The Philadelphia Flyers squandered a pair of one-goal leads Tuesday night but at least managed to salvage a point in a game that may end up having playoff implications.
The New York Islanders could take no such solace in their most recent defeat.
A pair of teams trying to hang on in the Eastern Conference wild-card race will meet Thursday night when the Flyers meet the Islanders in Elmont, N.Y.
Both teams were off Wednesday following defeats Tuesday night. The Flyers fell to the host Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in a shootout, and the Islanders began a seven-game homestand with a 2-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Owen Tippett scored 8:13 into the third period to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead, but Zach Werenski tied the game a little more than seven minutes later before Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko collected goals in the shootout as the Blue Jackets prevented Philadelphia from gaining ground in the playoff chase.
With the win, the Blue Jackets (48 points) maintained sole possession of the second wild card. The Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins all have 44 points -- and they also trail the Senators (47 points) and the Montreal Canadiens (46 points).
The loss ended a two-game winning streak for the Flyers, who were trying to sweep a back-to-back set after overcoming a two-goal first period deficit Monday in a 4-3 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Philadelphia's two longest winning streaks of the season were both three games.
"We put a lot of gas in our game (Monday) night," Flyers coach John Tortorella said after the Tuesday defeat. "Frustrating for me because we had a chance to win this one. We (gave) it away a little bit at the end, but we'll just take the point and go."
The frustration ran even deeper for the Islanders, whose season-high three-game winning streak ended as they slipped seven points behind the Blue Jackets and six points behind the Senators. New York is in last place in the Metropolitan Division and in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of only the Buffalo Sabres.
The Islanders were outshot 27-24 on Tuesday as their familiar offensive woes continued. New York was scoreless in its lone power-play opportunity as its streak of games without a power-play goal reached 14 -- the longest such run in team history. The team is 0-for-25 with the man advantage during the drought.
The Islanders, whose winning streak consisted of road victories over the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club, scored one goal or fewer Tuesday for the 14th time this season.
"We have to respond to this -- I mean, the position we were in, winning three in a row, had a chance to go for four in a row, I think we should have been more hungry," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "We should have had more urgency than what we did. Sometimes, you have to dig (for) those ones, and for some reason, we did not."
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Despite signing a new deal and avoiding an arbitration hearing, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson continues to be the subject of trade speculation. The latest comes from Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, where he’s got Robertson linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets. According to Friedman, Robertson’s situation “probably doesn’t go away for a while.” Could Robertson Go to the Penguins? Friedman first discussed the Robertson to Pittsburgh connection, pointing to the obvious link with Penguins President Kyle Dubas. It would make sense that Dubas might be keeping an eye on what happens with Robertson in Toronto. While he avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $1.825 million deal, he’s not out of the woods yet when it comes to a trade. Friedman reports that the Leafs need to move someone as they have a surplus of forwards and are still dealing with a tight salary cap situation. “He’s a guy people are watching closely,” Friedman said. “There’s interest. It just depends on fit and what Toronto is looking for in return.” What About Robertson to the Blue Jackets? Meanwhile, Columbus fans are wondering whether a one-for-one deal involving Yegor Chinakhov and Robertson could make sense. Friedman says he’s heard and understands the connection, but suggested the Maple Leafs may need to offer more. He doesn’t believe a one-for-one moves the needle for Columbus. Chinakhov has requested a trade, but the Blue Jackets know what he is: a skilled 23-year-old winger who can score. He posted seven goals in 30 games last season and has shown flashes of top-six upside. While nothing is imminent, Toronto GM Brad Treliving is believed to be exploring more trade options and Friedman said his sources think there is at least one more move coming before the puck drops to open the 2025-26 season. Interestingly, the Leafs have still been linked to unsigned free agent Jack Roslovic—another player Friedman noted as being on multiple teams’ radar. At least five or six teams remain in conversation with the forward and his agent. Ultimately, whether it’s Pittsburgh, Columbus, the trade chatter surrounding Nick Robertson is unlikely to simmer down anytime soon. The Leafs are still tweaking their roster, and a now-signed Robertson could be a key piece in whatever move they have coming.
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was tearing it up in July before he strained his hamstring legging out a triple. He was placed on the injured list, and it only got worse from there. Less than 24 hours later, manager Pat Murphy said Chourio would be out beyond the 10-day minimum and possibly at least a month. On Saturday, beat reporter Curt Hogg shed another tidbit of light on the slugger’s timetable. It’s not necessarily worse news, but Hogg’s update probably does not illuminate much. Fans already knew Chourio was going to be out a while after Friday’s report, so this latest info isn’t surprising. It isn’t all that encouraging, either. It certainly suggests no expedited return schedule. Not to make assumptions, but the emphasis on the location of the damage versus evaluating its severity seems to indicate the Brewers are just hoping Chourio avoided a worse-case scenario. In that case, caution would indeed be first in the order of operations. Only after ascertaining clarity would it make sense to seriously estimate a recovery timetable. That he won’t be ready to immediately resume baseball workouts further points to a slow, methodical recovery process. For however long he remains out, the lineup will miss him badly. Chourio’s 17 home runs rank second on the team behind Christian Yelich, as do his 67 RBI. His .786 OPS leads the offense among qualified hitters. In 90 at-bats in July, he hit .367/.408/.600. The Brewers are resilient everywhere, but without one of their few genuine power threats and hottest bats, plus an everyday outfielder, they are courting a potential offensive slump. The most fans can hope for from Chourio is that he returns fully healthy by the first week of September. Until then, Blake Perkins and trade pickup Brandon Lockridge should see plenty of playing time while Yelich takes more reps in the outfield after getting most of his at-bats this season as the designated hitter.
The Dallas Cowboys may have 99 problems, and the way owner Jerry Jones handles contract negotiations could be considered a big one. Jones spoke with the media Saturday regarding Micah Parsons' contract situation. The EDGE, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, has requested a trade. The 82-year-old owner clarified the Cowboys have no plans to trade Parsons. While discussing negotiations, Jones took an unprovoked jab at former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and his agent, rapper Jay-Z. "When we have a problem within the team and a player, I don't ever find the agent. He's nowhere to be found," Jones said. "...Jay-Z and I negotiated [Bryant's contract in 2015], spent hours. He said, 'Anybody in my organization is on time.' He said, 'My office used to be on the street corner, and I've always been early. So, they will be on time.' And I said, 'Where do I sign? But I'm going to call you.' Finally, he quit taking my call." The 25-time Grammy winner's sports agency, Roc Nation, took issue with Jones' comment. In a statement released on X Sunday, it denied his claim, calling it "comical." This is yet another example of Jones prioritizing attention when he should be focused on extending two-time first-team All-Pro Parsons. The Cowboys often delay deals for their stars. The team signed Bryant to a five-year, $70M deal in July 2015, just before the deadline to extend players with a franchise tag. Last season, Dallas signed quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240M contract ahead of its season opener against the Cleveland Browns. The team's procrastination often leaves it paying even more for star players and wastes valuable time. Parsons is still with the team at training camp in Oxnard, Calif., but isn't participating. He likely wants a contract that's similar to that of Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt (three years, $123M). The pass-rusher is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. Jones' methods are one reason the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. Jay-Z should mention that if he wants to write a single that includes a lyric about the owner.
The Miami Marlins turned to good ol’ Neil Diamond to clown on the New York Yankees during their impressive weekend triumph. Miami pulled off an improbable three-game series sweep of the Yankees on Sunday with a 7-3 win at LoanDepot Park in Miami. It marked the sixth consecutive series victory for the Marlins as well as their first-ever three-game sweep of the Yankees in franchise history. As Sunday’s game was nearing the end, the Marlins decided to have some fun. With the Yankees down to their last three outs entering the top of the ninth inning, “Sweet Caroline” began loudly playing inside the ballpark. Here is a video: Of course, “Sweet Caroline” is an anthem of the Boston Red Sox, the hated rivals of the Yankees. The song plays in the eighth inning of every game at Fenway Park. Fittingly enough, the 62-51 Red Sox are officially now ahead of the Yankees in the AL East standings (thanks to the Yankees’ brutal weekend against the Marlins putting them at 60-52). The Yankees only had themselves to blame for their poor weekend showing, piling on several more embarrassing mental mistakes during the series. As for the Marlins though, they are quickly looking like one of the best stories of the second half. After sitting at a dismal 25-41 in mid-June, Miami is suddenly a .500 team again at 55-55 and it has clawed to within 5.5 games back of a wild-card spot in the NL.
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