Everything will come down to Game #162 for these four teams

The season is coming to an end. There's only one game left for all 30 MLB teams.
All games (except those in the Bronx and Washington, due to the weather) will be broadcast around 3 p.m.
Sportsnet
As of now, two of the four “best second-place” series are set in stone… and 10 of the 12 teams that will compete in the playoffs have secured their spots.
Here's a rundown of the situation.
In the American League, the Rays are guaranteed to finish in first place, and the Guardians&mda

This morning, Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro appeared before the Toronto media to conduct a post-season review.
They probably weren't looking forward to it, of course. They'd imagined themselves in the playoffs.
Obviously, the team is disappointed with how things turned out (and grateful for the fans' support) during the 2026 season.
Hey, while we're on the subject of the obvious: the team believes Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will bounce back in the 2027 season.“Very confident that he will be back

Everything seems to indicate, at this point, that the Canadiens want to make a move.
We know that Kent Hughes has been trying to add a piece to his core for a long time, but he hasn't necessarily been able to achieve his goals.
When will such a project finally succeed? Only time will tell.
But even if he doesn't manage to make a move, we know for certain that the Canadiens' GM is still trying to evaluate all possible scenarios to pull off a trade.
And last night, we got another clue about this.

We just talked about Anna Lambe in the previous post, she’s the star of North of North. Season two is now streaming on CBC Gem and featured a cameo by a legend – Tanya Tagaq. She’s a multi-media artist: throat-singer, experimental musician, writer… who better to play the sea goddess Nuliajuq?View this post on InstagramA post shared by Tanya Tagaq (@tanyatagaq)
Also, there’s a Dolly Parton connection here. Tanya’s children’s book, It Bears Repeating, was

It's funny to hear about the “power of friendship” among the Canadiens players, but…
But I'm convinced that in 2026, if the guys on the team hadn't been so tightly knit, the team would have struggled to make it this far in the playoffs.
Same goes for the 2020 bubble playoffs, by the way. That team wasn't supposed to win a single round…
It takes more than that to go far in the playoffs, but it's one of the factors that helps the cake rise. It acts as yeast, basically.
Yo

I’ve interviewed Anna Lambe twice this year – the first time at the Banff Media Festival where she was one of the speakers on a panel about “Main Character Energy: Canadian Actors MADE for the Global Stage” and again recently at the Toronto International Film Festival where she was there for the world premiere of director Nyla Innuksuk’s In the Heart of the South, co-starring Anna and Zorga Qaunaq – and of course you would know them both from their hit series

We knew the series between the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros wasn't going to be a spectacular show on the field. What we didn't know was that the show would take place off the field.
Indeed, after the White Sox won Game 1 of the Wild Card Series in Houston by a score of 6-3, the Astros players responded by lashing out at their own fans.After another playoff loss at Daikin Park before an apathetic, booing crowd, the Astros didn't hold back. Free to read – https://t.co/QNZUaDzYpe

Unbelievable, as Renaud Lavoie would say (whom I like, by the way).
The Canadiens managed to surprise the Maple Leafs on their home ice, in front of their raucous fans, even though Toronto had opened the scoring just one minute into the game.
Why “unbeliebable”? Because the first two lines, the power play, and Lane Hutson were all shut out last night. Basically, the Habs picked up exactly where they left off in the playoffs.
A victory thanks to depth
As Céline Dion sang so wel

Dear Gossips,Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day in Canada. The day is federally observed in Canada, established on June 3, 2021, to honour Residential School Survivors, the families and communities. It is a day of education and conversation, acknowledging the impact of the residential school system and its profoundly devastating consequences for Indigenous Peoples, and the lasting harm that continues today.
It is important to call out that harm, in the pr

Last night, Jakub Dobes looked like he was still in the playoffs.
He really rose to the occasion in his game against the Maple Leafs. He was eager to make a difference, and without him, the game would have been a lot tougher.
And just like in the playoffs, he struggled at the start of the game before pulling himself together.
But above all, just like in the playoffs, you could feel the emotion in his play. He loves being involved, and most of all, he loves causing a ruckus during Habs games.
The

When Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion Tour set off from Oakridge mall on March 21, 1985, things got off to a rocky start.As the team’s RV was leaving the parking lot, the wooden equipment storage box on the roof hit the parking lot overheight bar and fell to the ground, sending extra wheelchair wheels all over the road.“Looking back at it, it’s hilarious,” said Hansen, now age 69. “The hilarious part about it is it was such a forewarning, a foreshadowing of what w

Grab your folding chairs and head over to Sainte-Catherine right away: the Canadiens are on their way to glory.
Last night, at Toronto's most popular venue, Martin St. Louis's team pulled off a victory in their season opener.
Beating Toronto always boosts the city's collective morale.
Even though the top two lines (especially Nick Suzuki's) were as quiet as if they were in an actual library, and even though the team got off to a rough start, the players found a way to bounce back.
The depth line

Last night, in the final game of the evening between the Cubs and the Padres, the San Diego team had home-field advantage.
And the team took full advantage of it.
Right off the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a long home run to get the crowd fired up.
Then, two batters later, Manny Machado added to the lead with another home run.MANNY MACHADO The Padres have come out SWINGING in Game 1.(@MLB) pic.twitter.com/nAfNHKQnud
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmer

Let’s go!
The 2026–2027 National League season officially kicked off yesterday.
The Canadiens won their game against the Leafs, but there were also four other games played last night. Let's see what happened:Five down, 1,339 more to go!
Opening night has come to an end with the @FlaPanthers, @CanadiensMTL, @NHLBruins, @Canucks, and @GoldenKnights picking up wins to kick off the 2026-27 season. #NHLFaceOff #NHLStats: https://t.co/CncRj3Zmk8 pic.twitter.com/kwnxfpvcKJ
— NHL Publi

Tonight, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees faced off in the first game of their series.
The Yankees quickly took control of the game. Cam Schlittler, in particular, decided to take matters into his own hands on the mound. We'll come back to that.
Austin Wells drove in the first run early in the game, but it was Ben Rice who really stood out offensively. He hit a long ball in the fifth inning.
Then, later in the game, he drove in another run with a single to right field. The Boston duo

Finally!
Tonight, the Canadiens played the very first game of their 2026–27 season. For the occasion, the team was in Toronto to face off against the Maple Leafs.
With Oliver Kapanen out due to injury, Alex Newhook played center on the second line. Here's what the lineup looked like:Tonight's projected lineup
Tonight's projected lineup #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/QcGhl4Dm8H
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) September 29, 2026On the Maple Leafs' side, no fewer than 10 newcomers were

As of today, the Canadiens have still not been able to resolve the situation at the second-center position. The team did not acquire a center over the summer, so Oliver Kapanen is still the second-center—somewhat by default.
In reality, Alex Newhook is currently filling that role since Kapanen is injured. We'll see if that changes when the Finnish player returns.
Michael Hage could become an option as the season winds down. But perhaps the Canadiens, who have high hopes for this season, wi

After watching the Braves win the first game of the series, the White Sox and the Astros began their best-of-three series.
The White Sox quickly took the lead. In the first inning, they scored off opener AJ Blubaugh.
Bryan King reached first base and advanced to second. However, he quickly gave up two runs to the White Sox.
Miguel Ullola then came in to save the day in a tough spot.The guy has figured out how to make a name for himself in the playoffs, having been instrumental in getting the Ast

The Canadiens had a fairly quiet summer. The team wasn't able to land the young star they were after… and that was confirmed yesterday when the Maple Leafs acquired Kirill Marchenko (whose name was all over town this summer).
The Habs did manage to acquire Chris Kreider… but that's it.
And given that many people wanted to see the club pull off a major move this summer, this is a somewhat disappointing outcome. But now, according to Pierre LeBrun, those people may have to continue t

Over the past few minutes, the Maple Leafs introduced their 2026–27 roster to the crowd. It's a classic preseason tradition that lets the crowd show their support for the organization's players.
And of course, we were wondering how certain players would be received. Kirill Marchenko, acquired with great fanfare just over 24 hours ago, was one of them.
He was acquired at a high cost (both in terms of the trade and his new contract).
Except that Marchenko, when introduced to the crowd, recei

Anthony Volpe hasn’t exactly had the career we hoped for with the Yankees. The young shortstop, due to his performance both offensively and defensively, has drawn the ire of Bronx fans.
He was long touted as one of the most promising young players in town—which is what makes all of this even more disappointing.
That said, he's clearly still part of the team's plans. The player, who is now playing second base, will be in the starting lineup tonight, taking Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s spot.
To

The NHL finally kicked off its 2026-27 season tonight. The Panthers and the Hurricanes got the festivities started a little earlier… and the Canadiens are set to face the Maple Leafs in a few minutes.
Are you excited?
It's no secret that, according to many, the Habs are poised for a great season. The team's playoff run last spring turned heads and lent credibility to what's being built in Montreal.
And clearly, this is having an impact on predictions for the upcoming season: Sportsnet sur

Phillip Danault has never stood out for his skating ability.
And I'm not saying that to take a dig at him.
It's a fact: the guy wasn't super fast even before he left the Canadiens. And playing in the West, he lost a bit of his speed… because it's not a major factor in that conference of the National League.
But since the start of camp, we've seen a difference (and Renaud Lavoie was right to bring it up on the JiC show).
The TVA Sports reporter said he thinks Danault is faster… and

The 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs kicked off this afternoon (Tuesday) with the first game of the series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at the Braves' home field. Jesus Luzardo took the mound for Philadelphia, facing off against Chris Sale for Atlanta.
And the Phillies set the tone right from the start, thanks to Alec Bohm's RBI double that brought home Kyle Schwarber. The Braves, however, tied the game in the bottom of the second inning, with Mike Yastrzemski's ti

Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the bench
He won’t be in the starting lineup tonight—Anthony Volpe will be. He must be taking it personally.The Yankees are going with Anthony Volpe over Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base, Spencer Jones over Trent Grisham in center field, and Amed Rosario at third base in Game 1 tonight. https://t.co/DAXMqEAIlu
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) September 29, 2026Derek Jeter's message
He's encouraging George Lombard Jr.
What Derek Jeter told George Lombard Jr

Odell Beckham Jr.'s return to the New York Giants ultimately proved to be very short-lived.
Just a few months after rejoining the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2014 draft, the famous wide receiver was released by the New York franchise.
At 33 years old, Odell Beckham Jr. played in only three games with the Giants since his return. During that brief stretch, he was targeted only once and did not make a single reception. According to NFL Network, he also played in only 19 offensi

Ivan Demidov is a good hockey player.
On the ice, he can work magic with the puck. We love him for that… but we also love him for his personality.
The young player seemed shy when he first arrived in town, especially since he wasn't familiar with the language. But today, it's a whole different story.
We saw it during training camp: Demidov answered reporters' questions in much better English. He's been practicing over the past year, and it really shows.
But the kid has also improved his F

The plan to bring a Canadian Football League (CFL) team to Quebec City continues to gain momentum.
While the initiative has reached several key milestones in recent weeks, the Montreal Alouettes have expressed support for the idea of a new Quebec team joining the Canadian league.
The potential arrival of a team in Quebec City could, in particular, spark a new rivalry in Quebec professional football. The topic is already generating a lot of buzz as the CFL seriously explores the possibility of ad

Jennifer Lawrence has been a longtime ambassador for Dior, though she’s not always at the Dior shows. She’s made it to Paris Fashion Week this season though, and continues the slip dress trend that’s been so dominant all year, in an icy blue piece that’s nightgown and toga at the same time, with the blousing and the gathering and the creative draping. I f-cking love it, because it’s not clingy but not too baggy.As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we’ll proba

All right.
It's now official: Kirill Marchenko will be in uniform tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.
He'll play his first game in the blue-and-white uniform of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It looks promising…Kirill Marchenko will indeed make his Maple Leafs debut tonight against Montreal
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 29, 2026Everything is in place, then, for both teams to put on a great show. On one side, the Canadiens' young players are hungry for success… an