Connect with us

Published

on

The 2024 NHL Stadium Series is a two-game affair at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Flyers take on the New Jersey Devils (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+) followed by the New York Islanders squaring off against the New York Rangers on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+).

All of that is known. But let’s answer some of the big questions everyone is asking ahead of the pair of Metro Division tilts:

Who has the best uniforms? How many of these teams will make the playoffs? Who wins the games? And of course, where should the NHL stage its next Stadium Series games?

Who has the best uniform set?

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: It’s the Rangers for a few reasons. Everything about that sweater looks clean. From the colors on the lower half of the sleeve to the numbers on the shoulders down to how even though white is a traditional look, it still feels dope. What sells it is the letters across the front. The way the NYR looks in that diagonal pattern is simple yet attractive at the same time.

Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: The Flyers. The classic winged P, complete with puck, strikes as a partnership in simplicity, elegance and severity. Pair that striking emblem with a dramatic orange/black combination, offset with white for contrast and this is a set that’s recognizable and respected by hockey fans everywhere, young and old. Aesthetics aside, an assembly that harkens back to a toothless Bobby Clarke, the rest of the Broad Street Bullies, the Legion of Doom and Ron Hextall earning more penalty minutes than any other goalie in league history.

Arda Öcal, NHL broadcaster: Rangers by a mile. They looked great at initial reveal and they look even better on the MetLife Stadium ice. Easy choice here. The NYR block lettering is clean. It’s also different enough that it stands out. Big win overall.

Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: The easy answer here is the Rangers because the design feels classic in a way that, say, 10 years from now you could still see fans wearing those sweaters with pride. And that’s cool! But, there’s something about the Islanders’ uniforms that I love, too. In that they’re just so … Islanders. Blunt. To the point. Just orange, blue, ISLES. And they have this rugby-like quality that is different. Their sweaters went off script a bit and in the opposite way the Rangers went classic, the Islanders have a jersey built for this occasion.

Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: The Rangers have the sweetest jersey, no doubt. It has a little streetwear edge that I wish the other teams had chased in their design. But for the uniform set, I’ll take the Devils. That red and black is really going to pop under the stadium lights in contrast to those Flyers jerseys. The black-on-red nameplates and numbers probably aren’t going to be popular with play-by-play announcers, but they help make this sweater pop.


How many of these four teams make the playoffs?

Clark: Let’s say two. People keep waiting for the Flyers to stumble, yet it’s mid-February and they’re still in a playoff spot while the Rangers have a shot at winning the President’s Trophy. The question really lies with the Devils and the Islanders. Both are within striking distance of a wild-card spot. Both of them also have questions they must answer when it comes to whether or not they can return to the playoffs.

Matiash: Two. Assuming there’s no tragic unraveling in sight, the Rangers are a shoo-in, while the Devils — semi-bold prediction here — will make a spirited charge to season’s end, with an addition via trade in net to help in that regard. I also expect the Flyers to eventually miss out on a wild-card spot by a smidge, beaten to that position by a spirited Detroit Red Wings team that somehow still manages to keep the wheels turning through mid-April.

Öcal: Two. The Rangers … and I’m not sure about the other one. It will be a fun race in the Metro, that’s for sure.

Shilton: I want to say optimistically that three of the four will get there. It depends if Philadelphia GM Danny Briere goes into full trading mode at the deadline, though. The Rangers look like a lock and one of the Islanders or Devils can certainly push their way in over the next few weeks. It’s those Flyers we can’t nail down just yet. They’ve had an incredible run to this point and it would be fun to see them back in the playoff mix.

Wyshynski: The Rangers are obviously a playoff team that’s on pace for around 106 points. They’re fine. The Flyers have a 75% chance of making the playoffs, per Stathletes. While I think their goaltending could ultimately undermine their season, the same could be said of the Devils. John Tortorella has a talent for getting middling teams into playoff spots to the detriment of the franchise’s long-term plans, and I think the tradition continues here.

So that’s two. But I think it’ll be three, as the Devils make the cut. You can already hear a louder heartbeat since Jack Hughes came back. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them take the No. 3 seed to set up a rematch with either the Rangers or the Hurricanes in the first round. Alas, the Islanders fall short of the postseason, which will no doubt help fuel Patrick Roy’s existential angst.


Who wins each game?

Clark: The Devils and the Islanders. Staying close in the wild-card race or overtaking the teams in front of them is the priority for both teams. Even more so now that the NHL is at that stage of the season when front offices are evaluating whether or not they can get into the playoffs. It’s what made Jack Hughes’ return to the lineup so crucial for the Devils and the decision to hire Patrick Roy important for the Islanders.

Both teams believe they can get into the playoffs. So do the Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the two teams that are ahead of them in the standings. It’s why every result approaching the trade deadline is so important.

Matiash: The Devils and Rangers. Philadelphia will have a difficult time in managing a fully-primed (never mind irritated, after Thursday’s tight loss to L.A.) Jack Hughes, while Nico Daws is playing well enough in net to give his side a solid chance. Winners of six straight, the red-hot Rangers appear too great for an Islanders team that isn’t exactly blooming as desired under new coach Patrick Roy. Plus, Igor Shesterkin looks comfortable again.

Öcal: I’m going Devils and Rangers to get the W’s. I’m looking for the atmosphere to be electric, despite the weather being colder than this “ice in my veins” move:

Shilton: The Flyers and Rangers. I’m fully expecting some great competition out of these matchups and the Devils will be extra motivated to perform in their home state, but Philadelphia has been the more consistent club overall and I like their odds of taking a close one from New Jersey. And the afternoon tilt might end up being a true goalie battle! Ilya Sorokin at one end and likely Igor Shesterkin at the other. Two good teams duking it out in between. That’s good drama! In the end though, the Rangers look poised to pull out a big win to cap off the weekend.

Wyshynski: I think the Devils give the home state fans something to cheer about and take the first game in regulation, in a critical win for their playoff chances. I think the Rangers also give the home state fans something to cheer about — whether they’re the North Jersey Blueshirts faithful or coming over the bridges and tunnels — by dispatching the rival Islanders in a matchup between the league’s fifth-best power play and one of the worst penalty kills in recent memory.


Nominate a future Stadium Series destination

Clark: Can we nominate two locations the NHL hasn’t been before? The first would be somewhere in Florida. We’ve seen Raleigh, Dallas, Los Angeles and Santa Clara get outdoor games in the past. It makes you wonder if Florida could be a possibility the same way the NHL made Dodger Stadium a reality back in 2014.

The second would be either Camp Randall at the University of Wisconsin or Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. Both those venues have hosted college hockey games in the past, with each of them drawing more than 40,000 in attendance.

Matiash: A tilt between the Avalanche and Blues in front of 90,000 fans at Memorial Stadium in Nebraska would be incredibly cool. The century-plus old joint is teeming with history, and the midwestern winter weather could prove ideal.

Öcal: Mexico City. Istanbul. Mars. The Colosseum. The planet Hoth from Star Wars. What I’m saying is: Let’s make future locations as ambitious and creative as possible.

Shilton: The first place that came to mind is Notre Dame. It hosted a Winter Classic in 2019, but it would be cool to see the NHL back there in a place where hockey holds such a rich history. The weather, the venue, the fan interest; it would all line up and make for a terrific experience.

Wyshynski: The dream remains the Flyers and Penguins at Beaver Stadium at Penn State. Hopefully, it can finally happen after some renovations they’re planning for the football home of the Nittany Lions. These teams have met in outdoor games before, but the real Battle of the Keystone State won’t be fought until Beaver is the battleground.

Continue Reading

Sports

Nats seek ‘fresh approach,’ fire Martinez, Rizzo

Published

on

By

Nats seek 'fresh approach,' fire Martinez, Rizzo

The last-place Washington Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, the team announced Sunday.

Rizzo, 64, and Martinez, 60, won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, but the team has floundered in recent years. This season, the Nationals are 37-53 and stuck at the bottom of the National League East after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the World Series.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.

“While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

Mike DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft. An announcement will be made on the interim manager Monday, a day before the club begins a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rizzo has been the top decision-maker in Washington since 2013, and Martinez has been on board since 2018. Under Rizzo’s leadership, the team made the postseason four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The latter season was Martinez’s lone playoff appearance.

“When our family assumed control of the team, nearly 20 years ago, Mike was the first hire we made,” Lerner said. “Over two decades, he was with us as we went from a fledging team in a new city to World Series champion. Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication — not just on the field and in the front office, but in the community as well.”

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild that has moved slower than expected, though the team didn’t augment its young core much during the winter. Led by All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, Washington has the second-youngest group of hitters in MLB and the sixth-youngest pitching staff.

The team lost 11 straight games in a forgettable stretch last month. And during a 2-10 run in June, Washington averaged just 2.5 runs. Since June 1, the Nationals have scored one run or been shut out seven times. In Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, they left 15 runners on base.

There was industry speculation over the winter that the Nationals would spend money on free agents for the first time in several years, but that never materialized. Instead, the team made minor moves, signing free agents Josh Bell and Michael Soroka, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and re-signing closer Kyle Finnegan. Now, the hope is a new management team, both on and off the field, can help change the franchise’s fortunes.

Continue Reading

Sports

Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

Published

on

By

Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

The rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will feature 19 first-timers — and one legend — as the pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday for the July 15 contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who made his first All-Star team in 2011, was named to his 11th National League roster as a special commissioner’s selection.

Kershaw, who became only the fourth left-hander to amass 3,000 career strikeouts, is 4-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season on the injured list. He joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as a legend choice, after the pair of sluggers were selected in 2022.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection Sunday.

Among the first-time All-Stars announced Sunday: Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Pena; and Chicago Cubs 34-year-old left-hander Matthew Boyd.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

First-time All-Stars previously elected to start by the fans include Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Overall, the 19 first-time All-Stars is a drop from the 32 first-time selections on the initial rosters in 2024.

Kershaw would be the sentimental choice to start for the National League, although Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who leads NL pitchers in ERA and WAR, might be in line to start his second straight contest. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA after Sunday’s complete-game victory and also would be a strong candidate to start.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said about the possibility of being asked to start by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Kershaw has made one All-Star start in his career, in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Among standout players not selected were New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who had made eight consecutive All-Star rosters since 2016.

Soto got off to a slow start but was the National League Player of the Month in June and entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NL in WAR among position players while ranking second in OBP, eighth in OPS and third in runs scored.

The players vote for the reserves at each position and selected Wood, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres as the backup outfielders. Kyle Stowers also made it as a backup outfielder as the representative for the Miami Marlins.

Unless Soto later is added as an injury replacement, he’ll miss his first All-Star Game since his first full season in 2019.

The Dodgers lead all teams with five representatives: Kershaw, Yamamoto and starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. The AL-leading Detroit Tigers (57-34) and Mariners have four each.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will join AL starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez, while Raleigh, the AL’s starting catcher, will be joined by Seattle teammates Bryan Woo, Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez.

Earning his fifth career selection but first since 2021 is Texas Rangers righty Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy after making only nine starts in his first two seasons with the Rangers and is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA. He has never started an All-Star Game, although Skubal or Brown would be the favorite to start for the AL.

The hometown Braves will have three All-Stars in Acuna, pitcher Chris Sale (his ninth selection, tied with Freeman for the second most behind Kershaw) and first baseman Matt Olson. The San Francisco Giants had three pitchers selected: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and reliever Randy Rodriguez.

The slumping New York Yankees ended up with three All-Stars: Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried. The Mets also earned three All-Star selections: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters elected by fans, 17 players (five starting pitchers, three relievers and a backup for each position) chosen in a player vote and six players (four pitchers and two position players) selected by league officials. Every club must be represented.

Acuna, Wood and Raleigh are the three All-Stars who have so far committed to participating in the Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

Published

on

By

Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees were seemingly in deep trouble Sunday when Juan Soto cracked a pitch to left field in the seventh inning.

The New York Mets, down two runs, were cooking up a rally with no outs. Francisco Lindor stood at first base, Pete Alonso loomed on deck, and Brandon Nimmo was in the hole. This was the heart of the Mets’ potent lineup. Given the Yankees’ recent woes, fumbling their two-run lead and suffering a Subway Series sweep at the hands of their neighbors — and a seventh straight loss — seemed almost fated.

Then Cody Bellinger charged Soto’s sinking 105 mph line drive, made a shoestring catch and fired a strike to first base for an improbable double play to secure a skid-snapping 6-4 win — and perhaps rescue the Yankees from another dreadful outcome.

“Considering the context of this week and everything,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “that’s probably our play of the year so far.”

Soto’s line drive off Mark Leiter Jr. had a 10% catch probability, according to Statcast, but Bellinger, a plus defender at multiple positions who started at first base Saturday, was just able to snatch it before it touched the grass. Certain that he caught it clean, he made an 89.9 mph toss that reached first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a line, over Lindor, who didn’t slide into the bag.

“I saw it in the air and had a really good beat on it,” said Bellinger, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk at the plate.

The Mets challenged the catch, but the call stood.

“That was incredible,” said Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who swatted his 33rd home run of the season in the fifth inning. “I’ve never seen something like that on the field.”

For the past week, a stretch Boone described as “terrible” for his ballclub, poor defense has been an issue for the Yankees. Physical errors. Mental lapses. Near disasters. The sloppiness helped sink a depleted pitching staff, more than offsetting the offense’s strong production.

That combination produced the team’s second six-game losing streak in three weeks and a three-game deficit in the American League East standings behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

The surging Blue Jays won again Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games and keep their division lead at three games, but Bellinger’s glove and arm ensured it didn’t grow to four.

“That was an unbelievable play,” Goldschmidt said. “Amazing catch and absolute cannon to me at first. To make that play was a game-changing play and potentially game-winning play for us today. And we needed it.”

Continue Reading

Trending