Latest news with #WestFinal
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ranking 3 best Rudy Gobert trade destinations if Timberwolves go nuclear
The post Ranking 3 best Rudy Gobert trade destinations if Timberwolves go nuclear appeared first on ClutchPoints. Rudy Gobert's performance in the Western Conference Final has received criticism from the majority of Minnesota Timberwolves fans. As a result, some of the fans are suggesting finding a suitable trade destination for the tall Frenchman. There is no doubt that the 32-year-old shotblocker still has some gas left in the tank, and the final few years before he calls it quits. Advertisement There is no denying that his output on both ends of the court has declined over the past few years. Nevertheless, irrespective of the numbers, he remains one of the experienced players on the team and a leader on the court. Gobert's offensive output was not the only issue in the Timberwolves loss to the Thunder; the whole team as a unit struggled to put up numbers on the board. Gobert has always been a below-average offensive player for his career. His lack of offensive skills, poor ball handling in the paint, and touch around the rim are all the problems that have haunted him throughout his career. His impact at the offensive end is worrying, and it might not come as a surprise if the Timberwolves decide to let him go. Rudy Gobert's underwhelming performance in the West Final In the 2025 Western Conference Final against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gobert impressed with his defensive numbers and acted as a defensive anchor for the team in a losing effort. Across the five-game series, Gobert averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. Advertisement Although the Timberwolves ultimately lost the series, Gobert's numbers were marked by consistency, efficiency, and a reliable interior presence. If he could have just imposed himself strongly in the paint and motivated players around him who were beaten down and inferior to the Thunder players, the story might have been different. On the defensive end of the court, Gobert averaged nearly two blocks per game and was a dominant presence at certain times. However, Chet Holmgren was dominating the field both in terms of offense and defense, which no Timberwolves player was able to contain. He was rushing to the glass, won a majority of the second balls, and blew away the defence of the Timberwolves, who looked tired and beat down in the final game of the series. Gobert's presence on the glass was also crucial; in Games 1 and 5, he pulled down 12 and 13 rebounds, many of which were contested. His best performance of the series was arguably in Game 3, where he recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. Boston Celtics The Celtics are heading towards a transitional season and are on the verge of letting key players leave in order to build a stronger and younger core around Jayson Tatum. Gobert can be a very good addition to the team if they let go of Porzingis. Both teams could look for a straight swap, but considering the financial turmoil the Celtics find themselves in, this trade could be an unrealistic one, as Gobert has a heavy contract. Chicago Bulls The Bulls were interested in Rudy Gobert in 2022 and can again go for him in this offseason as the Timberwolves lost to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The Bulls can send Nikola Vucevic the other way and get Gobert, who is a true defensive anchor, or continue to hover in NBA mediocrity. New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are short of good centers on the team, and that's where Gobert can fit in smoothly. With an injury-prone star like Zion, having Gobert behind him would be beneficial for the Pelicans. New Orleans has enough perimeter scoring to make it work.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stars' Pete DeBoer hangs Jake Oettinger out to dry after ugly Game 5
The post Stars' Pete DeBoer hangs Jake Oettinger out to dry after ugly Game 5 appeared first on ClutchPoints. It's no secret that Jake Oettinger was not at his best in the Western Conference Final. He wasn't at his best in 2024 when the Edmonton Oilers beat the Dallas Stars in six games, and he wasn't even close to his best when Edmonton finished Dallas off in five games in the 2025 WCF. Advertisement Oettinger went 1-3 in the first four games of the series, sporting a brutal 3.55 goals-against average and .869 save percentage. And he didn't last eight minutes in Game 5, allowing two goals on two shots before being unceremoniously pulled by head coach Pete DeBoer. And the Stars' coach didn't pull any punches when speaking to reporters after a third consecutive series defeat in the West Final. 'I didn't blame it all on Jake, but the reality is, if you go back to last year's playoffs, he's lost six of seven games to Edmonton and we gave up two [goals] on two [shots] in an elimination game,' DeBoer explained. 'It was partly to spark our team and wake them up and partly knowing that status quo had not been working. And that's a pretty big sample size.' Certainly harsh words from DeBoer, and you don't often see a coach calling out his starting goaltender like this. Yes, Oettinger deserves some blame, but the Stars had only scored two goals in three games heading into the elimination contest, so there's enough blame to go around. DeBoer added: 'Anytime you pull a goalie, the reasoning is always to try and spark your group, so that was the No. 1 reason. We had talked endlessly in this series about trying to play with a lead. And obviously we're in a 2-0 hole right away. And you know what, I didn't take that lightly.' Advertisement It was a nightmare start for the Stars, who were chasing the game all night long and were never able to get Game 5 back on even footing. And although the Oilers deserve a lot of credit, there were multiple forwards who disappeared in the series. Stars had a ton of passengers in West Final Although DeBoer threw Oettinger under the bus, key forwards Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen refused to do the same. 'We got to step up,' said Robertson, who scored two goals in Game 5, per Shawn P. Roarke. 'It's unacceptable for us to hang him out like that. I mean, all playoffs he's been our guy, all season. It's just unacceptable from us.' Advertisement 'We were not ready,' echoed Rantanen. 'We were not helping Jake at all on the first two goals. That's on us and not on Jake.' Rantanen didn't score a goal in the series, while Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene combined to be a ghastly minus-10. Captain Jamie Benn didn't record a single point, while Mason Marchment had one assist. Robertson was the only player who finished at a point-per-game, while Tyler Seguin and Mikael Granlund managed three points each. Overall, it wasn't even close to good enough from one of the NHL's best offensive units. It'll now be another long offseason after back-to-back-to-back Western Conference Final defeats. The Stars will again look to get over the hump in 2025-26, but first, they'll have to watch as the team that's beaten them two years running gets another crack at a Stanley Cup.
NBC Sports
15-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Hurricanes and Stars ride stellar special teams to the verge of the conference finals
Before starting the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery had a good sense of what would determine the series between the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division, fierce rivals who are very familiar with each other. 'Special teams, goaltending, secondary scoring,' Carbery said. 'Those are three things that I look at when teams are evenly matched, when it's an even series, when the margins are very, very thin.' While goaltending and secondary scoring certainly have factored into going up 3-1 in their series for Carolina and the Dallas Stars against the Winnipeg Jets, the biggest reason each team has gotten to this point is some of the best special teams play in the NHL playoffs. Dallas and Carolina ranked first and second on the power play and the penalty kill among the eight teams that advanced past the first round. They're also 1-2 in those categories this round. 'Both special teams have been excellent,' Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. 'Listen, when we lost Miro (Heiskanen and Jason) Robertson, we needed our special teams to be difference-makers every night, and our goaltender. And all those things have happened to allow us to be in the spot we're in right now.' Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals When to Watch: Game 5, Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT Series: Hurricanes leads 3-1 The Hurricanes are 9-5 with a chance to advance over the past seven playoffs under coach Rod Brind'Amour, the primary stumble coming when they lost Games 6 and 7 to the New York Rangers in the second round in 2022. That is the only time during this stretch that they won three games in a series but did not advance. 'The last one is always the hardest, no matter how it plays out,' captain Jordan Staal said. 'It's not easy, and we've got a lot of work ahead still.' Washington winger Tom Wilson, who has been the Capitals' best player in the series, said the belief in the group remains strong despite needing to win three in a row to keep the season going. 'The last elimination game is probably the toughest fight,' Wilson said. 'We expect their urgency's going to be high, and ours has to be higher.' Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield did not practice. But Brind'Amour said Chatfield was just getting rest after feeling something late in Game 4 and should be good to go in Game 5. Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets When to Watch: Game 5, Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT Series: Stars leads 3-1 The biggest things standing in Dallas' way of a third consecutive trip to the West Final are a wired crowd in Winnipeg and an opponent that has played much better at home than on the road this postseason — most notably goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The likely Vezina Trophy winner and Hart Trophy finalist as league MVP is 5-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .902 save percentage at home, compared to 0-5 with a 5.84 and .793 on the road. 'I leave it all out there every night,' Hellebuyck said. 'I'm doing my best. Sometimes it's a heartbreak, but all it takes is one little change, one little bounce and things can start going our way.' The Stars are no stranger to this situation, but in each of the past two years they lost their first chance to close out their second-round opponent — Seattle in 2023 and Colorado in '24 — before eventually doing so. 'It's on us to play a mature game up in Winnipeg,' goalie Jake Oettinger said. 'We don't want to have to come back here and play again. We've all been talking about how bad we want to get back to the conference final. Now it's our turn to show up.'
San Francisco Chronicle
14-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hurricanes and Stars ride stellar special teams to the verge of the conference finals
Before starting the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery had a good sense of what would determine the series between the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division, fierce rivals who are very familiar with each other. 'Special teams, goaltending, secondary scoring,' Carbery said. 'Those are three things that I look at when teams are evenly matched, when it's an even series, when the margins are very, very thin.' While goaltending and secondary scoring have certainly factored into going up 3-1 in their series for Carolina and the Dallas Stars against the Winnipeg Jets, the biggest reason each team has gotten to this point is some of the best special teams play in the NHL playoffs. Dallas and Carolina ranked first and second on the power play and the penalty kill among the eight teams that advanced past the first round. They're also 1-2 in those categories this round. 'Both special teams have been excellent,' Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. 'Listen, when we lost Miro (Heiskanen and Jason) Robertson, we needed our special teams to be difference-makers every night, and our goaltender. And all those things have happened to allow us to be in the spot we're in right now.' Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT (TNT) The Hurricanes are 9-5 with a chance to advance over the past seven playoffs under coach Rod Brind'Amour, the primary stumble coming when they lost Games 6 and 7 to the New York Rangers in the second round in 2022. That is the only time during this stretch that they won three games in a series but did not advance. 'The last one is always the hardest, no matter how it plays out,' captain Jordan Staal said. 'It's not easy, and we've got a lot of work ahead still." Washington winger Tom Wilson, who has been the Capitals' best player in the series, said the belief in the group remains strong despite needing to win three in a row to keep the season going. 'The last elimination game is probably the toughest fight,' Wilson said. "We expect their urgency's going to be high, and ours has to be higher.' Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield did not practice Wednesday. But Brind'Amour said Chatfield was just getting rest after feeling something late in Game 4 and should be good to go in Game 5. Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT (TNT) Series: Stars leads 3-1 The biggest things standing in Dallas' way of a third consecutive trip to the West Final are a wired crowd in Winnipeg and an opponent that has played much better at home than on the road this postseason — most notably goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The likely Vezina Trophy winner and Hart Trophy finalist as league MVP is 5-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .902 save percentage at home, compared to 0-5 with a 5.84 and .793 on the road. 'I leave it all out there every night,' Hellebuyck said. 'I'm doing my best. Sometimes it's a heartbreak, but all it takes is one little change, one little bounce and things can start going our way.' The Stars are no stranger to this situation, but in each of the past two years they lost their first chance to close out their second-round opponent — Seattle in 2023 and Colorado in '24 — before eventually doing so. 'It's on us to play a mature game up in Winnipeg,' goalie Jake Oettinger said. "We don't want to have to come back here and play again. We've all been talking about how bad we want to get back to the conference final. Now it's our turn to show up.' ___
Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Hurricanes and Stars ride stellar special teams to the verge of the conference finals
Before starting the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes , Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery had a good sense of what would determine the series between the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division, fierce rivals who are very familiar with each other. 'Special teams, goaltending, secondary scoring,' Carbery said. 'Those are three things that I look at when teams are evenly matched, when it's an even series, when the margins are very, very thin.' While goaltending and secondary scoring have certainly factored into going up 3-1 in their series for Carolina and the Dallas Stars against the Winnipeg Jets , the biggest reason each team has gotten to this point is some of the best special teams play in the NHL playoffs. Dallas and Carolina ranked first and second on the power play and the penalty kill among the eight teams that advanced past the first round. They're also 1-2 in those categories this round. 'Both special teams have been excellent,' Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. 'Listen, when we lost Miro (Heiskanen and Jason) Robertson, we needed our special teams to be difference-makers every night, and our goaltender. And all those things have happened to allow us to be in the spot we're in right now.' When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT (TNT) Series: Hurricanes leads 3-1 The Hurricanes are 9-5 with a chance to advance over the past seven playoffs under coach Rod Brind'Amour, the primary stumble coming when they lost Games 6 and 7 to the New York Rangers in the second round in 2022. That is the only time during this stretch that they won three games in a series but did not advance. 'The last one is always the hardest, no matter how it plays out,' captain Jordan Staal said. 'It's not easy, and we've got a lot of work ahead still.' Washington winger Tom Wilson, who has been the Capitals' best player in the series, said the belief in the group remains strong despite needing to win three in a row to keep the season going. 'The last elimination game is probably the toughest fight,' Wilson said. 'We expect their urgency's going to be high, and ours has to be higher.' Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield did not practice Wednesday. But Brind'Amour said Chatfield was just getting rest after feeling something late in Game 4 and should be good to go in Game 5. When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT (TNT) Series: Stars leads 3-1 The biggest things standing in Dallas' way of a third consecutive trip to the West Final are a wired crowd in Winnipeg and an opponent that has played much better at home than on the road this postseason — most notably goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The likely Vezina Trophy winner and Hart Trophy finalist as league MVP is 5-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .902 save percentage at home, compared to 0-5 with a 5.84 and .793 on the road. 'I leave it all out there every night,' Hellebuyck said. 'I'm doing my best. Sometimes it's a heartbreak, but all it takes is one little change, one little bounce and things can start going our way.' The Stars are no stranger to this situation, but in each of the past two years they lost their first chance to close out their second-round opponent — Seattle in 2023 and Colorado in '24 — before eventually doing so. 'It's on us to play a mature game up in Winnipeg,' goalie Jake Oettinger said. 'We don't want to have to come back here and play again. We've all been talking about how bad we want to get back to the conference final. Now it's our turn to show up.' ___ AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard in Morrisville, North Carolina, and Stephen Hawkins in Dallas contributed to this report. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
