We’ve reached another pivot point in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as 32 games have been played. Each series will be heading back to the higher seeded team’s home ice, with four of them looking to close things out in Game 5.
But beyond the wins and losses, what other trends and storylines have emerged?
ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski are here with their biggest takeaways on the overarching themes of the postseason thus far, and what it all means looking ahead to the rest of Round 1 and beyond.
Goalie controversies stack up
The postseason can be tough on a netminder. One minute you’re the hero; next, you’re the villain. Multiple teams have already found themselves either making goalie changes or facing the prospect of doing so after having to pull a goaltender:
It has been an unpredictable run for goaltenders so far. Who knows how much more of that we’ll see ahead? — Shilton
The fast and the furious
The New York Islanders closed out Game 3 of their series against the Carolina Hurricanes by scoring four goals in two minutes, 18 seconds. It did more than set the record for the fastest four goals scored in Stanley Cup playoff history.
It’s the most prominent example — for now, at least — of how these playoffs have seen several sequences in which goals are being scored in quick succession. After 32 games, there have been 25 instances across 18 games in which there were at least two goals scored within a two-minute, five-second stretch.
So what’s the series with the most whiplash? The matchup between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, a series in which there has been five occasions when two or more goals have been scored within two minutes, five seconds of each other.
It happened three times in Game 2:
Then came Game 3, when Johansson scored for a 2-0 lead only to have Luke Glendening cut the lead to 2-1 within 11 seconds.
But that’s not the only series to have such hectic scoring bursts. It’s happened four times in the Hurricanes-Islanders series, and another four times in the Boston Bruins– Florida Panthers series as well.
Maybe the most surprising detail? The last series to have two goals scored in quick fashion was Edmonton Oilers–Los Angeles Kings. That was unexpected, considering the Oilers led the NHL in goals per game during the regular season (3.96) while the Kings were 10th (3.34).
Then came Game 2. Connor McDavid scored two goals within one minute, 40 seconds of each other to give Edmonton a 2-1 lead, only to have Kings winger Adrian Kempe score less than 20 seconds later, which comes out to a total of three goals in less than two minutes. And in Game 4, the Kings netted two within one minute, 23 seconds in building a 3-0 lead, only to see the Oilers roar back and eventually win in OT.
While those who admire a defensive struggle might cringe at this rapid scoring, it’s made these playoffs one of the most thrilling in recent memory. — Clark
The Bruins aren’t unbeatable — but an upset is looking less likely
It’s true, Boston did lose to Florida in Game 2 of their series under a landslide of self-inflicted wounds (a.k.a. turnovers).
And yes, the Bruins were outshot (throughout) and at times particularly outplayed by the Panthers in the first and second periods of Game 4.
But then, Boston hit its stride and you realize it had no Patrice Bergeron and no David Krejci and Linus Ullmark isn’t exactly 100% … and it’s still so dominant. All that depth we kept touting has manifested in a four-point performance from Taylor Hall, a two-goal outing by Jake DeBrusk, six points in four games from trade deadline pickup Tyler Bertuzzi, a clutch score from would-be healthy scratch Nick Foligno, and how about Dmitry Orlov on the blue line?
It gets worse, too (if you’re any team in the league other than Boston). There was one area the Bruins didn’t excel at in the regular season, and it was the power play. Well, they went 2-for-4 with the man advantage in Game 4. If momentum continues to build in that department, there’s not much to stop Boston from stomping their way through to a Cup Final … is there?
The Bruins didn’t face much adversity in the regular season. Losing Game 2 was a turning point to show how Boston would respond. Like they often do, the Bruins answered that bell and then some. Florida may still win Game 5 and take the series back to their home ice. That would be a definite blow to Boston’s ego, dropping an elimination decision in their own building.
It just doesn’t seem likely to happen. What will it take to stop this Boston train from rolling? — Shilton
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Jake DeBrusk and Taylor Hall combine for 4 goals to secure Game 4 for the Bruins
Jake DeBrusk and Taylor Hall’s combined four goals out of the Bruins’ six leads them to a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Panthers.
Officially troubling?
Complaining about Stanley Cup playoff officiating is a rite of the season, like watch parties and rally towels. It happens in every tournament, as calls made in the regular season are seemingly ignored in the postseason. If I had a dime for every time a fan complained that “they just put their whistles away in overtime!” I could probably outbid Ryan Reynolds for the Ottawa Senators. Depending on the exchange rate.
That established: Having logged a considerable amount of time watching the 2023 postseason, the officiating has been … not great. Phantom calls, ignored penalties and “game management” have led to much frustration. Some recent examples:
Wild forward Marcus Foligno was whistled for two questionable infractions against the Stars, leading to two Tyler Seguin power-play goals in Minnesota’s Game 4 loss. “It’s a joke. It doesn’t make any sense,” Foligno said. “I go to hit a guy who touches the puck. It’s not interference. I get high-sticked in the face. It’s not a tripping call when you hit a guy clean on. It’s bulls—.”
The Islanders were hit with two specious first-period penalties in Game 4, as Zach Parise was pushed into Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta but was given an interference penalty, and Mathew Barzal was given a penalty for diving despite getting cross-checked in the back by the mountainous Brent Burns. “He got embellishment and I don’t understand that,” coach Lane Lambert said.
That’s not even factoring in the off-ice controversies that have had us talking about officiating. Like the video review in Game 3 between the Kings and Oilers that couldn’t determine if the puck was hit with a high stick before an overtime game-winner by the Kings. Like the “conflict of interest” accusations from Toronto fans towards referee Wes McCauley, who has history with Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe on the ice and off the ice. Their record in games officiated by McCauley only fueled that chatter:
— x – Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) April 19, 2023
There are theories about the scrutiny placed on officiating this postseason. The game is too fast now. More people watching means more criticism. Less experienced officials overseeing critical games. Even the advent of 4K HD technology means we have a clearer view than ever of what happens on a play.
But here’s my theory: It feels worse than ever because the consequences for phantom calls are more palpable.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, there were 210 power-play opportunities through the first 28 postseason games. That’s actually down from 235 power-play opportunities from last season at the same point. The difference: There have been 53 power-play goals scored so far this postseason vs. 48 last postseason. Power-play efficiency in 2022-23 was the highest in the NHL (21.31%) since the 1985-86 season (22.10%). There are fewer power plays, but getting the calls right could be the difference in the game.
In the refs’ defense, it hasn’t been all bad. For example, they used replay technology well in reducing major penalties to their actual levels of infraction. In the past, the Leafs’ Morgan Rielly would have 100% been given a 5-minute boarding major for his hit on Brayden Point in Game 3. Instead, the penalty was rescinded, which was the correct call.
If only more of them could be correct. — Wyshynski
An (over) abundance of overtimes
Regulation wins are apparently passé in 2023.
We’re just past midway of the first round of this postseason and nine games have already reached extra time. Last year, there were eight games total that went to overtime in the first round.
What’s with the uptick this season? Who cares? It’s made for some wildly entertaining hockey, especially with how almost every game that’s gone past regulation has been the result of a furious comeback performance:
Winnipeg clawed back from a 4-1 deficit to reach overtime in Game 3 against Vegas.
Toronto pushed back from a 3-2 hole with Ryan O’Reilly scoring in the final minute of regulation to force OT.
Carolina has recovered twice now from a 3-2 hole to win in overtime.
And then, there’s the Los Angeles-Edmonton series. Three of the four games in that series have needed extra time. L.A. has been down 3-1 and 2-1 before winning in extra time. In Game 4 it was the Oilers behind 3-0 after 20 minutes, rallying to tie it in the second, trailing again in the third before forcing overtime and getting the W.
Perhaps we can chalk up all the late-game heroics to how wide open this postseason has felt so far. Almost every series has felt really evenly matched. The pendulums have swung fast from period to period and game to game.
Will the remainder of this round really tighten up? Or will it remain the most free-wheeling, wide-open postseason landscape we’ve seen in years? — Shilton
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Kraken top the Avs in OT for first home playoff win
Jordan Eberle nets the game-winning goal in overtime to even the series and give the Kraken their first postseason win at home.
Devils recapture their swagger
The Devils lost the first two games of their Battle of the Hudson showdown with the rival New York Rangers in humiliating fashion: at home, by a 10-2 aggregate count on the scoreboard, seemingly overwhelmed by the opponent and the moment.
Devils coach Lindy Ruff referenced inexperience and “jitters” to help explain the 2-0 hole they’d dug for themselves.
Their star, Jack Hughes, rewrote that history after the Devils won their second straight game at Madison Square Garden on Monday night to even the series. “When you go down 2-0, that has nothing to do with experience. That has everything to do with us not playing very well,” he said.
Ruff said the Devils tend to “try to entertain too much” when they play at home, which harms their puck management. On the road, they’re less flashy and “take advantage of other team’s mistakes,” he said. That was evident in these two road wins, as the Devils reconstituted the formula that enabled them to set a new franchise record for standings points in a season (112). They hounded the Rangers in every zone, taking away space from stars like Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Rangers had nine giveaways in the first two games of the series; in Games 3 and 4, they had 34.
The series is a microcosm of Ruff’s season, with fans muttering about his job status after bad losses in the first two games — and then having to acknowledge his role in the turnaround.
He benched starting goalie Vitek Vanecek after Game 2, turning to rookie Akira Schmid to calm things down. Schmid has given them the saves they need, and they’ve played much better in front of him. Ruff scratched one of his favorite energy forwards, Miles Wood, after some unfortunate penalties in Games 1 and 2. His replacement, Curtis Lazar, has been a steadier presence. Ruff struck the right demeanor and said the right things to foster the comeback.
It has not been all sunshine for the Devils. They continue to take too many penalties. They’ve still managed only four even-strength goals all series against goalie Igor Shesterkin. Forward Timo Meier, their high-profile trade deadline acquisition, doesn’t have a point in the series, and was dropped off Nico Hischier‘s line a few times in the series.
But now it’s the Rangers facing a reckoning on their confidence and effort. Coach Gerard Gallant blasted his team after the Game 4 loss.
“Tonight was a close hockey game, but we didn’t show up,” he said. “We didn’t play hard enough. We didn’t compete hard enough. All we did was yap at the linesmen for getting thrown out of faceoffs.”
After scoring two power-play goals in each of the first two games of the series, New York went 0-for-8 in two home losses. When asked whether a lack of production from his star players was the problem, Gallant said: “That was the difference. Definitely.”
Captain Jacob Trouba said there was “no panic” in the Rangers’ room. Meanwhile, in the Devils’ room, they have their swagger back.
“We got whacked, two games in a row. Last thing you want to do is stand and talk in front of you guys when we lose,” Hughes said to the media. “We’re back in this thing and we’re excited.” — Wyshynski
The opening weekend of the 2025 MLB season was taken over by a surprise star — torpedo bats.
The bowling pin-shaped bats became the talk of the sport after the Yankees’ home run onslaught on the first Saturday of the season put it in the spotlight and the buzz hasn’t slowed since.
What exactly is a torpedo bat? How does it help hitters? And how is it legal? Let’s dig in.
What is a torpedo bat and why is it different from a traditional MLB bat?
The idea of the torpedo bat is to take a size format — say, 34 inches and 32 ounces — and distribute the wood in a different geometric shape than the traditional form to ensure the fattest part of the bat is located where the player makes the most contact. Standard bats taper toward an end cap that is as thick diametrically as the sweet spot of the barrel. The torpedo bat moves some of the mass on the end of the bat about 6 to 7 inches lower, giving it a bowling-pin shape, with a much thinner end.
How does it help hitters?
The benefits for those who like swinging with it — and not everyone who has swung it likes it — are two-fold. Both are rooted in logic and physics. The first is that distributing more mass to the area of most frequent contact aligns with players’ swing patterns and provides greater impact when bat strikes ball. Players are perpetually seeking ways to barrel more balls, and while swings that connect on the end of the bat and toward the handle probably will have worse performance than with a traditional bat, that’s a tradeoff they’re willing to make for the additional slug. And as hitters know, slug is what pays.
The second benefit, in theory, is increased bat speed. Imagine a sledgehammer and a broomstick that both weigh 32 ounces. The sledgehammer’s weight is almost all at the end, whereas the broomstick’s is distributed evenly. Which is easier to swing fast? The broomstick, of course, because shape of the sledgehammer takes more strength and effort to move. By shedding some of the weight off the end of the torpedo bat and moving it toward the middle, hitters have found it swings very similarly to a traditional model but with slightly faster bat velocity.
Why did it become such a big story so early in the 2025 MLB season?
Because the New York Yankees hit nine home runs in a game Saturday and Michael Kay, their play-by-play announcer, pointed out that some of them came from hitters using a new bat shape. The fascination was immediate. While baseball, as an industry, has implemented forward-thinking rules in recent seasons, the modification to something so fundamental and known as the shape of a bat registered as bizarre. The initial response from many who saw it: How is this legal?
OK. How is this legal?
Major League Baseball’s bat regulations are relatively permissive. Currently, the rules allow for a maximum barrel diameter of 2.61 inches, a maximum length of 42 inches and a smooth and round shape. The lack of restrictions allows MLB’s authorized bat manufacturers to toy with bat geometry and for the results to still fall within the regulations.
Who came up with the idea of using them?
The notion of a bowling-pin-style bat has kicked around baseball for years. Some bat manufacturers made smaller versions as training tools. But the version that’s now infiltrating baseball goes back two years when a then-Yankees coach named Aaron Leanhardt started asking hitters how they should counteract the giant leaps in recent years made by pitchers.
When Yankees players responded that bigger barrels would help, Leanhardt — an MIT-educated former Michigan physics professor who left academia to work in the sports industry — recognized that as long as bats stayed within MLB parameters, he could change their geometry to make them a reality. Leanhardt, who left the Yankees to serve as major league field coordinator for the Miami Marlins over the winter, worked with bat manufacturers throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons to make that a reality.
When did it first appear in MLB games?
It’s unclear specifically when. But Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo bat last year and went on a home run-hitting rampage in October that helped send the Yankees to the World Series. New York Mets star Francisco Lindor also used a torpedo-style bat last year and went on to finish second in National League MVP voting.
Who are some of the other notable early users of torpedo bats?
Corking bats involves drilling a hole at the end of the bat, filling it in and capping it. The use of altered bats allows players to swing faster because the material with which they replace the wood — whether it’s cork, superballs or another material — is lighter. Any sort of bat adulteration is illegal and, if found, results in suspension.
Could a rule be changed to ban them?
Could it happen? Sure. Leagues and governing bodies have put restrictions on equipment they believe fundamentally altered fairness. Stick curvature is limited in hockey. Full-body swimsuits made of polyurethane and neoprene are banned by World Aquatics. But officials at MLB have acknowledged that the game’s pendulum has swung significantly toward pitching in recent years, and if an offensive revolution comes about because of torpedo bats — and that is far from a guarantee — it could bring about more balance to the game. If that pendulum swings too far, MLB could alter its bat regulations, something it has done multiple times already this century.
So the torpedo bat is here to stay?
Absolutely. Bat manufacturers are cranking them out and shipping them to interested players with great urgency. Just how widely the torpedo bat is adopted is the question that will play out over the rest of the season. But it has piqued the curiosity of nearly every hitter in the big leagues, and just as pitchers toy with new pitches to see if they can marginally improve themselves, hitters will do the same with bats.
Comfort is paramount with a bat, so hitters will test them during batting practice and in cage sessions before unleashing them during the game. As time goes on, players will find specific shapes that are most comfortable to them and best suit their swing during bat-fitting sessions — similar to how golfers seek custom clubs. But make no mistake: This is an almost-overnight alteration of the game, and “traditional or torpedo” is a question every big leaguer going forward will ask himself.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The once and possibly future home of the Tampa Bay Rays will get a new roof to replace the one shredded by Hurricane Milton with the goal of having the ballpark ready for the 2026 season, city officials decided in a vote Thursday.
The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 to approve $22.5 million to begin the repairs at Tropicana Field, which will start with a membrane roof that must be in place before other work can continue. Although the Rays pulled out of a planned $1.3 billion new stadium deal, the city is still contractually obligated to fix the Trop.
“We are legally bound by an agreement. The agreement requires us to fix the stadium,” said council member Lissett Hanewicz, who is an attorney. “We need to go forward with the roof repair so we can do the other repairs.”
The hurricane damage forced the Rays to play home games this season at Steinbrenner Field across the bay in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays went 4-2 on their first homestand ever at an open-air ballpark, which seats around 11,000 fans.
Under the current agreement with the city, the Rays owe three more seasons at the Trop once it’s ready again for baseball, through 2028. It’s unclear if the Rays will maintain a long-term commitment to the city or look to Tampa or someplace else for a new stadium. Major League Baseball has said keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region is a priority. The Rays have played at the Trop since their inception in 1998.
The team said it would have a statement on the vote later Thursday.
The overall cost of Tropicana Field repairs is estimated at $56 million, said city architect Raul Quintana. After the roof, the work includes fixing the playing surface, ensuring audio and visual electronics are working, installing flooring and drywall, getting concession stands running and other issues.
“This is a very complex project. We feel like we’re in a good place,” Quintana said at the council meeting Thursday.
Under the proposed timeline, the roof installation will take about 10 months. The unique membrane system is fabricated in Germany and assembled in China, Quintana said, adding that officials are examining how President Donald Trump’s new tariffs might affect the cost.
The new roof, he added, will be able to withstand hurricane winds as high as 165 mph. Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes ever in the Atlantic basin at one point, blasted ashore Oct. 9 south of Tampa Bay with Category 3 winds of about 125 mph.
Citing mounting costs, the Rays last month pulled out of a deal with the city and Pinellas County for a new $1.3 billion ballpark to be built near the Trop site. That was part of a broader $6.5 billion project known as the Historic Gas Plant district to bring housing, retail and restaurants, arts and a Black history museum to a once-thriving Black neighborhood razed for the original stadium.
The city council plans to vote on additional Trop repair costs over the next few months.
“This is our contractual obligation. I don’t like it more than anybody else. I’d much rather be spending that money on hurricane recovery and helping residents in the most affected neighborhoods,” council member Brandi Gabbard said. “These are the cards that we’re dealt.”
College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
Tulane quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended following his arrest Wednesday in New Orleans on a charge of illegal possession of stolen things worth more than $25,000.
Finley, 23, whose name is Tyler Jamal, was booked and released. Tulane said in a statement that the length of the suspension will depend on the outcome of his case. The school cited privacy laws in declining to comment further.
University police responded Wednesday to an address where a truck was blocking a driveway. After looking up the license plate, police saw it registered to a vehicle stolen in Atlanta. Finley arrived to move the car and informed the officer that he had bought the truck recently. He’s scheduled to appear in court June 1.
Finley transferred to Tulane in December after spending the 2024 season with Western Kentucky. He had been competing for the team’s starting quarterback job in spring practice alongside fellow transfers Kadin Semonza and Donovan Leary.
Finley, a native of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, started his college career at LSU before transferring to Auburn for two seasons and then Texas State in 2023. He started five games for both LSU and Auburn but had his most success with Texas State, passing for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns.