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Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said he is treating the next few games before the 4 Nations break like the playoffs. The 5-0 shutout win against the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues was a good start.
“It’s not just one game, right? Like I said, five games. I really like what we did yesterday. The great start, great focus, all the things I touched on yesterday,” Bednar said after Saturday’s practice. “We didn’t have any passengers. I look at every guy, and even looking back to the video, a couple mistakes here and there. We could’ve got a little bit more dangerous here and there. They were prepared and focused and played within the game plan, no passengers, no big lapses in the game. So I’m happy. And we got the result.”
Good & Bad: Avalanche Ice St. Louis Blues 5-0 with Fiery First Period
Jonathan Drouin scored a goal and an assist on the power play, which the team has struggled with recently. He also scored an even-strength goal playing on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Juuso Parssinen, who he has developed chemistry with.
“It’s been good, and I think we complement each other well in that line. Pars, big body and goes to the net hard. Drou and I see the game very similar, and can make plays together. So it was fun. I thought we played well as well,” Mittelstadt said.
Although the third line didn’t get on the scoresheet, the three American-born players were cohesive and productive. Miles Wood and Ross Colton are familiar having played together last season and being close friends off the ice. But the addition of Jack Drury has been the equalizer for that line.
The Robbinsville, New Jersey native said Drury is good on face-offs, possesses good speed and wins puck battles. He appreciates his new linemate’s agility in the D-zone.
“I think the last two games, we’ve been really good. Drury — he’s come in, he’s kind of been a nice calming presence in the middle,” Colton said. “I played with Miles all last year, so just know where we’re gonna be on the ice. We know each other’s games, and play north, south, and play with some speed, physicality, and feel like Bedsy’s (Bednar) really liked our game last couple games, so just keep building off it.”
Colton and Wood are gritty players who bring a high level of energy to the ice. Drury has melded well with their tenacity and has two goals in four games with the Avalanche.
Martin Necas Scores Sensational First Goal with Avalanche
“They’re both incredible players, both so fast. This is kind of what stands out, really good speed on both of them,” Drury said. “Woody obviously, really physical, strong finishes hits and then Colts (Colton), really smart player, knows where to go on the ice. So it’s been fun playing with them. We’ve kind of felt like we’ve gotten better and better, and want to just keep going moving forward.”
Bednar said the Joel Kiviranta — Parker Kelly — Logan O’Connor line has been the most consistent which is why he has not broken them up. MacKinnon’s line has carried the majority of the production weight but the goal of his team is to have consistency through all four lines.
More must-reads:
- Blue Jackets' extension talks with young star will have major impact on salary
- Jerry Jones again proves he shouldn't be making decisions for Cowboys
- The 'Most 1,000-rushing yard NFL seasons' quiz
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The Dallas Stars just locked up a defenseman built for playoff wars, and he's only getting started
Blue Jackets' extension talks with young star will have major impact on salary
There’s no question that the Columbus Blue Jackets have one of the cleanest cap tables in the league, especially for how competitive they’re expected to be in the 2025-26 season. Still, as their younger players continue to age, the Blue Jackets are getting closer to potentially having to make difficult decisions, and their extension negotiations with Adam Fantilli will have a major impact on their salary hierarchy moving forward. Despite having a somewhat disappointing rookie season, albeit limited by injuries, the third overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft responded well last season, scoring 31 goals and 54 points in 82 games while averaging 17:29 of ice time per game. Fantilli still needs to improve in the faceoff dot and on the defensive side of the puck, but being a 30-goal scorer at 20 years old is nothing to scoff at. In a recent interview with James Murphy of RG Media, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell spoke about the upcoming negotiations with Fantilli, saying, "We’re going to talk here in the next couple of weeks. Pat Brisson is his agent, and we’re going to do some face-to-face meetings. When these kinds of players are up and these kinds of deals need to be made, I think you need to be in front of each other. I think you make a lot more progress than just over the phone. So that’s always been my theory, and Pat’s the same way. I’ve done a lot of deals over the years with Pat, so we’ll be fine and sit down face-to-face and get this done. As we get closer to training camp, I think we’ll be much further ahead, and we have some dates already planned that we’ll meet, so let’s go from there.” There technically shouldn’t be any rush on Columbus’s end, given that Fantilli is a few years away from even becoming arbitration-eligible. Still, for the sake of cost certainty and having one of its core pieces locked up long-term, the Blue Jackets are eyeing a long-term extension with Fantilli in the coming weeks. Waddell also spoke about a separate extension this offseason. On the eve of free agency this summer, Columbus re-signed defenseman Ivan Provorov to a seven-year, $59.5M contract, which represented only a $1.75M yearly increase on his previous deal. Despite reports at the time indicating that Provorov might seek a larger deal on the open market, Waddell explained in the interview that there was no real concern he’d leave the organization. Murphy quoted Waddell, saying, “Well, the good thing is I was in dialogue regularly with Mark Andler, his agent, and there’s a lot of outside noise, but Mark kept telling me, and Provorov too, that his first choice was to stay here in Columbus.” Waddell explained that although Provorov’s cap hit may seem high, he believes it will look more favorable as the salary cap increases. Additionally, Provorov’s preparation for each season is expected to enhance his longevity throughout the duration of the contract. Lastly, Waddell touched on his excitement over the depth the Blue Jackets brought in this summer, particularly on offense. The team specifically targeted Charlie Coyle as a right-handed center and believes his leadership skills will prove a boon to the younger players on the roster. Meanwhile, the team’s general manager also remarked about the skill level of Miles Wood on the offensive side of the puck and Isac Lundeström’s skill on the defensive side of the puck. All three additions are expected to maintain important roles for the Blue Jackets this season and help the team return to the postseason for the first time since the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Jelena Ostapenko responds to racism allegations after post-match confrontation with Taylor Townsend
A heated post-match exchange between former World No. 5 Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend marred an otherwise action-filled fourth day of the U.S. Open on Wednesday. After Townsend defeated the 2017 French Open champion in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, Ostapenko accused her opponent of unsportsmanlike conduct, pointing out that the American didn't apologize when a net cord helped her win a crucial point earlier in the match. The Latvian wrote on social media that Townsend "was very disrespectful" and didn't show the proper etiquette expected of a pro tennis player. "If she plays in her homeland, it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants," she wrote in a scathing address of Townsend. Townsend offered more details on their post-match confrontation, which led to some suggesting she was racially targeted. "She told me I have no class and no education, and to see what happens if we play each other outside the U.S.," Townsend revealed. Townsend refused to call Ostapenko a racist. "I didn't take it in that way," she said, via BBC. "But also that has been a stigma in our community of being not educated, and all of the things, when it's the furthest thing from the truth. Whether it had racial undertones or not, that's something she can speak on." Ostapenko was widely lambasted on social media, with even World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka asking her to control her emotions. The under-attack Latvian responded to allegations of her being a racist, while reaffirming her stance on Townsend disrespecting her during the match. "I was never racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn't matter where you come from," she wrote on social media. Townsend will next face Russian teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva in the third round. The World No. 46 American is trying to reach the fourth round of her home major for the first time since 2019.
Cowboys land three-time Pro Bowler in Micah Parsons trade
It may be no consolation to Dallas Cowboys fans, but their team did land an outstanding defensive player as part of the stunning blockbuster that sent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. The Cowboys have traded Parsons to the Packers in exchange for a pair of first-round draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. While Clark is nowhere near the same caliber player as Parsons, he has been one of the top players at his position in the NFL for several years now. Clark spent nine seasons with the Packers after they drafted him in the first round out of UCLA in 2016. He became a full-time starter in 2017 and has started every game in which he has played since. Clark started all 17 games for Green Bay the past three seasons and has missed just one game in the last four years. He had a career-high 7.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss in 2023, which is when he made his third and most recent Pro Bowl. The 6-foot-3, 314-pound tackle also made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2021. Almost all Cowboys fans would have preferred for their team to work out a long-term extension with Parsons. The tension between the two sides simply escalated to the point where a divorce became the most viable option. If the Cowboys felt they had no choice but to trade Parsons, they at least seem to have maximized the return. The future first-round picks will give them flexibility to build through trades and/or the draft. It should also soften the blow — even if only slightly — that they landed a 29-year-old player who has played like an elite defensive tackle throughout much of his career.
Micah Parsons will not have to wait long to get his revenge on Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons in a stunning move on Thursday, and the star pass-rusher will now get his revenge game sooner rather than later. The Cowboys have traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round draft picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Many were shocked that Dallas would trade arguably its best player to a longtime NFC rival, but the relationship between the two sides had rapidly deteriorated in recent weeks. Parsons issued a lengthy statement after the trade thanking Cowboys Nation, but it is safe to assume he has some sour feelings toward Jerry Jones and the team's brass. He will have a chance to express those frustrations on the field in Week 4. As luck would have it, the Packers travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" in Week 4. That game will likely be one of the highest-rated of the entire 2025 NFL season. Players often shine in so-called "revenge games" after they are traded. In this instance, the player happens to be a superstar who publicly feuded with his former boss all offseason. Parsons will probably have a little extra juice for Green Bay's Sept. 28 game against Dallas, and who can blame him? Rather than paying him what he wanted, the Cowboys let the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end walk. Parsons' former teammates may want to focus some extra attention on him in Week 4.
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