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With the potential for both teams to climb to second place in the table, it didn't take long for the first score of the day.
Following an unsuccessful drive from a five-metre lineout, Ben Youngs picked the perfect pass for Wallaby centre Perese, who went over untouched.
But the Cherry and Whites struck back quickly, Seb Atkinson making a half break between Tigers' defenders before feeding Max Llewellyn who put Williams through for the home side's first try of the game.
Following a bizarre incident in which Llewellyn was penalised for an incorrect restart, Leicester struck again. From the ensuing scrum, a simple back-line move resulted in Mike Brown charging over as the Gloucester defenders found themselves overwhelmed.
George Skivington's men thought they had levelled soon after. A fortuitous bounce from a grubber kick saw Christian Wade touch down in the corner, only for the try to be chalked off for offside in the build-up.
But Gloucester were not to be denied for long. Having worked their way into the Tigers' 22, Clement's drive was repelled before Carreras' acrobatic effort in the corner.
On the edge of half-time, the match swung again. Brown picked off Gareth Anscombe as Gloucester pressed. The former England fullback made it well into the opposing half, before offloading to Radwan to score with his first touch as a Tigers player.
Leicester carried that momentum into the second half, Wells forcing his way over from short range following a break down the wing from Ollie Hassell-Collins.
But Gloucester then found a second wind. Having driven up to the Leicester 22, Clement exploited a tiring Tigers defence to score before Harris, on his 100th appearance for the club, touched down to cap a frenzied period of play.
Things only got worse for Michael Cheika's men with Perese being yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle, before Blake emerged with the ball from the resultant lineout drive for Gloucester's fifth try.
Leicester were shell-shocked, but came away with two losing bonus point following Pollard's late penalty.
The result leaves both teams on 35 points, with Gloucester in third, ahead of their defeated opponents on points difference.
Exeter beat Saracens for rare Premiership victory
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon:
"It's a relief, but there's also an enjoyment factor to it.
"I'm pleased for the lads, I'm pleased for the club really as well and the supporters who've been here a bit through thick and thin for quite a while as well.
"That was an important victory for us to have some feelgood factor going into this next two-month block through the Six Nations.
"Without that I think we'd still be looking around going 'are we heading in the right direction?'
"It was a much-changed Saracens side, but they were typical Saracens weren't they? There was nothing easy out there and, if anything, a much-changed Saracens side almost put more pressure on us to have to achieve something today."
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall:
"It doesn't feel like a Premiership weekend is necessary on a weekend like this, when there are international camps and there are players away, when it is only an 18-game regular season.
"We said before the game that in lots of ways the outcome was immaterial to what we wanted from the game as we knew that come the end of the Six Nations when the Premiership recommences, we were going to be in the mix anyway, with seven games to go.
"We had a lot of unavailability through international call-ups and the big casualty list we have got, and we brought a bit of a younger and inexperienced team and we asked them to play big today and not play within themselves, and show how good they are, and not be cautious, and I thought they were wonderful.
"The energy in the team, in the first 40 minutes in particular, was absolutely outstanding. We had senior players who showed the way and we had younger players who played big like we asked them to, and that continued in the second half.
"And then we had that unfortunate 45 seconds or so where they scored a try from the halfway line and then another from the restart, and that's 14 points in no time at all.
"The whole energy of the ground changed and that was the game really."
BARBERVILLE, Fla. After winning his second Super DIRTcar Series championship, Mat Williamson didnt rest in the offseason.
Instead, he took on the Chili Bowl Nationals for the first time behind the wheel of a Keith Kunz Motorsports Midget.
It was the first time the St. Catharines, Ontario, driver traveled to Tulsa for the annual event, an experience he described in one word: Amazing.
I really tried to tell people that it was a lot like Super Dirt Week, Williamson said. It felt like when we walked into the mile back in the day. It was pretty wowing.
Its certainly something that you really have to experience once or twice.
Williamson started the week with two practice sessions, before running his preliminary night on Tuesday of the week-long event. Thats where Money Mat had an unforgettable experience in his Heat Race, flipping his No. 71P after contact with 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars Rookie of the Year Buddy Kofoid.
However, Williamson said he wasnt frustrated after the incident.
I actually think that calmed me down a little bit, Williamson said. I dont ever really destroy race cars. I got a pretty good track record at being conservative behind the wheel and not tearing up equipment. Then, getting in a Keith Kunz car I flip at the first race. So, after they put me back over, I kept going and Im like, Shit, you know, I think I did all right for flipping this thing over. I didnt tear it up too bad.
Once that happened, I think my nerves kind of went away and I got a little bit more relaxed behind the wheel and just focused on racing instead of worrying about wrecking the race car.
After finishing fifth in his qualifier, Williamson transferred to the nights B-Main where he narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Feature. As he drove through Turns 3 and 4, Williamsons Midget wheelied off the corner, allowing Garet Williamson to drive by him for the final transfer spot.
That finish sent him to the E-Main on Saturday, where he finished 11th, ultimately ending his first attempt at the Chili Bowl.
I feel like if I had a hot lap session on Saturday it wouldve probably made my week a little easier, Williamson said. But you know, I dont do it as often as I should, and I hadnt ever done it before. By the end of Tuesday, I felt like I was really comfortable behind the wheel, but then you know we take four days off and then I go back, and I race against people that do it all time.
I was pretty happy with our results. I think that puts us in the top 100 cars that are there. And there was damn near 400 there so theres a lot of cars with far more experience.
With the Chili Bowl complete, Williamson is turning his attention to the Super DIRTcar Series and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park Feb. 12-15.
If he drives his Buzz Chew Racing No. 88 to another Big Gator title in February, Williamson will be the first driver to win preseason championship for three consecutive years since the Big Gator trophy was introduced in 2012.
Along with winning the week-long championship, hes reached victory lane six times at Volusia since 2020, including three of the last five features.
I feel like any time you give us a couple days to figure out the race track, I feel like we thrive, Williamson said. We do a really good job adapting to the race track and as long as we stay focused, we really adapt pretty well. So, I think that weve got a pretty decent notebook for that place because we go so often.
Sébastien Ogier is on the cusp of an unprecedented 10th Rally Monte Carlo victory after another flawless performance on Saturday, further extending his lead at the iconic French Alps event.
The Frenchman, driving a GR Yaris Rally1 for Toyota GAZOO Racing, heads into Sundays final leg with a commanding lead of 20.3 seconds, having delivered a measured and calculated drive through six challenging stages west of Gap on Saturday. His and co-driver Vincent Landais efforts kept the chasing pack firmly at bay.
Despite milder temperatures offering respite from ice, Ogier had to battle the toughest of the days conditions.
His 10th-place starting position meant he faced mud and loose stones left on the road by the cars ahead, yet the eight-time world champion used every ounce of his Monte-Carlo experience to push on, extending his lead which stood at 12.6 seconds after Friday. Behind him, Elfyn Evans and Adrien Fourmaux continued their fight for second place, while a fast-finishing Ott Tänak also staked his claim for a podium result.
We are still in the lead. Its not increasing much, but its still going the right way, reflected Ogier. It was a positive day, but I am happy to have it behind me. Starting last [on the road] of the Rally1s was definitely the most challenging conditions, so I am happy with what we have done.
Just 4.3sec separated Evans and Fourmaux at the end of the rallys longest day, with the Welshman taking back control of second place after a thrilling back-and-forth. Fourmaux, on what has been a stunning Hyundai WRC debut so far, hit top gear in the morning to snatch second from Evans on SS11, but the Toyota driver fought back in the afternoon, edging ahead once more.
Tänak came alive in the afternoon after set-up tweaks unlocked more speed from his Hyundai. He surged past Toyotas Kalle Rovanperä on SS13, then set a blistering pace on SS14 winning the stage and beating Fourmaux by 13.3 seconds. Another powerful run on the days finale left the Estonian only 2.5sec adrift of his team-mate heading into Sunday.
Two-time WRC champion Rovanperä, who ended 27.9sec behind Tänak in fifth, felt that he couldnt have done much more. His preference for faster, flowing stages left him at a disadvantage on the days tighter, more technical roads.
More than two minutes separated the Toyotas of Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari in sixth and seventh overall, with both drivers relieved to have completed another day without any major drama. The same couldnt be said for Thierry Neuville, who languished eighth after a power delivery issue on SS10 cost him around 50 seconds and stunted any hopes of a fightback after his Friday struggles.
For Grégoire Munster, the day was bittersweet. The M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 driver celebrated his first-ever fastest WRC stage time on Saturdays opener, but after retiring with a technical fault on the final liaison section back to service on Friday, hes unable to challenge his Rally1 rivals for an overall position. Without the issues, Munster could have been in the mix for a top-five finish.
Puma Rally1 debutant Josh McErlean made huge strides, breaking into the top nine as he gained valuable mileage in the car. Nikolay Gryazin was 10th overnight, while Yohan Rossel extended his lead in the WRC2 category and also sits 11th overall.
Sundays final leg starts from Gap and includes three more tricky stages as the rally journeys south to the finish in Monaco.
As Will Power stares at year No. 18 behind the wheel of an Indy car, his drive to keep rolling only grows.
The longtime Team Penske driver, who turns 44 in March, is coming off perhaps one of his more impressive seasons behind the wheel of the No. 12 Chevrolet.
Three victories and four runner-up results propelled Power to a fourth-place points effort by seasons end.
However, it very well couldve been a third championship had the final two races turned out differently.
Following a second-place result in the first of two races at The Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin, Power was in prime position to threaten points leader Alex Palou.
Palou endured uncharacteristic battery failure prior to the start of the second event, which sidelined the Chip Ganassi Racing driver for the first 28 circuits.
The points situation swung Powers way momentarily until a spin relegated the driver of the No. 12 to 10th on the grid.
Looking ahead to the finale at Nashville Superspeedway in Tennessee, Powers title hopes were dashed due to a belt issue early in the event. Hed finish 24th.
While the season could be chalked up as a what couldve been year, Powers mentally thrown away the negatives and is ready for a fresh slate.
Based on the performance the second half, really most of the season last year were very strong, Power said. A very disappointing end, obviously, there to drop back a couple in the championship standings.
Yeah, very determined to come back and have a strong 2025. I think well have the car, engine, package to do it, and I think Penske is in a very good spot right now.
As Penskes longest-tenured driver in the series, the question of how much longer Power will remain with the team is a recurring question seemingly every year with the rise of teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin.
Power inked an extension with the team following his second title in 2022.
However, hes entering a contract year in 2025. Earlier in January, Power signed with Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonsos agency, A14 Management, as Power looks ahead to negotiations.
With high performance a must, especially in the final year of his deal, Power stressed the importance of staying at the pinnacle of his game.
Its not just so about being impressive, its like necessary. Youre certainly not sticking around if youre not doing that, Power said. Youd better turn up or else shes over. Thats just the way it is.
But I love it. I love the competition. I love the preparation. I love finding new little details and things to be better every year.
Yeah, its kind of funny you get to this point in your career and I feel youre at your absolute best as far as putting a whole series together, weekend together, races together. You kind of have the same speed that you had but you dont really build on speed, Power continued.
I think its just a natural thing that you have. But the whole other package takes a long time to get unless youre Palou, like some of those guys that just mature, and they work that out very early.
As far as a timeline of how much longer Power feels hed be able to compete at a high level, he believes he could be absolutely competitive for another five years if I wanted.
Its absolutely the goal, yeah, to definitely keep rolling while Im really competitive, Power said. I was like very competitive last year. I won three races and seven podiums. No one else in the field but McLaughlin did that. So Im still performing really high.
Yeah, if I wasnt performing, I wouldnt want to do it. Im still learning. Its crazy, but youre still learning stuff.
Competitive, Frantic and Fast Six Hours in the Books At Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. A full, talented and ambitious 61-car field featuring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champions, NASCAR stars, IndyCar winners, Formula 1 veterans and a wide assortment of accomplished drivers from 31 countries took the green flag Saturday afternoon at Daytona Intl Speedway for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Blue skies, cool temperatures, a large crowd that even included Miss America showed up to watch a global A-list of racers competing to earn coveted Rolex Daytona timepieces for their work on the 3.56-mile infield road course that also incorporates portions of the famous speedways high banks.
A restart five minutes before the six-hour mark following the races third full course caution period saw a typically frantic move forward among the lead Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars which went three-wide into the first turn.
Ultimately, American Colin Braun prevailed taking the front position in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 ahead of the defending Rolex 24 race-winning No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 at the races quarter-mark.
Mathias Beche held the 12-car Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class lead in the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 exchanging the front spot with Felipe Fraga, co-driver of the No. 74 Riley ORECA, in a spirited battle out front of that class.
GTD PRO
The new two-car Paul Miller Racing team paced the 15-car Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. At the six-hour mark, Jesse Krohn was out front in his No. 48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Connor De Phillippi third in the sister No. 1 car. They sandwiched Nico Varrone, in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the races first quarter point.
The No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette co-driven by NASCAR stars Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, along with IndyCar standout Scott McLaughlin and sports car champion Ben Keating was 12th place in GTD at the six-hour mark.
The entire GT field had a moment on the opening lap when Nick Boulles No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07 car spun directly in front of them. The evasive action cost the pole-sitting No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 to relinquish the early lead, but the two Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustangs quickly recovered and ranked among the leaders for much of the following hours.
It was really bad actually, we were really lucky there, said Mike Rockenfeller, who was driving the pole-sitting No. 64 Mustang and had took early evasion action.
We lost a position, both of us (Mustangs) but it doesnt matter. Its a long race and the track will change and hopefully it will be a clean race for us and well see where we are at the end.
I was definitely not ready for that, even though you should be, Rockenfeller smiled. Somehow I wasnt expecting that.
GTD
David Fumanelli led the fields most populous class, the 22-car Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.
For most of the early going, it was the pole-winning GTP BMW M Team RLL team and Porsche Penske pacing the overall field. However, as expected and as usual, the racing was dramatic from the drop of the green flag in all four classes.
The prototype class, in particular, featured numerous lead changes among all the different makes and a wide assortment of drivers.
Im not surprised, theres just so much talent on this grid in terms of manufacturers, drivers, teams, everybody is so close and weve seen it in the Roar (test sessions), weve seen it in qualifying and the practice sessions, everyone is so close together, said BMW driver Austrian Philipp Eng, whose No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 started on pole position in the hands of co-driver Dries Vanthoor.
I was just watching 10 minutes ago and there were three former F1 guys driving cars. So I must say it is incredible and I feel very privileged to be racing against them and with them, he added. So this (competitive field) is not a surprise to me. I just hope at the end of the race there is a BMW leading the race.
Among those former F-1 drivers putting on a show out front was Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racings Kamui Kobayashi, who spent most of his time in his No. 40 Cadillac V-Series.R at the races quarter-mark putting on a passing display.
His teammate Jordan Taylor spoke to the media as the Japanese super-talent pulled into the lead earlier in the night, glanced up and could only smile.
Its fun to watch him, said Taylor, who shared that while other drivers spent their off-days travelling or doing something fun, his teammate Kobayashi instead spent one night doing laundry at a local 24-hour laundromat, watched a bit of Netflix and even went to a local Dicks Sporting Goods and bought a portable sauna hes used ever since.
We knew he was going to be like that (pushing to lead the race), Taylor continued. You see it all weekend through practices watching his onboards and as hes learning the new car, you see him making the adjustments to the steering wheel and just having fun. Thats his style and why people love him.
Thats exactly what I would expect from him watching a restart where everyone is kind of unsure about the conditions and he just goes forward.
Of note, there were three full-course cautions and the weather dropped from starting temperatures nearing 60 degrees ambient and 90 track to a much cooler mid-50s track and ambient into the night stint. Soft compound tires are now available for GTP teams to run until 10 a.m.
IMSA also hands out the first IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup points of the 2025 season at the sixth hour. The top three teams in each class at designated time periods are awarded five, four and three points, respectively with all others taking home two. At the Rolex 24, Michelin Endurance Cup points are awarded at the sixth, 12th, 18th and 24th hours. Naturally, the cars leading at the six-hour mark take home the five points.
BOSTON -- Facing the prospect of Colorado's star winger Mikko Rantanen becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season, general manager Chris MacFarland felt the timing was right to deal him away and bolster the Avalanche's roster for the future.
"I think it was just a tough business decision here for us," MacFarland said Saturday before the Avalanche faced the Boston Bruins. "I felt that the pieces we got made sense to strike now."
Colorado traded Rantanen in a three-team deal to Carolina a night earlier, acquiring forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, as well as a second-round pick in this year's draft and a fourth-rounder in 2026.
Carolina also got forward Taylor Hall from Chicago in the trade.
Drafted 10th overall in 2015 by Colorado, the 28-year-old Rantanen, a two-time 100-point scorer who had an Avs' record 55 goals in 2022-23, was in line to become an unrestricted free agent after he and the organization couldn't agree on a new deal entering this year.
He had 25 goals and 39 assists when he was traded, and leaves Colorado with 287 career goals in his ninth full season. He helped them win the Cup in 2022.
The Avalanche and Hurricanes had been discussing Rantanen since last summer. Carolina GM Eric Tulsky said the past six to eight weeks saw them table "serious offers" for the winger, with the Hurricanes pushing hard to complete the trade in the last two weeks.
Trading a superstar is never easy, and MacFarland certainly had some anxious moments.
"It hurts, right. He's a homegrown talent. He's a superstar person, he's a superstar human being," he said. "I think that's sports, right. We're going talk about it, people are going to talk about it. Your heart strings get tugged. That's why we all do this.
"I'd be lying, I'm like that. He's that good of a hockey player. ... He had the UFA card and we felt this is what we had to do."
Rantanen was seeking a contract in the neighborhood of the eight-year extension Leon Draisaitl signed with the Edmonton Oilers in September. That deal carries an average annual value of $14 million. Both Rantanen and Draisaitl are represented by agent Andy Scott.
Now, Colorado faces the immediate future trying to remain a Stanley Cup contender along with planning for the future.
"You lose a superstar and we're going to have to try and replace him in the aggregate -- 50-goal scorers don't grow on trees," MacFarland said. "You have to usually draft and develop them. Mikko was a home run for us for many, many years."
And his former star player will now try and help Carolina win its first Cup since 2006.
"You feel that you do what's best for the logo and best for the team," MacFarland said.
MacFarland said it was important to have Necas, a speedy forward who led the Hurricanes in scoring this season, and Drury, an "emerging player" down the lineup, under contract and "cost-controlled" beyond this season. He said the trade will allow the Avalanche to potentially make more moves before the March 7 deadline.
"I think we're always sort of looking to get better. Certainly over the next few weeks that won't change. I think obviously there are a little more bullets in the draft pick cupboard and some cap space," he said.
In the end, retaining Rantanen for the contract he was seeking would have had too many repercussions for the Avalanche, who will have to resign star defenseman Cale Makar in 2027. While the salary cap is rising in the NHL, MacFarland said the team needs all the flexibility it can muster.
"The cap is going to go up but you still have to have your internal outlooks. It's clear we are not deep enough. I think that you've got to be deep to go four rounds and hopefully this is going to help that," MacFarland said. "Obviously Mikko is a superstar. You can't replace that. But he's a superstar that earned the right to be a free agent."
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said Saturday that his team has the desire and the financial flexibility to give newly acquired star winger Mikko Rantanen the massive contract he's seeking ahead of unrestricted free agency this offseason.
That is if he wants to remain with the Hurricanes.
Carolina stunned the NHL on Friday night by acquiring Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in a three-way deal that also sent Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes. Rantanen is sixth in the NHL with 64 points in 49 games this season, including 25 goals. Since the 2021-22 season, he is fifth with 365 points in 286 games, including back-to-back 100-point seasons.
But Rantanen, 28, is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and his contract demands created a significant impasse with the Avalanche, with whom he has played for 10 seasons. The Hurricanes are hoping to meet Rantanen's asking price and convince him to commit long term.
"At this point, it's more of a recruiting pitch than a negotiation in my mind," Tulsky said Saturday.
Carolina has reached the playoffs in all six seasons of Rod Brind'Amour's head coaching tenure, including two trips to the Eastern Conference final. The team boasts a few players from Rantanen's native Finland, including friend and star center Sebastian Aho. Tulsky hopes the franchise's virtues -- and a contract to his liking -- will be enough to retain him.
"[Rantanen] is an incredible player. If he gets to free agency, I'm sure there will be teams that will pay him a lot of money, and so our job in the next weeks and months is to make it so he wants to be here," Tulsky said. "He has the right as a free agent to decide where to sign and it may not come down to the money for him. It may come down to where he wants to be. So our goal is to make him want to be here and then offer enough money that he doesn't have to think twice about it."
The Avalanche picked up Carolina forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, as well as a second-round pick in this year's draft and a fourth-rounder in 2026. Chicago acquired its 2025 third-rounder from Carolina for Hall, the rights to Swedish forward Nils Juntorp and 50% retention on Rantanen's $9.25 million salary cap hit.
Colorado GM Chris MacFarland called the trade a "tough business decision." Rantanen was a popular star and clutch performer, amassing 101 points in 81 career playoff games. That included 25 points in 20 games when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Rantanen was seeking a contract similar to the eight-year extension Leon Draisaitl signed with the Edmonton Oilers in September. That deal carries an average annual value of $14 million. Rantanen and Draisaitl are represented by agent Andy Scott.
This is the second straight season the Hurricanes have traded for a star scoring winger with an expiring contract. Last year, they acquired Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel. The Hurricanes' efforts to re-sign him failed and he landed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tulsky, who is in his first season as Hurricanes general manager, said the conditions are more favorable to keep Rantanen than they were for retaining Guentzel.
Last season, the Hurricanes didn't have the cap flexibility to sign Guentzel and the other players they wanted. This offseason, Tulsky estimates the team could have between $35 million to $40 million in cap space. The Hurricanes will be the only team that can give Rantanen an eight-year contract, per NHL CBA rules.
"Our team situation is totally different right now," Tulsky said. "We don't feel nearly as constrained."
The Avalanche and Hurricanes had been discussing Rantanen since last summer. Tulsky said the teams tabled "serious offers" for the winger during the past six to eight weeks. The Hurricanes were pushing hard to complete the trade in the past two weeks.
Those talks with Colorado were happening while Carolina was also discussing trades with other teams. Sources told ESPN that the Hurricanes and Vancouver Canucks had engaged in negotiations about forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
Tulsky said in the past week there was a desire for all parties to "get their best offers on the table" so the Hurricanes could decide which player to pursue.
"Everybody had multiple offers. It was sort of time for everyone to figure out what they wanted to do and this deal got done," he said. "It was a complicated dance."
The New York Rangers on Saturday agreed to terms with veteran defenseman Will Borgen on a five-year contract extension, the club announced. The deal will carry a $4.1 million average annual value, sources told ESPN's Kevin Weekes.
Borgen, 28, was acquired from the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18 in the deal for forward Kaapo Kakko, a former No. 2 pick,. Borgen has three points since the trade, but more importantly, he ranks third on the team in blocked shots (29) and sixth in total ice time (316 minutes).
"He's been outstanding since he's been here," New York coach Peter Laviolette said this week. "For me, he's a big reason why things have quieted down a little bit. He skates well, he's physical, he plays with an edge, and he doesn't back down from anybody."
Borgen usually has been paired alongside veteran K'Andre Miller on the club's second defense pairing. He has been a pivotal piece in New York's overhaul on the blue line, especially after the in-season trade of former captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks.
Borgen, who was scheduled to become a free agent July 1, was originally selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fourth round in 2015.
Everton manager David Moyes celebrated his 700th game in the Premier League with a gritty 1-0 win at Brighton, but has been left to sweat over the fitness of two key players in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Orel Mangala.
A penalty from Iliman Ndiaye gave Everton the three points as they defended stoically in the face of relentless Brighton pressure, especially in the second half.
The win moves Everton seven points clear of the relegation zone and is the first time this season they have won back-to-back Premier League games.
"My 700th game in the Premier League and to come here and win, it is a great result for us," Moyes said. "It wasn't an easy task and in some areas we needed to play better. We are not at the levels we need to get to, but the players showed backbone and a bit of steel.
"It's incredible really," Moyes added to the Premier League when discussing the milestone. "When you start out, I don't think you ever believe you will become a Premier League manager but to get 700 games behind me is a fair achievement, I am very pleased.
"There's two great managers ahead of me in Arsene [Wenger] and Alex [Ferguson]. I don't think I'll be making their numbers, that's for sure."
Ferguson is second in the league's all-time list with 810 games as manager, while former Arsenal boss Wenger holds the record with 828 matches.
Calvert-Lewin went off after 10 minutes with what looked a hamstring injury and Mangala limped out of the game near the end. Both are key to how Everton play and will be sorely missed if they face a spell on the sidelines.
"They need to get checked but we are a bit worried about both Dom and Mangala," Moyes said. "I don't want to say they are serious injuries until we find out what they are, but the medical team don't seem to think they look the best."
Everton put in a battling display that had little finesse, but Moyes said while they ward off the threat of relegation, it is going to be the case that they seek substance over style.
"I think the supporters understand at the moment that we need to get ourselves out of trouble and it is a short-term fix," he said.
"There was bits of today when it was not so good, we could not control the game in the second half and we need to find ways to be better."
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