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Artūrs Šilovs’ rise, Sidney Crosby’s scowl and a Penguins-Flyers series gone wild

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3 months ago

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PITTSBURGH — When the Penguins traded for Artūrs Šilovs last summer, I reverted to old habits and called Jim Rutherford. After all, Rutherford oversaw the trade to Pittsburgh and was the president of hockey operations during Šilovs’ time in Vancouver. And the guy we used to call GMJR, you may have heard, doesn’t hesitate to voice his opinion.

Rutherford said he didn’t want to lose Šilovs, but that Vancouver had a surplus of goaltending and didn’t want to risk losing him on waivers. He also noted that, while Šilovs had some warts and wasn’t a finished product, he liked “playing in the big moments.”

Rutherford also said of the young goaltender, “He can get hot and go on runs.”

You don’t say.

There are many storylines in what has become more of a saga than it is a series. Penguins-Flyers games are never conventional, after all, and neither are these.

For that matter, neither is Šilovs.

Since replacing Stuart Skinner at the beginning of Game 4, Šilovs has stopped 46 of 50 shots, good for a .920 save percentage. He’s allowed just four goals in two games and only one in the third period. That Šilovs has stopped at least 90 percent of the shots he’s faced in each game is especially relevant when considering that, from the beginning of  March through the end of the regular season, his save percentage was over .900 only three times in 11 starts. He was not playing well at all, and the decision to begin the postseason with Skinner between the pipes was an obvious one.

Skinner was perfectly solid, even good, in the first two games. But they were both losses. In Game 3, Skinner played poorly, prompting Dan Muse to go with Šilovs. The 25-year-old from Latvia responded in a very big way.

Remember, it was Šilovs who put on a show at the World Championships a couple of years back. It was Šilovs who won the AHL championship last season. And it was Šilovs who led Rick Tocchet’s Canucks past the Predators and to a Game 7 against Edmonton two years ago.

It’s not a coincidence at this point. Šilovs has some serious rebound control issues; he doesn’t always track shots from the point well, and God help everyone who supports the black and gold if the NHL ever decides to use shootouts in playoff games.

All joking aside, Šilovs has been good. More importantly, he appears to possess the clutch gene. You either have it or you don’t. It’s not a learned skill.

Šilovs hasn’t just played well during the last two games, but as many veteran teammates have noted, there’s a calmness about him that they like.

The odds are still against Šilovs and the Penguins winning this series. A team has come back from down 3-0 four times in NHL history, so it’s not like a Penguins’ series victory is a slam dunk, or even a likelihood. But they do have a goaltender who doesn’t seem likely to flinch when the Flyers mount an inevitable charge in Game 6 on Wednesday.

Ten series observations

• Speaking of goaltenders, which version of Dan Vladar do we suspect will show up in Game 6?

He was fantastic in the first three games of this series. He allowed embarrassing goals in Games 4 and 5, however, and his glove hand appeared to be a problem. He was fighting the puck in Game 5, especially with that glove hand. He looked shaky. He looked a little rattled.

On the flip side, he still only allowed three goals. He was no disaster. But he didn’t look like the same guy.

Let’s see how he responds. He’s unquestionably the Flyers’ most valuable player. Playing at home when you’re a little off your game, however, can be more difficult.

• There has been plenty of talk about how nasty, or even dirty, this series has been. Almost all of that talk has come from the media or social media. I’m in the Penguins locker room every day and have been in the Flyers locker room a handful of times during this series. Other than the Penguins being annoyed at what they believe was a very intentional high stick from Garnet Hathaway to Sidney Crosby in Game 3, I haven’t heard a peep from either team about things getting nasty.

To them, it’s just playoff hockey.

• I was startled by how well the tandem of Kris Letang and Samuel Girard played in Game 5. We haven’t seen them locked in like that. They essentially played keep away during almost every shift in the third period, which was precisely what the situation required.

They’ll need to be that good again in Game 6. Erik Karlsson is still playing very well, but he’s cooled off since his outrageous hot streak that propelled the Penguins into the playoffs. Ilya Solovyov has played well, but his minutes are being severely limited.

Letang and Girard are going to receive huge minutes Wednesday.

• For better or worse, depending on your perspective, Trevor Zegras was very, very quiet in Game 5.

Whether it’s getting on the scoresheet or getting under the Penguins’ skin, I suspect he’ll be more active Wednesday.

• Let’s keep an eye on Evgeni Malkin. He was probably the Penguins’ best player in the first three games of this series, and in fact, he really had his legs in Game 4 and played high-level hockey. Malkin had zero jump in Game 5.

Perhaps the jump will return in Game 6.

• It’s Egor Chinakhov time. Or, at least, it had better be.

The Penguins are an explosive offensive team largely because of Chinakhov, whose shot and speed are simply rare. They’ve not been an explosive team in this series, and he’s been painfully quiet. That’s no coincidence. Chinakhov coming to life would be a godsend for the Penguins.

• I’ve been watching Rickard Rakell a lot in this series. He’s been outstanding. I had never appreciated the nuance in his game until this season. He’s doing the little things, and he’s doing them well.

• Tocchet is a really good coach. He’s been under fire all season for how he’s handled Matvei Michkov, perhaps Philadelphia’s most gifted forward. Michkov was a healthy scratch in Game 5.

It was the right call. Michkov was invisible during the first four games of this series.

• Bryan Rust has a goal in this series but has been more visible during altercations, including his wild brawl with Travis Konecny in Game 3 and his pulling of Porter Martone’s hair in Game 4.

Should the Penguins pull off this comeback, I would imagine Rust will have a big moment. They don’t call him Big Game Bryan Rust for nothing.

• The look on Crosby’s face following Game 5 said it all. I haven’t a clue how this series will end, but the look on his face told me that he believes. His game appeared to shift to a different place starting in Game 4. Were I the Flyers, this would concern me.

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Cavan Sullivan, 16, scores and assists in Philadelphia Union’s Leagues Cup win

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18 minutes ago

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August 10, 2026

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With a bit more playing time and a lot more productivity, the substance is beginning to match the hype for Cavan Sullivan.

The 16-year-old Philadelphia Union rising star, who already has a deal to join Manchester City when he turns 18, scored and assisted in his side’s 3-1 Leagues Cup win over Liga MX’s Necaxa Sunday night, continuing a surge in form that has come with greater first-team opportunity. Sullivan has started 10 of the Union’s last 11 matches in all competitions, including all five since the World Cup break under interim manager Ryan Richter, and he has two goals and four assists in that time to show for it, including his contribution on Sunday.

Sullivan wasted little time vs. Necaxa, surging into the center with a stepover before slotting out a pass wide right for Nathan Harriel, who scored the opener in the third minute.

He then got his own tally, just the fourth of his career in all competitions, by chesting down a cross from Indiana Vassilev at the back post and quickly scoring with his left off the bounce in the 53rd minute. It was his first Leagues Cup goal, to go with two in the Concacaf Champions Cup and one in MLS, all this season. He exited the match in the 60th minute, with the result well in hand.

Given the headlines generated by his early Man City commitment and the expectations bestowed upon him as a “next-big-thing” prospect as a result, the onus has been put on Sullivan at an early age to deliver when given the chance. He did so Sunday, though it’s not likely to be enough to prolong the Union’s stay in the competition, following the club’s 1-0 loss to Cruz Azul to begin the opening phase.

The top four of the 18 MLS teams competing advance after the three-game stage, leaving Philadelphia needing a lopsided win in its group finale and a whole host of help, with six points being highly improbable to be enough to secure a quarterfinal berth.

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Hezly Rivera repeats as U.S. gymnastics champion; Frederick Richard headlines men’s Worlds team

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38 minutes ago

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August 10, 2026

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On Day 1 of the women’s U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Friday, Hezly Rivera launched herself off the bar, reached out to grab it — and fell. The 2024 Olympic gold medalist entered Sunday’s competition in fourth when she tried the skill again, caught it, and rode that momentum to her second consecutive national championship.

No woman had pulled off that large of a comeback for the all-around title since Courtney Kupets in 2003.

“I wasn’t looking at the scores, I wasn’t looking at the scoreboard, I was just focusing on myself and my gymnastics and what I have to do, so it was actually stress-free,” Rivera told NBC after winning the competition by 1.15 points. “I took all the pressure I could off myself, because it’s no fun when you’re stressed or nervous.”

Rivera, 18, made a name for herself by winning gold as a member of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team as a first-year senior. Two years later, she won her second straight national all-around title, along with gold on beam and silver on floor. The win comes two months after she withdrew from the Pan American Championships with an injury.

Claire Pease led until the second half of Sunday’s competition, when two out-of-bounds landings on floor dropped her to a silver medal in the all-around. First-year senior Charleigh Bullock, 16, finished third, with Reese Esponda fourth and three-time Olympic medalist Jade Carey fifth.

For the men, 2024 Olympian Frederick Richard won his first national championship Saturday night, clinching an automatic spot on the men’s World Championships team. He will be joined by 2020 Olympian and 2024 alternate Shane Wiskus, 2025 pommel horse bronze medalist Patrick Hoopes, 2025 Worlds team member Kameron Nelson and first-year senior Danila Leykin.

“I strived my whole life to get here; it took 20 years, four championships later as a senior, but we’re here,” Richard told NBC Sports. “It shows the hard work is paying off.”

Richard returns to Worlds after being left off the 2025 squad. He posted a dominant all-around performance this week, beating Wiskus in second place by more than 2 points and winning floor. He claimed bronze in the all-around and with the U.S. team at Worlds in 2023.

Frederick Richard competes on the rings in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

Frederick Richard competes on the rings in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Saturday. (Chris Coduto / Getty Images)

Hoopes joins the team as a pommel horse specialist, the only event he competed in at championships. He beat out fellow specialist Stephen Nedoroscik, who found fame at the 2024 Games by nailing the event in a high-pressure moment and helping the U.S. secure bronze. Nedoroscik fell on pommel horse Saturday night, landing in fifth.

The men’s field was missing core members of recent Olympic and Worlds teams, with Brody Malone, Asher Hong and Donnell Whittenburg not competing. The American squad will look to Nelson to bolster the lineup after he secured silver on rings, clinched the vault title and showcased a high-difficulty floor set. Wiskus and Leykin, second and third in the all-around, round out a team looking to build on Olympic bronze in 2024, the U.S. men’s first team medal since 2008.

The women’s team will be announced after the World Championships selection camp Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. Rivera is looking to make her first Worlds team as a senior, after withdrawing from selection camp last year with an injury.

The team will take into account results throughout the season, which means athletes out of the top five, such as two-time Worlds medalist Skye Blakely, remain in the mix. Blakely tied with Pease for first after Day 1 on Friday, before falls on floor and beam Sunday dropped her to seventh. The team could also include athletes such as two-time Olympic alternate Leanne Wong, who withdrew from U.S. Championships with a knee injury but could still petition to the selection camp.

Next year’s U.S. Championship and Worlds field, at that point one year out from the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, will likely look a lot different. Six-time Olympic medalist Suni Lee announced in July she is launching a comeback for 2028. Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles have not ruled out a return to competition, either.

Joscelyn Roberson, another former Worlds team member and Olympic alternate, also plans to continue her elite career, but she is not competing this season to focus on recovering from injuries. Six-time Worlds medalist Shilese Jones, considered a top contender for the 2024 squad before an injury during Olympic Trials, said Sunday she plans to return to competition next summer.

“I’ve battled through so much, and there’s been so many injuries,” Jones told NBC. “The story still continues. I just want to prove myself.”

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Dodgers wrap up miserable 6-game trip with eighth loss in 9 games

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53 minutes ago

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August 10, 2026

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PHOENIX — As another quiet day from his well-accomplished lineup drew to a close, Dave Roberts had to try something. Nothing has been working for the Los Angeles Dodgers as of late, so Roberts sent Max Muncy out to the on-deck circle to pinch hit for Teoscar Hernández with two outs in the ninth inning, searching for a spark.

Hernández is here for his bat. But the quality of his recent at-bats warranted a change. Hernández is not blameless in the Dodgers’ offensive morass, but there is plenty of blame to go around.

Muncy struck out on four pitches to end a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and with it closed the book on a forgettable trip in the midst of their worst stretch of the season. The silence that hung in the batter’s box and the postgame clubhouse did not reek of desperation or frustration, but it felt familiar.

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“There’s certainly not panic,” Roberts said. “I think for us, it’s just finding a way to win, win a game, and win consistently.”

That has been hard to come by. The Dodgers have now dropped eight of their last nine games and 15 of their last 24. They have played like a middling club for the better part of the month. Baseball’s presumptive juggernaut is showing cracks.

“There’s no concern in here,” Freddie Freeman said. “We’re a good team.”

Their All-Star breakout starter continues to slide, as Justin Wrobleski could not get a fastball far enough in to Ketel Marte, and the Diamondbacks slugger clobbered it for a two-run homer. Wrobleski did not help his case an inning later when he fielded a bunt and fired it too high and wide for Tommy Edman to stay on the base, leading to more damage. Wrobleski, whose value in the first half came from his ability to soak up innings, managed to record just 10 outs and exited with a 4-0 deficit.

This is all still new for Wrobleski, who in his first full season as a starter has learned the difficulty of surviving the monthslong grind. He has allowed nine home runs over his last three starts. He’s allowed 17 runs in 20 innings since the All-Star break.

“I’m just not good enough right now,” Wrobleski said. “It’s kind of what it comes down to. It’s really frustrating. Execution just hasn’t been as good. I feel like today just wasn’t good enough. And, again, I gotta be better.”

Even with their early deficit, the game remained in reach if the Dodgers offense could muster much of a pulse. Eduardo Rodriguez, a surprise All-Star, became the latest Arizona starter to chew up outs against them with ease. Torey Lovullo, the Diamondbacks manager, did not move from his post as Shohei Ohtani stepped up to the plate for the fourth time, with Rodriguez’s pitch count up to 111. Ohtani grounded out four pitches later, keeping the Dodgers down 4-2 as Rodriguez finished his seventh inning of work. Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Merrill Kelly combined to allow just three runs over 19 2/3 innings this weekend.

The offense is an area of growing concern. It entered Sunday ranking 23rd in baseball with a 93 wRC+ since the start of July. Those numbers are even worse this month (88 wRC+). It is reminiscent of the offensive skid it ran into last July, when it ranked as a bottom-five offense in the sport and sparked a similar level of pearl-clutching over the lineup’s collective age. The game’s oldest position player group has been waiting for its stars to carry them all season.

It is August, and Mookie Betts has a .674 OPS. Kyle Tucker, who added an RBI triple Sunday and has quietly had a good trip, still is staring at a .727 OPS. Hernández has a .717 OPS and has not looked like the lefty masher he was two years ago; Rodriguez, a lefty, blew three straight fastballs past him in the sixth inning with Hernández representing the tying run. Muncy, the metronome for this offense, has endured his worst month of the season (.594 OPS entering Sunday). The benefit of having stars is they are supposed to help a team establish a floor. That floor has bottomed out during this stretch.

Opposing pitching staffs have appeared to find a hole. Since July 1, no team in baseball has seen a higher percentage of fastballs than the Dodgers have (58.7 percent). The Dodgers have produced a .693 OPS against those pitches in that span, including the fourth-worst on-base percentage (.310) and fifth-worst slugging percentage (.383) in those spots.

“I think this series it was very clear that we weren’t hitting the fastball and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup with the secondary specifically,” Roberts said.

Fixing that does not fix everything for this lineup.

“We have to make adjustments,” Roberts said. “I think for me that’s sort of what I see as a group — we’re just not making adjustments.”

This stretch has endured long enough to raise some questions about the integrity of a lineup that, on paper, didn’t have many holes. A solid week could wipe them all away. Baseball is funny that way. The Dodgers, of course, still have a strong grasp on first place even after dropping the season series to the second-place Diamondbacks. They still possess as much talent as any team in the sport. Their rotation early next week starts with a pair of two-time Cy Young winners, Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell.

It would help ease those lineup concerns if the Dodgers started playing like the team they were billed to be.

“We’re certainly not playing up to our capabilities,” Roberts said. Maybe that starts Monday, back at Dodger Stadium against Kansas City.

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