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Connor McDavid said before the series started that the Edmonton Oilers owed Vegas a series. When the Oilers ousted the Golden Knights in Game 5 of their second-round series, the captain had a lot to say again, this time in defense of his teammate, goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Skinner came on in relief when Calvin Pickard went down with an injury. A shaky Game 3 led to more criticism from fans that Skinner didn’t have the stuff to take the Oilers through a series. Coming off a couple of iffy games against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, there was a reason to doubt that Skinner was as sharp as he should be.
However, he rebounded in Game 4 with a 23-save shutout. In Game 5, Skinner looked calm and poised, telling Sportsnet’s Gene Principe this was the most relaxed he’s felt in the playoffs. “I had a feeling of peace tonight,” Skinner said. In career closeout games, Skinner’s record is 5-1 with a goals-against average of 1.97 and a save % of .926. That includes a shutout.
When McDavid was asked for comment on how his goaltender played, McDavid was clear in his messaging to fans who had their doubts: “Hopefully it shuts a lot of people up who were talking about him “.
After the game, Darnell Nurse was asked about Skinner and said the team has a lot of confidence in him and “he’s a special goaltender in the league.”
Do the Oilers Go With Skinner in The Western Conference Final?
Skinner has not allowed a goal in 127 minutes of hockey and it’s hard to argue against the notion he’s found his game at the perfect time for Edmonton. The Oilers will now face the winner of the series between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets. Who starts between Skinner and Pickard will be an interesting question.
Skinner’s play suggests it should be an easy decision. That won’t stop doubters from petitioning against him in goal, thinking Pickard gives the Oilers a better chance.
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Insider Frank Seravalli Links Winnipeg Jets Star to Red Wings: 'Detroit Would Make a lot of Sense'
NHL insider Frank Seravalli believes that Jets star Kyle Connor would be a perfect fit for the Red Wings, but that also doesn't mean he is going to be traded. The Detroit Red Wings, eager to end their nine-year playoff drought, may be eyeing a blockbuster move for Winnipeg Jets star Kyle Connor. A few weeks ago, Heavy.com proposed a major deal sending Kyle Connor to Detroit, and NHL insider Frank Seravalli's recent comments have only fueled the speculation. 'Detroit would make a lot of sense.' - Frank Seravalli Under the deal being proposed by Heavy, Detroit would be going all-in to get one of the league's top scorers in exchange for one of its existing NHL players, three prospects, and two draft choices. Red Wings acquire: Kyle Connor Jets acquire: Michael Rasmussen Nate Danielson Marco Kasper William Wallinder 2026 first-round pick 2028 second-round pick Connor is a UFA at the end of Next Season Connor, who is entering the final year of a seven-year, $50 million contract, could be dealt if he doesn't plan to re-sign with Winnipeg. A native of Detroit, he scored 41 goals and added 56 assists for 97 points in 82 games last season. The Red Wings' return package would be significant. Winnipeg receives two draft picks and winger Michael Rasmussen, who is in the second season of a four-year, $12.8 million deal. Michael Rasmussen recorded 11 goals and 10 assists in 77 contests and could be the Jets' third-line center. Detroit would also send their top prospect, 2023 ninth overall selection Nate Danielson, who could get NHL playing time this season. The Jets would also get Marco Kasper, an eighth-overall pick in 2022 who scored 37 points in 77 games last season as a rookie, and defenseman William Wallinder, a 2020 second-rounder (32nd overall) who could make the NHL this season. For Detroit, Connor would bring high-scoring talent and a homegrown product as they try to get back in the playoff hunt. For Winnipeg, it would be a massive roster shakeup with top-of-the-line youths and prospects.
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes may continue to be one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award, but there is one place where he has appeared mortal this season. On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers did to Skenes what they have done to plenty of MLB pitchers in 2025 ... put up big offensive numbers. For the second time this season (Skenes also pitched in Milwaukee on June 25), the Brewers forced him from the game after just 4.0 innings on Tuesday night, logging six hits and four runs during his time on the mound. Both of those performances came at Milwaukee's home stadium (American Family Field) and both are now Skenes' shortest outings of the season. While another NL Central team has put up more runs against Skenes this season (the St. Louis Cardinals nicked him for five runs in 6.0 innings on April 8), no other team has had the same kind of success over multiple starts by Skenes in 2025 as have the Brewers inside their home stadium. In all this season, Skenes has given up 10 hits and eight runs in 8.0 innings in Milwaukee. It was his third career outing on the road against the Brewers, with his lone 2024 start representing arguably the best outing of his rookie season. On July 11, 2024, Skenes struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit over 7.0 innings as the Pirates would eventually post a 1-0 victory. Tuesday's short outing was highlighted by a pair of Milwaukee home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Sal Frelick that quickly set the tone for the Brewers. While Milwaukee's hit parade helped raise Skenes' ERA on the season to 2.13, it's hardly any reason for concern in a season where the 23-year-old right-hander is still a heavy favorite (-600) to win the NL Cy Young Award, per BetMGM. Skenes struggling in Milwaukee is likely more yet another stamp of approval on the Brewers' potential to be a threat once the postseason arrives. With an 18-4 record since the All-Star break entering Tuesday, Milwaukee has taken over the NL Central race from the Chicago Cubs. So what's the good news for Skenes? This is Pittsburgh's last trip to Milwaukee this season and the next-to-last series for the Pirates against the red-hot Brewers. Milwaukee will visit PNC Park for a three-game series on Sept. 5-7, and if Skenes gets a chance for revenge against Milwaukee, there couldn't be a better place for him to take the mound. This season, in 11 starts covering 68.2 innings, Skenes has a 1.70 ERA in the Steel City.
Dan Campbell questions whether he set Lions up for failure
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell thinks he set his team up for failure last season with the messages he sent. The Lions won the NFC North and the top overall seed in the NFC Playoffs by going 15-2, but lost in their first playoff game to the Washington Commanders. In a new interview with WXYZ in Detroit, Campbell confessed that he thinks his messaging led the Lions to get too complacent after achieving the goal of securing the No. 1 seed. “There was a little part of me last year, I’m like, Man, did I put such an emphasis on the one-seed, playing at home, all these things that it was almost like — the set of circumstances, we had a bunch of injuries — that it was like, [sigh]. We took a deep breath,” Campbell said. “And then it was like, ‘Oh man, we reached one of those goals,’ but the ultimate goal is the Super Bowl.” “So I just, in my own head, did I set us up for failure by the way that I spoke about it? I think about little things like that. Whereas, you know what? We didn’t lose on the road last year. What if we had gone on the road?” Campbell is quick to take responsibility when his team loses, but last year’s playoff exit was particularly shocking. The Minnesota Vikings pushed them all the way to Week 18, giving them no real opportunity to exhale. Their playoff bye may have given them an opportunity to do that when they shouldn’t have. Of course, Campbell was plenty confident in his team heading into the playoffs. Still, the messaging will clearly be different in Detroit this season.
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