Aliaksei Protas scored twice in the third period, including a short-handed goal, and the host Washington Capitals rallied past the slumping Detroit Red Wings 5-2 on Friday night.
Tom Wilson also had a short-handed goal for the Capitals, who trailed 2-1 entering the third. Taylor Raddysh and Jakob Chychrun scored the other Washington goals, while Logan Thompson made 17 saves.
Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider scored for the Red Wings, who have lost five straight. Lucas Raymond earned assists on both goals and Cam Talbot made 23 saves.
Larkin scored from a tough angle 43 seconds into the contest. He collected a loose puck along the boards and lifted a shot from below the goal line that found its way underneath the crossbar.
With Trevor van Riemsdyk in the penalty box for holding, Seider notched a power-play goal seven minutes into the game to make it 2-0. Patrick Kane passed the puck from the right circle back to the point, where Seider fired a slapshot that eluded Thompson.
Raddysh put the Capitals on the board with 1:21 remaining in the period, knocking in his own rebound. Andrew Mangiapane and Rasmus Sandin collected the assists.
Washington outshot Detroit 9-4 in the second period but the score remained the same.
The Capitals gained the lead in the first two minutes of the third. Protas' short-handed goal tied the score as he collected the puck in his own zone, skated along the left side and scored from the circle. Wilson was credited with an assist.
Chychrun scored the go-ahead goal from the high slot. He circled around near the blue line and beat Talbot on the glove side.
Protas' second goal came at 5:17 of the period. Connor McMichael's lead pass allowed Protas to skate smoothly into the left circle and fired a shot past Talbot's blocker.
Wilson's short-handed goal four minutes later made it 5-2. He wound up with a breakaway and scored on a backhander. Protas notched the assist for his third three-point game of the season.
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Vancouver Canucks top prospect Braeden Cootes has been injured during the World Junior Summer Showcase, which was revealed by Team Canada coach Dale Hunter. The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase came to a close this past Saturday after a week of competition among some of hockey's brightest young stars, such as Vancouver Canucks first-rounder top prospect Braeden Cootes, who represented Team Canada. Team Canada had a tough time in the event, dropping their opening two games to Team Finland and Sweden by a 14-7 total score. Injuries added to the problems, with some key players out of the lineup, and it hit the Canucks especially hard. Braeden Cootes suited up for Canada's split-squad contest on Tuesday as well as their game versus Finland on Wednesday. He was scheduled to dress against Sweden on Friday, but was suddenly not in the lineup. After the 8-4 blowout loss, head coach Dale Hunter informed the media that Braeden Cootes, Michael Misa, and Henry Mews were all battling injuries and were going to be game-time decisions for Saturday's final game against the U.S. Michael Misa and Henry Mews were back for that game, but Cootes was still out, which meant he was sitting out his second consecutive game. The Injury to Cootes is Expected to be a Short-Term One Luckily, the injury is not viewed as serious and is not of a long-term nature, which can allow Vancouver and their fans an opportunity to take a sigh of relief. 'Light stuff, not heavy stuff.' - Dale Hunter on Braeden Cootes' injury Though Cootes is going to be okay, missing those games was certainly a disappointment, especially since he was hoping to make an impression on Canada's World Junior staff before the final cuts are due in December. Cootes should be good to go for training camp with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds in a few weeks, as the club is set to begin its preseason on September 2 vs. the Prince Albert Raiders.
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
It has been a fantastic season for the Chicago Cubs, and a significant reason is because of a singular offseason decision. After winning 83 games the past two seasons, the Cubs got aggressive during the offseason to improve. Chicago was a team that was heading in the right direction but lacking a superstar to help push them over the top. To the surprise of many, they were able to accomplish that with a blockbuster trade that brought Kyle Tucker of the Houston Astros in. Before being traded to Chicago, Tucker was establishing himself as a star with the Astros, but he may have flown under the radar a bit with some other big names on the team. For four straight years, he was able to total a bWAR of 4.5 or higher, with his bWAR being over 5.0 in three of those campaigns. Even though he might not have been a national name before the trade, Tucker was a key part of the success for Houston. Tucker's cost The price to acquire him certainly wasn’t cheap for the Cubs. They sent three very good players to the Astros, with Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith both having a massive impact already for Houston. It was a steep price for a player entering the final year of his contract, and that is something that is still looming over the heads of the organization. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently predicted that Tucker would sign an 11-year, $441 million deal this offseason to remain with the Cubs. “Without so much as a close runner-up, Kyle Tucker is the crown jewel of this year's free agency class.” While the numbers might seem big for the proposed contract, Tucker is a true star in the game and is going to certainly be getting north of $400 million. When looking at the recent contract extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, he is going to be making an average salary of just over $35 million per year throughout his contract. That seems like a fair spot to start for Tucker, who is going to be the top prize in free agency. Luckily, what could end up benefiting the Cubs is that there might not be a ton of competition to sign him in free agency. Juan Soto’s price went through the roof with the New York Mets and New York Yankees both pursuing him last winter. However, as of now, the market for Tucker might not be as crazy as it has been in recent years. For the Cubs, keeping Tucker this winter is going to be their top priority and would be a crushing blow if they lost him in free agency. The Latest Chicago Cubs News Division Matchups And Blue Jays Clash Set Tone For Cubs Playoff Chase Cubs Should Avoid Reunion With Recently Released Former All-Star Pitcher Cubs Star Prospect Owen Caissie Reacts To MLB Trade Deadline, Not Being Moved Cubs New Starting Pitcher Set To Debut Against Reds Next Week
Texas, the No. 1 team in the preseason coaches poll, has a big concern for its offensive line with a few weeks to go before it opens the season at Ohio State on Aug. 30. Per On Texas Football, right tackle Andre Cojoe suffered a season-ending injury. Per On3, the injury is believed to be a torn ACL. The third-year offensive tackle has played in four career games and was competing with Brandon Baker for the starting job on the right side. "Texas O-lineman Andre Cojoe suffered what’s feared to be a torn ACL, Inside Texas has learned," wrote Eric Nahlin of On3. "Cojoe was in competition with Brandon Baker for Texas’ right tackle role during preseason camp. Baker is set to win the starting job with Cojoe out for the season. The second-year offensive lineman played in eight games for the Longhorns in 2024, including against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal. The loss of Cojoe is a big blow to the Longhorns' depth on the offensive line that is tasked with protecting quarterback Arch Manning. On3 projects true freshman Nick Brooks to become the swing tackle behind Baker and starting left tackle Trevor Goosby, a tall order for an 18-year-old in the SEC. Texas comes into the season with high expectations in Manning's first season as a full-time starter. How comfortable Manning is behind his offensive line will play a key role in how efficient the offense is. Texas ranked 118th in sacks given up in 2024 with 37. Those hits took a toll on Quinn Ewers, who played through injuries while leading the Longhorns to the CFP.
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