Sports
Austin Martin , Blue Jays get a potential first round MLB draft steal
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On his way to being touted as one of the best pure hitters available in Major League Baseball’s 2020 draft, Austin Martin developed a reputation as a terrific contact hitter with a side order of power.
When he fell to the fifth pick of the 2020 amateur draft on Wednesday night, the Blue Jays were ready to take a big swing at the 21-year-old from Vanderbilt University. And perhaps add a steal to the stats line while they were at it.
A versatile infielder/outfielder, Martin was ranked second entering the draft by MLB Pipeline and was surprisingly still available for the Jays, who were making their highest pick since selecting Vernon Wells at the same No. 5 spot in 1997.
Jays scouting director Shane Farrell must have been tickled at what was unfolding as he was overseeing his first big-league draft.
“We were a little surprised,” Farrell admitted in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday night. “It really started to shake up at Picks 2 and 3, but we were certainly prepared to make that selection. We identified Austin as high-end talent and we were fortunate enough for him to be still available when we picked.”
In nabbing Martin, the Jays have yet another versatile young stud to join a powerful, promising young core headed by Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr., and Cavan Biggio.
“I’m ready for whatever they want to throw at me,” Martin told MLB Network when it was suggested that he could play at any number of positions in Toronto. “I’m really excited.”
Like any high pick out of college, Martin will be keen on advancing as quickly as possible to make it to the big leagues. He’s also enthused about reuniting with a former teammate and fellow Florida high-school product.
“I’m excited (about being drafted by the Jays),” Martin said. “I’ve heard a lot of good things. What a lot of people don’t know is I’m a former teammate of Bo Bichette when we were younger. It will be cool to get up there with him again.”
Martin played a variety of positions at Vandy, one of the top NCAA programs that has become a factory at producing elite MLB talent. In 2019, the Jacksonville, Fla., native had 105 hits in 65 games with 10 homers, 85 walks, 46 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.
Even with an aborted college season in 2020, the Jays were well-versed in Martin’s ability. Scouts on staff followed him in his high-school years in Jacksonville and even closer under the glare in Nashville with the high-profile Vandy program.
“He’s a well-above-average hitter,” Farrell said. “This is a guy who manages the strike zone really well. Extremely high contract rates, somebody we think who has the ability to grow into more power down the road but just really good bat-to-ball skills.”
The shakeup at the top was certainly a surprise in this dramatically re-tooled draft. Bludgeoned from 40 rounds to five in reaction to the economic tug of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jays won’t be able to take full advantage of their 2019 tanked season.
They may make up for it with the good fortune of a potential superstar pick in the first round, however.
So how did Martin make his way to the Jays and general manager Ross Atkins?
As expected, the Detroit Tigers opened with Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson — the consensus No. 1 — but the Baltimore Orioles started the mayhem by taking outfielder Heston Kjerstad with the second pick. Pitchers Max Meyer (Marlins) and Asa Lacy (Royals) went next, opening the door for an elite-level talent that was expected to go higher.
Martin played most of his NCAA career at third base but saw time at several positions including a dozen games in centre field in the abridged 2020 campaign.
Like many organizations, the Jays covet such versatility, but it will be his bat that propels Martin through their minor-league system.
“He’s one of the most competitive kids I’ve seen,” Vanderbilt hitting coach Mike Baxter told CBSsports.com. “He has the natural desire to win and to beat you. He does a really good job of knowing how to harness that, especially from an offensive standpoint.
“I think it’s a big challenge for hitters, but he’s shown a really good ability to do that.”
Martin is also proven to be a winner at a high-end program. Batting leadoff for the Commodores in 2019, he led the SEC with a .392 average and .486 on-base percentage as his team went on to capture the College World Series.
“Austin’s performance will dictate that,” Farrell said when asked how quickly he might progress to join the young talent currently on the Jays roster. “I’m anxious and looking forward to the day that we are able to get him in uniform and am excited to watch him play.”
ONE DOWN, FOUR TO GO
With the blue-chipper secured, the Blue Jays will look to add prospect potential as the severely tightened MLB draft continues on Thursday.
Austin Martin was the Jays’ lone pick on Wednesday with four more slated for the remainder of the draft in spots 42, 77, 106 and 136.
After that, the business of acquiring future talent gets incredibly interesting for all 30 MLB teams. With hundreds of would-be prospects available for a maximum signing bonus of $20,000 US, it will be an incredibly active post-draft period for management across the sport.
“We’ve spent a lot of time researching that group that we think will fall outside of thee top five rounds,” scouting director Shane Farrell said. “Our area scouts have done a tremendous job digging and continuing to build relationships with those players.
“I think the challenge is that it’s likely to be the same offer throughout multiple teams for different players.”
The Jays pitch, no doubt, will be to come play for a team committed to player development and one with a growing corps of young studs. But will that be enough to compete with marquee teams throughout the big leagues?
Source: – Toronto Sun
Sports
Marchand says Maple Leafs are Bruins’ ‘biggest rival’ ahead of 1st-round series – NHL.com
BOSTON – Forget Boston Bruins-Montreal Canadiens.
For Brad Marchand, right now, it’s all about Bruins-Toronto Maple Leafs.
“You see the excitement they have all throughout Canada when they’re in playoffs,” Marchand said Thursday. “Makes it a lot of fun to play them. And I think, just with the history we’ve had with them recently, they’re probably our biggest rival right now over the last decade.
“They’ve probably surpassed Montreal and any other team with kind of where our rivalry’s gone, just because we’ve both been so competitive with each other, and we’ve had a few playoff series. It definitely brings the emotion, the intensity, up in the games and the excitement for the fans.
“It’s a lot of fun to play them.”
The Bruins and Maple Leafs will renew their rivalry in their first round series, which starts Saturday at TD Garden (8 p.m. ET; TBS, truTV, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS). They’ll be familiar opponents.
Over the past 11 seasons, the Bruins have faced the Maple Leafs four times in the postseason, starting with the epic 2013 matchup in the first round. That resulted in an all-time instant classic, the Game 7 in which the Bruins were down 4-1 in the third period and came roaring back for an overtime win that helped propel them to the Stanely Cup Final.
That would prove to be the model and, in the intervening years, the Bruins have beaten them in each of the three subsequent series, including going to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference First Round in 2018 and 2019.
Which could easily be where this series is going.
“Offensively they’re a gifted hockey club,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Thursday. “They present a lot of challenges down around the netfront area. We’re going to have to be really sharp there. We’re a pretty good team defensively when we stick to what our principles are. So I expect it to be a tight series overall.”
But if anyone knows the Maple Leafs — and what to expect — it’s Marchand. In his career, he’s played 146 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 11th most of any active player. Twenty-one of those games have come against the Maple Leafs, games in which Marchand has 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists).
“They’re always extremely competitive,” Marchand said. “You never know which way the series is going to go. But that’s what you want. That’s what you love about hockey is the competition aspect. They’re real competitors over there, especially the way they’re built right now. So it’s going to be a lot of fun, and that’s what playoffs is about. It’s about the best teams going head-to-head.”
But even though the history favors the Bruins — including having won each of the past six playoff matchups, dating back to the NHL’s expansion era in 1967-68 and each of the four regular-season games in 2023-24 — Marchand is throwing that out the window.
“That means nothing,” he said.
The Maple Leafs bring the No. 2 offense in the NHL into their series, having scored 3.63 goals per game. They were led by Auston Matthews and his 69 goals this season, a new record for him and for the franchise.
“You have to be hard on a guy like that and limit his time and space with the puck,” forward Charlie Coyle said. “He’s really good at getting in position to receive the puck and he’s got linemates who can put it right on his tape for him. You’ve just got to know where he is, especially in our D zone. He likes to loop away after cycling it and kind of find that sweet spot coming down Broadway there in the middle. It’s not just a one-person job.”
Nor is Matthews their only threat.
“They have a lot of great players, skill players, who play hard and can be very dangerous around the net and create scoring opportunities,” forward Charlie Coyle said. “You’ve just got to be aware of who’s out there and who you’re against, who you’re matched up against, and play hard. Also, too, we’ve got to focus on our game and what we do well and when we do that, we trust each other and have that belief in each other, we’re a pretty good hockey team.”
Especially against the Maple Leafs.
Marchand, who grew up in Halifax loving the Maple Leafs, still gets a thrill to see their alumni walking around Scotiabank Arena in the playoffs. And it’s even more special to be on the ice with them, to be competing against them — even more so when the Bruins keep winning.
But that certainly doesn’t mean this series will be easy.
“They’ll be a [heck] of a challenge,” Marchand said.
Sports
NHL sets Round 1 schedule for 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Daily Faceoff
The chase for Lord Stanley’s silver chalice will begin on Saturday.
After what could be described as the most exciting season in NHL history that saw heartbreaks and last-ditch efforts to clinch playoff spots, players and staff now get ready as 16 teams go to battle.
We saw the Vancouver Canucks have a massive year and finish first in the Pacific Division with captain Quinn Hughes leading all defensemen in points. The Winnipeg Jets set a franchise record for most points. The Nashville Predators went on a franchise-record winning streak in order to lock themselves into a Wild Card spot, and the Washington Capitals clinched the last Wild Card spot in the East after a wild finish that saw the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers see their playoff hopes crumble in front of them.
While Auston Matthews missed out on scoring 70 goals, Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay Lightning standout Nikita Kucherov became the first players since 1990-91 to record 100 assists in a single season. They joined Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr as the only players to do so.
With the bracket set, it’s time to expect the unexpected.
Here is the schedule for Round 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
Eastern Conference
#A1 Florida Panthers vs. #WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
Date | Game | Time |
Sunday, April 21 | 1. Tampa at Florida | 12:30 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Tampa at Florida | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Thursday, April 25 | 3. Florida at Tampa | 7 p.m. ET |
Saturday, April 27 | 4. Florida at Tampa | 5 p.m. ET |
Monday, April 29 | 5. Tampa at Florida | TBD |
Wednesday, May 1 | 6. Florida at Tampa | TBD |
Saturday, May 4 | 7. Tampa at Florida | TBD |
#A2 Boston Bruins vs. #A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
Date | Game | Time |
Saturday, April 20 | 1. Toronto at Boston | 8 p.m. ET |
Monday, April 22 | 2. Toronto at Boston | 7 p.m. ET |
Wednesday, April 24 | 3. Boston at Toronto | 7 p.m. ET |
Saturday, April 27 | 4. Boston at Toronto | 8 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 30 | 5. Toronto at Boston | TBD |
Thursday, May 2 | 6. Boston at Toronto | TBD |
Saturday, May 4 | 7. Toronto at Boston | TBD |
#M1 New York Rangers vs. #WC2 Washington Capitals
Date | Game | Time |
Sunday, April 21 | 1. Washington at New York | 3 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Washington at New York | 7 p.m. ET |
Friday, April 26 | 2. New York at Washington | 7 p.m. ET |
Sunday, April 28 | 2. New York at Washington | 8 p.m. ET |
Wednesday, May 1 | 2. Washington at New York | TBD |
Friday, May 3 | 2. New York at Washington | TBD |
Sunday, May 5 | 2. Washington at New York | TBD |
#M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. #M3 New York Islanders
Date | Game | Time |
Saturday, April 20 | 1. New York at Carolina | 5 p.m. ET |
Monday, April 22 | 2. New York at Carolina | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Thursday, April 25 | 3. Carolina at New York | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Saturday, April 27 | 4. Carolina at New York | 2 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 30 | 5. New York at Carolina | TBD |
Thursday, May 2 | 6. Carolina at New York | TBD |
Saturday, May 4 | 7. New York at Carolina | TBD |
Western Conference
#C1 Dallas Stars vs. #WC2 Vegas Golden Knights
Date | Game | Time |
Monday, April 22 | 1. Vegas at Dallas | 9:30 p.m. ET |
Wednesday, April 24 | 2. Vegas at Dallas | 9:30 p.m. ET |
Saturday, April 27 | 3. Dallas at Vegas | 10:30 p.m. ET |
Monday, April 29 | 4. Dallas at Vegas | TBD |
Wednesday, May 1 | 5. Vegas at Dallas | TBD |
Friday, May 3 | 6. Dallas at Vegas | TBD |
Sunday, May 5 | 7. Vegas at Dallas | TBD |
#C2 Winnipeg Jets vs. #C3 Colorado Avalanche
Date | Game | Time |
Sunday, April 21 | 1. Colorado at Winnipeg | 7 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Colorado at Winnipeg | 9:30 p.m. ET |
Friday, April 26 | 3. Winnipeg at Colorado | 10 p.m. ET |
Sunday, April 28 | 4. Winnipeg at Colorado | 2:30 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 30 | 5. Colorado at Winnipeg | TBD |
Thursday, May 2 | 6. Winnipeg at Colorado | TBD |
Saturday, May 4 | 7. Colorado at Winnipeg | TBD |
#P1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #WC1 Nashville Predators
Date | Game | Time |
Sunday, April 21 | 1. Nashville at Vancouver | 10 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 23 | 2. Nashville at Vancouver | 10 p.m. ET |
Friday, April 26 | 3. Vancouver at Nashville | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Sunday, April 28 | 4. Vancouver at Nashville | 5 p.m. ET |
Tuesday, April 30 | 5. Nashville at Vancouver | TBD |
Friday, May 3 | 6. Vancouver at Nashville | TBD |
Sunday, May 5 | 7. Nashville at Vancouver | TBD |
#P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. #P3 Los Angeles Kings
Date | Game | Time |
Monday, April 22 | 1. Los Angeles at Edmonton | 10 p.m. ET |
Wednesday, April 24 | 2. Los Angeles at Edmonton | 10 p.m. ET |
Friday, April 26 | 3. Edmonton at Los Angeles | 10:30 p.m. ET |
Sunday, April 28 | 4. Edmonton at Los Angeles | 10:30 p.m. ET |
Wednesday, May 1 | 5. Los Angeles at Edmonton | TBD |
Friday, May 3 | 6. Edmonton at Los Angeles | TBD |
Sunday, May 5 | 7. Los Angeles at Edmonton | TBD |
Sports
With matchup vs. Kings decided, Oilers should be confident facing familiar foe – Sportsnet.ca
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