Month: June 2022

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Rangers on Tuesday with a 4-1 victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final at Amalie Arena, evening the series at 2-2.

Pat Maroon helped Tampa Bay take the early lead with a goal just 2:38 into the first period, and Steven Stamkos scored in the third. The Lightning’s Ondřej Palát earned two assists and added an empty-netter with 8.7 left in regulation, while Nikita Kucherov earned a team-high 21st postseason point with a breakaway goal in the second period, which would hold as the game winner. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 33 saves in the win, his highest total of the series.

The Lightning and Rangers will face-off again in Game 5, scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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Amid a 12-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Angels fired manager Joe Maddon on Tuesday.  The team announced that Phil Nevin has been named interim manager.  The Angels were 10 games above .500 two weeks ago, but have since fallen to 27-29. The 12-game losing streak ties a franchise record for a season, putting the Angels in danger of missing the postseason for the eighth straight year.

The 68-year-old Maddon told The Athletic he was very surprised by first-time general manager Perry Minasian’s decision, saying: “You always rely on people in charge to read the tea leaves properly. This time, they did not. You didn’t even have to ask me. You can ask any of the players or coaches. They’re the ones who really know. Perry was in a tough spot. I understand that. Let me just put it that way. I would really rely on the sentiments of the coaches and the players.”

Maddon, a three-time Manager of the Year, was in his third season with the Angels’ organization, where he had previously spent four decades as a player and a coach. Maddon went on to a successful nine-year run with the Tampa Bay Rays, and in 2016 he led the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series championship in more than 100 years.

The Angels began season this season at 27-17, but since then they have an AL-worst 6.31 ERA.  Said Maddon: ‘We’ve got guys hurt. The bullpen had a really hard time. And we just stopped hitting. It’s just one of those things that became contagious. It wasn’t an issue of camaraderie or lack of leadership. It was a calamity that occurred all at one time.’

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The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 in overtime on Monday night, sweeping the playoff series in four games and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.  The Avalanche advance to their first finals since 2001, when they won the Stanley Cup in seven games against the New Jersey Devils.

The Avalanche’s Artturi Lehkonen scored the game winning goal for Colorado to earn the win. Cale Makar finished with a game-high 5 points, including a goal and assist on Lehkonen’s game-winner. He becomes just the 7th defenseman in NHL history with 5-plus points in a playoff game.  Said Makar: “Our main thing is just trying to be resilient and making sure every night we’re bringing that same game. For us tonight it was just us trying to get on them early in the third period and try to turn the tides, but the boys did a great job.”

Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl recorded four assists to keep the Oilers in the game, and along with Connor McDavid, the duo became the ninth pair of teammates in NHL history to each register 30-plus points in the same postseason.

Colorado will face the winner of the Eastern Conference final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final.  Game 4 of that series is Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET in Tampa, with the Rangers leading 2-1.

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All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald will remain with the Los Angeles Rams, receiving a massive raise as part of a re-worked contract that will make him the highest paid defensive player  (who is not a quarterback) n the NFL. The Super Bowl champion Rams announced Donald’s return on Monday.

Donald was already under contract for $55 million over the next three seasons, but had publicly contemplated retirement after winning his first Super Bowl in February.   The NFL Network now reports that Donald will receive a $40 million raise, with $65 million guaranteed in the next two seasons. The deal which secures Donald’s return this season will reportedly pay him $95 million through 2024.

The 31-year-old Donald finished the regular season with a career-high 84 tackles and 12 1/2 sacks, his fifth straight season in double digits.  He also became the Rams’ career franchise leader in sacks while earning his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, and is the three-time winner of the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

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