Pippen was tied with Ames for the second-most points with 19, Pippen was easily the player of the game on the offensive side, and quite possibly, the player of the game entirely. Pippen was 5-for-8 in field goals; 3-for-4 from beyond the arc; and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. He also had four rebounds and five assists.

On the defensive side, it was Lee Dort, who had 12 rebounds, 10 of them on defense. Dort also scored seven points, and threw in a pair of assists for good measure.

This is the Bears’ second win this season against a Top 25 team. The Bears are now 2-4 in ACC play, and 14-5 overall.

The Bears will have the next week off, and then they will head across the bay to Palo Alto to take on their hated rivals in all facets of life, the Stanford Cardinal, next Saturday. Afterwards, they will head to Florida for a pair of games: Wednesday, Jan. 28 in Tallahassee, against Seminoles; and Saturday, Jan. 31, just west of Miami, in Coral Gables, against the Miami Hurricanes.

Tipoff at Maples Pavilion next Saturday will be at 5 p.m.

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey: Kings on four game win streak host Trail Blazers Sunday

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Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell (32) goes up for the dunk against the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Fri Jan 17, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:

#1 How will Domantas Sabonis’ availability and impact affect the Kings’ frontcourt against the Trail Blazers? Sabonis has been returning from a knee issue and remains a key inside presence for Sacramento.

#2 Can Russell Westbrook orchestrate the Kings’ offense efficiently against Portland’s defense, especially in pick-and-roll situations? Westbrook is the primary playmaker for Sacramento.

#3 Will DeMar DeRozan’s scoring experience give the Kings an edge against a young Blazers roster? DeRozan has been one of Sacramento’s leading scorers.

#4 What role will Malik Monk play in this matchup — can he stretch the floor and provide secondary scoring behind the starters? Monk has shown scoring bursts for Sacramento.

#5 The Kings look to continue their five game win streak against the Trail Blazers Sunday night at Golden 1 what if you can point a few things out changed about the Kings to get on this winning streak?

Join Tony Harvey for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Saturday 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. 

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa: Red Wings third period rally cooks Sharks in 4-2 loss Friday

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Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex DeBrincat (left), celebrates with center Dylan Larkin, left wing James Van Reimsdyk after scoring against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Fri Jan 16, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 How did Macklin Celebrini impact the Sharks’ offense against the Red Wings, and how did the Red Wings defend Celebrini to get the win Friday night?

#2 What role did Will Smith play in his return from injury, and how did his performance influence San Jose’s scoring against Detroit?

#3 Did Collin Graf’s goal and overall play help shift momentum for the Sharks at any point, and how effective was he in generating offensive pressure?

#4 How did goaltending by Yaroslav Askarov affect the Sharks’ ability to stay competitive in the game against Detroit’s attack?

#5 Which Sharks defenseman John Klingberg, Dmitry Orlov, Mario Ferraro, and how did their defensive effort play out despite the loss to Detroit.

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

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez: Did Red Wings catch Sharks defense flatfooted on Friday?

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Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex DeBrincat (93) shoots against the San Jose Sharks Dimitry Orlov (9) in the first period at Little Caesars Pizza Arena in Detroit on Fri Jan 16, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 How did Macklin Celebrini impact the Sharks’ offense against the Red Wings, and how did the Red Wings defend Celebrini to get the win Friday night?

#2 What role did Will Smith play in his return from injury, and how did his performance influence San Jose’s scoring against Detroit?

#3 Did Collin Graf’s goal and overall play help shift momentum for the Sharks at any point, and how effective was he in generating offensive pressure?

#4 How did goaltending by Yaroslav Askarov affect the Sharks’ ability to stay competitive in the game against Detroit’s attack?

#5 Which Sharks defenseman John Klingberg, Dmitry Orlov, Mario Ferraro, and how did their defensive effort play out despite the loss to Detroit.

Lincoln Juarez does the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Fall 4-2 to Red Wings, Smith Scores in Return

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San Jose Sharks left winger William Eklund (72) skates off the ice after the Detroit Red Wings defeat San Jose at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Fri Jan 16, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. Alex DeBrincat, J.T. Compher, Dylan Larkin and Marco Kasper scored for the Red Wings. John Gibson made 20 saves for the win. Will Smith and Collin Graf scored for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 21 saves in the loss.

It was Smith’s first game back after being injured December 13. Talking about his return to the lineup, Will Smith said: “I felt good. I think you try to get your legs into it in the first period. So it’s been quite a bit so I was trying to get going a bit and felt pretty good.”

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said, of Friday’s game: “We couldn’t make a play for the life of us. It just snow-balled from there.” As for the challenge of back-to-back games, he said: “I mean, everyone’s dealing with the schedule, back-to- backs, everyone has it. It is what it is, we gotta find ways to be better in back-to-back nights. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that but tonight, our legs wouldn’t follow our brains. You know, so, hopefully, it’s a learning moment.”

Alex DeBrincat scored the first goal of the game on a power play at 6:18 of the first period. DeBrincat caught a cross ice pass from Lucas Raymond and snapped the puck into the net from the faceoff dot. Assists went to Raymond and James van Riemsdyk.

Will Smith tied the game at 9:54 by following a Macklin Celebrini shot to the net. The puck trickled past the goaltender and Smith dove to give it an extra nudge over the line. Assists went to Celebrini and John Klingberg.

The shots were 9-7 Detroit in the first, and the Sharks took the only penalty of the period.

Collin Graf gave the Sharks a lead at 1:58 of the second period. Skating to the net, he tipped Nick Leddy’s centering pass. Assists went to Leddy and Sam Dickinson.

J.T. Compher tied it back up with a snap shot at 6:55. The Red Wings got behind the Sharks defense and wound up skating in three-on-one. An assist went to Marco Kasper.

The Red Wings again outshot the Sharks, 9-4, with the only penalty of the period going against the Sharks.

Dylan Larkin gave Detroit at lead at 4:41 with a backhand. Assists went to Raymond and van Riemsdyk.

The Red Wings scored one more goal, an empty netter from Marco Kasper at 18:38. An assist went to Raymond.

The Sharks finally outshot Detroit in the third, 10-7, and they got their first power play of the game as well.

The Sharks next play on Monday in Sunrise, Florida against the Panthers at 3:00 PM PT.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Warriors owner could buy the Padres and move them out of San Diego?

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Could the San Diego Padres move out of San Diego and out of Petco Park as the team goes up for sale. The Padres most likely will try and sell to someone who will keep the Padres in San Diego. (photo by Tripadvisor)

Warriors owners could buy the Padres and move them out of San Diego?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

In November, the Padres’ ownership had hired an investment bank to explore the sale of the team. The majority owner of the Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob, had been interested in buying a Major League team, particularly the Oakland A’s, but could not because the current owner, John  Fisher, would not sell. Looks like Lacob is interested in buying the San Diego Padres. Some are saying he will buy the Padres and then move the team from San Diego to another city. Some A’s fans (not the ones in Sacramento who are temporary fans, just like the team) are speculating that the city could be Oakland.

The five most important questions:

 1-Could Joe Lacob buy the Padres? A: Yes. Of course, he would make an attractive offer in the billions, so there is a very good possibility he could buy the Padres.

2. Would the purchase of the San Diego Padres be accepted?  A: Maybe. Major League Baseball (MLB) teams will need approval from the other owners. Usually, it requires a super majority, for example, 23 out of 30. As part of background checks, the owner-to-be will also be vetted to ensure they meet financial requirements and other criteria. Lacob, the majority owner of the Golden State Warriors, an NBA team, was recently valued by FORBES at $11 Billion, which is more than the 49ers’ $8 billion and the Giants’ $4 billion.

3. Could Mr.Lacob then move the Padres out of San Diego?   A-Not Likely  Lacob needs the other league’s teams’ approval (the Padres are in the National League; if he moves them to an American League city, what then).  You need a new stadium, or move to a city with an MLB-quality stadium ready for play with MLB  capacity, with a good media market and a good fan base.

4-Commissioner’s Office. A-Don’t know. It will play a big part in all of this. There will be significant relocation fees paid by Lacob to existing teams in the new territory, all while navigating territorial rules and the Commissioner’s office’s usual politics.

5-The San Francisco Giants. (Who knows?)In the case of Mr.Lacob, if he wants to relocate the Padres to Oakland. The Giants have territorial rights in San José, but not Oakland. It sounds easy, but it is not; these things tend to take on a “life of their own”. If you live in the Bay Area, I do not have to tell you about our third-largest city, most famous for losing three pro-franchises in the last decade.

Seems impossible for this to happen. But maybe, just maybe, Joe Lacob’s pipe dream is to do the impossible.

Quote: It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney

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 road trip against Capitals in amazing fashion; First of 4 game trip for SJ

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San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (33) puts a stop on the Washington Capitals shot in the first period at the Capital Center in Washington DC on Thu Jan 15, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Jose podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 Collin Graf had a goal and an assist in that big second-period push — what clicked for Graf and the line in that 2:46 stretch to energize the team?

#2 Pavol Regenda’s goal proved to be the eventual game-winner — can you talk about how Regenda and Macklin Celebrini connected on that play and what that means for Regenda’s confidence going forward?

#3 Alex Nedeljkovic (goaltender): Nedeljkovic made 21 saves in a tight road game — how did Nedeljkovic stay mentally sharp during Washington’s late third-period push?

#4 Zack Ostapchuk tied the game and ignited the Sharks’ comeback — what was going through Ostapchuk’s mind as he headed to the net on that play?

#5 Macklin Celebrini played a key role in setting up the go-ahead goal — how did Celebrini see his role evolving when his teammates are finding the back of the net in big moments?

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

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Mammoth Outshoot Stars 2-1 In Defensive Domination

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Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson (21) fights for the puck against the Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (6) in the second period at the Delta Center on Thu Jan 15, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah Mammoth and Dallas Stars were scoreless for nearly two full periods, but Marino’s third period goal put the Mammoth over the top 2-1 as Utah goes 4-0-1 at home in the new year defeating Dallas Stars.

Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev took to the ice for his 600th career game on Thursday night as the Mammoth (23-20-4) squared off for the fifth game of seven on the current homestand against the visiting Dallas Stars (27-11-9). Courtesy of the Mammoth stat crew, Sergachev joins teammates Lawson Crouse, Nick Schmaltz, Alexander Kerfoot, and Clayton Keller in reaching the 600 game milestone in a Utah jersey.

The opening frame was a scoreless affair, as Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger stopped all ten Utah shots, and NHL wins leader Karel Vejmelka turned away the five shot attempts by the Stars.

The second period was well on its way to also being another scoreless frame, but with 7 ticks left on the clock Nick Schmaltz tipped in a perfect feed from John Marino for his 17th goal of the season, with the additional assist to Clayton Keller, for a 1-0 Mammoth lead as time expired.

With the assist by Keller, he and Schmaltz have combined on 200 goals in their careers, the first U.S.-born teammates to accomplish the feat. Oettinger stopped nine of ten shots in the period while Vejmelka remained perfect in shutting down 12 shots by the Stars.

At 1:39 of the third period, Utah forward Barrett Hayton went to the sin bin for hooking against Roope Hintz, giving Dallas an opportunity on the power play to even things up 25 seconds later on Mikko Rantanen’s 19th goal of the season, assisted by Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson.

Two minutes later, putting the puck on the net from along the dasher boards between the top of the faceoff circle and the blue line, Mammoth defenseman John Marino combined again with Nick Schmaltz to score his 4th goal of the season as his shot deflected off the body of Oettinger, high up and over his head, landing just behind the Stars netminder in the crease and trickling over the line to give Utah a 2-1 lead.

With 3:22 remaining in the game, Dallas pulled Oettinger for an extra attacker as the Stars continuously peppered Vejmelka for the rest of the game, but Veggie’s wall stood up to the onslaught to earn his league-leading 22nd win of the season. Vejmelka has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his first seven games in 2026. Improving to 4-0-1 at home in the new year, Utah’s 5-game home point streak is now the longest in franchise history.

In the locker room after the game, Schmaltz talked about this being a statement win for his squad. “That was awesome. We talked about stringing together wins, especially on home ice, and I thought those last two games on home ice were some of our best of the year. I think the way we competed no matter what the score is, if they get one, whatever, we come back and respond and (we) played hard right ‘til the end, so huge win.” The Mammoth have struggled at times to hold leads late in the 3rd period, and Schmaltz was asked about holding the lead int he final five minutes. “I think just try to limit their time and space. They’ve got a lot of good players over there, so just pressure them, try to make them make plays under pressure. Obviously Veggie made some big saves for us down the stretch, and Stenny and those guys were stuck out there for a while, but they did a great job. We won some big draws, and it was a heck of a team effort.” Indeed, Utah won 67% of their faceoffs on the night against one of the top faceoff teams in the league.

“They’re stingy, they don’t give up much,” Marino told the assembled media. “Got to play a patient game out there. Obviously, they’re a great hockey team, and they have been the last couple of years. So to be able to get that win, kind of have that confidence as a team going forward.” Commenting on the Stars push in the final minutes, Marino said, “I think everyone didn’t panic too much, whether the guys were out there, tired, everyone on the bench, no one was screaming, shouting, everyone was pretty comfortable with the situation. So we learn from that and go forward. … Veggie has been unbelievable for us here down the stretch, so you got to give him credit when credit is due. Besides that, it’s a whole team effort out there, guys blocking shots, sacrificing themselves, backchecking, just playing the right way. You get rewarded for it.”

Head Coach André Tourigny couldn’t have been more pleased with the performance of his players. “I think, first, prep second, intensity and focus from our players, help from the trench guys and Mads (John Madden) did a really good job to prep the guys on faceoffs. We knew Dallas was a top team in the league, top five on faceoffs, and they run a lot of plays through it, and they generate a lot of possessions. I think the guys were tuned in and did a really good job.” Speaking of the importance of beating a division rival ahead of Utah in the standings, Tourigny said, “We needed two points, we need to keep winning. Obviously, against our division, it’s always bigger, but I don’t think we’re at the point yet where Dallas is. So for us, we need to keep focusing on what we have to do, keep performing. We played a good game on both sides of the puck, offensively and defensively. That team was tough to play against. The process was good. The performance is good. Let’s bottle that up and keep going.” Offering his own take on shutting Dallas down in the closing minutes, Bear said, “I think we were poised, but had intensity. It’s always that you want to be calm, but you want to be intense. You want to be patient, but you want to be aggressive. It’s the same as wanting to be poised, but you want to be urgent. So I think we achieved that. The boys were in control, but really intense. They were urgent, but in control with some good poise.”

Utah (24-20-4) returns to home ice Saturday afternoon for a matinee tilt against the visiting Seattle Kraken (21-16-9) who lost Thursday night on the road in Boston.