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Ryan S. ClarkNHL Reporter May 7, 2023 12:27 AM ET5 Minute Read

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl fuel Oilers to Game 2 victory

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both score twice as the Oilers beat the Golden Knights 5-1 in Game 2.

LAS VEGAS — Leon Draisaitl’s two goals on Saturday did more than hasten the Edmonton Oilers’ comfortable 5-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Draisaitl’s performance was one of the main reasons the Oilers left the desert with a tie run — and momentum — as they entered Game 3 Monday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Those two goals are also responsible for starting a conversation about how the Oilers’ superstar center might be able to own one of the most historic postseason individual performances in NHL history.

The conversation in question? Could Draisaitl break the record for most goals in a single postseason? The brand is shared by Reggie Leach and Hall of Famer Jari Kurri.

Leach scored 19 goals in 16 games with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1975-76 playoffs while Kurri tied the record with 19 goals in 18 games with the Oilers in the 1984-85 playoffs.

As for Draisaitl, the 2020 Hart Memorial Trophy winner has already scored 13 goals in eight games.

“You just get ready for the next one,” Draisaitl said when asked about the record. “I think it’s a cliché and everyone will say it, but that’s the way it is. This is how we work. That’s how every player works in this league. You do your part and try to make it the best you can every night. You go ahead and get ready for Game 3.”

Draisaitl’s run began when he scored seven goals in a six-game streak in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. He went on to score all four of the Oilers’ goals in a 6-4 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1 on Wednesday.

How he scored twice on Saturday was a representation of the strategy the Oilers used to level the series. It was also a contrast to what happened in Game 1, where the Golden Knights used an aggressive precheck to partially limit scoring chances by taking away time and space.

Edmonton was immediately aggressive in the first half, squandering his first of six power-play chances, which Draisaitl converted to a 1-0 lead in under three minutes. Less than five minutes later, defender Evan Bouchard scored another power play goal to double the lead.

Vegas was on the power play when Oilers superstar Connor McDavid rallied, winning the ball and holding off a defender with one arm before using the other to slip the puck past Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit for a goal shorthanded and to score a 3-0 lead.

Draisaitl cemented the Oilers’ first half with another goal, with less than four minutes left in the first for a 4-0 lead.

“At this point, nothing surprises me about his performance,” Bouchard said of Draisaitl’s two-goal game. “He had two more tonight. What’s that? 13, right? In eight games, that doesn’t happen very often.”

What the Oilers did in the first half was another reminder of what they did in the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs: convert the power play and control possession when possible. They finished the regular season at the top of the NHL with a 32.4% win rate on the power play, while their shot percentage owned 52.27% of the time in the 5-on-5 game, according to the Natural Stat trick.

The Oilers finished the first period with over 69% shot percentage and converted 50% of their power play chances. Going into the postseason, the Oilers are now fourth in shot percentage at 52.35% while their power play continues to have opponents looking for answers as they lead the league with a 56% win rate.

“They had the puck, they held it and they were strong at it,” said Bruce Cassidy, Golden Knights coach. “Cuts, you name it [offensive] Zone support over the goal line, all that stuff. Things we didn’t do well enough to turn the game back in our favor. We weren’t hard on the puck.”

A three-time 50-goal scorer, Draisaitl hit 52 in the regular season to further cement his place as one of the game’s top players and most dangerous scorers.

Last year he scored seven postseason goals but was still second in the NHL with 32 points in 16 games. Those contributions helped the Oilers reach the Western Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by eventual Stanley Cup winners Colorado Avalanche.

What Draisaitl did a year ago has raised expectations that he could be in line for another significant post-season boost this year.

On Saturday, he led the Stanley Cup Playoffs in goals, points, points per game, goals with balanced strength, and goals on power play. His 13 goals also mean that Draisaitl is now two goals away from matching the number of goals the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets each scored before being eliminated in the first round.

Then there’s this little context: Draisaitl is six goals down to have more goals this postseason than his previous postseasons combined.

“Obviously he’s playing on a different level,” said McDavid. “I’m not sure why anyone would be surprised at this point because he’s the best player in the world for a lot of nights. He shows it regularly. Like he said, we’re here for a lot more than just scoring goals and scoring points. It’s not about that at all. We don’t do that here. That’s just part of it.”

Evgenii Dadonov has been unrecognizable since the Canadian sent him to Texas. On Thursday night, in the second game of the series between the Stars and the Kraken, he scored a great goal by going around Philipp Grubauer’s net.

It was the fourth goal since the start of the playoffs for the striker who was traded for Denis Gurianov. Four goals! In eight games, the Russian has managed to pull the strings as many times as he has pulled the strings in 50 regular-season games in the blue-white-red jersey. It’s still fascinating.

Especially since this sudden production cannot necessarily be assigned a different role. Good. So far he gets two and a half minutes more playing time than Martin St-Louis (16:57 min. vs. 14:30 min.). However, his average bet in the majority game is virtually identical (1min 43s in Dallas vs. 1min 34s in Montreal).

One wonders if Peter DeBoer’s style of play suits him better. However, if there’s one head coach who gives his players offensive play, it’s St. Louis. Still, for some reason only he might know, Dadonov seems to enjoy being under DeBoer.

Additionally, during their first 2021-2022 collaboration with the Vegas Golden Knights, he had seen a first resurgence after a difficult winter in Ottawa.

Double Opportunities

However, according to the company Sportlogiq, Dadonov would have better scoring chances with the stars.

Both in terms of expected goals and shots from the enclave and in terms of scoring chances at the entrance to the quarter, it’s day and night. We’re talking at least double that in most categories.

A reality that could not necessarily be attributed to a more sustainable commitment on his part. Sportlogiq, the company consulted by Le Journal, claims that the best statistic to quantify this parameter remains one-on-one matches. We’re talking at least double that in most categories.

However, in the jersey of the Stars, Dadonov wins no more battle for the puck than with the Canadian. It’s even worse (1.13 vs. 1.30).

Additional work

On the other hand, the stars are much more effective than the habs along the ramps. Since the start of the playoffs, they have averaged 33.4 fights per game, which puts them fourth among the 16 teams that entered the playoffs.

For comparison, Canadian players earned an average of 24.6 in the regular season (ranked 22nd).

In short, Dadonov would benefit greatly from the efficiency of his teammates. His strategy: stay behind and be available, trusting his teammates to come out of the corner with the puck.

The same strategy that allows him to gain momentum in the neutral zone while his teammates try to release the pressure, hence his chances of scoring in the entrance area.

Averages per game (rank in team)

With Montreal | With Dallas (in the playoffs)

• Goals 0.08 (19th) | 0.50 (4th)
• Expected Goals 0.16 (10th) | 0.23 (6th)
• shots attempted 2:36 (18th) | 3.75 (10th)
• scoring chances 1:28 (11.) | 2.50 (5th)
• Recordings from the enclave 0.72 (11th) | 1.75 (5th)
• Shots from the bottom of the slot 0.46 (7th) | 1.00 (5th)
• entry points into the zone 0.30 (16th) 1.25 (1st)

A remake of the Argentinian classic is presented by River Plate vs. Boca Juniors. Both clubs arrive at the Professional League 2023 game with different realities: the millionaire is the current standings leader of the tournament with 34 points and nine games unbeaten, while Xeneize sits in 13th place with 18 points and has returned to victory after four duels , in which he added only one.

for that shock Joerg Almiron will make changes due to the expulsion of Martín Payero and tactically Marcelo Weigandt: Nicolás Valentini and Cristian Medina, the Argentine press reported. Likewise, he would wear a 3-5-2 formation at the Monumental de Núñez, with Luis Advíncula in his new attacking position.

On the other hand, the team Martin Demichelis He wouldn’t have any changes in his usual XI, except that Mammana can’t stand for the classic 100%. Paulo Díaz could replace him in this position.

Riverplate vs. Boca Juniors: Possible alignment of the millionaire

• Franco Armani; Milton Helm, Leandro González Perez, Emmanuel Mammana; Enzo Diaz; Rodrigo Aliendro, Enzo Perez; Nicholas of the Cross, Nacho Fernandez, Esequiel Ship; Luke Beltran.

River Plate takes first place in the Argentine Professional League 2023. Photo: EFE

Boca Juniors vs. River Plate: possible alignment of Xeneize

• Sergio Romero; Facundo Roncaglia, Jorge Figal, Nicolás Valentini; Luis Advíncula, Pol Fernández, Alan Varela, Cristian Medina, Valentín Barco; Luis Vasquez, Sebastian Villa.

Boca Juniors will show a new scheme against River Plate. Photo: EFE

Riverplate vs. Boca Juniors: when, when and where to watch the Argentinian classic

The super classic River vs. Boca por Liga Profesional Argentina will be played this Sunday, May 7th at 15:30 (Peruvian time) and will be broadcast on ESPN, Star Plus and TNT Sports.

• Peru, Colombia, Ecuador: 3:30 p.m
• Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela: 4:30 p.m
• Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay: 5:30 p.m
• Spain: 10:30 p.m

The Lakers bounced back from a big loss in Game 2 and earned a comfortable 127-97 win over the Warriors in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series, taking a 2-1 lead at home on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Los Angeles center Anthony Davis led all scorers with 25 points; He added 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell each collected 21 points.
• Stephen Curry advanced Golden State with 23 points on 9-of-21 shooting (4-of-10 from 3-point range). The Warriors shot a total of 39.6 percent from the field.
• The Lakers went off the free throw line 28 of 37 while the Warriors made 12 of 17 free throw attempts.
• Game 4 is Monday at 10:00 p.m. ET.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Los Angeles smothers the Golden State’s offense

The Lakers fell into an 11-point hole early in the second quarter as Russell cooled and James spent the first quarter giving way to his teammates. In the first 15 minutes, the Warriors were still able to hit 20 more 3s, just like they did in the first two games of the series at Golden State. But that game changed when the Lakers started forcing turnovers and drawing fouls.

By halftime, the Lakers had surpassed the Warriors 17-4 from turnovers and 15-4 from the free throw line. James and Davis’ ability to pull fouls and prevent the Warriors offense from doing anything outside of Curry’s throw ensured the 22-point turnaround from the second quarter would sustain and define Game 3. – Murray

The third quarter was again a crucial factor

In Game 2, the Warriors embarrassed the Lakers and led by 30 points by the end of the third quarter. The Lakers returned the favor in Game 3, leading by as much as 34 points. That’s a 45-point turnaround, with garbage times littered with dunks and layups. But that series was tied 1-1, and the Lakers needed to maintain home field advantage. The stakes were not as high in Game 3 on Saturday as they were in Game 4 on Monday night.

If the Lakers took a jolt from the way Game 2 went and got their home crowd Saturday night, they can expect the Warriors to respond appropriately to the humiliation — especially with the Lakers aiming for a 3-1 lead. – Murray

What went wrong with the Warriors?

Let’s start with the disaster in the second quarter. They were up 40-29. At this point, Klay Thompson wasn’t even looking as Curry threw a hit-ahead pass in transition. Curry screamed in frustration. It was one of nine sales in the second quarter and the sign of an imminent collapse.

Moses Moody was shamelessly booed for tripping Davis. Draymond Green and JaMychal Green fought their way into tech. Draymond was bench strapped in dire trouble. The Warriors scored just 18 points in the second quarter and had a 30-8 run to finish the half, going down from 11 to 11. – Slater

What questions need to be answered before a massive Game 4?

Will Golden State stay in the starting lineup with JaMychal Green? It worked well in Game 2, but the Lakers corrected their matchups, pulling Davis off Draymond Green and letting him screw up the paint again. JaMychal missed all three of his 3s and the Warriors were outplayed by 11 points in his 10 minutes. They could go down a notch and go to Jordan Poole, but he’s not playing very well. Their traditional starters (plus Kevon Looney) have always been coach Steve Kerr’s safety blanket, but the gap is close and Looney’s recent illness appears to have weakened some of its impact.

The Warriors mostly just need better performances from their big names. Draymond Green fouled five times and was limited to 23 minutes. Thompson missed nine of his 14 shots and committed six turnovers. Curry was pretty calm. – slate

climax of the game

key stat

In Game 2, the Warriors combined for 84 points (43 and 41 points) in the second and third quarters. In game 3 they only scored 38 (18 and 20 points).

NBA Playoffs Bracket

Follow The Athletic’s NBA playoffs.

required reading

(Photo: Gary A Vasquez / USA Today)

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane, who has been attacked on the wrist since the start of the playoffs, has denied his teammates used a similar tactic at the expense of the Vegas Golden Knights’ Mark Stone, who is still recovering from a back injury.

Kane suffered a horrific injury earlier in the season when Pat Maroon accidentally injured his wrist. Since then, he’s been wearing extra protection during games, which may save him from another injury.

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“In the series against the Los Angeles Kings, during the faceoffs, as soon as the puck hit the ice, they shot my wrist, it took off to the Sportsnet network. I said to the referee: It happens all the time.

No mercy for Stein

A similar situation occurred with the Golden Knights. Video footage was released early in the series of veteran Stone playing just 43 games in 2022-23 due to a back injury. The 30-year-old forward can be seen tumbling off the ice after training.

“We saw her [la vidéo], confessed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. But that’s not something we looked at before the game. He’s a big guy who spends a lot of time in front of the net. The only way to hold him down is to use his cane and push him.”

Kane also defended the numerous cross-checks that members of the Oilers made at Stone’s expense.

“If there’s any belief that we’re targeting Mark Stone’s back by giving him cross checks, I disagree and would say we treat him like any other player.”

“In my experience, when you go into the net, you get checked, which doesn’t get penalized, because that’s what happens in a hockey game.”

The Oilers’ approach didn’t really pay off in Game 1, losing 5-4. Don’t think they’ll change their mindset in Saturday’s Game 2 in Vegas, which will be televised on TVA Sports.

“All players have wounds to heal,” Kane concluded. You want to play hard all the time. A video doesn’t change anything. Mark Stone is one of their best players. We’re going to be hard on him.”

the figure of Alliance of Lima in League 1 and Copa Libertadores, Carlo ZambranoIn his YouTube show “La fe del ‘Cuto'” he gave an interview to Luis Guadalupe and spoke about various topics: his arrival at the Blue and Whites, his time at Boca Juniors, his alleged falling out with Darío Benedetto and his experiences in the various clubs in Europe for which he played. But recalling those teams, the defender made it clear that it was in one of them that he had his worst stint: Dinamo Kyiv.

“That was the stage I want to forget. You treated me worse than a prisoner,” the “Kaiser” confessed gruffly. The Peru team player commented that the team coach forced him to play with the reserves and that he never played a premier league game in that shirt. “I arrived, in the first month I did the presentation, I spoke to the coach, the season started and they didn’t put me on the list. I saw it strangely, although it was the first date, but neither the second nor the third.” . I didn’t understand anything and they send me to train with the second team, the reserve team,” he said.

“They never told me anything,” he said. Sambrano. The situation got worse when the “León” family questioned him and distrusted him: “My ‘old wife’ started criticizing me, she thought I was partying and doing bad things. That hurt me more, it brought me down. In the end.” I spoke to her and we worked things out,” he confessed.

YOU CAN SEE: Carlos Zambrano and the unusual reason he didn’t sign for Liverpool of England

The ‘Kaiser’ says he refused to play in reserve but did so because the manager in that category was someone he valued; However, he mentions that he enjoyed being with this team: “I had a great time in the reserves. The coach had a lot of confidence and he told me: ‘I don’t understand what the coach (first-team coach) thinks, but You have to play there, not here, but support me,” said the defender. “The bad thing about booking is that you don’t have first-class privileges: air travel, good hotels. We rode the bus for seven hours,” he said.

Ricardo Gareca tried to speak to Zambrano’s DT

After being asked by ‘Cuto’ what happened to the Peru team at the time he was a member of Dinamo Kyiv, ‘Kaiser’ said that ‘Tiger’ spoke to the manager about the situation: “Ricardo Er Will try to speak to the manager, I don’t think he could speak. I’m not sure.”; However, after finding out what happened to Zambrano, Gareca decided to bring him back to the Blanquirroja: “When I wasn’t playing there (Ukraine) back then, I went back to the national team and from there the Copa America final came.. .” he said.

Mike CoppingerESPN May 7, 2023 9:55 am2 Minute Read

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Against a backdrop of more than 51,000 passionate fans who have waited nearly 12 years for their hero to return, Canelo Alvarez retained his undisputed super middleweight title with a unanimous victory over England’s John Ryder on Saturday at Akron Stadium.

Boxing’s top star Canelo punched and bled Ryder, knocking him down in round 5 but failed to knock out the challenger. Alvarez decided to take the points with 120-107, 118-109 and 118-109. The 32-year-old fired home run right shots down the stretch but Ryder, whose nose bled profusely for most of the fight, showed immense courage when he heard the closing bell.

Alvarez had not fought in Mexico since his victory over Kermit Cintrón in Mexico City in November 2011.

“This is a historic moment for me,” said Canelo, ESPN’s No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer. “I’m happy to be here with my people who have supported me from the start. I’m very grateful to be here and very grateful with my people.” He’s a very strong fighter man. And when he’s all set, turn him on. [The opponents] are more difficult than usual, but I knew that. I’ve been in this position for a long time… and I respect my opponents because I know they come for everything.”

The fight was Canelo’s first since his left wrist surgery in October. Alvarez said he overcame the pain in his three previous fights (most recently a decision win over Gennadiy Golovkin in September to complete their trilogy) and that it hurt even putting on gloves in the dressing room.

Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) plans to fight again on September 16 (he regularly makes headlines on Cinco De Mayo weekend and Mexican Independence Day weekend) and he has only one encounter in mind: a rematch with the light heavyweight champion Dmitri Bivol.

When they met last May, Russia’s Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) pulled off the surprise and gave Canelo his second career defeat in a defeat. That was Alvarez’s second fight at 175, and after that he returned to defend his four 168-pound titles.

Canelo, ESPN’s No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer, said Thursday he was only interested in the rematch occurring at 175 pounds, while Bivol told ESPN he only wants the rematch for Alvarez’s undisputed championship at 168 will accept.

“I want the same conditions, everything as in the last fight,” said Canelo. “…I think I’m better than him – that’s it. If you see the first five rounds, six rounds, I’m dominating the fight. But then of course I get tired because I’m not training at my 100%.”

Eddie Hearn, who promotes both Alvarez and Bivol, told ESPN Thursday that he will begin negotiations for the rematch next week.

Jim Montgomery, who didn’t win the Stanley Cup, could still take solace in an individual honor.

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The National Hockey League (NHL) announced on Friday that the Boston Bruins head coach has been nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy. The latter annually rewards the instructor par excellence of the Bettman Circuit.

Led by Montgomery, who led the team in his freshman season, the Bruins had an exceptional regular season. The Boston team recorded 65 wins and accumulated 135 points to take first place overall.

Dave Hakstol, meanwhile, had a major impact on the Kraken’s surprise season and is therefore also a contender for this prestigious honor. The Seattle team proved many pundits wrong by scoring 100 points and qualifying for the playoffs in just their second year of existence.

For her part, Lindy Ruff will try to add another Jack Adams trophy to her collection. The Devils head coach has taken his training to another level in 2022-23. The New Jersey team accumulated 112 points and finished third overall. Ruff had won this award in the 2005-2006 season.

Darryl Sutter was named head coach of the year last season. The NHL will hold its annual awards show on June 26 in Nashville.