Connor McDavid scored twice in the third period and added an assist in the second and Leon Draisaitl collected a goal and an assist as the host Edmonton Oilers rolled to a 6-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
McDavid notched at least three points in a game for the fourth time this season by making three brilliant plays. He finished off a give-and-go with Draisaitl to give Edmonton a 3-0 lead with 11:06 remaining in the second during a four-on-four before scoring twice in a span of 3:48 during the final period.
Draisaitl moved into a tie with the Florida Panthers' Sam Reinhart for the league lead by scoring his 16th goal of the season.
McDavid scored 5:49 into the third on a redirection of an Evan Bouchard shot, then faked a pass when New York defenseman Victor Mancini dove in the slot before lifting a shot over Jonathan Quick's right pad.
Darnell Nurse scored a short-handed goal in the waning seconds of the first period while Vasily Podkolzin and Bouchard also scored for the Oilers, who are 5-2-1 in their past eight games. Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark collected two assists apiece for Edmonton, which is 8-2-1 in its past 11 meetings with New York.
Stuart Skinner made 32 saves and was only beaten by Artemi Panarin with 4:58 left in the second and 3:31 remaining in the third.
Quick allowed six goals on 40 shots.
The Oilers spent virtually the entire opening period in the offensive zone. After Panarin lost the puck along the boards near the right side of the blue line, the Oilers quickly moved into the offensive zone, and Podkolzin sent a one-timer from the edge of the right circle past Quick with 2:26 remaining.
Edmonton took a 2-0 lead when Nurse entered the offensive zone unimpeded, waited for a pass from Janmark, gained possession in the right circle and sent a shot past Quick's glove.
A little over three minutes after Draisaitl scored, Bouchard took a drop pass from Janmark and lifted a shot from the slot over Quick's stick.
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Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Jon Gruden, a coach synonymous with intense playbooks and fiery passion, made an unexpected appearance at the Detroit Lions’ training camp this week. His visit wasn’t just a casual stop; it was personal. Gruden came to observe and encourage John Morton, the Lions’ newly instated offensive coordinator, a man who once learned under Gruden’s wing. This moment underscores Morton’s rise to prominence as he steps into a critical role left vacant by the highly regarded Ben Johnson. Gruden’s comments during his visit illuminated not only Morton’s capabilities but also the potential of the Lions’ offense as they prepare for a new season. Here’s a closer look at what the veteran coach had to say and why Morton’s story resonates so deeply in Detroit. The Gruden-Morton Connection John Morton and Jon Gruden’s relationship stretches back decades to their days with the Green Bay Packers. Back then, Gruden was a receivers coach, and Morton, a wide-eyed young receiver, was working to make his own mark. Their connection deepened in Oakland in 1998 when Gruden gave Morton his first coaching job in the NFL. Gruden took Morton under his wing, throwing him challenging assignments and immersing him in the philosophies of the West Coast offense—a foundation of today’s pro playbooks. John Morton has often credited Gruden for his coaching pedigree. “I thought I knew football, but I didn’t until I was in a room with Jon,” Morton remarked during camp. Those early lessons became the building blocks of Morton’s coaching style, shaping how he views schemes, player utilization, and game strategy. Gruden, watching from the sidelines in Allen Park, didn’t shy away from showering Morton with praise. “This guy is nuts,” Gruden exclaimed, grinning. “He loves the grind. People used to call me crazy, but John? He’s on another level. He’s relentless, creative, and a true competitor. Detroit’s offense is in good hands.” Stepping Into Ben Johnson’s Shoes Morton faces a significant challenge ahead. Replacing Ben Johnson, who left the Lions in the offseason after transforming them into an offensive powerhouse, is no small feat. Under Johnson’s play-calling, Detroit’s offense was both explosive and efficient, with quarterback Jared Goff finding stability and the team achieving playoff contention for the first time in years. Now Morton is tasked with not only maintaining that momentum but putting his personal stamp on the offensive system. While much of last year’s blueprint will remain intact, Morton will introduce his influences—many of which come directly from his time under Gruden. Detroit Lions fans can expect “a lot of compressed formations and pre-snap movement,” according to Gruden himself. Morton’s approach appears to be rooted in the fundamentals of Recognize, Communicate, and Execute, or “RCE,” a philosophy Gruden instilled in him during their time together. “It’s all about getting the quarterback and the offense on the same page before the snap,” Morton explained. “If you do that right, the odds swing in your favor. It’s about the little details adding up to something big.” Gruden’s Thoughts on Jared Goff Beyond his clear admiration for Morton, Gruden took time to share his thoughts on the Lions’ trigger man, Jared Goff—a quarterback who has enjoyed a career renaissance in Detroit after his time with the Rams ended on a sour note. Jon Gruden was effusive in his praise, even daring to compare Goff to Hall of Famer Joe Montana. “I know it’s a big name to throw out there, but his composure, efficiency, and footwork under pressure remind me of Montana when I was with the 49ers,” said Gruden. He also lauded Goff’s ability to stay calm in the pocket, referring to him as “one tough cat.” Morton’s task of sustaining Goff’s upward trajectory will be a key storyline in the upcoming season. With Goff as his quarterback and an arsenal of playmakers such as Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie sensation Jahmyr Gibbs at his disposal, Morton has the tools to keep the offense humming. Building a Foundation for Success Detroit is hungry for more than just incremental improvement; they’re chasing sustained success. Gruden’s visit served as both a personal reunion and a reminder of the kind of accountability and innovation Morton is expected to bring to an already promising situation. Morton’s offensive philosophy, infused with Gruden’s fingerprints, appears tailor-made for a Lions roster that has embraced creativity and adaptability under head coach Dan Campbell. Early reports from camp indicate that Morton is blending the old with the new, keeping key elements of Johnson’s schemes while adding wrinkles of his own. His ability to evolve the offense without overhauling it will likely determine how far the team can go in 2025. Gruden summed it up best when he said, “This is the coach’s time now. More than anything, I just wanted to see John work. He’s got the tools, the passion, and the roster to make it work. The grind, the details, the relationships—it’s all on him now, and I’m here to support him.” The Road Ahead John Morton isn’t just stepping into a new job; he’s inheriting expectations, pressure, and the hopes of a fanbase long starved for greatness. His first few months on the job will be pivotal as he fine-tunes his offense, earns the trust of his players, and navigates the shadow left by Ben Johnson. But Detroit isn’t starting from scratch. With a playoff-ready roster and a leadership team committed to fostering growth, Morton has a strong foundation to build upon. And with mentors like Gruden in his corner, he has a wealth of wisdom to draw from. For Detroit Lions fans, Gruden’s visit was more than a nostalgic trip down memory lane—it was an endorsement of the new era brewing in Detroit. With Morton at the helm and the support of a team that believes in him, the Lions are poised to take another step closer to fulfilling their long-awaited potential.
Oh, the irony for the Detroit Tigers. In an unwelcome development in the ninth inning of the Tigers' 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday night in Detroit, reliever Will Vest plunked third baseman Eugenio Suarez on the hand with a 96-mph fastball in the ninth inning, forcing the latter to depart the contest for Arizona. Widely considered to be the best player available at this year's trade deadline (Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m. ET), Suarez is being pursued by multiple clubs, including, of course, the Tigers. After earlier news surfaced regarding another major trade candidate in Cleveland Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase being investigated for sports betting, any significant injury to Suarez could spell disaster for a trade market that was already barren enough due to a lack of teams that are truly "selling" this season. The good news, for now, is that initial X-rays came back negative on Suarez's hand. However, he will go for additional testing on Tuesday to confirm the results. The 34-year-old third baseman is having a career year, with 36 home runs and a .898 OPS in 105 games thus far. It's no wonder he has as many suitors as he does league-wide. Hopefully for the Tigers, they didn't foil their plans, let alone those of other clubs. At worst, the immediacy of the trade deadline hangs in the balance, with other teams possibly forced to scour for alternatives should worse fears be confirmed. For now, we'll have to hope that the negative X-rays were accurate, which would once again allow trade speculation to commence in the days ahead.
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