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Deadspin | Slumping Jackets, Wings meet with playoff spot within reach Nov 22, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wingsat Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams in desperate need of a win will square off in Detroit on Tuesday night. The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost six straight games while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped six of their last eight. Both clubs are trying to revive their fading playoff hopes. Columbus (38-27-12, 88 points) lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday. The frustrated Blue Jackets held a team meeting following the defeat. “I’ll just keep our conversation in here because we’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We’re not eliminated. We’re still in it and I believe in this group. I believe we can get it done and it’s just doing it. “I mean, we did it for two months. The last two weeks obviously haven’t gone our way, but it’s in the room and it’s on us to just pull it out and get it done.” Columbus’ offense has stalled during the slide, scoring a total of 10 goals. “We create the second most chances on the forecheck in the entire league,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “Yet we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working. And they’re not working. So, I have to get after them. They’ve got to change their mindset.” Werenski believes the team needs a singular mindset on Tuesday. “We can’t worry about what other teams do or whoever we have after Detroit,” he said. “Our focus just has to be on Detroit, and after that we’ll figure it out.” The Red Wings (40-29-8, 88 points) rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to tie Minnesota on Sunday. But Patrick Kane, who scored the tying goal, took a damaging tripping penalty which led to Kirill Kaprisov’s game-winner for the Wild with 1:51 remaining. “We get the comeback and take a penalty 150 feet from our net not even in the play. It hurts,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. Minnesota built its lead by scoring four goals in the second period with the first one coming 18 seconds after the opening faceoff. “Fifteen seconds in we win a draw and we’re getting scored on because we’re lollygagging around and don’t advance the puck,” McLellan said. “Now it’s in our net. Our team right now, as soon as it doesn’t go our way, we crumble for a while, then we pick ourselves up from the mat but it’s too late. We did it again (Sunday). A pattern.” Detroit has five games remaining and might need to win them all to end a nine-year playoff drought. “(We need to) play like we did in the third period more of the game,” Red Wings center J.T. Compher said. “We gave ourselves a chance. If we start better, it makes a little easier on us. The way we played in the third, we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.” Detroit won its first meeting with Columbus this season on Alex DeBrincat’s overtime goal on Nov. 22. The Blue Jackets pulled out a 6-5 shootout victory in the second matchup on Dec. 4. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Slumping #Jackets #Wings #meet #playoff #spot #reach

Deadspin | Slumping Jackets, Wings meet with playoff spot within reach
Deadspin | Slumping Jackets, Wings meet with playoff spot within reach Nov 22, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wingsat Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams in desperate need of a win will square off in Detroit on Tuesday night. The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost six straight games while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped six of their last eight. Both clubs are trying to revive their fading playoff hopes. Columbus (38-27-12, 88 points) lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday. The frustrated Blue Jackets held a team meeting following the defeat. “I’ll just keep our conversation in here because we’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We’re not eliminated. We’re still in it and I believe in this group. I believe we can get it done and it’s just doing it. “I mean, we did it for two months. The last two weeks obviously haven’t gone our way, but it’s in the room and it’s on us to just pull it out and get it done.” Columbus’ offense has stalled during the slide, scoring a total of 10 goals. “We create the second most chances on the forecheck in the entire league,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “Yet we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working. And they’re not working. So, I have to get after them. They’ve got to change their mindset.” Werenski believes the team needs a singular mindset on Tuesday. “We can’t worry about what other teams do or whoever we have after Detroit,” he said. “Our focus just has to be on Detroit, and after that we’ll figure it out.” The Red Wings (40-29-8, 88 points) rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to tie Minnesota on Sunday. But Patrick Kane, who scored the tying goal, took a damaging tripping penalty which led to Kirill Kaprisov’s game-winner for the Wild with 1:51 remaining. “We get the comeback and take a penalty 150 feet from our net not even in the play. It hurts,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. Minnesota built its lead by scoring four goals in the second period with the first one coming 18 seconds after the opening faceoff. “Fifteen seconds in we win a draw and we’re getting scored on because we’re lollygagging around and don’t advance the puck,” McLellan said. “Now it’s in our net. Our team right now, as soon as it doesn’t go our way, we crumble for a while, then we pick ourselves up from the mat but it’s too late. We did it again (Sunday). A pattern.” Detroit has five games remaining and might need to win them all to end a nine-year playoff drought. “(We need to) play like we did in the third period more of the game,” Red Wings center J.T. Compher said. “We gave ourselves a chance. If we start better, it makes a little easier on us. The way we played in the third, we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.” Detroit won its first meeting with Columbus this season on Alex DeBrincat’s overtime goal on Nov. 22. The Blue Jackets pulled out a 6-5 shootout victory in the second matchup on Dec. 4. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Slumping #Jackets #Wings #meet #playoff #spot #reachNov 22, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wingsat Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams in desperate need of a win will square off in Detroit on Tuesday night.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost six straight games while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped six of their last eight. Both clubs are trying to revive their fading playoff hopes.

Columbus (38-27-12, 88 points) lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday. The frustrated Blue Jackets held a team meeting following the defeat.

“I’ll just keep our conversation in here because we’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We’re not eliminated. We’re still in it and I believe in this group. I believe we can get it done and it’s just doing it.

“I mean, we did it for two months. The last two weeks obviously haven’t gone our way, but it’s in the room and it’s on us to just pull it out and get it done.”

Columbus’ offense has stalled during the slide, scoring a total of 10 goals.

“We create the second most chances on the forecheck in the entire league,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “Yet we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working. And they’re not working. So, I have to get after them. They’ve got to change their mindset.”

Werenski believes the team needs a singular mindset on Tuesday.


“We can’t worry about what other teams do or whoever we have after Detroit,” he said. “Our focus just has to be on Detroit, and after that we’ll figure it out.”

The Red Wings (40-29-8, 88 points) rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to tie Minnesota on Sunday. But Patrick Kane, who scored the tying goal, took a damaging tripping penalty which led to Kirill Kaprisov’s game-winner for the Wild with 1:51 remaining.

“We get the comeback and take a penalty 150 feet from our net not even in the play. It hurts,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said.

Minnesota built its lead by scoring four goals in the second period with the first one coming 18 seconds after the opening faceoff.

“Fifteen seconds in we win a draw and we’re getting scored on because we’re lollygagging around and don’t advance the puck,” McLellan said. “Now it’s in our net. Our team right now, as soon as it doesn’t go our way, we crumble for a while, then we pick ourselves up from the mat but it’s too late. We did it again (Sunday). A pattern.”

Detroit has five games remaining and might need to win them all to end a nine-year playoff drought.

“(We need to) play like we did in the third period more of the game,” Red Wings center J.T. Compher said. “We gave ourselves a chance. If we start better, it makes a little easier on us. The way we played in the third, we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.”

Detroit won its first meeting with Columbus this season on Alex DeBrincat’s overtime goal on Nov. 22. The Blue Jackets pulled out a 6-5 shootout victory in the second matchup on Dec. 4.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Slumping #Jackets #Wings #meet #playoff #spot #reach

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Nov 22, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wingsat Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

A pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams in desperate need of a win will square off in Detroit on Tuesday night.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost six straight games while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped six of their last eight. Both clubs are trying to revive their fading playoff hopes.

Columbus (38-27-12, 88 points) lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday. The frustrated Blue Jackets held a team meeting following the defeat.

“I’ll just keep our conversation in here because we’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We’re not eliminated. We’re still in it and I believe in this group. I believe we can get it done and it’s just doing it.

“I mean, we did it for two months. The last two weeks obviously haven’t gone our way, but it’s in the room and it’s on us to just pull it out and get it done.”

Columbus’ offense has stalled during the slide, scoring a total of 10 goals.

“We create the second most chances on the forecheck in the entire league,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “Yet we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working. And they’re not working. So, I have to get after them. They’ve got to change their mindset.”

Werenski believes the team needs a singular mindset on Tuesday.

“We can’t worry about what other teams do or whoever we have after Detroit,” he said. “Our focus just has to be on Detroit, and after that we’ll figure it out.”

The Red Wings (40-29-8, 88 points) rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to tie Minnesota on Sunday. But Patrick Kane, who scored the tying goal, took a damaging tripping penalty which led to Kirill Kaprisov’s game-winner for the Wild with 1:51 remaining.

“We get the comeback and take a penalty 150 feet from our net not even in the play. It hurts,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said.

Minnesota built its lead by scoring four goals in the second period with the first one coming 18 seconds after the opening faceoff.

“Fifteen seconds in we win a draw and we’re getting scored on because we’re lollygagging around and don’t advance the puck,” McLellan said. “Now it’s in our net. Our team right now, as soon as it doesn’t go our way, we crumble for a while, then we pick ourselves up from the mat but it’s too late. We did it again (Sunday). A pattern.”

Detroit has five games remaining and might need to win them all to end a nine-year playoff drought.

“(We need to) play like we did in the third period more of the game,” Red Wings center J.T. Compher said. “We gave ourselves a chance. If we start better, it makes a little easier on us. The way we played in the third, we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.”

Detroit won its first meeting with Columbus this season on Alex DeBrincat’s overtime goal on Nov. 22. The Blue Jackets pulled out a 6-5 shootout victory in the second matchup on Dec. 4.

–Field Level Media

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Serie A: Defending champion Napoli’s beats AC Milan to mount pressure on Inter <div id="content-body-70832850" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Napoli is still in the hunt to retain its Serie A title after it beat Scudetto rival AC Milan 1-0 on Monday.</p><p>Matteo Politano lashed home the only goal of the game with 11 minutes remaining in front of delighted fans in Naples as the host racked up a fifth straight win.</p><p>Napoli leapfrogged Milan into second place but still has a battle on its hands to deny Inter a 21st league crown as it sits seven points off the pace with seven matches remaining.</p><p>But Antonio Conte’s team was superior at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, where Politano’s second goal of the season decided a largely stodgy contest.</p><p>Milan now trails local rival Inter by nine points and will, in all likelihood, have to content itself with a return to the Champions League.</p><p>Napoli’s win came without Romelu Lukaku, who has incurred the wrath of the club hierarchy after staying in Belgium for treatment for a hip injury.</p><p>And Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund was then ruled out with a stomach bug, ending a run of 29 consecutive appearances, leaving winter signing Giovane to lead the line for the host.</p><p>Napoli fans’ pre-match display encouraged its team to go “all-in” on the title, but it was a poor game, not helped by Milan only being able to select star attackers Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic.</p><p>Giovane forced Maignan into the best save of the match in the 50th minute with a stinging drive from distance, and there was little more goalmouth action until Politano pounced on Koni De Winter’s weak-headed clearance with a powerful and decisive first-time finish.</p><h4 class="sub_head">Juve eyes Champions League</h4><p>Juventus moved to within a point of Serie A’s Champions League places with a 2-0 win over Genoa, as the top four battle continued to heat up.</p><p>Taking advantage of fourth-placed Como’s goalless draw at Udinese earlier in the day, Juve notched the three points in Turin thanks to Gleison Bremer’s fourth-minute header and a 17th-minute strike from the ever-reliable Weston McKennie.</p><p>American McKennie’s fine finish took his Serie A tally to five, equalling his best-ever haul in a single league season back in his first campaign with Juve in 2020-21.</p><p>But he showed no interest in that personal statistic when speaking with DAZN after the match, saying, “the important thing is getting into the Champions League”.</p><p>Home fans had to thank goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio for a superb double save, which stopped spirited Genoa from getting back into the game, first pawing away Aaron Martin’s penalty and then keeping out Vitinha’s volley.</p><p>Di Gregorio has had a tough second season at Juve, dropped from the first team in February following a series of clangers and was only in goal on Monday due to Mattia Perin being substituted at half-time with a calf injury.</p><p>“He has some good moments and some tough moments, but we always knew that he was a quality goalkeeper. He knew that his moment would come,” said Bremer.</p><p>Di Gregorio’s stops helped put some distance between fifth-placed Juve and Roma, which trails Spalletti’s team by three points in sixth after being thumped 5-2 at Inter on Sunday.</p><p>Juve is also four points ahead of Atalanta, 3-0 winner at Lecce, ahead of Saturday’s clash between the pair in Bergamo, with Como hosting Inter the following day.</p><p>Genoa suffered no real damage to its bid to avoid relegation as Daniele De Rossi’s team sits six points above Lecce, which is in the bottom three after a heavy defeat.</p><p>Lecce was booed off by disgruntled fans after a defeat which left the team level on 27 points with Cremonese, which sits just outside the drop zone thanks to its superior head-to-head record.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 07, 2026</p></div> #Serie #Defending #champion #Napolis #beats #Milan #mount #pressure #Inter

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Deadspin | A’s promote top prospect, LHP Gage Jump, with Aaron Civale hurt Feb 23, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (79) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Top prospect Gage Jump is set to join the Athletics’ roster when starter Aaron Civale is placed on the injured list, according to multiple reports Tuesday. A left-handed strikeout pitcher, Jump has fanned 56 batters in 38 innings over nine starts at Triple-A Las Vegas this season. The 23-year-old has walked 20 and posted a 4.50 ERA with an 0-2 record. A second-round draft pick out of LSU in 2024, Jump is the No. 41 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, which rated him third among A’s prospects behind shortstop Leo De Vries and left-hander Jamie Arnold. Arnold was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Florida State and is currently pitching at Double-A Midland. Civale was pulled after four innings on Monday, raising red flags with a velocity drop that manager Mark Kotsay traced postgame to an issue with his right shoulder or lat. The A’s said Civale would undergo testing Tuesday. He allowed seven runs on nine hits and one walk, tossing only 73 pitches in Monday’s 9-2 loss to the visiting Seattle Mariners. He allowed five runs in five innings to the Los Angeles Angels last week, when he said he had been “working through” the arm issue “for a little bit.” His fastball velocity averaged 88.3 mph on the stadium radar gun on Monday, more than 3 mph off of his 2026 season average. Civale, 30, is 5-2 this season and his ERA stands at 4.20 through 11 starts. Prior to facing the Angels and Mariners in the past two turns through the rotation, he had a 2.70 ERA. He surrendered 14 hits (six home runs) and 12 earned runs in those two games. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #promote #top #prospect #LHP #Gage #Jump #Aaron #Civale #hurtFeb 23, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (79) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Top prospect Gage Jump is set to join the Athletics’ roster when starter Aaron Civale is placed on the injured list, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

A left-handed strikeout pitcher, Jump has fanned 56 batters in 38 innings over nine starts at Triple-A Las Vegas this season. The 23-year-old has walked 20 and posted a 4.50 ERA with an 0-2 record.

A second-round draft pick out of LSU in 2024, Jump is the No. 41 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, which rated him third among A’s prospects behind shortstop Leo De Vries and left-hander Jamie Arnold. Arnold was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Florida State and is currently pitching at Double-A Midland.


Civale was pulled after four innings on Monday, raising red flags with a velocity drop that manager Mark Kotsay traced postgame to an issue with his right shoulder or lat. The A’s said Civale would undergo testing Tuesday.

He allowed seven runs on nine hits and one walk, tossing only 73 pitches in Monday’s 9-2 loss to the visiting Seattle Mariners. He allowed five runs in five innings to the Los Angeles Angels last week, when he said he had been “working through” the arm issue “for a little bit.”

His fastball velocity averaged 88.3 mph on the stadium radar gun on Monday, more than 3 mph off of his 2026 season average.

Civale, 30, is 5-2 this season and his ERA stands at 4.20 through 11 starts. Prior to facing the Angels and Mariners in the past two turns through the rotation, he had a 2.70 ERA. He surrendered 14 hits (six home runs) and 12 earned runs in those two games.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #promote #top #prospect #LHP #Gage #Jump #Aaron #Civale #hurt">Deadspin | A’s promote top prospect, LHP Gage Jump, with Aaron Civale hurt Feb 23, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (79) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Top prospect Gage Jump is set to join the Athletics’ roster when starter Aaron Civale is placed on the injured list, according to multiple reports Tuesday. A left-handed strikeout pitcher, Jump has fanned 56 batters in 38 innings over nine starts at Triple-A Las Vegas this season. The 23-year-old has walked 20 and posted a 4.50 ERA with an 0-2 record. A second-round draft pick out of LSU in 2024, Jump is the No. 41 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, which rated him third among A’s prospects behind shortstop Leo De Vries and left-hander Jamie Arnold. Arnold was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Florida State and is currently pitching at Double-A Midland. Civale was pulled after four innings on Monday, raising red flags with a velocity drop that manager Mark Kotsay traced postgame to an issue with his right shoulder or lat. The A’s said Civale would undergo testing Tuesday. He allowed seven runs on nine hits and one walk, tossing only 73 pitches in Monday’s 9-2 loss to the visiting Seattle Mariners. He allowed five runs in five innings to the Los Angeles Angels last week, when he said he had been “working through” the arm issue “for a little bit.” His fastball velocity averaged 88.3 mph on the stadium radar gun on Monday, more than 3 mph off of his 2026 season average. Civale, 30, is 5-2 this season and his ERA stands at 4.20 through 11 starts. Prior to facing the Angels and Mariners in the past two turns through the rotation, he had a 2.70 ERA. He surrendered 14 hits (six home runs) and 12 earned runs in those two games. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #promote #top #prospect #LHP #Gage #Jump #Aaron #Civale #hurt

The NHL has hit the business end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with just four teams remaining. The Eastern Conference Finals is entering its fourth game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, with Carolina leading 2-1. The West sees the Colorado Avalanche trying to stave off elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are leading 3-0.

That’s the top-down view, but if you haven’t been keeping up with the NHL postseason so far, but want to dive in, let’s go a little deeper into these four remaining teams, as well as discuss the broader theme of the playoffs so far.

The Hurricanes have been the most consistent team in the playoffs with an overall record of 10-1, built on the back of their lane-clogging defense and suffocating forecheck. It’s also fair to say they’ve been one of the least-tested teams in the postseason thanks to back-to-back series against the Senators and Flyers to kick off their run.

On paper this team has every tool needed to hoist the cup, but they have two glaring issues right now:

Firstly is in net, where veteran Freddie Andersen has been extremely unreliable in the ECF. In three games he’s allowed 10 goals on 47 shots, an abysmal save percentage of 0.787% — not all of that is on Andersen, with Carolina having defensive breakdowns in every goal allowed, but a playoff-caliber netminder shouldn’t let in as many easy goals as he has.

The second issue is that the Hurricanes’ top line really hasn’t separated itself to prove it can be a cup-winning unit. Andrei Svechnikov/Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis have had a lot of opportunities, but not a lot of results. They need this top line to pick up their play in order to really feel like a team that can go all the way.

MONTREAL, CANADA - MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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Montreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.

The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.

This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.

The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.

Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.

Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
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Full credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.

One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.

This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.

This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.

Stanley Cup Finals prediction

The Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.

It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.

Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2

#NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real">NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference primer as the race for the cup gets real The NHL has hit the business end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with just four teams remaining. The Eastern Conference Finals is entering its fourth game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, with Carolina leading 2-1. The West sees the Colorado Avalanche trying to stave off elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are leading 3-0.That’s the top-down view, but if you haven’t been keeping up with the NHL postseason so far, but want to dive in, let’s go a little deeper into these four remaining teams, as well as discuss the broader theme of the playoffs so far.The Hurricanes have been the most consistent team in the playoffs with an overall record of 10-1, built on the back of their lane-clogging defense and suffocating forecheck. It’s also fair to say they’ve been one of the least-tested teams in the postseason thanks to back-to-back series against the Senators and Flyers to kick off their run.On paper this team has every tool needed to hoist the cup, but they have two glaring issues right now:Firstly is in net, where veteran Freddie Andersen has been extremely unreliable in the ECF. In three games he’s allowed 10 goals on 47 shots, an abysmal save percentage of 0.787% — not all of that is on Andersen, with Carolina having defensive breakdowns in every goal allowed, but a playoff-caliber netminder shouldn’t let in as many easy goals as he has.The second issue is that the Hurricanes’ top line really hasn’t separated itself to prove it can be a cup-winning unit. Andrei Svechnikov/Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis have had a lot of opportunities, but not a lot of results. They need this top line to pick up their play in order to really feel like a team that can go all the way.MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Getty ImagesMontreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) Getty ImagesFull credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.Stanley Cup Finals predictionThe Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2 #NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real

MONTREAL, CANADA - MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Montreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.

The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.

This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.

The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.

Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.

Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Full credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.

One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.

This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.

This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.

Stanley Cup Finals prediction

The Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.

It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.

Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2

#NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real">NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference primer as the race for the cup gets real

The NHL has hit the business end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with just four teams remaining. The Eastern Conference Finals is entering its fourth game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, with Carolina leading 2-1. The West sees the Colorado Avalanche trying to stave off elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are leading 3-0.

That’s the top-down view, but if you haven’t been keeping up with the NHL postseason so far, but want to dive in, let’s go a little deeper into these four remaining teams, as well as discuss the broader theme of the playoffs so far.

The Hurricanes have been the most consistent team in the playoffs with an overall record of 10-1, built on the back of their lane-clogging defense and suffocating forecheck. It’s also fair to say they’ve been one of the least-tested teams in the postseason thanks to back-to-back series against the Senators and Flyers to kick off their run.

On paper this team has every tool needed to hoist the cup, but they have two glaring issues right now:

Firstly is in net, where veteran Freddie Andersen has been extremely unreliable in the ECF. In three games he’s allowed 10 goals on 47 shots, an abysmal save percentage of 0.787% — not all of that is on Andersen, with Carolina having defensive breakdowns in every goal allowed, but a playoff-caliber netminder shouldn’t let in as many easy goals as he has.

The second issue is that the Hurricanes’ top line really hasn’t separated itself to prove it can be a cup-winning unit. Andrei Svechnikov/Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis have had a lot of opportunities, but not a lot of results. They need this top line to pick up their play in order to really feel like a team that can go all the way.

MONTREAL, CANADA - MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

MONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 25: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with Jordan Martinook #48 and Jalen Chatfield #5 after scoring the game-winning goal against the Montréal Canadiens during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 25, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Montreal has re-emerged this season to become an exciting and young team, with legitimate Stanley Cup potential in the future. I say, “in the future,” because the ECF thus far has proven there’s still a lot to work on for the Habs. Their free-flowing offense based on long outlet passes to the wings is a beautiful tactic, but it’s too predictable and one-note. It caught Carolina off guard in Game 1, but they’ve since adjusted to allow only 25 shots in two games, after Montreal had 22 shots in Game 1 alone.

The team needs more toughness, both up front and on the blue line — which can come with time. The real story of the postseason for Montreal has been the breakout performance of rookie goalie Jakub Dobeš, who is cementing himself as an absolute phenom. Without Dobeš in goal the Canadiens would have likely allowed five or six more goals in this series, and the rookie legitimately looks like a future Vezina-caliber tender.

This series is far from over with Carolina really struggling to get quality opportunities because of Dobeš, while also having extreme goaltending issues of their own. Montreal is fast, skilled, and if they can crack the code to breaking through the Canes’ defense then they will cause problems.

The Canadiens went through the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the East to reach this point. They proved their mettle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres, both of whom were outclassed. Meanwhile the Hurricanes had an easier route through the Metropolitan division, but showed why they were the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Avs were the runaway favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year on the back of an astounding regular season that saw the team finish at 55-16-11 to win the Presidents’ Cup — but everything is going wrong. A late-season injury to phenom defenseman Cale Makar carried into the playoffs, and his absence is really showing in the Western Conference Finals.

Without Makar at full strength, the shape of Colorado falls apart, both offensively and defensively. You can see the void on the ice, and problematically other players haven’t stepped up. Martin Necas has largely disappeared this postseason, and with him playing poorly we’ve see Nathan McKinnon suffer as well.

Call it the Presidents’ Cup Curse, but this doesn’t look anything like the Avalanche team which bodied the league during the regular season, then beat the Stars and Wild. Colorado is out of gas, and down 3-0 against the Knights means it’s almost assured they will go home.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 24: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with Tomas Hertl #48 and Mitch Marner #93 during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Full credit to the Knights, because they really looked nothing like a cup team until they installed John Tortarella as head coach late in the season. This team is an entirely different animal with Torts on the bench, and their veteran experience paired with star power have made them a team to watch.

One of the biggest benefactors of the new coaching scheme has been Mitch Marner, who was the Knights’ big free agent signing last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing in Vegas, but in the postseason he has 21 points in 15 games — earning every cent of his big money contract.

This is a team that is really difficult to put in a box. They were so average during the regular season it’s tough to ignore, but so good now that it can’t be overlooked. Now they’re taking it to Colorado in the Western Conference Finals to give themselves a legitimate shot to win it all.

This was a similar story to the East where the Avalanche went thought the toughest competition inside the conference, while the Golden Knights got an easy road. If you see people complaining about the playoff structure in the NHL then the west is the best reason why, because the Avs had to play the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the West just to reach the conference finals, despite being the best team in the conference — while Vegas drew No. 6 and No. 7 ranked teams, while finishing 5th in the division.

Stanley Cup Finals prediction

The Golden Knights should close out against the Avalanche, while I believe the Hurricanes will need six games to put away Montreal. This sets us up for Vegas vs. Carolina in the Stanley Cup Finals.

It’s been a tremendous run for the Golden Knights, but Carolina is the toughest team in these playoffs. Their defense alone makes them nearly impenetrable, and no team has solved it so far.

Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, 4-2

#NHL #Stanley #Cup #Playoffs #Conference #primer #race #cup #real

Royal Challengers Bengaluru became only the fourth team to make it to consecutive finals in the Indian Premier League.

Defending champion RCB achieved the feat by beating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in the Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala on Tuesday.

Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians are the other three teams to pull off the feat.

CSK’s streak extended to four consecutive finals, from 2010 to 2013, with the side winning two of them.

Mumbai Indians followed suit by winning the 2019 and 2020 titles. Titans joined in by entering the 2022 and 2023 summit clashes, winning the first one.

Teams to make consecutive IPL finals

Chennai Super Kings: 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 (four consecutive finals)

Mumbai Indians: 2019 and 2020

Gujarat Titans: 2022 and 2023

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 2025 and 2026

Published on May 26, 2026

#RCB #fourth #team #enter #consecutive #IPL #finals">RCB becomes fourth team to enter consecutive IPL finals Royal Challengers Bengaluru became only the fourth team to make it to consecutive finals in the Indian Premier League.Defending champion RCB achieved the feat by beating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in the Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala on Tuesday.Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians are the other three teams to pull off the feat.CSK’s streak extended to four consecutive finals, from 2010 to 2013, with the side winning two of them.Mumbai Indians followed suit by winning the 2019 and 2020 titles. Titans joined in by entering the 2022 and 2023 summit clashes, winning the first one. Teams to make consecutive IPL finals Chennai Super Kings: 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 (four consecutive finals) Mumbai Indians: 2019 and 2020 Gujarat Titans: 2022 and 2023 Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 2025 and 2026 Published on May 26, 2026 #RCB #fourth #team #enter #consecutive #IPL #finals

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