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The Winnipeg Jets could’ve easily panicked when they found themselves behind early against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues stayed ahead until the nine-minute mark in the third period, when Alex Iafallo evened the game at three. It looked like the game was destined for overtime until Kyle Connor put the Jets ahead for good with a little over a minute remaining.
Connor joined Scott Oake post-game and made some comments that should fire up the home crowd in Winnipeg.
“The third period was Winnipeg Jets hockey. We limited their chances, did a great job of coming back and defending, and turning those into offensive zone shifts,” Connor explained.
The Blues gave the Jets their best shot in Game 1, and scoring three goals on Connor Hellebuyck should be enough to win.
However, a costly penalty by Zach Bolduc seemed to turn the momentum in the Jets’ favor, and they didn’t look back. The worst-case scenario for the Blues is that Hellebuyck has settled into the series and will find his Vezina form.
Kyle Connor leads Jets
Connor has been a star for the Jets all season and finally got the best of Jordan Binnington in the third period. Binnington stonewalled him several times, including once in the third period on a cross-crease penalty kill save.
It likely felt even sweeter for Connor, considering the controversy surrounding his healthy scratch in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off. It had to feel like vindication after being unable to battle Binnington in that game.
Connor tied a Jets’ franchise record by scoring his fourth playoff game winner of his career. The mark tied another former fan favorite, Paul Stastny.
Winnipeg’s fans hope Connor will soon take his place at the top of that ranking, as they embark on a lengthy playoff run. If Hellebuyck figures out his playoff woes and Connor starts scoring at an elite level like he can, the Jets might be the ones to break the Presidents’ Trophy curse.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Blues go to Winnipeg-native Joel Hofer for Game 2 on Monday evening. Hofer and Binnington have been splitting starts all season, and it could be time for him to take the reins. Regardless, the comeback victory has put the Jets firmly in the driver’s seat with another game in the “white-out” upcoming.
More must-reads:
- Anze Kopitar, one of NHL's most underappreciated stars, is retiring after this season
- Concerning report emerges about Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin's health
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
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Anze Kopitar, one of NHL's most underappreciated stars, is retiring after this season
Clayton Kershaw is not the only Los Angeles sports icon announcing their retirement on Thursday. Anze Kopitar, the longtime captain of the Los Angeles Kings and a two-time Stanley Cup champion, also announced on Thursday that he is retiring from the NHL following the 2025-26 season. Kopitar has played his entire career with the Kings after being a first-round pick by the team in 2005, helping bring the Stanley Cup to Los Angeles for the first time ever. Anze Kopitar is still one of the NHL's most underappreciated stars Kopitar was never the most prolific scorer in the NHL during his career, but few players in the league were better at both ends of the ice. Even into his late 30s, Kopitar has consistently been one of the NHL's best two-way players and was consistently overshadowed not only by the league's elite point-producers, but even other comparable two-way centers like Boston's Patrice Bergeron and Chicago's Jonathan Toews. But while all three players — Kopitar, Bergeron and Toews — were extremely comparable, the other two seemed to get more recognition as the better players and slam-dunk Hall of Famers. Kopitar was not only their equal across the board; he was in many seasons the superior player. He was every bit the defensive force that Bergeron and Toews were, and a consistently better offensive player. Even with all of his individual and team accomplishments he still never seemed to get the recognition he deserved leaguewide. Anze Kopitar's Hall of Fame resume When you look at the overall career numbers, Kopitar doesn't have some of the big numbers that other Hall of Famers do. Entering his final season in the NHL, he has 440 goals and 1,278 total points in 1,454 regular-season games. Excellent numbers — but not exactly among the all-time greats. Those numbers only tell a portion of the story of his career. Kopitar's resume includes two Selke Trophies as the NHL's best defensive forward, three Lady Byng Awards for gentlemanly play and sportsmanship and two Stanley Cup rings. In both of those Stanley Cup-winning seasons, he was the best player on the Kings roster, leading the playoffs in scoring each time. The three-year stretch between 2012 and 2015 was Kopitar at his absolute peak level of dominance. He was not only the best player on a team that won two Stanley Cups and had another Western Conference Final appearance sandwiched in the middle, he also helped drag an overmatched and undermanned Slovenia team to the quarterfinals of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He was the only NHL player on that team in a tournament against what were basically NHL All-Star squads, and he had that team playing competitive hockey and hanging with them.
Reporter offers theory on why Kirk Cousins has not been traded
There have been multiple injuries to starting quarterbacks through the first two weeks of the NFL season, which has led to speculation that the Atlanta Falcons might finally trade Kirk Cousins. It does not sound like that is close to happening. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Thursday that no teams have reached out to the Falcons about trading for Cousins despite injuries to Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy, New York Jets' Justin Fields and Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels. Cousins was once considered the type of player who would generate buzz if a team's starting QB were to go down. So why hasn't it happened? According to Rapoport, the Falcons have no real incentive to trade Cousins. Cutting the 37-year-old never made sense, as Atlanta has to pay Cousins anyway, hence why the asking price has not dropped significantly. "He is a proven starting quarterback who happens to be the backup quarterback. If Michael Penix gets hurt, Cousins will step in there," Rapoport said. "That allows the Falcons to drive a very, very hard bargain. In other words, if you're going to trade for Kirk Cousins, if you're a team that says, 'Alright, we gotta have this guy,' you're gonna have to pay some of the salary and you're gonna have to give up a real draft pick. That is the luxury the Falcons have. "If they've got to keep him, they can just keep him because he's an excellent, excellent backup quarterback. Perhaps that is why we have not seen a deal yet, but every time there is a real, long-term quarterback injury, we're gonna have the same conversation this season." Kirk Cousins was benched for poor play in 2024 Cousins lost his job to Michael Penix Jr. midway through the 2024 season. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback got off to a decent start in his first season with Atlanta, but then played poorly for a stretch. Cousins finished with 3,508 yards, 18 touchdown passes and a career-worst 16 interceptions. There were numerous trade rumors involving Cousins during the offseason, but nothing materialized. That is mainly because he is only in the second year of a four-year, $180M contract. The Falcons do not seem eager to eat much of that salary in a trade, unless a team were willing to make it worth their while with draft-pick compensation. A desperate team could still want Kirk Cousins The Bengals are bracing for a lengthy absence for Burrow, who could potentially miss the remainder of the season. The other quarterbacks who have gotten hurt are not expected to be sidelined for very long. It is possible that teams aren't desperate enough this early in the season to give up assets for Cousins. There also seems to be a belief among some that Cousins' skills have declined, which makes it tougher for the Falcons to ask for much in a potential deal.
Liam Doyle Makes a Dazzling Debut for the Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals’ 2025 season saw the arrival of highly-touted prospect Liam Doyle. He wasted no time making an impact. The left-handed pitcher selected fifth overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, has swiftly moved through the Cardinals’ minor league system. Furthermore, he has showcased the high-octane stuff that made him a top-five pick. Doyle, known for his “fiery competitiveness” and “swing and miss stuff,” was a standout at the University of Tennessee, where he was named the 2025 Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year. His college career was marked by a remarkable strikeout rate. Impressively, he shattered Tennessee’s single-season strikeout record. This dominance continued as he transitioned to professional baseball. Doyle Impressive in Debut The 21-year-old southpaw began his professional career with a debut for the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals. In his first outing, he recorded three strikeouts over 1 2/3 innings, signaling his ability to overpower hitters. His performance was strong enough that the organization quickly promoted him. The Cardinals assigned Doyle to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals to help with their playoff push. In his Double-A debut, Doyle was just as effective, striking out three batters in two scoreless innings. His overall minor league stats for the 2025 season show a combined 2.45 ERA with six strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched across both levels. While the sample size is small, his ability to generate a high number of strikeouts and hold opponents scoreless, particularly at the Double-A level, is a testament to his talent. Powerful Arsenal The lefty’s arsenal is centered around a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and has reached 100 mph. Also, he has a solid slider and cutter, which has allowed him to dominate hitters. Scouts note his ability to get the most out of his body with a high-effort, up-tempo delivery. His rapid promotion to Double-A shows the Cardinals’ belief in his potential to be a key part of their future rotation. As the season concludes, Doyle’s impressive debut should give fans some hope for the future. Furthermore, the fireball-throwing lefty has solidified his position as one of the Cardinals’ top prospects and should be able to contribute at the big league level soon.
Dallas Cowboys Linked to Strange Trade Before Week 3 NFL Action
Heading into Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys hold a 1-1 record. Jerry Jones has to be happy with his team’s bounce-back win against the New York Giants last week, but there are some clear issues the team could look at fixing. While there are a few issues on the roster that could use some work, there are also some areas that have been a major positive. One of those areas comes at the running back position. Javonte Williams has looked the part of a starting NFL running back through two weeks, running for 151 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries for an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. Miles Sanders has also carried the football nine times for 68 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Both players have handled their roles well. However, a new strange trade idea has been suggested for the Cowboys that would see them pursue another running back addition. Dallas Cowboys Linked to Strange Trade Before Week 3 NFL Action Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has named Dallas as one of the possible trade destinations for Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford. Ford is a quality player and could be a nice dual-threat running back for a team. But, the Cowboys simply do not need help at the running back position. Jones and company would be better served focusing on the defensive side of the ball. Ford would come in as the No. 3 running back on the roster and simply would not provide a ton of value for the Dallas offense. Even though Knox believes a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick could be the asking price, it just doesn’t make sense. Coming into the season, there were questions about the running game. Those questions have been answered so far. It will be interesting to see how both Williams and Sanders perform as the season moves forward. Perhaps the Cowboys could consider bringing him in for quality depth in case of an injury or one of the two backs falling off later in the year. All of that being said, this isn’t a trade idea that seems very likely. Dallas has to be happy with what it has seen from its two running backs through two weeks. Making a move to bring in a third back doesn’t seem to be a pressing need at this point in time.
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