
Will Alexandre Carrier be able to play in Washington on Wednesday? Who knows.
The Habs won’t be practicing today, and it’s safe to assume that Martin St-Louis, when he speaks to the media, won’t provide a medical update on his right-handed defenseman.
I have a feeling it’ll be a relatively long time before we know more. And if that’s the case, it will open the door to speculation.
If Carrier can play, it’s safe to assume that the defensive corps won’t change for the next game – unless Arber Xhekaj is forced to make way for Jayden Struble.
But what if Carrier can’t play?
Even without a recall, the CH could send Kaiden Guhle alongside Mike Matheson and insert Jayden Struble with Lane Hutson on the team’s defensive top-4.
But will the CH want five left-handers – everyone except David Savard – in uniform? In the playoffs, will the Habs want to do what they’ve sometimes done this season: go on the road with no extra at the blue line?
We don’t know… but we doubt it.
That’s why the door is open right now for the CH to recall a defenseman. We don’t know if all the Rocket guys jumped on the bus this morning to go to Cleveland…
I haven’t seen the players. I’m on the staff bus.
– Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) April 28, 2025
Right now, if there were to be a recall, the names of David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux, two right-handers and two first-round picks of the Canadiens, come up quite often.
Especially the European.
Reinbacher time.
– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) April 28, 2025
QUESTION OF THE DAY IN THE MORNING CLUB:
If Alexandre Carrier is unable to play the next game, the defensive brigade will have only one right-hander: David Savard. What would be your approach?
#question #clubdumatin #hockey #canadiens #playoffs #capitals
– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) April 28, 2025
With Alex Carrier not finishing last night’s game, I’d be very interested to see what the Canadiens do. Could we see David Reinbacher get a call-up to travel with the team to Washington?
Laval Rocket opens their series against the Cleveland Monsters in Cleveland the same night.
– Marco D’Amico (@mndamico) April 28, 2025
I don’t think the Habs want to bring on David Reinbacher right now, whose knee has been playing tricks on him since he returned to action a few months ago.
I think it would be too much pressure… especially for a defenseman.
Renaud Lavoie talked about it this morning on BPM Sports: he doesn’t expect Reinbacher to play for the CH. The club wants to be careful with him, and that’s normal.
In his eyes, if need be, Struble will come in, and that’s that.
– The finalists for the Vézina.
2025 Vezina Trophy finalists, as voted by #NHL GMs: Connor Hellebuyck (WPG), Darcy Kuemper (LAK) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL). pic.twitter.com/u60QfLTzaF
– Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 28, 2025
– Does the CH still have gas in the tank? [JdeM]
– Maple Leafs captain at rest this morning.
Auston Matthews is taking practice off to rest today, per Leafs.
– luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 28, 2025
– Obviously.
Nothing new under the sun, Dodgers rotation depth will be tested. https://t.co/XOwQJZRiT5
– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) April 28, 2025
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The Red Wings have had no problem embracing the youth movement. With the addition of Danielson to the team, it seems all the high draft picks have gotten their look. If Detroit is still looking at Grand Rapids to inject some help into this team, who else is going to get a look on this roster? Amadeus Lombardi: 5’11” 183lbs C/LW, 11GP 2G 11A 13P I’ve written before that Detroit has a problem on their hands with Lombardi. He’s clearly graduated above the AHL level. He had 19 goals and 40 points in 44 games last season and tore up the development camp against Dallas. The question of Lombardi is if his game will translate to the NHL. Being a sub-six-foot centre in the NHL is already a bad start, but he can easily flex to the wing. However, Lombardi’s game depends on his hands and skill, and while he has a lot of it, finesse isn’t typically the most dependable skill. Better defensemen, less time, and more pressure are harder to deke your way through. Lombardi is a gifted player, and if he gets hot, he can be a really solid bottom 9 producer. If his physical game can adapt, he could be the depth scorer the Red Wings have needed for years. Carter Mazur: 6’0″ 196lbs LW, 5GP 4G 2A 6P Mazur is still recovering from an injury. Unfortunately, that seems to be common for Carter Mazur. The oft-injured winger got a brief look at the NHL last season, until he got injured less than five minutes into his NHL debut. It leaves you wondering when Mazur will join the roster. The aggressive junk-yard dog style that Mazur plays is perfect for the Red Wings bottom six. He could be the Justin Abdelkader of this coming team, hopefully on a cheaper contract. Sebastian Cossa: 6’6″ 209lbs G, .939% 1.75GAA Cossa can’t let in a goal right now. Cossa is 4-0-0 in Grand Rapids right now; however, he is unfortunately hurt. Given John Gibson playing poorly and Cam Talbot nearing the end of his Red Wings tenure, Sebastian Cossa is due to get some looks, and his numbers in Grand Rapids suggest that should be sooner rather than later. The Red Wings aren’t afraid to play three goalies, and Cossa might force their hand. More to Read: Top 10 Red Wings Prospects Detroit Red Wings: Deal or No Deal pt. 2
Scott McTominay’s reinvention since leaving Manchester United has been one of the major stories of the last 18 months in European football. The midfielder has managed, in a single season, to transform himself into the driving force of the Napoli side that went on to win Serie A and restore their status among Italy’s elite. Having swapped Old Trafford for the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in 2024, he quickly became a focal point in Antonio Conte’s system and finished his debut campaign as the league’s Most Valuable Player after steering Napoli to the title. McTominay made 36 appearances for Napoli in 2024/25, scoring 13 goals and registering four assists, comfortably the best return of his senior career, sealing a Ballon d’Or nomination. However, this season has been more challenging for the Scotland international. Opposition sides have clearly adjusted to his late runs and aerial presence, while Napoli themselves have not found the same rhythm. McTominay has still chipped in with goals, but with only a handful of strikes so far and more time spent shuttling between roles than dominating games. Unfortunately it seems the form that lit up Italy has been harder to rediscover, a trend that had also been visible with Scotland after Euro 2024. That backdrop is what made Tuesday night at Hampden so significant. With Scotland needing to beat Denmark to leapfrog them and reach the 2026 World Cup, Steve Clarke’s side arrived into a tense, almost wary atmosphere. However, Scott McTominay took matters into his own hands, opening the scoring inside three minutes. Attacking a cross from Ben Gannon-Doak, the former United midfielder adjusted his body and sent an acrobatic overhead effort skidding into the bottom corner. The finish instantly shifted the mood inside Hampden and reminded everyone why Napoli built their title-winning midfield around him. He raced towards the main stand, arms outstretched, as team-mates piled in behind him and the stadium erupted. The Herald’s reaction to the goal described it as a goal: “which will live long in the memory of everyone who was fortunate enough to witness it”. However, from there, Scotland were forced to suffer. A lengthy VAR check eventually handed Denmark a penalty, converted by Rasmus Hojlund, before the visitors went down to ten men and the game descended into chaos. Lawrence Shankland, Patrick Dorgu, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean traded goals in a breathless finale that finally ended 4-2 to Clarke’s side. For Scotland, the result ends 28 years of waiting and confirms their place at a World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, with Clarke writing himself into national folklore. For Scott McTominay, it is another landmark in a career that, unfortunately for Manchester United fans, has accelerated since leaving Old Trafford.
The Ole Miss Rebels reportedly gave head coach Lane Kiffin a deadline of Nov. 28 to decide whether he wants to stay with the school. That was news to him. On Tuesday, Kiffin joined "The Pat McAfee Show" to discuss his future. The coach is widely considered a top candidate for the head-coaching jobs with the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators. He denied that Ole Miss gave him an ultimatum, which Stewart Mandel of The Athletic first reported. Lane Kiffin calls report false "That's absolutely not true," Kiffin said. "There hasn't been anything like that at all. And so, I don't know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there." After denying the report, Kiffin reiterated how much he loves Oxford and said he's ecstatic the team is in the thick of the College Football Playoff Hunt. As of Tuesday, ESPN's Football Power Index gives the 10-1 Rebels an 89.1% chance to make the CFP, the third-best odds in the SEC behind the Georgia Bulldogs (9-1) and Texas A M Aggies (10-0). "Like I said, man, we're having a blast," he said. "It just couldn't be better. Like I said, you pray for things. Our fans prayed for this type of thing, and now we're in the middle of it. So, enjoy it." Is Lane Kiffin telling the truth? While the school may not have issued an ultimatum, ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported that Ole Miss is "pressing" Kiffin and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, to inform the school of his decision soon. Schlabach added that Rebels athletic director Keith Carter wants to know his plans by this upcoming weekend. Kiffin may be able to provide an answer soon. He has reportedly met with Florida and LSU. Kiffin may ultimately stay with Ole Miss, where he has compiled a 54-19 record in six seasons. He's already making $9M this season, and the Rebels are reportedly willing to match contract offers from LSU and Florida. Still, Kiffin should make it clear what he wants to do soon. The Rebels host the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-6) in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28. He doesn't want rumors about his future to distract his team, especially when it can get even closer to securing the school's first CFP berth in the upcoming rivalry game.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler became the center of attention on Tuesday night after a brief exchange with teammate Buddy Hield during their game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. The moment happened in the final seconds of the first quarter when Butler attempted to pass to Hield as he cut toward the basket. Hield did not secure the pass, and the ball was stolen by Desmond Bane, who scored a layup on the other end. During a play pause, Butler looked at Hield and said, “I’m never passing you the ball again.” “Don’t be like that,” Hield answered. The interaction was recorded and later posted by the Warriors on NBCS on X, causing the clip to spread quickly on social media. The short exchange drew reactions from fans who viewed the video. One commented that Butler “might be serious lol.” “Jimmy doesn’t play. He means business,” a commenter noticed. A viewer pointed out how quick the two teammates were to challenge each other, saying they seemed “ruthless to each other even on the court.” "Why did he lowkey look serious that time," asked another. “Lmao cmon Jimmy that was a high pass,” one argued. “I love this team lmfaoooo,” another fan simply stated after seeing the interaction. Warriors Bench Produces Only 22 Points in 121–113 Loss While the Butler–Hield clip gained attention, the Warriors faced larger issues during the game. Golden State lost to Orlando, 121–113, marking the end of their attempt to extend a three-game winning streak. One of the main concerns was bench production. The Magic’s reserves scored 35 points, including 21 from Anthony Black, while the Warriors’ bench totaled 22 points on 8-of-23 shooting. Buddy Hield, one of Golden State’s most relied-upon bench scorers, finished with two points in 15 minutes and recorded a minus-5 in plus-minus. Hield has struggled to find a consistent rhythm during the early part of the 2025-26 season. Since scoring 17 points on opening night, he has shot 40.8 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from three. He has reached double-figure scoring only three times this season. Steph Curry led the Warriors with 34 points, including 5-of-7 shooting from three. Butler added 33 points, four rebounds and three assists. Draymond Green provided 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and two blocks. The Warriors committed 18 turnovers, with their three veteran starters responsible for 11 of them. Butler and Hield Have Ongoing Friendly Back-and-Forth Butler’s message to Hield was consistent with the friendly exchanges the pair have shown publicly since Butler arrived in Golden State in a midseason trade in February. Both players regularly joke with each other during games and interviews. Their interactions have been compared to a “buddy-cop” style partnership, and video moments like Tuesday’s have continued that pattern. In this instance, the comment came directly after a costly turnover, but there was no additional confrontation between the two players. They continued playing normally for the remainder of the game.



