
MLB Power Rankings: A tight race for the No. 1 spot
More Videos
Published
9 months agoon
By
adminThe race for baseball’s best record continues to be incredibly close — with six teams separated by just two games and no team on pace for more than 96 wins. The last time that happened in a full season was 2007.
As MLB’s best clubs — the Dodgers, Yankees, Orioles, Guardians, Phillies and Brewers — fight for the top spot, a number of squads are already looking towards 2025 while the rest of the league is battling for the remaining playoff spots.
With so much change from week to week, it’s impossible to know how these races will play out, but it makes for exciting baseball!
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Week 20 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings
Record: 76-52
Previous ranking: 1
Mookie Betts made a surprising return to right field upon being activated off the injured list, partly because the Dodgers are a better defensive team with Miguel Rojas or Tommy Edman at shortstop and partly because second base was no longer an option. Gavin Lux’s offensive transformation prompted that. Lux is slashing .356/.421/.663 since the All-Star break. His OPS has jumped 148 points since then, from .562 to .710. And now, with Edman and Max Muncy getting activated earlier this week, the Dodgers’ lineup has some serious length to it again. They’ve followed a sub-.500 July by winning 13 of their first 19 games this month, holding off the hard-charging Padres and D-backs in the National League West. — Gonzalez
Record: 74-53
Previous ranking: 2
Clay Holmes didn’t allow an earned run over his first 20 appearances this season. He was, for seven weeks, the best closer in baseball. Three months later, he might not be a closer at all for much longer. Yankees manager Aaron Boone, previously staunch in his commitment to Holmes as his closer, opened the door for other options this week after the All-Star recorded his major league-leading 10th blown save in Sunday’s loss to the Tigers at the Little League Classic. After a scoreless inning Tuesday, he has a 4.65 ERA in 32 appearances since those first 20 outings. His 2.86 FIP during the stretch suggests luck hasn’t been on his side, but, as a ground ball pitcher, he’s more susceptible to misfortune than most closers. — Castillo
Record: 74-52
Previous ranking: 4
Should the Phillies be concerned about their bullpen? Jose Alvarado continues to struggle, walking four batters in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Braves, and has a 6.87 ERA and .884 OPS allowed since late June. All-Star Jeff Hoffman has been scored on in almost half of his August appearances. Orion Kerkering has allowed a .317 average and .894 OPS over his past 17 appearances. Carlos Estevez is presumably the new closer, but he’s allowed runs in four of his seven August appearances and blown one of three save opportunities. It’s probably just a blip and this could still be as good as any bullpen in the game, but it hasn’t pitched at that level lately. — Schoenfield
Record: 74-54
Previous ranking: 3
Zach Eflin‘s fast start with the Orioles skidded to a halt Tuesday when, in another blow to Baltimore’s rotation, he was placed on the 15-day IL with shoulder soreness. The Orioles acquired him from the Rays and Trevor Rogers from the Marlins at the trade deadline to fortify a starting rotation already depleted by injuries. Eflin then went 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four outings before becoming the fifth Orioles starter on the IL, joining John Means, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and Grayson Rodriguez. Manager Brandon Hydge said the team expects Eflin back in September, but any setback at this point in the calendar is alarming. — Castillo
Record: 73-53
Previous ranking: 7
Forget about just the NL Central. The Brewers have a first-round bye on their minds as they continue to impress despite the loss of Christian Yelich and a rotation void of stars outside of Freddy Peralta. The pitching staff had a heck of a run last week, giving up just 12 runs over the course of a five-game winning streak — against the Dodgers and Guardians, no less. The Brewers’ weekend sweep of first-place Cleveland was especially impressive as their pitching gave up just four runs in three games. Colin Rea‘s seven shutout innings in Sunday’s 2-0 win was a thing of beauty. He gave up just two hits without issuing a walk, helping to pull the Brewers within a fraction of the top spot in the NL. It’s been the Jackson Chourio show in Milwaukee. He has a .900 OPS since Yelich went down. — Rogers
Record: 73-53
Previous ranking: 5
It’s been a series of streaks of late: that seven-game losing skid followed by a five-game winning streak followed by a three-game sweep to the Brewers over the weekend, in which the Guardians scored just four runs in the three games. They responded with a big 12-inning win over the Yankees on Tuesday, exploding for six runs in the 12th after Emmanuel Clase and Tim Herrin kept the game going. With Clase lowering his ERA to 0.61, talk about him as a Cy Young candidate has emerged, but he remains a long shot. Eric Gagne was the last reliever to win, back in 2003. Plus, you have Tarik Skubal, who might win the pitching Triple Crown (wins, ERA, strikeouts). — Schoenfield
Record: 72-56
Previous ranking: 8
Perhaps nobody embodies the spirit of this year’s Padres better than Jurickson Profar, who was signed off the proverbial scrap heap for a mere $1 million, made his first All-Star team and is currently having the season of his life, slashing .290/.387/.474 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs in 126 games. In Tuesday’s eighth inning, with the Padres trailing by two, he squared to bunt, pulled back, then delivered the three-run homer that put his team ahead for good. It was the Padres’ 32nd come-from-behind victory and their 22nd win in a span of 27 games. Unlikely contributions have made this a more complete Padres team than last year’s group — and Profar is the face of that. — Gonzalez
Record: 72-56
Previous ranking: 6
The D-backs are currently without three key hitters in Gabriel Moreno, Christian Walker and Ketel Marte, and yet they boast a major league-best .853 OPS since the All-Star break. One of the biggest reasons is Jake McCarthy, the 27-year-old outfielder who is slashing .356/.400/.604 during that same stretch. In a year when Corbin Carroll has struggled, Alek Thomas has been limited to 37 games and a wave of injuries have popped up of late, McCarthy — a victim of the proverbial sophomore slump in 2023 — has been one of the Diamondbacks’ most important contributors. He’s a big reason why they’ve won 23 of their past 31 games and look primed for a return to the postseason. — Gonzalez
Record: 68-58
Previous ranking: 10
The Astros’ recent blistering pace has been led by the usual suspects, but the hottest of them all has been catcher Yainer Diaz. Diaz beat the Red Sox with his first game-ending homer on Monday, the second of three straight games in which he went deep. Since the All-Star break, Diaz has hit .358/.388/.617 with eight homers and 22 RBIs over 30 games. That’s quite a leap from a player whose pre-break OPS was .717 and more than justifies manager Joe Espada’s use of him, which has been to deploy Diaz at DH or, on occasion, first base on days he’s not behind the plate. — Doolittle
Record: 71-56
Previous ranking: 11
The resilient Royals are fresh off one of their most explosive weeks of the season. The spree featured a five-game winning streak during which they outscored the Twins, Reds and Angels by a combined 37-7. Leading the offensive charge of late has been first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who drove in 28 runs over a 19-game span beginning July 30 behind an OPS of .957. Pasquantino ranks third in the majors in RBIs (95) despite modest figures of 18 homers and a .773 OPS. His average with runners in scoring position (.377) explains this and ranks second in baseball among qualified players. Of interest: The top player in this measure is superstar Bobby Witt Jr. (.400) and third, just behind Pasquantino, is franchise stalwart Salvador Perez (.364). — Doolittle
Record: 71-56
Previous ranking: 9
The Twins remaining in the AL Central title hunt is a testament to their talent because their injury luck this season is astonishing. Once again, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa are on the IL. And once again, Minnesota is staying afloat in possession of a wild-card berth. Buxton was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the two months before landing on the IL for the second time this season on Aug. 15 with right hip inflammation. The dynamic outfielder slashed .329/.391/.707 with 12 home runs in 41 games before the injury. The good news for the Twins is he could return as soon as Friday. The bad news is Correa, one of the team’s two All-Stars, still doesn’t have a timetable for his return after the shortstop went on the IL for the second time this season on July 20 with plantar fasciitis. — Castillo
Record: 67-59
Previous ranking: 14
Triston Casas returned to Boston’s lineup Friday after missing nearly four months with a rib injury — and he didn’t waste any time making an impact. The first baseman is 8-for-23 with four walks in six games. He delivered a two-run home run in Tuesday’s 6-5 win over the Astros that included a four-hit effort from All-Star Jarren Duran. Dom Smith, who became expendable with Casas’s reinstatement, was a serviceable fill-in at first base, but Casas is a potential game changer. A healthy Casas gives the Red Sox another elite power source alongside Rafael Devers. It’s the kind of jolt that could make the difference down the stretch as they try to chase down the Royals for the final AL wild-card spot. — Castillo
Record: 67-59
Previous ranking: 13
Austin Riley suffered a fractured hand after getting hit by a pitch on Sunday, an injury that could sideline him the rest of the regular season. The offense has been hitting well in August, with its highest OPS of any month of 2024, although that includes three games of 11, 11 and 13 runs (the Braves have also been shut out three times in August, so the inconsistency remains). Gio Urshela, just released by the Tigers, was signed to fill in for Riley. He was hitting .243/.286/.333 for the Tigers, so he’s not going to help much. The pitching will have to carry Atlanta to the postseason. — Schoenfield
Record: 66-61
Previous ranking: 15
Back when Francisco Lindor hit .197 in April, it was hard to envision him joining the MVP discussion, but he’s moved comfortably into a top-five position in the NL with 5.4 WAR, trailing only Shohei Ohtani, Ketel Marte (who is on the IL) and Matt Chapman in bWAR. With a big stretch run, Lindor could challenge his career high WAR of 7.2, set with Cleveland in 2018, and surpass his career-best fifth-place finish in MVP voting (in 2017). Lindor is already eighth among shortstops in career WAR through his age-30 season. Six of the seven ahead of him are Hall of Famers (and Alex Rodriguez is the eighth). — Schoenfield
Record: 64-64
Previous ranking: 12
Another skid has the Mariners staring at the reality that a sub-.500 record has become a more likely outcome for their 2024 season than a postseason appearance. As has been the case all season, the culprit continues to be an offense that wallowed in ineptitude all year and has not really improved much despite Seattle’s work at the trade deadline. Say what you will about batting average, but this can’t be good: Seattle’s team mark dipped to .216, which, if the season ended today, would be tied for the fifth worst of the modern era. The lowest of the low was .211 by the 1910 White Sox. — Doolittle
Record: 65-64
Previous ranking: 16
Before Wednesday’s ninth-inning blowup against the lowly White Sox, only two teams held a better bullpen ERA than the Giants this month — the Rays and Astros. And though some of the periphery stats are not quite as favorable, it’s nonetheless impressive for a unit that is without its most talented arm in Camilo Doval. Doval, an All-Star closer who led the NL with 39 saves last season, was optioned to the minor leagues on Aug. 9 with his ERA at 4.70. He is expected to rejoin the team on its upcoming road trip, though his role is still to be determined. If he can recapture his dominance, perhaps he can help the Giants remain in contention down the stretch. — Gonzalez
Record: 64-62
Previous ranking: 20
Christopher Morel, who was part of the haul from the Cubs for Isaac Paredes, was the flashier deadline acquisition, but Dylan Carlson has been a revelation thus far in Tampa Bay. It’s very early — just 15 games — but the switch-hitting outfielder is slashing .267/.353/.489 with three home runs in 51 plate appearances. That’s after he batted .198 with a .515 OPS and zero (0!) home runs in 138 plate appearances for St. Louis this season. Carlson, once a consensus top-30 prospect across baseball, is under contract through 2026. The Rays got him for reliever Shawn Armstrong, a free agent this winter. It could prove to be just a nice first month — or another shrewd long-term move for an organization that has thrived off them. — Castillo
Record: 62-64
Previous ranking: 17
Playoff hopes are beginning to fade in St. Louis, as the Cardinals went 12-18 over a 30-game stretch ending on Tuesday. (While they did lose that night, as well, Wednesday’s walk-off extra-innings win was a needed jolt of energy). Over that time frame, their offense was bottom third in several categories, including home runs and stolen bases. In fact, St. Louis swiped just six bases in 26 games. The result of it all was just 93 runs scored, fifth least in MLB over that month. It helped drop the Cardinals under .500 and far off the wild-card race. Add the third toughest remaining schedule of any team down the stretch and a second consecutive year missing the playoffs might just be in the cards for this storied franchise. — Rogers
Record: 62-65
Previous ranking: 19
The move to designate closer Hector Neris for assignment before his option turns into a player one saves the Cubs $9 million for next season. How will they spend it? It probably won’t be on the bullpen, which has righted the ship after a tough start to the year. For better or worse, the Cubs believe in developing relievers, including closers. That hasn’t always worked out for them. Either way, they need to find a superstar on offense. If Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on the market this winter, Chicago should pounce and be willing to pay him the going rate for players who can produce a .900-plus OPS. — Rogers
Record: 62-65
Previous ranking: 18
Questions abound for the Reds as they head down the stretch of a disappointing season. Do they run it all back again next year, hoping for better health? Is manager David Bell on the hot seat? Where do the fixes come from if not from within? Their problems have mostly come at the plate, where they’re league average in scoring. The heart of their order — outside of Elly De La Cruz — simply hasn’t performed up to expectations, but it’s still a young team that could take that proverbial next step one year later than expected. It’s not unheard of. The Reds have a very promising starting staff, anchored by Hunter Greene. He just went on the IL as did Jeimer Candelario. It’s been that kind of year in Cincinnati. — Rogers
Record: 62-65
Previous ranking: 23
Javier Baez was welcomed with a personalized nameplate atop his locker when he returned to Wrigley Field earlier this week, his first stop there since being traded in the summer of 2021. A standing ovation greeted him later when he came to bat. Baez’s numbers have fallen off dramatically in recent years, but he is still clearly adored in Chicago. When the Cubs series concludes, the plan is for Baez to take a step back from his role as the Tigers’ everyday shortstop. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team wants to see what it has in its younger players down the stretch — particularly Trey Sweeney, who came over from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade. Complicating matters, of course, is the fact that Baez is still signed through 2027. — Gonzalez
Record: 59-69
Previous ranking: 21
The Rangers may get a glimpse at Jacob deGrom in a big league uniform before the end of the season, though the dream scenario of the ace righty joining a late-season push is not going to come to pass. Still, it might be reassuring for the club, not to mention its fans, to see the two-time Cy Young winner in action as everyone in Arlington starts to look forward to 2025. DeGrom is slated to make his first rehab outing on Thursday for Double-A Frisco. Ironically, Max Scherzer (shoulder) is reportedly scheduled to follow deGrom with a rehab outing for Frisco on Friday. That would mean the RoughRiders will have gotten a look at a one-two deGrom-Scherzer rotation before the Rangers, as Scherzer joined Texas last year after deGrom had already hit the IL. — Doolittle
Record: 59-68
Previous ranking: 24
Remember when Toronto tried convincing Shohei Ohtani to sign north of the border? That seems like forever ago, but Chris Bassitt hasn’t forgotten. The veteran starting pitcher shared on “The Chris Rose Rotation” podcast this week that he believes the front office’s inability to “pivot” to sign another “elite player” in free agency once Ohtani chose the Dodgers is a significant reason for the Blue Jays’ struggles this season. He lamented the lack of lineup protection for Vladimir Guerrero Jr — the Blue Jays’ only All-Star this season — while pointing to contenders featuring “three or four” stars. He later clarified that his candid comments weren’t “a knock” on the Blue Jays. He also wasn’t necessarily wrong. — Castillo
Record: 59-67
Previous ranking: 22
A recent 10-game losing streak sunk any chance the Pirates had of stealing a wild-card berth, or perhaps even just finishing out of the cellar in the NL Central. Getting swept twice by the Padres in the span of eight days hurt as much as anything. The Pirates didn’t particularly pitch or hit well, alternating between giving up too many runs — when they themselves scored enough to win — in some games and not scoring enough in the lower-scoring losses. Five of the 10 defeats were by a single run, adding heartbreak to their worst stretch of the season. Pittsburgh says it has no plans to shut Paul Skenes down, but that could change the further from the race the team lands. — Rogers
Record: 57-70
Previous ranking: 25
James Wood continues to impress in his first month-plus in the majors — and he finally pulled a fly ball, hitting a 417-foot home run off the Phillies’ Jeff Hoffman into right-center off a fastball. The one double he pulled was a soft line drive into right-center field, so his inability so far to pull the ball in the air is certainly … interesting. In general, he’s still learning to lift the ball (average launch angle of just three degrees), which will hopefully come with experience so he can tap into his raw power. He has above-average bat speed and excellent plate discipline, so the tools are clearly there, but he’ll have to learn to pull the ball to become an elite slugger. — Schoenfield
Record: 54-73
Previous ranking: 26
Oakland’s post-trade deadline rotation has featured a couple of better-than-average Joes lately. Rookies Joe Boyle and Joey Estes have both posted sterling outings for a club whose run prevention has improved markedly during the second half of the season. Boyle tossed six shutout innings against the Rays on Monday, the best outing of his fledgling career. Boyle’s four-seamer averaged 98.9 mph in that contest and touched 100.7. Meanwhile, Estes followed Boyle against Tampa Bay the next night and threw 7ā innings, allowing only a solo homer to Jose Siri that proved to be the game’s only run. — Doolittle
Record: 54-73
Previous ranking: 27
The Angels own a lone World Series title during their 64 seasons but the franchise has rarely bottomed out. The franchise record for losses is a not-so-horrible 95, set in 1968 and tied in 1980. It is the only active franchise without a 100-loss season and it really hasn’t come that close. That shouldn’t change in 2024 but … you never know. With the Angels remaining steadily cold over the second half of the season, a late collapse could put the franchise into uncharted (and unwanted) territory. It really would have to be a collapse: The Angels only need to go 9-27 to avoid 100 losses. However, they also need to go 14-22 to avoid at least matching the club record for defeats, which would be set with a doable 12-24 finish. It’s been a long season. — Doolittle
Record: 47-80
Previous ranking: 29
It was a mere 13 months ago that Elias Diaz was named MVP of the All-Star Game. Last week, the Rockies placed their catcher on outright waivers, ridding themselves of him in his lead-up to free agency. Diaz was recently seen as one of few bright spots for the Rockies. But he’s 33 years old and his power numbers are way down this season. Having slipped through waivers, Diaz is now a free agent. A team like the Giants, who recently lost Patrick Bailey to an oblique injury, could make sense for him. With Diaz out, the Rockies will spend these next few weeks seeing what they have in Drew Romo, the 35th overall pick out of high school in 2020. — Gonzalez
Record: 46-81
Previous ranking: 28
The Marlins’ rotation is on pace for its fourth month with an ERA over 5.00 — only in May (4.30) did it get under that mark. Not surprisingly, Miami ranks last in the majors in FanGraphs rotation WAR (after ranking ninth in 2023). Not only that but this also has a chance to be the worst Marlins rotation in franchise history. This year’s group sits at 2.4 fWAR, just below the 2.8 from the 1998 team, which dealt most of its notable players and lost 108 games a year after winning the World Series. Obviously, injuries are the main reason for the 2024 disaster, but it would also be nice to get some results from Edward Cabrera and Max Meyer down the stretch. — Schoenfield
Record: 31-97
Previous ranking: 30
The record pace is alive! Chicago is trending toward breaking the all-time record for losses in a 162-game season, but an upcoming 10-game homestand might be the tonic it needs. Having said that, the Tigers, Rangers and Mets aren’t exactly pushovers despite the first two teams being under .500. No one is a pushover when it comes to the White Sox, who are 3-8 under interim manager Grady Sizemore. September is a brutal month for them schedule-wise, so if they don’t pick up a bunch wins in those 10 games, the White Sox could be staring at history — and not the good kind. — Rogers
You may like
Sports
Oilers ‘reset,’ handle Stars for 2-1 series lead
Published
2 hours agoon
May 26, 2025By
admin
-
ESPN News Services
May 25, 2025, 06:59 PM ET
EDMONTON, Alberta — Zach Hyman had two goals and an assist, Connor McDavid also had a two-goal outing and the Edmonton Oilers took a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference final series with a 6-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday.
Evan Bouchard, with a goal and an assist, and John Klingberg also scored for the Oilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added three assists.
Stuart Skinner made 33 saves in the Edmonton net to improve to 4-4 in the postseason this year, his first victory in the playoffs that wasn’t a shutout.
“We had a bit of a dip, they had a bit of push,” Nugent-Hopkins said of the Stars’ play in the second period, lauding Skinner for keeping the team in it. “He stepped up big time for us, and made some big saves. You need your goalies to do that.”
The Oilers have won two straight since their third-period collapse in Game 1 in Dallas, and improved to 10-3 in the postseason since dropping the first two games of their first-round series vs. the Los Angeles Kings.
Jason Robertson scored for the Stars, who are hoping to avoid being knocked out in the third round by the Oilers for a second consecutive season.
“They were definitely the better team in the second period,” Skinner said of the Stars. “And we kind of knew that going into the third. So, we just had to reset.”
Jake Oettinger stopped 18 shots in Dallas’ net, falling to 5-10 in his career in West final contests.
Game 4 will be in Edmonton on Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
U.S. wins 1st worlds in 92 years, honors Gaudreau
Published
2 hours agoon
May 26, 2025By
admin
-
ESPN News Services
May 25, 2025, 05:57 PM ET
STOCKHOLM — Buffalo Sabres star forward Tage Thompson scored the winner 2:02 into overtime, and Team USA outlasted Switzerland 1-0 in the final of the ice hockey world championship at Avicii Arena on Sunday.
It is the first on-ice trophy for USA Hockey in this tournament in 92 years, after the Americans brought it home back in 1933. And it was an emotional one. As Team USA posed for its championship photo at center ice, players held up a No. 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau, the former NHL and USA Hockey star forward who died tragically last August when he and his brother, Matthew, were hit by an allegedly drunken and enraged driver as they cycled at night in New Jersey.
Thompson, who had 44 goals and 72 points with the Sabres this season, is hoping to polish off his resume for a spot on the U.S. roster for the 2026 Olympics, and he’s off to a great start. A Team USA reserve for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February who did not suit up, Thompson made the most of his time playing with a host of young NHL forwards who either did not make, or have been eliminated from, the Stanley Cup playoffs.
HISTORY MADE. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 92 YEARS, TEAM USA IS BRINGING HOME THE #MENSWORLDS GOLD šŗšøš pic.twitter.com/4qqRdIc3VF
ā USA Hockey (@usahockey) May 25, 2025
Thompson’s shot, off passes from Utah Hockey Club forward Logan Cooley and Nashville Predators defenseman Brady Skjei, flew past the blocker of Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni, ending a dramatic but tight title game. Team USA outshot Switzerland 40-25.
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman capped off the shutout in the final, finishing with 25 saves a year after his NHL teammate, David Pastrnak led the Czech Republic to this same title.
“We did it, the wait is over,” Swayman said in a post to USA Hockey fans on the organization’s social media platforms. “Thanks for sticking along with us. It’s going to be a great summer.”
The Americans were also formally awarded the title in 1960 when they won the Olympic tournament and the worlds did not take place. But they hadn’t won it on the ice in more than nine decades.
The Swiss played without injured star center Nico Hischier, the captain of the New Jersey Devils. After the loss, Genoni was named the tournament’s MVP.
Earlier Sunday, Sweden defeated Denmark 6-2 in the bronze medal game. Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund and Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson scored two goals each for the hosts, marking the second-straight third-place finish for Sweden. The fourth-place result was the best-ever finish for Denmark.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Edmonton takes control over Stars: Game 3 grades, takeaways
Published
2 hours agoon
May 26, 2025By
admin
-
Multiple Contributors
May 25, 2025, 06:35 PM ET
While fans in Edmonton and Dallas are always singing about how they have friends in low places, only one of them has the high ground in the Western Conference finals. And that’s the Oilers after their 6-1 win Sunday in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.
With the series tied heading into Sunday, the objective for Game 3 was to gain a firm grasp of the conference finals, and the Oilers did just that by having five players with multipoint performances. As for the Stars, losing Game 3 left them trailing a series for the second time this postseason, with the only other such occurrence coming after Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round.
Now that the Oilers are in control of the series, what does it mean for them going forward? What must the Stars do differently ahead of Game 4 for them to return home tied rather than a game away from elimination? Ryan S. Clark and Greg Wyshynski examine those questions while delving into what lies ahead for two teams that not only faced each other in the conference finals last season but between them have been involved in every conference final since 2020.
Edmonton Oilers
Grade: A
Much could change between now and whenever the playoffs end. But for now, the argument could be made that this was the most important playoff game the Oilers have had this postseason.
The Oilers have had numerous strong performances, such as Game 3 against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round or their final two games against the Vegas Golden Knights in the conference semifinals. But what made the Oilers’ performance in Game 3 against Dallas arguably their most important was that they found a balance between being difficult in the defensive zone while not relying on a shutout to accomplish that objective.
The Stars finished with 37 shots, 13 high-danger chances in 5-on-5 play and scored only once. Connor McDavid has repeatedly stressed that the Oilers can play defense, and that has been made clear over their past five games. But Sunday proved they didn’t need Stuart Skinner or their defensive structure to blank an opponent to win. — Ryan S. Clark
Dallas Stars
Grade: C+
The final score doesn’t reflect the majority of this game, which Dallas coach Pete DeBoer can mine for positives among the many (many) negatives and some mitigating circumstances. Having Roope Hintz warm up but not be able to go because of the foot injury he suffered from a Darnell Nurse slash in Game 2? That’s deflating. Having the on-ice officials miss a delay of game call on Brett Kulak in the first period only to have Evan Bouchard open the scoring 10 seconds later? Also deflating.
So it’s to the Stars’ credit that they got to their game at 5-on-5 in Game 3 better than they have in any game of the series, at least before Edmonton ran up the score in the third. The results weren’t there and a loss is a loss — and a loss by this margin is difficult to stomach — but their second period and the performances from some of their slumbering depth players give the Stars at least a glimmer.
However, there’s no question Edmonton has this thing in well in-hand and the Stars have to find a way to solve Skinner, which is not something I thought I’d be writing at this stage of the postseason. — Greg Wyshynski
Three Stars of Game 3
Two goals and an assist for his seventh career multigoal playoff game. Hyman’s second goal was the Oilers’ fourth off the rush, the most in one game by any team this postseason. Hyman also was plus-5 Sunday.
Bouchard scored his sixth goal of the postseason and these two were on the ice for the first two Edmonton goals. At 5-on-5 this postseason, the Oilers are outscoring their opponents 7-1, and 5-0 in this series, when Bouchard and Kulak are on the ice.
0:48
Connor McDavid restores Oilers’ 2-goal lead
Connor McDavid finds the back of the net to restore the Oilers’ two-goal lead vs. the Stars.
3. Connor McDavid
C, Oilers
For all the talk about the lack of goals from the best hockey player in the world (which was odd because he had 20 points in 13 games and was a plus-7 entering Game 3 despite having only three goals), McDavid punched out a pair of tucks for his sixth career multigoal playoff game. Also, seeing McDavid with the puck barreling toward the net on a 3-on-1 is nightmare fuel for opponents. — Arda Ćcal
Players to watch in Game 4
Zach Hyman
LW, Oilers
To go from 16 goals last postseason to just three goals entering Game 3 of the conference finals is one way to assess Hyman. Another is to realize that he’s been the most physical player on a team that is among the tallest and heaviest in the NHL.
Hyman came into Game 3 leading the NHL with 99 hits. He remained physical Sunday by leading the way with six hits in a game that saw the Oilers continue their punishing style with 47. But to then see Hyman score two goals and finish with three points in addition to that physicality? It once again adds to the narrative that the Oilers might not only have more dimensions than last year’s team, they could be better than the team that finished Stanley Cup runner-up in 2024. — Clark
0:53
Zach Hyman’s 2nd goal puts Oilers up 4
Zach Hyman taps home his second goal of the game to put the Oilers up 5-1 vs. the Stars.
This is the first two-game losing streak for the Dallas goaltender in the playoffs. A lot of what happened in Game 3 wasn’t necessarily on him — a Connor McDavid beauty and a Zach Hyman breakaway were among the Edmonton tallies — but outside of the third period of Game 1, he’s not been a difference-maker in this series. Oettinger came into the game leading the playoffs with 5.58 goals saved above expected, according to Stathletes. The Stars have been able to depend on him as a slump-breaker. But this is his third game with a save percentage south of .900 in the series. As the Stars try to build on some positives from this game, they need Otter to provide the foundation for it — and in the process, silence those “U.S. backup!” chants from the Oilers fans. — Wyshynski
Big questions for Game 4
Are the Oilers about to do to the Stars what they did to the Golden Knights?
Simply put, the Oilers are where hope goes to die. Teams in a championship window that have yet to win a title are always being judged on their evolution. What the Oilers did to the Stars a year ago in the conference finals by winning the last three games showed that they could close out a series after trailing. This postseason Edmonton has shown a calculated and methodical coldness when it comes to putting away opponents.
The Golden Knights won Game 3 on a last-second goal to create the belief they may have found an opening. They didn’t score again for the rest of the playoffs after being in the top five of goals per game throughout the regular season. Breaking out for six goals to open the series seemed to be a sign the Stars may have found an opening. Since then? They’ve scored only once in the last six periods while facing questions about what’s happened to another team that went from being in the top five in goals per game in the regular season. — Clark
Can Dallas make Edmonton uncomfortable at all?
Our colleague Mark Messier made this point between periods of Game 3: The Stars have yet to do anything to get McDavid or Leon Draisaitl off their games. That extends to the rest of the Oilers. Outside of an anomalous run of three power-play goals in the third period of Game 1, there have been precious few instances of the Stars carrying play for long stretches or putting a scare into Edmonton at 5-on-5.
They had that for a bit in Game 3 with a dominant second period: plus-14 in shot attempts, plus-11 in scoring chances and a 10-1 advantage in high-danger shot attempts. But they were digging out of a 2-0 hole, only managed to get one goal of their own on the board and then McDavid stuck a dagger in them with 19 seconds left in the second.
The Stars need a lead. They need zone time. They need to get their rush game going: Skinner had a .897 save percentage on shots off the rush entering the game. Edmonton is playing with a champion’s confidence. Dallas has to find a way to inject a little doubt into its opponent or this series is going to end quickly. — Wyshynski
Trending
-
Sports3 years ago
‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year ago
Story injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years ago
Game 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years ago
MLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years ago
Japan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years ago
Game-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years ago
Bank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway