Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Kraken keep hopes alive with win over Sharks
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist as the Seattle Kraken scored three times in the first period en route to a 4-2 road victory over the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

The Kraken are 3-1-0 in their last four games and are still mathematically alive in the playoff race. With eight games remaining on the regular-season schedule, Seattle (31-30-13, 75 points) is 12 points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Shane Wright's goal 17:06 into the first period stood as the game-winning tally. Wright was just recalled from the AHL on Sunday, and it was Wright's first goal in four NHL games this season and the second of his career.

Matty Beniers and Jared McCann scored the Kraken's other goals, and Eeli Tolvanen and Jaden Schwartz each had two assists.

Philipp Grubauer stopped 24 of 26 shots for his 12th win of the season.

The Sharks (17-49-8, 42 points) have the fewest points in the NHL and are 2-16-3 in their last 21 games.

Fabian Zetterlund had a goal and an assist and Klim Kostin scored San Jose's other goal. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 28 of 31 shots.

Beniers put Seattle ahead just 29 seconds into the game, helped by a Sharks turnover in their own zone. Bjorkstrand made a canny pass to Beniers, who blasted home a shot from the faceoff dot.

Bjorkstrand also scored from the circle at 11:26 of the first period, as the forward snuck a very well-placed shot over Blackwood's shoulder.

Zetterlund put the Sharks on the board with a power-play goal 14:19 into the first period. Mikael Granlund collected an assist and now has six points (two goals, four assists) over a five-game points streak.

Wright restored Seattle's two-goal lead by combining with Jordan Eberle on a nice passing play. Eberle received an assist on the play for his 700th NHL point.

Kostin's tip-in goal at 5:01 of the second period again brought the Sharks within a goal, though that marked the only scoring until McCann's empty-net tally in the final seconds of the third period.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Calder Trophy winner faces another unprecedented season with Canadiens
NHL

Calder Trophy winner faces another unprecedented season with Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson cemented himself in hockey history with his Calder Trophy-winning rookie season last year. His 60 assists tied Larry Murphy for the most ever recorded by a rookie defender, while his 66 total points ranked fifth in history. Hutson’s company on the leaderboards is full of Hall of Fame talent, including Chris Chelios (50 A, 56 TP as a rookie), Nicklas Lidstrom (49 A, 60 TP) and Ray Bourque (48 A, 65 TP). But despite the warm company, Hutson still faces a task unlike any of his highly-touted peers. He has to show he can follow it up. Many former high-scoring, rookie defenders have earned their keep on both ends of the ice. Hutson breaks that mold. He is the first to ever cross the 60-point — or, even the 50-point — mark while recording a negative plus-minus. The only players to manage similar feats were Phil Housley, Quinn Hughes and Moritz Seider — who each finished their rookie campaigns short of both the 50-point mark and positive plus-minus. That certainly speaks to the high-event ice time Hutson experienced, but it shouldn’t come as a direct attack on his defensive acumen. Instead, it’s a testament to Hutson’s deeply unique style. He’s a hyper-mobile defender, who uses crafty stickhandling and skillful skating to sneak into the tightest spaces between opponents. Many defenders have excelled with those talents, but few are rarely look as gifted as Hutson. That degree of finesse helps Hutson make up for an otherwise scrawny frame — though one not lacking any physical gumption — in a way that seems reminiscent of former greats like Housley. But where Housley went on to net 1,232 career points, the next highest-scoring defenseman under the height of 5-foot-11 was Randy Carlyle, who finished his career with 647 points. That’s an extreme gap, not helped by the fact that Caryle weighed in at over 200 pounds. The NHL is not built to support nimble and skillful offensive-defensemen. It’s too heavy and physical of a league. And yet, Hutson showed no signs of struggling as he stomped his way to Montreal’s top defender role last season. He blazed that path with the same agility, instinct and cool-headedness that’s made him successful as far back as youth hockey. Then again, NHL game planning is better than ever as teams begin to lean on video tracking and analytics to support their pre-game prep. Many of Hutson’s break-ins came on the outskirts of the offensive zone, and his scoring chances from creative passes after working into space on the boards or behind the net. As teams adjust for that, Hutson will face the imposing question of if he can adjust his game too. Putting on more weight and continuing to improve at getting back on defense could go a long way towards building the full, all-three-zones ability that could push Hutson’s game to a truly special level. But if teams catch on to how to stop him before he has time to take the next step, he could quickly struggle to make the same plays he always has. That will be the task that faces Hutson next season — and its result could define Montreal’s blue-line for years to come. Hutson is up for a new contract next summer, and could sign an extension at any point now that July 1 has passed. Of the nine other defensemen to score at least 60 points in their rookie year, seven have gone on to play in over 1,000 NHL games. The other two still managed hundreds of games of their own (Reed Larson, 904; Barry Beck, 615). And yet, it’s hard to think any have deviated from the view of average NHL defender quite like Hutson. He’s among tremendous company, and seems headed for many years of incredible hockey after such a strong start. But it seems that the true, special aspects of Hutson’s career will be defined by how his sophomore season goes. In proving he can continue to perform at All-Star levels, Hutson will not only earn what’s sure to be a lofty contract next summer, but could cement his spot in Montreal’s top role for the next seven or eight seasons. He’s now joined by fellow, flashy company in Noah Dobson — and could get the support from more defensively-focused peers like Kaiden Guhle, Alexandre Carrier and Mike Matheson. The extent to which that supporting cast can boost Hutson to an encore performance will make his 2025-26 campaign much-watch hockey, even after he’s earned the Rookie of the Year title in a special Calder Trophy race.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ties franchise record with HR vs. Twins
MLB

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ties franchise record with HR vs. Twins

MLB's midseason break was kind to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani. On Wednesday, the three-time MVP tied a Dodgers franchise record with a home run in his fifth consecutive game, taking Minnesota Twins right-handed starting pitcher Chris Paddack 441 feet to centerfield on an 0-2 79 mph curveball in the bottom of the first inning. Ohtani entered the All-Star break with 32 home runs but had just two in his 12 previous games before beginning his current streak. He's appeared in 101 of L.A.'s 103 games, putting him on pace for 159 games this season. If Ohtani continues at his home run trajectory, he'll set a personal record for single-season home runs, breaking the record he established last season, his first with the Dodgers. Per ESPN Bet, Ohtani (-1800) is an overwhelming favorite to be named NL MVP for the second consecutive season. With every home run hit, his odds of receiving a fourth overall MVP award likely increase. Also helping Ohtani's case is his return to the mound after not pitching a season ago while rehabbing from 2023 surgery. The Dodgers have slowly eased him back, with Ohtani throwing 12 innings in six starts, allowing nine hits and two earned runs with 13 strikeouts. Per Baseball Savant, he ranks in the top six percent in average fastball velocity (97.8 mph), a promising sign as he continues his progression. While the Dodgers keep him on a pitch count, Ohtani didn't need much warming up at the plate following the in-season break to find his swing. Some might argue he's already in postseason form.

Tua Tagovailoa addresses relationship with Tyreek Hill after controversial comments
NFL

Tua Tagovailoa addresses relationship with Tyreek Hill after controversial comments

Shortly after Miami Dolphins players reported for training camp on Tuesday, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill suggested he wants to be "better as a leader" after he controversially subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale this past January and then told reporters he was "out." While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa addressed the Hill-sized elephant in the room. "I think there’s a lot more vulnerability with Tyreek," Tagovailoa explained, as shared by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "He’s conversating a lot more with the guys, not just about football, but about things off the field, being vulnerable about some of the things people know about his personal life and things of that nature. I think that’s the first step toward him building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there." Following Hill's "out" comment, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier revealed that the 31-year-old speedster never requested a trade. While publicly apologizing to his teammates during a Super Bowl week interview, Hill directly said that Tagovailoa is his "guy." Hill also insisted at the time that he loves Tagovailoa. "Everybody makes mistakes," Tagovailoa added about Hill. "It’s just, some people, they’re in the spotlight, and their deals get pushed out more than some others. So you’ve just got to cut him some grace. That’s our teammate. We love him, but as a person, I think if you get to know him, you’ll love him too." Hill and Tagovailoa likely will need to be on the same page if they want to prevent the Dolphins from going through a franchise reset next offseason. At least head coach Mike McDaniel is reportedly on the hot seat this summer, while Tagovailoa's status beyond the upcoming campaign is up in the air after he suffered a third reported concussion since the fall of 2022 last season. "You guys aren’t the only people that heard that," Tagovailoa said about Hill's "out" statement. "...So when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, 'Hey, my bad.' You’ve got to work that relationship up. You’ve got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody. But like I said, he’s working on himself, he’s working on the things he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So that’s the first step to me, so I commend him for doing that." As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 2024 Dolphins at -275 betting odds to miss the playoffs. Those who believe the relationship between Tagovailoa and Hill is on shaky ground following Wednesday's developments may want to take a flier on such a wager before the odds change later this year.

Penn State QB Drew Allar gets candid about team's struggles against top opponents
College Football

Penn State QB Drew Allar gets candid about team's struggles against top opponents

It is no secret that Penn State has struggled to win big games under head coach James Franklin. While the Nittany Lions have finished with double-digit wins in six of the past nine seasons, including a 13-3 season in 2024 that culminated with a loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals, they have struggled to beat quality opponents. Quarterback Drew Allar, who enters the 2025 season with the fifth-shortest odds (+1600) to win the Heisman Trophy, per FanDuel, was honest about Penn State's lack of success during his appearance at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday. "We definitely need to get over the hump," Allar said, per ESPN's Jake Trotter. "There's no question about it." Penn State is only 4-20 against top-10 opponents under Franklin, although the three losses last season were all by one score. Allar is 23-6 as a starter, but threw a costly interception against Notre Dame that ultimately led to the game-winning field goal from the Fighting Irish. With experience on its side and lofty expectations entering the season as the No. 1-ranked team in ESPN's offseason poll, Allar pointed to better execution as a key to Penn State's success. "We definitely need to find different ways to come out with different results in those games," Allar said. "We haven't really been blown out of the water by any team. ... it's just about execution. ... finding those areas to make one or two more plays throughout those games. ... That's going to be our focus." One key for Penn State is the return of its two leading rushers from last season, Kaytron Allen (1,108 yards) and Nicholas Singleton (1,099 yards), who combined for 20 TDs. That experience, along with Allar's improved accuracy (66.5%) and career-high 3,327 passing yards from 2024, gives the Nittany Lions a lot of upside going into 2025. Allar did have an uptick in interceptions (eight) and was sacked 19 times last season, which are two concerning areas, especially against top-ranked opponents. That must improve for Penn State to reverse course and finally win meaningful games. For now, the focus is on its lack of success in those games under Franklin. If Penn State can execute and not beat itself, perhaps one of those games will eventually go its way. Until then, it will face the same questions as it looks to put its past struggles in big games behind it.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!