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Less than a week remains in the 2023-24 NHL season, so we have a great sense of which teams overperformed, which teams underperformed and which teams were who we thought they were.

For this week’s edition of the power rankings — closing out the regular season — we’re comparing each club’s preseason expectation (using the standings point over/under totals from ESPN BET as a proxy) to their actual number of standings points on April 12.

How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published April 5. Points percentages and standings points are through Thursday’s games.

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 68.13%

Preseason O/U: 105.5
Actual: 109

There were high expectations for this club, and Dallas stayed slightly above pace all season. It’s made the Stars into an odds-on favorite to compete for the Stanley Cup. Will they exceed expectations on that journey as well?

Remaining games: vs. SEA (April 13), vs. STL (April 17)


Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 68.75%

Preseason O/U: 103.5
Actual: 110

This team was supposed to be good; in reality, the Rangers have been great. Whether it was the coaching change or star performances (from Artemi Panarin in particular) or New York settling into a solid identity early on, the Rangers found a formula to set them apart.

Remaining games: vs. NYI (April 13), vs. OTT (April 15)


Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 67.72%

Preseason O/U: 108.5
Actual: 107

Carolina began this regular season in such strange fashion — allowing 33 goals in their first seven games? Yikes! — that we couldn’t help but wonder whether the Hurricanes were tracking towards disaster. Hardly. Carolina corrected to meet expectations and, after a busy trade deadline adding Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel, the Canes look stronger than ever going into the postseason.

Remaining games: @ STL (April 12), April 14 (April 14), @ CBJ (April 16)


Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 66.46%

Preseason O/U: 89.5
Actual: 104

Rick Tocchet’s club takes the cake as this season’s largest overachiever. The Canucks have been beastly in ways the oddsmakers couldn’t predict — Quinn Hughes as a Norris Trophy front-runner? — and they’ve maintained a sharp edge for most of the season. The next task is making a mark this postseason.

Remaining games: @ EDM (April 13), vs. CGY (April 16), @ WPG (April 18)


Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 67.72%

Preseason O/U: 99.5
Actual: 107

The retirement of Patrice Bergeron tempered expectations for the B’s, but they have proven skeptics wrong by blowing past their predicted pace to sit among the league’s top teams. It’s the Bruins’ consistency that makes them a perennial threat, and after the sting of last season’s first-round playoff loss, Boston is poised to turn up the heat this postseason.

Remaining games: @ PIT (April 13), @ WSH (April 15), vs. OTT (April 16)


Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 65.82%

Preseason O/U: 107.5
Actual: 104

Colorado had another strong campaign that mirrored preseason expectations — but that success was hard-won, too. The Avalanche weathered injuries to key players and their goaltending — particularly from starter Alexander Georgiev — was uneven at best. Still, Colorado stayed closely on pace. Impressive.

Remaining games: vs. WPG (April 13), @ VGK (April 14), vs. EDM (April 18)


Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 66.25%

Preseason O/U: 99
Actual: 106

Matthew Tkachuk & Co. likely spooked some oddsmakers with all the offseason surgeries to top forwards and defensemen. The Panthers punched back to emerge as one of the NHL’s best teams this season, with a rejuvenated Sergei Bobrovsky, unstoppable Sam Reinhart and enviable depth combining to make Florida better than advertised.

Remaining games: vs. BUF (April 13), vs. TOR (April 16)


Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 65.58%

Preseason O/U: 106.5
Actual: 99

An underwhelming start to the season was so bad it cost Jay Woodcroft his job as head coach. The Oilers turned it around under Kris Knoblauch though, aided by the excellence of Connor McDavid and Stuart Skinner, specifically. Even if Edmonton doesn’t quite hit the mark, at least they didn’t get buried (too far) under it.

Remaining games: vs. ARI (April 12), vs. VAN (April 13), vs. SJ (April 15), @ ARI (April 17), @ COL (April 18)


Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 63.92%

Preseason O/U: 106.5
Actual: 101

Toronto fumbled around enough (with inconsistent goaltending, special teams and defensive play) to fall short of the oddsmakers’ high opinions. Could the adversity from their regular season ultimately fuel the Leafs’ postseason goals? Stay tuned.

Remaining games: vs. DET (April 13), @ FLA (April 16), @ TB (April 17)


Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 65.82%

Preseason O/U: 92.5
Actual: 104

The Jets showed the potential to far exceed any preseason predictions at times, and they will finish ahead of their preseason over/under. But it was a lack of consistency holding Winnipeg back from reaching higher altitudes in the regular season — a problem the Jets hope to have licked when soaring into the playoffs.

Remaining games: @ COL (April 13), vs. SEA (April 16), vs. VAN (April 18)


Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 60.13%

Preseason O/U: 87
Actual: 95

Music City’s hockey team has been the feel-good hit of the season’s second half. The Predators’ prospects looked bleak in the beginning, but enough clicked for Nashville to put them past their expected points pace and right into the postseason mix — was the canceled U2 concert the catalyst?

Remaining games: @ CHI (April 12), vs. CBJ (April 13), @ PIT (April 15)


Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 60.76%

Preseason O/U: 93
Actual: 96

The Lightning hitting the over in the final stretch of a semi-tumultuous regular season very on-brand for them. This team just knows how to finish — but can they do it again in the playoffs?

Remaining games: @ WSH (April 13), vs. BUF (April 15), vs. TOR (April 17)


Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 60.13%

Preseason O/U: 100
Actual: 95

The Kings are playoff-bound again, but Los Angeles let itself go too often this season to be an expected, top-tier Western Conference contender. The Kings wrestled with underperforming stars, changed coaching and racked up a few too many losing streaks to hit the triple-digit mark in points.

Remaining games: vs. ANA (April 13), vs. MIN (April 15), vs. CHI (April 18)


Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 56.33%

Preseason O/U: 93
Actual: 89

The Isles haven’t quite reached full potential in a season stacked with familiar problems, from a dearth of scoring to general lack of direction. The coaching change to Patrick Roy was an attempted shot in the arm, and the Islanders do control their playoff fate after looking much more focused in recent weeks.

Remaining games: @ NYR (April 13), @ NJ (April 15), vs. PIT (April 17)


Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 58.97%

Preseason O/U: 103.5
Actual: 92

The defending champs dipped into an inevitable midseason, post-Cup hangover that threw the Golden Knights off their preferred track. It wasn’t quite the injury-riddled campaign of years past — although Vegas did notably lose Jack Eichel and Mark Stone for stretches — but the Golden Knights kept adding (that Tomas Hertl trade was a jaw-dropper) as they look towards a repeat Cup run.

Remaining games: vs. MIN (April 12), vs. COL (April 14), vs. CHI (April 16), vs. ANA (April 18)


Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 54.43%

Preseason O/U: 97
Actual: 86

Pittsburgh underachieved for, oh, about 70 games — and then something happened to the Penguins. It started with Sidney Crosby refusing to be denied another shot at the postseason, and everyone else followed suit to put Pittsburgh back in the race. The Penguins won’t meet that preseason points threshold but if they secure a playoff berth we’re pretty sure they won’t mind.

Remaining games: vs. BOS (April 13), vs. NSH (April 15), @ NYI (April 17)


Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 56.33%

Preseason O/U: 83.5
Actual: 87

The Blues managed to get in the playoff race with an accelerated second-half points pace — which could have been even stronger if St. Louis didn’t play down to the competition on several occasions. Three loses to San Jose this season? Ouch.

Remaining games: vs. CAR (April 12), vs. SEA (April 14), @ DAL (April 17)


Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 53.80%

Preseason O/U: 85
Actual: 85

Washington has walked a tightrope all season. Where the Capitals fall, well — it’s fairly close to the expectation! Washington leaned on young players to complement Alex Ovechkin and the other veterans, and that’s naturally led to growing pains under first-year head coach Spencer Carbery. And yet, the Capitals remain in the playoff race to the bitter end.

Remaining games: vs. TB (April 13), vs. BOS (April 15), @ PHI (April 16)


Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 53.80%

Preseason O/U: 86.5
Actual: 85

Dylan Larkin and friends are right on the (preseason) money. But will that be enough to put the Red Wings back in the playoffs? It’s been a dogfight in the Eastern Conference to secure those final slots. When GM Steve Yzerman stood pat at the deadline it was with a belief in Detroit’s current potential. A postseason berth would prove that prediction right.

Remaining games: @ TOR (April 13), vs. MTL (April 15), @ MTL (April 16)


Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 53.21%

Preseason O/U: 97
Actual: 83

Minnesota quickly fell short of its own expectations this season (hence the November coaching change) but when injuries to critical players kept piling up there was simply no salvaging things. The Wild can seek better odds (and outcomes) next season.

Remaining games: @ VGK (April 12), @ SJ (April 13), @ LA (April 15), vs. SEA (April 18)


Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 50.64%

Preseason O/U: 92
Actual: 79

Seattle went from being the league’s No. 6 goal-scoring team a season ago to No. 29 this season. Clearly no one predicted that sort of tailspin by the Kraken.

Remaining games: @ DAL (April 13), @ STL (April 14), @ WPG (April 16), @ MIN (April 18)


Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 50.63%

Preseason O/U: 106
Actual: 81

After a series of unfortunate events — including significant injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes, along with lackluster goaltending — New Jersey slid well below expectations as one of the season’s most disappointing teams. The Devils are stocked with young talent, but were doomed by compounding issues that even a coaching switch and trade deadline moves couldn’t fix.

Remaining games: @ PHI (April 13), vs. NYI (April 15)


Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 53.13%

Preseason O/U: 74
Actual: 85

It surprised many that Philly was in a playoff spot for much of the season. That the Flyers faded into the spring (and out of the postseason hunt) was closer to their anticipated outcome. Still, it’s a positive for Philadelphia’s future to know they’re closer to turning a corner than we predicted.

Remaining games: vs. NJ (April 13), vs. WSH (April 16)


Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 50.63%

Preseason O/U: 94
Actual: 81

Some believed this was the year for the Sabres to end the NHL’s longest playoff drought; that won’t be happening. Scoring struggles, goaltending issues and, yes, too many injuries, doomed Buffalo to yet another long offseason.

Remaining games: @ FLA (April 13), @ TB (April 15)


Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 48.08%

Preseason O/U: 95
Actual: 75

Calgary immediately underperformed with just four wins in its first 14 games. It set the Flames up for a seesaw of a season, where strong stretches inevitably faded into losing lulls. Oh, and stars like Jonathan Huberdeau still barely hitting double-digit goal totals aren’t exactly helping Calgary excel. The Flames can only hope the current youth movement pays more dividends next season.

Remaining games: @ ANA (April 12), vs. ARI (April 14), @ VAN (April 16), vs. SJ (April 18)


Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 46.20%

Preseason O/U: 77.5
Actual: 71

The Coyotes muddled their way to another mediocre season, with news this week that this could be their final one in Arizona.

Remaining games: @ EDM (April 12), @ CGY (April 14), vs. EDM (April 17)


Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 46.84%

Preseason O/U: 93.5
Actual: 74

A team that underwent many off-ice changes within the past 12 months, Ottawa never came close to reaching the expectations set for them — by anyone, really. The Senators said goodbye to their general manager and coach, dealt with the drama of a gambling scandal and are finding their way under new ownership and executives. Now, how will the Senators translate all those adjustments into success?

Remaining games: vs. MTL (April 13), @ NYR (April 15), @ BOS (April 16)


Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 46.20%

Preseason O/U: 73
Actual: 73

Montreal stayed the course in its rebuild and it kept them on track with where the oddsmakers expected — and that’s right near the bottom of the standings. Again.

Remaining games: @ OTT (April 13), @ DET (April 15), vs. DET (April 16)


Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 40.00%

Preseason O/U: 75
Actual: 64

Due to a number of factors, Columbus failed to be even average this season. That’s what happens when the infirmary fills up with most of a team’s top players. It also doesn’t help that they went through a coaching change (before training camp even began), and are now searching for a new full-time general manager. Nowhere to go but up!

Remaining games: @ NSH (April 13), vs. CAR (April 16)


Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 36.08%

Preseason O/U: 66.5
Actual: 57

GM Pat Verbeek took his team harder into rebuild mode than some envisioned. Where there was once Trevor Zegras as a beacon towards the Ducks’ future, Zegras trade rumors popped up instead. That, in a nutshell, shows where Anaheim is at in the process of outlining its next chapter.

Remaining games: vs. CGY (April 12), @ LA (April 13), @ VGK (April 18)


Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 32.69%

Preseason O/U: 71
Actual: 51

The Blackhawks might have been slightly less terrible if Connor Bedard hadn’t missed almost six weeks with a fractured jaw. That hurt (in more ways than one). The Blackhawks don’t appear in any rush to rebuild, though so it will be interesting to see how highly the bookmakers project them for 2024-25.

Remaining games: vs. NSH (April 12), vs. CAR (April 14), @ VGK (April 16), @ LA (April 18)


Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 29.75%

Preseason O/U: 64.5
Actual: 47

San Jose overachieved at underachieving. That might be the best description for the Sharks this season.

Remaining games: vs. MIN (April 13), @ EDM (April 15), @ CGY (April 18)

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

In a letter to the USC fan base Friday, athletic director Jen Cohen addressed the school’s stance on the pending Big Ten private capital deal that could infuse the conference with up to $2.4 billion.

“As we continue to evaluate the merits of this proposal or any others, our University leadership remains aligned in our stance that our fiduciary obligation to the University of Southern California demands we thoroughly evaluate any deals that could impact our long-term value and flexibility, no matter the short-term benefit,” Cohen said in the letter.

The proposed deal would extend the league’s grant of rights an extra 10 years to 2046 and create a new business entity, Big Ten Enterprises, that would house all leaguewide media rights and sponsorship deals. Each school, as well as the league office, would get shares of ownership of Big Ten Enterprises, while an investment fund that is tied to the University of California pension system would receive a 10% stake in the new entity in exchange for an infusion of over $2 billion to conference athletic departments.

USC and Michigan are the two Big Ten schools that have pushed back on the deal, which has otherwise been supported by a majority of the programs in the conference, as well as Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.

In a call last month between USC and Michigan trustees, sources told ESPN’s Dan Wetzel that both programs were skeptical of the deal and talked about how it does not address the root issue — soaring costs — that has made cash so imperative for athletic departments. Just providing short-term money, sources said, does not solve that issue.

The schools also noted pending federal legislation that makes predicting the future of college athletics difficult, as well as a general apprehension about selling equity in a university asset — the conference media rights.

Beyond the potential impact to long-term value and flexibility in exchange for a “short-term benefit” that Cohen suggested (an extension to the grant of rights to 2046 could limit conference expansion and the departure of any programs, for example), she also noted in her letter that the $2.4 billion would be “unevenly distributed” among the schools and “create a tiered revenue distribution system moving forward.”

According to reporting from Wetzel and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the exact equity amounts per school in Big Ten Enterprises are still being negotiated. There is expected to be a small gap in the percentage of the remaining equity among the schools that would favor the league’s biggest athletic brands, but it’s likely to be less than a percentage point. A tier system for initial payments is also expected, but with the lowest amount in the nine-figure range. Larger athletic departments could receive an amount above $150 million.

“We greatly value our membership in the Big Ten Conference and understand and respect the larger landscape,” Cohen said. “But we also recognize the power of the USC brand is far-reaching, deeply engaging, and incredibly valuable, and we will always fight first for what’s best for USC.”

The Big Ten is in the middle of a seven-year, $7 billion media rights package that runs through 2030. The money infusion is believed to be acutely needed at several Big Ten schools that are struggling to pay down debt on new construction and budgeting for direct revenue ($20.5 million this year and expected to rise annually) to athletes.

In a move that altered the college football landscape, USC left the Pac-12 and joined the Big Ten conference in 2024, alongside UCLA, Oregon and Washington, pushing the league to 18 members.

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‘Last Chance U’ coach Beam dies after being shot

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'Last Chance U' coach Beam dies after being shot

OAKLAND, Calif. — Celebrated former football coach John Beam, who was featured in the Netflix series “Last Chance U” that showcased the connections he made with players others wouldn’t gamble on, has died after being shot on the college campus where he worked, the Oakland Police Department said Friday.

The suspect, who police say knew and targeted Beam, 66, has been arrested.

Beam’s death a day after he was shot at Laney College rattled the community with scores holding a vigil outside the hospital before he died and remembering him as someone who always tried to help anyone.

Oakland Assistant Chief James Beere said the suspect went on campus for a “specific reason” but did not elaborate on what that was. “This was a very targeted incident,” he said.

Beere did not say how Beam and the suspect knew each other but said the suspect was known to loiter around the Laney campus. The suspect had played football at a high school where Beam had worked but not at the time the coach was employed there.

The suspect was taken into custody without any altercation and a gun has been recovered, the assistant chief added. Charges were still pending.

Authorities credited technology, specifically cameras at the college campus, private residences and on public transit, in tracking the suspect identified as Cedric Irving Jr.

Irving was arrested without incident at a commuter rail station in Oakland just after 3 a.m. on Friday and police recovered the gun. He was being held at a local jail on charges of murder and carrying a concealed weapon, according to Alameda County’s inmate locator. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Irving’s brother, Samuael Irving, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was stunned to learn of the arrest and that his brother excelled academically and athletically in high school, where he ran track and played football. The brother said Cedric grew distant from the family in recent years after an argument with their father. Irving recently lost his job as a security guard after an altercation, his brother said, and then was evicted from his apartment.

“I hope it isn’t him,” Samuael Irving said quietly. “The Cedric I knew wasn’t capable of murder – but the way things had been going, I honestly don’t know.”

Police said the shooting happened Thursday before noon, and officers arrived to find Beam shot. Few other details were available. It was the second shooting in two days at a school in Oakland.

The Netflix docuseries focused on athletes at junior colleges striving to turn their lives around, and Beam’s Laney College Eagles starred in the 2020 season. Beam gambled on players nobody else wanted. He developed deep relationships with his players while fielding a team that regularly competed for championships.

Beam’s family said in a statement that he was a “loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor and friend.”

“Our hearts are full from the outpouring of love,” the family said, requesting privacy.

Piedmont Police Chief Fred Shavies, who previously served as a deputy chief in the Oakland Police Department, said he was a friend, mentee and longtime admirer of Beam.

“John was so much more than a coach,” he said. “He was a father figure to thousands of not only men but young women in our community.”

Shavies said that he met Beam when he was in the eighth grade and that he supported him after Shavies lost his father in high school, calling him “an absolutely incredible human being.” He asked how Beam left his mark on so many people “with just 24 hours in a day, right?”

Two of Beam’s former players — brothers Nahshon and Rejzohn Wright, now in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints — posted on social media after the shooting.

“You mean the world to me,” Rejzohn Wright said in a post with a photo of Beam.

His brother shared a photo of the coach alongside a broken heart emoji.

Mayor Barbara Lee described Beam as a “giant” in the city who mentored thousands of young people, including her own nephew, and “gave Oakland’s youth their best chance” at success.

“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family,” Lee said.

Beam, who was serving as athletic director, joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach and became head coach in 2012, winning two league titles. He retired from coaching in 2024 but stayed on at the school to shape its athletic programs. According to his biography on the college’s website, at least 20 of his players have gone on to the NFL.

Beam’s shooting came a day after a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School. The student is in stable condition. Beam had previously worked at Skyline High School, and the suspect had played football there after Beam had already left for another job.

Lee said the back-to-back shootings on Oakland campuses demonstrate “the gun violence crisis playing out in real time.” She gave no indication that they were connected.

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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said Friday he will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies after his name surfaced in connection with the vacant New York Giants job.

After the Giants fired Brian Daboll on Monday, Belichick became the subject of speculation around the opening. In a statement posted on Instagram, Belichick said, “Despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”

Before coming to college coaching, Belichick spent his entire career in the NFL — winning six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

But he won two Super Bowls with the Giants as a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells in the 1986 and 1990 seasons.

“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade.”

Belichick is in his first season with North Carolina, which has won two straight games to bring its record to 4-5. He was asked during his news conference Tuesday about the speculation concerning the Giants and he reiterated he was focused on Saturday’s game against Wake Forest.

The statement Friday also reiterated his commitment to North Carolina, saying that has not wavered.

“We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud,” Belichick said.

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