Latest news with #Slavin
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Jaccob Slavin excels as Carolina Hurricanes hold off elimination, Dallas Stars battle serious offense crisis
Jaccob Slavin produced a defensive gem in Game 4 as the Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0 to remain alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even with Slavin's one-man show, the Hurricanes remain behind 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Final and are up against long odds to beat a Florida Panthers squad pursuing a third consecutive final appearance. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Out west, the Edmonton Oilers are one victory away from reaching the Western Conference Final, as the Dallas Stars can't catch any kind of offensive rhythm in their semifinal series. Jaccob Slavin anchors Carolina Hurricanes' defense in clutch win over Florida Panthers Defenseman Jaccob Slavin ensured Carolina Hurricanes were not out yet. Slavin was the driving force behind his team's Game 4 win over the Florida Panthers, posting a 4.03 Game Score — the highest of all skaters — with no points on the board. Rather, he set the tempo with exceptional positioning, stickhandling, and penalty-killing. Slavin logged close to 28 minutes in all situations, assisting Carolina in limiting the Florida Panthers to a mere 12 shot attempts and no goals in his five-on-five time on ice. He didn't front the team in minutes in games one through three of the series — a curious choice — but Game 4 was different. His defensive dependability provided Carolina with an as-needed lifeline in the series, even if history isn't on their side: no team has ever rebounded from a 3-0 deficit in a conference final. After a bumpy playoff start, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner now has given up one or fewer goals in five of his last six games. His 33-save effort in Game 4 — including 2.29 expected goals saved during the first period alone — held the fort in a close game that ultimately became a 4-1 victory with two late empty-netters. While the Oilers are on the rise, the Dallas Stars are falling. Their offense has imploded since the opening game, managing to score just two goals over the last three games. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Dallas is now creating only 1.65 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five in the playoffs — second-worst among all postseason teams. Star players such as Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, and Jason Robertson have fallen silent at the most inopportune moment. During Game 4, the trio mustered only five shot attempts between them in 11 minutes, being dominated in possession and expected goals. Also read: The Carolina Hurricanes have purchased some time, courtesy of Jaccob Slavin's wizardry on the blue line. But turning the tide against a Florida Panthers club with championship bloodlines is a tall task. In the West, the Edmonton Oilers are displaying resilience and balance, pinning the Dallas Stars on the edge of extinction. Unless the Stars find their offense again, an Edmonton-Florida Stanley Cup Final rematch may become a reality in a hurry.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
NHL playoffs vibe check: Jaccob Slavin's defensive excellence, concern in Dallas and more
With a 3-0 win in Game 4 on Monday, the Carolina Hurricanes finally put an end to a 15-game losing streak in the Eastern Conference final. But the odds of a comeback against the reigning champs are still slim. According to The Model™️, the Canes have only a 10 percent chance of advancing. If the Florida Panthers advance, it'll be their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final. It would be the sixth consecutive season with a Florida-based team in the final, as the Tampa Bay Lightning reached the final in 2022 and won back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. Advertisement Though a handful of teams have come back recently from a 3-1 hole — from the Panthers against the Boston Bruins in 2023, to the New York Rangers over the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022, and the Montreal Canadiens over the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021 — a 3-0 deficit is a different animal. Several teams have tried to win four straight while facing elimination, including the Edmonton Oilers in the final last June, but few have pulled it off. Only four teams have successfully done it in Stanley Cup playoff history, and none in a conference final: The Maple Leafs (1942 final over the Detroit Red Wings), New York Islanders (Round 1 against the Penguins in 1975), Philadelphia Flyers (Round 2 against the Bruins in 2010) and Los Angeles Kings (Round 1 over the San Jose Sharks in 2014). So, as convincing as the Hurricanes' Game 4 win was, it's going to take a lot more to claw their way back into this series. With the Oilers' 4-1 win in Game 4, we're one step closer to a Stanley Cup Final rematch. Stanley Cup rematches are rare in today's NHL. There have been only three instances in the last 50 years. The Red Wings won against the Penguins in 2008, and then Pittsburgh flipped the switch in 2009 against Detroit. That was the first time since 1984, when the Islanders and Oilers went head-to-head for the second consecutive year. Going even further back, the Canadiens and Bruins met for two straight years in 1977 and 1978, with Montreal winning both times. Before an Oilers-Panthers rematch can even become a possibility, these teams have to get through their respective conferences first. The star of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference final? Jaccob Slavin, who led all skaters with a 4.03 Game Score. That number is even more impressive considering he didn't earn a single point on any of the Hurricanes' three goals. Instead, it was all fueled by his two-way play. Slavin's positioning and stickwork are major strengths that were on display all night. In his 18:22 five-on-five minutes, the Canes had a 23-12 shot-attempt advantage and a 1-0 scoring edge. Carolina generated a team-high 1.64 expected goals for in his minutes and gave up only 0.18, which equates to a 90 percent expected goal rate. Advertisement Expand to all situations, and that ice time jumped to 28 minutes (and the Canes' scoring edge adds to 3-0). Slavin's workload in those minutes was anything but easy. His primary matchup was against the Carter Verhaeghe–Sam Bennett–Matthew Tkachuk line at five-on-five, but he still saw a lot of Aleksander Barkov. And he played 6:10 minutes on the penalty kill (out of the Canes' eight short-handed minutes) to keep the Panthers' power play off the board. And he was over the boards every other shift to defend Carolina's 1-0 lead late in regulation. Jaccob Slavin doing what he does best in the d-zone 🫡 📺: Canes 🆚 Panthers on Sportsnet — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2025 Slavin can't force the Canes back into this series, but he can give the team consistency from the back end that helps set the foundation for success. Playing 28 minutes a game may not be sustainable, but the Hurricanes need to lean on their No. 1 more to extend this series. As much as teams may want even deployment, some situations call for heavier minutes. It's one thing to expect that in Round 1 and onward through four rounds. It's another in the conference final, especially when the team is without one of its top four defenders. But oddly enough, Slavin didn't lead the team in usage in games 1-3. And while not playing on the power play is a factor in that, it also didn't stop him from averaging the most ice time at five-on-five and in all situations in the regular season. The Panthers might be one of the deepest teams in the league, but some injuries still hit hard. And Sam Reinhart's absence was felt in Florida, especially Monday night. Reinhart is a key cog in the Panthers' attack. He plays in all situations, in matchup minutes, which isn't easy to replace. Jesper Boqvist tried to fill his skates in games 3 and 4. And Saturday night, he played well alongside Barkov and Evan Rodrigues. In 8:43 five-on-five minutes, that new-look top line dominated play with 94 percent of the expected goal share and outscored the Hurricanes 3-0. But in Game 4, that line didn't bring the same spark. In less than six minutes of action, Florida was outshot (7-4 in attempts, 6-2 on goal) and outscored (1-0) and couldn't even muster a 14 percent expected goal rate. That led to some third-period adjustments, with Brad Marchand jumping to the first line in Boqvist's place. Advertisement The Panthers' struggles weren't exclusive to the Barkov line, but sometimes a trickle-down effect leads to everyone falling out of sync. It doesn't help that the power play couldn't make up for those five-on-five lapses in Game 4. Florida's top unit managed to score a power-play goal after Reinhart left Game 2 but has since been held off the scoresheet despite having almost 15 minutes of opportunity. Reinhart might have only two power-play points in the playoffs, but he was on the ice for eight of the team's 12 goals; in the regular season, he was on for 45 of 55 power-play goals. Without him, a top unit of three forwards and two defensemen isn't cutting it. So if Reinhart isn't ready to return Wednesday night — and that's still up in the air — the Panthers need to step up in his absence. Most think of the Oilers' goaltending as chaotic and erratic. And most would be right — it was just a few weeks ago that Stuart Skinner lost his No. 1 role to Calvin Pickard in Round 1 after an abysmal start to the postseason. But the Skinner glow-up has been real since returning to action. Skinner's first game back against the Vegas Golden Knights was a little shaky, but he quickly found his footing with back-to-back shutouts to close out Round 2. And now he's been a difference-maker against the Dallas Stars, with three quality starts in four games. The latest came in Game 4, when Skinner saved 3.27 goals above expected; that brings his GSAx to 6.88 against Dallas. And that more than wipes out his poor start to the playoffs, when he allowed 5.32 more goals than expected in his first three outings. Skinner isn't in this alone — the Oilers' high-octane offense has given him goal support, and the defense has been really solid over the last two rounds (and that's why the team doesn't have to rush Mattias Ekholm back from injury). But the difference over this last stretch is that he is coming up with key saves to win tight, low-scoring games. Just take his Game 4 performance, when Skinner turned aside 33 unblocked shots worth 2.29 expected goals in the first 20 minutes of play. His play gave the Oilers a chance in what was a 2-1 game until two empty-netters sealed the win in the last few minutes of regulation. Now, in five of his last six games, Skinner has allowed one goal or less. Advertisement That's the energy the Oilers need Skinner to bring, especially with some key injuries up front to Connor Brown and Zach Hyman. If Edmonton's offensive attack suffers from it, that steady goaltending is going to be all the more important. On the flip side of the Oilers' goaltending, the conversation shifts to the Stars' offense, which has completely dried up. That looked like a potential weak point for Dallas heading into this series because the team scored at a rate of only 1.87 goals per 60 at five-on-five through two rounds. Mikko Rantanen's star power and a power play that tallied 12 goals in about 60 minutes of opportunity helped make up for it. A convincing Game 1 win over Edmonton helped quiet any concerns when the supporting cast picked up the pace with goals from Tyler Seguin, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene. So did the fact that Dallas scored three power-play goals against the Oilers, after going 0-for-14 against them in the Western Conference final last spring. But since then, the Stars have mustered only two goals over the next three games, which has pushed them to the brink of elimination. It doesn't help that since Game 1, Dallas has converted only once in 14:37 of power-play minutes. But the core issues are at five-on-five, where the Stars have been outscored 9-3. Those three goals bring down the Stars' playoff-wide five-on-five scoring rate to 1.65 per 60, which ranks 15th out of the 16 teams to qualify for the postseason. The Stars' forward depth — their best strength — hasn't stepped up enough this series, but unlike Round 2, the big guns aren't, either. Their top line was the weakest with a chance to tie the series in Game 4. Rantanen, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz struggled in 11:33 minutes of play, with the team generating only five shot attempts in their minutes (while giving up 17) and a 28 percent expected goal rate. Instead of being tied 2-2, this team is now down 3-1. Until the Stars change the story and find an offensive spark, the clock is officially ticking on their season. Dallas is one game away from being eliminated by the Oilers for the second straight year. — Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, All Three Zones and Natural Stat Trick. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on those numbers. (Top photo of Jaccob Slavin and Aleksander Barkov: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Jaccob Slavin's life, career, and impact on Team USA
Jaccob Slavin #74 of the Carolina Hurricanes (Credit: Getty Image) Jaccob Slavin was born in Erie, Colorado. And here his life began in a sports-driven family that valued discipline and resilience, as growing up, his natural talent was shaped by structured routines and strong family support. His parents, both with athletic backgrounds, gave him a clear path toward the rigors of professional sports; these early years laid the groundwork for a career. This is defined by consistency and quiet leadership, Slavin's college years at the University of Denver were a continuation of that disciplined approach. And here his standout performances signaled he was ready for the NHL stage. From Carolina to Team USA's backbone in defense View this post on Instagram A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv) Drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2012. Slavin made his NHL debut in 2015, here he quickly rose to become one of the league's top defensive players, while not a regular name on scoring sheets. His impact is deeply felt in every game. For Team USA, especially in the 4 Nations Face-Off. And his role has been even more critical, in a tournament full of high-energy stars and offensive fireworks. Slavin has been the silent backbone, with unmatched defensive instincts, elite skating, and game-reading abilities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like नोएडा में बिक्री के लिए 3बीएचके फ्लैट की कीमतें आपको आश्चर्यचकित कर सकती हैं! 3BHK Flat For Sale in Noida | search ads Undo Here he shuts down the league's top forwards with ease, his average of over 21 minutes per game for Team USA reflects just how trusted he is by the coaching staff, also his ability to avoid penalties. While defending in high-pressure situations is a testament to his control and intelligence on the ice. Life of Jaccob Slavin beyond the spotlight Jaccob Slavin (Credit: Getty Image) Slavin's personal life reflects the same humility he shows in games, as he keeps a low profile, rarely making headlines for anything off the ice, and despite being in a committed relationship, he keeps details private. This is choosing instead to let his game speak for itself, as he is known for being deeply committed to his family and his community. This is participating in charity work and youth mentorship, as his quiet strength is not limited to the rink; he advocates for mental health and often shares his passion for the outdoors. As a way to maintain balance, Slavin's $12 million net worth supports a modest, purpose-driven lifestyle, focused more on impact than indulgence. Read more: Aleksander Barkov's achievement and lifestyle beyond his NHL success With over 700 NHL games and multiple 30-point seasons. Slavin's stats are strong. But never his main selling point. This defines his hockey life is reliability, leadership, and impact in crucial moments. He has become the model for a shutdown defenseman in the modern game, anchoring penalty kills and neutralizing top opponents without fanfare. For Team USA, especially at this tournament, his ability to stop elite scorers has been just as valuable as the goals scored on the other end. His defensive excellence against names like Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby shows exactly why he remains irreplaceable. Slavin may not seek headlines, but he's been essential in writing Team USA's winning story. 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.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
In Game 4, everything finally came together for the Hurricanes. Is it enough?
SUNRISE, Fla. — After his third game in North America, not long after he helped the Carolina Hurricanes earn at least one more night in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Alexander Nikishin gave the first locker-room speech of his NHL career. He didn't speak for long; Nikishin, a 23-year-old Russian defenseman who in three KHL seasons went from a solid prospect to a player of intrigue to (it seemed) a ready-made difference-maker, has spent less than six weeks in the United States, and he's had plenty on his plate. Advertisement Someday, he'll have a firm grasp on the language. According to Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, after Carolina finally played their version of perfect hockey against the Florida Panthers and were rewarded with a 3-0 win on Monday, Nikishin kept it simple. Good game. Step by step. Good job. 'He's learning,' Slavin said. '(I'll) just keep working with him on it.' For now, though, there's not much left to say — not for Nikishin, not for Slavin and not for anyone else on the roster. They don't have time to waste, on the ice or off. To watch the game, indeed, was to be reminded of three things: that the Hurricanes are indeed capable of hanging with the defending champs for three full periods; that their margin for error — throughout a game and the series overall — is virtually nonexistent; and that it's a shame they failed to fully tap into this particular version of themselves at some point over the preceding six days. There's no point in denying what the Hurricanes would never deny themselves. They were really bad, then they were really good, and the path that lies before them is still really narrow. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour was asked about the danger of flying too high after Monday's result. 'We're not going to do that,' he said. 'But it is nice to, I think, enjoy it for a little bit. I think there's been a lot of crap thrown on this team. I think we can enjoy the game for a little bit. 'We know that they're not going away. This is not even a blip on the radar for them, is how they're looking at it. But we have to keep the gas down, or keep the hammer down and give us a chance again the next game.' The game Brind'Amour's team had just played, for all intents and purposes, followed the blueprints he'd laid out all series, all season and for the entirety of his time as Carolina's head coach. He wanted to score the first goal. He did not want turnovers. He wanted his team to control five-on-five play. He did not want his goaltender to face many shots. He wanted his goaltender to, when asked, handle business. Advertisement At times over the last week, all that — hitting all the marks, checking all the boxes, doing it all simultaneously in games against an opponent that looks frequently unbeatable — didn't just seem difficult. It seemed impossible. It wasn't. On Monday, Brind'Amour got everything he wanted. That first goal is when Nikishin entered the picture. This wasn't purely new for him; he made his playoff debut last round against the Washington Capitals in Carolina's series-clinching win. He showed flashes of the skill that's already made him a burgeoning folk hero in Raleigh, but more often than not, he looked lost. Brind'Amour noticed, sending him back to the press box and only putting him back in the lineup when injuries knocked out regular defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker. Game 3 was a step forward for Nikishin — Brind'Amour was dismayed that four rookies, Nikishin included, were some of Carolina's best players in a 6-2 meltdown loss. Game 4 was something else, though. Nikishin wasn't just surviving; he was providing the spark that Brind'Amour had spent three games chasing. Entering the game, the Hurricanes hadn't just been outscored 16-4. They'd never even held a lead. Nikishin helped change that, forcing a turnover at center ice that prevented Florida from sending the puck deep. A nice backhand pass to fellow rookie Logan Stankoven followed in short order. Stankoven, with the Panthers in the middle of bailing on a line change due to Nikishin's play, had enough space to get free and beat Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. 'It's a great, great feed by him, to make that play off the turnover,' Stankoven said. 'It all starts with him.' LOGAN STANKOVEN 🚨 The @Canes have the first goal in Game 4! #StanleyCup 🇺🇸: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ — NHL (@NHL) May 27, 2025 Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, back in the lineup after he was benched for five periods of mediocre play, took it the rest of the way. Captain Jordan Staal said he 'dazzled.' Slavin compared him to a brick wall. Sebastian Aho said he was making every save look easy. Andersen finished with 20 saves on 20 shots and, according to Natural Stat Trick, 1.21 goals saved above expected. Advertisement By the end, after a pair of empty-netters, Carolina had themselves a win. It wasn't easy, but it was how Brind'Amour drew it up. Their playoff losing streak against the Panthers ended at seven. Their 15-game losing streak in the Eastern Conference finals (four with Brind'Amour as captain, 11 with him as coach) ended, too. Now all they have to do is repeat all that — first goal, minimal mistakes and high-end goaltending against hockey's most terrifying team — three more times. Simple enough. Nikishin might even stay in the lineup to help. If this was his third game, imagine number four. 'I just like that he's not rattled,' Brind'Amour said. 'Sometimes the young kids that come over, even rookies, they don't realize the moment, how big it is. (They're) just playing hockey. Sometimes it takes a couple of years and they're like, 'Whoa, this is really important.' He looks like he's unfazed.' Brind'Amour paused. 'I don't know. Can't really tell you.' (Photo of Alexander Nikishin: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Khaleej Times
UAE: How AI is changing classrooms, helping students learn better
What began as a master's thesis on student engagement has turned into an artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed with the student in mind. LearningFREQUENCY, an AI website that allows students to get a better grasp of what best suits their learning needs, launched last month with the help of Dubai Future Foundation. Created by former teachers Amanda Slavin and Arabella Nyffenegger, this platform helps students understand how their brains work, and with the AI chatbot, suggests the best course of action to determine which way of learning would be best. 'Engagement is very misunderstood in the education system," Nyffenegger said. "We believe that real learning starts with kids understanding themselves first and developing that kind of metacognition before going on and learning anything deeply." After 15 years of researching curriculum and instruction, Slavin discovered a theory that made her rethink how vital student engagement is. Called the Seventh Level Engagement Framework, it was originally developed by Slavin and helps educators and parents understand and evaluate how engaged a student is. Previously, she said, it was understood that learning styles consisted of visual or auditory learning. However, she said that theory has been debunked and that, 'we need a new process to understand ourselves as a learner which is based on these seven levels of engagement.' This idea had already come across Slavin's mind; before the advent of advanced technology and AI, Slavin had worked with educators to support teachers in teaching a classroom full of 30 something students. 'If we know that they're confused at a level two or distracted at level three we can make changes,' she said. 'We also don't have to think that they're a bad kid because they're confused you could think they're just you know something's getting in the way.' In her research, level two refers to 'unsystematic engagement', which refers to a person feeling inadequate, so they give up understanding, while level three refers to 'frustrated engagement' and is distinguished by a person losing interest because of distraction. Slavin and Nyffenegger hope that LearningFREQUENCY can be used not just by students, but also by teachers and parents as a tool to help identify what is getting in the way of learning. 'If we can give them the tools to understand themselves, they can take ownership of their learning in a way that's deeper, more meaningful, and lasting,' Slavin said.
