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Good Morning,
It was a late Monday night 🥱 but today brings a sports respite…
In Today’s Edition: The Florida Panthers' fortress of a goalie might be the reason the franchise raises its first Stanley Cup. Dan Hurley was presented with basketball’s most ruthless decision (stay or go), and I don't know how he did it. Plus, a pair of extra-inning walk-offs happened well beyond Midnight ET. West Coast baseball isn’t for the rookie sportswriters. Letter Rip! |
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Game 2: The Fortress of Bob 🏰 |
Photo: Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images |
Sergei Bobrovsky Dominates Again as Panthers Pound Oilers With 3rd-Period Blitz (4-1) / FLA Leads Finals (2-0)
That’s one goal allowed in two games on hockey’s biggest stage. The Edmonton Oilers have a Stanley Cup Finals problem, and his name is Sergei Bobrovsky. The Florida Panthers took Game 2 last night (4-1) and a 2-0 series lead with four unanswered goals, including three in the third period. It was the Oilers who struck first and led for much of the first two periods, but Big-Stop Bob is a force to be reckoned with.
Chants of “Bob-by! Bob-by! Bob-by!” rang throughout Amerant Bank Arena late in the third as Florida's star goaltender clamped down. Evan Rodrigues had just found the net twice in 10 minutes to put Florida up, 3-1. A dust-up in the final minutes led to some 4-on-4 hockey and an opportunity for the Oilers, but Bobrovsky still didn’t flinch. Aaron Ekblad found an empty-netter with 2:28 left. Things stayed chippy, though. Vincent Desharnais got tossed for a cheap shot, and the Oilers started to unravel. We’ll reset up in Canada for Game 3 on Thursday, but it won’t matter if the fortress of Bob remains impenetrable.
Bobrovsky’s Big Playoff Run: Bobrovsky and the Panthers have given up more than two goals in just four of their 19 postseason games, and two of those four came in the first series. They’ve held opponents to two goals or less 12 of the last 13 times they’ve taken the ice. That's a recipe for success. A 91-Percent Guarantee: Teams that go up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals win the Cup 91 percent of the time. The Panthers have never lost a playoff series when leading 2-0 (4-0 overall). Top Skater & Goalie Stats (Game 2) E. Rodrigues (FLA): 2 Goals A. Lundell (FLA): 2 Assists
S. Bobrovsky (FLA): 19 Saves (.947 SV%) S. Skinner (EDM): 27 Saves (.889 SV%)
Watch: Panthers Pull Away in 3rd to Stomp Oilers (4-1) FLA Leads Finals Series (2-0) Game 3: Thursday (8:00 pm ET, ABC) Read More
CBS Sports: Panthers Pummel Oilers in Game 2 Behind Bobrovsky, Rodrigues
Sporting News: Aleksander Barkov Injury Update After Panthers Captain Takes High Hit From Leon Draisaitl
Bonus: Shirtless Florida Kid Once Again Photobombs Stanley Cup Final Interview |
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Hurley Goes Back to School 🎒 |
Photo: Jack Dempsey / Getty Images |
UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley Turns Down Lucrative $70 Million Offer From Lakers to Stay at Connecticut
Back-to-back, and still not satisfied? Much was made about the L.A. Lakers’ overwhelming offer to UConn head coach Dan Hurley last week. He turned it down on Monday in favor of staying with the Huskies and chasing another NCAA title run. Reports said the Lakers deal was for six years and $70 million. Hurley’s current UConn contract is less than half that — about $32 million. I have questions, but the Lakers’ coaching search continues.
Danny’s Decision: It’s hard to envision a more enticing NBA coaching offer than Los Angeles and LeBron James, but Hurley has been as successful as any coach at the collegiate level. His UConn squad won back-to-back national championships and just pulled a top-10 recruiting class. Jumping from college to the NBA hasn’t been easy, either. Eleven coaches have left the NCAA for the NBA in the last three decades, and they have a collective losing record (1,483-1,797). Only one has won a championship at both levels — Larry Brown (Kansas 1988 / Pistons 2004).
Where the Lakers Go Next: Los Angeles is one of two teams still without a head coach. The other is the Cleveland Cavaliers. There were talks between L.A. and J.J. Redick before the Hurley hoopla. The former Duke and Clippers sharpshooter is a close friend of LeBron and a current ESPN analyst, but he’s never been a head coach at any level. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are also linked to L.A.
Read More
ESPN: Dan Hurley Rejects Lakers Offer to Stay at UConn
SportingNews: Why Did Dan Hurley Turn Down the Lakers? |
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Photo: Jeff Dean / Getty Images |
Top-5 Teams in Another Stratosphere, But the NL Central is Getting Silly in This Week’s MLB Power Rankings
The 70-game mark is fast approaching, but our top-tier teams aren’t going anywhere. The Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Orioles, and Guardians have proven to be the best five teams in baseball after the Braves lost Ronald Acuna Jr. at the end of May. There’s a wave of contenders hovering around .500 in the chase, including almost every team in the NL Central (see below). That division is whacky at the moment. The summer ahead brings more questions, but we may already know the answers. Any teams ready to provide a surprise?
MLB Power Rankings 1. Yankees (47-21) — 2. Phillies (45-20) — 3. Dodgers (41-26) ↑1 4. Orioles (43-22) ↑1 5. Guardians (42-22) ↓1 6. Brewers (39-27) — 7. Royals (39-28) — 8. Mariners (38-30) ↑1 9. Braves (35-28) ↑1 10. Twins (34-27) ↓1 Teams 11-20: 11. Red Sox (33-33), 12. Rangers (31-34), 13. Blue Jays (32-34), 14. Padres (35-35), 15. Reds (32-34), 16. Tigers (32-33), 17. Cubs (32-24), 18. Giants (33-34), 19. Diamondbacks (31-35), 20. Rays (31-35) Teams 21-30: 21. Cardinals (31-33), 22. Pirates (31-34), 23. Astros (30-37), 24. Nationals (30-35), 25. Mets (28-36), 26. Athletics (26-42), 27. Angels (25-40), 28. Rockies (23-43), 29. Marlins (22-43), 30. White Sox (17-50)
🚨 NL Central Chaos: All five teams in the NL Central (Brewers, Cubs, Reds, Cardinals, and Pirates) are separated by just seven total games as of June 10. The other five divisions have an average separation of 18.2 games.
Read More FOX Sports: Aaron Judge Lone Favorite in AL MVP Race
ESPN: MLB Trade Deadline 2024: Rumors, X Factors to Watch
CBS Sports: MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers are World Series Favorites, But Yankees Are No. 1 Again |
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⚾️ College Baseball World Series
NC State def. Georgia (8-5) Wolfpack Punch Final Ticket to MCWS MCWS Final 8 Bracket 1: Virginia, North Carolina, Florida State & Tennessee Bracket 2: Kentucky, Florida, Texas A&M, NC State |
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⛳️ Scottie Scheffler’s Money Record
With his fifth win in eight events and another $4 million at Muirfield Village on Sunday, Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 PGA Tour season earnings have surpassed $24 million — $3 million more than his previous record from last season. It’s only June. (CBS Sports)
🏀 NBA Expansion Will Happen, But When?
Expansion is coming to the NBA, just don’t expect it to happen quickly. Commissioner Adam Silver has been visible during the NBA Finals media blitz. He’s made it clear the NBA will continue expansion talks after media rights deals are finalized. (NBC Sports) 🏈 NFL Minicamp Battles to Watch
The second week of 2024 NFL minicamps kicked off Monday with 22 teams gathering for workouts after 10 held theirs last week. It’s a chance to see who shows up, how rookies perform, and how new coordinator systems look. Here’s what to watch. (ESPN) |
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⚾️ MLB Braves at Orioles (6:35 pm ET, MLBTV) Phillies at Red Sox (7:10 pm ET, TBS)
Yankees at Royals (8:10 pm ET, MLBTV) Rangers at Dodgers (10:10 pm ET, ESPN+) 🏀 WNBA Lynx at Aces (10:00 pm ET, NBA TV) |
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UConn head coach Dan Hurley turned down $70 million from the Los Angeles Lakers in an eye-popping decision. Which coaching situation would you choose if you were in Hurley's shoes? (click to vote)
New Challenge: L.A. Lakers ($70 Million)
Comfort of Home: UConn Huskies ($32 Million) |
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