Sports
The New York Rangers have fallen apart in just over a week. What’s next?
They’re not going to tell you things are off the rails. But you have eyes.
You can see how wrong it’s gone for the New York Rangers. Eight days ago they were hitting the ice in Calgary, a 12-4-1 team that had gotten some incredible goaltending and timely scoring to get out to a fast start on the season.
Eight days later and it’s not only gone wrong on the ice and in the standings but in the executive suite and in the locker room. Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Flyers was the Rangers’ fifth straight regulation loss, something they haven’t done since the end of the 2020-21 season — a stretch of defeats that included the Tom Wilson-Artemi Panarin incident, Madison Square Garden’s subsequent public criticism of the NHL and the firings of president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton.
That they haven’t had as bad a week in four years is a window into how good the Rangers have been since then. That the second bad week in four years has brought almost as much turmoil to this organization as the last one did is a window into how this team and its bosses seemingly get tossed into a full-blown panic when things start to snowball.
And this time there’s not the previous three seasons of rebuilding to blame for the pent-up frustration. The bad eight days in November still have left the current Rangers in a playoff spot, still with one of the best goalies in the league and a collection of pretty good talent all around.
The past eight days for the Rangers:
Thursday: Lose 3-2 in Calgary
Saturday: Blown out in Edmonton
Monday morning: Word leaks that Drury is open to trades and mentions Kreider, Trouba to league GMs
Monday: Lose 5-2 to STL
Wednesday: Lose 4-3 in Carolina
Friday: Lose 3-1 in PHI— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) November 29, 2024
So this chaos, these incredibly bad vibes, are all self-inflicted. And you can see what Chris Drury’s overreaction last weekend has wrought.
A first period on Friday so thoroughly lifeless and borderline embarrassing that only Igor Shesterkin stood between the Flyers and a 5-0 or 6-0 lead. Panarin getting into it with an entire five-man Flyers crew after a whistle with zero teammates coming in to back him up. An entire team, one that’s played decently in its own end before, seemingly allergic to the space between the hash marks in the Rangers end, where the Flyers produced about a dozen high-danger scoring chances in the first 40 minutes.
Then, finally, Shesterkin — you know, the guy the Rangers need to pay to be able to keep even a faint chance of being a Stanley Cup contender — skating off on his own, acknowledging no one, after yet another loss.
“That can’t happen to a team that’s sitting here, looking for ways to win hockey games,” Peter Laviolette said afterward.
As we outlined earlier on Friday, the reverberations of Drury’s leaguewide “come and get it” memo to the other 31 GMs on Sunday are still being felt. Chris Kreider, one of the two Rangers veterans mentioned by name in Drury’s note, is still out with the back spasms he so carefully noted in Raleigh a couple of days ago you’d have thought he had one of those anatomy charts next to him.
That may have been the longest-tenured Ranger’s way of telling the hockey world that he’s not feeling so hot and trading for him might not be in their best interest.
Jacob Trouba, the other named party in the note, hasn’t been hitting much lately. He hasn’t been talking much to the media, except when he has to answer for the GM trying to trade him for the second time in about four months. The idea of Trouba tossing his helmet and yelling at his own bench to wake (the f—) up, as he did around this time two seasons ago after a huge hit and fight, seems absurd at the moment.
You can call that indifferent behavior unprofessional. Unbecoming of an $8-million-a-year guy who wears the C. All true. But think about how we got here — Drury tried to put the cart before the horse in June, attempting to force Trouba into a move before the player was ready and before any other team, the Red Wings included, had even given much thought to acquiring him. That poisoned the situation.
Now it seems irreparable. No one is trading for Trouba with him playing like this, not now and maybe not this summer without a decent sweetener in the deal.
And there is a domino effect. Trouba was named captain despite not being a Ranger as long as some teammates because he did all the things you need to do as a leader. Fans may have wanted Kreider or Mika Zibanejad or Adam Fox, but it’s Trouba who has wrangled the team behind the scenes, has gone to coaching and management with player requests and has been an intermediary on sensitive issues between the front office and the locker room.
Kreider prefers to do his leadership work one-on-one with younger players. Zibanejad and Fox are lead-by-example types, very soft-spoken otherwise. It’s not a boisterous room filled with outsize personalities and Trouba was the guy they all looked to for leadership. Now, he’s adrift; it’s not that surprising the ship is listing too.
In such a crucial year, with Shesterkin due for big money, Alexis Lafrenière already cashing in (and not doing a whole lot since securing the bag) and K’Andre Miller mounting a very curious campaign to earn a big extension, the Rangers needed calm. They needed a steady hand.
They’ve got a snow globe getting worked over by a jackhammer at the moment. All in just eight days — off-ice turmoil, on-ice disinterest, you name it.
It’s some kind of world record for how fast this thing has fallen apart. The Rangers were within two games of a Stanley Cup Final back in June, a team that had flaws but enough skill in net and up front to feel like a contender for at least a little while.
The Barclay Goodrow saga, with Drury informing the alternate captain and well-liked teammate that he’d be on the 2 p.m. waiver wire at about 1:45, didn’t get the offseason going in the right direction. The Trouba thing hamstrung Drury’s attempts to remake the top four of his defense and also had the effect outlined above.
Now, at the first sign of real trouble this season, it’s a tire fire.
What will Saturday bring? The Canadiens, another young, fast team, come to the Garden. The Rangers have missed Filip Chytil, sure, as well as Kreider, but even at full strength this season they’ve looked painfully slow — either to react to teams counterattacking off turnovers or simply tracking back on a regular old rush. During this losing streak, they’ve stopped defending off O-zone possessions by opposing teams, leading to situations like Friday’s three-on-Shesterkin down low off a faceoff.
So what’s next? Do you strip Trouba of the C? Put him or someone else on waivers? All that does is further humiliate a core player, one of the reasons the Rangers are in this mess. Is Laviolette next? That would mark three coaching searches for Drury in four years. What about Drury? There’s no indication the president/GM is on the hot seat here, but remember what happened the last time the Rangers lost five in a row.
The Rangers do need something to change and they are getting older a lot faster than you would have thought watching them play deep into the postseason two of the last three playoffs. They’re playing poorly. They’ve gone from a comfortable spot near the top of the Metro Division to peering nervously below to all the mediocre teams bunched up close behind them.
But all that’s really changed for the Rangers is their own boss making them more and more miserable. Hard to see how that helps — or how it gets fixed soon.
(Photo: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
Sports
It’s Game 7, and we have a bet locked in as the Cavaliers and legacies are on the line against the Pistons
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The NBA takes a lot of flak for having meaningless games, and I can definitely understand it, watching on a random Wednesday in January. However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.
This will be the fourth Game 7 of the playoffs. Three series have been sweeps, and the other three have been six games. That shows competitive hoops. Now, how do we bet this Game 7 in the Eastern Conference?
The Cleveland Cavaliers blew it. After not winning a road game all postseason, they took Game 5 in surprising fashion. It looked like they were going to win in six games. After all, they hadn’t lost a game at home in the postseason.
Instead, Detroit came out and blitzed the Cavs, never giving them a chance to get their footing. They lost in an ugly fashion and now have to figure out a way to win a game on the road.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game 5 in the second-round NBA playoffs in Detroit on May 13, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)
It isn’t just the Cavs’ fate that rests in this game. It is also the legacy of James Harden and, to a lesser extent, Donovan Mitchell.
We know that Mitchell is a very good player, but he isn’t regarded as one of the best players ever. Harden is. Unfortunately, Harden has struggled in Game 7s. He’s averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. That’s not terrible, but looking at his shooting percentages, he is at 35.3% and 22.2% in those games. He actually is 4-4 overall in the games, but in his past three, he has scored a combined 34 points over 113 minutes.
The Detroit Pistons seem to like playing with their backs against the wall. They are a gritty team, so I suppose it makes sense.
Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren reacts after allowing a pass to go out of bounds in the second half of Game 4 of the second-round NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland on May 11, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Cade Cunningham continues to deliver for the team, and he finally got some help in Game 6 from Jalen Duren. This was never going to be an easy series for Duren, but it feels like he is taking more time to mature than others. He definitely improved this year, but the consistency they need from him just isn’t there yet.
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Now as the team goes home they will need Duren to be a beast on the glass. If he can keep the Pistons in the rebounding battle, they should win this game with ease. They won Game 6 by just three rebounds, but that takes away a big dimension of what Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley do for the Cavs. It isn’t everything, though, as the Pistons won the rebounding battle in both losses in Cleveland.
I don’t see this being a runaway game for the Pistons. Mitchell and Cunningham likely will cancel each other out with scoring. Harden needs to establish himself as the third-best player on the floor. I haven’t seen him do that in the postseason, yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden talk during Game 2 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs vs. the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
This is the second Game 7 of the playoffs for both of the clubs, so it isn’t like either will be caught off guard about what this entails.
If I look at it objectively, I think the Cavs have the better players. However, the Pistons have looked significantly better this season, and definitely in the playoffs overall. Both are prone to issues and slipping. The Cavs shouldn’t be as they are a veteran team.
This game has to be won by Cleveland, though. There is too much riding on the franchise and legacies of guys for them to not prepare properly for it. Maybe that’s weak analysis, but I’m taking the Cavs with the points and I do think they win outright. I expect a monster game from Mitchell, and Harden should get 10+ assists.
Either way, whoever wins will lose to the New York Knicks.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 1
Murrieta Mesa 10, Valley View 0
Orange Lutheran 10, Millikan 0
Chino Hills 2, El Modena 1
Etiwanda 14, Agoura 13
Palos Verdes 3, Riverside King 2
Cypress 4, Fullerton 2
Ayala 11, Charter Oak 1
Riverside Poly 7, California 3
Norco 2, Marina 1
DIVISION 3
Rancho Cucamonga 9, Paloma Valley 1
Great Oak 5, West Torrance 2
Edison 8, El Segundo 5
El Toro 9, Colton 0
Murrieta Valley 9, Redondo Union 8
North Torrance 5, Beaumont 0
West Ranch 7, Trabuco Hills 6
San Juan Hills 8, Riverside North 7
Oak Park 10, Cerritos Valley Christian 4
Highland 7, Northview 2
La Serna 4, Carter 0
Dos Pueblos 5, Crescenta Valley 0
Liberty 10, Arcadia 3
DIVISION 5
Anaheim 11, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0
Patriot 11, Arrowhead Christian 9
Temple City 9, Rancho Christian 6
Grace 11, Buena Park 0
Crean Lutheran 3, Alemany 2
Shadow Hills 8, Cerritos 3
San Marcos 10, Leuzinger 0
South El Monte 7, Long Beach Wilson 5
Covina 11, Garden Grove Santiago 1
Muir 8, Rio Hondo Prep 7
Santa Monica 6, Katella 5
Ontario 6, Norwalk 2
Northwood 18, Duarte 11
DIVISION 7
Bloomington 9, Fillmore 8
Miller 11, Savanna 3
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 11, Riverside Springs Magnolia 4
Faith Baptist 18, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 4
Twentynine Palms 16, Rancho Alamitos 15
Riverside Notre Dame 12, Costa Mesa 2
Firebaugh 9, Pioneer 8
Chadwick 6, Desert Christian Academy 1
Cathedral City 2, Artesia 1
Orange 9, Bellflower 3
Santa Ana 10, Hawthorne 0
Culver City 9, Temecula Prep 8
DIVISION 8
Banning 20, Redlands Adventist 3
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 1
La Habra at Murrieta Mesa, noon
Chino Hills at Orange Lutheran
Etiwanda at Westlake
La Mirada at Palos Verdes, noon
Garden Grove Pacifica at Cypress, noon
Ayala at JSerra
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Oaks Christian, 1 p.m.
Norco at Riverside Poly
DIVISION 2
Bonita at Ganesha, 11 a.m.
Whittier Christian at Warren
Simi Valley at St. Paul
Moorpark at Lakewood St. Joseph, 11 a.m.
Temescal Canyon at San Clemente, 12:30 p.m.
Huntington Beach at Camarillo, Monday
Saugus at Vista Murrieta, 12:30 p.m.
Mater Dei at Gahr, noon
DIVISION 3
Great Oak at Rancho Cucamonga
Edison at El Toro, Monday
Murrieta Valley at North Torrance
West Ranch at San Juan Hills
Riverside Prep at Oak Park, 12:30 p.m.
La Serna at Highland
Dos Pueblos at La Salle, Monday
Villa Park at Liberty, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 4
St. Bonaventure at Harvard-Westlake, 11 a.m.
Apple Valley at Oxnard
Don Lugo at Monrovia, 1:30 p.m.
La Quinta at Mira Costa
Rio Mesa at Mission Viejo, 10 a.m.
Oak Hills at Sunny Hills
Ramona at Paramount
Burbank Burroughs at Rosary, Monday
DIVISION 5
Anaheim vs. Santa Clara at Beck Park
Temple City at Patriot
Crean Lutheran at Grace
Viewpoint at Shadow Hills
San Marcos at Irvine University, noon
South El Monte at Covina
Santa Monica at Muir, 10:30 a.m.
Northwood at Ontario, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 6
Irvine at Lakeside
Alhambra at Heritage
Eastside at Granite Hills, noon
El Monte at St. Genevieve
Sierra Vista vs. Southlands Christian at Brea Canyon Cutoff Rd
Hesperia Christian vs. St. Monica Prep at Memorial Park, 2 p.m.
Arroyo at Lancaster
San Jacinto at Jurupa Valley
DIVISION 7
Bloomington at Ramona Convent
Miller at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
Faith Baptist at Twentynine Palms, Monday
Firebaugh vs. Riverside Notre Dame at Ramona
Chadwick at Cathedral City
Orange at Victor Valley, 11 a.m.
Santa Ana at Culver City, Monday
Windward at Edgewood, Monday at 3:30 p.m.
DIVISION 8
ACE at Avalon
Bolsa Grande vs. San Bernardino, Monday at San Bernardino College
Workman at Glendale
Cobalt at Santa Rosa Academy
Bell Gardens vs. Brentwood at John Anson Ford Park
Pomona Catholic vs. Capistrano Valley Christian at Laguna Hills, 2 p.m.
Fontana at Banning
Hawthorne MSA at Arroyo Valley, 1 p.m.
Note: Quarterfinals May 20; Semifinals May 23; Finals May 28-30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.
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After a slow first round at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia on Thursday, pace of play was a point of emphasis at the PGA Championship on Friday.
However, when an official approached Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley, they became animated.
Thomas, a longtime Team USA Ryder Cup member, and Bradley, last year’s United States captain, were on the fourth hole when they were approached by an official in a cart, and the conversation quickly turned into finger-pointing.
Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley watch from the tenth green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Thomas said after the round that he, Bradley and fellow USA Ryder Cupper Cameron Young, who won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month, were put on the clock, with the official telling them to pick up the pace. However, both Bradley and Thomas appeared to point at the group in front of them.
“We just didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said, citing course conditions, high winds and tough pins. “We were behind. That wasn’t our issue… It’s just the fact that we weren’t holding up the group behind us.”
Thomas said they were caught up with the pace on the very next hole.
Justin Thomas plays his shot on the 15th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
GARRICK HIGGO SHARES BAFFLING COMMENTS WHILE REACTING TO TWO-SHOT PENALTY AT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Thomas had a lengthy conversation with the official, while Bradley appeared to make his point short and sweet — though he was definitely not happy with the call.
It is a large PGA Championship field, with 156 golfers at the course and groups even starting their rounds on the back nine. The scores have also been rather high, with just 25 players below par at the time of publishing.
Aronimink also features a shared tee box on 1 and 10, holes 9 and 17 crossing paths, and a lengthy par-3 eighth hole that’s causing problems. Three par-3s are over 200 yards on the course, and there is also a 457-yard par 4 on the fourth.
Keegan Bradley prepares to putt on the 14th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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As Chris Gotterup put it on Friday, “You’re not going to get any four-and-a-half hour rounds out here.”
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