LOS ANGELES -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, pitching against San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish in a matchup fellow Japanese star Shohei Ohtani has openly clamored for.

Yamamoto versus Darvish in a winner-take-all game from Dodger Stadium on Friday night will mark the first matchup of Japanese-born starting pitchers in MLB postseason history, according to ESPN Research.

Yamamoto could have pitched against Darvish in Sunday's Game 2, but the Dodgers used Yamamoto in the opener and instead went with Jack Flaherty. Both were available for Game 5, while Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also threw out the possibility of a bullpen game and was still undecided about the team's plans during Thursday's workout.

Yamamoto, Roberts said, was "very comfortable" with the idea of coming out of the bullpen, but the Dodgers ultimately chose to start him. Still, his leash will probably be short. Yamamoto was charged with five runs in three innings against the Padres in Game 1, and the Dodgers -- coming off a Game 4 victory that saw eight relievers combine for a shutout -- will probably turn to their bullpen at the first sign of trouble.

Darvish pitched seven innings of one-run ball from Dodger Stadium in Game 2 and has held Ohtani to one hit in eight at-bats this season, striking him out three times. At the start of the NLDS, Ohtani called Darvish his "childhood hero" and said his "personal hope was that Darvish would have faced [off] against Yoshinobu."

He will now get his wish.

Asked Thursday what has stood out about his at-bats against Darvish, Ohtani, speaking through an interpreter, said: "Obviously he's a really good pitcher and pitched well against us. I think he's also very crafty, as well, so there isn't exactly one specific thing that really stands out. But personally I'm really excited that he's going to perhaps be facing Yoshinobu."

NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils coach Sheldon Keefe faced a familiar foe Thursday night.

Keefe squared off against his former team when the Devils opened their home schedule against the Toronto Maple Leafs. New Jersey came out on the short end of the game, falling 4-2.

"I was adjusting to the red, then the blue and white is back again," Keefe said jokingly, citing the Devils' colors. "I've never coached against a team that I've been associated with in the past. We are just trying to build our own game here, but (tonight) was not nearly as close as we performed in Prague."

The Devils won both season-opening games in Prague against the Sabres, outscoring Buffalo 7-2 last weekend in the NHL Global Series.

"I like to believe that I'm focused and content enough with where I'm at that I'm not too concerned about anything else outside of the task of competing against one of the league's top teams," Keefe said.

Keefe was fired by Toronto on May 9 and then hired by New Jersey a few weeks later.

The Maple Leafs were one of the NHL's best regular-season teams during Keefe's five seasons as coach, going 212-97. But they only managed to advance past the opening round of the playoffs once, in 2023. And they went 16-21 in the playoffs overall under him.

Toronto was his first coaching job in the NHL after he replaced Mike Babcock in 2019. Before taking over the Maple Leafs, Keefe coached Toronto's AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, for five seasons.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Macklin Celebrini didn't take long to make an impact for the San Jose Sharks.

The 18-year-old rookie scored San Jose's first goal of the season and added an assist in his first period as a pro Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues, signifying a brighter future ahead for a franchise that has been in the doldrums the past five years.

Celebrini's first career goal was a fortunate one. The former Boston University star came in on a rush and did a spin-o-rama near the boards before trying a centering pass that hit defenseman Matt Kessel's skate and went past goalie Joel Hofer.

The goal led to a loud ovation and chants of "Celebrini! Celebrini!" from a fan base that has been starved for success but is energized by a youth movement led by Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, and 2023 first-rounder Will Smith.

Celebrini wasn't done, adding an assist later in the first period on a pass from behind the net to Tyler Toffoli.

Celebrini, at 18 years, 119 days, is the sixth-youngest player to score in his NHL debut and the youngest since Alexander Barkov did it at 18 years, 31 days, on Oct. 3, 2013.

He joins Auston Matthews (two goals) as the only No. 1 picks to have multiple points in the first period of their NHL debuts. And he's the third-youngest player to have a multi-point game in his debut, joining Nathan MacKinnon (18 years, 31 days) and Bobby Carpenter (18-86).

The debuts for Celebrini and the 19-year-old Smith mark the first time in nearly 26 years that the Sharks had two teens in the lineup and the first time any team had two players picked in the top four of the draft make their debut in the same game since Matthews and Mitch Marner did it for Toronto in 2016.

The two got loud ovations when they came on the ice for warmups, and Celebrini got one of the loudest ovations during pregame introductions.

The Sharks were one of the most successful franchises in the NHL over a span of 15 seasons, making 14 playoff appearances, five trips to the Western Conference finals and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016.

Since getting to the conference finals in 2019, the Sharks have missed the playoffs five straight seasons and bottomed out with a 19-win season in 2023-24 when they posted the worst goal differential in a season in 30 years.

The prize for that performance came when San Jose won the draft lottery and the right to draft Celebrini, who had 64 points in 38 games as a freshman at Boston University last season and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top college player.

The pick of Celebrini came a year after San Jose drafted Smith fourth, and he starred at Boston College last season before also joining the NHL.

While the team on the ice might still be a few years away from contending, the additions of Celebrini and Smith have provided hope to a Sharks fan base sorely in need of it after seeing stars from the previous generation like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson move on in recent years.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

BOSTON -- Jeremy Swayman was the first player introduced before the Bruins' home opener Thursday night, and he took the ice to a huge ovation.

No hard feelings from the Boston fans over the contract holdout that kept him out of training camp until he signed a $66 million contract Sunday, two days before the season started.

"It's such an incredible thing to be back playing and in this building again. It's a boatload of gratitude," Swayman said after stopping 21 shots to lead the Bruins to a 6-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

"It was, it was pretty emotional, that warm welcome," he said. "And it just goes to show what kind of fan base we have here, knowing it's more than just a player, it's a human being that they care about. And I got pretty emotional finally stepping on that ice and hearing that roar again."

Swayman got tagged for a couple of goals midway through the first period, then gave up another pair in the third, when Montreal cut a three-goal deficit to 5-4 on Brendan Gallagher's second goal of the game with 4:17 left. Mark Kastelic scored 17 seconds later to preserve the victory.

Swayman also gave Montreal forward Nick Suzuki a little shove to push him out of the crease at the end of the second period, but the linesman came quickly skated in to separate them.

"It's kind of my inertia going that way. So I needed a little balance help there," the goalie said with a laugh. "I've got different tactics of getting myself in the game -- obviously being vocal with my guys and chatting with the refs and doing my thing, bringing my swagger, my calmness to the building and I know that's when I play my best."

Swayman was the backup to Linus Ullmark in Boston's record-setting 2022-23 season; the two alternated last year, when Swayman made 43 starts in the regular season with a 2.53 goals-against average before winning the No. 1 job in the playoffs.

A restricted free agent, Swayman had missed all of training camp before agreeing to an eight-year deal for $8.25 million per year that puts him in the top five goalies in the NHL for average annual value.

He had just one practice with the team before the opener, and backup Joonas Korpisalo played and gave up six goals in Tuesday's season-opening 6-4 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida. As the Panthers, who have ousted Boston from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, opened a 5-1 lead, their fans chanted "We want Swayman!"

"They're going to do their tactics to be a part of the game, and they did a good job of that," Swayman said. "I want to play every game. I want to be in the net every chance I can get. So I'm excited to get that opportunity."

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said he liked what he saw from Swayman, adding that some of the goals were on defensive lapses.

"Jeremy Swayman was good," he said. "He made the saves that he could."

Are you not entertained?

A four-point play in the final 6 seconds of the fourth quarter. A missed free throw that could have won it in regulation. The first team in WNBA postseason history to win after trailing by 15-plus points with less than 5 minutes to play.

Overtime in the opening game of the WNBA Finals.

And now, the Minnesota Lynx have stolen Game 1 in Brooklyn, beating the top-seeded New York Liberty 95-93 in overtime Thursday.

The Lynx trailed by as many as 18 points in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. But the No. 2 seed rallied to take a one-point lead, 84-83, with 5.1 seconds left in regulation on Courtney Williams' four-point play.

But it wasn't over yet. With 0.8 seconds to play, Breanna Stewart converted one of two free throws to knot the score and force overtime, just the sixth WNBA Finals game to need extra time.

Williams added five more points -- she led the Lynx with 23 -- to seal the win.

New York fell to 0-6 all-time in Game 1 of the Finals, but the Liberty looked in control after pouring on 32 points in the opening period.

ESPN looks at how Minnesota made an improbable rally to take a 1-0 lead in Sunday's Game 2 (3 p.m. ET, ABC) in Brooklyn.

How did the Lynx pull off one of the greatest comebacks in WNBA playoff history?

Call it belief. Call it resilience. Call it mental toughness. Minnesota had it all to win a game that appeared lost numerous times.

The Lynx were down by as many as 18 and matched the largest comeback in WNBA Finals history, largely on the spark lit by Williams, who scored 12 of her 23 points in the final 2:33 of regulation and overtime. Her four-point play gave Minnesota its first lead with 5.1 seconds left in regulation. It was the first four-point play in the final 10 seconds that gave the team the lead with the free throw in WNBA history -- regular season or playoffs.

Notably, that play came off an offensive rebound and pass to the perimeter by Alanna Smith. It was just one of five offensive rebounds for Minnesota -- New York had 20 -- but it was the biggest one of the game.

What does the Lynx's Game 1 win mean for the rest of the series?

Not only did the Lynx win in shocking fashion, they did it on the road. That gives Minnesota a huge advantage mentally -- from the comeback -- and historically. The winner of Game 1 of the Finals has won 20 of the 27 WNBA titles (the last to lose the series after winning Game 1 was the 2017 Los Angeles Sparks).

The Liberty have to find a way to recover from a loss they likely still can't believe happened. New York can focus on the fact that Jonquel Jones scored 24 points and had 10 rebounds (this was just the Liberty's fourth loss in 33 games in which Jones had a double-double) and that Leonie Fiebich made 5 of 9 3-pointers.

If those kinds of performances can be duplicated, and just one of Stewart (6-of-21 from field) or Sabrina Ionescu (8-of-26, though 3-for-9 beyond the arc) shoots better, the Liberty can recover.

It's a long series. As we saw Thursday, things can change in an instant. But if the Lynx go on to win their fifth championship, this game will be remembered in Minnesota and the league, and perhaps haunt New York, for a long time.

What adjustments need to be made by both teams?

Minnesota won despite being dominated on the glass 44-32. New York took 29 more shots thanks to 20 offensive rebounds. The result would have been different if New York had shot better than 37.8% from the field.

Credit Minnesota's defense for much of that. Stewart and Ionescu combined to shoot 14-for-47. Stewart's missed free throw at the end of regulation and missed layup at the buzzer in overtime were nearly as big as Williams' heroics. Napheesa Collier had 21 points on 10-for-16 shooting, but she also showed why she won WNBA Defensive Player of the Year with her work on Stewart, who was just 1-of-9 when Collier was the primary defender. Collier also blocked six shots, the third most in Finals history, including one each on Jones and Stewart late in the fourth quarter.

But Minnesota used plenty of secondary help to contain Stewart. New York coach Sandy Brondello will have to counter in Game 2 to get her star more open looks.

How does New York shake off this loss?

These will be a long 2 days for New York until Game 2 tips off. Following the disappointment of losing to the Las Vegas Aces in last year's WNBA Finals, this will test the mental toughness of the Liberty players.

What might help is if all of their film sessions in the next 48 hours focuses on the first quarter. The Liberty dominated the first 10 minutes and led by 13. Their 32 points were the most they scored in any quarter this season. The offense looked smooth and efficient. Jones was dominant early and Ionescu hit two 3-pointers late.

The offense had good moments the rest of the game, but got ragged in the fourth quarter and overtime. It's always surprising to see comebacks like Thursday's. Seeing a veteran team like the Liberty lose a game like this is even more shocking.

DALLAS -- The butterflies fluttered in Klay Thompson's stomach for days before Thursday night's preseason game, his first NBA appearance that wasn't in a Golden State Warriors uniform.

"I haven't been that nervous, I don't think, since the 2015 Finals Game 1," Thompson said after scoring 10 points in 18 first-half minutes during the Mavs' 107-102 loss to the Utah Jazz. "It felt so good just to go out there and play and work those jitters out. It was a new experience, and it's a natural feeling when you've been somewhere so long and to be somewhere new in a new environment. To finally put the uniform on, it felt amazing."

Thompson spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Warriors, playing a major role in four NBA championships as half of the "Splash Brothers" alongside Stephen Curry. But he opted to join Dallas as a free agent this summer.

"I'm just excited to experience a new chapter," said Thompson, who rested during the Mavs' preseason opener Monday night. "It's going to be special. I just know it."

Thursday was Thompson's first time wearing No. 31 in the NBA, as his familiar No. 11 belongs to Kyrie Irving in Dallas. Thompson chose his new number as a tribute to Hall of Fame shooting guard Reggie Miller, a childhood favorite whom Thompson is likely to pass for fifth place on the all-time 3-point list this season. But Thompson also appreciates its historic relevance in Dallas. It was last worn for the Mavs by Jason Terry, the 2009 Sixth Man of the Year who was a key part of Dallas' 2006 Finals team and 2011 championship squad.

Terry, who was on the visitors bench Thursday night as a Jazz assistant coach, said he approves of Thompson wearing his old number.

"The fact that he got the headband on, too, I'm elated," Terry, who wore a headband throughout his playing career, told ESPN. "All I said [to Thompson] is all he owes me is to make some shots. That's it. Do the number right, that's it. Make some shots. And he'll do it. I think he's going to play with a lot to prove. Obviously he did some great things, historical things with Golden State, and he's looking to turn a page and go to another chapter and make another mark on his legacy here with Dallas."

The American Airlines Center crowd roared when Thompson was introduced with the Mavs' starting lineup. The home fans had to wait until the second quarter for his first bucket, as he missed his first three shot attempts during his nine-minute stint in the opening quarter, splitting a pair of free throws.

On the opening possession of the second quarter, after Thompson said his nerves calmed during a brief rest on the bench, he curled off an off-ball screen and launched a catch-and-shoot jumper from a bit to the right of the top of the arc. He got a shooter's bounce, as the ball lipped off the rim and kissed the glass before going in the basket. It was one of three 3-pointers he hit in the quarter.

"For him tonight, there's a lot of positives," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "He has some great looks that we all think that he's capable of making, but he just never rushes. He never forces anything. He probably turned down some shots that we would encourage for him to take, but we trust that he's making the right decision."

Thompson said he felt some back tightness but would be ready for Monday night's preseason game at the LA Clippers.

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic, who has missed both preseason games because of a left calf contusion, will sit out again Monday but could participate in the "dress rehearsal" preseason finale Oct. 17 against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Kidd.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. accused the Royals' Maikel Garcia of intentionally trying to hurt Anthony Volpe while sliding into second base during Game 4 of a tense AL Division Series that New York clinched with a 3-1 victory Thursday night.

Garcia had led off the sixth inning with a single and Michael Massey had followed with a chopper to first base, where Jon Berti fielded the ball and stepped on the bag. He then fired to Volpe covering second for the double play, and Garcia slid hard into the base -- and Volpe likewise delivered a hard tag on the Kansas City third baseman.

Tempers immediately flared and both teams flooded the field, though no punches were thrown and nobody was tossed.

"I just felt like he tried to go in and injure Volpe because he was being a sore loser. You know what I mean?" Chisholm said. "He was talking a ton on Instagram and Twitter and stuff. I do the same thing, but I'm not going to injure somebody if they're winning a game. I didn't like that. I told him we don't do that on this side and I'm going to stick up for my guys."

Chisholm had already become the villain of the series when he said Kansas City was "lucky" to win Game 2 in New York. He was was reminded of the comment during every at-bat, getting a steady stream of boos from a crowd starved for postseason ball.

The Yankees jokingly booed him during a postgame celebration in the visiting clubhouse Thursday night, and looked ahead to a matchup with the Guardians or Tigers with Game 1 of the AL Championship Series scheduled for Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees and Royals have come to loathe each other over the years, long before this playoff matchup. In fact, the angst can be traced to the 1970s, when players such as George Brett of the Royals and Graig Nettles of the Yankees would get into fist-fights during games that often decided who would be representing the American League in the World Series.

It looked a lot like those days when the benches emptied Thursday night.

"Yeah, it was like if there was some kind of upset over the slide or whatever, we just go back and show a little Hal McRae and Willie Randolph and we'll all laugh at ourselves," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said jokingly.

The near fracas wasn't funny to anyone at the time. Chisholm was chirping at the Royals while running into the middle of the scrum, and Yankees starter Gerrit Cole -- who allowed a lone run over seven innings of precise pitching -- had to be held back as tensions ran high at Kauffman Stadium.

"I was holding my emotions in all night," Cole said, "and let them out on the way to the dugout."

It took Aaron Judge, among others, to keep the teams from coming to blows then they met near second base. And while order was restored and the game soon resumed, there was an underlying tension the rest of the way.

"I have no idea [what happened]. Honestly," Boone said. "It was like we were out there and then it was right back into we're at the end of a playoff game. So I haven't even let the dust settle and talk to the guys involved."

When asked what happened from his perspective, Royals manager Matt Quatraro was matter-of-fact: "Volpe had the ball, blocked the bag, Maikel probably didn't care for that too much, and it got a little chippy."

It happens in postseason baseball, especially when the Yankees and Royals are involved.

OTTAWA, Ontario -- Florida's first loss of the season might have been costly, with captain Aleksander Barkov leaving with 1:10 remaining after crashing into the end boards and getting hurt.

Barkov was trying to prevent an empty-net goal when he got hurt, giving chase toward a loose puck that Ottawa's Tim Stutzle tapped into the net to seal the Senators' 3-1 win. Stutzle and Barkov got tangled up and the Florida forward -- at basically full speed -- crashed feet-first into the end boards, immediately grimacing in pain.

Barkov needed about a minute before he could get to his feet, then needed help from teammates Evan Rodrigues and Uvis Balinskis to get off the ice and get to the Florida locker room for evaluation.

There was no immediate word on the nature or severity of the injury. It appeared that Barkov could put no weight on his right leg, which he flexed a couple of times as he made his way off the ice.

"He's going to get looked at here tonight, and probably tomorrow as well," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

The Panthers were scheduled to fly to Buffalo on Friday afternoon and will play the Sabres on Saturday.

The play started innocently enough, with Barkov in the offensive end trying to help Florida tie the game. Down 2-1, Barkov tried a wrist shot from just inside the blue line and broke his stick in the process. The puck trickled only a few feet, then was flipped down the other end by Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk toward the empty Panthers net.

Barkov, without a stick, gave chase but couldn't stop Stutzle from scoring.

The 29-year-old Barkov -- the reigning Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's best defensive forward -- is in his 12th season, all with the Panthers. He was the first Finnish-born player to be the captain of a Stanley Cup champion when Florida topped Edmonton for last season's title.

The Panthers are scheduled to play two games in Barkov's homeland on Nov. 1 and 2, when they travel to Tampere, Finland, for a pair of matchups against the Dallas Stars.

Barkov is the Panthers' career leader in a number of categories, including goals (266), assists (466), points (712) and game-winning goals (48).

Lacklustre Brazil pulled off a last-gasp 2-1 away victory over Chile in the South American World Cup qualifiers on Thursday thanks to a goal by substitute Luiz Henrique scored in the 89th minute.

Off the back of a disappointing loss to Paraguay, Brazil had to recover from a goal down as Eduardo Vargas put the locals in front with a fine header from a Felipe Loyola cross in the second minute.

Chile wasted chances to extend their lead but Brazil managed to find the equaliser in added time before the break, when Savinho made a good run down the right and crossed to Igor Jesus who nodded a towering header past the goalkeeper.

Brazil controlled the second half and found a winner late with a fine effort by Jesus' Botafogo teammate Luiz Henrique, who slotted a curling strike from the edge of the box to rescue the five-time World Cup champions three much needed points.

The victory lifted Brazil to fourth in the standings with 13 points, two behind Uruguay and eight from leaders Argentina.