Latest news with #Jets-Blues
Global News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
ANALYSIS: Jets-Stars series has very different personality from 1st round
I have always been one to be guarded about making bold statements that profess 'the greatest' or 'the best.' In this day and age, in 2025, we are far too quick to use those monikers. It's called recency bias. Sunday night's Game 7 heroics against the St. Louis Blues do not need any type of hyperbole. And quite frankly, nothing the Winnipeg Jets do from this point requires any level of exaggeration. It's just that special. This year feels special. The Blues and Jets were great. The best? Not so sure — but they were great. Story continues below advertisement So here we are, in the next round. And yet, it just doesn't feel the same. Everyone could easily describe the Jets-Blues series in a few words. The tension, the excitement that built throughout the whole first-round series against the Blues will be hard to match, for a number of reasons. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Firstly, the Stars don't grind the same way St. Louis did. I suspect we won't see a 100-hit game in this round like we did in the last round. And remember, the chaos throughout the Blues series took more than two weeks to build to a double-overtime crescendo. But that's just not the case in this Stars-Jets series. At least not yet. By the time Game 2 ends Friday night, we will start to see and feel that same drama that occurred five or six days into the last series. And when this Dallas-Winnipeg series returns to Canada Life Centre (and it will return) for Game 5, we will be right where we were after Game 5 against the Blues. Story continues below advertisement Yes, the intensity, the anxiety, the drama will be in this series. It will just take time. And here's fair warning: if the Jets triumph and move on to the third round, we will go through the same circle of emotions one more time. Such is life in the Stanley Cup playoffs, where every series has its own personality. There is every chance that this round of games might be greater than the last series. Really. It is very possible. We just haven't figured out what personality this series has yet. But don't worry — we will.
New York Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What I'm seeing from Capitals before NHL playoff bout vs. Hurricanes
ARLINGTON, Va. — Spencer Carbery, four days into his five-day break from the Stanley Cup playoffs, could've had a relaxing Sunday night. That's not how it worked out for the head coach of the Washington Capitals. He, like most of the rest of us, watched the Winnipeg Jets' out-of-control, double-overtime Game 7 win over the St. Louis Blues. Advertisement It was not a particularly chill experience. 'Actually, it's worse watching other games, for me, than it is coaching in the moment on the bench,' Carbery said on Monday, the Capitals' last practice day before the start of their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. 'Because you just feel for the players and the staff. Even watching (Jets-Blues Game 7), you're just gutted for those two teams, and you're just like, 'Oh no.' And someone has to lose. Same thing with Colorado-Dallas. 'This time of year, your whole season and everything that you work for is on the line, and one penalty call, one missed assignment, one shot at the net can decide eight months of hard work. That's what we signed up for. It's high pressure but high reward as well.' When Carbery's team eliminated the Montreal Canadiens on April 30, there were still six other series being played. He said he's used that to his advantage — or at least made the attempt. 'There's no doubt it's nice to be able to take a deep breath,' Carbery said. 'We can start to get ready for the second round and now some teams are fighting it out. You get to watch that. You get to take a breather. You get to reset mentally and use the rest physically to prepare as well for what you're about to embark on. Yeah, I would be lying if I sat here and said that it wasn't nice to be through the first obstacle and watch other teams.' But ultimately, as Carbery said, 'it doesn't mean anything.' The proof he offered was the second round in 2023, when he was an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto had just eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games, then got to wait around for the winner of a war between the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins. The Panthers won in seven games and needed overtime to do it. '(The Maple Leafs were) rested, ready to go on home ice,' Carbery said. 'I'll never forget that game. Florida came in and kicked the crap out of the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1.' Advertisement The bright side for Washington and Carolina both, then, is that neither had to wait on the other. They're waiting on the schedule. Nothing more than that. In the meantime, the rest of us have had reflection time as well. Here are some thoughts on what we've seen from various Capitals, now that we're sufficiently removed from the first round. Alex Ovechkin: All systems are go for the ol' fella. Washington didn't win his minutes territorially against the Canadiens, but they didn't really need to; the Caps outscored Montreal 5-2 with him on the ice, and he added two other goals on the power play. He's an interesting watch at five-on-five, too, because he's physically engaged — 19 hits, tied for the team lead — without being all that effective, let's say, away from the puck. Dylan Strome: Like Ovechkin, Strome has been outstanding with the puck on his stick. There were moments in the middle of the series, though, where it wasn't on his stick enough. Strome's not a zone-entry wizard, and Washington's defensive zone exits — thanks to a pretty effective Canadiens forecheck — were sloppy. Carolina's been known to forecheck a bit, too, so that's something to watch. Jakob Chychrun and John Carlson: The Capitals outscored Montreal 3-2 with them on the ice, and Chychrun's first-period goal in Game 5 was gigantic, but the two had some ugly moments in front of their own net — particularly Carlson. If we find out down the line that he was dealing with an injury, don't be surprised. He's also 35 years old. Overall, in about 70 minutes with them on the ice, Washington allowed 17 high-danger chances with them on the ice. Among pairings with at least 20 minutes together, Chychrun-Carlson was eighth in on-ice high-danger chances against per 60 (16.5). That's a lot of chaos, especially against a team like Carolina that funnels shot attempts toward the net as a means of causing mistakes and creating more prime chances. Advertisement '(It's) not necessarily the initial shot or the initial delivery that becomes problematic,' Carbery said. 'It's usually the events quickly that follow. … They end up stressing you constantly and eventually, usually what happens is crap, you give up a rebound or a third or a fourth one, it ends up paying off. Logan Thompson: He was good enough in Games 1 and 2, offering glimpses at the play that put him on early-season Vezina Trophy short lists, but Thompson still didn't quite look comfortable — and Game 3, featuring poor play (from him and the rest of the Caps) and an injury scare felt like a disaster. By Game 5, Thompson was back at his best, stopping 28 of 29 shots, saving nearly three goals above expected and generally looking more comfortable. If that's what he gives Washington reliably, look out. 'I've been on him all year to try and get him flustered and get him off his game and keep him on his toes,' Wilson said. 'Maybe it's just practice makes perfect. And now he's just finding that rhythm, where he's just in his happy place and he's just feeling good.' Anthony Beauvillier: We might be selling him short here; Beauvillier had five points against the Canadiens, including a huge goal and overtime setup for Ovechkin in Game 1, and generally added a well-rounded set of tools to that top line. There's no reason to think that he'll drop back down the lineup just yet, even with Aliaksei Protas back in the mix. Ovechkin and Strome both have raved about what he brings to the mix. (Photo of Alex Ovechkin: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
New York Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Stars defeat Avalanche in Game 7 thriller, advance to Round 2: Takeaways
DALLAS — And to think, there was about a week there where the entire hockey world was wondering if Mikko Rantanen was going to show up in this series. Rantanen scored three third-period goals — two herculean solo efforts and en empty-netter — to erase a two-goal deficit, and also assisted on Wyatt Johnston's game-winning power-play goal with 3:56 left to give the Dallas Stars a remarkable 4-2 victory in Game 7 of this titanic first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. Dallas now moves on to face the winner of Jets-Blues on Sunday night, while Colorado heads home in shock, having lost to its biggest rival for the second straight year. Advertisement Rantanen, subject of the two most shocking trades of the year — first from Colorado to Carolina, then from Carolina to Dallas — buried his old team. After posting just one assist in the first four games of the series, Rantanen closed with three goals and seven assists in the final three, reminding his old teammates just what they're missing without him. His third period was one for the ages. The life had been sucked out of American Airlines Center after Nathan MacKinnon scored his seventh goal of the series on a delayed penalty in the opening minute of the third period. But at 7:49 of the third, Rantanen cut across the middle of the ice and beat Mackenzie Blackwood — who had made several brilliant stops to that point — with a sensational snipe, banking in a shot off the top corner of the goal. Six minutes later, Rantanen blew through three Colorado penalty-killers and scored on a wraparound, banking his shot in off Samuel Girard's skate. It was a fitting goal for Dallas, which had seen the Avalanche score at least three fluky goals in the series, including the Game 6 game-winner, an own-goal by Sam Steel off Colin Blackwell's shoulder. It'll be a long offseason for the Avalanche, a trendy pick to win the Stanley Cup despite finishing third in the Central Division and dealing away their clutch future Hall of Famer, Rantanen. A dramatic midseason overhaul of their roster had given them the depth at center (Brock Nelson, Charlie Coyle, Jack Drury) and the goaltending (Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood) they needed to right the ship. They were excruciatingly close to closing this one out after keeping their season alive with a Game 6 victory at home, but instead they're left to wonder what might have been. The Stars, meanwhile, are set up for a deep run. They managed to beat the mighty Avalanche without their top defenseman, Miro Heiskanen, and one of their top scorers, Jason Robertson. Both have been skating with the team and could return in the second round against Winnipeg or St. Louis. Advertisement Both teams have been mostly under control this series, with very few extracurriculars like in, say, the Tampa-Florida series. But Jamie Benn made a potentially disastrous mistake when he cross-checked Valeri Nichushkin in the face midway through the first period. He got a well-earned double-minor for it (would have been hard to argue with a major), putting the Stars in a dicey spot early in the game. But the Stars penalty kill held firm. It wasn't easy, as Johnston had to save a goal by breaking up a Martin Necas cross-goalmouth pass to a wide-open Gabriel Landeskog, but Colorado came up empty. Just as it did in Game 3, with Mason Marchment's double-minor for high-sticking Brock Nelson in the final minute of regulation. Colorado's power play was eighth in the league in the regular season, scoring at a 24.8-percent clip. But it entered Game 7 14th among the 16 playoff teams with a meager 15.8-percent conversion rate. The Avs couldn't get it done on the power play, but they sure could on the penalty kill. After Sam Malinski interfered with Roope Hintz and landed himself in the penalty box, it was Colorado that seized the moment, with Josh Manson, of all people, scoring the first goal of the game shorthanded. But it was Logan O'Connor — who else? — who made it happen. O'Connor has been an absolute menace all series, particularly on the penalty kill. And when Hintz left the puck at the point after Mikko Rantanen already had started heading down the wall, O'Connor pounced on the mistake, grabbing the puck and racing up the left side of the ice. He stopped short in the offensive zone and then flung a centering pass to a hard-charging Manson. Manson's shot hit the post, then hit Jake Oettinger in the back and went in — another strange bounce in a series full of them for the Stars goaltender. Advertisement It was Manson's second goal in as many games (he had one of Colorado's two empty-netters in Game 6). The defensive-minded defenseman had just one goal all regular season. For O'Connor, it was his sixth point of the series, second only to Nathan MacKinnon for the Avalanche. He had a shorthanded goal of his own in Game 4, and also scored in Game 2. Aside from a dizzying second period in Game 6, when Rantanen and Hintz combined for eight points, some of Dallas' biggest names didn't really come through in this series. Rantanen finished with a team-high 12 points (five goals, seven assists) against his old team, and Hintz had four goals and three assists. Johnston had two goals and four assists in a solid effort. But Duchene, the Stars' leading scorer in the regular season with 82 points in 82 games, had no goals and two assists — though the second one was a doozy, teeing up Johnston's go-ahead goal with a cross-crease feed. Mikael Granlund, another splashy trade acquisition, had one goal and one assist. Marchment, a 22-goal scorer, had one goal and two assists, and Tyler Seguin, after working his way back from hip surgery, had two goals and one assist. Colorado had plenty of underwhelming producers, too. Cale Makar, the 30-goal Norris favorite, had just one goal, an empty netter. Brock Nelson, the Avs' biggest deadline acquisition, didn't score in the series. And Martin Necas had four assists, but just one goal. Even MacKinnon tying a franchise record with seven goals in one series wasn't enough to overcome that. Miro Heiskanen's potential return was a discussion point every day of this series, brought up at every Pete DeBoer press conference, day after day after day. He skated throughout the series, rejoined the team for practices and morning skates early on, even rotated in on the power play in the latter stages. But he never did return, and internally, the Stars weren't exactly holding their breath, or coming to the rink every day wondering if this was the day Heiskanen came back to save them. 'No, we don't want to pressure him too much,' said rookie Lian Bichsel. 'He has to go through his rehab, he has to be 100 percent to get back. We just have to be patient with him.' Bichsel said Heiskanen has been 'really positive' despite the obvious frustrations that come with sitting out playoff games. DeBoer, meanwhile, said the call was never his in the first place. After all, Sunday marks three months since Heiskanen's surgery, and the initial prognosis was three to four months. Advertisement 'I mean, there's really no decision,' he said before Game 7. 'It's not a player's decision. There's medical people involved, people have to sign off on things. He had a serious knee surgery. If he does play in the near future here, he's going to be pushing the deadlines that were given to him when the surgery was initially given. We're not going to put him at risk for further damage and doctors aren't going to sign off on that, either. So there's really no discussion on this. He's close. I know from where you guys are sitting, 'Oh, I see him out there, he's practicing, he's doing this.' But that's different from jumping into a full-contact Game 7 hockey game.' Heiskanen and Jason Robertson — Dallas' top defenseman and one of its top forwards — both got close, but not quite close enough. 'We just have to win games so they can come back,' Bichsel said. 'We're working our asses off for (Heiskanen), for Robo, for all the guys who are out, so that they get a chance to play.' The hockey world feared the worst when Bichsel lay motionless on the ice early in the second period after crashing into the boards while battling Jack Drury for the puck. Bichsel's return for the third period was just as shocking. Talking with The Athletic after Saturday's morning skate, Bichsel said he was 'fine' and downplayed the injury — or lack thereof. 'Fell down, got hit, stood up again and played the third period,' he said. 'Wasn't that bad.' Of course, in between 'got hit' and 'stood up again' were a few minutes when Bichsel didn't move. 'Just needed to take a breath,' he said. So he just had the wind knocked out of him, then? 'I couldn't really tell,' he said. 'I was just confused at the start. Once (Stars head athletic trainer Dave Zeis) came over, we just went through some routine movements for my neck and stuff. Everything was good. So I got up.' Advertisement 'Confused' is an eyebrow-raising word in an era of brain-injury awareness, of course. Bichsel moved slowly and needed help to get off the ice, but he said he was 'feeling good' once he was back in the locker room, presumably in the quiet room (he declined to go into specifics). 'Just had to take a breath,' he said. 'We did some testing and I was good to go.'
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
BetMGM Bonus Code WIREBG150 Delivers Bet $10, Win $150 Promo for NBA, NHL & MLB
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