The 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship is just days away.

Connor Bedard stole the show last year, as the eventual first overall pick shattered Canadian scoring records en route to a gold medal. This year's tournament sees no such runaway favorite for MVP but instead a collection of highly touted prospects from around the NHL.

To kick off our coverage, we'll review one prospect at the tournament from each NHL team.

Note: The Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers don't have any prospects playing at this year's tournament. All 30 other NHL teams have at least one affiliated player participating.

Anaheim Ducks

After winning QMJHL Defenseman of the Year, Tristan Luneau has earned limited reps in the NHL and the AHL. Loaned to the world juniors by the Ducks, Luneau will have every opportunity to showcase his talents as Canada's anchor on the back end.

Arizona Coyotes

Conor Geekie has dominated the WHL to the tune of 20 goals and 49 points in just 26 games this season, and he has a chance to feature prominently in Canada's top six. Don't be surprised to see him among the tournament's top scorers alongside Wenatchee Wild teammate Matt Savoie.

Boston Bruins

Hockey Canada held out hope for an NHL addition up front when initial roster cuts were made, and prayers were answered in the form of Matt Poitras. The Bruins rookie immediately becomes Canada's first-line center and rounds out a forward group that needed another difference-maker. In what will be his debut for Canada, look for Poitras to be relied on heavily at both ends of the rink by head coach Alan Letang.

Buffalo Sabres

Zach Benson will remain in the NHL, but don't fret Sabres fans, Buffalo still boasts an impressive seven prospects at the world juniors, highlighted by Czechia's Jiri Kulich. With an NHL debut in November and a staggering 15 goals in 21 AHL games, Kulich is a legitimate MVP candidate if Czechia can go deep for a second straight tournament.

Calgary Flames

The Flames have a lone representative, but it's a notable one. Samuel Honzek's primed to play big minutes for Slovakia. If he can stay healthy - his tournament ended early a year ago, and he didn't make his season debut until Dec. 1 - he'll be a significant contributor on a sneaky good Slovakian team.

Carolina Hurricanes

Despite being a late second-round pick in June, Felix Unger Sorum made waves at the Hurricanes' training camp to earn an entry-level contract. He's carried that momentum over to Sweden where he's been effective with Leksands and now projects to be an important middle-six contributor for the tournament host.

Chicago Blackhawks

No, Connor Bedard won't be at the world juniors scoring 10 points per game. But a different star from last year's tournament will be representing the Blackhawks: Adam Gajan. The Slovakian was one of the stories of the 2023 tourney, as he went from third-stringer to starter and nearly led his nation to an upset win over Canada in the quarters. He's firmly Slovakia's starter this time around and will be leaned on to be among the best goaltenders.

Columbus Blue Jackets

All Jordan Dumais does is put up points: 109 in his draft year, 140 last season. He's already got 47 in just 21 games since October. The knocks on him are a lack of size and speed. As Canada goes over to the bigger ice surface in Sweden, his usage will be one of the most intriguing storylines to watch in the early going.

Dallas Stars

With first-rounder Lian Bichsel opting to remain with his club in Sweden rather than play for Switzerland, Aram Minnetian is the only representative from the Stars organization. The American defender projects to play a third-pair defensive role.

Detroit Red Wings

As a draft-eligible defenseman at last year's tournament, Axel Sandin Pellikka played over 20 minutes per game for Sweden. Few, if any, will play more than the Red Wings first-rounder this December, as he's set to anchor his nation's top pairing and quarterback the power play.

Florida Panthers

Sandis Vilmanis will be among the five Latvians who become the first to represent their country at three world juniors. If Latvia is to stave off relegation once again, the Panthers fifth-rounder will need to be a difference-maker.

Los Angeles Kings

2022 fifth-round pick Otto Salin returns for Finland as the only representative from the Kings' prospect pool. The right-shot blue-liner projects to be a major part of Finland's top four.

Minnesota Wild

A late start to the season due to injury means Liam Ohgren has played just eight games. But make no mistake, the Sweden captain will be a major contributor. The Wild first-rounder makes his third trip to the world juniors looking to upgrade his 2022 bronze medal.

Montreal Canadiens

Lane Hutson has a chance to be the first defenseman to win world junior MVP since Thomas Chabot in 2017. The electrifying offensive blue-liner has dominated the NCAA for the past season-and-a-half and excelled at the World Championship this past spring. Hutson will play big minutes and could bring big point totals alongside the array of impressive American forwards.

Nashville Predators

Tanner Molendyk makes his IIHF debut as one of two 18-year-old defensemen on Canada's roster. The Predators first-rounder has shined in the WHL with 28 points in 24 games and will dazzle at the world juniors with his exceptional skating.

New Jersey Devils

No Simon Nemec, no problem for Devils fans. Instead, New Jersey supporters will get to watch a different right-shot defenseman make waves at the tournament in Seamus Casey. The Michigan standout ranks second among all NCAA defenders in scoring and will be a key part of the United States' back end.

New York Islanders

On a U.S. team that features numerous offensive threats, Danny Nelson will provide important defensive minutes. The 6-foot-3 center has quietly put together an impressive 14 points in 18 games as a freshman at Notre Dame.

New York Rangers

Gabe Perreault dominated the Under-18s. He dominated with the U.S. NTDP. He's currently dominating the NCAA as a freshman. He's not the biggest or fastest, but that hasn't stopped Perreault from putting up points at every level so far. Next up: the world juniors.

Ottawa Senators

Returning for his third world juniors with Czechia, Tomas Hamara will be leaned on as one of his nation's most experienced blue-liners.

Philadelphia Flyers

Cutter Gauthier has legitimate MVP potential this year. The 2022 fifth overall pick has been among the best power forwards in college hockey the past two seasons and has already led the United States in goals at the World Championship. He'll center the American's top line and be among the tournament's most potent scoring threats.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Brayden Yager has been superb in the WHL this season, racking up 17 goals and 41 points in 28 games. Though he'll be without his Moose Jaw linemate Jagger Firkus, the Penguins first-rounder projects to be an important depth-scoring threat for Canada.

San Jose Sharks

The highest-drafted player at this year's world juniors, Will Smith stars for the United States with longtime linemates Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard. The fourth overall pick will look to replicate his record-setting Under-18 performance in which he led the U.S. to gold with 20 points in seven games.

Seattle Kraken

Carson Rehkopf has exploded offensively this season with the Kitchener Rangers, scoring an OHL-leading 31 goals in as many games. The 2023 second-rounder forced his way onto Canada's roster with his play and will look to earn himself a marquee spot in the lineup during the preliminary round.

St. Louis Blues

A slow start in Sweden has long been forgotten since Dalibor Dvorsky arrived in Sudbury. The 2023 10th overall pick has been dominant since stepping foot in the OHL, racking up 34 points in 20 games. Entering his third world juniors still with another year of eligibility, Dvorsky will need to dominate if Slovakia is to push for a medal.

Tampa Bay Lightning

A transfer to Michigan State has done wonders for Isaac Howard, who already has more points in the NCAA this season than last in half the games. A game-breaking scorer during his NTDP days, Howard will provide depth scoring on a stacked American squad.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Since being a surprising first-round pick in June, Easton Cowan has exceeded expectations at every step. A versatile, tenacious forward who can play all three positions, the Strathroy, Ontario, native will be a Swiss Army Knife for Canada. First line or fourth line, power play or penalty kill, the Maple Leafs prospect can play anywhere and find a way to make an impact.

Vancouver Canucks

A lackluster post-draft season is in the rearview mirror for Jonathan Lekkerimaki. The Canucks first-rounder has 10 goals and 16 points in 24 SHL games to lead the league in both categories among junior-aged players. With just one goal in 14 world junior games to date, look for Lekkerimaki to break out on home ice.

Vegas Golden Knights

Arttu Karki's booming shot has bagged him 16 goals in the OHL this season, the most by any defender in the league. On a weaker-than-usual Finnish blue line, Karki will play meaningful minutes and feature prominently on the power play.

Washington Capitals

A hard-nosed power forward despite his 6-foot, 190-pound frame, Ryan Leonard has rounded into form since November at Boston College. He has nine goals and 45 shots on net in his last 11 NCAA games and will be a vital component of USA's offense as the Americans look to capture their sixth gold medal.

Winnipeg Jets

An injury scare put Rutger McGroarty's status for the world juniors in jeopardy, but the Michigan standout is back and ready to feature for the Americans. The 6-foot-1 power forward is primed to step onto the top line with Logan Cooley remaining in the NHL.

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Matt and Blake discuss a 4-3 overtime loss to Dallas, the play of that 3rd line, and whether trading Conor Garland is even desirable given the way he's going right now. Canucks moved into first place in the overall league standings, are they the best team in the league? We preview the game in San Jose and the games before and after New Year's and into January, as well as talking Canada at the World Juniors and the Seahawks' path to the NFL playoffs. We also unveil holiday programming plans.

Frank Seravalli joins to talk about extensions for Elias Pettersson, Filip Hronek and Nikita Zadorov; trade possibilities with Andrei Kuzmenko and Garland; trade targets such as Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel, and the Canucks lack of a practice facility after another NHL team unveiled one this week.

A festive Jeff Paterson, the host of Rink Wide: Vancouver stops by to discuss the game against Dallas, the 3rd line, managing losses, the game against San Jose, a Pettersson contract extension, and this incredible Canucks turnaround.

Plus, we go To The People and hear from listeners on Canucks topics. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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The Vegas Golden Knights signed defenseman Ben Hutton to a two-year contract extension worth $975,000 per season, the team announced Friday.

Hutton joined the Golden Knights in 2021 on a one-year deal, then re-upped with a two-year pact last March.

The 30-year-old has made 177 appearances with the club, racking up 29 points while averaging 15:47 of ice time per contest. Hutton dressed for two playoff games during Vegas' march to the Stanley Cup this past spring.

The Vancouver Canucks picked Hutton in the fifth round in 2012. He's also suited up for the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Toronto Maple Leafs throughout his nine-year career.

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Detroit Red Wings veteran David Perron thinks his six-game suspension for cross-checking Ottawa Senators blue-liner Artem Zub is a little steep.

"Obviously, I got the guy a little high," Perron told reporters Friday. "I understand there was some discipline that needed to be done there, it just felt like on my side it was pretty excessive for the comparables, the history, my career - a lot of things, really, that played into it."

Perron earned the ban for his actions during Detroit's 5-1 loss to the Senators on Dec. 9. The sequence began when Ottawa forward Mathieu Joseph caught Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin in the back of the head during a netfront battle, pushing him into Senators winger Parker Kelly. Zub then fell on top of Larkin's legs while he remained face down and motionless on the ice. Perron reacted to the scene by going after Zub.

Referees assessed Perron a match penalty and tossed him from the game for intent to injure. The 35-year-old said Friday that he thought Zub was the main culprit for the incident, adding that he "would not have just randomly jumped someone."

"(Larkin was) motionless, not moving at all there," Perron said. "Definitely not easy for me to go through that, turn around and see our captain down on the ice. I think, as a whole, throughout the league, you're trying to respond to these types of incidents."

The NHLPA appealed Perron's suspension on Dec. 12, but the three-hour hearing wasn't held until Tuesday - five games into the winger's ban.

"Right now, it's more for record and money, but that's what's disappointing for sure. ... You want to be there for your team to play the games," he said.

Perron forked over just under $150,000 as a result of his suspension. The league had never previously suspended him in his career, but he received a $5,000 fine for cross-checking during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Zub stayed in the contest versus Detroit, while Larkin exited and missed the Red Wings' next four games. Joseph didn't face any supplemental discipline.

Larkin recently expressed concern over how the NHL has handled discipline this campaign, saying, "It's hard to feel safe out there" as questionable plays have largely gone unpunished.

Perron is now finished serving his suspension and will return to the lineup when Detroit takes on the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.

"I'm just looking forward to getting back, honestly, and helping out any way I can," he said. "I know I can make a difference as far as the energy in the room, on the ice, on the bench. Just keep the guys kind of looking ahead."

Perron has seven goals and 13 points in 26 games this season. Detroit went 1-5-0 in his absence.

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Thursday was another profitable night on the ice. We posted a 3-2 record and both losses came by the slimmest of margins. The Canucks blew a late lead and lost in overtime while Rasmus Dahlin missed the net on five attempts and fell one shot shy as a result.

We'll look to end the week strong with three plays for Friday's four-game slate.

Zach Hyman: Over 3.5 shots

Hyman is skating alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the top line, and their numbers are astronomically good. They're arguably the best forward unit in the NHL.

That trio holds a 203-97 edge in terms of shot attempts and has outchanced opponents 123-50. That translates to a +10 goal differential in just 130 minutes of ice. Insane numbers across the board.

With the Oilers spending so much time in the offensive zone - and generating such volume - it's no surprise Hyman is benefiting from that.

He's averaging more than 12 shots on goal per 60 minutes with McDavid as his center at even strength. That number drops to 9.4 with Leon Draisaitl.

We see even larger discrepancies in how Hyman fares with Nugent-Hopkins as opposed to Evander Kane. He's generating nearly 13 shots on goal per 60 with RNH compared to 7.66 with Kane.

Given his spot alongside McDavid and RNH, it's no coincidence Hyman has registered at least four shots in eight of the past 10 games. He finished with three shots in both exceptions, and he was skating on the second line in one of them.

As long as he remains on this version of the top line, there will continue to be real value in backing him.

Odds: -118 (playable to -140)

Gabriel Vilardi: Over 2.5 shots

Vilardi has generated at least three shots on goal in each of the six games he's filled in for the injured Kyle Connor on the top line and power-play unit. He's also notched 11 points in that span.

He's averaging better than five shot attempts per game without Connor. That may not sound like a lot for someone going over his total every night, but Vilardi's different than many players. He lives around the net and almost all of his opportunities come from high-danger areas. That means his average shot distance is low, making it a lot easier to hit the target.

Put another way, he's selective with his looks and only takes high-quality shots. An average of 5.1 attempts would be concerning for someone like Alex Ovechkin, who posts up above the circles and takes a lot of shots from range.

Vilardi seems to have tremendous chemistry with Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers, the Jets' two leaders in assists up front. Both are more than happy to distribute the puck and plenty capable of finding Vilardi around the net.

The Bruins are an excellent team but have given up plenty of volume of late, ranking 26th in shot suppression over the past 10 games. They've also given up the third-most shots against on the road this season.

Odds: -110 (playable to -135)

Cole Caufield: Over 3.5 shots

Caufield has been pretty matchup-dependent this season. He hasn't had much shooting success against playoff teams but has feasted on weaker opponents, registering four shots against the Wild, five against the Ducks, six against the Penguins, six against the Sharks, and nine against the Sabres.

Caufield has a mouthwatering matchup on Friday night in Chicago. The Blackhawks are one of the league's worst defensive teams and rank 30th in five-on-five shot suppression over the last 10 games.

There should be no shortage of opportunities for Caufield to pile up the shots.

Odds: -135 (playable to -150)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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In his preseason meeting with reporters back in September, Kings president Luc Robitaille said his club was "in that bucket of 8-10 teams" with reasonable Stanley Cup aspirations.

The franchise icon's assessment was totally fair. The Kings weren't necessarily the preseason favorites to come out of the Pacific Division, let alone the Western Conference. Yet finishing atop the Pacific, winning playoff series, and - gulp - appearing in the Cup Final wasn't a deranged idea either.

It's now late December and no team has impressed quite like Los Angeles.

It probably doesn't seem that way on the surface, seeing as the Kings rank eighth in points, fifth in points percentage, and don't have a single player in the top 40 in scoring or in the conversation for an end-of-year award. But in my view, this L.A. team has asserted itself as a true alpha dog in the West.

Under fifth-year coach Todd McLellan, the 2023-24 Kings have allowed the fewest goals per game. They've smothered attackers, allowing the fewest expected goals, shots on goal, and slot shots, according to Sportlogiq. They've allowed the second-fewest inner-slot shots and third-fewest shot attempts. They've ground the opposition down, ranking third in penalty-kill percentage and fourth in offensive-zone puck possession suppression.

The Kings have also been pretty deadly with the puck. They generate the sixth-most goals per game by attacking in waves - early and often. They have the best one-through-four center depth, are a league-high plus-15 in the first period, and own a league-average power play. The only significant negative storyline has been center Pierre-Luc Dubois' surprising lack of production.

It'd be a stretch to label these Kings a "sleeping giant," considering their 18-7-4 record, which includes a stunning 13-1-1 road mark. However, they may be better than we thought - an undercover juggernaut playing a well-balanced brand of hockey that usually translates to series wins come playoff time.

Watch out.

Matthews versus (young) Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin, the greatest goal-scoring artist of all time, ceded the title as greatest goal-scorer of the moment to Auston Matthews a few years ago. There was obviously no ceremony, but he definitely passed the imagined torch. Everybody, even the legendarily durable Ovechkin, becomes the old guy at some point.

The contrast between the snipers is as stark as ever in 2023-24.

Matthews, 26, leads the NHL with 26 goals in 29 games, including a mind-bending 12 in his last eight outings. He's on pace for a career-high 72 goals.

Ovechkin, 38, is tied for 182nd with six goals in 30 games, including just one in his last 15 outings. He's on pace for a career-low 16 goals.

Matthews is no longer the young whippersnapper. He hit 500 career games in late November. That milestone had me wondering about Matthews' trajectory and how his numbers stack up against those of early-career Ovechkin.

Here's the high-level breakdown:

It's important to note that the NHL product was in a different place when Ovechkin was in the early stages of his career. On the whole, Matthews has competed in a more offense-friendly environment to start his career. (Case in point, the average NHL game during Ovechkin's fourth season featured 5.58 goals, while the average game during Matthews' fourth season featured 6.04.)

Caveat out of the way, it's amazing to see Matthews outpacing young Ovi in goals - albeit by a small margin. The American's been more productive than the Russian away from the power play, too, having recorded 242 of his 325 total goals in even-strength action. (Young Ovi scored 208 of 313 at evens.)

Shot profiles are another layer. Young Ovi both racked up shots on goal at an insane rate (more than five per game!) and capitalized on a high percentage of his shots. Matthews, an extremely versatile attacker, also shoots the puck a ton but is relatively selective and better at keeping goalies guessing.

Matthews' scoring rate through 510 games is frankly astonishing. To repeat: He's outpacing young Ovi, who's now chasing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Injuries may end up being Matthews' archnemesis since he's in his eighth season now, and Ovechkin hit 510 games in his seventh. Good health is a chief reason why Ovechkin's accumulated 827 goals and counting.

Duchene flourishing in Texas

Apologies to fans of Ryan O'Reilly, J.T. Compher, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Cam Talbot, but Matt Duchene's been the biggest success story from the 2023 class of unrestricted free agents. The crafty center is killing it for the Stars.

In case you forgot, the Predators bought out the last three years of Duchene's seven-year, $56-million contract on June 30. A day later, Duchene - who turns 33 in January - inked a one-year, $3-million deal with Dallas, his fifth team.

Two months on, Duchene is third in team scoring with 29 points in 30 games. Those aren't empty-calorie points, either. Six of Duchene's 11 goals count as game-winners. This week alone, he's assisted on an overtime goal (Monday versus the Kraken) and scored an OT goal (Thursday versus the Canucks).

It's been an odd 31 games for Dallas. They're tied with the Avalanche for the Central Division lead despite underwhelming performances from goalie Jake Oettinger and top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. In general, the lack of blue-line depth is a huge issue for a team built to contend for the Cup this season.

Duchene's presence has offset some of the messiness. He's changed the complexion of the forward group by driving the second line with Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. Together, they've outchanced the other team 155-118 and outscored them 21-11, according to Natural Stat Trick. The only line in the league credited with more goals? Pittsburgh's trio of Sidney Crosby between Jake Guentzel and Bryant Rust (23 goals in similar minutes).

Dallas' Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Joe Pavelski line has been one of hockey's best for years. Jamie Benn-Wyatt Johnston-Evgenii Dadonov can be super effective. This Duchene-led group adds another headache for the opposition.

Parting shots

Nolan Patrick: Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman quashed social media rumors Wednesday by reporting Patrick has not officially retired. Yet, Patrick's career arc won't be any less sad if he files retirement papers in a few days, months, or even years. Patrick, the second overall pick in 2017, has appeared in only 222 total games for the Flyers and Golden Knights because of health issues, including migraines. The 25-year-old missed all of last season and remains a free agent 30 games into this one. (He also sat out the entire 2019-20 season.) There's an alternative universe where he's healthy, reaches his potential as a two-way center, never gets traded to Vegas via Nashville on the same day in 2021, and is a key member of a Flyers team on the rise. It's truly unfortunate.

Three-goalie life: I can't recall a time when so many NHL teams consistently carried three healthy goalies on the 23-man roster. At the holiday roster freeze, the tally is six, which is roughly one-fifth of the league. For the vast majority of the season, the trend has been pushed by four squads: the Canadiens, Sabres, Hurricanes, and Red Wings. "There's some challenges there," Wings coach Derek Lalonde said earlier this month when asked about the pros and cons of carrying three guys. "I think it takes the right individuals."

Unlike the other squads, Montreal is rebuilding. Coach Martin St. Louis is in a position where he can experiment with varying workloads and hopefully find a goalie (or goalies) of the future, and if they lose games along the way, so be it. Ironically, the Habs have the highest save percentage of the bunch, with their netminders - Sam Montembeault (14 starts), Jake Allen (12), and Cayden Primeau (6) - combining for a .902 team SV%, good for 13th out of 32 teams. Meanwhile, the Wings are 17th, the Sabres 28th, and the Canes 31st.

Relaxed Gretzky: Man, it's been super neat having the Great One back in our lives. It was one thing for him to join the "NHL on TNT" panel in 2021. It was another thing for him to actually take his job as an analyst seriously. And now, two-plus years into the gig, it's obvious Gretzky is fully embracing life in the public eye again. The man who's had a one-of-a-kind existence is opening up the story vault. Recently, he spun a great yarn on TNT about the last time he visited the Hockey Hall of Fame and nailed an appearance on comedian Theo Von's popular podcast. Gretzky, 62, told tale after tale for almost an hour straight. I found this Hulk Hogan story charming:

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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This year in sports was defined by inspiring stories, historic achievements, and surreal events that not even Hollywood could script. We loved them all. With 2023 drawing to a close, theScore is looking back on 50 moments that resonated most with us over the past 12 months. Our five-part series, which counts down every Friday in December, continues below with moments 20-11.

20. Germany stuns U.S. at FIBA World Cup 🇩🇪

Germany had quite the summer at the FIBA World Cup in Manila. After topping its group and beating Latvia in the quarterfinals, Die Mannschaft matched up against the mighty United States. Franz Wagner and Daniel Theis held their own, leading Germany to a close upset win over the perennial powerhouse. They eked out another tight victory over Serbia to take home their first FIBA title, with Dennis Schroder making two key offensive plays at the end to secure the victory. The Americans fell again in the bronze-medal matchup, losing to Canada. - Donald Higney

19. Mom goes berserk after wrestling upset 🤬

Players, naturally, are emotionally invested in their own success (and that of their teams). Fans, too. But no group experiences the highs and lows of sporting events more viscerally than the parents of the athletes. Just ask Cathy Lee. Her son Spencer, a three-time national champion at Iowa and one of the most dominant wrestlers in the country, was heavily favored to capture his fourth successive title in 2023. Instead, his 58-match winning streak was snapped by Purdue's Matt Ramos in one of the most shocking upsets in Division I wrestling history. The crowd was stunned. The commentators were in disbelief. But their reactions paled in comparison to Lee's enraged mother, who took her frustration out on her glasses. Parenthood. What a wild ride. - Gianluca Nesci

18. Pat Bev gets creative to rip refs 😆

You can always depend on Patrick Beverley to deliver a memorable moment. After a missed foul call against the Boston Celtics that would've sent LeBron James to the free-throw line to potentially win the game, the then-Lakers guard grabbed a courtside media member's camera to show referee Eric Lewis that James had been hit on the drive. Lewis served Beverley with a technical foul as the outspoken guard walked off the court, repeatedly pointing to the camera. The Lakers lost the game, and Beverley was traded away a few weeks later. - Higney

17. A.J. Brown's catch of the year 🔥

The Philadelphia Eagles, down 11 points on the road against the Washington Commanders, needed a spark heading into the half. Washington played single-coverage against A.J. Brown on a sideline fade route inside the red zone and surrendered that spark. Brown got just enough of an outside release to give himself a chance before spinning mid-air, stabbing the ball with one hand, and displaying elite body control to get both feet in as he reached the end zone for one of the best catches of the year. Philly rode that momentum to an eventual 38-31 victory to improve to 7-1 on the season. - Andrew Dixon

16. Coach Prime backs up the talk 😎

Deion Sanders was coming off three wildly successful seasons at Jackson State when he jumped to Colorado to take over a one-win program. At his introductory press conference, the eternally confident icon told naysayers and loyalists alike, "We coming." After an offseason of hype, Colorado went to TCU to open the season against the 2022 national runner-up. That's where Sanders told his team in the locker room, "We ain't coming no more - we here." A few hours later, Sanders and the Buffaloes were celebrating a momentous road victory as 21-point underdogs. - Alex Chippin

15. McDavid hits 60 in style 💫

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. After Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid nearly combined for a highlight-reel overtime goal, the pair linked up again, this time finding the back of the net for the game-winner and McDavid's 60th goal of the season. The play merely emphasized McDavid's generational campaign: his unparalleled speed, stick control, and game knowledge helped him finish the regular season with 153 points, the 15th-highest single-season total ever. His points total is only bested by Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, and Wayne Gretzky, all products of an era where scoring was much easier. The OT winner wasn't McDavid's last regular-season goal, either; his final tally of 64 goals and 89 assists notched him the Hart, Ted Lindsay, Art Ross, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophies. - Sarah Wallace

14. De La Cruz electrifies baseball ⚡️

Elly De La Cruz took baseball by storm when the Cincinnati Reds called him up in June, and one of the highlights of his electric rookie campaign came against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 8 when he stole second, third, and home in the span of two pitches. The 21-year-old began his triumphant feat by easily stealing second thanks to the slow delivery of Brewers hurler Elvis Peguero, then followed by swiping third without a throw from Milwaukee backstop William Contreras. Seconds later, De La Cruz went for broke, sprinting home and swiping the toughest of the three bases as Peguero's throw sailed wide to the backstop. It was the first time a Reds player stole second, third, and home in a single game since 1919. - Bryan Mcwilliam

13. The greatest curling shot ever 🥌

Swedish Olympic gold medalist Niklas Edin is no stranger to high-pressure curling shots. Needing to score two to force an extra end in the round robin of the 2023 World Men's Curling Championship against Norway, the six-time world champion had to throw an extremely rare "spinner" to move a frozen Norwegian stone and still keep his shooter. He somehow managed to just nudge Norway's stone - without touching his own - and stop as shot rock. Edin's stone spun an incredible 53.5 times - 10 times the average shot. While the Swedish rink ended up losing the extra end, it has since been dubbed "a shot heard around the curling world." - Wallace

12. Taylor Swift takes over the NFL 🌟

What happens when a pop culture icon interlocks with one of the NFL's biggest names? Absolute pandemonium. And that's exactly what happened on Sept. 24 at Arrowhead Stadium when, maybe for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, all eyes weren't on the superstars on the field. Instead, they were all glued to one superstar in a box suite. That suite contained none other than Taylor Swift, whose presence announced to the world that the rumors of her new romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce were indeed real. Since then, Swift has continued to show up to Chiefs games to support her new partner. Now, that's a perfect love story. - Daniel Valente

11. Ohtani inspires internet sleuthing 🕵️

Twitter effectively died in 2023, not only in name but also in functionality, cultural importance, and spirit. As many users migrate to other platforms, the collective of fans, journalists, and extreme weirdos known as "sports Twitter" seems intent on hanging on until the bitter end. And amid the mushroom clouds of spambots and fleeing advertisers, sports Twitter had one last glorious day in the sun with the absurd saga linking superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The morning started from the dubious place of amateur flight tracking, then the day devolved into even more suspect rumors of a large reservation at a Toronto sushi restaurant, a questionably sourced report that Ohtani had decided on the Jays but apparently didn't decide to tell anyone, a seemingly solid report that Ohtani was indeed en route to Toronto that the elite tier of MLB insiders (and Bob Nightengale) later shot down, and finally concluded with the grand reveal that it was the "Shark Tank" guy on the plane all along. The "Shark Tank" guy! We're going to miss you, sports Twitter.

(Oh yeah, and Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers like we all predicted all along.) - David P. Woods

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Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews thinks Thursday's 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres might have been the club's lowest performance of his eight-year career.

"Embarrassing is the word I'd use," he said, according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke. "Probably the worst game since I've been here."

The Maple Leafs led 2-1 in the first period and trailed 4-3 early in the second before completely unraveling by allowing five unanswered goals. Toronto netminder Ilya Samsonov, who entered the contest with an .878 save percentage on the season, was pulled after Buffalo's fifth.

"It's a hard time for me," Samsonov said, according to the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby. "I need to figure it out in my head. It's not about technique."

On top of nearly hitting double digits, the Sabres dominated the contest statistically from start to finish. Buffalo outchanced Toronto 27-14 at five-on-five and controlled 67.91% of expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick.

"We won’t dissect it, but we won’t forget it," head coach Sheldon Keefe said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

Buffalo's offensive outburst came one game after allowing nine goals to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Sabres are the first team to surrender then score nine goals in back-to-back games since the 1983-84 Detroit Red Wings, per Sportsnet Stats. Coincidentally, that Detroit team also scored nine on Toronto.

The Maple Leafs hadn't allowed that many goals in a game since a 9-2 loss to the Nashville Predators in 2014.

Toronto returns to the ice Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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