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The Stanley Cup Final ended in a thrilling Game 7, with the Florida Panthers beating the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1.

The Panthers, who lost to Vegas in the Cup Final last season, won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Read on for the full playoff coverage from every first-round series all the way through the Stanley Cup Final.

More: Playoff schedule
Cup Final preview
Conn Smythe Watch
Burning questions
Wyshynski’s bracket
Cup contender comps

Stanley Cup Final

Path to Stanley Cup Final:

Panthers: defeated Lightning 4-1; defeated Bruins 4-2; defeated Rangers 4-2
Oilers: defeated Kings 4-1; defeated Canucks 4-3; defeated Stars 4-2

Leading scorers in playoffs:

Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk (22 points)
Oilers: Connor McDavid (42 points)

Schedule: (Panthers win 4-3)

Game 1: FLA 3, EDM 0 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: FLA 4, EDM 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: FLA 4, EDM 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: EDM 8, FLA 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: EDM 5, FLA 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 6: EDM 5, FLA 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 7: FLA 2, EDM 1 | Recap

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2:13

Panthers avoid collapse to capture first Stanley Cup in Game 7 thriller

The Panthers fend off the Oilers in Game 7 with a 2-1 victory to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

Path to conference finals:

Rangers: defeated Capitals 4-0; defeated Hurricanes 4-2
Panthers: defeated Lightning 4-1; defeated Bruins 4-2

Leading scorers in playoffs:

Rangers: Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck (14 points)
Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov (13 points)

Schedule: (Panthers win 4-2)

Keys to the offseason for the Rangers

Game 1: FLA 3, NYR 0 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: NYR 2, FLA 1 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 3: NYR 5, FLA 4 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 4: FLA 3, NYR 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 5: FLA 3, NYR 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 6: FLA 2, NYR 1 | Recap | Replay

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0:42

Vladimir Tarasenko’s goal pads Panthers’ lead in the 3rd period

Vladimir Tarasenko sneaks the puck past Igor Shesterkin to pad the Panthers’ lead in the third period.


Western Conference

Path to conference finals:

Stars: defeated Golden Knights 4-3; defeated Avalanche 4-2
Oilers: defeated Kings 4-1; defeated Canucks 4-3

Leading scorers in playoffs:

Stars: Miro Heiskanen (13 points), Jason Robertson (12 points)
Oilers: Leon Draisaitl (24 points), Connor McDavid (21 points)

Schedule: (Oilers win 4-2)

Game 1: EDM 3, DAL 2 (2OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 2: DAL 3, EDM 1 Recap | Replay
Game 3: DAL 5, EDM 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: EDM 5, DAL 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: EDM 3, DAL 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 6: EDM 2, DAL 1 | Recap

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0:42

Connor McDavid’s power-play goal opens the scoring in Game 6

Connor McDavid makes a brilliant move and backhands the puck into the net to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.

Second round

Atlantic Division

Path to Round 2:

Panthers: defeated Lightning 4-1
Bruins: defeated Maple Leafs 4-3

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe (9 points)
Bruins: Brad Marchand (8 points)

Schedule: (FLA wins 4-2)

Keys to the offseason for the Bruins

Game 1: BOS 5, FLA 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: FLA 6, BOS 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: FLA 6, BOS 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: FLA 3, BOS 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: BOS 2, FLA 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 6: FLA 2, BOS 1 | Recap

Consensus pick: Panthers

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0:53

Gustav Forsling scores late winner to secure series win over Bruins

The Panthers knock off the Bruins with a late goal from Gustav Forsling to reach the Eastern Conference finals.


Metropolitan Division

Path to Round 2:

Rangers: defeated Capitals 4-0
Hurricanes: defeated Islanders 4-1

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Rangers: Mika Zibanejad (7 points)
Hurricanes: Seth Jarvis (7 points)

Schedule: (NYR win 4-2)

Keys to the offseason for the Hurricanes

Game 1: NYR 4, CAR 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: NYR 4, CAR 3 (2OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 3: NYR 3, CAR 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 4: CAR 4, NYR 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: CAR 4, NYR 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 6: NYR 5, CAR 3 | Recap

Consensus pick: Rangers

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0:34

Chris Kreider completes natural hat trick to give the Rangers the lead

Chris Kreider tallies his third goal of the period to give the Rangers their first lead of the game.


Central Division

Path to Round 2:

Stars: defeated Golden Knights 4-3
Avalanche: defeated Jets 4-1

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Stars: Wyatt Johnston (7 points)
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar (9 points)

Schedule: (DAL wins 4-2)

Keys to the offseason for Avalanche

Game 1: COL 4, DAL 3 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 2: DAL 5, COL 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: DAL 4, COL 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: DAL 5, COL 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: COL 5, DAL 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 6: DAL 2, COL 1 (2OT) | Recap

Consensus pick: Stars

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1:06

Matt Duchene’s 2OT heroics send Stars to Western Conference finals

Matt Duchene roofs a game-winning 2OT goal to send Dallas to the Western Conference finals.


Pacific Division

Path to Round 2:

Canucks: defeated Predators 4-2
Oilers: defeated Kings 4-1

Leading scorers in Round 1:

Canucks: Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller (6 points)
Oilers: Connor McDavid (12 points)

Schedule: (EDM wins 4-3)

Keys to the offseason for Canucks

Game 1: VAN 5, EDM 4 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: EDM 4, VAN 3 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 3: VAN 4, EDM 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: EDM 3, VAN 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: VAN 3, EDM 2 | Recap
Game 6: EDM 5, VAN 1 | Recap
Game 7: EDM 3, VAN 2 | Recap | Replay

Consensus pick: Oilers

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0:45

Evan Bouchard doubles Oilers’ lead

Evan Bouchard’s shot hits the post and goes in for the Oilers’ second goal of the game.

First round

Atlantic Division

Regular-season records:

Panthers: 52-24-6, 110 points
Lightning: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Panthers: Sam Reinhart, 94 points (57 G, 37 A)
Lightning: Nikita Kucherov, 144 points (44 G, 100 A)

Consensus pick: Panthers

Schedule: (FLA wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Lightning

Game 1: FLA 3, TB 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: FLA 3, TB 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 3: FLA 5, TB 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: TB 6, FLA 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: FLA 6, TB 1 | Recap | Replay

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0:46

Aleksander Barkov with a shorthand Panthers goal

Aleksander Barkov rips a shot into the net and puts the Panthers up 2 against the Lightning.


Regular-season records:

Bruins: 47-20-15, 109 points
Maple Leafs: 46-26-10, 102 points

Leading scorers:

Bruins: David Pastrnak, 110 points (47 G, 63 A)
Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews, 107 points (69 G, 38 A)

Consensus pick: Bruins

Schedule: (BOS wins 4-3)

Keys to the offseason for the Maple Leafs

Game 1: BOS 5, TOR 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: TOR 3, BOS 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: BOS 4, TOR 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: BOS 3, TOR 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: TOR 2, BOS 1 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 6: TOR 2, BOS 1 | Recap
Game 7: BOS 2, TOR 1 (OT) | Recap

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1:11

David Pastrnak’s OT winner sends TD Garden into a frenzy in Game 7

David Pastrnak sends the Bruins faithful home happy with a spectacular game-winning goal in overtime to close out the Maple Leasfs in Game 7.


Metropolitan Division

Regular-season records:

Rangers: 55-23-4, 114 points
Capitals: 40-31-11, 91 points

Leading scorers:

Rangers: Artemi Panarin, 120 points (49 G, 71 A)
Capitals: Dylan Strome, 67 points (27 G, 40 A)

Consensus pick: Rangers

Schedule: (NYR wins 4-0)

Keys to the offseason for the Capitals

Game 1: NYR 4, WSH 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: NYR 4, WSH 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: NYR 3, WSH 1 | Recap
Game 4: NYR 4, WSH 2 | Recap | Replay

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0:32

Jack Roslovic seals Rangers sweep with empty-net goal

Jack Roslovic caps off the Rangers’ night with an empty-net goal to make it 4-2, sealing the 4-0 sweep vs. the Capitals.


Regular-season records:

Hurricanes: 52-23-7, 111 points
Islanders: 39-27-16, 94 points

Leading scorers:

Hurricanes: Sebastian Aho, 89 points (36 G, 53 A)
Islanders: Mathew Barzal, 80 points (23 G, 57 A)

Consensus pick: Canes

Schedule: (CAR wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Islanders

Game 1: CAR 3, NYI 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: CAR 5, NYI 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: CAR 3, NYI 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: NYI 3, CAR 2 (2OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 5: CAR 6, NYI 3 | Recap

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1:40

Hurricanes score 2 goals in 8 seconds to go ahead

Jack Drury and Stefan Noesen score eight seconds apart in the third period and the Hurricanes take a lead.


Central Division

Regular-season records:

Stars: 52-21-9, 113 points
Golden Knights: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Stars: Jason Robertson, 80 points (29 G, 51 A)
Golden Knights: Jonathan Marchessault, 69 points (42 G, 27 A)

Consensus pick: Stars

Schedule: (Stars win 4-3)

Game 1: VGK 4, DAL 3 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: VGK 3, DAL 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: DAL 3, VGK 2 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 4: DAL 4, VGK 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: DAL 3, VGK 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 6: VGK 2, DAL 0 | Recap
Game 7: DAL 2, VGK 1 | Recap

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0:34

Radek Faksa scores 44 seconds into 3rd period

Radek Faksa scores quickly in the third period to give the Stars a 2-1 lead.


Regular-season records:

Jets: 52-24-6, 110 points
Avalanche: 50-25-7, 107 points

Leading scorers:

Jets: Mark Scheifele, 72 points (25 G, 47 A)
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, 140 points (51 G, 89 A)

Consensus pick: Avs

Schedule: (COL wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Jets

Game 1: WPG 7, COL 6 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: COL 5, WPG 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: COL 6, WPG 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: COL 5, WPG 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: COL 6, WPG 3 | Recap | Replay

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1:22

Mikko Rantanen scores back-to-back goals in third period

Mikko Rananen scores back-to-back goals to give the Avalanche a 5-3 lead in the third period vs. the Jets.


Pacific Division

Regular-season records:

Canucks: 50-23-9, 109 points
Predators: 47-30-5, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Canucks: J.T. Miller, 103 points (37 G, 66 A)
Predators: Filip Forsberg, 94 points (48 G, 46 A)

Consensus pick: Canucks

Schedule: (VAN wins 4-2)

Keys to the offseason for the Predators

Game 1: VAN 4, NSH 2 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: NSH 4, VAN 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 3: VAN 2, NSH 1 | Recap
Game 4: VAN 4, NSH 3 (OT) | Recap | Replay
Game 5: NSH 2, VAN 1 | Recap
Game 6: VAN 1, NSH 0 | Recap

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0:55

Canucks lockup series on lone goal from Pius Suter in final minutes

Pius Suter scores a goal in the third period to give the Canucks a 1-0 win and series victory vs. the Predators.


Regular-season records:

Oilers: 49-27-6, 104 points
Kings: 44-27-11, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Oilers: Connor McDavid, 132 points (32 G, 100 A)
Kings: Adrian Kempe, 75 points (28 G, 47 A)

Consensus pick: Oilers

Schedule: (EDM wins 4-1)

Keys to the offseason for the Kings

Game 1: EDM 7, LA 4 | Recap | Replay
Game 2: LA 5, EDM 4 (OT) | Recap
Game 3: EDM 6, LA 1 | Recap | Replay
Game 4: EDM 1, LA 0 | Recap | Replay
Game 5: EDM 4 LA 3 | Recap

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1:07

Zach Hyman makes it 4-2 Oilers to end 2nd period

Zach Hyman scores in the second period to give the Oilers a 4-2 lead heading into the third period vs. the Kings.

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‘Reason he’s here’: Crochet delivers for Red Sox

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'Reason he's here': Crochet delivers for Red Sox

BALTIMORE — Garrett Crochet gave the Boston Red Sox an immediate return on their investment.

In his first start since agreeing to a $170 million, six-year contract, the left-hander pitched a career-best eight innings as the Red Sox shut out the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Wednesday night. Crochet also threw 102 pitches, one shy of his career high.

“My first start in college I went eight, and I haven’t sniffed it since,” Crochet said.

Crochet (1-0) gave up four hits and a walk while striking out eight in his first victory since the offseason trade that sent him from the Chicago White Sox to Boston.

“That’s the reason he’s here,” manager Alex Cora said after the game. “That’s the reason we committed to him.”

Crochet went 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA last season, a bright spot on a Chicago team that lost 121 games. He threw 146 innings, which was double his previous career total since his debut in 2020.

Then Crochet was dealt to the Red Sox, and they made their long-term commitment to the 25-year-old earlier this week.

“Going back to when the trade went through, we knew Boston was a place where we would love to be long term,” Crochet said. “Credit to the front office for staying diligent, and my agency as well.”

Now the question is less about where he’ll pitch and more about how well. He’s off to a nice start in that regard.

“I can’t think of the last time I played baseball for pride. In college, you’re playing to get drafted, and once you’re in the big leagues, you’re playing to stay in the big leagues,” Crochet said. “So to have this security and feel like I’m playing to truly just win ballgames, it takes a lot of the riff-raff out of it.”

The news all around was good for Boston on Wednesday.

It reached a $60 million, eight-year deal with young infielder Kristian Campbell, and he went out and doubled twice against the Orioles.

And Rafael Devers ended a 21-at-bat hitless streak to start the season with an RBI double in the fifth inning. He finished with two hits and no strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Ohtani’s walk-off pushes Dodgers to historic 8-0

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Ohtani's walk-off pushes Dodgers to historic 8-0

LOS ANGELES — Aside from his ability to pitch and hit and stretch the boundaries of imagination, Shohei Ohtani has displayed another singular trait in his time in the major leagues: an ability to meet the moment. Or, perhaps, for the moment to meet him.

And so on Wednesday night, with his Los Angeles Dodgers looking to stay unbeaten, the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, and more than 50,000 fans standing and clenching the Ohtani bobbleheads they lined up hours in advance for, Ohtani approached the batter’s box — and his teammates expected greatness.

“He’s going to end this right here,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said he thought to himself.

“We knew,” starting pitcher Blake Snell said. “It’s just what he does.”

Validation came instantly. Ohtani stayed back on a first-pitch changeup from Raisel Iglesias near the outside corner and shot it toward straightaway center field, 399 feet away, for a walk-off home run, sending the Dodgers to a 6-5, come-from-behind victory over the reeling Atlanta Braves.

“I don’t think anybody didn’t expect him to hit a walk-off home run there,” Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman said. “It’s just a question of where he’d hit it.”

The Dodgers are now 8-0, topping the 1933 New York Yankees of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth for the longest winning streak to begin a season for a reigning champion. The Braves, meanwhile, are 0-7, the type of record no team has ever recovered from to make the playoffs. And Ohtani, with three home runs and a 1.126 OPS this season, just keeps meeting moments.

“He’s pretty good, huh?” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. “It’s Shohei. He’s going to do that. He’s going to do things better than that.”

On Aug. 23 last year, Ohtani reached the 40/40 club with a walk-off grand slam. Five days later, the Dodgers staged a second giveaway of his bobblehead — one that saw his now-famous dog, Decoy, handle the ceremonial first pitch — and Ohtani led off with a home run. On Sept. 19, Ohtani clinched his first postseason berth and ascended into the unprecedented 50/50 club with one of the greatest single-game performances in baseball history — six hits, three homers, two steals and 10 RBIs. Barely two weeks later, he homered in his first playoff game.

When Ohtani came up on Wednesday, he had what he described as a simple approach.

“I was looking for a really good pitch to hit,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “If I didn’t get a good pitch to hit, I was willing to walk.”

Of course, though, he got a good pitch.

And, of course, he sent it out.

“You just feel that he’s going to do something special,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I just like the way he’s not pressing. He’s in the strike zone, and when he does that, there’s just no one better.”

The Dodgers began their much-anticipated season with a couple of breezy wins over the Chicago Cubs from Japan, even though Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman did not play in them. They returned home, brought iconic rapper Ice Cube out to present the World Series trophy on one afternoon, received their rings on another and swept a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Then came the Braves, and the Dodgers swept them, too — even though Freeman, nursing an ankle injury caused from slipping in the shower, didn’t participate.

The Dodgers already have two walk-offs and six comeback wins this season.

Wednesday’s effort left Roberts “a little dumbfounded.”

A nightmarish start defensively, highlighted by two errant throws from Muncy, spoiled Snell’s start and put them behind 5-0 after the first inning and a half. But the Dodgers kept inching closer. They trailed by just two in the eighth and put runners on second and third with two out. Muncy came to bat with his batting average at just .083. He had used the ballyhooed “Torpedo” bat for his first three plate appearances, didn’t like how it altered his swing plane, grabbed his usual bat for a showdown against Iglesias and laced a game-tying double into the right-center-field gap.

An inning later, Ohtani ended it.

“Overall, not just tonight, there is a really good vibe within the team,” Ohtani said after recording his fourth career walk-off hit. “I just think that’s allowing us to come back in these games to win.”

The Dodgers’ 8-0 start has allowed them to stay just ahead of the 7-0 San Diego Padres and the 5-1 San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Tack on the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2) and the Colorado Rockies (1-4), and this marks the first time in the divisional era that an entire division has combined for at least 25 wins and no more than seven losses, according to ESPN Research. The Dodgers’ and Padres’ starts mark just the fifth season in major league history with multiple teams starting 7-0 or better, and the first time since 2003.

The Dodgers famously overcame a 2-1 series deficit to vanquish the Padres in the NL Division Series last year, then rode that fight to their first full-season championship since 1988.

That fight hasn’t let up.

“It feels like this clubhouse is carrying a little bit of the attitude we had last year that we’re never out of a game and we’re resilient, and we’ve been carrying it into this season,” Muncy said. “It’s been fun to watch. The guys don’t give up. Bad things have happened, and no one’s really been down or out on themselves. Everyone’s just, ‘All right, here we go, next inning, let’s get after it.’ The whole team, top to bottom, has been doing that. It’s been making it really, really fun to play.”

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Death of Gardner’s son pinned to carbon monoxide

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Death of Gardner's son pinned to carbon monoxide

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death of the teenage son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, authorities in Costa Rica said Wednesday night.

Randall Zúñiga, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency, said 14-year-old Miller Gardner was tested for carboxyhemoglobin, a compound generated when carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood.

When carboxyhemoglobin saturation exceeds 50%, it is considered lethal. In Gardner’s case, the test showed a saturation of 64%.

“It’s important to note that adjacent to this room is a dedicated machine room, where it’s believed there may be some type of contamination toward these rooms,” Zúñiga said.

The head of the Costa Rican judicial police added that, during the autopsy, a “layer” was detected on the boy’s organs, which forms when there is a high presence of the poisonous gas.

Gardner died March 21 while staying with his family at a hotel on the Manuel Antonio beach in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific.

Asphyxiation was initially thought to have caused his death. After an autopsy was performed by the Forensic Pathology Section, that theory was ruled out.

Another line of investigation centered around whether the family had suffered food poisoning. Family members had reported feeling ill after dining at a nearby restaurant on the night of March 20 and received treatment from the hotel doctor.

Brett Gardner, 41, was drafted by the Yankees in 2005 and spent his entire major league career with the organization. The speedy outfielder batted .256 with 139 homers, 578 RBIs, 274 steals and 73 triples in 14 seasons from 2008 to 2021.

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