I’ll start this article with what I wrote on Friday after the Rangers scored one measly goal in a crushing overtime defeat in Toronto: Well, at least they scored a goal.

Last night, the Rangers scored their first home ice goal of the season. Thank goodness. Fans were beginning to forget what the goal song sounds like.

For once, the Rangers looked like the Rangers. That is not to say the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy-winning team is back, but this was the most energizing Rangers win since that season. Trailing 2-0 early to the Montreal Canadiens did not fluster the Rangers, as they came back to win 4-3.

With the win, the Rangers wiped away a three-game losing streak, which included two straight shutout losses and a 2-1 overtime loss. The most important thing about Saturday’s game was who scored for the Rangers. Mika Zibanejad’s vintage one-timer – the one he’s been whiffing on for years – found the net at 8:44 in the third period. The same shot cost the Rangers a win on Thursday, but it yielded a goal on Saturday against Montreal’s struggling goalie, Sam Montembeault.

Well… at least they scored a goal.

Last night in Toronto, the Rangers lost 2-1 in overtime to the Maple Leafs. New York continued to defend well throughout regulation time, especially in their own zone, but when it came to scoring goals, they looked sloppy. They couldn’t light the lamp until the third period.

The rookies changed Big Blue’s narrative last Thursday night. Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo are the future Giants fans have been dreaming of for years. There is something special about this duo, and their exceptional performances helped the Giants win a meaningful game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It didn’t feel like it was the Giants playing on Thursday. That’s how well they performed. Powered by Skattebo’s trio of touchdowns, Dart’s pair, and some sensational defense, the Giants squashed Philadelphia 34-17. They held Saquon Barkley to 58 yards and held the Eagles scoreless in the entire second half.

“It was Eagles vs. Giants tonight,” Skattebo proclaimed. “It wasn’t Skatt vs. Saquon.”

With a 2-0 loss to Edmonton last night, the New York Rangers – the Boo Shirts of Broadway – are the first team in NHL history to open their season with three straight home shutout losses.

Despite their scoreless streak on Garden ice, the Rangers have been playing a higher quality of hockey than they did at any point last season. The new coaching staff, led by head coach Mike Sullivan, has reminded this club about the importance of two-way hockey. That is, being able to sustain a high level of offense while remembering to get back on defense.

The all-too-obvious bottom line for the Boys in Blue is that after skating 120 on home ice this season, they have yet to score a goal. They scored 10 combined goals in Buffalo and Pittsburgh, but they have not tackled Garden ice.

Despite a 1-0 loss at home last night, though, the Rangers played their best game of the season. Unlike last year, when a 1-0 shutout almost resulted from an offensive dud, a shorthanded group of Rangers outshot the reigning division champion Capitals 35-21.

Last night in Western New York, the Rangers did the best thing a team can do after getting shut out: They recorded a shutout of their own, beating the Buffalo Sabres 4-0.

Powered by Igor Shesterkin’s illustrious net-minding, in which he made 37 saves, the Rangers got their first win of the season, and Mike Sullivan’s first as head coach. Despite getting outshot 37-33, the Rangers generated more scoring chances than Buffalo while killing all four penalties they received.

Dear hope,

Thank you for being born. Thank you for giving us a week of your time. I know how difficult it must have been for you to visit the New York Giants, a once-respected franchise that has become the joke of the NFL. I know your power can only extend so far, and once the Giants committed their fifth turnover on Sunday, you had to catch a plane to Buffalo. I hope the Patriots enjoy you as much as we did for one week in New York.

For as bad as the Giants are, and as disappointing as their 14-26 Week 5 loss to the New Orleans Saints was, the then-worst team in the NFL, it feels like this Giants team has the pieces to be successful. It’s their coaching staff that isn’t good enough, from Brian Daboll to Mike Kafka to Shane Bowen.

It’s still unclear what the 100th season of New York Rangers hockey will bring, but a 3-0 shutout is not the ideal way for the Rangers to start their season. This is the second straight Opening Night shutout loss for the new Rangers’ head coach, Mike Sullivan. Last year, he underwent the opposite result, with the Rangers shutting out his Penguins in Pittsburgh.

“I think my first observation is we’ve got a long way to go to become the team we want to become,” said Sullivan. “I thought we had moments in the game where we were playing the game that we envision that we can play more consistently, but it’s not nearly consistent enough.”

You can only fend off elimination for so long before it beats you. The 2025 New York Yankees fell 5-2 to the Blue Jays tonight, and their season is over. For the 16th consecutive year, the Yankees have failed to win the World Series.

This is the hardest part of the season. Writing about an elimination game. It’s an incredibly difficult fate to accept, especially for a team like the 2025 New York Yankees that had so much promise.

Last night was magical, but the Yankees’ backs are still very much against the wall tonight in Game 4 at 7:08 PM (6:08 PM CDT) (FS1, FOXONE). Will there be more fireworks in the Bronx, or will the Yankees’ season end?

The Yankees will send their rookie righty Cam Schlittler (4-3, 2.96 ERA, 75 K) to the mound tonight as he looks to match the eight scoreless innings he posted against Boston last Thursday. Schlittler has his work cut out for him, though, because the last time he faced the Blue Jays, they forced him out of the game in less than two innings.

For years and years, Yankees fans have waited for this moment. For Aaron Judge’s moment. For the captain to come up clutch in a high-leverage postseason situation. Last night, King Judge launched a 100-mph fastball toward left field, and it kept climbing higher as it soared down the left field line. It looked like it was going to hook foul, but then it “doinked” off the foul pole for a three-run home run. Suddenly, the Yankees had transformed a 6-1 deficit into a tie game.

“I guess a couple of ghosts out there helped kind of keep that fair,” Judge said. His doink highlighted a memorable October night for the Bombers.

This season has been filled with promise and championship expectations. On paper, this Yankees roster is the most well-rounded since the 2009 World Championship team. But here they are, the 2025 Yankees, with their backs against the wall for the third time this postseason.

Will they be able to survive another day?

It’s been nearly six months, but New York Rangers hockey is back! This season, the Rangers will be celebrating their centennial anniversary.

Last month, the Rangers named JT Miller to the role of captain. After things ended badly with Jacob Trouba last year, the Rangers’ locker room was in disarray. Now, the coaching staff has been revitalized, with Mike Sullivan at the helm and David Quinn, Joe Sacco, and Ty Hennes by his side.

It feels like the New York Yankees are incapable of matching the Toronto Blue Jays’ insatiable desire to win. Their offense is relentless. They don’t strike out, and they come up clutch in the biggest moments. Plus, their pitching is sensational. All they do is strike the Yankees out.

With a 13-7 Game 2 loss in Toronto, the Yankees are facing elimination in a second straight series this postseason. And this time, it doesn’t feel like they have a chance to come back and win.

The last thing the Yankees need is to return to the Bronx facing elimination. Today, all the pressure is on the lefty ace Max Fried, who has been the stopper of the Yankees’ dreams all season. Despite six scoreless innings against Boston on Tuesday, though, the Yankees couldn’t get the win. Today, with a depleted bullpen, another six silent frames from Fried might not be enough for the Yankees.

Up to this point in his career, Max Fried’s postseason stats are not anything to write home about. But he did have that sensational start in the 2021 World Series in which he threw six scoreless innings to help the Atlanta Braves win the Commissioner’s Trophy.

The Yankees must hope Max Fried will give them length when he starts Game 2, because Game 1 was a disaster. The Yankees allowed 10 runs to the Toronto Blue Jays on 14 hits, and after Luis Gil got pulled in the third inning, the Yankees’ bullpen caved in. The Blue Jays’ win marked their first in the playoffs in nine years, and they showcased their dominance over the Yankees.

Aaron Boone’s decision to pull Gil early forced him to exhaust his bullpen. Gil had allowed a couple of solo home runs to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – his first homer since September 5 – and Alejandro Kirk, so his struggles on the mound were evident. However, he was locating his pitches much better in the third inning, and he was finally generating lateral movement on his slider. Then, with two outs in the third inning, he gave up a single to Guerrero, which ended his afternoon at 48 pitches.

It was Cam Schlittler’s destiny to beat the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. It was his destiny to put his teammates on his back. It was his destiny not just to beat Boston, but to dominate their entire lineup through eight scoreless innings.

With a 4-0 win in the decisive game of their Wild Card series, the Yankees have advanced to the ALDS. They are the first team in the current MLB Wild Card format to win their series after dropping the first game, and this victory snapped a three-game playoff series losing streak to Boston dating back to 2003.

Through his eight spectacular innings in just his 15th career start, Schlittler struck out 12 batters without allowing a single walk. Miraculously, he posted a better stat line than Garrett Crochet, who allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings in Game 1. The Red Sox weren’t ready for Schlittler’s firepower, and the rookie starter became the first MLB pitcher in postseason history ever to toss eight or more scoreless frames while walking 12 batters without issuing a walk. And he averaged 99 mph on his fastball and sinker.

“A star was born tonight,” manager Aaron Boone proclaimed.

It’s October 1, and the Yankees’ backs are already against the wall. They are facing elimination tonight as they host the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of the 2025 MLB Wild Card series (6:08 PM ET, ESPN).

“We’re going to keep playing our game,” Aaron Judge proclaimed.

Garrett Crochet limited the Yankees’ lineup to one run yesterday, a home run by Anthony Volpe, as he shoved 7 2/3 innings of four-hit baseball while striking out 11 batters and never allowing a walk. The Yankees’ offense is due to break out against righty Brayan Bello tonight, especially after leaving the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of last night’s ninth inning.

All the excitement.

All the anticipation.

Yankees-Red Sox. The greatest rivalry in sports.

The rivalry certainly benefited the Red Sox last night, but not the Yankees, who wasted 6 1/3 scoreless innings from Max Fried as they blew a 1-0 lead to Garrett Crochet, Aroldis Chapman, and the Boston Red Sox. The final score was 3-1, Boston. Now, the Yankees are facing elimination and the harsh reality that, in the current best-of-three MLB Wild Card series format, no team has ever recovered after losing the first game.