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Takeaways from Oilers' win over Panthers in Game 6 of Stanley Cup Final
The Edmonton Oilers forced a deciding Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final following a dominating 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Here are three takeaways from Friday's Game 6.
Kris Knoblauch keeps pushing the right buttons
Since falling behind 3-0 to the Panthers in the series, the Oilers have looked like a brand new team while rallying off three straight wins. A lot of the credit goes to the emergence of Edmonton's stars, but the team's head coach also deserves his flowers.
Knoblauch didn't change much in Game 6, but pairing together Warren Foegele, Leon Draisaitl and Dylan Holloway again paid dividends as the trio combined for three points and two of the Oilers' five goals. Meanwhile, he shifted the momentum early in the second period, successfully challenging a Panthers second-period goal, which, at the time, would've cut Edmonton's lead to 2-1 with nearly 40 minutes of hockey left to play.
Connor McDavid didn't have to pull the weight, Oilers still won
McDavid practically took over the series after the Oilers dropped the first three games to the Panthers. However, he went pointless on Friday, yet Edmonton still won.
The Oilers captain posted back-to-back four-point performances in Game 4 (one goal, three assists) and Game 5 (two goals, two assists). But, in Game 6, he didn't appear on the stat sheet, but his teammates did, with 11 Edmonton players registering at least a point.
Down 3-0, the Oilers seemingly needed to jump on McDavid's back to crawl back into the series. But, in Game 6, they proved that wasn't necessary to win, which is a bad sign for the reeling Panthers.
Oilers' stifling defense has forced Panthers stars to go quiet
The Oilers successfully stifled the Panthers' forecheck for a third straight game. This allowed Edmonton to keep chances to the outside, effectively silencing Florida's stars.
Of the Panthers' 21 shots on Friday, eight came from defensemen. Meanwhile, aside from captain Aleksander Barkov (3), the only other forward to manage more than one shot was Nick Cousins (2), who was playing in place of Kyle Okposo.
Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues finished with only one shot in Game 6. This troubling trend must be reversed, or the Panthers will likely watch the Oilers skate around with the Cup on their home ice three days from now.
More must-reads:
- Watch: Leon Draisaitl's deft assist gives Oilers early Game 6 lead
- Watch: Disallowed goal highlights Panthers' second-period struggles in Game 6 vs. Oilers
- The 'Stanley Cup-winning Edmonton Oilers' quiz
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Avalanche signing quality scoring option late in free agency
The Colorado Avalanche are zeroing in on a one-year deal with unrestricted free-agent forward Victor Olofsson, according to a report from PuckPedia. Olofsson represented one of the few remaining quality scoring options on the free-agent market. It’ll be a second straight one-year contract for Olofsson. He joined the Vegas Golden Knights last summer on his first trip through unrestricted free agency, reuniting with his former linemate with the Buffalo Sabres, Jack Eichel. He didn’t spend much of his time on the top line with Eichel, but he had a much better season than he did a year prior, scoring 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games, averaging 14:30 of ice time per night. Still, it would’ve been difficult for Olofsson to have a worse season than his final year with the Sabres. In his last year with the club during the 2023-24 campaign, Olofsson mustered seven goals and 15 points in 51 games. It was objectively the worst season of his professional career, including his time in the Swedish Hockey League from 2013 to 2018. It obfuscated the successful run he had with the Sabres earlier in his career. From 2019 to 2023, Olofsson was one of the better secondary scorers in the league, managing 81 goals and 163 points in 257 games with the Sabres. Furthermore, given that 56 of those points came on Buffalo’s power play, Olofsson was a notable offensive weapon with a man advantage. The Avalanche have been stockpiling depth assets for the better part of two years now, and it’s easy to understand why. Colorado has dealt with considerable injury issues throughout the last few seasons, necessitating their need for more NHL-ready options. Last season, the Avalanche used 49 different players throughout the regular season, but they still finished the season as one of the better teams. This means that Olofsson could have more access to playing time than he might otherwise expect. He’s certainly a better option for the Avalanche to use regularly than their recent acquisition, Daniil Gushchin, and is objectively a better option than Ivan Ivan.
The Washington Commanders made a massive mistake that could've fixed a position, and they saw it backfire on Monday night
Adam Peters has done a great job revamping the Washington Commanders' roster and building around franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels, but there are still a couple of positions that need to be improved. One of the positions most talked about this offseason has been the depth in the wide receiver room with the absence of Terry McLaurin, and Noah Brown is dealing with an injury. There were additions made to the position the last two offseasons, but the answer could've already been on the team, and we saw that Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals when WR Mitch Tinsley treated the secondary like a Pop Warner football team. Tinsley put on a SHOW If he's going to make the Bengals roster like he's expected to, according to reports, there's absolutely no way he wouldn't be on the Commanders roster over guys like Michael Gallup, Chris Moore, and K.J. Osborn, who have done nothing this preseason. The part that stings was that Tinsley already made the previous Commanders roster in 2023 as an undrafted rookie, and spent 2024 on the practice squad before being released. He's been the buzz of training camp for the Bengals, and the whole team, including star QB Joe Burrow, is pushing for him to make the team. He should have no problem making the roster after being named a captain for the preseason game in his return to Washington, and then putting on a show in primetime. Tinsley had some of the most impressive catches I've seen that showed his athleticism and body control. One touchdown flashed his ability to adjust his body in the air as he plucked the pass out of the air after turning his body mid jump. Then he would deflect a pass towards himself just to catch it as he's falling down, and Mossed a Commanders safety in the endzone with a full extension catch while getting both feet in. Tinsley finished the game with five catches for 73 yards, two touchdowns, and an insane highlight reel. Tinsley could've been the answer in the WR room The Commanders have been waiting around for someone in the wide receiver room to solidify the last roster spot or two, but nobody has done it yet, with only one preseason game left. McLaurin, Samuel, Brown, Lane, and McCaffrey are locks, but that's only five receivers, and they could keep seven to be safe. Lane looks like he can produce in his rookie season, but there are still question marks on who else can step up apart from McLaurin and Deebo. Tinsley was around the team and learning the offense for two years. This could have been a breakout season for him on the Commanders, but now it looks like he will have his best season yet as a Bengal. Hopefully, someone else produces this season so the Commanders don't regret this decision even more.
Former Green Bay Packers RB to miss entire 2025 NFL season due to injury
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with some concerning injuries to significant members of their roster. As their fans are well aware, the Packers have seen multiple wide receivers projected to be at the top of the depth cart go down during training camp with various injuries. Christian Watson, of course, has not been practicing all offseason as he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. In addition to him, the Packers also played their previous preseason game without Romeo Doubs (back), Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf). And while Doubs returned to practice this week, Reed and Wicks remain out. Elsewhere around the NFL, other teams are dealing with injuries of their own, and some involve players that are former Packers. Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor is out for the 2025-26 NFL season One of these players is former Packers running back Patrick Taylor, who played in Green Bay from 2021-2023. An undrafted free agent who often filled in as Green Bay’s third running back, he accumulated 261 rushing yards and a touchdown in his three seasons with the Packers. He found himself out of a job when the Packers revamped their running back room before the 2024 NFL season. Taylor ended up with the San Francisco 49ers last season and had the best year of his career with 183 rushing yards and a touchdown while appearing in 13 games. He will not be playing any games this season as San Francisco just put him on season-ending injured reserve: NFL teams can only have so many players on an injured reserve list. Interestingly, Taylor’s injury led to the 49ers to release another former Packer, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who was placed on injured reserve last week. In order to release an injured player, teams and that player must come to an injury settlement, which St. Brown received. He is now free to sign with any team in the NFL should he be able to pass a physical.
Changing of the guard: Power ranking 2025's NFL Week 1 QB changes
The Indianapolis Colts announced Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback on Tuesday, making them the 12th team to have a different starting QB from Week 1 last season. Who's better off, and who will regret making a switch? Below, we rank the 12 quarterbacks from worst to best, plus reveal whether each team upgraded or downgraded this offseason. 12. New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough 2024 Week 1 starter: Derek Carr The Saints are the league's only team without a named Week 1 starter. Both candidates have experienced some highs and lows in August, with little separating the two before an informative preseason Week 3 game on Saturday against the Denver Broncos. Verdict: DOWNGRADE 11. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones 2024 Week 1 starter: Anthony Richardson Sr. Richardson's benching signals a massive failure on the part of the Colts front office, led by general manager Chris Ballard, and head coach Shane Steichen, who was tasked with developing the raw prospect into an NFL starter. Over Jones' last 16 starts with the New York Giants from 2023-24, he averaged 186.2 passing yards per game and threw 10 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. Verdict: DOWNGRADE 10. Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco 2024 Week 1 starter: Deshaun Watson After a successful five-game stint with the Browns in 2023, Flacco, 40, is back for another run. While undoubtedly an improvement over Watson, the 18-year veteran has an alarming 15 interceptions in 13 games (11 starts) over the past two seasons. Verdict: UPGRADE 9. Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward 2024 Week 1 starter: Will Levis The Titans should expect the natural rookie up-and-downs from Ward, 2025's No. 1 overall pick. Over his first two preseason starts, Ward is 7-of-15 for 109 yards. Still, he's a vast improvement over Levis, who provided more comedic gold than wins last season. Verdict: UPGRADE 8. New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson 2024 Week 1 starter: Daniel Jones Wilson is in the twilight of his career, but the 10-time Pro Bowler, who has 42 touchdowns and 13 interceptions since 2023, has a much higher floor than Jones. Verdict: UPGRADE 7. New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields 2024 Week 1 starter: Aaron Rodgers Fields is a dynamic runner and showed improvement as a passer in six starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. But after signing a short two-year deal in free agency, it's clear there remains doubt over whether he can be a long-term starter in the league. Verdict: DOWNGRADE 6. Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy 2024 Week 1 starter: Sam Darnold McCarthy could be better in the long run than Darnold, but we'd expect the 2024 first-rounder, who missed all of last season with a torn meniscus, to offer fewer rewards than his predecessor early in his career. Verdict: DOWNGRADE 5. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold 2024 Week 1 starter: Geno Smith Darnold was one of the best stories in 2024, ending the year with 4,315 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season. However, his disappointing end to the season and struggles against pressure make it harder to see him as any better than the quarterback he replaces. Verdict: DOWNGRADE 4. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. 2024 Week 1 starter: Kirk Cousins Penix was promising in a three-game sample size at the end of 2024, quickly forming a connection with wideout Drake London, who had 22 receptions on 39 targets, 352 yards and two touchdowns during the span. Verdict: UPGRADE 3. New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye 2024 Week 1 starter: Jacoby Brissett The plan was always for Brissett to keep the seat warm for Maye, who looked like a potential star in 12 starts last season, ending the year with 2,276 passing yards and 421 rushing yards. Verdict: UPGRADE 2. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers 2024 Week 1 starter: Justin Fields While far from his peak, Rodgers can still sling the football. Per NFL Pro data, he finished last season No. 5 in expected points added per dropback on deep pass attempts (balls that travel at least 20 air yards). Verdict: UPGRADE 1. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith 2024 Week 1 starter: Gardner Minshew Smith completed 70.4 percent of his pass attempts in 2024, two seasons after leading the NFL in completion percentage (69.8 percent). He's proved himself time and time again over the past three seasons and will likely do it again in 2025. Verdict: UPGRADE
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