After Tuesday's game was rained out, the Braves will (weather permitting) close out their 2026 slate of Mets road games with a Wednesday doubleheader which is scheduled to begin at 1:10 p.m. ET.
AJ Smith-Shawver is set to make his season debut at the major league level for the Braves after completing his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery the last few weeks with five outings across Single-A Augusta and Triple-A Gwinnett.
The Braves are largely keeping the same lineup from Monday's series-opening loss, making just one change in the lineup. Mauricio Dubón will play shortstop and hit sixth, while Eli White takes his typical place in left, likely because Atlanta doesn't want Jim Jarvis to play both full halves of a doubleheader.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is back atop the lineup for the second straight game, and Joey Bart is catching the second straight game to divide those duties similarly across the two-game day.
The Juan Soto-less Mets are not playing Luis Robert Jr. — somewhat recently back from an extended IL stint — in the first half of the doubleheader. Carson Benge replaces him in the lineup while A.J. Ewing will hold down his center field spot.

#Braves #second

Braves insider says bringing Ha-Seong Kim back will create a disconnect within the clubhouse originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves have some important decisions to make in the near future. Ronald Acuña Jr. is nearing a return from his second hamstring injury of the season, which will force the team to make some difficult roster decisions.
The Braves have players such as Brewer Hicklen, Dom Smith, and Jorge Mateo who could be on the chopping block. However, it cannot be forgotten that Ha-Seong Kim is also nearing a return.
“Not far behind the former MVP is the $20 million shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. We all know the story of Kim's struggles thus far in 2026, but reports out of Gwinnett mention HSK is finding more consistent hard contact during his rehab outing,” HTHB’s Chase Owens wrote.
While Kim has been sidelined, the legend of Jim Jarvis has continued to grow in Atlanta. This time last year, the Braves acquired Jarvis in a move that did not seem significant at the time. Now, he has emerged as a legitimate challenge to Kim for playing time.

#Braves #nearing

The Tennessee **** ans will officially begin training camp on July 28th when the veterans report to Vanderbilt Health Football Camp in Nashville. We’re concluding our positional preview with the secondary, cornerbacks and safeties. The **** ans have 17 defensive backs on the offseason roster. General manager Mike Borgonzi made various acquisitions across these positions.
In camp (17): Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott, Amani Hooker, Kevin Winston Jr., Marcus Harris, Tony Adams, Joshua Williams, Jerrick Reed II, Jalen McMurray, Latrell McCutchin, Jeadyn Lukus, Kendell Brooks, Sanoussi Kane, Erick Hallett II, Bishop Fitzgerald, Keydrain Calligan, Micah Robinson.
Biggest storyline: The **** ans totally revamped the cornerback room, signing Alontae Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott to very lucrative contracts in free agency. They’ll be tasked with being Robert Saleh’s starting boundary corners. This position needed a makeover after trading Jarvis Brownlee and Roger McCreary, and cutting L’Jarius Sneed. Expectations are high for Taylor and Flott.
Most to prove: Both Kevin Winston Jr. and Marcus Harris are sophomores entering the year in starting roles. The **** ans cut Xavier Woods during the offseason to make room for Winston in the starting lineup opposite Amani Hooker. Harris doesn’t appear to have any competition for the nickel role either.
Breakout star: Winston Jr. is probably the correct choice. The former Penn State standout flashed an exciting skill set when he was healthy as a rookie. Winston is entering camp fully available and should make a massive impact next to Hooker in the lineup. He possesses every trait to be a breakout defender.

#Titans #camp #taylor #dale

ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Jim Jarvis drilled a run-scoring double into the right-field corner to give Atlanta the lead in a six-run eighth inning and the Braves survived a ninth-inning scare to beat the San Diego Padres 7-6 on Wednesday night.
With one out in the eighth, Mauricio Dubón singled off left-hander Wandy Peralta (1-1). Jarvis followed with the double that allowed Dubón to score from first base for a 2-1 lead.
Brewer Hicklen drove in Jarvis with a double to left field. Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Dominic Smith added run-scoring singles off Randy Vásquez. The Braves collected seven of their 14 hits in the inning.
Right-hander Víctor Mederos gave up a run-scoring single to Gavin Sheets and a two-run triple to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth. Raisel Iglesias gave up a two-run homer to Luis Rengifo before recording the final two outs for his 20th save.
Dylan Lee (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth.

#jarvis #atlanta #field #lead

Today could be the start of a beginning for the Atlanta Braves, as this game will close out the first half of the season before going into the All-Star break. JR Ritchie was originally set to take the mound today, but Danny Young (2.70 ERA) was just recently added in to replace him at the last minute. And we have a few roster adjustments made to close out the series against the St. Luis Cardinals.
Drake Baldwin will be leading off, moving Michael Harris II down to the fourth batting spot. Brewer Hicklen (.398 OPS) will be taking over right field and batting ninth. Jim Jarvis is back to occupy shortstop, while Dominic Smith will be batting sixth as the designated hitter for the day.
Jarvis, Austin Riley and Smith all average above a 2.000 OPS and .500-plus batting average against Cardinals' Dustin May, and with his recent on-and-off-again struggles to retire his opponents early while landing his pitches in the zone, this could work in the Braves' favor if their bats decide to wake up today.
This was already expected to be an unexpected matchup with Ritchie on the mound, but with a late scratch and adding Young, who has only pitched four games this season, with one loss attributed to him, it's even more of a toss-up.
The Braves are looking to avoid a sweep and end on a high note despite the series' loss, and the Cardinals are looking for their first sweep since the beginning of June.

If a loss happens on Apple TV (and after midnight), did it really ever happen?
The bullpen choices of Walt Weiss are unknowable, but the lineup is largely predictable. For tonight’s contest, he’s running with the same 1-5 as last night. Drake Baldwin remains in the cleanup spot but will DH. Joey Bart, the only Brave to have a homer off Matthew Liberatore in seven plate appearances, will catch for Reynaldo López and bat eighth. Austin Riley moves up a spot to hit sixth. Jorge Mateo gets the start over Jim Jarvis in the nine-hole and at shortshop.
Mike Yastrzemski was going to sit in favor of Eli White anyway versus the lefty Liberatore, but he has been swinging it well in the month of July. Unfortunately, the baseball gods have come to collect. His left elbow inflammation has landed him on the IL in a host of roster moves announced this afternoon.
TL;DR:
IL: Yaz

Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-sealing grand slam in the ninth inning, Matt Olson hit a first-inning home run while tying the franchise record for consecutive games played and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-5 on Thursday.
The Braves were leading 6-5 when Yastrzemski connected off Dennis Santana for his third career slam.
Olson’s homer was a solo shot and his 25th season, opening the scoring. The first baseman played in his 740th straight game, going back to the start of the 2022 season, and tied the mark set by Dale Murphy from 1982-86.
Atlanta’s Jim Jarvis hit his first career home run, connecting for a two-run blast off Cam Sanders in a three-run fourth inning that extended the lead to 6-2. The rookie shortstop had three hits.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez hit back-to-back homers in the third to cut the Braves’ lead to 3-2. Jake Mangum had four hits and three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fourth that brought the Pirates to 6-4 and an RBI double in the sixth that made it a one-run game.

The Atlanta Braves traveled to PNC Park in hopes of picking up a much needed win after two heartbreaking losses in a row. Hurston Waldrep made his second start of season for the Braves and Paul Skenes was on the mound hoping to rebound from the worst stretch of his young career.
The Braves got on the board first when Matt Olson hit a double and Mauricio Dubón hit a sharp single to center field to make the score 1-0, but that was the only offense for the Braves outside of a Baldwin walk. Things went south shortly after that. Waldrep hit the first batter he faced, then Lowe, who hit a HR against Waldrep last time they faced off, hit a single. Waldrep then walked Reynolds to load the bases with zero outs. After Valdez struck out, Ryan O’Hearn then wasted no time and blew the game wide open with a grand slam to put the Pirates up by three. Gonzales also singled which prompted a mound visit. Waldrep finally was able to get the final two outs of the first inning after that.
In the second inning, the offense went just as you might expect with the bottom of the order. Riley and Jarvis both struck out, and Yastrzemski flied out. Waldrep looked to have settled down in the bottom of the second. He was able to induce a pop up followed by two groundouts.
The Braves struck again in the third inning to put them within two runs when Harris hit a double followed by an Albies single that scored Harris. That would be the only offense in the third though as Skenes retired the next three hitters. The third inning for Waldrep was almost identical to the first. He walked Reynolds, then gave up a single to Valdez, and then O’Hearn took him deep yet again to make the score 2-7 for the Pirates. O’Hearn had seven RBI in three innings. Waldrep then got two groundouts but then struggled a bit again when he Triolo singled followed by a Davis walk. After yet another mound visit Waldrep got the final out of the third with another groundout.
The fourth inning saw the bottom of the Braves order again. Smith popped out, but Riley was able to get a single, but that momentum was squashed when Yastrzemski hit into a double play to end the top of the inning. Waldrep stayed in the game for the fourth inning. He was able to strike out Lowe but then walked the next two hitters he faced which finally got him pulled for newly promoted Connor Thomas. Waldrep ended his night with seven earned runs on six hits to include two HRs, five walks, and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched. Thomas then forced two groundouts to end the inning.

Of the 32 NHL teams, several front offices stand out amongst the rest. These organizations consistently make moves to put their teams in positions to contend for a Stanley Cup. Their general managers are bold, gambling and winning through free agency, trades and the NHL Draft.
It should be no surprise that these teams are the cream of the crop in the current NHL. Some of these teams also have a leg up in attracting free agents due to state income tax laws, weather or the fun of the city.
But success, whether through skill or luck, and being born on third base, are part of life, and thus part of hockey. It’s impossible to exclude these factors. In this sense, sports have never been fair. But this list will be as fair as it gets.
The Hurricanes made a number of moves in the past 15 years that set them up for long-term success. They drafted Jaccob Slavin, a defensive cornerstone, in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Draft. They drafted a steal in Sebastian Aho in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Then they selected Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
Arguably, their best decision was signing Rod Brind’Amour as their coach in 2018. They haven’t missed the playoffs since and have one Stanley Cup from this year to show for it. Brind’Amour has them use an aggressive forecheck and pepper the opposing goalie with shots, a playstyle that has proven effective 90% of the time.

A.J. Ewing – CF
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Lindor – DH
Carson Benge – RF
Jared Young – 1B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Brett Baty – 2B
Ronny Mauricio – SS
SP: Freddy Peralta – RHP
Michael Harris – CF
Ozzie Albies – 2B
Matt Olson – 1B
Drake Baldwin – C
Mauricio Dubón – LF
Dominic Smith – DH
Austin Riley – 3B
Mike Yastrzemski – RF
Jim Jarvis – SS
SP: Reynaldo López – RHP
First pitch: 7:15 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

ISKA Muay Thai World Champion Charlie Guest just announced himself to the world on the global stage of ONE Championship. At the FIFA World Cup 2026, he believes England are ready to write their own chapter.
The 30-year-old opened his promotional account in style at ONE Fight Night 44: Jarvis vs. Rungrawee II on Prime Video on Friday, June 26, stopping Sam Fitzgerald via second-round TKO in Bangkok's iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
For a proud Englishman with football in his blood, the debut was only one of two major storylines dominating his summer.
England have not lifted the FIFA World Cup since 1966, when Alf Ramsey's side beat West Germany 4-2 in Wembley. Six decades on, Thomas Tuchel's "Three Lions" are alive and kicking at the 2026 edition. Guest has been following every step of it from afar, and liking what he sees.
He shared:

The Atlanta Braves have made handful of moves this July 4th, with the team placing struggling shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the injured list with right middle finger inflammation. Taking his place on the roster is utility man Kyle Farmer, who was activated from the IL.
Additionally, the team re-called pitcher JR Ritchie and opted reliever Anthony Molina back to Gwinnett.
Kim’s roster spot has become increasingly precarious as his struggled continued to mount after a late start to the season. He’s hit an unfathomable .239 OPS in 27 games with Atlanta. Shortstop Jim Jarvis was recalled from Gwinnett and started in his first game in Atlanta, with Jorge Mateo getting the call at short in last night’s contest.
Farmer, who saw limited action earlier this season on the end of Atlanta’s bench, does give the team roster flexibility with his ability to play infield, outfield and catch – something he worked on while rehabbing. His ability to the the team’s 3rd catcher – he spend time behind the plate early in his MLB career – provides late-inning flexibility.
Ritchie returns as a rotation and long-man in the bullpen option, but doesn’t resolve the team’s bullpen issues, which is short at least one dedicated reliever. Molina has pitched three times for Atlanta in 2026.

We’re just under an hour away from first pitch at Truist Park and there’s going to be a bit of a new look both on the mound and out in the field for the third game of this series between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals. Hurston Waldrep is set to make his first start of the season and Jim Jarvis is in the lineup and starting at shortstop for Atlanta.
Walt Weiss spoke with the media ahead of tonight’s contest and as you can imagine, those two aforementioned players were certainly the topic of conversation and people of interest in the run-up to Thursday night’s game.
Walt Weiss told the media that he’s expecting something like 70-to-around-80-or-so pitches from Waldrep tonight. He described his expectations as “hopefully similar to what we got last night from [Reynaldo López].” López threw 69 pitches and tossed five innings with the Cardinals scoring their lone run of the night in the first inning. Anything similar to that would be greatly appreciated and Weiss said that he’s really “looking forward to it. [Waldrep] was dominant at times last year…it’s good to have him back in the mix here.
“A baseball-y player, to use a common term,” is how Walt Weiss described having Jim Jarvis in the fold. “He’s got a good bat. He’s a little different from all the other players in the lineup to where he wants to go deep into counts and draw walks.”
Weiss continued to discuss how he was looking forward to utilizing his starting shortstop for the rubber match against the Cardinals by going into his versatility. “He can hit too,” continued Weiss. He’s having a nice year at Triple-A. He defends well and he’s got a good arm. He runs pretty well. It’s nice having another left-handed bat against a tough righty like [Cardinals starter] Dustin May. It’s nice to have that option as a left-handed option. The shortstop thing will be day-to-day but he’s nice to have.”

Braves DFA 9-year veteran, recall 25-year-old infielder before Cardinals game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves are currently taking on the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series. On Thursday, it will be a rubber match between the two squads, with the Braves desperately needing a series win.
Before the series finale, the Braves are making a pair of roster moves. First, Atlanta is designating Rowdy Tellez for ****** ignment and also recalling infielder Jim Jarvis.
The Braves X account wrote (on Thursday morning):
"The #Braves today recalled INF Jim Jarvis to Atlanta and designated INF Rowdy Tellez for ****** ignment."

Playing his first world-ranked tournament in nearly six years, Brad Dalke opened the DP World Tour’s BMW International Open with a 3-under 69 on Thursday in Munich.
Dalke, the 28-year-old former prodigy turned YouTuber, is five shots off the lead, which is shared by Jayden Schaper and Hennie du Plessis, though Dalke sits comfortably inside the cut line thanks to four birdies in his first 12 holes and some clutch par saves late.
Dalke’s opening round at Golfclub München Eichenried nearly included a hole-in-one on the par-3 second hole, where Dalke’s tee shot from 230 yards just missed the right side of the cup before settling a few feet past. He added a couple birdie tap-ins at the par-4 ninth and par-5 11th holes before draining a 34-footer for birdie at the par-3 12th.
After a bogey at the par-4 14th, Dalke got a 30-foot par save to fall at the par-4 15th. He then got up and down for par from right of the right greenside bunker at the par-3 17th, rolling in a 15-footer in the process. He rinsed his final tee shot at the par-5 18th before hitting his third shot to 70 yards and leaving himself just 3 feet for par, which he converted.
Dalke's 69 bested the likes of Sergio Garcia (71), Casey Jarvis (71), Patrick Reed (72) and Eugenio Chacarra (72), among others.

George “G-Unit” Jarvis didn’t just solidify his status as the premier lightweight Muay Thai challenger in ONE Championship this past weekend — he sent a thunderous message straight to the top of the mountain.
The British powerhouse emphatically silenced the Thai crowd at ONE Fight Night 44 on Prime Video, overcoming an early scare to uncork a spectacular second-round left hook knockout against Rungrawee “Legatron” Sitsongpeenong.
The high-stakes rematch headlined a thrilling night of action in U.S. primetime, broadcasting live from within the historic walls of Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
With the win, Jarvis put a definitive exclamation point on their rivalry and proved that his initial victory over the Sitsongpeenong representative was no fluke. However, the path to the highlight-reel finish required the Englishman to show the true depth of his resolve early on.
In the opening round, a perfectly timed shot from Rungrawee sent Jarvis crashing to the canvas. While the sudden knockdown sent shockwaves through the arena, the 25-year-old striking technician remained unfazed.

Jim Jarvis, SS: 3-for-4, 3 R, BB, .313/.409/.466
Brewer Hicklen, LF: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, .307/.376/.512
Jose Azócar, RF: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, .246/.302/.344
Ben Gamel, DH: 3-for-5, R, RBI, .201/.337/.327
Garrett Bauman, SP: 2IP 6H 8ER 2BB K, 12.66 ERA

With six games on the docket there was plenty of action to examine on Wednesday, so let's dive into it all.
Jim Jarvis, SS: 2-4, 2 2B, R, BB
Brett Wisely, 2B: 4-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
Drue Hackenburg, SP: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Box Score

A late-notice shakeup has reshaped the scheduled featherweight Muay Thai clash between Bampara Kouyate and Charlie Guest at ONE Fight Night 44: Jarvis vs. Rungrawee II on Prime Video.
The French-Malian striker has been forced to withdraw after sustaining an injury during training camp. In his place, reigning WBC Muay Thai New Zealand Super Welterweight Champion Samuel Fitzgerald steps up to fill the void, with the bout going down live in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 26, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Guest arrives in the Thai capital determined to turn his promotional arrival into an immediate statement. The 30-year-old striking veteran has built an impressive collection of regional accolades, holding the ISKA crown alongside the WBC European and British ***** les.
A former MMA competitor who returned to his true calling, Guest has since developed a unique muay femur–muay khao hybrid ***** nal that fuses sharp technical striking with dominant clinch control and devastating elbows. Now representing Tiger Muay Thai and Impact MMA, he plans to unleash that complete game against his new opponent.
Fitzgerald, however, brings a battle-tested skill set to the ring. Armed with an 8-1 professional record, the 21-year-old New Zealander carved his name across the Oceanic circuit.

The coach is the same. The system is the same. The core is the same.
That is nothing against Rod Brind'Amour, considered one of the best behind the bench in the NHL, or Jordan Staal, Jaccob Slavin, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, who have been the centerpiece of the Carolina Hurricanes making the playoffs year after year.
But the difference this year came from all the new talent general manager Eric Tulsky added over the past 17 months to get over the hump. It added up to the franchise winning the Stanley Cup for the second time and first since 2006.
Tulsky took a big swing by acquiring elite winger Mikko Rantanen from Colorado in January 2025 and also got veteran Taylor Hall from Chicago as part of the three-team blockbuster. When Rantanen didn't want to be part of Carolina's long-term future, Tulsky traded him to Dallas and received center Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks, one of which became part of getting defenseman K'Andre Miller on July 1.
Two days later, the Hurricanes won the bidding competition to sign top free agent Nikolaj Ehlers, the speedy winger who gave them just what they needed after seven consecutive postseason appearances without a trip to the final. Falling one goal short so many times in key situations, Ehlers, Stankoven, Hall and Miller put an end to the rite of spring of wondering where that would come from.

The love life of one of the most popular, the star player of the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott, has been in the news recently. The rumor sparked when the NFL star and his former fiancée, Sarah Jane Ramos, called off their wedding just a month before their extravagant Lake Como wedding in Italy.
In a recent podcast The formal NFL players Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette were seen reacting to the current situation involving Dak Prescott and Caitlin Rance.
Landry and Fournette were seen questioning Prescott's intentions when it comes to dating and relationships. They said that a lot of guys have relationships, and more often than not, relationships do come to an end. But the real
The question is, do we just pop out at any time with your girls' best friend?
Landry said:
"I just want to know who I'm dealing with on the other side of the screen. I want to know if the city boy in you is popping out after calling the wedding off with a potential bridesmaid a couple, you know, months later, a couple weeks later, or at any point for whatever reason we call it off. Now we go our separate ways like we've never met each other. Like we don't have, you know, blood in this little kid here; it is that we share."

Conn Smythe favorite Mitch Marner had a natural hat trick in the second period to help Vegas build a four-goal lead over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in the Golden Knights’ 5-4, double-overtime victory in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The 4-0 advantage didn’t last, as Carolina answered with four goals in the third period to force overtime for the second straight game. Carolina overcame a 2-0 deficit and won Game 2 in overtime when Seth Jarvis scored during a power play 3:56 into the extra frame.
Despite a total of 13 shots for both teams, neither could score in the first overtime, with Vegas goalie Carter Hart stopping six shots and Carolina’s Brandon Bussi making seven saves.
Vegas took a 2-1 series lead when Shea Theodore scored 5:38 into the second overtime.
It was Carolina’s seventh overtime game of the playoffs, and Vegas’ fifth trip to extra time.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth ***** ysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. Our featured game of this edition is the Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Carolina Hurricanes in this pivotal Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Be sure to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025-26 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
It’s Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final that features in our NHL predictions. The Carolina Hurricanes were almost left for dead after two-and-a-half periods. However, the Canes rallied against the Vegas Golden Knights to take the lead. However, the Knights forced overtime with a late goal from captain Mark Stone.
Despite losing momentum, Seth Jarvis scored just under four minutes into overtime to help the Hurricanes complete the comeback. Carolina tied the series despite trailing most of the way, and things are even heading to Sin City.
Momentum is on Carolina’s side, but Vegas has looked like the much better team in the first two games of the series. This all leads to a critical third game in this year’s Stanley Cup Final.

Before the Carolina Hurricanes made their comeback, before the Vegas Golden Knights needed a goal with 81 seconds left in regulation to tie it and before Seth Jarvis scored in overtime, the sound of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final was silence.
The same crowd that roared at the start of the series was stunned, with their beloved Hurricanes shut out through the first two periods for the first time since mid-January. They were fewer than 15 minutes away from a 2-0 hole that only five of 55 teams have overcome to hoist the Cup.
The topsy-turvy ride that followed ended with Carolina winning in emotional fashion and making this a competitive series between two of the best teams in the NHL. Game 3 is Saturday night in Las Vegas.
If it is anything like the first two, it is best to expect the unexpected the rest of the way.
“It’s obviously a new series, a five-game series now,” said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who leads the Hurricanes with three points so far in the final. “A lot of emotions throughout the games, too. For almost 50 minutes there it’s kind of low, and then kind of even, then really high, then low again, and then high. It’s a roller coaster for sure."

RALEIGH, N.C. — And things were going so well for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Of course, anyone who thought the Carolina Hurricanes were going to roll over and play dead were deluding themselves.

Yet, the Knights had a chance to gain a solid grip on the Stanley Cup Final had they been able to maintain their 2-0 lead over the final 10 minutes of Game 2 Thursday night at the Lenovo Center. Brett Howden had both goals and was making a case as a legitimate contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the Most Valuable player of the playoffs.

Instead, that path hit a pothole thanks to Seth Jarvis, who scored 3:56 into overtime to give the Canes a 4-3 win and even the series at 1-1.

Game 3 is 5 p.m. Saturday at what will be a raucous T-Mobile Arena.

Obviously we would’ve liked to have gotten two out of here but they’re a good team,” Vegas captain Mark Stone said. “We’ll regroup and be dialed in for Game 3.

There were four goals combined scored over the final 9:40 of regulation, three by Carolina and the fourth by Stone which came with 1:21 left and Carter Hart on the bench for a sixth attacker.

In between, the Knights thought they had scored what would’ve been a third goal only to have it waved off for goaltender interference of Carolina’s Frederik Andersen. They challenged the ruling on the ice, lost the appeal and the Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal scored on the power play to put his team in front, 3-2.

The explanation from the NHL’s Stephen Walkom was: “The ruling on the play was goaltender interference. He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waved it off immediately.”

Vegas coach John Tortorella obviously saw things differently.

“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie (Andersen). Our players stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it went in,” Tortortella said of the controversial play. “I would challenge that 10 out of 10 times.”

Stone said of the play and the subsequent challenge: “It was deemed it was goaltender interference. I didn’t think it was, that’s why we challenged.”

The loss of defenseman Brayden McNabb late in the first period after he took a puck to the face also impacted the outcome. It was more pressure on the remaining five defensemen as Tortorella mixed and matched the quintet hoping to get through the remainder of the contest.

Noah Hanifin, one of those five defensemen looking to pick up the slack, said: “That’s playoff hockey. We’re in the Stanley Cup Final. You lose an important guy like that, everyone has to dig in and do their job. It’s adversity.”

When asked if he had an update on McNabb, Tortorella said: “I haven’t talked to the medical people yet. I thought the other guys played well.”

For a long while, it looked like Game 2 was going to belong to Brett Howden. The forward scored the first two goals of the contest and now has 13 for the pl

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Seth Jarvis scored on the power play in overtime after Carolina erased a deficit in regulation only to gave up a late tying goal, and the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to the series.
Jarvis’ OT heroics came after a thrilling third period that included four goals being scored and another getting called off because of goaltender interference.
The Hurricanes had almost nothing going for the first 45 minutes, falling behind by two goals as the Golden Knights took advantage of a couple of scoring chances and locked down defensively. A couple of strong shifts in the offensive zone just before the midway point of the third brought the crowd back to life because the Hurricanes were buzzing.
Logan Stankoven made a terrific individual effort to get them on the board, taking the puck away from Rasmus Andersson, going to the net and banking a shot off Jeremy Lauzon and in with 9:40 remaining in regulation. Less than three minutes later, Mark Jankowski fired a shot past Carter Hart to tie it, flipping the script from Game 1, when Vegas erased a multigoal deficit and won.
The Hurricanes took the lead with 4:35 left when their captain, Jordan Staal, redirected Shayne Gostisbehere’s point shot in on the power play. It was just their eighth power play goal of the playoffs.