William Byron wins Stage 1 of Xfinity race at Charlotte
Tyler Seguin Can Play Role Of Spark Plug To Counter Edmonton Stars
The Dallas Stars currently find themselves ahead after the Western Conference Final kicked off on Wednesday night. The Stars came out of the gates of their series guns blazing as they out played the Edmonton Oilers, 6-3. Dallas not held Edmonton's stars in check, they also received help from one of their own, Tyler Seguin. Coming into Wednesday's Game 1 matchup, Seguin was riding an 11-game scoreless streak that he broke with a pair en route to victory.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
The Oilers' nuclear option: Do they keep Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl together?
EDMONTON — To be clear, there is no wrong answer. But it's been the eternal debate in these parts going back several years and several Edmonton Oilers coaching staffs: Do you load up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on one line or keep them apart to spread out the offense? Yes and yes. Or perhaps more succinctly, it depends. Advertisement 'They like playing together, but the team needs them split up,' former Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock told The Athletic on Thursday. 'But when it's crunch time and there needs to be a change in the way the game is being played and you put those two guys together, it makes all kinds of sense. Playing them apart balances everything, but they are almost unstoppable when they are together.'' So, yes and yes. 'It is a great tool to use as a momentum-changer, matchup-breaker or, as a coach would say, 'tilt the ice in our favor,'' former Oilers head coach Dave Tippett told The Athletic. 'They are both very smart players who love playing together but also recognize the advantages to the team when they are apart. The debate shouldn't be, 'Should they play together or apart?' It is, 'What is the best situation for the team to win at any point in the game?'' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch inherited this wonderful dilemma when he took over as head coach in November of 2023, and he's felt his way through it. On Wednesday night, down in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, he chose the nuclear option. And it absolutely changed the momentum and tilted the ice. But it's not something he's tried to overuse. 'I've done it throughout the playoffs, mid-game or third period — they have just gone off and scored at a tremendous rate,' the Oilers head coach said Thursday when I asked him about it. 'A couple of big games in the L.A. series. There's also games where they've started together and played well but haven't scored like you would expect. I don't know. I think it's important when Leon is playing center. It spreads out our scoring a little bit and also gets him in the game a little bit more. He's skating and involved. 'It allows the rest of our team (to know) that they've got a role. They've got to play well, and we're not just relying on this one line that's going to do all the work. Yeah, I don't know. It's nice to know when those two get together mid-game that the results are pretty good. But it's something that we can't rely on.' Advertisement That is why I would expect 97 and 29 to be split up when Game 2 starts Friday night. But there's always the break-the-glass option to reunite them. 'Kris seems to spread the workload a little more,' a Western Conference head coach, who requested anonymity, said Thursday when I asked him about the nuclear option. 'What I've noticed is that when they separate them, they get more from the wingers. I always find (Ryan) Nugent-Hopkins a better player with McDavid than if he has to drive his own line. It's the same with (Kasperi) Kapanen. He wasn't even in the lineup, but when he's playing with Draisaitl, that's the end-result benefit of spreading the two big guys. 'The product of their top two lines when they're apart is better than when they're together on one line. But I mean, obviously when they're together, it's a huge challenge.' And perhaps part of the reason the Oilers get immediate results when they do it mid-game is that it also can catch opponents off-guard and force them to react. Consider this from The Athletic's analytics expert Dom Luszczyszyn: 'In these playoffs, the Oilers have paired their two superstars on 17 percent of five-on-five shifts — a marked shift from last year's playoffs, where they only shared the ice 10 percent of the time. There are two key reasons for that, both of which rely on trust. 'The first is the team trusting its depth to contribute offensively without risking the puck going the other way. Over their previous three playoffs, according to Natural Stat Trick, the Oilers without McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice generated only 2.2 expected goals per 60 minutes and scored even fewer: 1.7. This year, both are way up: 2.7 expected goals per 60 and 3.0 goals per 60. The depth is delivering when it counts, leading to 66 percent of the goals. Over the past three playoffs, they were at 41 percent. Advertisement 'The second is the team trusting its franchise stars to shut things down defensively. Not that it was a problem for the Oilers over the last few years, but the shift in their chance suppression is something to behold. 'When McDavid and Draisaitl are on the ice together, they're generating the same 3.9 expected goals per 60 minutes as usual, but their expected goals against rate has dropped considerably, from 2.7 over the past three playoffs to 2.1 this year. For further context, that's the exact amount Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart — this year's first- and second-place Selke finalists — have allowed for Florida during the playoffs this year and last. 'If defense wins championships, McDavid and Draisaitl got the memo.' Case in point: With the Oilers nursing a lead going into the third period of Game 3 versus Dallas in the Western Conference final, Knoblauch chose to load up McDavid and Draisaitl, obviously not looking for offense as much as puck possession and to spend less time in their own zone after being caved in by Dallas in the second period. It worked swimmingly as the Oilers shut down the Stars en route to another win. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has coached against it many times, so he's ready when it happens. 'Well, at some point, because they're together, you have a better indicator of when they're coming off the bench,' he said Thursday. 'It's slightly more of a challenge on the road. So you need to have more than one line (to match up) against them. So the third goal (from Mattias Ekholm, set up by McDavid in Game 1), it was the end of the shift and into the next shift, so you need to have more than one line coming off the bench. Other than that, you just have to go out and play.'' Easier said than done, of course. Consider this last little nugget from Dom regarding 97 and 29 together in Game 1: 'Barkov and Reinhart played 8:01 against McDavid and Draisaitl. Shot attempts were 14-4 Edmonton during that, expected goals were 0.42-0.14 Edmonton per 60 minutes (3-1 Edmonton, basically).'' Advertisement So, yeah. 'They play incredibly well together,' Oilers winger Evander Kane said Thursday. 'They read off each other well. They have different skill sets that elevate their skill sets together. At certain times in the game, the coaching staff likes to go to that. It's on the rest of the group to step up and contribute as well when you don't have them going 1-2 down the middle. I thought we did a good job of that in the latter half of the game.'' That's the biggest difference: that the drop-off isn't as dramatic as in years past. There's depth now to hold the fort when the load-up scenario is in play. The reality is that when the younger Oilers were doing it when Hitchcock was behind the bench, it was a thinner squad. 'Yeah, well, for me, they were the best two players and it was just survival when I was doing it,' Hitchcock chuckled. 'We needed that element in our game. Whereas now, they've got guys that can really bring it and are good players. They can afford to spread it out a little bit more and have more offense.'' Load them up or not? Here and there. That's the way. (Top photo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M needs to make significant progress with 5 elite 2026 visitors this weekend
Texas A&M needs to make significant progress with 5 elite 2026 visitors this weekend Texas A&M's 2026 recruiting class could see an immediate boost this month, starting this weekend, as five-star prospects from several positions have already descended on College Station. The program's future, like the rest of the SEC, can't rely solely on the transfer portal to replenish future rosters, knowing that recruiting elite talent is key to sustained success. After landing a commitment from 2026 four-star cornerback Camren Hamiel, coach Mike Elko and his staff have already welcomed five-star wide receiver and LSU commit Tristen Keys, five-star safety Brlalan Womack, four-star offensive lineman John Turntine III, four-star linebacker Tank King, and four-star cornerback Dorian Barney, who made their way to College Station on Thursday. According to 247Sports recruiting insider Tom Loy, this is the final opportunity for Elko and his staff to make an impact with all five prospects mentioned, especially Keys and Womack, who are likely to return to Texas A&M after announcing their commitment or signing decision. John Turntine, the 53rd-ranked prospect in the 2026 cycle, is coming off an official visit to Stanford. However, as Loy noted, this will likely come down to Texas A&M or Texas, meaning this weekend is crucial for the Aggies to secure the commitment. Cornerback Dorian Barney is another interesting name after his official visits to Penn State and Georgia Tech, and given that he is tied to Pennsylvania, the Nittany Lions hold the cards, for now, at least. Still, Texas A&M has a chance to impress Barney before he visits Michigan later this month. Lastly, linebacker Tank King, who looks like a borderline five-star prospect based on his recent play, the Port Arthur (TX) product, will announce his commitment on July 4. According to Loy, the Aggies hold the edge due to the close relationship he's built with the coaching staff, but don't count out Notre Dame or Texas, who could make a late push this summer. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Women's College Softball World Series championship series Game 3 history
The saying is "There's nothing like Game 7 in sports." The same is true of Game 3 of the championship series in the Women's College World Series. The 2025 season will conclude on Friday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City with a rare treat for college softball fans: a Game 3. For the seventh time since the WCWS adopted the best-of-three-game series format in 2025, everything will come down to a winner-take-all game. Advertisement No. 6 Texas will take on No. 12 Texas Tech at 8 p.m. ET to determine which of the programs from the Lone Star State will collect their first national championship in the sport. Here's what you need to know about the history of Game 3s in the WCWS: How many Game 3s have there been in WCWS finals history? The Texas-Texas Tech Game 3 on Friday will be the seventh WCWS in championship series history since the format was adopted in 2005. This will be the first one since Oklahoma stormed back from a 1-0 deficit against Florida State to win two straight to begin their dynastic four-peat. The first Game 3 occurred the same year the new format was put in place. UCLA defeated Michigan 5-0 in Game 1, but the Wolverines earned 5-2 and 4-1 wins to win the national title. That Game 3 actually lasted 10 innings before Michigan pulled away late. Advertisement The 2007, 2012, 2015 and 2016 Women's College World Series also went the full three games. The winner of Game 1 only won the national championship in just 2015 and 2016 WCWS. Texas-Texas Tech 2025 WCWS Texas opened with a 2-1 victory over Texas Tech on a clutch hit from catcher Reese Atwood. The Red Raiders were carried by NiJaree Canady in Game 2 to force the winner-takes-all Game 3. Game 1: Texas 2, Texas Tech 1 Game 2: Texas Tech 4, Texas 3 Game 3: Texas vs. Texas Tech, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) Oklahoma stuns Florida State in 2021 WCWS Florida State's offense broke out for eight runs in Game 1 to down Oklahoma in the opener. However, Giselle Juarez and the Sooners limited the Seminoles to just three runs over the next two games to win the fifth national championship in program history. Advertisement Game 1: Florida State 8, Oklahoma 4 Game 2: Oklahoma 6, Florida State 2 Game 3: Oklahoma 5, Florida State 1 Oklahoma defeats Auburn in 3 games for 2016 WCWS title After taking a close victory in Game 1, the Sooners jumped out to a 7-0 lead through two innings against Auburn in Game 2 of the 2016 WCWS. However, the Tigers scored 11 consecutive runs, including four on a grand slam by Emily Carosone in the eighth inning. Paige Parker limited Auburn to one run in a gem to win Game 3. Game 1: Oklahoma 3, Auburn 2 Game 2: Auburn 11, Oklahoma 7 (8 innings) Game 3: Oklahoma 2, Auburn 1 Florida defeats Michigan to repeat as champions in 2015 WCWS Michigan made Florida earn a repeat in the 2015 WCWS. The Gators took Game 1 3-2, but the Wolverines earned a 1-0 win in Game 2 to force Game 3. That's when Florida ace Lauren Haeger took over in a 4-1 Gators' win. She limited Michigan to one run on five hits in her complete game bid. She struck out five and walked one. Advertisement Game 1: Florida 3, Michigan 2 Game 2: Michigan 1, Florida 0 Game 3: Florida 4, Michigan 1 Alabama overcomes 1-0 deficit to win first SEC softball championship in 2012 Alabama won the first-ever softball national championship in school history and the first for the SEC after falling behind the Sooners at multiple points. The Sooners took Game 1, but Alabama bounced back with an 8-6 Game 2 win. In Game 3, the Crimson Tide trailed 3-0 but scored four runs in a rain delay extended fourth inning to pull off the comeback. Game 1: Oklahoma 4, Alabama 1 Game 2: Alabama 8, Oklahoma 6 Game 3: Alabama 5, Oklahoma 4 Arizona takes down Tennessee in 2007 WCWS Arizona did not score a run until the 10th inning of Game 2 of the championship series in the WCWS in 2007, but the Wildcats still took the series. After winning 1-0 in 10 innings in Game 2 to even the series, Taryne Mowatt delivered a gem with 11 strikeouts in a 5-0 Arizona Game 3 win. Advertisement Game 1: Tennessee 3, Arizona 0 Game 2: Arizona 1, Tennessee 0 (10 innings) Game 3: Arizona 5, Tennessee 0 Michigan knocks off UCLA to win 2005 WCWS for first title In the very first WCWS championship series, three games were not nearly enough for UCLA and Michigan. After splitting the first two games, the third and deciding game went to extra innings. Samantha Findlay hit a three-run home run in the top of the 10th to help the Wolverines win their first national championship in school history. She actually drove in all four runs for Michigan in the championship game. Game 1: UCLA 5, Michigan 0 Game 2: Michigan 5, UCLA 2 Game 3: Michigan 4, UCLA 1 (10 innings) The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women's College World Series championship series Game 3 history
