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Colton Sissons scored both Nashville goals to pace the visiting Predators to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Roman Josi collected two assists for the Predators, who built a two-goal lead and then hung on for the victory.
Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros made 36 saves, including all 14 he faced in the third period, while Montreal pushed frantically for the game-tying goal.
The Predators have won four of five games and 10 of 13 outings.
Jake Evans replied for the Canadiens, who have two wins in their last six games. Goalie Jake Allen stopped 30 shots and has not won in seven consecutive outings. He last claimed a victory Oct. 28.
Sissons opened the scoring at the 11:41 mark. While on the power play, he set up shop in front of the net and perfectly deflected Filip Forsberg's waist-high point shot.
Sissons doubled the Nashville lead at 7:03 of the second with his ninth tally of the campaign. During a flurry of action in the offensive zone in which the Predators sustained pressure, Sissons was on the spot for a long rebound chance after Dante Fabbro's shot was denied.
Sissons is well on his way to surpassing his career-best 15 goals.
Allen provided the Canadiens a much-needed offensive jolt with 35 seconds remaining in the second. While on a rush, his pass attempt was blocked but upon regaining possession in the slot, he converted a long backhand shot for his second of the campaign.
But Montreal was unable to tie the game, in large part because the Canadiens failed to convert five power plays, including a chance in the middle of the third in which they outshot the Predators 14-6.
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Canadiens News & Rumours: Dach, McTavish & More
In this edition of the Montreal Canadiens News Rumours, general manager (GM) Kent Hughes has had a busy offseason after the team made an unexpected appearance in the 2025 Playoffs. Rumours still swirl around the team trying to add to the roster, if they can sign Lane Hutson long-term and if Kirby Dach will be physically ready for training camp in September. Canadiens Prospect Impresses Team Canada Michael Hage made a lasting impression for Team Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase. He finished with five points, which was tied for the team lead. “He came here and had a really good camp. He (Hage) was one of our best players.” – Dale Hunter (from ‘Il est l’un de nos meilleurs joueurs’: ça augure bien pour Michael Hage avec le Canada,’ Journal de Montreal, 8/3/25) Impressing the head coach will go a long way in securing a spot on the roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship. Still, his season with the University of Michigan will likely be just as important. For the Canadiens, having their top centre prospect make huge strides in his development will be beneficial, especially for a team in desperate need of an offensively capable second-line centre. Kirby Dach Still Recovering Maxime Truman of Dans Les Coulisses, a French-language site, and French-language radio reported that Dach has suffered a setback. This, after he was seen skating with Ivan Demidov at the Canadiens’ practice facility. However, Eric Engels of Sportsnet is pouring cold water on the rumours that Dach has had a setback. “It was never guaranteed Kirby Dach would be ready for the start of training camp, AND it is also premature to suggest he won’t be. Suggestions Dach has had a setback in his recovery are completely false. Not only has he not had a setback, he’s progressing really well and, according to my sources, is crushing his summer training.” There are some fans who question his durability, especially after missing the majority of the last two seasons due to injuries, and the fact that this is the second time he’s injured this specific knee. With the Canadiens in desperate need of a second-line centre, the hope was that he would be ready to fill that role for the start of the 2025-26 season. While he may still end up being physically capable of dressing, the real question will be if he can finally become the centre the franchise needs now. Canadiens’ Negotiation With Hutson On the Aug. 3 episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman addressed the fact that Hutson has not yet signed a contract extension with the Canadiens. While fans are wondering what it could be, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has some differences in it that will mean changes in how young players will be approached this season. The salary cap is due to rise by $7 million this offseason from the current $88.5 million to $95.5 million. The cap is slated to go up from this season’s total to $113.5 million in just three seasons, a whopping $25 million increase. This is important to know because player salaries will rise quickly season over season. The biggest difference is that the longest contract available under the new CBA will be seven years, which is one less than the eight teams have the opportunity to offer until the new CBA kicks in. The rising cap and shorter term will mean bigger cap hits, which is why there is pressure from the fan base on the Canadiens to get this done. There aren’t any issues anticipated getting Hutson signed long-term; the issue will be the cap hit. While his comparables are Adam Fox and Quinn Hughes, with Noah Dobson signed to a new, eight-year, $9.5 million per season deal, it might mean a higher number for Hutson. Now, the question is, will they convince him to sign before they no longer have the option of offering an eight-year term? Canadiens Linked to Mason McTavish The Canadiens are again being linked to the still-unsigned restricted free agent (RFA) Mason McTavish. The third overall pick in 2021 has all the qualities Hughes is desperate to add. He’s big (6-foot-1 and 219 pounds), he’s got proven offensive skills, he can play a physical style, he has an excellent work ethic and loves to go to the net, he’s responsible in his zone, and the left-shot centre wins over 50% of his faceoffs. This also makes him valuable to the Anaheim Ducks, who are trying to go for a playoff spot this season. Anaheim still has over $20.5 million in salary cap space for 2025-26, which makes it highly unlikely anyone can build an offer sheet that would get the Ducks to choose not to match it. That means any team wanting to land the young centre would need to make a trade offer. And that’s one trade package that will cause some pain, as Jimmy Murphy of RG.org has reported. His sources have made it clear that the cost would start with a young right-handed defenceman. “Unless you’re willing to get creative and knock Pat’s socks off with a monster offer, I don’t see him getting traded at this point. A right-shot, top-four and future top-pairing defenceman would be the starting point from what I know.” Montreal isn’t considered the most active on this player; the Detroit Red Wings are, and they have some options, which include their top prospect, Axel Sandin Pellikka. So, the cost for Montreal will most likely start with David Reinbacher, and it wouldn’t end there. A package will also include picks (first-rounders, not middle-rounders) and a roster player. Is it expensive? Yes. Can the Canadiens afford to overpay? Maybe. It depends on what assets, and if those assets would cause the rebuild to stall, at least, in Hughes’ assessment. Keep an eye on our THW Podcast Network for all your hockey needs and THW’s affiliated podcast, Habs Unfiltered, for the latest Canadiens news, notes, and rumours.
Blue Jays demolish MLB records with eye-popping Coors Field performance
DENVER — There's nothing like coming to Coors Field to fix what ails you. Just ask the Toronto Blue Jays. Losers of six of eight games before arriving in Denver, the Blue Jays posted an MLB-record 63 hits in a three-game series while easily sweeping a road series from the Colorado Rockies. By totaling 25 hits on Monday night, 14 on Tuesday and 24 in Wednesday's matinee, the Blue Jays set a new MLB standard for offensive prowess. Toronto passed the MLB record of 62 hits in a three-game series, set by the Boston Red Sox in a June 7-9, 1950 matchup against the St. Louis Browns. As part of the hit parade, Toronto smashed 13 home runs, the most ever surrendered by the Rockies in a three-game set. Included in that barrage were three hits by Bo Bichette, including a three-run shot on Wednesday afternoon that got the Blue Jays rolling in the third inning. Kyle Freeland, Wednesday's starter for Colorado, allowed seven hits in his 4.2 innings of work. That was the fewest amount of hits given up by a Rockies starter against Toronto, as Rockies starter Tanner Gordon allowed 11 in 2.2 frames on Monday, while Anthony Molina surrendered nine in 5.0 innings on Tuesday. "We need to pitch with confidence as starting pitchers. We need to command the baseball better in general," said Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer as his team slipped to 30-84 on the season. "We have to put hitters away when we have that opportunity." That was something Colorado couldn't do against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, as their first six runs of a 20-1 blowout win came with two outs in the frame. Wednesday's offensive explosion helped Toronto outscore the Rockies, 45-6, in the series. That run differential was the second-most in MLB's modern era and the most runs scored by an MLB team in a three-game series since the 2019 Chicago Cubs scored 47 runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates from Sept. 13-15, 2019. In all, the 45 runs, 63 hits and 13 home runs allowed in the series were each the most allowed by Colorado pitchers in a three-game set in franchise history. How bad did it get for Colorado at the end of the series? Down 12-1 entering the ninth inning on Wednesday, the Rockies put catcher Austin Nola on the mound for his first-ever pitching appearance. He was nothing like his younger brother, Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola, as he promptly gave up four consecutive doubles, including RBI shots from Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as part of eight hits and eight runs posted by the Blue Jays against him. "It hurts when you get beat that bad for three games," Nola said. "We can compete with anybody. I know we can. We're all Major League players, so it definitely hurts. We're going to have to flush this one and get back out there on Friday in Arizona and have a new competitive attitude." All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
NFL Hall of Famer reveals why he chose to join Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff
Marshall Faulk is Colorado's new running backs coach, and the Buffaloes could not ask for someone with better experience for the job. That's, of course, because this is Faulk's first coaching gig. As a player, though, there were few better than the Pro Football Hall of Famer. In 12 seasons in the NFL, he rushed 2,836 times for 12,279 yards and 100 total touchdowns. He was a league MVP, a seven-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champ. Faulk was the real deal, and now he has a chance to pass his experiences on to the running backs at Colorado. For him, it's more than just the opportunity to coach football, though. He gets to coach under Deion Sanders, whom he views as a major difference-maker for the game of football. "You guys know him in a different way than I know him," Faulk said in a recent media availability (h/t On3). "We’ve been friends for many years. We worked together in television. We always talk just about the game and probably more about kids coming up in the game. How do you affect and make sure they come into the game the right way? He’s one of those way makers. When you pay attention to kids that’s gonna leave this program and go to the next level, they’re gonna do it in a certain way and you’re gonna say, 'Wow, they were coached by a guy who understands how to get it done.' I identify with that." Colorado can certainly use Faulk's expertise heading into 2025. There are several players battling for the starting role after Isaiah Augustave transferred to South Carolina. Even then, he was Colorado's leading rusher last season while rushing for just 384 yards and four touchdowns, so it's not like the Buffs have a big gap that they're trying to replace. Dekalon Taylor transferred in from Incarnate Word, where he rushed for 909 yards and nine touchdowns last season, so he'll be a player to watch. Dallan Hayden, Micah Welch, Simeon Price and Charlie Offerdahl are also names to know. Faulk will have his work cut out for him, but he seems excited to make a difference both on and off the field for these young Buffaloes. "So coming here not just to win games on the field, but to win the game off the field, which is to make sure that these young men in life become what they want to become outside of football. They become the father that they want to be, the brother, the husband. Making sure that they do that, that’s the important part. That was attractive," he said.
Agent reveals if James Cook still wants to play for Bills amid contract saga
Running back James Cook seemingly surprised the Buffalo Bills when he changed course regarding his desire for a multi-year contract extension and stopped participating in training-camp practices as part of a hold-in. For an article published on Wednesday night, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic spoke with Zac Hiller, one of Cook’s agents, about the 25-year-old's mindset as the ball-carrier remains in the final year of his rookie deal this summer. "James Cook only wants to be a Buffalo Bill," Hiller said. "This isn’t some $200M Micah Parsons-Jerry Jones negotiation. We’re hopeful there’s a resolution soon, and we’ll keep working toward that every day." Cook previously suggested he wants to earn around $15M per season via an extension. However, that was before Kyren Williams of the Los Angeles Rams agreed to a three-year, $33M deal that included $23M in guaranteed money. While Buscaglia noted that "it’s an imperfect comparison," the perception exists that the Bills may now feel that Cook isn't worth more than $11M per year. According to StatMuse, Cook has recorded the ninth-most regular-season rushing yards (2,131) since Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. ESPN stats show that Cook, Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions finished last season leading the league with 16 rushing touchdowns each. According to Buscaglia, "there is no indication" that Buffalo will trade Cook before the upcoming season gets underway. That makes sense considering the 2025 Bills are expected to do more than simply compete for a playoff berth. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Buffalo and Baltimore tied as the betting favorites at +600 odds to win Super Bowl LX. Buscaglia added that the Bills and Cook could agree to a reworked one-year deal "with enhanced bonus incentives to potentially earn more in a single season." It's unclear how Cook would feel about punting conversations about a potential multi-year extension down the road with Buffalo's regular-season opener against Baltimore still a month away (Sept. 7). For what it's worth, ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg shared on Wednesday that Cook "is continuing to talk with the team" amid his hold-in.
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