Tampa’s Cooper scoffs at ref ‘manipulation’ claim
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper issued a rebuttal to Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe’s claim that the Lightning were “manipulating the officials” in Game 3 of the teams’ first-round Eastern Conference playoff series Saturday.
Keefe told reporters after the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 win in overtime that a third-period fight between star players Steven Stamkos and Auston Matthews was “a classic example of a veteran championship team like Tampa Bay manipulating the officials and taking advantage of a situation.”
Stamkos got into it with Matthews following a hit by Leafs’ defenseman Morgan Rielly on Lightning forward Brayden Point that briefly knocked Point out of the game — and caused several other skirmishes. Nikita Kucherov and Ryan O’Reilly were also given five-minute penalties for fighting before the dust finally settled and play resumed.
Cooper spoke with the media via Zoom on Sunday and unpacked Keefe’s criticism.
“Manipulating the referees? All right, I’m not sure what that means,” Cooper said. “When that hit [on Point] happened, I think everyone in the building, including us, thought we were going on the power play. Our two best power-play players [Stamkos and Kucherov], I don’t think they would ever sit there and take themselves off a power play unless they thought something happened.”
Ultimately, Cooper added, the Lightning didn’t help themselves by getting physical, which he said made Keefe’s comments all the more confusing.
“Auston Matthews doesn’t kill penalties,” Cooper said. “That actually worked against us, to be honest. Now we ended up being shorthanded after that [fight], but I don’t think anybody thought that was going to happen at the time, so I don’t know. That [manipulating part] is a little different for me.”
The bigger concern for Tampa Bay now is any residual fallout from Rielly’s hit on Point. Rielly was initially assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding on the play, but after an official review it was determined there was no penalty. Point went to the locker room but was able to come back and finish the game.
Rielly — who scored the game-winning goal for Toronto in overtime — said after Game 3 he thought the hit on Point was “clean.” Cooper noted Sunday that Rielly is a “super, super human being” and not a “dirty player” but said the hit clearly had a negative impact on one of the Lightning’s top skaters.
“Was the incident reckless? For sure, and it looked awful,” Cooper said. “When you see that, you’re thinking the worst. The fact [Point] came back and played? I was amazed [of that] in itself. But he went through so many different tests, and he was struggling. It looked like he was in a car accident the way he went into the wall. … Hopefully, he’s going to be OK to play tomorrow.”
One player who won’t be in the Lightning lineup for Game 4 is Erik Cernak. The defenseman has been sidelined since taking an elbow to the head from Leafs forward Michael Bunting in the second period of Game 1. Cooper did not rule out Cernak’s eventual return at some point in the series, which Tampa Bay now trails 2-1.
LOS ANGELES — Orion Kerkering made a wild throw past home instead of tossing to first after mishandling Andy Pages‘ bases-loaded comebacker with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 Thursday to win their NL Division Series 3-1.
Kerkering hung his head and put hands on knees after his throw sailed past catcher J.T. Realmuto as pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim crossed the plate, advancing the Dodgers to the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee.
Realmuto had pointed to first when the broken-bat, two-hopper hit off Kerkering’s glove and rolled just in front of the mound.
Kerkering picked up the ball and in one motion made a sidearm throw, 46 feet from the plate. The ball sailed up the third-base line, past Realmuto’s outstretched mitt, and fans in the crowd of 50,563 at Dodger Stadium erupted after spending the final three innings on their feet.
“It’s brutal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s one of those things that it’s a PFP, a pitcher’s fielding practice. He’s done it a thousand times. And right there he was so focused, I’m sure, on just getting the hitter and just sort of forgot the outs and the situation.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson wrapped an arm around Kerkering when the distraught reliever reached the dugout.
“He just got caught up in the moment a little bit,” Thomson said. “I feel for him because he’s putting it all on his shoulders.”
This was the second postseason series to end on a walk-off error, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. A wild relay throw by Texas second baseman Rougned Odor on a potential double-play grounder allowed Josh Donaldson to score and give Toronto a 7-6, 10-inning win and a three-game sweep of their 2016 AL Division Series.
Los Angeles ended a postseason series with a walk-off win for the third time after Bill Russell’s single against the Phillies in Game 4 of the 1978 NLCS and Chris Taylor‘s homer in the 2021 NL wild card game.
Nick Castellanos‘ RBI double in the seventh off Emmet Sheehan had put the Phillies ahead but Jhoan Duran walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded in the bottom half, forcing in the tying run.
Tommy Edman singled off Jesús Luzardo with one out in the 11th and took third on Max Muncy‘s two-out single that eluded diving shortstop Trea Turner.
Kerkering walked Enrique Hernández, loading the bases. Pages, in a 1-for-23 postseason slide, hit what appeared to be a routine grounder, the type every pitcher practices gloving from spring training on.
Philadelphia, wearing its powder blue throwback uniforms on the road for the second straight day, was knocked out in the Division Series for the third straight season while the defending World Series champion Dodgers reached the LCS for the eighth time in 13 years.
Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki, averaging 99.5 mph his his fastball, threw three innings of hitless relief, combining with Tyler Glasnow, Sheehan and winner Alex Vesia on a four-hitter.
Glasnow allowed two hits and three walks in six innings with eight of the 12 strikeouts by Dodgers pitchers.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was upgraded to probable Thursday on the SEC availability report, a signal he’s set to attempt to play against Texas on Saturday, just 17 days after surgery on a broken bone in his throwing hand.
Mateer’s push to return Saturday has continued this week, with sources telling ESPN that he has practiced and progressed enough to be in position to attempt to play. Sources told ESPN earlier Thursday that Mateer was on track to attempt to play Saturday.
The ambiguity over Mateer’s ability to play is expected to extend until kickoff, as sources told ESPN that Mateer’s pain level and ability to grip the ball will be watched closely.
A return to the field against Texas would be in line with the most aggressive timelines of a potential comeback.
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Monday that he assumed Mateer wouldn’t be available. OU listed Mateer as questionable on the first SEC availability report Wednesday, and Venables has remained evasive on Mateer’s availability.
Mateer emerged as a Heisman favorite in the first month of the season. He injured the hand in the first quarter of a 24-17 win over Auburn on Sept. 20. He played the rest of the game and threw for 271 yards.
He has missed just one game since surgery Sept. 24, as OU had a bye and blew out Kent State 44-0. Michael Hawkins Jr. started in the Kent game and threw three touchdown passes.
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