
NHL playoff highlights: Top-seed Capitals rally, take 3-1 lead; NHL-best Jets falter again
NHL playoff highlights: Top-seed Capitals rally, take 3-1 lead; NHL-best Jets falter again
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Paul Bissonnette on Ovechkin becoming greatest NHL goal scorer of all-time
Paul Bissonnette discusses Alex Ovechkin surpassing Wayne Gretzky to become the greatest NHL goal scorer of all-time.
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Andrew Mangiapane scored the go-ahead goal with 3:37 remaining in the third period and the visiting Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Sunday night.
Dylan Strome controlled a stretch pass at center ice from Trevor van Riemsdyk, crossed the blue line and dropped the puck to Mangiapane, who scored his first goal of the series on a high wrist shot from the slot.
Brandon Duhaime scored into the empty net with 2:39 left and Tom Wilson did so with 55 seconds remaining for the 5-2 final.
The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 3-1, and Game 5 is Wednesday night in Washington.
Duhaime scored two third-period goals and Strome had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who are the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan Division and in the conference. Van Riemsdyk had two assists and Logan Thompson, who left Game 3 with a lower-body injury, started and made 16 saves.
Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens, who are the second wild card from the East. Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson each had two assists and Jakub Dobes, starting in place of the injured Sam Montembeault, made 21 saves.
Montreal was 2-for-4 on the power play; Washington was 0-for-5.
Blues light up Connor Hellebuyck again, tie series
Jake Neighbours scored his first playoff goal and added two assists as the St. Louis Blues defeated the visiting Winnipeg Jets 5-1 on Sunday to tie their Western Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Winnipeg.
Captain Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist while Robert Thomas and defensemen Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk also scored for the Blues. Defenseman Colton Parayko had two assists and Jordan Binnington stopped 30 shots.
"Playoffs are full of momentum swings," Schenn said. "We're happy with where we're at right now."
Kyle Connor netted the goal for the Jets.
Connor Hellebuyck made 13 saves on 18 shots before being pulled early in the third period. It is the second consecutive game that Hellebuyck has been removed; he has allowed 11 goals on 43 shots in the last two contests. Hellebuyck has won two Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie and is the favorite to win his third this season.
He was replaced by Eric Comrie, who stopped six shots.
"Tired of watching them make nice plays and put the puck in the net," Jets coach Scott Arniel said. "That's on us."
Hurricanes lose goalie but take 3-1 lead
Andrei Svechnikov's hat trick helped the Carolina Hurricanes overcome the second-period loss of goalie Frederik Andersen to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The Hurricanes, the only NHL team to win at least one playoff round in each of the last four seasons, will attempt to close out the Devils in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on Tuesday night in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Svechnikov, the lone player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to post a hat trick in a postseason game, did it for the second time on Sunday. He scored in the opening minute of the first and second periods, and then iced the win with an empty-netter with 3:17 left in the third.
Svechnikov posted his first playoff hat trick on Aug. 3, 2020, when he scored three times against the New York Rangers in a qualifying-round game during the COVID-19 bubble tournament.
Jaccob Slavin scored in the first and Brent Burns began adding insurance by scoring with 5:46 left in the third. Burns added an assist, and Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake had two assists apiece.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Twins mailbag: Royce Lewis options, All-Star cases and the Jorge Alcala dilemma
My last mailbag column was written two days before the Minnesota Twins started a 13-game winning streak, so the vibes have shifted considerably. At the time, the Twins were playing a nightmarish series in Cleveland, with a 13-17 record that soon became 13-20. Since then, the Twins have an MLB-best 21-8 record, turning their season around so much, so quickly that they would be hosting a first-round series if the playoffs started now. Advertisement Of course, the playoffs don't start now. There are still 100 games to play and nothing figures to come easy for the Twins, who are expected to be without No. 1 starter Pablo López for eight to 12 weeks because of a shoulder injury. It's a big blow to a starting rotation that has been the team's biggest strength. Let's open the mailbag and see what's on your minds about a second-place team that currently holds the American League's top wild-card spot. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. Will the Twins consider sending Royce Lewis down to the minors? Is that something they could even do? — Jack K. To answer your second question first: Lewis has two minor-league options remaining and has accrued less than five years of MLB service time, so the Twins could send him down if they choose. As for whether they'd actually take that drastic route? Maybe. I wrote a lengthy story Friday detailing Lewis' prolonged struggles, so I won't rehash all of it. But for most 26-year-olds, batting .174 over 65 games spanning two seasons leads to a Triple-A demotion. The Twins have already moved Lewis to the bottom of the lineup and pinch hit for him. What else is left? There's perhaps an argument to be made that Lewis isn't a typical 26-year-old, but the Twins have sent down other prominent players in recent years, including Miguel Sanó, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda. Heck, last year they demoted Matt Wallner after 25 at-bats. It's a last resort, certainly, and one Lewis and the Twins would like to avoid if at all possible. But he needs to improve soon because the current situation is hurting the Twins' inconsistent lineup, and it's getting harder and harder to see how it's doing Lewis any favors. Another factor is Triple-A St. Paul's lack of appealing call-up choices. Luke Keaschall, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Austin Martin are hurt. Miranda and Julien have struggled since their April demotions. And the Saints' highest OPS marks belong to Carson McCusker and Mickey Gasper. But big picture, identifying the correct path for getting Lewis back on track is a lot more important than who would replace him on the roster. For now, at least, it looks like the Twins will let him try to hit his way out of it. When Royce smiles, we smile! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 4, 2025 Assuming no more injuries, where does Keaschall fit when he comes off the injured list at the end of the month? — Kent M. While Keaschall is eligible to come off the 60-day IL on June 25, that doesn't mean he'll be ready to return then. That's just the earliest it can happen, and he's recovering from a broken right forearm suffered on April 25. I suspect June 25 would be optimistic. Part of what makes Keaschall so intriguing is the flexibility to capably play second base, first base and all three outfield spots, so finding a fit should be easy if he's healthy and hitting. Plus, having covered the Twins for two decades, 'assuming no more injuries' is like asking about the Easter Bunny. Advertisement What happened to Walker Jenkins' ankle? — Anthony P. Jenkins resumed playing earlier this week, starting a rehab assignment in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League. Barring any setbacks, he should be rejoining the Double-A Wichita lineup soon. Injuries have been an issue for the 2023 first-round pick, but he's still just 20 years old. In other top-100 prospect health news, Rodriguez was placed on the Triple-A injured IL with a strained right hip and is expected to be out two to four weeks. Rodriguez hit .232/.400/.392 in 39 games for the Saints, including a strong May, but he's missed substantial time with injuries in four straight years. It feels like the Twins' defense overall — not just Byron Buxton, Harrison Bader and Carlos Correa — has improved this year. Do the numbers bear that out? — Andrew S. Yes, although it's largely due to Buxton and Correa being healthier than last season and the offseason addition of Bader, who has been fantastic on both sides of the ball. Last season, the Twins ranked 16th in Outs Above Average (+1) and 25th in Defensive Runs Saved (-20), two of the most prominent defensive metrics. So far this year, the Twins rank 12th in Outs Above Average (+2) and 17th in Defensive Runs Saved (+7). That trio is doing the heavy lifting for the Twins' defense. Their three best OAA totals belong to Correa (+7), Bader (+5) and Buxton (+4). And their three best DRS totals belong to Bader (+10), Correa (+3) and Buxton (+2). Or, put another way: Aside from Bader, Buxton and Correa, the rest of the Twins' defense has totaled minus-14 OAA and minus-8 DRS. What a catch by Harrison Bader! 😳 — MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2025 Do you think the Twins will try to extend Ryan Jeffers this offseason? And what kind of contract could he get? — Jesse C. Possibly, although the uncertain ownership/payroll situation makes it even more speculative than usual to predict contract extensions. It would make sense, logically. Jeffers has a $4.55 million salary this season and is under team control for 2026 via arbitration, after which he'll be a free agent at age 30. Christian Vázquez is in the final season of a three-year, $30 million deal, so he'll be a free agent in November. Advertisement I could see the Twins being interested in a relatively short-term extension for Jeffers, perhaps covering 2026 and two additional free-agent years, but anything longer than that carries quite a bit of risk considering how poorly most catchers tend to age. Jeffers has hit .248/.331/.445 in three seasons paired with Vázquez, ranking eighth in OPS and 10th in bWAR among regular MLB catchers during that period. There are currently eight MLB catchers signed to contracts with an average annual value of at least $10 million. Vázquez is one of them and, ironically, the three-year, $30 million contract he signed with the Twins as a 32-year-old free agent could be a reasonable floor for a possible Jeffers extension. Buy out Jeffers' final arbitration year for around $10 million and then add two years at $12.5 million each? Jeffers would no doubt prefer a longer contract, and might just bet on being able to find it as a free agent, but a three-year, $35 million extension would place him among MLB's top 10 catchers for both total contract amount and average annual value. Good but not great catchers rarely cash in big. What can the Twins do with Jorge Alcala? — Paul D. Alcala, unlike Lewis, has more than five years of MLB service time, having surpassed that mark in April. That means he can't be sent down to the minors without his consent. If that weren't the case, he'd probably be in St. Paul right now, trying to get back on track with the Saints. Alcala had an outstanding first half last season, posting a 1.56 ERA in 34 2/3 innings, largely on the strength of allowing zero homers. But since Aug. 1 of last year, he has a 7.02 ERA and 11 homers allowed in 42 1/3 innings, with a handful of prominent implosions. When he's throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the ballpark, it's easy to look at Alcala's high-octane fastball-slider combo and envision him as a top setup man. But though he's had stretches of success, they've generally been short-lived due to injuries and/or ineffectiveness. Advertisement Alcala has been used almost exclusively in a mop-up role this season — his average leverage index is by far the lowest of the bullpen's eight most-used relievers — but as we saw last weekend against the Seattle Mariners, even that will occasionally require pitching in spots that matter. Every bullpen has an untrustworthy reliever or two, and Alcala has at least shown the upside to be a late-inning option. However, he's also 29 years old and under team control for just one more season before free agency, so the Twins need to weigh shrinking future upside versus present unreliability. J.P. Crawford just took a piece out of the scoreboard with this go-ahead home run 🤯 — MLB (@MLB) June 1, 2025 What is the long-term plan for the Twins at first base? — Will H. Lots of MLB teams, including the Twins, often lack a long-term plan at first base for the same reason there typically aren't many top-100 first base prospects: Good hitters wind up at first base after moving there from other positions that proved too challenging defensively. There are plenty of exceptions, of course, but first base is more commonly a destination than a starting point. In fact, the most-used Twins first basemen of the past 20 years — Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Sanó, Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Santana — all moved there from other positions. In terms of planning, it's also worth noting the Twins have had a different most-used first baseman in each of the last five seasons: 2025 — Ty France 2024 — Santana 2023 — Donovan Solano 2022 — Miranda 2021 — Sanó Miranda and Sanó slid over to first base from third base, where they were stretched defensively. And the Twins have signed an inexpensive veteran first baseman to a one-year contract in three straight offseasons, spending a grand total of just $8.25 million on France, Santana and Solano. Advertisement Despite the lack of a multi-year fit and very little spending on the position, Twins first basemen have been exactly average over that five-year period, producing a .747 OPS that ranks 15th out of 30 teams. Depending on your point of view, that's either good value or a missed opportunity for more. My assumption is the Twins will have a different most-used first baseman again in 2026. And probably another one in 2027, too. Will the Twins put Dick Bremer in their Hall of Fame? — Heather B. Yes, and I would assume within the next few years. Longtime announcers Herb Carneal (2001) and John Gordon (2016) are in the team Hall of Fame, so there's precedent for inducting Bremer after 40 years as the Twins' television voice. Their only issue will be choosing a different master of ceremonies for that class, because Bremer is usually the one doing those honors. In the meantime, the Twins named the home TV booth at Target Field after Bremer, with a plaque outside the door. What are the chances of the Twins getting more than one All-Star? — S.A. Pretty good, based on recent history. They've had multiple players chosen for each of the past five All-Star Games, including Correa and Willi Castro in 2025. On average during the last decade, the Twins have gotten exactly 2.0 players per All-Star Game. With the caveat that this season is barely two months old and the All-Stars are still more than a month away from being selected, the Twins have a lot of viable candidates in Buxton, Bader, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Castro and Jeffers. But a lot can change in a month. For instance, three days ago López would have been near the top of that All-Star candidates list. (Top photo of Royce Lewis: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Sami Kapanen on son Kasperi's Oilers surge and the ‘opportunity of a lifetime' to grow a family legacy
EDMONTON — Watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in the wee hours of the morning from his home in Finland, Sami Kapanen could hardly believe his eyes. He'd seen that stat line before. He'd seen that result before. It was exactly 23 years to the day, in fact, since the only other time someone carrying Finland's most famous hockey family's name had the chance to get it engraved in the rounded silver edges of the Cup. Advertisement 'Scary,' Sami told The Athletic on Thursday. 'It's scary how much is the same.' Consider that he was a 28-year-old forward playing for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2002 Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings. That series began on June 4. He had a big hand in the Hurricanes' victory at Joe Louis Arena to open the best-of-seven. 'Game 1, we won in overtime,' he recalled. 'I had two assists.' On Wednesday, he watched from afar as his son Kasperi, a 28-year-old forward with the Edmonton Oilers, picked up two assists in an uplifting overtime victory over the Florida Panthers. History sometimes rhymes. The respective stat lines from their Stanley Cup debuts are eerily similar: Sami Kapanen, June 4, 2002: Two assists, two shots, 23 shifts, 21:22 ice time Kasperi Kapanen, June 4, 2025: Two assists, two shots, 26 shifts, 20:28 ice time Of course, both father and son hope the similarities end there. Sami's Hurricanes dropped the next four games to Detroit in 2002, and he still carries regrets about the experience. He picked up a gruesome injury that season when two six-inch pieces of fiberglass from a broken stick embedded in his palm just before the Olympic break. He never got his game on track during the playoffs that followed, scoring just once in 23 games following a 27-goal regular season. He was shouldering a heavy weight during what wound up being the only Cup Final appearance of a 12-year NHL career. 'I wish I could go back and just play,' Sami said Thursday. 'Just enjoy it. Don't worry about the numbers.' There are certainly some lessons to be found in there for Kasperi, a 2014 first-round pick who has twice been claimed off waivers during a twisting career in which he's never quite made good on his potential. That's how Kapanen arrived in Edmonton from the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 19, and he viewed the latest trip through the waiver wire as a potential make-or-break proposition on his NHL career. Advertisement To see the way he played Wednesday, you'd have trouble believing going on waivers was even possible. Kapanen used his speed to get in on the forecheck and disrupt the Panthers with some effective hits in Game 1 and split through defensemen Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones to create a partial breakaway in overtime before ringing a shot off the outside of the right post behind Sergei Bobrovsky. Couple that with his two assists, and it was about all you could ask for from a depth forward who spent nine games in the press box to open these playoffs for Edmonton. 'He's gaining more and more confidence by the period right now,' said Sami, adding that he doesn't think he's seen his son play this well since he was Evgeni Malkin's linemate in Pittsburgh during the 2021 season. Sami described Kasperi as an 'emotional player' who needs to feel the trust of his coach to perform at his best. Everything started to fall into place, he said, after the series-clinching overtime goal Kasperi scored to finish off the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2. 'He kind of showed himself that 'I've still got it,'' said Sami. 'When he feels good, good things happen.' Kapanen the younger has scored more than his share of massive goals, from the overtime winner in Helsinki to win Finland a gold at the 2016 World Juniors to a double-overtime playoff winner for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Washington as an NHL rookie in 2017 to his series-clincher against Vegas. The Oilers pursued Kapanen as a free agent last summer, when he chose instead to remain with the Blues on a one-year contract. When he arrived off waivers, he found an incredibly close team of committed professionals who helped him rediscover his love of the game. 'It was just an eye-opener,' Kapanen said. 'It lit a fire under me. Just my love for the game has just grown ever since I've come here.' Advertisement By pursuing a career in hockey, he essentially got into the family business. His grandfather, Hannu, played for Finland at the 1976 Olympics, and Kasperi counts time spent in the Philadelphia Flyers dressing room with Peter Forsberg, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter among his childhood memories because of Sami's 831-game NHL career. The Kapanen Clan — as they're known in Finnish — are the only hockey family in the world that have had five different members represent the national team at a major international tournament. They are heavily invested in possibly seeing that name etched into the Stanley Cup this summer. 'I come from a pretty big hockey family,' Kasperi said. 'So after games, it's usually mom, dad, uncle, grandma, grandpa, cousins who will text me. It's a little overwhelming at times. They're just happy that I'm finally here and I've got a chance to win.' Sami hasn't allowed himself to start dreaming about what a Stanley Cup party might look like back home in Kuopio if the Oilers manage to finish the job. He doesn't want to get ahead of himself. He plans to travel to Edmonton to watch Game 5 of this series from the stands at Rogers Place and will continue pulling all-nighters from Finland to watch the other games on TV in the meantime. 'I'm so excited,' Sami said. 'I can see it. His game is coming. It's getting better and better. There's so many things that are kind of clicking right now. 'It's the opportunity of a lifetime and that's the time that you want to perform.' (Top photos of Sami and Kasperi Kapanen: Elsa and Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How historic was OKC Thunder's NBA Finals Game 1 loss vs. Pacers? Examining the numbers
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the NBA Finals with a stunning defeat, falling 111-110 to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday at the Paycom Center. Here's a look at the numbers behind the Thunder's loss: Pre-order our new book on Thunder's rise to NBA Finals Advertisement CARLSON: Thunder takes gut punch in Game 1. How it responds will decide who wins NBA Finals. Thunder can't take advantage of Indiana turnovers 20: First-half turnovers forced by the Thunder. 9: Points off those turnovers, helping Indiana remain within striking distance. 5: Turnovers in the second half by the Pacers, with Oklahoma City scoring just two points off those turnovers. More: OKC Thunder leads for all but 0.3 seconds before falling to Pacers in Game 1 of NBA Finals Mark Daigneault digs deep 11: Players used by the Thunder. Most of Ajay Mitchell's playoff minutes had come with the Thunder either winning big or losing big but Mitchell played 4:10 in the second quarter before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe re-entered the game. Mitchell was 0 for 3 during the stretch as Oklahoma City's lead went from nine to six with Mitchell on the floor. Pacers control second half Plus-13: The Pacers' scoring margin in the second half. Oklahoma City led 57-45 at the break, but was outscored 66-53 in the second half to give Indiana a chance to complete the comeback. Advertisement More: Carlson: Patience got Thunder to 2025 NBA Finals. Now, OKC needs to win its first title. Tyrese Haliburton does it again 4: Tyrese Haliburton shots in the closing seconds of regulation or overtime to win a game or force overtime in the playoffs. Haliburton hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to force overtime against the Knicks in a game Indiana ultimately won. More: Tyrese Haliburton delivers stunner again as Pacers steal Game 1 vs Thunder in NBA Finals Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket between Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0), guard Andrew Nembhard (2) and forward Pascal Siakam (43) during Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 5, 2025. Indiana won 111-110. OKC lets lead slip away 15: Thunder's lead with 9:42 remaining after Jalen Williams caught a T.J. McConnell inbounds pass from under the basket in stride near midcourt and took it down for a dunk to give OKC its biggest lead of the game. Advertisement 32: Points scored by the Pacers after Williams' dunk, highlighted by Haliburton's game-winner with 0.3 seconds remaining. 1: Field goal for the Thunder in the last four minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a driving layup with 4:01 left to put the Thunder up six, and made a pair of free throws 182: Consecutive losses in the NBA Finals by a team trailing by nine or more in the final three minutes since 1971 before Indiana's stunning comeback Thursday. 1: Lead by the Pacers. The Thunder led from the start until Haliburton's game-winner. More: Pacers 'cheated death' again to stun Thunder in NBA Finals: Social media reacts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still historic 38: Points scored by Gilgeous-Alexander, the third-most all-time in an NBA Finals debut. Only Allen Iverson (48 in 2001) and George Mikan (42 in 1949) scored more in their first NBA Finals appearance. Both Iverson and Mikan, though, won their first Finals games. Mikan's Lakers went on to win the title, though Iverson's 76ers lost the next four games to the Lakers to give Los Angeles the title. Advertisement 2: Free throws attempted by Gilgeous-Alexander through three quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander made just one. 6: Free throws made by Gilgeous-Alexander in the fourth quarter. More: Mussatto: How Sam Presti, architect of OKC Thunder rebuild, followed through on blueprint Ryan Aber covers OU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ryan? He can be reached at raber@ or on Twitter at @RyAber . Sign up for the OU Sooners newsletter to access more OU coverage. Support Ryan's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at . This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Inside NBA Finals Game 1 stats in Indiana Pacers' rally vs OKC Thunder