On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Stanley Cup playoffs takeaways: Hurricanes advance, panic time for Maple Leafs
The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs continued on Tuesday night and included the first team to advance and more pressure mounting on a Stanley Cup contender. There was also a big suspension that could impact the Tampa Bay-Florida series.
Here are some takeaways from Tuesday's action:
Carolina rallies to move on
The Carolina Hurricanes did not mess up their opportunity to advance on Tuesday, eliminating the New Jersey Devils with a 5-4 win in double overtime to get through to the second round.
They did not make it easy on themselves.
After falling behind 3-0 in the first period, Carolina rallied all the way back for the win that was capped off by a Sebastian Aho goal in double overtime.
SERIES WINNER IN DOUBLE OT ️
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2025
Sebastian Aho scores in @Energizer double overtime to send the @Canes to the Second Round! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/ouRWZaO8Gq
Dawson Mercer's double-minor for high-sticking ended up setting up that goal.
Carolina will now play the winner of the Washington Capitals-Montreal Canadiens series.
Maple Leafs lose another potential closeout game
There is no way the Toronto Maple Leafs can do this again, right?
There is no way they snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and humiliate themselves in another first-round series, is there?
With their 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, they missed another opportunity to clinch a series and fell to 1-12 in potential closeout games since the start of the 2018 playoffs.
That is astonishing. It almost defies all reason and logic. That is also how they have managed to win just a single series in that time. With Tuesday's loss they will get another chance in Game 6 on Thursday night in Ottawa, and the pressure is only going to keep building on them.
Because every game they lose, and every game they fail to clinch this series, the outside noise is going to keep getting louder and louder.
By the end of Tuesday's game you could sense the panic from the fans in Toronto. The arena was silent. Fans were not even reacting to fights or skirmishes that were breaking out as time expired. There was just a sense of doom in the air and absolutely zero energy. It was almost as if the Maple Leafs had already lost the series instead of still being up 3-2 with two more chances to close it out.
Aaron Ekblad gets suspended
The NHL got it wrong by not suspending Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk for his late hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel.
It had no choice but to suspend defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
After missing the boat with Tkachuk, the NHL corrected its mistake on Tuesday by suspending Ekblad for two games for delivering a forearm directly to the face of Lightning forward Brandon Hagel on Monday night. There was no penalty called on the play, but there was no way the NHL could ignore this.
From @NHLPlayerSafety, slow-mo view of Ekblad’s forearm to Hagel’s head.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 29, 2025
This is a reverse angle that we hadn’t seen - and shows the carnage. Very clear 2 game suspension. pic.twitter.com/8DoWbNcxKj
Ekblad is one of the Panthers' top players and defenseman, and his absence could open the door for the Lightning to get back in the series. Florida has a chance to win the series in Game 5 on Wednesday.
More must-reads:
- Hurricanes escape three-goal hole, eliminate Devils in 2OT
- Senators' Linus Ullmark posts shutout, staves off elimination vs. Maple Leafs
- The 'NFL stadium names' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
WJSS: Michael Hage shines with Canada
Michael Hage was not invited to represent Canada at the World Junior Championships last year. Should he have been invited? Probably, considering the team’s disappointing quarter-final loss to the Czech Republic. The fact that he plays in the NCAA didn’t help either, but barring a huge surprise, Hockey Canada shouldn’t overlook him this year. He’s taking part in the Summer Showcase, which is good news in itself, but he also has an important role in Team Canada-Rouge. Today, his team played its first game of the summer mini-tournament against the other Canadian team, Canada-White. He didn’t miss a beat with a goal and an assist. Used in a second line with Cole Rechny and Benjamin Kindel, he first grabbed a rebound in the slot before scoring. Then, he served a superb pass to Marek Vanacker. [content-ads] If he breaks into the lineup, I can’t wait to see what role we’ll give him. Being a 2nd line center is an achievable goal with the talent Canada is going to have. In the meantime, it’s off to the University of Michigan for him to play his second season. After an excellent first year, it’ll be interesting to see how far he can take his team, who disappointed at the end of 2025. It should be Habs direction next, as he’s projected as the team’s future 2nd center. [spacer title=’En rafale’] – A good game from CF Montreal. – It’s pretty amazing to see him go. – Embarrassing situation for the tournament.
How NBA Executives Feel About Josh Giddey's Upcoming Bulls Contract
Last season, Josh Giddey took a big leap after being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the Chicago Bulls, the Australian point guard was instrumental in getting them to the Play-In Tournament, going 39-43. The No. 10 seed was somewhat expected, but the record was better than people anticipated. Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, taking his offense to another level. His shooting splits improved as well, and his overall leap has resulted in the 22-year-old asking for big money amid restricted free agency. Still unsigned, Giddey is reportedly desiring at least $8 million more than what the Bulls are currently offering. In a recent article from Fred Katz and Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic, NBA executives gave their thoughts on what they think Giddey is worth and the overall contract dispute. One executive believed $100 million over four years was fair. “Giddey is the anomaly because he might be good enough to be a four-year player,” the executive said. “Nobody wants to go with long-term contracts because everybody wants this idea of flexibility. You wanna have the ability to (say), ‘You know what? My team’s not very good. Let’s pivot.’” Some other executives proposed three-year deals, ranging from $54 million to $75 million in total money. Cap space around the NBA has become extremely limited, and Chicago may not be willing to make such a long-term commitment to the former lottery pick. One person polled cited the Patrick Williams contract as a reference point for the Bulls. “Chicago gave (Williams) five years, $90 million with a player option,” the executive said. “He didn’t show much and got that deal entirely based on them drafting him top five and (his) perceived potential.”
Ben Roethlisberger Sends Serious Warning About Steelers' Broderick Jones
The 2025 season will be a crucial one for the Pittsburgh Steelers and all of the decision-makers that completely revamped the roster during the offseason. The depth chart looks much different than it did back in 2024, so there will be several adjustments that need to be made. One positional group that looks relatively similar, but has been affected by some reshuffling, is the offensive line. Troy Fautanu is back after an injury-plagued rookie campaign, and Broderick Jones will finally get to play left tackle on a consistent basis for the first time in his professional career. Jones is, without a doubt, one of the most important players in the entire projected starting lineup. Keeping Aaron Rodgers upright will be crucial, and the third-year lineman has not necessarily proven that he can be trusted. He suffered an injury to begin training camp, but is reportedly going to be just fine and return to the field sooner rather than later. No one knows how important it is to have a strong offensive line more than future Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers' legendary signal-caller never got to play with Jones, but he keeps tabs on the team and shares his thoughts often on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. On the most recent episode, he highlighted how critical it is so have a good group up front blocking, and he mentioned Jones by name. "I would probably start, as I do a lot of times, about the importance of the offensive line," Roethlisberger began. "I'd say that's the biggest question, and it should be because to me, the line is always the MVP. The way the line plays, run game, pass game, everything revolves around that. More specifically, Broderick Jones, moving now back to left tackle." Training camp hasn't gotten off to a great start for Jones with the injury, but some may be happy that he lost some weight during the 2025 offseason. Roethlisberger said he understands why, but is still concerned. "I've heard he's thinned down, which is good to a certain extent, right," Roethlisberger said. "They want to work on getting tackles out and running the outside zones and stretch plays. So, you got to be a little, you know, more agile, but you know, you also don't want to be too small when you're supposed to be a tackle. So, that's always going to be a concern of mine, is him and the line in general staying healthy." There are some massive edge rushers in the NFL, and Roethlisberger is right in saying that being too small as a tackle can be problematic. Jones will have to go up against Myles Garrett twice in 2025, and the offseason weight loss won't look like a good thing if he is manhandled throughout those matchups. The Steelers' offensive line might be the unit that makes or breaks the team's season. Staying healthy will be the number one priority, but it is almost imperative that the group actually is successful. If edge rushers are constantly bulldozing through Jones, it could be serious cause for concern. It seems as if that it what Roethlisberger has some reservations about. If Jones doesn't perform at a high level in 2025, the 2023 NFL Draft day trade-up in the first round will be looked at as a failure. The organization has to make a decision on Jones' fifth-year option during the 2026 offseason, so the left tackle better hope that some of the weight he had shed ends up helping him significantly, instead of the other way around. Steelers Will Need Entire Offensive Line To Be Elite In 2025 While Jones is going to be the number one scapegoat if things go south, the big men up front will be a huge part of Pittsburgh's offensive failures or successes as the season progresses. Roethlisberger's comments regarding the starting left tackle's offseason will certainly cause a little bit of worry, but the unit as a whole has to prove consistency when the games matter.
Lakers coach JJ Redick issues challenge to Bronny James
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking for Bronny James to make some changes ahead of his second year in the NBA. James, the No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft, played in 27 games for the Lakers last season and started in one game. He averaged 2.3 points, .8 assists and .7 rebounds per contest. For James to improve on those numbers this season, head coach JJ Redick thinks the 20-year-old needs to change his physique. "The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape," Redick said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. "That's the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he's got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA." James didn't have much of a chance to get in elite shape before his rookie season. He played a shortened season at USC after suffering cardiac arrest on July 24, 2023. James made his debut for the Trojans on Dec. 10, 2023. Redick compared James' ceiling to Davion Mitchell of the Miami Heat and T.J. McConnell of the Indiana Pacers. For James to get there, he has to push past his fears of the prior cardiac arrest caused by a congenital heart defect. "I think we have all seen these amazing flashes of it from Bronny," Redick said. "And to get to that next level for him, it's cardio fitness. "He's cleared. ... I get that there's a history there of a really scary thing that he had to live through, and I think it's tough to push past certain points for him, but he's going to get there. He's going to get there." Based on Redick's comments, James has more to change than getting his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame in shape for the upcoming season. He has to work on his mental fear of pushing his body too far. James' mental hurdle might be the biggest obstacle to his improvement as an NBA player.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
