The Orlando Pride remain undefeated after four games but return home to take on their most formidable challenge yet.

The Pride (4-0-0, 12 points) welcome Washington Spirit (3-1-0, 9 points) in a rematch of the NWSL championship game last season and Challenge Cup final in March.

“Two teams that are competing to ultimately win the Shield, so there’s not a lot of room for error. It’s fine margins,” said coach Seb Hines. “They are coming to our place, and we want to make that a hostile environment.”

The Pride have certainly been entertaining, scoring a league-high 11 goals. Barbra Banda leads the line with 3 goals and an assist, with club captain Marta adding 2 goals and an assist as well at 39.

Washington, which won the Challenge Cup on penalties but lost in the title game 1-0 last season to Orlando, is led by forward Ashley Hatch, who has been in excellent form. She has scored 4 of the Spirit’s 6 goals. Orlando has only conceded once, but the Pride have yet to face a forward playing as well as Hatch.

Being defending NWSL champions means the Pride can never relax. They’re getting the best effort from opponents each week, and that’s something Hines has reinforced with his team.

“We have to understand that we are the champions, and teams are going to adapt and put their best game in front of us, and we have to perform our highest every single week,” he said. “That’s a different challenge to what we faced in recent years, but it’s one that everyone’s thriving, enjoying, and motivated to go out there and perform every week.”

Up next …

Pride vs. Spirit

When: 5, Saturday, Inter&Co Stadium

TV: ION

This wasn’t supposed to be Lake Mary’s year in lacrosse. The Rams won the past two Class 2A state championships, but lost 25 seniors.

Lake Mary had what coach Gary Robinson said were 27 new faces. The Rams were no longer the heavy favorites to contend another state title.

“Everyone told us how horrible we were going to be this year and of course that puts a little bit of a chip on your shoulder,” said Robinson, who is in his 15th season at Lake Mary.

“We have a small group of experienced guys who are helping out and being coaches on the field to bring these newcomers along.”

The squad has kept pace with the teams of the previous two seasons, rattling off 16 victories without a loss going into a region quarterfinal at home Wednesday. Lake Mary won its district final 15-2 victory over Oviedo.

“That was the narrative around this team this year, about how we lost 25 guys, and everyone was saying, ‘Are they still the same team?'” said Jack Lorenz, a standout senior midfielder. “But Coach Gary is so good at constructing a team and developing players. We changed up our sets a little bit and everything is going really smoothly. We’re hitting our tempo at the right time.”

The Rams have steadily climbed in the FHSAA power rankings and are No. 3 in Class 2A behind Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (16-3) and Ponte Vedra (15-3).

Lake Mary is 64-1 in three seasons. The Rams went 24-0 when they won their first lacrosse state title in ’23 and repeated with a 24-1 record.

An interesting dynamic for the lacrosse program is how football players have been instrumental in the success.

This year’s team relies heavily on six football players, including Lorenz, who played safety on a state runner-up team. There’s also senior football receiver Chase Hinshaw, senior running back Parker Perales, junior linebackers Eli Straker and Patrick Ryan and junior safety Justin Batillo.

They’ve been winners in both as the football program sports a 22-5 record in the past two seasons.

Gridiron guys were key on the state title teams, with players such as Caden Harshbarger, now playing at North Carolina, and John Scarelli, playing at Rutgers.

“We do share that football mentality and I rely on those guys to give us a little bit of a toughness, a little bit of an edge that maybe some lacrosse team’s don’t have,” said Robinson, who has football coaching experience. “The defensive coordinator [Rob Marler] on the football team realized that his guys were coming back after working with us and their footwork was better. So we have good crossover with the training.

“And it works both ways. If there is a way that I can tap into their football experience, then I try to do that.”

Lorenz, Hinshaw and Straker have been lacrosse leaders, instrumental in getting the team to gel.

“It’s been fun. We’ve been killing it in both sports this year,” Lorenz said.

He could have played FBS football, but will instead take his lacrosse talent to the next level with a scholarship to Big East power Georgetown. Two other college-bound seniors are midfielder Luke Shale (Utah) and defender Jake Berman (Queens).

Robinson says his team has a solid chance to win it all again. The team to beat is Aquinas, which was runner-up to the Rams in the past two seasons.

“The kids are used to being successful and used to high standards and used to playing against elite competition,” Robinson said.

They have had targets on their back, but have used some reverse psychology.

“We said, ‘Let’s turn that around and put the target on anyone who gets in our way,'” Robinson said. “The kids ate that up. We didn’t hide from it. We acknowledged it and said, ‘Fine, you’re just going get more of our best stuff.'”

Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.

Friday night’s game between the Rockies and Nationals at Coors Field has been postponed because of inclement weather, the club announced.

Friday night’s game has been rescheduled for 6:10 p.m. Sunday as the second game of a split doubleheader, with Sunday’s 1:10 p.m. game to begin as scheduled. Separate tickets will be required for each game.

Additionally, the first pitch for Saturday’s game has been moved back one hour from 1:10 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

The Rockies were scheduled to unveil their new City Connect uniforms on Friday night, but will now debut them at the 6:10 p.m. game on Sunday.

Tickets from Friday night’s game (dated April 18) are valid for the Sunday, 6:10 p.m. game only. Ticket holders who purchased directly from the Rockies will be contacted via email with additional details.

If ticket holders cannot attend Sunday’s 6:10 p.m. game, fans will be presented with options based upon their purchase methods. In all cases, tickets are good for the makeup game or fans must exercise an online/credit/refund option prior to the first pitch of the rescheduled game.

Parking lots will open on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Gates A & E will open at 11 a.m. and all other gates at 11:30 a.m. for Game 1, and 5 p.m. before Game 2.

Fans with questions should call 303-ROCKIES (303-762-5437).

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Jump. Finish. Swish.

There is Aaron Gordon after practice, smiling, making baskets. He can’t miss. It is a reminder of how much he will be missed.

The Nuggets face the Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and this feels like Gordon’s last stand. That’s all there is to say, if being truthful.

There is no doubt that the Nuggets will undergo significant changes this offseason if they fail to reach the Western Conference Finals. They cannot exit early and run it back. And that leaves Gordon as the most valuable chess piece in a reboot.

It is not his fault. It’s nothing he did. It is because of everything he does and who he is. And his contract. Social media sprouts with daily ideas of how the Nuggets can ship out Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. in a makeover.

The ideas conveniently leave out two things: health and money. Murray’s $207.8 million max contract kicks in beginning next season with a $46.3 million salary in 2025. Though only 28, he hasn’t played more than 67 games since 2018, and this year, because of a forgettable first two months, shot 39.3% from 3, his lowest mark since 2019.

Playoff Jamal is a thing. But is it enough for an acquiring team to mortgage its future for a player who has never made an All-Star Game?

It is well established that Porter has overcome long odds to play in the NBA, given his back issues. But it is also permanently established that he is maddeningly inconsistent, and, when not making 3s, disappears for long stretches. That is not an opinion. It is what is on film. And seeing that, will a suitor, already wondering if he will pass a physical, want the $79.1 million remaining on his max deal?

So it circles back to Gordon. He has $103.6 million coming starting next season, but the third year of his contract is a player option. His deal is as flexible and friendly as the man himself.

This is why Aaron Gordon could become Gone Gordon.

It would be a darn shame given what he means to this team.

Gordon, if he stays on the court, will be the reason the Nuggets advance to the second round. Assuming Nikola Jokic and Murray — especially Murray — show up and show out, Gordon is the secret sauce in the Big Mac.

He pulls it all together.

“You want to be that glue,” he told The Denver Post last month.

Even sabotaged by a calf issue that limited him to 51 games, Gordon improved his shooting dramatically. He was so bad from beyond the arc last postseason, the Lakers and Timberwolves didn’t bother guarding him.

He has morphed from a liability to an asset, jumping from 29% to 46% on 3-pointers. His free-throw accuracy has spiked as well (65.8% to 81%).

“You can really put him anywhere on the court. He is a matchup problem on the post. An all-around threat. And over the course of the season, he has gotten better and better,” Murray said. “Watching him shoot right now, it’s easy to see those 3s going in during the game.”

While Michael Malone understood Gordon’s importance, his insistence on overusing Russell Westbrook even when the team was healthy left the forward lost. Since March 9, he has four games where he scored seven points or less. He had five in Malone’s last game, his uninspired effort a reflection of the team’s in a 125-120 home loss to the Pacers.

Since David Adelman took over, Gordon is back, fitting better, playing with more intent. He is averaging 24 points, and doing all the things that he must for the Nuggets to upset the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard’s knee is no longer a topic. Which means he will be a pain in the (bleep) for the Nuggets. The Clippers boast an 18-3 record over their past 21 games. Leonard is averaging 25 points during this run.

Time for Gordon to scrap vs. The Klaw.

“Aaron is one of those rare human beings who can match up with the size of a guy like that. It doesn’t mean you are always going to stop him, but at least you feel like you have a matchup where you don’t have to commit two people to the ball,” Adelman said. “It’s going to be a team challenge. If we want to switch up our defenses with Aaron, then other people have to step up.”

After getting their coach fired, in large part, for listless defense, the onus is on the Nuggets to match the Clippers’ intensity. Play every possession. Not every other quarter.

This kind of effort will free Gordon to slide onto center Ivica Zubac or challenge James Harden on screen-and-rolls. Denver cannot beat the Clippers without Gordon at his best.

And if the Nuggets lose, leaving unfinished business on the table, it’s easy to see why this series could be Gordon’s last.

Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis.

Jump. Finish. Swish.

There is Aaron Gordon after practice, smiling, making baskets. He can’t miss. It is a reminder of how much he will be missed.

The Nuggets face the Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and this feels like Gordon’s last stand. That’s all there is to say, if being truthful.

There is no doubt that the Nuggets will undergo significant changes this offseason if they fail to reach the Western Conference Finals. They cannot exit early and run it back. And that leaves Gordon as the most valuable chess piece in a reboot.

It is not his fault. It’s nothing he did. It is because of everything he does and who he is. And his contract. Social media sprouts with daily ideas of how the Nuggets can ship out Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. in a makeover.

The ideas conveniently leave out two things: health and money. Murray’s $207.8 million max contract kicks in beginning next season with a $46.3 million salary in 2025. Though only 28 years old, he hasn’t played more than 67 games since 2018. This year, because of a forgettable first two months, he shot 39.3% from 3, his lowest mark since 2019.

Playoff Jamal is a thing. But is it enough for an acquiring team to mortgage its future for a player who has never made an All-Star Game?

It is well established that Porter has overcome long odds to play in the NBA, given his back issues. But it is also permanently established that he is maddeningly inconsistent and, when not making 3s, disappears for long stretches. That is not an opinion. It is what is on film. And seeing that, will a suitor, already wondering if he will pass a physical, want the $79.1 million remaining on his max deal?

So it circles back to Gordon. He has $103.6 million coming starting next season, but the third year of his contract is a player option. His deal is as flexible and friendly as the man himself.

This is why Aaron Gordon could become Gone Gordon.

It would be a darn shame, given what he means to this team.

Gordon, if he stays on the court, will be the reason the Nuggets advance to the second round. Assuming Nikola Jokic and Murray — especially Murray — show up and show out, Gordon is the secret sauce in the Big Mac.

He pulls it all together.

“You want to be that glue,” he told The Denver Post last month.

Even sabotaged by a calf issue that limited him to 51 games, Gordon improved his shooting dramatically. He was so bad from beyond the arc last postseason, the Lakers and Timberwolves didn’t bother guarding him.

He has morphed from a liability to an asset, jumping from 29% to 46% on 3-pointers. His free-throw accuracy has spiked as well (65.8% to 81%).

“You can really put him anywhere on the court. He is a matchup problem on the post. An all-around threat. And over the course of the season, he has gotten better and better,” Murray said. “Watching him shoot right now, it’s easy to see those 3s going in during the game.”

While Michael Malone understood Gordon’s importance, his insistence on overusing Russell Westbrook even when the team was healthy left the forward lost. Since March 9, he’s had four games in which he scored seven points or fewer. He had five in Malone’s last game, his uninspired effort a reflection of the team’s in a 125-120 home loss to the Pacers.

Since David Adelman took over, Gordon is back, fitting better, playing with more intent. He is averaging 24 points, and doing all the things that he must for the Nuggets to upset the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard’s knee is no longer a topic. Which means he will be a pain in the (bleep) for the Nuggets. The Clippers boast an 18-3 record over their past 21 games. Leonard is averaging 25 points during this run.

Time for Gordon to scrap vs. The Klaw.

“Aaron is one of those rare human beings who can match up with the size of a guy like that. It doesn’t mean you are always going to stop him, but at least you feel like you have a matchup where you don’t have to commit two people to the ball,” Adelman said. “It’s going to be a team challenge. If we want to switch up our defenses with Aaron, then other people have to step up.”

After getting their coach fired, in large part, for listless defense, the onus is on the Nuggets to match the Clippers’ intensity. Play every possession. Not every other quarter.

This kind of effort will free Gordon to slide onto center Ivica Zubac or challenge James Harden on screen-and-rolls. Denver cannot beat the Clippers without Gordon at his best.

And if the Nuggets lose, leaving unfinished business on the table, it’s easy to see why this series could be Gordon’s last.

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Bubble Jamal? Or Trouble Jamal?

What’s it gonna be, 27? Because right now, Nuggets Nation isn’t quite sure which Jamal Murray they’re going to get in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

We know Nikola Jokic will paint the lane the way Michelangelo painted ceilings. We know Aaron Gordon will destroy rims for fun. We know Christian Braun will become the dude the other fan base loves to hate.

We know Michael Porter Jr. will have you punching the air one minute and punching a wall the next. We know Russell Westbrook will be tough on your ticker.

But Murray?

With Game 1 against the Clippers looming on Saturday afternoon, the Nuggets’ postseason wild card is wilder than ever.

Bubble Jamal? Or Trouble Jamal?

“We know what Jamal is in the playoffs,” interim Nuggets coach and longtime assistant David Adelman told reporters earlier this week. “He’s one of the all-time greats. You can’t argue it.”

Sure can’t. But what you also can’t shake are those memories of Murray from that Minnesota series last year.

The heat pad. The pouts. A 3-for-18 showing in Game 2. A 4-for-18 clip in Game 6.

That slow fade in Game 7.

A guy who in 2023 made a 50-40-90 playoff stat line look so easy — and fun, especially against the Lakers — put up a 40-32-92 one last spring.

Over the Blue Arrow’s last nine playoff appearances, he’s scored 24 or more points four times, poured in 16 or fewer points three times, and … the Nuggets are 4-5.

Bubble Jamal? Or Trouble Jamal?

“(Murray) doesn’t have to chase the money,” “Inside The NBA” analyst Kenny Smith told me when he visited Ball Arena last season. “Certain guys have to chase the money, OK? ‘Let me do this to get there.’ No, he’s already there. He just has to chase greatness. Which is a good place to be for him.”

And if Murray catches a heater while he’s chasing said greatness, hey — that works, too.

When No. 27’s scored 17 points or fewer in the postseason, the Nuggets are 5-12. When the Arrow’s hit for 25 points or more, the Nuggets are 19-7.

Bubble Jamal? Or Trouble Jamal?

“The intensity behind these possessions is a little higher (than in the regular season),” Murray told reporters recently. “It (often) comes down to one possession. Good starts are important for us. And valuing the ball.”

Which brings to mind another image from that Timberwolves series — and another potential speed bump.

When last we saw Murray in a playoff setting, Minnesota was giving him 94 feet of holy Hades. The Timberpups chucked body after body at No. 27’s face, straining Murray’s already-strained calf and turning even a simple jog across the timeline into a chore.

Better believe a grindy, defensive-minded bunch such as the Clippers took careful notes.

Los Angeles heads into the postseason having produced a steal on 8.5% of its defensive possessions during the regular season, the second-best takeaway rate in the NBA to Oklahoma City’s 9.0%

The Clip Show badgered Murray into three giveaways during an NBA Cup loss on Dec. 1, then another six during a rematch on Dec. 13.

Bubble Jamal? Or Trouble Jamal?

“They’re handsy. They’re getting a lot of steals,” Murray reflected. “A lot of guys are like, ‘Go get the steals.’ That’s probably the biggest thing. They probably do that better than anybody else in the league.”

When Murray’s feeling it, nobody — other than maybe Steph Curry — in the NBA Playoffs is better at spotting up and crushing souls. It’s the uncertainty and the unavailability that get to you.

Dynasties have multiple Hall-of-Famers carrying the torch. Murray’s injuries and intangibles have tagged him as “Hall-of-Very-Good” for years. While Nikola Jokic’s become one of the most staggeringly consistent performers in NBA history, the Arrow’s all over the map.

The duo’s chemistry is the stuff of legend. But the coach (Michael Malone) and general manager (Calvin Booth) who helped to foster that relationship are both out of the picture.

The Joker’s 30. Someone in the Nuggets front office is going to have to take a long, hard look at how best to maximize the next four to five seasons of the best player on the planet.

Trouble Jamal is part of the problem. Bubble Jamal was paid to be part of the solution. Murray makes more ($36.02 million) than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($35.85 million) and Jayson Tatum ($34.85 million). If the Arrow shoots the Nuggets past either one of them in the weeks to come, folks will stop bringing those salaries up.

“This is going to be a tough series for (Jamal),” Adelman said. “(The Clippers) have a lot of people to throw at him. And I think the biggest thing for us is, these guys — me, the staff — have to help Jamal. Because if we can get him free, we know what he’s capable of.”

TAMPA — Pitch by pitch, the future was coming into focus. The fastball was humming, and the splitter was tumbling.

Sixteen batters into Thursday night’s game, the Yankees had a handful of singles and a bunch of soft contact. This is what Rays manager Kevin Cash means when he talks of the magnificence of Taj Bradley’s talent.

There are few pitchers who can match Bradley’s high-90s fastball with his repertoire of breaking pitches. When he is in the groove, Bradley makes hitters ponder the fragility of their batting averages.

And then, without warning, tomorrow’s ace looked more like yesterday’s annoyance. A fastball up in the zone that was hit for a home run by Oswaldo Cabrera. This was followed by a single, double and walk. An inning later, it went walk, single, fielder’s choice and walk.

A 3-1 Rays lead was gone, and so was Bradley.

This is just part of the game, right? The infallible pitcher has not yet been discovered by scouts. There’s a reason we celebrate an ERA under 3.00, because eventually baserunners are going to find their way home.

And yet, it always feels like a surprise when it happens to a pitcher of Bradley’s skill.

That’s how expectations carom from compliment to burden overnight. Every slip, every misstep, every base on balls feels like a betrayal of promise. In reality, this is a normal part of a pitcher’s journey to the rest of his career.

It’s the direction that matters.

Are you growing? Are you learning? Are you improving?

These are the questions Bradley will answer in the coming months.

He is still just 24, so it’s not as if the clock is clanging. He’s younger than Triple-A fireballer Joe Boyle, for instance. Younger than Yankees pitcher Luis Gil, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award last season.

On the other hand, his ERA grew from 3.71 to 5.24 Thursday night.

“I thought he had really, really good stuff,” Cash said after the game. “The leadoff walk in the sixth comes back and [would] bite anybody a little bit. He knows that. I think there were two walks in the sixth, so a little uncharacteristic. But Taj competed really well, pleased with the stuff.”

It was, however, the second time in three starts that he gave up four walks. He had only one outing like that in all of 2024. It was also only the second time in his 50 big-league starts that he had more walks (four) than strikeouts (three) in a game.

“I don’t think it’s anything with mechanics or command,” Bradley said. “It’s just trying too hard to make a good pitch and then overexerting myself and pitches go out of the zone and you fall behind.”

It’s less a question of concern than of patience. We know what Bradley can do. He knows what he can do. He showed the entire world last summer when he went 5-1 with a 0.82 ERA and was the best pitcher in baseball over a nine-start span.

It’s what happened since that makes those two months feel like a tease. Bradley is 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts since July 31. That’s not uncommon for a young pitcher, but it is surprising for a pitcher of Bradley’s potential.

Cash gave Bradley every opportunity to pitch his way back into good graces in what would become a 6-3 New York win. He let him pitch to Aaron Judge with runners on second and third and one out in the fifth (Judge walked) before Cody Bellinger drove in a run with a fielder’s choice.

He stuck with him after giving up a walk and a single to begin the sixth and even let him pitch to Cabrera again after the Yankees third baseman had touched him for a single and the homer in two previous at-bats (Cabrera walked).

Was this meant to be a growing experience, or was Bradley just the best pitcher to be on the mound at those moments?

“I’d say it was more the right move in the moment,” Cash said. “Taj’s development is important. He’s going to continue to get better. But he’s a major-league pitcher and a really good one at that.

“If I would have seen a velocity drop or the strike zone eluding him leading up to that, maybe it’s a different conversation. But I felt totally comfortable with where he was at.”

Intentional or not, this was another chance for Bradley to grow. To learn. To become the pitcher that the Rays are certain he will be.

In another five or six days, he’ll be back on the mound.

And we’ll still be expecting wondrous things.

Believe it or not, there was a reported moose sighting in Texas in 2008.

It’s documented, both by Wildlife Informer and World Population Review, and thus, Texas is one of four states where moose sightings are classified as “very rare.”

The Colorado Avalanche would have liked to keep it that way, but there is a rather important figure named “Moose” waiting for them Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas. This will be the third showdown with the Dallas Stars during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the past six years.

It will be the first where Mikko Rantanen is one of the bad guys.

“Yeah,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said matter-of-factly when asked if facing Rantanen in the playoffs will be surreal. “It’s going to be different. But that’s his new home, and it’s going to be his new home for eight years. It’s the life of pro hockey and the business side of it sometimes.

“He’s going to be a big factor in this series, but it’s not just one player and one line. That’s a pretty deep team over there that we have to deal with.”

Rantanen had 287 goals and 681 points in 619 regular-season games for the Avalanche. He was also a trustworthy scorer in the postseason, collecting 34 goals and 100 points in 82 playoff contests.

Rantanen is a world-class player in the prime of his career. He was a homegrown inner-circle core player for a Stanley Cup contender.

Those types of players never get traded in the middle of a season when a team has Cup-or-bust expectations. When the Avs sent Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on a Friday night in late January, it was arguably the most shocking NHL trade since Joe Thornton went to San Jose two decades ago.

What happened between Avs management and Rantanen’s representation was a topic of speculation and reporting for weeks after the deal.

“I still don’t really know what to make of it,” ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro said. “It seems like the perception of the stories from both camps were not even close to being on the same page for sure and they may not even be in the same chapter of the book. It’s funny — that trade, now that you bring it up — it feels like five years ago.”

Part of the reason for that is Colorado kept wheeling and dealing, remodeling a Cup-contending roster at an unprecedented rate.

Rantanen wasn’t done moving, either. He declined to sign a contract extension with the Hurricanes before the trade deadline, so one of the 10-15 best players in the world was traded again, and this time to the franchise that knocked the Avalanche out of the playoffs in 2020 and 2024.

The Avs faced Rantanen and the Stars at Ball Arena just eight days after the second trade. It was a surreal day, with plenty of mixed emotions in the seats and the Colorado locker room.

“I think it will still be weird for a little bit,” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said on Altitude Sports Radio earlier this week. “We’re going to have to get through that really quickly and just get to work. He’s a juggernaut. (We’ll) try to slow him down. I think he’s got one of the best points-per-game in the playoffs in history, I believe. We’ve got to do a really good job as a team of shutting him down, slowing him down.”

Now, the reality sets in. This will be the first time Colorado’s championship-winning core faces its old friend in a green uniform in a Stanley Cup Playoffs series. It is unlikely to be the last, given how deep and talented both clubs are and the eight-year, $96 million contract that Rantanen signed, which kicks in next season.

“I’m just really, really focused on this team,” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “I’ve played against friends before. It is what it is.”

Rantanen has not been quite at his most dangerous self since leaving Denver. The underlying numbers were fantastic with Carolina, but he had just two goals and six points in 13 games. When he arrived at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, he looked a bit weary from all of the attention placed on whether or not he would sign with the Hurricanes.

He only has five goals in 20 games for the Stars, but also 18 points. And he’s been a proven playoff performer throughout his career.

The Avs are deeper after the trade. Martin Necas had 11 goals and 28 points in 30 games for the Avs. Jack Drury has been excellent as the No. 4 center. Colorado used Carolina’s second-round pick in the trade for Charlie Coyle.

So far, so good on the Avs’ end. But that could change in the next two weeks if “Moose” does get loose in Texas and helps the Stars send the Avalanche home yet again.

“This is your team now. What’s Necas going to be like in the playoffs?” Ferraro said. “He looks like he really enjoys playing in the system, but man, you’re taking out what has been proven performance in Rantanen. I think they did just fine in the trade, but you still don’t have Mikko Rantanen. I think he’s a very unique skill set for a player. There’s not many guys like him.”

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Orlando City has quietly been climbing up the MLS standings, going unbeaten in its last five matches.

Now the Lions (3-2-3, 12 points) travel to take on CF Montreal (0-6-2, 2 points), a struggling side that parted ways with coach Laurent Courtois just last month. While winless, it has looked more competitive in recent weeks.

The Lions must be careful to not overlook them.

“It’s a tricky moment on the season where teams are adjusting movements and players, and in this case with Montreal, even changing of staff,” coach Oscar Pareja said. “But we are still with our seriousness of approaching of the game, just with our intention to go and win.

“It is an important match for us. It is a match that can give us a possibility to add points in our standings, and much more important, that we keep this road of just ascending.”

Orlando City’s attack is second in the league with 15 goals, but it has gone scoreless in the last two matches. The Lions appeared on the verge of scoring several times against the Red Bulls last weekend, but goalkeeper Carlos Coronel shut them down.

The good news for the Lions is that Montreal has allowed 13 goals, giving them a perfect chance to bounce back and return to filling up the net. Improved defense has been encouraging, but Orlando City needs to get back on the scoresheet, too, to climb MLS standings.

“Balance is the best hope for getting Montreal with a good aura that can bring us back to finding the net with our strikers and players, Pareja said, “and still to have that consistency defensively, that’s what we are aiming for.”

Up next …

Orlando City at CF Montreal

When: 7:30, Saturday, Stade Saputo

TV: Apple