Which is why so many coaches put an onus on smart defensive play. Not just to prevent goals — reactionary defensive play, like plugging holes on a boat. I’m talking about preventative play, where you avoid the rocks that caused holes in the first place. That’s the kind of defensive play we saw from the third line on Wednesday night. The type of play that keeps opposing forwards to the outside of high-danger areas, forcing turnovers and creating counter rushes.
We recently discussed the impact of the third line in the Penguins series, and I’m happy to report they’re still the best 5-on-5 line in the series.
Despite some necessary line shuffling, the trio finished the night by controlling 100 percent of shots, as well as 100 percent of high-danger chances when they were on the ice. Yes, you read that correctly. 100 percent. Now, they didn’t spend as much time together as they had in previous games, and we must be mindful of their usage, but some analysts would suggest that controlling 100 percent of the shots is a fairly good outcome. Some would even say it’s excellent. Others would offer up the term ridiculous.
And some would even go as far as telling me to put down the thesaurus.
And it’s no fluke. Throughout the series, that line has controlled over 70 percent of shots, 85 percent of shots on net, 100 percent of high-danger chances, and they’ve yet to allow a goal against.
As per usual, it all starts with smart, defensive hockey. That’s exactly what we saw from Artturi Lehkonen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the former forcing a turnover after the latter supported his defensemen by dropping deep into the defensive zone and applying pressure on the puck carrier.
Full marks to Shea Weber for generating not one, not two, but three high-danger chances on the same play, including the one that gave the Canadiens an early 1-0 lead.
It’s worth noting that Kotkaniemi leads all Canadiens forwards in shot share, high-danger shot share, and goal share. Some would say that’s…well, you probably know where I’m going with this.
He also leads all forwards in hits, which is a very encouraging sign given his line has controlled the puck during the vast majority of his shifts. He’s not chasing, he’s creating turnovers.
The good news is his confidence seems to be at an all-time high. The bad news is Canadiens fans will have to wait a few more years until he actually hits his statistical prime. Woe is us.
Speaking of Kotkaniemi, his work on the second Canadiens goal was yet another example of his ability to improve on perceived weaknesses. He has the size and the reach, but in his first two seasons, he did not always show the kind of speed needed to quickly pounce on loose pucks and avoid intense 1-on-1 battles.
Not only did he win a faceoff cleanly, a crucial offensive zone faceoff against Evgeni Malkin, he also used his foresight to predict where the puck would end up, quickly corralling the puck and keeping the play alive for the Canadiens.
Three Penguins converged on the young Finn, but it was much too little, much too late, as Weber, Ben Chiarot, and Jonathan Drouin combined for a goal shortly thereafter. It’s also worth mentioning Drouin had his best game of the series, by a significant margin.
You won’t find Kotkaniemi’s name on the scoresheet on this play, but make no mistake, he was a crucial element in the Canadiens’ comeback win, particularly on this play.
Meep Meep
When it came to the Canadiens’ offensive prowess in the first two games, one of the biggest mitigating factors was the Penguins’ ability to clog the neutral zone and slow down the Habs’ puck carriers.
But you don’t slow down a roadrunner like Paul Byron. Sure, you can spend hours planning against him, perusing the ACME catalog for safes that can be dropped from a cliff or pianos that can be airlifted into position, but in the end, you’re usually left holding a cartoon “help” sign as Byron flies by, as was the case just prior to the Canadiens’ third goal of the game.
Full marks to Byron, who has been one of the best players in the series, and Nick Suzuki, who decided to forgo the fancy play and simply put the puck on net.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Max Domi in this play because he also did something that didn’t show up on the scoresheet, but surely helped his team’s cause.
Take a look at the flight path Domi chose on the play.
Now take a closer look at the player he tied up, the space he created, and where Byron ended up scoring.
Any time you can keep a certain Sidney Crosby out of the play, you’re probably on the right track.
The epitome of clutch
“Petry was never a showman. He never sought attention.[…] While others were getting press and magazine articles and huge contracts, Petry simply did his job. […] He was serious about his craft and worked hard.”
While that certainly applies to Jeff, it’s actually an excerpt from the Society of Baseball Research’s website on Dan Petry, Jeff’s father.
But I may venture that even Dan would be impressed with just how good his son is at picking the perfect corner at the perfect time.
Petry’s wrist shot is one of the best offensive weapons on the blue line, any blue line, and he’s not afraid to use it, as we saw in Game 1 of the series, but to me, the most important aspect of the play, aside from the quick, crisp passing that led to the shot, was the patience displayed by Petry in evaluating his options prior to the shot.
It was his 15th career game-winning goal and his second in as many playoff wins.
Dan was a starter, but Jeff is clearly a closer.
Final Word
There was a lot to like on Wednesday night. Not only did the Canadiens do a better job controlling the play and generating quality chances, we saw yet another amazing performance from Carey Price.
Chiarot had his best game of the series, as did Weber, but there’s one defenseman who really impressed me with his defensive play; Brett Kulak.
He shut down Crosby 1-on-1 on at least three occasions, frustrating one of the best players in the world while providing the type of offensive support the Canadiens need from the blue line in order to generate enough goals to win the series.
The Canadiens aren’t done yet, there’s still a lot of work to do, especially against a team loaded with superstars, but if we see a full-team effort on Friday like the one we saw on Wednesday night, particularly in the last half of the game, there are pretty good odds we’ll be seeing more Canadiens hockey in the bubble.
(all statistics are 5-on-5 unless otherwise specified, via NaturalStatTrick.com) Source:-nhl-com
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina‘s RJ Davis looked into the possibility of leaving for the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.
Their decisions helped their teams earn top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 and earned both players some preseason honors, too.
Sears was a near-unanimous selection for The Associated Press preseason All-America men’s basketball team released Monday, earning all but one vote from a 55-person national media panel. Davis was right behind him, nabbing 51 votes.
They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
Alabama twin bill
Sears was a key cog in the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the Final Four a year ago, orchestrating one of college basketball’s highest-scoring teams.
The 6-foot-1 guard was named a second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the first Division I player in 31 years to have 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a single season while breaking the Alabama single-season record with 26 games with at least 20 points.
Sears worked out for NBA scouts during the offseason before deciding to return to Alabama, earning the Crimson Tide a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.
“I saw the team that we had and I wanted to be a part of it, and bring home Alabama’s first national championship in basketball,” Sears said.
Across the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a quick decision about his future, announcing in April that he would be back for a fifth season.
The 6-10 forward was a third-team AP All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the floor. With an eye on an NBA future, Broome worked hard on his perimeter shooting during the offseason and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason ranking.
“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to make it as far as I can in March Madness,” Broome said. “When a team shines, everyone shines individually.”
Along Tobacco Road
Like Sears, Davis has similar aspirations after opting to return for his fifth season at North Carolina.
The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American last season and the ACC player of the year after averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Davis enters this year within reach of former North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring record.
“I know there’s more work to be done,” Davis said. “I know my jersey’s not going up until I leave. So there’s some more records to break and some more work to be done. I’m satisfied but I’m not satisfied, if that makes sense.”
Up the road at Duke, Flagg was the only underclassman on the preseason All-America team after arriving with tons of hype. The 6-9 swingman was the No. 1-rated high school recruit out of Newport, Maine and has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Flagg has the skills of a guard, but can also play inside and has worked hard on his perimeter shooting, giving him the potential to be one of college basketball’s most versatile players. He’s part of a stellar recruiting class that has No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.
Big 12 duo
Dickinson was the biggest move in the transfer portal last spring after leaving Michigan for Kansas. The 7-2 center lived up to the billing, averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.
Love’s decision to return for a second season at No. 10 Arizona has ratcheted up expectations in the desert for the Big 12 rival of Kansas.
The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring career at North Carolina and continued it after transferring to Arizona last season. He was the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 points per game and making 92 3-pointers.
Love tested the NBA waters this summer before deciding to return.
“He’s had a very successful college career thus far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He’s kind of this last generation of player that’s going to get better with this extra year, and so I just encourage him to take advantage of it.”
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of Cleveland‘s season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon on Sunday against Cincinnati, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
Watson will soon undergo surgery, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the results of imaging tests taken on his leg.
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year.
The 29-year-old Watson went down without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson collapsed to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
As he laid on the ground, there was cheering by some Cleveland fans, leading to some of Watson’s teammates criticizing that behavior during the team’s fifth straight loss.
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s divisive stay with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks to Houston and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million in 2022. The deal came amid Watson being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions. He settled civil lawsuits in all but one of those cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games with the Browns and then made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
