Connect with us

Published

on

VANCOUVER — There were questions, and the Edmonton Oilers certainly had answers about how they lost a three-goal lead in Wednesday night’s 5-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Especially when the Oilers’ latest loss dropped them to 0-5 against the Canucks in the regular season and the playoffs combined. Even while facing questions about what went wrong, the Oilers remained steadfast about their Game 1 performance and why the series is far from over after just one game.

“I thought we gave them this one, and I think we know that it’s going to be a long series,” Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner said. “That’s how the playoffs are — you got to win four in order to keep it going. They’re up one right now, and we know that we can beat these guys. They beat us five games this year, but that gives us a lot of fire for ourselves to try to come back and get back in the series right away.”

Edmonton took a 2-0 lead on a pair of first-period goals from Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm. The Canucks cut the lead in half in the second period when Dakota Joshua scored 53 seconds into the frame, only to see Cody Ceci and Hyman push the lead to 4-1 with 6:49 remaining in the second.

So how did the Oilers go from having a firm lead to eventually losing their grip?

Canucks center Elias Lindholm was at the goal line when he flicked a puck on net that appeared to have been deflected as it slipped beyond Skinner, making the score 4-2 with 2:59 left in the second.

With a little more than 10 minutes left in the third period, Canucks forward Brock Boeser played a pass to J.T. Miller that saw the puck go off his stick and past Skinner to cut the lead to 4-3.

Four minutes later, Canucks forward Teddy Blueger played a back pass to Nikita Zadorov, with the hulking defenseman launching a slap shot that beat Skinner to tie the score at 4-4 with 6:13 left.

Then came the goal that allowed the Canucks to complete the comeback, causing Rogers Arena to go from library quiet to deafeningly loud.

Vancouver had just won a faceoff in its own zone when Zadorov played an outlet pass from behind the net to Joshua. He held the puck for less than two seconds at center ice, which freed Conor Garland to fake a shot before firing an actual attempt a second later that sailed past Skinner for a 5-4 lead with 5:35 remaining.

Garland’s goal also underlined how the Canucks, after struggling to find their footing, outshot the Oilers 19-7 between the second and third periods.

“It’s something we’ll have to learn from a little bit,” Ekholm said. “When they score, it’s all about that next shift. They’re going to score. It’s not like we’re going to keep them to nothing. At the end of the day, we let them get three goals and put ourselves in a tough spot. Up until that point, we were in a really great spot, but we kind of gave it away, so that’s the disappointing part.”

Ekholm also said he thought quite a few of the Canucks’ goals were not due to the Oilers having a breakdown in their system. Natural Stat Trick’s metrics showed that while the Canucks had 10 high-danger chances, they had only one in 5-on-5 play in the third period while having a shot share of 42.1%.

Oilers star center and captain Connor McDavid echoed that sentiment.

“I thought they were strange goals all around,” McDavid said. “We’ve scored some strange ones, too. In kind of a frantic game, you’re going to get that. Definitely some weird ones, some preventable ones, too. Overall, I didn’t mind our game.”

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said his team was a little too passive.

But did Knoblauch agree with his players that the system worked but didn’t get the desired results?

“There’s always things you can adjust,” Knoblauch said. “There’s going to be mistakes. … The players have to read and react. I thought they were in pretty good positions, and we didn’t have any major breakdowns.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Panthers’ Luostarinen ejected after check in 1st

Published

on

By

Panthers' Luostarinen ejected after check in 1st

SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen was ejected from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals after a boarding major against forward Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes.

With 3:01 left in the first period, Blake was chasing the puck back in his own zone with Luostarinen behind him. As Luostarinen reached out with his stick, Blake stopped short of the boards and Luostarinen hit through him. Luostarinen drove Blake’s head into the boards, bloodying the Carolina forward.

The on-ice officials gave Luostarinen a five-minute major and then reviewed the hit. They confirmed the call on the ice. Per NHL Rule 41.5, when a major penalty for boarding is called, a game misconduct is automatic. A major penalty for boarding is determined by “the degree of violence of the impact with the boards.”

Luostarinen was tied for the team lead with 13 points entering Game 3, with 4 goals and 9 assists. He scored 12 of those points on the road. Blake returned to action in the second period.

The Panthers lead the series 2-0 and had a 1-0 lead in Game 3 when the major penalty was called.

Continue Reading

Sports

Fantasy baseball: What to expect from Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer

Published

on

By

Fantasy baseball: What to expect from Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer

Boston Red Sox SS prospect Marcelo Mayer is getting the call to the major leagues, as starting 3B Alex Bregman (calf) is headed to the injured list. Fantasy managers should not expect Mayer, 22, to replace Bregman’s excellent numbers (.938 OPS), but he should see opportunity for playing time over the likes of Nick Sogard and Abraham Toro. Mayer is an excellent defensive shortstop, but he has played second base and third base at Triple-A Worcester as well this season.

Ranked No. 6 in Kiley McDaniels’ recently updated top 50 prospect rankings, Mayer hit .265/.342/.465 over 43 games and 193 plate appearances at Triple-A, with 9 home runs, 43 RBI and 2 stolen bases. The No. 4 pick in the 2021 amateur draft, Mayer hits left-handed, makes solid contact and drew a 10.4% walk rate this season. There is power upside, but as with most prospects, fantasy managers should keep initial expectations well in check.

Everyone loves the prospects until they reach the majors and alter their narrative (as most do). Chicago Cubs rookie IF Matt Shaw struggled earlier this season and was sent back to Triple-A, though he has returned to the majors. Arizona Diamondbacks SS Jordan Lawlar remains hitless in the majors this season. New Red Sox teammate Kristian Campbell is hitting .225 with a 27% strikeout rate. Hitting big league pitching can be problematic even for long-time veterans. In ESPN’s shallow standard leagues, with no middle infield spot and only nine active hitting spots, it is tough to make an argument to rush out and add Mayer. At the time of the promotion announcement, he was available in 94% of ESPN standard leagues.

Those needing to replace Bregman at third base should look at the Texas RangersJosh Jung and Jake Burger, and the Philadelphia PhilliesAlec Bohm, proven players with job security. For those looking at adding Mayer as their shortstop, Angels star Zach Neto somehow remains available in 71% of leagues, and he certainly comes recommended over Mayer, as does Colorado Rockies starter Ezequiel Tovar. Mayer will likely hit near the bottom of the Boston lineup. If he hits well, he might move up, and he might keep his roster spot even when Bregman returns to health.

It is exciting when one of the top prospects in the sport earns a promotion, but hitting a baseball against top pitching can be challenging for all. Those in deeper formats can make a better case to add Mayer and hope for the best.

Continue Reading

Sports

Sources: Red Sox call up heralded prospect Mayer

Published

on

By

Sources: Red Sox call up heralded prospect Mayer

The Boston Red Sox are calling up infielder Marcelo Mayer, the No. 6 prospect in baseball and a central part of their future who they hope can play a role in their push for a postseason berth this year, sources told ESPN.

Mayer, 22, who has excelled at shortstop as he ascended through the Red Sox’s farm system after they took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is likely to get playing time with All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman expected to land on the injured list after leaving Friday’s game with right quadriceps tightness.

At Triple-A Worcester, where Mayer was hitting .271/.347/.471 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 43 games, he played four games at third base. Mayer also could see time at shortstop, with Trevor Story in a profound monthlong slump.

The arrival of Mayer marks the second of Boston’s big three prospects, with Kristian Campbell earning the second-base job in spring training. After a hot start, Campbell has slumped likewise and is hitting .225/.321/.369. The third of the group, outfielder Roman Anthony, is the No. 1 prospect in MLB, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, and is hitting .323/.455/.513 with six home runs and 18 RBIs at Triple-A.

The loss of Bregman, who is hitting .299/.385/.553 in his first year with the Red Sox, takes an MVP-caliber bat out of a lineup that has struggled. The Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas for the season to a ruptured tendon in his left knee and have struggled to find a productive fill-in, amplifying calls for the team to reach into its significant minor league depth.

Boston has taken Mayer’s development slowly, with injuries limiting him to 91 games in 2022, 78 games in 2023 and 77 games last year. He is a career .273/.360/.466 hitter in 315 minor league games and projects to be a middle-of-the-order bat and Boston’s long-term solution at shortstop.

Bregman’s contract includes an opt-out after the 2025 season, opening the possibility of a shift to third for Mayer. At 6-foor-3 and 190 pounds, he has both the size and the arm strength typically sought for the position. But his glove at shortstop is regarded as above average, and Boston could opt to move Story off the position for Mayer or Ceddanne Rafaela, who also plays center field for the Red Sox.

Continue Reading

Trending