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Drake Maye Faces His Biggest Test Yet as Patriots Meet Texans | Deadspin.com

Drake Maye Faces His Biggest Test Yet as Patriots Meet Texans | Deadspin.com

Sports news

NFL MVP voters select a winner based on regular-season merit, leaving playoff performance ostensibly out of sight.

If New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye tackles his greatest challenge to date in Sunday’s AFC Divisional clash with Houston, however, he’ll have earned other accolades befitting his rising star.

Maye leads the second-seeded Patriots into a matchup against the Texans and their elite defense after steering a remarkable turnaround. New England went 14-3 this season, an inverse of its record from 2024, when Maye started 12 games as a rookie.

Maye brings accuracy, mobility, and assuredness after passing for 268 yards and a touchdown and gaining 66 yards on the ground to lead the Patriots to a 16-3 win against the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round.

That sort of stat line makes it easy to forget how Maye sputtered against visiting Houston in his first career start last season.

Maye joked that the Week 6 game “feels like 10 years ago” but still recalled “kind of just trying to stay alive out there.”

He gamely gained composure, passing for three TDs. But there also was the matter of those two interceptions and four sacks — three by defensive end Will Anderson Jr. — in a 41-21 defeat.

Danielle Hunter sacked Maye that day, too, and with Anderson Jr. has sparked one of the top edge-rushing tandems in the league. The duo combined for 27 sacks during the regular season for a defense that yielded the fewest yards in the NFL (5,079) and allowed the second-stingiest average points per game (17.4).

The experience of last season notwithstanding, Maye realizes what the Houston ‘D’ brings to the table.

“They fly around. They’re relentless,” he said. “They’re great up front, and great on the back end. They’ve got great linebackers. They’re great all-around. They have great coaching. So we’ve got our hands full, and we know it’s going to be a tough game.”

Houston recognizes that Maye is much improved, too, with linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair using a comparison from the kitchen to note Maye’s tangible boost in confidence.

“That’s anybody with anything when you do something, you know,” Al-Shaair said. “You bake a cake for the first time, probably mess it up, and then you do it again, do it again, do it again, and it looks better, tastes better next time.”

Given his nimble ways in the pocket and 4.4 yards per carry in the regular season, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Maye likely built his stature on something other than sweets.

Whatever the case, the Texans are bracing to face more than a budding pocket passer.

“These dudes now are big, strong, fast. He’s literally bigger than me, stronger than me, probably just as fast,” said Al-Shaair, who’s listed at 6-2, 228. “And this is a quarterback, you know. I’m a linebacker.

“So, I think you see stuff like that and then you also see the ability to throw the ball downfield and you mix that up with the play calling that they have and the run game that they have and it just complements everything well. That’s why he’s in the position he’s in.”

A victory Sunday would put the Patriots one win away from their first Super Bowl in the post–Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era.

That could elevate Maye to legend status in New England whether he takes MVP honors or not.

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In sport, memory lives in numbers and often dominates discussions across eras. Scorecards eventually become history, though for many fans, they are much more.

Ardent baseball fans treat scorecards as precious collectibles, while cricket enthusiasts can swear by a legendary “ton” or a definitive “five-fer” in a specific Test match. Yet, truth often slips through the gaps, much like a cover drive imperiously threaded between point and mid-off.

Baseball offers a clinical verdict: a batter is retired, and the scorecard records the outcome with total indifference. It matters little whether a fielder hauls in the ball at full stretch in right field or if it settles comfortably into a waiting glove in centre. The act is completed, the moment fades, and the numbers move on—offering no room for the artistry of the effort.

A Lesson from the Hardwood

Basketball has always had an answer to this conundrum. For the Los Angeles Lakers, whenever Earvin “Magic” Johnson threaded a pass to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the finish was only half the act. The assist carried weight, etched into the record books as a vital statistic.

In basketball, the creator and the completer share the spotlight, ensuring that fans and history books alike acknowledge the setup as much as the score.

A case for the invisible assist — Why Cricket Needs an ‘Assist’ Column In sport, memory lives in numbers and often dominates discussions across eras. Scorecards eventually become history, though for many fans, they are much more.Ardent baseball fans treat scorecards as precious collectibles, while cricket enthusiasts can swear by a legendary “ton” or a definitive “five-fer” in a specific Test match. Yet, truth often slips through the gaps, much like a cover drive imperiously threaded between point and mid-off.Baseball offers a clinical verdict: a batter is retired, and the scorecard records the outcome with total indifference. It matters little whether a fielder hauls in the ball at full stretch in right field or if it settles comfortably into a waiting glove in centre. The act is completed, the moment fades, and the numbers move on—offering no room for the artistry of the effort.A Lesson from the HardwoodBasketball has always had an answer to this conundrum. For the Los Angeles Lakers, whenever Earvin “Magic” Johnson threaded a pass to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the finish was only half the act. The assist carried weight, etched into the record books as a vital statistic.In basketball, the creator and the completer share the spotlight, ensuring that fans and history books alike acknowledge the setup as much as the score.Brothers of destruction: Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formed one of the deadliest combinations in NBA, leading the attack for Los Angeles Lakers. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library Brothers of destruction: Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formed one of the deadliest combinations in NBA, leading the attack for Los Angeles Lakers. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library The Evolution of the GameStatisticians in cricket seemingly had a different idea. Perhaps pioneers like Bill Frindall, B.B. Mama, Anandji Dossa, and Sudhir Vaidya never anticipated the acrobatic artistry of a Suryakumar Yadav at the Kensington Oval in 2024 or a Shreyas Iyer in 2026.Cricket commentary celebrates the late swing and the diving stop; it applauds fielding brilliance with roars and endless replays. Yet, when the dust settles, the record often ignores this evolving dimension of the game. During a telecast, we are now accustomed to wagon wheels, Manhattan charts, and “the worm”—visual aids that add spice to an already well-made biryani—but the scorecard remains stubbornly static.The Wankhede MiracleA recent night at the Wankhede Stadium during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season provided a jarring reminder of this oversight. In the 24th match between the Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, the ball sailed toward the boundary in the 18th over. Shreyas Iyer produced a moment of pure theatre.Stationed at long-on, he sprinted to his left, launched himself into the air, and plucked the ball from the sky. Mid-flight, as gravity pulled him toward the rope, instinct took over. He flicked the ball back into play just as he crossed the boundary, where Xavier Bartlett completed the relay. Hardik Pandya was sent on his way, and the stadium erupted.Key architect: Shreyas Iyer did not really take the catch of Hardik Pandya, but he played the most significant role in the dismissal. | Photo Credit: PTI Key architect: Shreyas Iyer did not really take the catch of Hardik Pandya, but he played the most significant role in the dismissal. | Photo Credit: PTI Ask anyone who “took” that catch, and the name they say will be Iyer. Yet, look at the scorecard, and Iyer’s name is nowhere to be found. In the history books, he doesn’t even receive an asterisk for this breathtaking fusion of athleticism, awareness, and timing.Similarly, when a catch bursts from the grasp of a diving first-slip fielder and is safely completed by a teammate at second slip, the scorecard credits only the finisher, leaving the initial effort, often the defining act, without even a mention.A Call for ChangeThe typical line on a scorecard reads: “c Fielder b Bowler.” Even if a substitute or an “Impact Player” takes the catch, their name is recognised. But in a relay situation, the player who does the heavy lifting—the “creator”—is erased from the official narrative.Cricket has evolved in almost every other dimension. Technology provides mountains of data for batters, bowlers, and coaches, yet we lack the statistical language to preserve teamwork in motion. The boundary relay catch is the purest example of a collaborative effort; without the first player, the second does not exist. Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column would change that. | Photo Credit: AP Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column would change that. | Photo Credit: AP Imagine a child twenty years from now speaking about their father’s legendary catch. They pull up the scorecard to prove it, only to find a name that isn’t his. What do they point to? The video might survive in fragments, but the numbers—sport’s most trusted storytellers—will remain silent.Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column wouldn’t just change a statistic; it would honour the invisible hand that shapes the game’s most defining moments. In a sport that prides itself on detail, this is one detail that has waited long enough to be seen.Published on May 12, 2026 #case #invisible #assist #Cricket #Assist #Column

Brothers of destruction: Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formed one of the deadliest combinations in NBA, leading the attack for Los Angeles Lakers. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library

lightbox-info

Brothers of destruction: Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formed one of the deadliest combinations in NBA, leading the attack for Los Angeles Lakers. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library

The Evolution of the Game

Statisticians in cricket seemingly had a different idea. Perhaps pioneers like Bill Frindall, B.B. Mama, Anandji Dossa, and Sudhir Vaidya never anticipated the acrobatic artistry of a Suryakumar Yadav at the Kensington Oval in 2024 or a Shreyas Iyer in 2026.

Cricket commentary celebrates the late swing and the diving stop; it applauds fielding brilliance with roars and endless replays. Yet, when the dust settles, the record often ignores this evolving dimension of the game. During a telecast, we are now accustomed to wagon wheels, Manhattan charts, and “the worm”—visual aids that add spice to an already well-made biryani—but the scorecard remains stubbornly static.

The Wankhede Miracle

A recent night at the Wankhede Stadium during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season provided a jarring reminder of this oversight. In the 24th match between the Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, the ball sailed toward the boundary in the 18th over. Shreyas Iyer produced a moment of pure theatre.

Stationed at long-on, he sprinted to his left, launched himself into the air, and plucked the ball from the sky. Mid-flight, as gravity pulled him toward the rope, instinct took over. He flicked the ball back into play just as he crossed the boundary, where Xavier Bartlett completed the relay. Hardik Pandya was sent on his way, and the stadium erupted.

Key architect: Shreyas Iyer did not really take the catch of Hardik Pandya, but he played the most significant role in the dismissal.

Key architect: Shreyas Iyer did not really take the catch of Hardik Pandya, but he played the most significant role in the dismissal. | Photo Credit: PTI

lightbox-info

Key architect: Shreyas Iyer did not really take the catch of Hardik Pandya, but he played the most significant role in the dismissal. | Photo Credit: PTI

Ask anyone who “took” that catch, and the name they say will be Iyer. Yet, look at the scorecard, and Iyer’s name is nowhere to be found. In the history books, he doesn’t even receive an asterisk for this breathtaking fusion of athleticism, awareness, and timing.

Similarly, when a catch bursts from the grasp of a diving first-slip fielder and is safely completed by a teammate at second slip, the scorecard credits only the finisher, leaving the initial effort, often the defining act, without even a mention.

A Call for Change

The typical line on a scorecard reads: “c Fielder b Bowler.” Even if a substitute or an “Impact Player” takes the catch, their name is recognised. But in a relay situation, the player who does the heavy lifting—the “creator”—is erased from the official narrative.

Cricket has evolved in almost every other dimension. Technology provides mountains of data for batters, bowlers, and coaches, yet we lack the statistical language to preserve teamwork in motion. The boundary relay catch is the purest example of a collaborative effort; without the first player, the second does not exist.

Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column would change that.

Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column would change that. | Photo Credit: AP

lightbox-info

Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column would change that. | Photo Credit: AP

Imagine a child twenty years from now speaking about their father’s legendary catch. They pull up the scorecard to prove it, only to find a name that isn’t his. What do they point to? The video might survive in fragments, but the numbers—sport’s most trusted storytellers—will remain silent.

Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column wouldn’t just change a statistic; it would honour the invisible hand that shapes the game’s most defining moments. In a sport that prides itself on detail, this is one detail that has waited long enough to be seen.

Published on May 12, 2026

#case #invisible #assist #Cricket #Assist #Column">A case for the invisible assist — Why Cricket Needs an ‘Assist’ Column In sport, memory lives in numbers and often dominates discussions across eras. Scorecards eventually become history, though for many fans, they are much more.Ardent baseball fans treat scorecards as precious collectibles, while cricket enthusiasts can swear by a legendary “ton” or a definitive “five-fer” in a specific Test match. Yet, truth often slips through the gaps, much like a cover drive imperiously threaded between point and mid-off.Baseball offers a clinical verdict: a batter is retired, and the scorecard records the outcome with total indifference. It matters little whether a fielder hauls in the ball at full stretch in right field or if it settles comfortably into a waiting glove in centre. The act is completed, the moment fades, and the numbers move on—offering no room for the artistry of the effort.A Lesson from the HardwoodBasketball has always had an answer to this conundrum. For the Los Angeles Lakers, whenever Earvin “Magic” Johnson threaded a pass to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the finish was only half the act. The assist carried weight, etched into the record books as a vital statistic.In basketball, the creator and the completer share the spotlight, ensuring that fans and history books alike acknowledge the setup as much as the score.Brothers of destruction: Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formed one of the deadliest combinations in NBA, leading the attack for Los Angeles Lakers. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library Brothers of destruction: Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formed one of the deadliest combinations in NBA, leading the attack for Los Angeles Lakers. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library The Evolution of the GameStatisticians in cricket seemingly had a different idea. Perhaps pioneers like Bill Frindall, B.B. Mama, Anandji Dossa, and Sudhir Vaidya never anticipated the acrobatic artistry of a Suryakumar Yadav at the Kensington Oval in 2024 or a Shreyas Iyer in 2026.Cricket commentary celebrates the late swing and the diving stop; it applauds fielding brilliance with roars and endless replays. Yet, when the dust settles, the record often ignores this evolving dimension of the game. During a telecast, we are now accustomed to wagon wheels, Manhattan charts, and “the worm”—visual aids that add spice to an already well-made biryani—but the scorecard remains stubbornly static.The Wankhede MiracleA recent night at the Wankhede Stadium during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season provided a jarring reminder of this oversight. In the 24th match between the Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, the ball sailed toward the boundary in the 18th over. Shreyas Iyer produced a moment of pure theatre.Stationed at long-on, he sprinted to his left, launched himself into the air, and plucked the ball from the sky. Mid-flight, as gravity pulled him toward the rope, instinct took over. He flicked the ball back into play just as he crossed the boundary, where Xavier Bartlett completed the relay. Hardik Pandya was sent on his way, and the stadium erupted.Key architect: Shreyas Iyer did not really take the catch of Hardik Pandya, but he played the most significant role in the dismissal. | Photo Credit: PTI Key architect: Shreyas Iyer did not really take the catch of Hardik Pandya, but he played the most significant role in the dismissal. | Photo Credit: PTI Ask anyone who “took” that catch, and the name they say will be Iyer. Yet, look at the scorecard, and Iyer’s name is nowhere to be found. In the history books, he doesn’t even receive an asterisk for this breathtaking fusion of athleticism, awareness, and timing.Similarly, when a catch bursts from the grasp of a diving first-slip fielder and is safely completed by a teammate at second slip, the scorecard credits only the finisher, leaving the initial effort, often the defining act, without even a mention.A Call for ChangeThe typical line on a scorecard reads: “c Fielder b Bowler.” Even if a substitute or an “Impact Player” takes the catch, their name is recognised. But in a relay situation, the player who does the heavy lifting—the “creator”—is erased from the official narrative.Cricket has evolved in almost every other dimension. Technology provides mountains of data for batters, bowlers, and coaches, yet we lack the statistical language to preserve teamwork in motion. The boundary relay catch is the purest example of a collaborative effort; without the first player, the second does not exist. Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column would change that. | Photo Credit: AP Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column would change that. | Photo Credit: AP Imagine a child twenty years from now speaking about their father’s legendary catch. They pull up the scorecard to prove it, only to find a name that isn’t his. What do they point to? The video might survive in fragments, but the numbers—sport’s most trusted storytellers—will remain silent.Cricket doesn’t lack appreciation for fielding; it lacks the language to preserve it. An assist column wouldn’t just change a statistic; it would honour the invisible hand that shapes the game’s most defining moments. In a sport that prides itself on detail, this is one detail that has waited long enough to be seen.Published on May 12, 2026 #case #invisible #assist #Cricket #Assist #Column

Deadspin | Jim Colbert, 35-time professional winner, dies at 85 May 13, 2006; Sandestin, FL, USA; Jim Colbert tees off on the 14th hole of the Raven course during the second round of the Boeing Championships at Sandestin. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst Copyright © 2006 Jason Parkhurst Jim Colbert, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour and a 35-time professional winner overall, died on Sunday at the age of 85. From 1969 to 1983, Colbert won eight tournaments on the tour, earning two playoff victories (2-0) in the process. One of those came in 1983 — a high mark calendar year for Colbert, the only year he won two tournaments — against Fuzzy Zoeller in the Colonial National Invitation. Constantly adorned in his signature bucket hat, Colbert made an even bigger splash on the senior circuit, earning 20 senior PGA tour wins over a 10-year span from 1991 to 2001. On that hat, Colbert came to embrace his signature look, after finding that people wouldn’t recognize him without it. “Lee Trevino has the sombrero. Jack Nicklaus has the bear,” Colbert said. “I have my hat.” Born in New Jersey, Colbert played golf and football before earning a football scholarship to attend Kansas State University. Following an injury, Colbert re-dedicated himself to golf, finishing runner-up at the 1964 NCAA Championship. He turned professional shortly thereafter. After his turn on the PGA Tour, Colbert served as a golf analyst on ESPN before re-entering the game on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. He was an instant success there, winning three times in 1991 to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Colbert had a public battle with prostate cancer in the late 1990s, but he rebounded to win another tournament in 1998, which resulted in his being named Comeback Player of the Year. His continued involvement with his alma mater led to a friendship with longtime Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder and the construction of a golf course named in his honor, Colbert Hills, located in Manhattan, Kan. “Jim had a positive influence on many, many lives,” Snyder said. “He never failed to step up to help when he was in a position to help his community and people in need.” Colbert has been enshrined in the Kansas State Athletic Hall of Fame, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, among other honors. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Jim #Colbert #35time #professional #winner #diesMay 13, 2006; Sandestin, FL, USA; Jim Colbert tees off on the 14th hole of the Raven course during the second round of the Boeing Championships at Sandestin. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst Copyright © 2006 Jason Parkhurst

Jim Colbert, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour and a 35-time professional winner overall, died on Sunday at the age of 85.

From 1969 to 1983, Colbert won eight tournaments on the tour, earning two playoff victories (2-0) in the process. One of those came in 1983 — a high mark calendar year for Colbert, the only year he won two tournaments — against Fuzzy Zoeller in the Colonial National Invitation.

Constantly adorned in his signature bucket hat, Colbert made an even bigger splash on the senior circuit, earning 20 senior PGA tour wins over a 10-year span from 1991 to 2001.

On that hat, Colbert came to embrace his signature look, after finding that people wouldn’t recognize him without it.

“Lee Trevino has the sombrero. Jack Nicklaus has the bear,” Colbert said. “I have my hat.”


Born in New Jersey, Colbert played golf and football before earning a football scholarship to attend Kansas State University. Following an injury, Colbert re-dedicated himself to golf, finishing runner-up at the 1964 NCAA Championship. He turned professional shortly thereafter.

After his turn on the PGA Tour, Colbert served as a golf analyst on ESPN before re-entering the game on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. He was an instant success there, winning three times in 1991 to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Colbert had a public battle with prostate cancer in the late 1990s, but he rebounded to win another tournament in 1998, which resulted in his being named Comeback Player of the Year.

His continued involvement with his alma mater led to a friendship with longtime Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder and the construction of a golf course named in his honor, Colbert Hills, located in Manhattan, Kan.

“Jim had a positive influence on many, many lives,” Snyder said. “He never failed to step up to help when he was in a position to help his community and people in need.”

Colbert has been enshrined in the Kansas State Athletic Hall of Fame, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, among other honors.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Jim #Colbert #35time #professional #winner #dies">Deadspin | Jim Colbert, 35-time professional winner, dies at 85 May 13, 2006; Sandestin, FL, USA; Jim Colbert tees off on the 14th hole of the Raven course during the second round of the Boeing Championships at Sandestin. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst Copyright © 2006 Jason Parkhurst Jim Colbert, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour and a 35-time professional winner overall, died on Sunday at the age of 85. From 1969 to 1983, Colbert won eight tournaments on the tour, earning two playoff victories (2-0) in the process. One of those came in 1983 — a high mark calendar year for Colbert, the only year he won two tournaments — against Fuzzy Zoeller in the Colonial National Invitation. Constantly adorned in his signature bucket hat, Colbert made an even bigger splash on the senior circuit, earning 20 senior PGA tour wins over a 10-year span from 1991 to 2001. On that hat, Colbert came to embrace his signature look, after finding that people wouldn’t recognize him without it. “Lee Trevino has the sombrero. Jack Nicklaus has the bear,” Colbert said. “I have my hat.” Born in New Jersey, Colbert played golf and football before earning a football scholarship to attend Kansas State University. Following an injury, Colbert re-dedicated himself to golf, finishing runner-up at the 1964 NCAA Championship. He turned professional shortly thereafter. After his turn on the PGA Tour, Colbert served as a golf analyst on ESPN before re-entering the game on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. He was an instant success there, winning three times in 1991 to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Colbert had a public battle with prostate cancer in the late 1990s, but he rebounded to win another tournament in 1998, which resulted in his being named Comeback Player of the Year. His continued involvement with his alma mater led to a friendship with longtime Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder and the construction of a golf course named in his honor, Colbert Hills, located in Manhattan, Kan. “Jim had a positive influence on many, many lives,” Snyder said. “He never failed to step up to help when he was in a position to help his community and people in need.” Colbert has been enshrined in the Kansas State Athletic Hall of Fame, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, among other honors. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Jim #Colbert #35time #professional #winner #dies

The Carolina Hurricanes are either the best team in hockey, or the biggest frauds in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — it all depends on who you ask. The Canes made history on Saturday night in Philadelphia with their eighth straight playoff win, and their second sweep in a row. It made them the first team in NHL history to sweep their first two series since the 1987 best-of-seven format began, the first team to start 8-0 in the playoffs since 1985, and only the fifth team in NHL history to start the playoffs 8-0.

Yet nobody can settle on whether this team is really a Stanley Cup favorite yet.

A lot of factors go into the acrimony when discussing Carolina. There’s long-standing bitterness over southern hockey being a thing, especially following back-to-back years of the Florida Panthers hoisting the cup. There’s the fact that the team plays hockey in a manner that runs counter to everything we know about success in the modern NHL. Also, there’s simply a reality that the Canes have had a pretty easy path through the postseason thus far, facing two teams that were bad strategic mismatches for them.

What that doesn’t mean, however, is that either the Ottawa Senators or Philadelphia Flyers are “bad teams.” Finishing with 99 and 98 points on the season, respectively, the Sens and Flyers were better than the entire Western Conference Pacific Division, better than the Utah Mammoth who the Golden Knights beat in the first round, and just one win worse than the Bruins, who the Sabres bested in the opening round. Yet, it’s become cool to hate on the Hurricanes’ opponents thus far as a means to discredit Carolina as being a legitimate team — foisting them with criticism no other team in the field is left with.

It’s absolutely fair to say that both Ottawa and Philadelphia were thrown into a mismatch blender. Both teams thrived during the regular season when playing on clean ice, with open passing lanes and room to set up plays. This is what the Hurricanes excel at stopping, running brutal forechecks with gutsy defensive rotations that flip the formation to send defensemen up ice to hassle opposing defenseman on the puck, allowing the forwards to stay home.

One of the hallmarks of Carolina hockey is to forget the model of play that wins in the NHL, and instead change the game into Hurricanes hockey. They thrive in limiting the effectiveness of star players, making the game be about depth rather than top-line strength, then take over when their third and fourth lines are stronger than their opponents. There’s no coincidence that hockey fans were wondering why Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle disappeared in the Sens series, or why Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny couldn’t make inroads in round two. This was the Canes’ doing, and it worked.

This past week Brady Tkachuk explained why it was near-impossible to deal with the Hurricanes’ defense in his series, and noticing that it was happening to the Flyers as well.

“Their D… they have the best sticks I’ve ever seen. It was crazy. Some of the plays you’d just be like ‘I can get this through,’ like Slav [Jaccob Slavin] has probably the best stick in the league. I had two Grade-A’s [scoring chances] and they hit his stick and up in the netting. I was like ‘how on earth is that not in the back of the net?’”

The length of the Carolina blueliners is causing massive problems for any team trying to play pretty, puck rotation hockey. Throughout the Flyers series we saw the Philly attack get decimated due to deflections from Slavin, K’Andre Miller, and Alexander Nikishin — with their pairings in Jalen Chatfield, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Sean Walker serving more as the more traditional net battlers. This layered defense has been impenetrable in the playoffs and has been offset with the Canes showing more fight and edge that they have previously.

So why is there so much doubt that this can carry over to the cup? There are three fair statements to make:

  1. The Hurricanes haven’t faced an elite, 90+ point player yet in the playoffs
  2. They’ve been so good defensively that it seems impossible to keep it up
  3. Carolina’s best players really haven’t turned up yet

Forgive the pun, but you can see the storm brewing for Carolina that this incredible run could go south quickly (another pun, sorry). Getting the better of Stützle or Konecny is one thing, but when that caliber of player changes to Nathan McKinnon, Martin Nečas, Nick Suzuki, or Kirill Kaprizov — can this same approach still work? Is there a break point to this defensive dominance where Carolina can be overwhelmed by star players, and if that happens can the Canes recover?

That is the real worry right now, and it’s fair to question what is happening with the Carolina top line. The heroes of the playoffs thus far for the Canes has been the Hall/Stankoven/Blake line two, which has been phenomenal — but there has been pronounced quietness from Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis on the top line, outside of a few glimmers of magic. We know that historically the NHL playoffs have been won through star power, even by teams like the Panthers who were bruising, but still leaned on Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand to drag them through.

If the Canes can’t get that top-line performance firing then there’s a chance they can’t assert their will on the game, which has a domino effect on the rest of the lines, thereby putting more pressure on the defense to bail the team out.

The biggest questions about the Hurricanes won’t get answered for some time, with Saturday being the earliest their next series can begin. Whether the Sabres or Canadiens come out of the Atlantic, either team will be the best opposition Carolina has faced, with more star power and deeper lines. If the Canes are able to keep up this dominance in the Eastern Conference Finals then we can really talk about their chances to beat the Avs or Wild in the West.

So are the Canes really cup favorites or pretenders? They’re both, and neither, and bizarrely somewhere in the middle. Carolina is a unique Rod Brind’Amour team that approaches hockey in a way no one else does, which means we can’t use the typical yardsticks to measure their potential. It’s all a big guessing game, but that’s what make these playoffs so much fun.

#Carolina #Hurricanes #history #Stanley #Cup #story">The Carolina Hurricanes made history, but the Stanley Cup is a different story The Carolina Hurricanes are either the best team in hockey, or the biggest frauds in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — it all depends on who you ask. The Canes made history on Saturday night in Philadelphia with their eighth straight playoff win, and their second sweep in a row. It made them the first team in NHL history to sweep their first two series since the 1987 best-of-seven format began, the first team to start 8-0 in the playoffs since 1985, and only the fifth team in NHL history to start the playoffs 8-0.Yet nobody can settle on whether this team is really a Stanley Cup favorite yet.A lot of factors go into the acrimony when discussing Carolina. There’s long-standing bitterness over southern hockey being a thing, especially following back-to-back years of the Florida Panthers hoisting the cup. There’s the fact that the team plays hockey in a manner that runs counter to everything we know about success in the modern NHL. Also, there’s simply a reality that the Canes have had a pretty easy path through the postseason thus far, facing two teams that were bad strategic mismatches for them.What that doesn’t mean, however, is that either the Ottawa Senators or Philadelphia Flyers are “bad teams.” Finishing with 99 and 98 points on the season, respectively, the Sens and Flyers were better than the entire Western Conference Pacific Division, better than the Utah Mammoth who the Golden Knights beat in the first round, and just one win worse than the Bruins, who the Sabres bested in the opening round. Yet, it’s become cool to hate on the Hurricanes’ opponents thus far as a means to discredit Carolina as being a legitimate team — foisting them with criticism no other team in the field is left with.It’s absolutely fair to say that both Ottawa and Philadelphia were thrown into a mismatch blender. Both teams thrived during the regular season when playing on clean ice, with open passing lanes and room to set up plays. This is what the Hurricanes excel at stopping, running brutal forechecks with gutsy defensive rotations that flip the formation to send defensemen up ice to hassle opposing defenseman on the puck, allowing the forwards to stay home.One of the hallmarks of Carolina hockey is to forget the model of play that wins in the NHL, and instead change the game into Hurricanes hockey. They thrive in limiting the effectiveness of star players, making the game be about depth rather than top-line strength, then take over when their third and fourth lines are stronger than their opponents. There’s no coincidence that hockey fans were wondering why Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle disappeared in the Sens series, or why Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny couldn’t make inroads in round two. This was the Canes’ doing, and it worked.This past week Brady Tkachuk explained why it was near-impossible to deal with the Hurricanes’ defense in his series, and noticing that it was happening to the Flyers as well.“Their D… they have the best sticks I’ve ever seen. It was crazy. Some of the plays you’d just be like ‘I can get this through,’ like Slav [Jaccob Slavin] has probably the best stick in the league. I had two Grade-A’s [scoring chances] and they hit his stick and up in the netting. I was like ‘how on earth is that not in the back of the net?’”The length of the Carolina blueliners is causing massive problems for any team trying to play pretty, puck rotation hockey. Throughout the Flyers series we saw the Philly attack get decimated due to deflections from Slavin, K’Andre Miller, and Alexander Nikishin — with their pairings in Jalen Chatfield, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Sean Walker serving more as the more traditional net battlers. This layered defense has been impenetrable in the playoffs and has been offset with the Canes showing more fight and edge that they have previously.So why is there so much doubt that this can carry over to the cup? There are three fair statements to make:The Hurricanes haven’t faced an elite, 90+ point player yet in the playoffsThey’ve been so good defensively that it seems impossible to keep it upCarolina’s best players really haven’t turned up yetForgive the pun, but you can see the storm brewing for Carolina that this incredible run could go south quickly (another pun, sorry). Getting the better of Stützle or Konecny is one thing, but when that caliber of player changes to Nathan McKinnon, Martin Nečas, Nick Suzuki, or Kirill Kaprizov — can this same approach still work? Is there a break point to this defensive dominance where Carolina can be overwhelmed by star players, and if that happens can the Canes recover?That is the real worry right now, and it’s fair to question what is happening with the Carolina top line. The heroes of the playoffs thus far for the Canes has been the Hall/Stankoven/Blake line two, which has been phenomenal — but there has been pronounced quietness from Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis on the top line, outside of a few glimmers of magic. We know that historically the NHL playoffs have been won through star power, even by teams like the Panthers who were bruising, but still leaned on Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand to drag them through.If the Canes can’t get that top-line performance firing then there’s a chance they can’t assert their will on the game, which has a domino effect on the rest of the lines, thereby putting more pressure on the defense to bail the team out.The biggest questions about the Hurricanes won’t get answered for some time, with Saturday being the earliest their next series can begin. Whether the Sabres or Canadiens come out of the Atlantic, either team will be the best opposition Carolina has faced, with more star power and deeper lines. If the Canes are able to keep up this dominance in the Eastern Conference Finals then we can really talk about their chances to beat the Avs or Wild in the West.So are the Canes really cup favorites or pretenders? They’re both, and neither, and bizarrely somewhere in the middle. Carolina is a unique Rod Brind’Amour team that approaches hockey in a way no one else does, which means we can’t use the typical yardsticks to measure their potential. It’s all a big guessing game, but that’s what make these playoffs so much fun. #Carolina #Hurricanes #history #Stanley #Cup #story

The Canes made history on Saturday night in Philadelphia with their eighth straight playoff win, and their second sweep in a row. It made them the first team in NHL history to sweep their first two series since the 1987 best-of-seven format began, the first team to start 8-0 in the playoffs since 1985, and only the fifth team in NHL history to start the playoffs 8-0.

Yet nobody can settle on whether this team is really a Stanley Cup favorite yet.

A lot of factors go into the acrimony when discussing Carolina. There’s long-standing bitterness over southern hockey being a thing, especially following back-to-back years of the Florida Panthers hoisting the cup. There’s the fact that the team plays hockey in a manner that runs counter to everything we know about success in the modern NHL. Also, there’s simply a reality that the Canes have had a pretty easy path through the postseason thus far, facing two teams that were bad strategic mismatches for them.

What that doesn’t mean, however, is that either the Ottawa Senators or Philadelphia Flyers are “bad teams.” Finishing with 99 and 98 points on the season, respectively, the Sens and Flyers were better than the entire Western Conference Pacific Division, better than the Utah Mammoth who the Golden Knights beat in the first round, and just one win worse than the Bruins, who the Sabres bested in the opening round. Yet, it’s become cool to hate on the Hurricanes’ opponents thus far as a means to discredit Carolina as being a legitimate team — foisting them with criticism no other team in the field is left with.

It’s absolutely fair to say that both Ottawa and Philadelphia were thrown into a mismatch blender. Both teams thrived during the regular season when playing on clean ice, with open passing lanes and room to set up plays. This is what the Hurricanes excel at stopping, running brutal forechecks with gutsy defensive rotations that flip the formation to send defensemen up ice to hassle opposing defenseman on the puck, allowing the forwards to stay home.

One of the hallmarks of Carolina hockey is to forget the model of play that wins in the NHL, and instead change the game into Hurricanes hockey. They thrive in limiting the effectiveness of star players, making the game be about depth rather than top-line strength, then take over when their third and fourth lines are stronger than their opponents. There’s no coincidence that hockey fans were wondering why Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle disappeared in the Sens series, or why Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny couldn’t make inroads in round two. This was the Canes’ doing, and it worked.

This past week Brady Tkachuk explained why it was near-impossible to deal with the Hurricanes’ defense in his series, and noticing that it was happening to the Flyers as well.

“Their D… they have the best sticks I’ve ever seen. It was crazy. Some of the plays you’d just be like ‘I can get this through,’ like Slav [Jaccob Slavin] has probably the best stick in the league. I had two Grade-A’s [scoring chances] and they hit his stick and up in the netting. I was like ‘how on earth is that not in the back of the net?’”

The length of the Carolina blueliners is causing massive problems for any team trying to play pretty, puck rotation hockey. Throughout the Flyers series we saw the Philly attack get decimated due to deflections from Slavin, K’Andre Miller, and Alexander Nikishin — with their pairings in Jalen Chatfield, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Sean Walker serving more as the more traditional net battlers. This layered defense has been impenetrable in the playoffs and has been offset with the Canes showing more fight and edge that they have previously.

So why is there so much doubt that this can carry over to the cup? There are three fair statements to make:

  1. The Hurricanes haven’t faced an elite, 90+ point player yet in the playoffs
  2. They’ve been so good defensively that it seems impossible to keep it up
  3. Carolina’s best players really haven’t turned up yet

Forgive the pun, but you can see the storm brewing for Carolina that this incredible run could go south quickly (another pun, sorry). Getting the better of Stützle or Konecny is one thing, but when that caliber of player changes to Nathan McKinnon, Martin Nečas, Nick Suzuki, or Kirill Kaprizov — can this same approach still work? Is there a break point to this defensive dominance where Carolina can be overwhelmed by star players, and if that happens can the Canes recover?

That is the real worry right now, and it’s fair to question what is happening with the Carolina top line. The heroes of the playoffs thus far for the Canes has been the Hall/Stankoven/Blake line two, which has been phenomenal — but there has been pronounced quietness from Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis on the top line, outside of a few glimmers of magic. We know that historically the NHL playoffs have been won through star power, even by teams like the Panthers who were bruising, but still leaned on Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand to drag them through.

If the Canes can’t get that top-line performance firing then there’s a chance they can’t assert their will on the game, which has a domino effect on the rest of the lines, thereby putting more pressure on the defense to bail the team out.

The biggest questions about the Hurricanes won’t get answered for some time, with Saturday being the earliest their next series can begin. Whether the Sabres or Canadiens come out of the Atlantic, either team will be the best opposition Carolina has faced, with more star power and deeper lines. If the Canes are able to keep up this dominance in the Eastern Conference Finals then we can really talk about their chances to beat the Avs or Wild in the West.

So are the Canes really cup favorites or pretenders? They’re both, and neither, and bizarrely somewhere in the middle. Carolina is a unique Rod Brind’Amour team that approaches hockey in a way no one else does, which means we can’t use the typical yardsticks to measure their potential. It’s all a big guessing game, but that’s what make these playoffs so much fun.

#Carolina #Hurricanes #history #Stanley #Cup #story">The Carolina Hurricanes made history, but the Stanley Cup is a different story

The Carolina Hurricanes are either the best team in hockey, or the biggest frauds in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — it all depends on who you ask. The Canes made history on Saturday night in Philadelphia with their eighth straight playoff win, and their second sweep in a row. It made them the first team in NHL history to sweep their first two series since the 1987 best-of-seven format began, the first team to start 8-0 in the playoffs since 1985, and only the fifth team in NHL history to start the playoffs 8-0.

Yet nobody can settle on whether this team is really a Stanley Cup favorite yet.

A lot of factors go into the acrimony when discussing Carolina. There’s long-standing bitterness over southern hockey being a thing, especially following back-to-back years of the Florida Panthers hoisting the cup. There’s the fact that the team plays hockey in a manner that runs counter to everything we know about success in the modern NHL. Also, there’s simply a reality that the Canes have had a pretty easy path through the postseason thus far, facing two teams that were bad strategic mismatches for them.

What that doesn’t mean, however, is that either the Ottawa Senators or Philadelphia Flyers are “bad teams.” Finishing with 99 and 98 points on the season, respectively, the Sens and Flyers were better than the entire Western Conference Pacific Division, better than the Utah Mammoth who the Golden Knights beat in the first round, and just one win worse than the Bruins, who the Sabres bested in the opening round. Yet, it’s become cool to hate on the Hurricanes’ opponents thus far as a means to discredit Carolina as being a legitimate team — foisting them with criticism no other team in the field is left with.

It’s absolutely fair to say that both Ottawa and Philadelphia were thrown into a mismatch blender. Both teams thrived during the regular season when playing on clean ice, with open passing lanes and room to set up plays. This is what the Hurricanes excel at stopping, running brutal forechecks with gutsy defensive rotations that flip the formation to send defensemen up ice to hassle opposing defenseman on the puck, allowing the forwards to stay home.

One of the hallmarks of Carolina hockey is to forget the model of play that wins in the NHL, and instead change the game into Hurricanes hockey. They thrive in limiting the effectiveness of star players, making the game be about depth rather than top-line strength, then take over when their third and fourth lines are stronger than their opponents. There’s no coincidence that hockey fans were wondering why Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle disappeared in the Sens series, or why Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny couldn’t make inroads in round two. This was the Canes’ doing, and it worked.

This past week Brady Tkachuk explained why it was near-impossible to deal with the Hurricanes’ defense in his series, and noticing that it was happening to the Flyers as well.

“Their D… they have the best sticks I’ve ever seen. It was crazy. Some of the plays you’d just be like ‘I can get this through,’ like Slav [Jaccob Slavin] has probably the best stick in the league. I had two Grade-A’s [scoring chances] and they hit his stick and up in the netting. I was like ‘how on earth is that not in the back of the net?’”

The length of the Carolina blueliners is causing massive problems for any team trying to play pretty, puck rotation hockey. Throughout the Flyers series we saw the Philly attack get decimated due to deflections from Slavin, K’Andre Miller, and Alexander Nikishin — with their pairings in Jalen Chatfield, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Sean Walker serving more as the more traditional net battlers. This layered defense has been impenetrable in the playoffs and has been offset with the Canes showing more fight and edge that they have previously.

So why is there so much doubt that this can carry over to the cup? There are three fair statements to make:

  1. The Hurricanes haven’t faced an elite, 90+ point player yet in the playoffs
  2. They’ve been so good defensively that it seems impossible to keep it up
  3. Carolina’s best players really haven’t turned up yet

Forgive the pun, but you can see the storm brewing for Carolina that this incredible run could go south quickly (another pun, sorry). Getting the better of Stützle or Konecny is one thing, but when that caliber of player changes to Nathan McKinnon, Martin Nečas, Nick Suzuki, or Kirill Kaprizov — can this same approach still work? Is there a break point to this defensive dominance where Carolina can be overwhelmed by star players, and if that happens can the Canes recover?

That is the real worry right now, and it’s fair to question what is happening with the Carolina top line. The heroes of the playoffs thus far for the Canes has been the Hall/Stankoven/Blake line two, which has been phenomenal — but there has been pronounced quietness from Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis on the top line, outside of a few glimmers of magic. We know that historically the NHL playoffs have been won through star power, even by teams like the Panthers who were bruising, but still leaned on Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand to drag them through.

If the Canes can’t get that top-line performance firing then there’s a chance they can’t assert their will on the game, which has a domino effect on the rest of the lines, thereby putting more pressure on the defense to bail the team out.

The biggest questions about the Hurricanes won’t get answered for some time, with Saturday being the earliest their next series can begin. Whether the Sabres or Canadiens come out of the Atlantic, either team will be the best opposition Carolina has faced, with more star power and deeper lines. If the Canes are able to keep up this dominance in the Eastern Conference Finals then we can really talk about their chances to beat the Avs or Wild in the West.

So are the Canes really cup favorites or pretenders? They’re both, and neither, and bizarrely somewhere in the middle. Carolina is a unique Rod Brind’Amour team that approaches hockey in a way no one else does, which means we can’t use the typical yardsticks to measure their potential. It’s all a big guessing game, but that’s what make these playoffs so much fun.

#Carolina #Hurricanes #history #Stanley #Cup #story

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