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The Detroit Red Wings head to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs in the season finale. For both teams, this game doesn’t mean anything in the standings. The Maple Leafs are just hoping to get through it healthy before preparing for Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. As for the Red Wings, they’re just 60 minutes away from wrapping up their season and heading into the offseason.
Both sides likely hope this one resembles more of a pre-season game — low event, hitless, and drama-free.
Game Recap
The first period started exactly how you’d expect. It was slow, not very physical, and players weren’t finishing their checks like they normally would. That’s good for the players’ health — not so much for the fans watching. Around the midway point of the period, things opened up a bit and there was more end-to-end action. That led to Auston Matthews finding the back of the net to put Toronto up 1–0. But the lead didn’t last long. Just under three minutes later, Austin Watson beat Joseph Woll to tie it 1–1 before the end of the period.
The second period didn’t start well for the Maple Leafs. Early on, former Leaf Justin Holl scored from the point to give Detroit a 2–1 lead. Not long after, Alex DeBrincat scored on the power play to make it 3–1 less than seven minutes into the frame. From there, Toronto rolled more of their bottom six, kept shifts short, and looked like a team just trying to get through the game. Meanwhile, Detroit had a bit more motivation and carried their two-goal lead into the final intermission of the season.
The third played out like much of the rest of the night. About four minutes in, Philippe Myers scored a beautiful individual goal — his first since 2022 — to make it 3–2. Most of the period ticked away with Detroit defending their lead, but Toronto pressed hard in the final few minutes. With just over a minute left, the Leafs pulled their goalie and it paid off. After a strong shift of pressure, Chris Tanev buried a pass from Mitch Marner to tie it up 3–3 and send it to overtime.
In the extra frame, Matthew Knies was pushing for his 30th of the season. After a Red Wings chance, Knies carried the puck up ice and fed Dakota Mermis, who fired a shot on goal. Scott Laughton cleaned up the rebound and gave the Maple Leafs the win in their regular season finale.
What’s Next?
The Maple Leafs will start to prepare for the first round series against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. As for Detroit, their season is over. It is now on to end of year media availabilities and then it’s all over for another year.
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Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.
Top moments from 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductions
The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class had its day in Cooperstown on Sunday. This year's class included Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who were elected by the eligible voters from the Baseball Writer's Association of America, and Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Here are some of the top highlights from Sunday's induction speeches. Dave Parker's son reads poem written by Hall of Fame father Parker's induction into the Hall of Fame was long overdue, and he sadly did not have the opportunity to enjoy the moment of seeing his name in the Hall of Fame as he died June 28. That left his speech in the hands of his son, Dave Parker II, who read a poem written by his dad. Parker spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was an MVP winner, two-time batting champion and World Series champion with the 1979 "We Are Family" team. Dick Allen's wife remembers his kindness Allen was the other veterans committee inductee, and his widow, Willa Allen, spent the majority of her speech remember the kindness of Allen off the field as much as his ability on the field. Allen is going into the Hall of Fame as a Phillie but won the 1972 American League MVP with the Chicago White Sox. He led the league in OPS four times and was the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year. A reminder that Billy Wagner wasn't naturally left-handed Being left-handed is a huge advantage (and money-maker) for pitchers, and Wagner was one of the most dominant left-handed relief pitchers to ever step onto a mound in the big leagues. But he wasn't always left-handed. Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person but taught himself how to throw left-handed after fracturing his right arm twice as a kid. It led to quite a career. Wagner made a name for himself with the Houston Astros but also spent years with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. CC Sabathia takes playful dig at Ichiro Sabathia accomplished a ton in his 19-year big league career. He won 251 games, won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, was the 2009 ALCS MVP and a World Series champion. He still has apparently not gotten over the one individual award he did not win — the 2001 American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to fellow 2025 inductee Ichiro. Sabathia made sure to make a playful dig at that. Sabathia was the only American League rookie outside of Ichiro — who also won the American League MVP that year — to get a first-place vote. He received one. The others all went to Ichiro. Ichiro stole the show Ichiro stole 509 bases in his Hall of Fame career, and on Sunday, he added one more steal to his list of accomplishments by absolutely stealing the show at Cooperstown. He delivered two of the best lines of the day, first by calling out the one lone writer who did not vote for him, keeping him from being just the second unanimous Hall of Fame inductee ever (after Mariano Rivera). His best line of the day, however, might have been when he referenced his brief time as a member of the Miami Marlins toward the end of his career. Ichiro played 14 of his 19 seasons with the Seattle Mariners while also spending time with the Marlins and Yankees.
Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Atlanta Braves Acquire Starting Pitcher Carlos Carrasco From New York Yankees
The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran Starting Pitcher Carlos Carrasco from the New York Yankees on Monday. New York received cash in the transaction. The veteran starting pitcher, 38, was not at the top of his game in The Bronx. He was 2-2 with a 5.91 ERA. Carrasco pitched better in AAA with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Will he regain his form as a member of the Atlanta Braves? How Will Carrasco Fit With the Atlanta Braves? This season has not gone according to plan for the Atlanta Braves. They are in fourth place in the National League East. Atlanta entered the year with playoff aspirations and has fallen short. Carrasco will help shore up an injury-riddled pitching staff. Starting Pitchers Grant Holmes, Chris Sale, and Spencer Schwellenbach are all currently on the IL. The injuries on the mound have hurt the team’s statistics. They are 20th in team ERA, 12th in opposing batting average, and 16th in WHIP. If the Braves do not get their pitchers back, a terrible season will only get worse. Final Thoughts It is unclear what role Carrasco will have with the Atlanta Braves. Whenever he gets called up, he will look to pitch well. If he does not, his MLB career could be nearing its expiration date.
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