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Miami Herald
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cote: Florida Panthers break Carolina's heart, spirit with 6-2 win for 3-0 lead in East finals
This for two-thirds of the game was the Carolina Hurricanes team that had been advertised all along. The smothering, shot-blocking, in-your-face defense. The team that would aim to tough the artistry and open skating out of the Florida Panthers and turn game and series into a grind. Didn't see that Carolina team the first two games of this NHL Eastern Conference finals. We finally did for some of Saturday night — and the Florida Panthers won,anyway, and won big. The first two games should have embarrassed Carolina. This one did that and broke its heart, and maybe its will. The game was taut and tighter early than the first two, but still the Panthers broke it open at home and won 6-2, for a commanding 3-0 series lead by a combined 16-4 score in the best-of-7. Teams up 3-0 in a playoff series win 98.1% of the time in NHL history. Not sure if I would give the Hurricanes even that 1.9% shot at this point. Florida has outscored its playoff opponents by 30-8 in the last six games, an almost surreal run, a mighty display of power. The Panthers are back home Monday night with a chance for a sweep to avoid a Game 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday. Carolina should be used to being swept by now, including by Florida in the 2023 East finals. Almost unbelievably, Saturday's was the Hurricanes' 15th consecutive loss in a conference final series. A sign in the crowd said the Hurricanes had been 'downgraded to a tropical depression.' The emphasis for Carolina should be on depression now. The Hurricanes have been closer to a soft breeze this series. Florida led 1-0 just past halfway through the first period on what was credited as a backhander by Niko Mikkola. (The puck went in off the stick of the Canes' Dmitry Orlov, but hockey does not do the 'own goal' thing like soccer.) Mikkola, the 6-6 defenseman, was assisted by Evan Rodrigues and Aleksander Barkov — the 14th goal scored by a Cats defender this postseason. Carolina evened at 1-1 with 5:09 left in the second on a Taylor Hall wrist shot that proved Sergei Bobrovsky human. It was a power-play goal, with Gustav Forsling in the box for delay of game. That's when the game turned into a pinata — the Panthers with the stick, the Canes busted wide open. Florida turned a 1-1 game into a 6-1 lead in a flurry with five goals in a crazy span of 9:08 in the third period. Jesper Boqvist first, who was starting only because of Sam Reinhart's injury. Then Mikkola again, but with a goal off his own stick this time. Then captain Aleksander Barkov. Then Barkov again. Then Brad Marchand with the punctuation, the twisting dagger. Carolina was desperate Saturday night. Just like in the previous game. All for naught. This time the Hurricanes showed that desperation by benching starting goaltender Frederik Andersen for backup Pyotr Kochetkov. It's what you do because it's easier than benching all of your skaters who aren't scoring goals. 'Just change the vibe a little bit,' Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour explained. 'We do need some saves.' They need saving alright, but it will take more than a different vibe, or desperation. Desperation does not beat talent, especially when the more talented team is motivated to win a second straight Stanley Cup championship. 'We want the Cup!' Cats fans were chanting in the middle of that third-period assault. As a quick aside, there should be a national uprising, a federal investigation, if the Panthers' Bill Zito does not win the NHL's Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award. Gregory, the Hall of Fame executive, is no longer with us but has (sources say) sent word from heaven endorsing Zito. Gregory's heirs should be campaigning. Anyone who has ever enjoyed ice in their drink should be on board. This is the third straight time and fourth in the past five years that Zito has been one of three finalists, but he has yet to win. What does it take? His team is the reigning champ and seems heeded to a third straight Final. He's the one who pulled off the Matthew Tkachuk trade, one of the greatest in hockey and South Florida sports history. He scored big again with the Marchand trade late this past regular season. 'How would I describe our relationship? He's smart. Like, he's just way smarter than I am and I'm fine with that. I'm not trying to be funny,' said coach Paul Maurice of Zito. 'His brain works way differently than mine and he sees possibilities. I'm more risk-averse and he is, 'I think we can make that deal.' He is a very positive, very optimistic person. You feel it every day. He's in our coach's office every single day. He pulls up a chair and he hangs out with us, and he's completely comfortable firing out any, as he would say, crazy idea, and some of them are, but a lot of them are just, 'Yeah, I hadn't thought about it like that before.'' The voting for GM of the Year has already taken place. Otherwise I would have said the Panthers' utter dismantling of Carolina that continued Saturday night should have surely clinched the trophy for team-building. 'We want the Cup!' chanted the fans. Tampa Bay, Toronto and Carolina could not stop the Panthers, and it needs be asked at this point: Can anyone?
Pink Villa
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Justin Bieber Steps Out Publicly for 1st Time Since Comment on Diddy Case; Here's How Wife Hailey Bieber is Supporting Him
Justin and Hailey Bieber were spotted enjoying a night out at the Toronto Maple Leafs game on Sunday, May 18, marking their first public appearance since Justin addressed the ongoing legal case involving Sean Diddy Combs. The couple attended Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference semifinals between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena. Hailey wore a blue Maple Leafs jacket in support of Justin's favorite team, while Justin kept it casual in a bright orange jacket, cream bucket hat, and sunglasses. The two sat close together in the stands, smiling and watching the action unfold on the ice. Despite their support, the Maple Leafs lost the game 1-6. Following the game, Justin Bieber posted several updates on Instagram, showing his excitement for the evening. '@haileybieber Made it into the building; Game 7,' he captioned a photo of Hailey walking ahead of him backstage. In a video, he could be heard saying, 'Let's go, baby,' as the couple made their way to their seats. From rinkside, Justin took selfies with the players in the background and wrote, 'I'm a slut for these boys.' Another NHL video on X (formerly Twitter) showed Justin bobbing his head and giving a thumbs up, captioned, 'Hailey and Justin are feelin' it tonight #Game7 #StanleyCup.' He also posted affectionate photos of himself and Hailey Bieber kissing backstage. In the caption, he wrote, "I don't remember a time in my life when I haven't been obsessed with the leafsssss. This year we made it farther than we have in so long and I'm happy about that. I can be patient cuz I know this is the team to do it." Earlier that day, Justin shared a photo with his dad, Jeremy Bieber, after a round of golf. Jeremy posted the same photo and joked, "Right when I get better so does he. gg." The couple has had a busy few weeks, with appearances at Coachella and the Met Gala for Hailey. Justin and Hailey, who married in 2018, are also spending time with their 7-month-old son, Jack Blues. A source close to the couple told PEOPLE that despite online rumors, their marriage remains strong. This outing came shortly after Justin addressed the allegations against Sean Diddy Combs. In a statement released by his representative on May 16, it was clarified that Justin was not one of Diddy's victims. The representative stated that while Justin was not personally harmed, there were individuals who had been genuinely affected by Diddy's actions, and shifting attention away from them would take away from the justice they deserved.
Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Cote: Game 7 magic: Florida Panthers look Stanley Cup-good again in burying Toronto, 6-1
In hockey they rhapsodize about Game 7s as the best thing on the sporting Earth. They may be right. 'You wanna win [a series] in four games, yes, 100 percent,' as Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice put it. 'But Game 7s are the ones you'll remember. No [kid ever pretending] in the backyard said, 'Hey, it's Game 3!' It's the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, always. Game 7s are completely different than any other game. It's the best part of hockey.' Sunday marked Panther Brad Marchand's 13th career Game 7, now including 5-0 perfection vs. the Maple Leafs. 'These are the ones you live for,' he said after Sunday's morning skate in Toronto. 'It's almost like [all season] you're practicing for this moment.' The Panthers owned that moment, and the night, on Sunday in Toronto. Game 7s are the ones you'll always remember if you win, and try and fail to ever forget if you lose. Panthers 6, Maple Leafs 1. This Game 7 sends Florida onto the NHL Eastern Conference finals vs. the Carolina Hurricanes, now four wins away from its third straight Stanley Cup Final for a shot at a second straight championship. It sends Toronto into its offseason. They are the Maple Leave -- out of the playoffs too soon once again. The storied franchise has not reached the East finals since 2002, and that skid continues. Sunday's was an eighth straight Game 7 loss for Toronto. It was Florida's third straight G7 win on the road, and lifted Maurice to 6-0 all-time in the ultimate game. Florida led Carolina 2-1 in the regular season series but the most recent meeting coming in early January renders that meaningless. So does this: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen missed all of those games because of a blood clot but has been lights-out more recently including in this postseason. Games 1 and 2 will be Tuesday and Thursday at Carolina, with Games 3 and 4 Saturday and Monday in Sunrise. But there's time enough to look ahead to what's next. What just happened is worth savoring. The Panthers beat the Maple Leafs, with decisive punctuation Sunday, by flexing a decided depth advantage, scoring with their third and fourth lines, scoring with defensemen getting their share. Florida wins and advances despite Matthew Tkachuk going a ninth straight game without a goal, and with notable scorers like Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett also quiet this series in terms of goals. The Panthers led 1-0, then 2-0, then 3-0 Sunday with a triple-play scores in a span of 6:24 that muted the stunned home crowd. Seth Jones opened the barrage, beating Leafs goaltender Joseph Wall off a perfect pass from Evan Rodrigues. 'The last three or four games [Jones] has been a difference maker,' Maurice said in-game. Anton Lundell pocketed the second goal off a rebound -- that Brad Marchand line continuing to pay big dividends. Jonah Gadjovich made it 3-0 on a play almost (but not) offsides. Florida led 25-0 in shots in the first period (7-0 in shots on goal) before Toronto was able to uncork its first, but the Leafs had enough blocked shots and saves to stay scoreless at the first intermission. It was reminiscent of Game 6, won by Toronto 2-0 in the Cats' Sunrise rink. Panthers had 81 total shots but only 22 on target. 'That was the stat that jumped out,' said Maurice. 'Maybe we need to have 71, or 61 [but more of them on goal].' Florida heard its coach in that deciding second period. Jones would score again for an apparent 4-0 score but his shot into the net was waved off for goalie interference. Leaf Max Domi's goal two minutes into the third period gave Toronto fans a whisp of hope, but it was fleeting. Panther Eetu Luostarinen made it 4-1 just 47 seconds later as the home crowd sagged --Marchand again with a big hand in the scoring play. Sam Reinhart made it 5-1 on a goal off a faceoff as Leafs hopes withered. A Marchand open-netter with three minutes left twisted the knife in an emptying arena. (The Canadian rapper Drake reportedly had a $1 million bet on Toronto Sunday, by the way. It marked his biggest loss since the Kendrick Lamar beef.) This marks the continuation of the Panthers' fourth straight exceptional season: The Presidents Trophyfor best season record in 2021-22, the Stanley Cup Final in '23, the Cup championship last season, now this for an encore. Maurice tries to deflect credit, noting he inherited a strong team three season ago. 'I was the guy born on third base,' he said, not bragging that he'd hit a triple. It's true that general manager Bll Zito assembled the roster that has made Maurice's job easier, including the late-season trades for Marchand and Jones that shone through again Sunday. The Panthers are big and fast and balanced and deep ... and a repeat championship is gaining focus in the crosshairs. Still, Maurice does not give himself enough credit. There should be plenty of that to go around for what the long-downtrodden Florida Panthers have become -- the best thing in South Florida sports -- as they head powerfully to a third straight East finals.
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Best Sports Betting Bonuses & Offers To Use Today
Sportsbook Promos | Best Sports Betting Bonuses & Offers To Use Today We'll get a Game 6 on the ice today and then a pair of Game 7s – one in each league – tomorrow. Between these games, MLB's Rivalry Weekend matchups and the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, there's plenty of action available and it's in your best interest to check out the lucrative sportsbook promos out there for new bettors. The Jets and Stars will get the playoff betting action started tonight in Dallas as Winnipeg tries to extend its season once more after blanking Dallas 4-0 in Game 5 on Thursday. Tomorrow afternoon, the Nuggets and Thunder play Game 7 of their NBA Western Conference final in Oklahoma City, before the Panthers and Maple Leafs square off in Toronto in Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference final. For the first time, MLB has branded a Rivalry Weekend where each team plays its designated rival in a three-game series. That means we get the intracity classics like Mets-Yankees, White Sox-Cubs and Angels-Dodgers along with the intrastate squabbles like Astros-Rangers, Guardians-Reds, Pirates-Phillies, Rays-Marlins and Cardinals-Royals. The Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles aren't in the same state, but it's a hot regional rivalry just the same. Of golf's four majors, the PGA Championship always attracts the toughest field. Americans have won the last nine PGA Championships — including three wins by Brooks Koepka and two by Justin Thomas — but that streak could be in jeopardy this weekend at Quail Hollow. The odds shift pretty quickly on the weekend, so make sure to track the nation's best sports betting apps to see when some sweet lines pop up. That goes for other sports, too, such as Saturday's UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, WNBA season openers happening all over the league and Sunday's NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. 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15-05-2025
- Sport
Florida, winners of 3 straight, set to host Game 6 and a potential clincher against Toronto
Finally, after five games worth of hitting, tons of chirping, more than a few unnecessary scrums and no shortage of after-the-whistle hijinks, the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs agree on something. The approach to Game 6 of their NHL Eastern Conference semifinal series — one that the Panthers now control — will evidently be the same. 'One shift at a time,' Leafs forward William Nylander said. 'Next shift, next moment,' Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said. The urgency might seem different, however. Florida plays host to Game 6 against the Maple Leafs on Friday night, the Panthers leading the series 3-2 and on the verge of moving into the NHL's final four for a third consecutive season. The Panthers have won three straight to flip the series, the most recent — and most convincing — of those wins being Wednesday's 6-1 victory. It was an outcome that had even ardent Maple Leafs fans leaving midway through the third period and surely wondering if they had just watched their team on home ice for the final time this season. "We've responded in the past and I expect a response from our team," Toronto coach Craig Berube said. "We'll talk about things and make some adjustments that are needed. But it's more of a mindset for me going into this Game 6 than anything else. It's not X's and O's.' The longest-serving members of Toronto's core — players like Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly — have faced elimination 14 times over the last eight seasons. The Leafs have gone 6-8 in those 14 games. On one hand, the eight losses mean the season always ends in disappointment and with another year tacked onto the drought since the city last won the Stanley Cup in 1967. On the other, the six wins show that it's been tough to land the knockout blow. 'At the end of the day, the job's not done," Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "And there's still a lot of work to do to go home and recover and have our best game at home in Game 6.' The Panthers — who got goals from three defensemen in Wednesday's win — have gotten goals from 15 different players in the series, compared with only nine goal-scorers for Toronto. It's been remarkably balanced for Florida on that front; Sam Bennett has three goals, while Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe each have two, and 11 others have scored once. Nylander has three goals in the series for Toronto, while Matthews is 0 for 20 on shots in the series — and 0 for 28 against Florida this season when tacking on the regular season. 'We're just focused on one at a time,' Florida's Sam Reinhart said after Game 5. "We had one job to do (Wednesday). Now it's about recovering, getting ready for the next one, getting back home and get in front of our fans again.' When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 8 p.m. EDT (TNT/truTV/Max) Series: Panthers lead, 3-2. Advantage, Florida. But then again, advantage in this series has meant absolutely nothing. Case in point: Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the series, and teams that start a best-of-seven series with two home wins have been ultimately successful in that matchup 89% of the time in NHL history. And now, the pendulum of favorable odds has swung to Florida after its Game 5 romp; when a best-of-seven NHL series is tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner has gone on to prevail 79% of the time. So, it's 89% one way, 79% the opposite way. Add it up, and Panthers coach Paul Maurice is 100% convinced that this series isn't over. 'I do not believe in momentum,' Maurice said.
