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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Comparing The 2024-25 GM Moves Of The Panthers And Oilers Ahead Of The Stanley Cup Final
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will meet in the Stanley Cup final for the second-straight season, beginning Wednesday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. It marks the first time that the same two clubs have met in consecutive years since Pittsburgh and Detroit in 2008 and 2009, but there has been an evolution of each club since they faced each other a year ago. While the core groups of each club are the same, the Panthers started the season with nine players who played on their championship squad departing via free agency or retirement. Florida GM Bill Zito faced the challenge of restocking the shelves with limited cap space. Advertisement Zito plugged some of the holes last summer with bargain free agent veteran forwards Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and defenseman Nate Schmidt, while also giving larger roles to youngster Mackie Samoskevich and Latvian blueliner Uvis Balinskis. Where Zito worked some magic was at the trade deadline, taking advantage of being able to place injured forward Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve to create cap space. Florida filled a gaping hole on the right side of their blueline created by the departure of Brandon Montour with the acquisition of Seth Jones from Chicago, and dealt a conditional 2027 pick to Boston for Brad Marchand. Jones has been a minutes-eater on defense and stepped up in the series-deciding victory over Toronto, while Marchand has 14 points in the post-season playing on the third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell. Bill Zito (Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK) The Oilers went through a managerial reshuffle last summer, moving on from Ken Holland and hiring three-time Cup-winning GM Stan Bowman. Edmonton's CEO of Hockey Operations, Jeff Jackson, took over as interim GM in early July, and the moves he made (signing veteran forwards Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, and trading center Ryan McLeod for prospect Matthew Savoie) were less than spectacular. Advertisement Bowman lost youngsters Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to St. Louis on offer sheets and had to swap veteran blueliner Cody Ceci to San Jose for Ty Emberson to open up cap space. But he made several useful depth additions early on, such as acquiring winger Vasili Podkolzin from Vancouver for a fourth-round pick, claiming Kasperi Kapanen off of waivers from the Blues, and signing veteran defenseman John Klingberg as a free agent in January. Edmonton used long-term injured reserve to their benefit at the deadline, keeping Evander Kane on LTIR until the playoffs, which enabled them to bolster their blueline with the acquisition of Jake Walman from San Jose, as well as adding rugged forward Trent Frederic from Boston. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Charles Barkley gushes over Brad Marchand, but hates his teammate
Brad Marchand has a fan in an NBA Hall of Famer. Charles Barkley made a guest appearance on TNT's alt cast for Game 2 between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes and revealed a player he loves, and one he's not quite fond of. Advertisement 'I love watching Marchand,' Barkley said. 'He's one of those guys you would love to play with. I have nothing but admiration and respect for him. 'And let me tell you something. I hate (Panthers defenseman) Seth Jones. I really do,' he continued. 'I played in the NBA for all those years his dad was the only person who kicked my ass all the time. (Larry) Bird was great, (Kevin) McHale was great, Carl Malone was great, (Kevin) Garnett, all those guys. I could holy my own against those guys. I never had any success against Popeye Jones. And to this day I have no idea why. So I will always hate Seth Jones because of his dad.' Barkley, clearly, is not only one to hold a grudge, but carry it on through family members. As for Marchand, had a physical Game 1 that ended early due to a game misconduct after a fight with Shayne Gostisbehere. He amassed four hits in 13:01 of ice time before his ejection. And while he didn't show up on the scoresheet, he was able to get under the skin of his opponent. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
NBA legend Charles Barkley holds grudge against NHL player Seth Jones for strangest reason
NBA legend Charles Barkley holds grudge against NHL player Seth Jones for strangest reason (Image Source: Getty Images) NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley is known for his outspoken nature and funny stories. During the NHL on TNT Altcast aired on Thursday, June 20, 2024, Barkley unexpectedly targeted NHL player Seth Jones of the Florida Panthers with an odd and personal reason. While talking about his love for certain hockey stars, Barkley opened up about a grudge that goes back to his own playing days in the NBA. What he said had both fans and viewers surprised and laughing. Charles Barkley shares why he dislikes Seth Jones During TNT's NHL Altcast Coverage: TNT aired an NHL MegaCast for the first time on June 20, 2024. In talking about players whose play he admires, Barkley complimented Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand, 'He's one of those guys you'd love to play with. I admire him.' However, his tone changed quickly when Seth Jones came up. 'I hate Seth Jones,' Barkley said, surprising the panel. Not in a meaningful or personal sense, anyhow, but only because of the history he has with Seth's father, Ronald 'Popeye' Jones, a former NBA player. Barkley explained that during his years in the NBA, Popeye Jones was one of the few players who gave him a hard time on the court. 'I played against Bird, McHale, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, all those guys,' he said . Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cost Of Amusement Park Equipment From Mexico Might Surprise You - See Tips Amusement Park Equipment | search ads Click Here Undo 'I could hold my own. But Popeye Jones? He kicked my ass every single time. I don't even know why.' Also Read: Seth Jones: Meet The Backbone Behind NHL Star's Hockey Stardom Barkley's grudge goes back to NBA battles with Popeye Jones Popeye Jones is the former father of Seth Jones who also played in the NBA and had a respectable career from 1993 through 2004. Spending 11 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards, he met Charles Barkley several times between 1993 – 2004. Barkley, now an analyst with the NBA, said those games cut deep. 'Even though Seth plays in the NHL, I can't forget what his dad did to me,' Barkley joked. Seth Jones, now a defenseman with the Florida Panthers and a Stanley Cup winner, has made a name for himself in hockey. But thanks to his father's history with Barkley, he now has a funny NBA connection he didn't ask for. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Panthers wanted to put Hurricanes' ‘backs against the wall.' Mission accomplished
The Florida Panthers had just one goal in mind on Thursday. They already took the series opener in the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes in convincing fashion. Why stop there? 'We want to get greedy,' defenseman Seth Jones said. 'We want to come in here and not just roll over and not be OK with playing an OK game just because we stole one on the road. We want to come here, get two [wins] and put their backs against the wall.' Mission accomplished. The Panthers flat-out dominated the Hurricanes on Thursday, cruising to a 5-0 win at the Lenovo Center to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series with a spot in a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final at stake. Defenseman Gustav Forsling opened scoring 1:17 into regulation. Star winger Matthew Tkachuk broke a 10-game goal drought. Sam Bennett scored twice to give him three in the series and nine for the playoffs, moving him into a tie with Dallas' Mikko Rantanen for the most this postseason. Carter Verhaeghe had three primary assists. They chased Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen after two periods, with Andersen giving up nine total goals through the first five periods of the series. For good measure, Aleksander Barkov added a power-play goal in the third period against Pyotr Kochtekov to round out scoring. But perhaps the most dominant aspect of the win came on the defensive end. Florida held Carolina, the team that ranked second in the NHL in the regular season with an average of 31.7 shots on goal per game, to just 16 shots on goal — their lowest single-game mark of the playoffs (the previous was 18 in their 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals on May 15). Sergei Bobrovsky stopped them all for his third shutout of the postseason. And Florida did this without star winger Sam Reinhart, one of three finalists for the Selke Trophy given annually to the league's top defensive forward, for the majority of the game. Reinhart exited the game after taking a hip check by Carolina forward Sebastian Aho with about five minutes left in the first period and was ruled out with a lower-body injury. This story will be updated.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What do NHL's best forecheckers look like? Just watch Panthers and Hurricanes
When Paul Maurice took over as head coach of the Florida Panthers in the summer of 2022, he was already thinking about the playoffs. He sought to make a subtle but important change to the Panthers' rush-heavy offense that helped Florida lead the NHL in goals and win the Presidents' Trophy the previous season. Advertisement 'The Panthers were built on stretching and the speed game,' Maurice said during Florida's run to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season. 'It can be really good except for the most part, the rush game starts to disappear in the playoffs. So you need another piece.' That other piece isn't as glamorous but has become the foundation of who the Panthers are. According to SportLogic, no team in the NHL dumped the puck in more frequently than the Panthers this season. And no team had a higher dump-in retrieval rate than the Panthers. Forechecking has become Florida's superpower. And you could say the same about the Carolina Hurricanes, the Panthers' opponent in the Eastern Conference final. 'They play a simple game,' Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said of Carolina. 'There's no secret plays or anything like that. They're a very straightforward hockey team. They have great sticks. It's man-on-man. They're in your face. There's not a lot of space out there. It's kind of a similar style to how we play. I think you're going to see two similar styles going at it. They're known for trying to suffocate you, not turning pucks over in the neutral zone and playing a brand of hockey that everyone understands how to play.' As the NHL has become more about speed and skill, controlled zone entries and puck possession are at a premium. But Maurice recognized early on that the playoffs are a different game. Physicality and intensity ramp up, and there's not as much time and space to create plays off the rush. The teams and players who thrive in that environment are willing to play the game another way. Of the eight teams that advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs, six were above average in terms of generating chances off the cycle and forecheck, according to AllThreeZones. The Panthers and Hurricanes, the two Eastern Conference finalists, were both among the top three teams in pressures per 60 minutes and puck retrievals per 60 minutes. Advertisement This isn't just about a coach emphasizing a different playing style, either. Forechecking at the elite level required in the postseason is a skill that isn't easy to find. We spent the latter part of the NHL season asking various defensemen and coaches about what makes a good forechecker and who stands out in that department. The Panthers and Hurricanes came up a lot. 'I think it's one of those talents that the average fan doesn't see or recognize,' said Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. 'But when you know the game at a higher level and watch a lot of hockey, you can pick that stuff up and really see who is effective in those situations. It's a unique skill.' The checking part is often the most noticeable element of forechecking. Capitals forward Tom Wilson jumps to mind as a relentless bruiser who is miserable to play against. And the Panthers lead the playoffs with more than 45 hits per 60 minutes during this postseason. But when asking around the league, a willingness to hit is only a small part of the equation. In some cases, that's exactly what the defenseman wants. 'As a D-man, I want the forechecker to try to hit me because usually that means their stick is in the air,' Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. 'That gives you a chance to get the puck out of the way.' Deception is the trait that comes up a lot when discussing the best forecheckers. As Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said, 'Really smart players are the scary ones.' At lower levels, the fastest, most aggressive and most physical players are typically the difference-makers on the forecheck. But in the NHL, there are also subtle skills like reading the play and having the hand-eye coordination to pick off passes that make a big difference. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said a player needs physicality, hockey IQ and a good stick. Two of those three make an effective forechecker, all three make an elite forechecker. Advertisement 'If they're right on you they're probably going to stay right on you,' Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. 'But if there's a little separation, you don't know if they're going to continue and try to hit you or peel off and try to take away your pass. Speed, deceptiveness and the smarts to read the play. Sometimes it might not be the first forechecker that is what kills a breakout.' The Hurricanes might be the best example of Slavin's last point. When asking defensemen the toughest forecheckers to play against, they rattled off some individuals but also routinely named the Hurricanes as a group. 'It doesn't surprise me that defensemen don't love playing against our team when it comes to the forecheck,' Slavin said with a smile. Part of it is how relentless the forwards are when pressuring the puck. But the involvement of the defensemen blocking passing lanes is a factor, too. The Hurricanes are connected as a group in a way that makes them exhausting to play against. 'You don't just go aimlessly running in there,' Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. 'You have to have good reads. The teams that do forechecking best understand it's a five-man forecheck. It's not about one guy.' According to AllThreeZones, no team in the NHL had more pressures per 60 minutes than the Hurricanes. They had 27.41 shots per 60 off the cycle and forecheck, according to AllThreeZones. That was three more shots per 60 than the next closest team. 'Carolina isn't going to finish every check but they're going to forecheck hard and pressure the puck,' Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton said. 'You try to go up the strong side and that F2 is already there on the wall and F3 is coming over. If you get it by F2, the next thing you know, the defenseman is pinching down the wall. You are one or two good plays from a two-on-one, but if they're on their game and anticipating where we're trying to go with it, it's just so hard to break out.' Advertisement That showed up in Carolina's 4-1 series win over Washington in the second round. The Hurricanes had a 12:41 advantage in offensive zone time, according to SportLogic. They pressured the puck all over the ice and made life hell for the Capitals' defensemen. But not every team is the Hurricanes. Individuals can make a difference in this area of the game. Forechecking is the ultimate effort skill in the ultimate effort sport. If you're relentless in your pursuit of the puck, shift after shift, it starts to wear on an opponent. 'Fitness is a big part of it,' said Rangers and Team USA coach Mike Sullivan. 'You have to be a dog on a bone on the puck and it takes effort.' 'If a guy does lose you, you can stay in the hunt and maybe catch him from behind if he thinks he's beat you,' Cassidy added. 'Those are the (Brad) Marchands of the world, those guys that stay on battles.' The Panthers adding Marchand, one of the league's most tenacious forecheckers, was not only a natural fit. It made an already elite group even more of a headache to play against. Florida is led by arguably the best forechecker in the NHL in captain Aleksander Barkov. No player had more shots off the forecheck and cycle than Barkov this season, and he was among the league leaders in puck pressure and puck retrievals per 60, according to AllThreeZones. When your captain and best player is the one leading the way in that regard, it's easy to get buy-in from the rest of the team. Rush offense will show up on the highlight reels throughout the regular season, but forechecking offense can make the biggest difference in May and June. Dumping the puck in is less risky than trying to make the extra play at the blue line. But you need to have players who skate well enough, have a physical edge and are able to win puck battles. Otherwise, dumping the puck in is just giving away possession. According to SportLogiq, the Panthers have the most goals within 10 seconds of a turnover during the playoffs. The Hurricanes have the most scoring chances within 10 seconds of a turnover. That's a direct result of the pressure they create on the forecheck. Panthers vs Hurricanes…Florida leads the playoffs in goals scored via leads in scoring chances off aggressive teams who pressure opponents into mistakes as well as anyone. Will be an interesting series from that standpoint. — Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) May 20, 2025 The forecheck starts before a team enters the zone, though. A team standing still and dumping the puck into the zone is not going to win the puck back often. Teams that are able to come through the neutral zone with speed and dump the puck to the right area of the ice have a chance to get an advantage. How a player dumps the puck is just as important as a willingness to dump it. Putting it in a place where the goalie can't easily get it and also to an area where a defenseman can't use the net to box out a forecheck is key to having a chance to create possession off a dump-in. The best forecheckers are also able to find an extra gear after they dump the puck in so they can either draw a penalty or at least prevent the defenseman from easily boxing him out of a play. Advertisement 'It's all angles, right?' said Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson. 'Any team that comes with speed through the neutral zone and is not just dumping pucks in standing still on the blue line, it's hard. They're going to force you one way or the other. That initial forecheck might not always get the puck, but it's those second and third opportunities. Usually that's on the first guy to facilitate that without getting any real credit.' The impact of an effective forecheck is felt beyond the offensive zone, too. The neutral zone is where so many games are won and lost in the playoffs. The aim of the forecheck is to prevent a breakout first. A lousy forecheck makes it easy for a team to transition to offense through the neutral zone. The teams that can slow the other team down in their own end have a better chance of creating chaos in the neutral zone and controlling the pace of play. That's a big reason the Panthers and Hurricanes are the last two teams standing in the Eastern Conference. They pressure the puck and mitigate risk by dumping the puck in and working to get it back. That style of play is repeatable and wears on the opposition. 'I think Carolina and Florida are the two teams in the East, and I'm not being disrespectful to the other teams, who most consistently play to their identity on a regular basis,' Maurice said at the start of the series. 'When you come watch Carolina play and come watch us play, you have a pretty good idea of what it's going to look like.' 'We're built for playoffs and they are as well,' added Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk. Game 1 between the two teams provided plenty of evidence of that. The Panthers and Hurricanes combined for 97 hits in a game the Panthers won 5-2. And one of the keys to victory was Florida's ability to beat Carolina's forecheck. According to SportLogiq, the Panthers were able to exit their defensive zone with possession on 89 percent of their exit attempts. No team in these playoffs has been as successful at beating Carolina's forecheck in a single game. 'That's the game,' Brind'Amour said after the game. 'They're doing it, too. They're trying to forecheck, too. They probably put more pucks in than we did tonight. They put more stress on us than we did on them. That's how they play. That's why they're the best and we're trying to beat it.' (Photo of Niko Mikkola, Taylor Hall and Seth Jones: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
