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Watch: Panthers stun Lightning with two goals in 11 seconds to take 3-1 series lead
In a flash, the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2-1 Game 4 lead over the Florida Panthers turned into a 3-2 deficit.
Florida rattled Tampa Bay with two goals in quick succession late in the third period to take a one-goal lead. Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe added an empty-netter with 1:40 remaining to seal the come-from-behind win and give his squad a 3-1 series advantage.
The wild sequence began when Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad scored off a rebound to tie the game at two, 16 minutes and 13 seconds into the period.
EKKY FOUND THE REBOUND!!! pic.twitter.com/7z63S3aoKk
— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 29, 2025
Defenseman Seth Jones followed that goal 11 seconds later with another to give Florida a stunning late lead. His shot bounced past Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and pushed Tampa Bay to the brink of elimination.
JONESY DID THAT!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/7oTPOu3B4A
— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 29, 2025
Per the ESPN broadcast, it was the fastest two goals in Panthers playoff history. Incredibly, it also matched the Lightning, who scored two goals in 11 seconds during the second period to take the lead.
TWO GOALS IN 11 SECONDS
— NHL (@NHL) April 29, 2025
That's the fastest two goals in @TBLightning #StanleyCup Playoffs history!
: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/QwYBh68Tor
Game 5 is on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. With a win, the Panthers can advance to the East semifinals, where they'll play the winner of the Maple Leafs-Senators first-round series, which Toronto currently leads 3-1.
More must-reads:
- NHL dropped the ball by not suspending Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk
- Connor Hellebuyck, Darcy Kuemper, Andrei Vasilevskiy named Vezina Trophy finalists
- The 'Most NHL goals scored in a season by U.S. born players' quiz
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Canadiens Must Address Center Issues By Committee
The Montreal Canadiens best unkept secret is their need for a second-line center, who can allow the offensive attack to be more balanced throughout the top-six. General manager Kent Hughes hasn't been able to find the right piece, and isn't willing to deal away top prospects to advance the organization's contention window. Rushing a rebuild could prove to have dire consequences. While expectations in Montreal are as high as anywhere in the league, the fanbase, will benefit from entrusting in Hughes and Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens' VP of Hockey Operations, and giving them the proper time to build a true contender. Top prospects Michael Hage and David Reinbacher, have presumably been the asking price, and that is going to lead to a big no from Hughes. So, while names like Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks run rampant in the rumor market, such a move hasn't been made for obvious reasons. It might not be ideal, but given the cost to acquire a second-line center, and the arrival of the Canadiens top prospects on the horizon, waiting to see what the club has internally, possibly in the American Hockey League with the Laval Rocket, could make a lot of sense. Rushing guys like Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen isn't about to happen, but if one of them proves at Canadiens camp that they are ready, then head coach Martin St. Louis and Hughes and Gorton could be left with no choice. However, the likeliest scenario would be a guy like Zachary Bolduc slotting into the second-line center role down the stretch. Bolduc played center in junior, but during his time with the St. Louis Blues, he was restricted to the wing, thanks to their fantastic center depth. There is also the option of trying Alex Newhook or Kirby Dach in the second-line center role, and then having Jake Evans or Joe Veleno move up in a pinch. It's not ideal, but it does ensure the Canadiens prospect pool stays stocked at the top, while the team mucks through the hopeful tail-end of their rebuild. Expectations, yes the E-word, are going to continue to be high, but a year of regression could be coming, but it will be all worth it, when the club emerges as perennial playoff contenders. Internal options, and dealing with faceoff duties as they come will be best served by committee, with an all hands on deck approach.
Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a cause for concern with Jordan Love in the preseason. The quarterback suffered a thumb injury during the Packers' 30-10 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday. Love went 1-of-5 passing for seven yards and took a sack for -3 yards in the defeat. Both of his drives ended in punts. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Love is set to have surgery on his thumb after seeing how it held up at practice on Monday. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. "Gutekunst sounded adamant that Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Lions," Schneidman wrote. "Hit his left hand on a helmet on that half-scramble vs. Jets. Wanted to see how it felt at practice yesterday and decided to get it fixed to avoid future issues. Will be with team in Indianapolis. "Brian Gutekunst says Jordan Love is having a procedure done on his left thumb. It’s a 'ligament thing.' Hurt it in the preseason opener. Gutekunst hopes he returns to practice next week." The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers. Love and the majority of his receivers have not been in sync during training camp and in the preseason game. Like last season, Packers' receivers have dropped passes during practices and did so in the preseason opener against the Jets. Green Bay needs Love on the field, gaining chemistry with his pass-catching targets, including first-round pick Matthew Golden, before it plays the Lions.
Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes may continue to be one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award, but there is one place where he has appeared mortal this season. On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers did to Skenes what they have done to plenty of MLB pitchers in 2025 ... put up big offensive numbers. For the second time this season (Skenes also pitched in Milwaukee on June 25), the Brewers forced him from the game after just 4.0 innings on Tuesday night, logging six hits and four runs during his time on the mound. Both of those performances came at Milwaukee's home stadium (American Family Field) and both are now Skenes' shortest outings of the season. While another NL Central team has put up more runs against Skenes this season (the St. Louis Cardinals nicked him for five runs in 6.0 innings on April 8), no other team has had the same kind of success over multiple starts by Skenes in 2025 as have the Brewers inside their home stadium. In all this season, Skenes has given up 10 hits and eight runs in 8.0 innings in Milwaukee. It was his third career outing on the road against the Brewers, with his lone 2024 start representing arguably the best outing of his rookie season. On July 11, 2024, Skenes struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit over 7.0 innings as the Pirates would eventually post a 1-0 victory. Tuesday's short outing was highlighted by a pair of Milwaukee home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Sal Frelick that quickly set the tone for the Brewers. While Milwaukee's hit parade helped raise Skenes' ERA on the season to 2.13, it's hardly any reason for concern in a season where the 23-year-old right-hander is still a heavy favorite (-600) to win the NL Cy Young Award, per BetMGM. Skenes struggling in Milwaukee is likely more yet another stamp of approval on the Brewers' potential to be a threat once the postseason arrives. With an 18-4 record since the All-Star break entering Tuesday, Milwaukee has taken over the NL Central race from the Chicago Cubs. So what's the good news for Skenes? This is Pittsburgh's last trip to Milwaukee this season and the next-to-last series for the Pirates against the red-hot Brewers. Milwaukee will visit PNC Park for a three-game series on Sept. 5-7, and if Skenes gets a chance for revenge against Milwaukee, there couldn't be a better place for him to take the mound. This season, in 11 starts covering 68.2 innings, Skenes has a 1.70 ERA in the Steel City.
Oklahoma QB denies sports gambling allegations after suspicious screenshots emerge
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has faced questions about some alleged screenshots from his Venmo account, and the school is reportedly investigating the situation. Screenshots and videos that were widely circulated on social media Monday claimed to show multiple Venmo transactions linked to Mateer that contained the phrase “sports gambling.” The two main transactions in question were on Nov. 20, 2022, which was when Mateer was a freshman at Washington State. The alleged transactions that referenced “sports gambling” were between Mateer and a Venmo account for Richard Roaten, who is believed to be one of Mateer’s former Washington State teammates. While some have questioned whether the screenshots could have been altered, there were also videos that appeared to show people actively scrolling through the account that is believed to belong to Mateer. According to a Tuesday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Mateer has denied to Oklahoma officials that he has ever been involved with gambling. The school is still planning to investigate further, however. Mateer issued a statement on his X account denying being involved in sports gambling, explaining that the descriptions seen on his Venmo account are "inside jokes" with his friends. "The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false," Mateer wrote. "My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. "I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling." Oklahoma also issued a statement saying it has “no reason to believe” there is going to be an NCAA investigation. Rules prohibit student athletes or team staff from betting on any sports that have NCAA championships. One of the alleged screenshots connected to Mateer had a reference to “UCLA vs. USC” in addition to “sports gambling.” Penalties for an athlete who has been found to have gambled on prohibited sports can include a loss of eligibility. Mateer had his first full season as a starter last year at Washington State. He completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mateer entered the transfer portal after last season as one of the top players available, and he had a disrespectful gesture when announcing his commitment to the Sooners.
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