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Entering the penultimate week of the NHL regular season, the playoff races — particularly for the wild cards — continue to captivate us. If it seems like every game seems to have major playoff implications, that’s not a gigantic stretch of the truth.

So which games on this week’s calendar are of most interest to our writers? Looking ahead a bit, which playoff opponent will give the Boston Bruins the most trouble en route to the Stanley Cup? And though the San Jose Sharks were eliminated weeks ago, defenseman Erik Karlsson‘s quest for 100 points continues; will he reach that plateau, and does he have the Norris Trophy wrapped up?

Our reporters and analysts are here to answer those very questions:

What’s the biggest game of the week?

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+). Do the Flames have enough to snatch that final wild-card spot? Do the Jets have enough to get a firmer grip? Nobody can really answer those questions with great certainty. What is clear, however, is that this should be enlightening and entertaining all at once.

Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: The wild-card race in the East, featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers neck and neck — never mind the currently unsettled New York Islanders — fascinates me to no end. So I’ve got Thursday’s game between Florida and the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+) marked on my viewing calendar, riding shotgun with Pittsburgh hosting the Minnesota Wild (7 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+). Both playoff wannabes first compete Tuesday, so by then we might have a clearer picture of who’s in the WC2 driver’s seat ahead of the season’s last weekend. Assuming, of course, the Isles don’t blow it either.

Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Oilers and Kings are neck and neck to challenge Vegas for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Odds improve for one of them with a victory on Tuesday. Alternatively, that game could be billed as a first-round playoff series preview between two evenly matched teams that have recent history — L.A. took Edmonton to seven games in last season’s first-round matchup. This year’s iteration would be even spicier.

Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights on Monday (8 p.m. ET, NHL Network). The Wild have absolutely slammed the pedal down in recent weeks — despite missing Kirill Kaprizov — to stake a claim for the Central Division title. The Golden Knights are trying to fend off the Oilers and Kings to win the Pacific — and avoid having to play either of them in the opening round of the playoffs. This one is a rematch of Saturday’s battle and a potential preview of the Western Conference finals.


Which team will give the Bruins the most trouble in the playoffs?

Clark: The Tampa Bay Lightning. Maybe this is the year in which the Bruins — or another team — break the Lightning’s death grip on the Eastern Conference. Until then, the Lightning must remain in the discussion given what they have done over the past few seasons.

Matiash: The Toronto Maple Leafs. In addition to the firepower up front, the Maple Leafs’ freshened caboodle of defenders offers coach Sheldon Keefe numerous permutations and combinations in figuring out how to best stop Boston’s own offense. Plus, the club’s No. 1 netminder doesn’t care about the storied recent playoff history between the two sides. Ilya Samsonov doesn’t seem bothered by much on ice these days. Even more so since becoming a father. He’s chill — an ideal state if/when facing the best team in the league.

Shilton: The Maple Leafs. Yes, we’re all aware of the postseason history between these clubs. But this season is its own beast. Toronto and Boston have played three times already, with two of those tilts decided by one goal. The Leafs have ample forward talent capable of skating toe-to-toe with the Bruins’ top threats, and Toronto can stack up fairly well with Boston defensively, too. It certainly wouldn’t be an easy road ahead for the Bruins.

Wyshynski: The Carolina Hurricanes. One of the few teams to hand the Bruins a loss this season, the Canes actually have a plus-1 goal differential against Boston. Their two losses to the Bruins were both in extra time. Without Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty (one assumes), generating goals in a tight series is going to be a chore for the Hurricanes. But they beat the Bruins in seven games last postseason, and they have the systems and the players to grind out a good playoff effort. Underestimate Rod Brind’Amour’s group at your own peril.


We’ve heard a lot about Connor McDavid this season, but Erik Karlsson is also having a standout campaign. How many points will he finish with, and does he win the Norris Trophy?

Clark: Let’s go with 100 points, and, yes, he should have a chance at winning the Norris Trophy. Whether he will depends upon how voters feel about giving the award to a defenseman on a draft lottery team.

Matiash: If he breaks the 100-point barrier? Of course he wins the Norris Trophy. That’s the law. Or at least it should be, considering Brian Leetch was the last player to do just that … 31 years ago. I don’t care how few wins the Sharks have, Karlsson deserves something for such an incredible accomplishment. This award is the one available. And, yes, I believe he pulls it off, wrapping up with 101 altogether.

Shilton: Predicting a 98-point finish for Erik Karlsson this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit triple digits, but sometimes just the pressure of a big number can throw a player off. And I do believe it’ll be Karlsson earning a third Norris Trophy this year, not just for his offensive output, but the way he’s kept San Jose as reasonably competitive as a single skater can. It would be hard to argue any defenseman in the league has a) been consistently better or b) had a bigger nightly impact on his squad than Karlsson. After the road Karlsson’s been through to get back on form, this Norris title would be extra special.

Wyshynski: The final NHL Awards Watch column of the season publishes this week, and I don’t think it’s a spoiler that Karlsson still leads the pack with the voters we surveyed. After four assists on Saturday, I think he breaks 100 points, a mark only five other defensemen have hit in NHL history. Let’s call it 101 points in the end. The last great offensive season by a defenseman was Roman Josi tallying 96 points for the Nashville Predators last season.

I don’t recall the same kind of hyperbole around Josi’s offensive effort that Karlsson has received for his. Josi was second for the Norris to Cale Makar, because it was Makar’s “time” to win. The next most popular candidate for the Norris this season is the Rangers’ Adam Fox, who already has a Norris win to his credit. So I’d expect the voters to give Karlsson his flowers for the third time overall and first time since 2015.

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College Football Playoff 2024-25: Championship first look

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College Football Playoff 2024-25: Championship first look

The first 12-team College Football Playoff is down to the final two contenders: Notre Dame and Ohio State.

The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and eighth-seeded Buckeyes will meet Jan. 20 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T. Whichever team wins will end a championship drought. Notre Dame aims for its first title since 1988. Ohio State’s lull isn’t nearly as long, as the Buckeyes won the first CFP championship a decade ago, but given how consistently elite they are, it seems like a while.

Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Ohio State’s Ryan Day are also aiming for their first championships as head coaches, and Freeman’s past will be in the spotlight. Freeman and the Irish lost to the Buckeyes and Day in each of the past two seasons. But after a masterful coaching job this season, Freeman now will face his alma mater — he was an All-Big Ten linebacker for Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel — with everything on the line. Day, meanwhile, can secure the loftiest goal for a team that fell short of earlier ones, but never stopped swinging.

Here’s your first look at the championship matchup and what to expect in the ATL. — Adam Rittenberg

When: Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

What we learned in the semifinal: Notre Dame’s resilience and situational awareness/execution are undeniably its signature traits and could propel the team to a title. The Irish have overcome injuries all season and did so again against Penn State. They also erased two deficits and continued to hold the edge in the “middle eight” — the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half — while dominating third down on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame can rely on front men such as quarterback Riley Leonard, running back Jeremiyah Love and linebacker Jack Kiser, but also on backup QB Steve Angeli, wide receiver Jaden Greathouse and kicker Mitch Jeter. These Irish fight, and they’re very hard to knock out.

X factor: Greathouse entered Thursday with moderate numbers — 29 receptions, 359 yards, one touchdown — and had only three total catches for 14 yards in the first two CFP games. But he recorded career highs in both receptions (7) and receiving yards (105) and tied the score on a 54-yard touchdown with 4:38 to play. A Notre Dame offense looking for more from its wide receivers, especially downfield, could lean more on Greathouse, who exceeded his receptions total from the previous five games but might be finding his groove at the perfect time. He also came up huge in the clutch, recording all but six of his receiving yards in the second half.

How Notre Dame wins: The Irish won’t have the talent edge in Atlanta, partly because they’ve lost several stars to season-ending injuries, but they have the right traits to hang with any opponent. Notre Dame needs contributions in all three phases and must continue to sprinkle in downfield passes, an element offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has pushed. And they finally did start seeing results against Penn State. The Irish likely can’t afford to lose the turnover margin, although they can help themselves by replicating their third-down brilliance — 11 of 17 conversions on offense, 3 of 11 conversions allowed on defense — from the Penn State win. — Rittenberg


What we learned in the semifinal: The Buckeyes have a defense with championship mettle, headlined by senior defensive end Jack Sawyer, who delivered one of the biggest defensive plays in Ohio State history. On fourth-and-goal with just over two minutes remaining, Sawyer sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, forcing a fumble that he scooped up and raced 83 yards for a game-clinching touchdown, propelling Ohio State to the national title game. The Buckeyes weren’t perfect in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, and they struggled offensively for much of the night against a talented Texas defense. But Ohio State showed late why its defense is arguably the best in college football, too.

X factor: The play two snaps before the Sawyer scoop-and-score set the table. On second-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line, unheralded senior safety Lathan Ransom dashed past incoming blockers and dropped Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner for a 7-yard loss. After an incomplete pass, the Longhorns were forced into desperation mode on fourth-and-goal down a touchdown with just over two minutes remaining. All-American safety Caleb Downs, who had an interception on Texas’ ensuing drive, rightfully gets all the headlines for the Ohio State secondary. But the Buckeyes have other veteran standouts such as Ransom throughout their defense.

How Ohio State wins: Texas took away Ohio State’s top offensive playmaker, true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who had only one reception for 3 yards on three targets. As the first two playoff games underscored, the Buckeyes offense is at its best when Smith gets the ball early and often. Notre Dame is sure to emulate the Texas blueprint, positioning the defensive backs to challenge Smith. Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has to counter with a plan that finds ways to get the ball into Smith’s hands, no matter what the Fighting Irish do. — Jake Trotter

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Buckeyes open as big favorites vs. Fighting Irish

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Buckeyes open as big favorites vs. Fighting Irish

Ohio State opened as a 9.5-point favorite over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T, per ESPN BET odds.

If that line holds, it would be tied for the second-largest spread in a CFP national championship game and the fourth largest in the CFP/BCS era. Georgia was -13.5 against TCU in the 2022 national championship, while Alabama showed -9.5 against none other than Ohio State to decide the 2020 campaign. Both favorites covered the spread in blowout fashion, combining for a cover margin of 63.

Notre Dame is 12-3 against the spread this season, tied with Arizona State (12-2) and Marshall (12-1) for the most covers in the nation. The Irish are 7-0 ATS against ranked teams and 2-0 ATS as underdogs, with both covers going down as outright victories, including their win over Penn State (-1.5) in the CFP national semifinal.

However, Notre Dame was also on the losing end of the largest outright upset of the college football season when it fell as a 28.5-point favorite to Northern Illinois.

Ohio State is 9-6 against the spread and has been a favorite in every game it has played this season; it has covered the favorite spread in every CFP game thus far, including in its semifinal win against Texas when it covered -6 with overwhelming public support.

The Buckeyes also have been an extremely popular pick in the futures market all season. At BetMGM as of Friday morning, OSU had garnered a leading 28.2% of money and 16.8% of bets to win the national title, checking in as the sportsbook’s greatest liability.

Ohio State opened at +700 to win it all this season and is now -350 with just one game to play.

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Sawyer’s scoop-and-score leads OSU to CFP final

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Sawyer's scoop-and-score leads OSU to CFP final

ARLINGTON, Texas — Quinshon Judkins ran for two touchdowns before Jack Sawyer forced a fumble by his former roommate that he returned 83 yards for a clinching TD as Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday night to advance to a shot for their sixth national title.

Led by Judkins and Sawyer, the Buckeyes (13-2) posted the semifinal victory in the same stadium where 10 years ago they were champions in the debut of the College Football Playoff as a four-team format. Now they have the opportunity to be the winner again in the debut of the expanded 12-team field.

Ohio State plays Orange Bowl champion Notre Dame in Atlanta on Jan. 20. It could be quite a finish for the Buckeyes after they lost to rival Michigan on Nov. 30. Ohio State opened as a 9.5-point favorite over the Irish, per ESPN BET.

“About a month ago, a lot of people counted us out. And these guys went to work, this team, these leaders, the captains, the staff,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “Everybody in the building believed. And because of that, I believe we won the game in the fourth quarter.”

Sawyer got to Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers on a fourth-and-goal from the 8, knocking the ball loose and scooping it up before lumbering all the way to the other end. It was the longest fumble return in CFP history.

Ewers and Sawyer were roommates in Columbus, Ohio, for the one semester the quarterback was there before transferring home to Texas and helping lead the Longhorns (13-3) to consecutive CFP semifinals. But next season will be their 20th since winning their last national title with Vince Young in 2005.

Texas had gotten to the 1, helped by two pass-interference penalties in the end zone before Quintrevion Wisner was stopped for a 7-yard loss.

Judkins had a 1-yard touchdown for a 21-14 lead with 7:02 left. That score came four plays after quarterback Will Howard converted fourth-and-2 from the Texas 34 with a stumbling 18-yard run that was almost a score.

Howard was 24-of-33 passing for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Ewers finished 23-of-39 for 283 yards with two TD passes to Jaydon Blue and an interception after getting the ball back one final time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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