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New York Times
01-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Rangers' playoff path: Analyzing schedule difficulty, rival teams, key players
If any one of the NHL teams fighting for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference had gotten hot over the past few weeks, it would probably have a spot close to secured. But that simply has not happened, leaving a jumble of clubs with middling records still in contention. The New York Rangers, of course, are one of them. Advertisement Through Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens have 77 points and sit in the second wild-card spot. The Rangers hold the same number of points but have played one more game (74 to 73), so their points percentage is worse. The Columbus Blue Jackets are two points back at 75 but have played one fewer game (72) than the Canadiens and two fewer than the Rangers. The Detroit Red Wings and the New York Islanders both have 74 points in 73 games. None of these teams are playing particularly well right now. Here are their respective records over their past 10 games: • Canadiens: 4-3-3 • Rangers: 4-5-1 • Blue Jackets: 3-6-1 • Red Wings: 4-6-0 • Islanders: 3-4-3 Note that Montreal is the only one with an above-.500 points percentage here — and even it endured a five-game winless streak during this stretch. This race isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for the depth of the Eastern Conference. Out in the Western Conference, meanwhile, 11th-place Utah has more points (78) than all these teams. But someone in the East has to make it, and it very well could be the Rangers. Here's their path to the playoffs over the final eight games of the season. If any of these bubble teams go on a heater, they could fully secure a spot. The Rangers have eight games left, starting Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild. If they go, say, 6-1-1 down the stretch, it's hard to see any of the other clubs catching or staying ahead of them. But that would mean doing something New York hasn't consistently done since the start of the season: stringing together wins. The Rangers' last three-game winning streak came in November. Heading into Monday, the Rangers had the second-toughest remaining schedule in the NHL, according to That's less than ideal for a team with a 9-21-5 record against teams currently in playoff position. Aside from the Flyers, every New York opponent has a record above .500, including six games against teams in postseason position. Advertisement Perhaps one saving grace for the Rangers is that some teams close to clinching might not have the same desperation near the end of the season as a club fighting for its life. That's hard to count on, though; the Rangers theoretically should have come out like a desperate team in several recent games, yet failed to rise to the occasion. In colleague Dom Luszczyszyn's updated playoff odds, the Rangers have the third-best chance of the competing clubs to make the playoffs. Here's how they all shake out: • Canadiens: 37 percent • Blue Jackets: 27 percent • Rangers: 26 percent • Islanders: 9 percent • Red Wings: 4 percent The Red Wings are the only team with a harder remaining schedule than the Rangers, which likely contributes to their low odds. The Blue Jackets and Islanders are both also in the top 10, sitting at seventh and eighth respectively. The Canadiens are the only one of these clubs with the luxury of playing more games against non-playoff teams than playoff ones; they've been playing far from consistent hockey of late, but their remaining schedule is the fifth-easiest in the league. Where to begin? Plenty of Rangers players have underachieved this season, including all of their highest-paid skaters. Chris Kreider, the team's longest-tenured player, has endured a difficult season compounded by injuries. He collected his first primary assist of the season against the San Jose Sharks, which is almost unfathomable considering his power-play role. He still has 19 goals, good for third on the team, but the Rangers have needed more from him this season. If he can produce close to the rate he did in 2023-24 (39 goals, 75 points for 0.9 points per game) over the final stretch, it could help the Rangers sneak into the playoffs. It would also likely mean the power play is scoring more; that unit ranks 27th league-wide this year, a sharp decline from their No. 3 ranking in 2023-24 and a big reason why the team has fallen in the standings. Kreider and that group as a whole need to raise their level while on the man advantage. It would be unfair to say that any of the young forwards — Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard and now Gabe Perreault — need to step up given their age, but getting contributions from them would be a nice bonus if the team is going to make a push. Artemi Panarin isn't at the same level as he was in 2023-24, when he had 49 goals, 120 points and finished fifth in Hart Trophy voting. In March, though, he had 10 goals and 20 points in 15 games, similar rates to his numbers from last year. The Rangers are in the bottom half of the league in goals per game. They will need to score down the stretch if they're going to make the playoffs, and Panarin is the best on the team at generating offense. Having him play like the MVP vote-getter he was last year could go a long way. Advertisement Then, of course, there's Igor Shesterkin. As a scout told colleague Arthur Staple earlier this season, Shesterkin is the Rangers' deodorant: 'He cleans up the stink.' Shesterkin ranks second in the league in Evolving-Hockey's goals saved above expected metric despite having only a .906 save percentage — a testament to both his excellence and the porousness of the Rangers' defense. New York can't afford to have him falter, and that's a big ask given how much he is playing. He's already started 55 games this year despite twice missing time to injury. The star goalie will likely blow past his career-high 58 starts from 2022-23. If the Rangers make the playoffs, they will almost certainly play the Washington Capitals, the East's current standings leader. It would be a first-round rematch from last year, albeit with the teams in opposite positions. Washington barely made the 2024 postseason as the No. 8 seed and the Rangers were the Presidents' Trophy winners — another reminder that a lot can change in a year. If the Rangers miss the playoffs, a long offseason awaits. General manager Chris Drury started remaking his roster during the season, trading away Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith, and his work is almost certainly incomplete. The rosters from this season's opening night and the next one will look very, very different.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL draft order 2025: Full list of first-round picks after free agency
The first wave of free agency is now in the past, which means it's the perfect time to look ahead to the 2025 NFL draft. As of the time of writing, all 32 teams still have their own first-round picks in April's draft. That means the 2025 NFL draft order remains unchanged from where it ended up after the Eagles' Super Bowl 59 victory. Advertisement Trades including draft picks can still happen up to and including the days and nights of April's draft, so things are still subject to change in the coming weeks. For now, here's how the 2025 NFL draft order looks: NFL MOCK DRAFT ROUNDUP: Comparing Daniel Jeremiah, Mel Kiper's post-free agency mocks NFL draft order 2025 Here's the order of all 32 first-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft, according to CAM WARD PRO DAY: Miami QB shines in pre-draft workout When is the 2025 NFL draft? The 2025 NFL draft begins during the last week of April and takes place over three days. Thursday, April 24: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET Friday, April 25: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET Saturday, April 26: Rounds 4-7, Noon ET This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NFL draft order: Where each team will pick in the first round
New York Times
26-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Can the Blues catch the Wild for top wild card? ‘That's definitely the goal'
ST. LOUIS — All of the talk surrounding the St. Louis Blues has been whether they can fend off the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Club for the second wild card in the Western Conference. But what about catching the Minnesota Wild for the top wild card? On March 14, the Blues were 10 points behind Minnesota in the standings. But in winning their seventh consecutive game Tuesday, a 6-1 throttling of the Montreal Canadiens, they are now within two points (85-83) of the Wild. Advertisement Minnesota has 10 games remaining in the regular season, and according to the Wild have the 19th hardest strength of schedule in the NHL. The Blues have nine games left and the 13th-hardest schedule. 'I don't think we've looked at it that way,' Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. 'I have not had a conversation with a player about Calgary, about Minnesota, about Vancouver, about Utah. I'm sure they're talking amongst themselves, like us coaches talk amongst ourselves, but when we're all together, it's been real business-like.' Well, Montgomery was right about the players talking about it among themselves. 'That's definitely the goal,' Blues forward Dylan Holloway said of catching Minnesota. 'We've got nine games left and we've just got to go a game at a time. We can't start thinking about other teams and the outcomes of their games. We've just got to focus one game at a time and try and get that two points every game. If we go in with that mindset, we should be good.' Since the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Blues' record after Tuesday's win is 13-2-2. In that stretch, they have averaged 4.06 goals per game, which ranks No. 1 in the NHL, and allowed 2.18 goals per game, which is the third-fewest in the league. They've scored 69 goals and given up 37 for a plus-32, which has improved their goal differential on the season from -17 to +15. SEVEN IN A ROWWWWWWW!!!!!!! #stlblues — St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 26, 2025 As well as the Blues have been playing lately, Montgomery sensed on Tuesday that they would be even better against Montreal. 'I've got to be honest: The way we practiced in the morning skate, I don't usually put much into the morning skate, but I could really see we had juice,' he said. 'I just had that feeling that we were going to be really good tonight, and that first 30 minutes of the game was probably the best hockey we've played all year.' Advertisement That's saying something because the Blues have scored four or more goals in each game of their seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 34-10 in that span. The offense got another goal from team leader Jordan Kyrou (31), Robert Thomas had a goal and three more assists, and Zack Bolduc added another goal to his impressive season. But the gifts that keep on giving are the two offer sheets signed by Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. Holloway scored his 24th goal of the season and has the longest current point streak on the team at eight games (4 goals, 9 assists). Broberg, meanwhile, had a career-high four-point night with one goal and three assists. On Monday, Holloway was named the NHL's No. 3 star, and, yes, he took a little grief from teammates about the award. But the recognition for Holloway is fully warranted. 'He's just such a confident player right now,' Montgomery said. 'The physicality is just becoming more and more and he's realizing how physically dominating he can be, but also offensively and defensively. It's impressive to watch. His confidence just seems to gain layers.' Holloway's physicality and offense were both on display late in the first period Tuesday. In three minutes, he laid a heavy hit on Montreal's Alexandre Carrier and scored on a deflection of a shot by Broberg. Holloway hits, Holloway scores. #stlblues — St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 26, 2025 Asked if the hit on Carrier was one of the best of his career, Holloway said, 'I don't know where it ranks. But I know I got blown up the shift before. I was a little angry going into that shift and it just happened perfectly there. Definitely probably one of my bigger ones.' Meanwhile, Broberg was back to piling up the points. He started the season with 12 points in his first 15 games, but then went through a stretch where he had just three points in 27 games. He eclipsed that total Tuesday; he said he couldn't recall the last time he had a four-point night. Advertisement 'It was a while ago, probably,' the 23-year-old said. 'I'm just trying to play my game and that's a two-way game. I take a lot of pride in being good defensively, but when I see the opportunity to jump (in the offense), I try to jump as well.' All three of Broberg's assists were primary assists on goals by Kyrou, Holloway and Thomas. 'He was flying tonight,' Holloway said. 'His skating ability leads to offense all the time. I always call him a 'one-man breakout' because it seems like every time he gets it back there and starts skating, he gets it up the ice. He was incredible tonight and it just shows how good of a player he is. He's got a huge ceiling, too. He's only scratching the surface.' The Blues' coaching staff has been urging Broberg to get more involved in the play up ice, and they believe it's coming. 'He's such a gifted player; he loves the game of hockey,' Montgomery said. 'There's a thirst for knowledge. He wants to get better every time he's watching video; he's locked in. The part of his game that's really progressed is his offensive side of the game. He attacks really good areas now, he plays high-percentage hockey, and it's only going to continue.' Another one. — St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 26, 2025 The Blues have a lot of players who have had productive seasons in 2024-25, but where would they be without the successful offer sheets given out to two former Edmonton Oilers? Granted, Holloway and Broberg have benefited tremendously from the opportunity in St. Louis, but they've seized it. 'I just wanted to make the most of it,' Holloway said. 'I've just got to thank our coaching staff. They seemed to believe in me from day one. I'm just trying to work as hard as I can and take advantage.' Montgomery also pointed to the fact that both Holloway and Broberg played in the Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton last season. Advertisement 'That gave them a lot of confidence, and then the opportunity they've been given here has been amplified,' he said. 'They would not have gotten, especially Holloway, that opportunity (with the Oilers). You combine those things, and I'm just really grateful that they're Blues.' But teams don't put together winning streaks like the one the Blues are on without contributions all over the ice. They head to Nashville Thursday with a chance to catch Minnesota, which hosts the Washington Capitals Thursday, in points. 'We're playing really confident right now,' Holloway said. 'We've got a recipe that works and a game plan that everybody believes in. The biggest thing is we've just got to control what we can control. We can't control other teams and their outcomes, so for us, it's just keep playing the way we are. We know what works, so just keep going.' (Photo of Dylan Holloway: Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NFL Draft order: Full Round 1 selections
With the dust settled from a busy free agency period, NFL teams now turn their attention shoring up their rosters via the draft. The New England Patriots played their way out of the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in Week 18. As a result, that moved the Patriots to the fourth pick in the draft. That paved the way for the Tennessee Titans, who fell to the Houston Texans in Week 18, to jump up and secure the top pick in the draft. The Cleveland Browns will pick second, and the New York Giants third. [Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K] All eyes will now be on the Titans, who have their first No. 1 overall pick since 2016. They dealt that pick away to the Los Angeles Rams, who used it on Jared Goff. They haven't used the No. 1 overall pick since 1978, when they took Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell. Here's a look at the current NFL Draft order, per 1. Tennessee Titans (3-14) 2. Cleveland Browns (3-14) 3. New York Giants (3-14) 4. New England Patriots (4-13) 5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13) 6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13) 7. New York Jets (5-12) 8. Carolina Panthers (5-12) 9. New Orleans Saints (5-12) 10. Chicago Bears (5-12) 11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11) 12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10) 13. Miami Dolphins (8-9) 14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9) 15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9) 16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9) 17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8) 18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7) 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) 20. Denver Broncos (10-7) 21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) 22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) 23. Green Bay Packers (11-6) 24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3) 25. Houston Texans (10-7) 26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7) 27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5) 28. Detroit Lions (15-2) 29. Washington Commanders (12-5) 30. Buffalo Bills (13-4) 31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) 32. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
White-Hot Avs Shaping Up To Be Playoff Powerhouse
The Colorado Avalanche have won six straight games, and they're 8-2-0 in their past 10 games. With the strides the Avs have taken since making numerous trade acquisitions, Colorado is shaping up to be one of the most dangerous teams in the Central Division and the NHL. And no team should want to take them on in the Stanley Cup playoffs. As it stands, the Avalanche are in third place in the Central, just six standings points behind the Dallas Stars for second place in the division. The Stars do have a game in hand on Colorado, and the first-place Winnipeg Jets are 12 points ahead of the Avs, so home-ice advantage for the Avalanche may be a bridge too far for them the rest of the way this season. But really, which teams should want to take on the Avs in Round One this spring? Colorado is 22-10-2 at home, and while their road record of 17-14-0 leaves something to be desired, the Avs are a different team after picking up centers Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle and defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Erik Johnson. Combined with their early-season trade pickups, Colorado has a good chance to beat any team in the league on any given night, and even if they do have to take on the deep and talented Stars in the first round, there's no sense that the Avs would be a huge underdog in such a series. The Avalanche's remaining schedule is not going to be easy on them. As per the Avs have the ninth-toughest schedule in the league in their final 17 games. But the way Colorado has dominated their recent games, the ceiling for the Avalanche is sky-high. The road ahead for the Avs will be difficult, but that's true of just about every NHL playoff team. And the deep, skilled and gritty lineup Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has built is the envy of many of his colleagues. Colorado has what it takes to enjoy a long and fruitful playoff run, and they're going to give fits to any opponent they run into.
