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NHL Stanley Cup Final preview and prediction for Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 28: Jack Eichel #9 of the Vegas Golden Knights and Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes battle for the puck in a face-off during the third period of a game at Lenovo Center on October 28, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The quest for the Stanley Cup began a long time ago, but the battle for who will hold it aloft begins now. From the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes: Steady, reliable, a consistent force through the regular and postseason. Out of the West emerged the Vegas Golden Knights, a team that refused to fade into obscurity, and re-affirmed itself as a Cup contender with a late-season coaching change that transformed them into a juggernaut.

It’s a fascinating cup battle that will break us out of two grinding years of the Florida Panthers’ physical success. No doubt there will be a lot of these teams throwing their weight around, but the chess match between Rod Brind-Amour of the Canes and John Tortorella of the Knights will make this a fascinating series. Sure, it won’t be the Avs vs. Habs final people wanted — but there’s no doubting that this is the Stanley Cup Finals these teams deserve. Now we break down every key area of the head-to-head matchup to see who has the edge.

Star Power

EDGE: Vegas Golden Knights

There is no questioning that the top-end talent of the Knights eclipses what Carolina is bringing to the table. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone each individually embrace the role of “star” much better than the Hurricanes, whose entire ethos is not banking on star players.

That hasn’t traditionally been a good thing for Carolina when it comes to the playoffs or the Stanley Cup Finals. Games this deep in the season require someone to stand up and put the team on their back when things aren’t working, which is a dimension the Canes lack.

This gives Tortorella a lot of schematic freedom when it comes to this game. In the last few series, he’s spread his three huge stars over the top three lines to bring depth and balance, but against Carolina he could very well run an Marner/Eichel/Stone line as his top grouping and just hope to overwhelm the Canes defense. It’s not a bad path forward, especially when Carolina lacks the guys to step up and meet them in this regard.

If this turns into a star-based finals then the Golden Knights are in a great spot to hoist the cup once more.

Forward Depth

EDGE: Carolina Hurricanes

This is what Rod Brind-Amour’s team is known for, and what they used to such effect en route to their 12-1 postseason record this year. All four lines of forwards the Hurricanes bring to the table are dangerous in different ways, particularly the second and third grinder lines the team uses to wear out opponents on the forecheck.

Against Montreal those units were:

  • Line 2: Taylor Hall / Logan Stankoven / Jackson Blake
  • Line 3: Nikolaj Ehlers / Jordan Staal / Jordan Martinook

What makes these two lines so scary is how they blend forecheck prowess with a single finesse wing. Blake and Ehlers have capitalized all season from loose pucks, jostled opportunities, and chances in front of the net. The Canes play all four lines with almost equal ice time, which means consistent mismatching where some teams might adhere to a line vs. line mentality.

The emergence this season of Stankoven as a legimitate Top 6 forward, and Blake taking strides as a future scoring machine helped propel this team into the playoffs and it’s an area where Vegas could have trouble if they’re allowed to be dragged into deep water.

That’s not to say Vegas don’t have depth, because they absolutely do — it’s just not as pronounced. If we map across the third line it’s going to be a brutal series for Vegas center Colton Sissons, who will be tasked with taking on Jordan Staal.

Defense

EDGE: Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have been an absolute wall outside of their one loss to Montreal, which felt far more like a product of their extensive time off, rather than any true problem. Across 12 playoff wins the Hurricanes have only allowed 15 goals, which isn’t a product of their goaltending, I assure you.

Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller’s rangy stick play has been a nightmare for teams trying to generate offense in the zone. They’re both accompanied by more traditional stay-at-home defensemen as needed. Where the Canes’ defense gets so dangerous is when their physicality moves the center of play up the ice. This is what the team is built to do, with both defensemen playing up on the blue line and condensing the ice to just the offensive zone. From here they love to push the tempo, prevent line changes, and let the forwards pounce on free pucks.

The Golden Knights have a lot of ability on their defensive end, but much like the depth they just lack the array of stick and physical skills that the Carolina defense brings to the table.

Goaltending

EDGE: Vegas Golden Knights

This one isn’t even remotely close. Carter Hart is a phenomenal goalie (even if you understandably hate him), and he can be a difference maker in this series. We saw in the ECF that the Hurricanes often had times dealing with Jakub Dobeš, and Hart is another order of magnitude better at this point in his career.

The way Hart stonewalled the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals was beyond impressive, as he functionally disarmed the entire Colorado attack to allow his forwards to win the game. The level of frustration he brought out in Nathan McKinnon and Martin Necas could have a profound effect on Carolina, especially Andrei Svechnikov who is known for being a hot-head.

On the other side we have Freddie Andersen, who is extremely mediocre. Andersen has a difficult job staying ready when he doesn’t see a lot of shots because of the Canes’ defense — but even so, there’s a tendency to let in mind-boggling goals that 90% of NHL goaltenders should make with ease.

Powerplay

EDGE: Vegas Golden Knights

Powerplay often equates to top-line star power, and that’s why Vegas is so scary. Having Eichel, Marner, and Stone on ice at the same time means that shots can come from anywhere, and all three are adept at fighting through traffic in front of the net. More critically, all three players are good enough puck handlers that they will likely have much less of a problem dealing with Carolina’s PK than the Canadiens did.

This postseason the powerplay for the Canes has been flat-out bad.

Penalty Kill

EDGE: Carolina Hurricanes

We can flip this to the defensive side as well, but what makes the Canes’ PK unit so good is the forechecking of Staal and Martinook up top. They’re just pests on the puck for knocking it down ice and forcing resets, burning the clock constantly while Slavin and Jordan Chatfield block shots around net. It’s a brutal unit to go up against, and nobody has has answers for it so far, with Carolina only allowing four goals on 53 opportunities this postseason.

Coaching

EDGE: Push

It’s really impossible to pick between these guys. John Tortorella’s injection of energy into the Knights turned them into a cup team overnight, and he’s a brilliant in-game strategist who can diagnose the pace of play and come up with plans to either accentuate them, or flip the script.

With Carolina there’s Rod Brind-Amour, who has the entire Canes organization playing exactly like he played the game. They’re puck-focused, they’re aggressive, and their conditioning is second-to-none. There’s also a pattern where the Canes have been brilliant between periods, often able to change the course of a game in a single intermission.

When the dust settles there’s nothing between these guys. They’re both brilliant.

Final prediction

The West has had a lot of problems dealing with the physicality of the Eastern Conference over the past few years, and that is a major concern here as well for Vegas. Throughout the playoffs Carolina has been asserting their will on the forecheck and through their defense to set the tone for a series, and right now it feels like the team can do that again.

For the Golden Knights to have a real shot they will need to generate a lot of opportunities on Freddie Andersen and run up the score quickly, because the Canes do lack the ability to score in pressure situations to get back in games where they’re behind. The good news for Carolina is that they’re not often behind, and set the tone as a result.

This is going to be a fantastic series, but the Knights don’t have a legitimate megastar who can take over games like Connor McDavid or Nate McKinnon. They have the talent edge in this area, but not quite enough to get them over the top. It won’t be easy, but in the end…

Carolina Hurricanes win the 2025-26 Stanley Cup in six games

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Chicago Cubs news — PCA, Brown, Busch, Bregman

Today’s Reflections

What a roller-coaster in St. Louis. Saturday night, it looked like things were returning to normal. Then the old/new bats of the 10-loss days returned, and Jordan Wicks doesn’t appear to be more than AAAA quality starter. Maybe the Athletics and Giants can bring six games of rebounding for the Cubs.

Jim Bowden speaks, stories get written, I normally roll my eyes. But I am here to provide the news for your pleasure, no matter what I think. 😉

Ben Brown has cemented himself as the Cubs’ No. 1 SP. By A LOT. Boyd’s return will be greatly welcomed. Busch, PCA, Bregman are starting to show life. Where have Hoerner and Suzuki gone, though? Will Swanson’s bat EVER show up? Will Palencia ever get more than one save opportunity a month?

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Let’s enjoy the gushing from Saturday night’s game:

Skubal trade talk:

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Food For Thought:

Peter Gage (born 12 February 1946) is a British blues vocalist, harmonica player and pianist. The younger Gage started his musical career as vocalist and harmonica player in a London band “The Sloane Squares”, led by Gwyn Headley, in the mid-1960s. The Sloane Squares were well known for their tight music and live shows, and were supporting Jimi Hendrix when they were spotted by Jet Harris, the former Shadows bass player, who asked them to become his backing band.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

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Tuesday Rockpile: Jake McCarthy finds his groove with the Rockies

DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 30: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies runs after hitting a seventh inning RBI single against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on May 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

When the Colorado Rockies traded with the Arizona Diamondbacks for outfielder Jack McCarthy back in January, their logic was fairly clear.

First, he brought a left-handed bat to platoon with righty CF Brenton Doyle; second, he has outfield versatility that would allow him to play all three positions and give Doyle a day off; and third, he is fast (99th percentile in sprint speed) with a career K% of 19.2%, which means he can play the kind of fast baseball manager Warren Schaeffer was looking to develop at Coors Field.

(Plus, the Rockies would have him for an even-numbered year, a point illustrated by his FanGraphs page, since he has historically struggled in odd-numbered years.)

With the season, roughly, one-third over, it’s worth taking a moment to consider how McCarthy has adjusted to baseball at elevation.

All numbers are current as of Sunday, May 31, 2026.

What the offensive numbers show

So far, McCarthy has appeared in 49 games and has 158 plate appearances. He’s slashing .282/.323/.444 with a 99 wRC+. Those numbers include 10 stolen bases and three home runs. And while Statcast indicates he does not hit the ball hard, he does get on base consistently.

Currently he has a 5.7% walk rate and a 19.0% strikeout rate. While the BB% is unremarkable among Rockies hitters, only Tyler Freeman and TJ Rumfield have better scores. He leads the Rockies in stolen bases.

He’s also shown an ability to hit left-handed or right-handed pitching. Against righties, he has a 126 wRC+, and against lefties, that number falls to a respectable 93 wRC+. So in that way, he has given Schaeffer the kind of platoon ability that the Rockies are committed to this season.

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For McCarthy, that’s just part of his game.

“I think it’s an easy excuse to say, ‘You know, he was a tough lefty,’ and it’s hard to not swing at this pitch or whatever,” McCarthy said.

“But I’ve always wanted to get the opportunity to face (lefties), and I think all hitters feel that way. I just think it’s the same principles. It’s just getting good pitches to hit, putting a good swing on them, and maybe not giving them too much credit, where, ‘Oh, the ball is coming from behind my head,’ or ‘It’s a different type of angle.’ I think the fundamentals and the principles still apply, regardless of where (the pitch) is coming from.”

Plus, he’s enjoyed working with Rockies hitting coach Brett Pill.

“He’s a guy who definitely knows what he’s talking about,” McCarthy said, “but also understands how hard this game can be. I think it’s good to be around people who have been through it, and understand that sometimes it doesn’t make sense, and what you’re feeling or what you’re going through is is normal.”

McCarthy has also improved over the course of the season. In March and April, McCarthy had a 91 wRC+; that number grew to 104 in May, probably due, at least in part, to seeing more playing time with Doyle on the IL with an oblique injury.

And what does he think of Coors Field now that it’s his home park?

”I think it’s a really fun place to hit,” he said.

What the defensive numbers show

On the defensive side, McCarthy’s is holding his own as well.

The Rockies original plan involved using McCarthy primarily in left with occasional stints in center, and having Jordan Beck become the primary right fielder. However, injuries derailed that strategy, so here’s how the 354.2 innings McCarthy have spent in the outfield break down:

  • Left Field: 141.0 innings; -1 DRS; 0 OAA; 0 FRV; 1.000 FP.
  • Center Field: 202.2 innings; -1 DRS; -1 OAA; 0 FRV; .987 FP.
  • Right Field: 11.0 innings; 0 DRS; -1 OAA; 0 FV; 1.000 FP.

So by those metrics, McCarthy has been fine. (He has posted slightly better numbers than Troy Johnston, Brenton Doyle, and Mickey Moniak.)

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One notable drawback is McCarthy’s arm, which ranks the worst among center fielders according to Statcast.

Still, he’s noticed the challenges of playing in Coors expansive outfield.

“Obviously, I think with the bigger field and the ball carries a little more, so maybe the outfield you could say is more challenging,” McCarthy said.

And he’s had to make adjustments.

“Maybe you’re in a place — like we went from New York in April — where it’s cold and windy, to here, so maybe the ball is probably going to carry more, especially when it’s warmer here,” he said. “So maybe you take that into your adjustment in the outfield, where your positioning, or maybe what your first step is.”

But becoming more familiar with his new ballpark helps.

“I think over time, too, we get used to it. We have the advantage of being here 81 games a year. So I think there’s acclimation.”

What the mullet shows

If there’s a thing Rockies fans appreciate, it a good mullet. After all, they had years of watching the respective flows of Charlie Blackmon, Connor Joe, and Troy Tulowitzki. (Read this for the definitive Rockies mullet analysis.)

And, as it turns out, McCarthy has a mullet of his own.

“I’ve had long hair for a while now,” he said, “but this past offseason, I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll just try to cut it into a mullet.’ My wife doesn’t mind, so I wear a hat for a living anyway, so even if it looks egregious, I just, you know…”

And then he laughed.

Combine McCarthy’s look with his “Stairway to Heaven” walkup song, and you’ve got a player with personality.

What McCarthy has contributed

Clearly, it’s too early in the season to draw too many conclusions. However, in trading for McCarthy, the Rockies needed a utility outfielder and a player who could get on base.

He has delivered on both fronts.

When Brenton Doyle, Jordan Beck, and Mickey Moniak went on the IL, McCarthy seamlessly slid into the centerfield job while making consistent contributions at the plate.

Now the question is whether he can continue at this level as the rest of the 2026 season unfolds.

This week on the internet

Okay, I thought this was funny.

The chatter’s box: Troy Johnston interview | Just Baseball

Patrick Lyons caught up with Troy Johnston to get his thoughts on a variety of subjects, including podcasting, joining the Rockies, and his time in the minor leagues.

Colorado Rockies 2026 Player Survey: Mickey Moniak | Mile High Sports

Drew Creasman checks in with Mickey Moniak. Among other subjects, he discusses the best play he’s made, how he prepares, and the ideal off-day.

Guess which Phillies outfielder is up there with Cobb & Hornsby? | MLB.com

This is not a piece about the Rockies — I get that — but Mike Petriello’s analysis of Brendan Marsh’s BABIP is worth your time.

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Kansas City Royals News: No sales tax estimates for new stadium yet

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 01: Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 01, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Kansas City is keeping stadium negotiations private for now and not revealing any figures.

Lucas and Vasquez have both said newly generated sales taxes from a taxing district around the proposed stadium would primarily pay for the bonds. Lucas told reporters that Kauffman Stadium’s sales taxes were used to help project how much that might be.

“Our projections are based off of revenues that are generated at Kauffman Stadium today, and it would be based off of ancillary development in the Crown Center/Washington Square Park area,” Lucas said in April, noting the funding to pay for bonds would not come from the general fund or the city’s earning tax.

“I’m proud of the city manager and his staff and what they’re building up, and I think that’s how we can deliver a good, fiscally responsible project that is based largely on people who are spending at a baseball stadium,” Lucas added.

On Sunday, Michael Wacha became the 10th active pitcher to reach 300 career starts.

“I think I’ve said a bunch of times, he’s the best starting pitcher teammate I’ve ever seen,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, he’s into every single pitch in the dugout when he is not pitching. He’s extremely intense and into his starts, obviously, and he prepares as well as possible. He’s the consummate pro.”

Wacha loves pitching for the Royals and is hopeful to continue making starts as his career continues to unfold.

“Just love this game,” Wacha said. “And I love competing out there on the mound. You know, I’m already looking forward to the next one.”

Pete Grathoff brings up the famous Buddy Bell quote.

“I never say it can’t get worse,” Bell said after the Royals had lost to the White Sox 4-0 in April 2006. “This game is too hard to play. There’s always something lurking around the corner.”

It’s an oft-repeated phrase among Kansas City sports fans, and it unfortunately resonates today. Not only did the Royals lose that game Saturday, but third baseman Maikel Garcia, the WBC MVP, left with a hamstring injury.

And things just seem to be getting worse for the Royals.

David Lesky talks about who is to blame (or not blame) for the Royals’ poor performance.

One thing I would like to head off is spending the next four months pointing fingers and arguing over who is to blame. I am of the belief, and have actually lost subscribers over it (which is super fun), that Matt Quatraro isn’t the problem. As all managers do, he has done things I wouldn’t have, but my point has always been that managers, unless there’s clubhouse unrest or they’re making asinine decisions, are generally not THE problem. Ultimately, the game is played on the field. You don’t like the lineup? I’ve long been someone who gets beyond frustrated by lineup complaints. You don’t like a pitching decision? That’s fine, but I’ll say that your decision is all theoretical, while you know what happened in the decision was actually made, and if you’re upset, it was likely negative.

Matthew Swigonski at Kings of Kauffman also plays the blame game.

Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman is unhappy that the Royals will continue to trot out Erceg as closer.

He also talks about some of the historical indicators around the multiple losing streaks.

Jay Jaffe explores why the Tigers have fallen apart this season.

The posturing between the MLBPA and MLB owners as they begin negotiations on the new CBA continues.

Reds star Elly De La Cruz hit the IL with a hamstring strain.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan wanted no part of this bunt fielding play.

Old friend Dairon Blanco signs in the Mexican league.

Serena Williams is coming back to tennis.

Patrick Mahomes’ rehab seems to be going well.

We had two blockbuster trades in the NFL yesterday.

First, the Cleveland Browns traded EDGE Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for EDGE Jared Verse, a 2027 first round pick, and more.

Second, the Philadelphia Eagles traded WR AJ Brown to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first round pick and a 2027 fifth round pick.

The New York Giants are bringing back their former start Odell Beckham Jr.

Longtime NBA coach Rick Adelman died.

AI company Anthropic has filed for IPO.

GoPro is in danger.

I aspire to be like this Capybara.

Your song of the day is Hey I Don’t Know by KONGOS.

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Tuesday BP: Jhonny Level promoted to High-A

View from behind of Jhonny Level kicking his leg before swinging.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 15, 2025: Jhonny Level #18 of the San Francisco Giants bats during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Texas Rangers at Scottsdale Stadium on March 15, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

The biggest news in San Francisco Giants promotions this week came on Sunday, when center fielder Jonah Cox was stunningly promoted to the Majors straight from AA Richmond. But it seems that the Cox move has kickstarted promotion season for the rest of the Giants Minor League Baseball players. Because on Monday — the off-day for all the non-rookie ball teams — the Giants reportedly promoted a trio of exciting prospects.

Most notable is shortstop Jhonny Level, who has been promoted from Low-A San Jose to High-A Eugene. Level is the total package, and has been flying up prospect lists lately — ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel just ranked him as the No. 41 prospect in all of baseball. Despite having only turned 19 two months ago — making him more than two years younger than the average competition he’s been playing against in the California League — Level laid waste to Low-A pitchers. Among the 64 Cal League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year, the switch-hitter ranked sixth in batting average (.325), 18th in on-base percentage (.392), second in slugging percentage (.576), second in home runs (10), and eighth in wRC+ (134). He also has just a 16.6% strikeout rate, has stolen 11 bases in 13 attempts, and is playing very strong defense at shortstop. His 10 home runs are the most in the Giants Minor League system this year.

While Level’s promotion is very exciting, it brings up some roster logistics questions, as he’ll now be sharing a Eugene roster with last year’s first-round pick Gavin Kilen. My guess is the Giants will do what they did with Level and Kilen when they briefly shared time on San Jose’s roster at the end of last year: have each play a little bit of time at second base, with some designated hitter thrown in there as well.

The Giants made some space in Eugene for Level by promoting fellow infielder Jean Carlos Sio to AA Richmond. Sio, a 22-year old left-handed hitter, had mostly played second base for the Emeralds this year, but had also seen time at shortstop and left field (in recent years he’s also played third base, right field, and center field). Sio got a late start to the year due to injuries, and had only played 16 games for Eugene this year … but he was phenomenal in those 16 games (.936 OPS, 154 wRC+, four home runs in 65 plate appearances), and they came after 28 stellar games at the level to end the 2025 season. He’s really started to turn into an exciting prospect.

Sio isn’t displacing another infielder in Richmond, but he is still displacing a player: left-handed pitcher Matt Wilkinson. The 23-year old southpaw, aptly nicknamed “Tugboat,” came to the Giants last month in the shocking Patrick Bailey trade. In nine AA starts split between the San Francisco and Cleveland organizations, Tugboat had a 1.87 ERA and a 2.93 FIP, with 49 strikeouts against 13 walks in 43.1 innings. Now he’ll get a chance to see how his stuff plays with AAA Sacramento, which has been piecing together games lately without a full rotation, with Trevor McDonald currently in the Majors and Seth Lonsway injured.

The Giants may be playing horrible baseball, but these are some exciting moves in the Minors!

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What would it take for you to buy in on the 2026 Red Sox?

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 30: Ceddanne Rafaela #3, Wilyer Abreu #52 and Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox celebrate the team's 9-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on May 30, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Happy Tuesday, OTM! Our Red Sox start a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight, who are two games above last place in the American League East. This season hasn’t gone as expected for us, but we’re still just three games back in the Wild Card hunt (expanded playoffs are dumb). My question to you is, what would it take for you to buy in? Is it a trade for a bat? Is it a 10-game winning streak? Another manager firing? Theo Epstein himself taking the POBO role? I’m an optimist, so I’ll convince myself there’s a chance they make a run until at least August, but I’m also insane, so your mileage may vary.

Talk about what you want and be good to one another. Go Sox.

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Today in White Sox History: June 2

18 SEP 1993: CHICAGO WHITE SOX BATTER JOEY CORA RUNS TO FIRST BASE AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH A PITCH DURING THE WHITE SOX VERSUS OAKLAND A''S GAME AT THE OAKLAND COLISEUM IN OAKLAND, CALIFORIA.
It took Joey Cora 886 at-bats, but he finally hit his first career home run on this day, 33 years ago today. | (OTTO GREULE/ALLSPORT)

1925
The White Sox scored 15 runs vs. Detroit — and lost.

Ty Cobb was a villain, lining a one-out, full-count pitch from Ted Blankenship out of Tiger Stadium in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off win. It was the second straight walk-off win for the Tigers over the White Sox, losing on a one-out homer in the bottom of the ninth the previous day as well.

Bibb Falk and Willie Kamm both lined four hits in the game for the White Sox, who tallied 21 in the game. Kamm drove in five runs as well.

Chicago trailed 7-1 and 15-5 in the game before rallying to tie the game at 15 in the top of the ninth on a two-run Kamm double.

The game tied the franchise record for most runs in a loss, along with identical scores in 1911 and 1934.

1958
In a 3-0 win over the White Sox, Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford tied an AL record by punching out six in a row, including striking out the side in the fourth inning. Jim Wilson held New York to six hits in a shutout loss that saw the White Sox tally seven hits.

In the third inning, Luis Aparicio was gunned down at second base by Yogi Berra on a botched hit-and-run with Nellie Fox, ending Luis’ streak of 26 consecutive thefts.

1959
Down through the seasons, when the White Sox played the Orioles strange and bizarre things seemed to take place. For the most part those instances took place in Baltimore, but on this night Comiskey Park played host to one that fans attending never forgot. 

Future Sox pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm was on the mound for the O’s in the first inning when a swarm of gnats descended on the pitching mound area. It was so bad he couldn’t see the plate, and the game was halted as trainers, the grounds crew, even umpires tried to get rid of the bugs. 

After a 16-minute delay, Sox owner Bill Veeck ordered the fireworks crew in from the center field bullpen to set up a launch site. One explosion later, the gnats were gone and the game resumed. 

Wilhelm and Baltimore won, 3-2.   

1967
The White Sox traded infielder Jerry Adair to Boston for two players, one of whom was pitcher Don McMahon. McMahon would pitch spectacularly out of the bullpen for the 1967 White Sox, going 5-0, grabbing three saves and having an ERA of 1.67 in 51 games in a little more than 91 innings for the “near-miss” White Sox.

1993
It took 886 at-bats, but Joey Cora slugged his first career homer in a 10-1 rout at Detroit. After Tim Raines walked to open the game, Cora crushed a 1-0 pitch from Mike Moore deep to right field in the first inning, putting the White Sox up, 2-0.

The White Sox would hit four homers in the game, including two by Ron Karkovice.

1995
With the White Sox having blown four straight games to Cleveland and off to an 11-20 start, manager Gene Lamont was fired and replaced by abrasive, taciturn third-base coach Terry Bevington. Bevington would turn out to be a disaster on the field and in the clubhouse, and the long-term effects of the way Lamont was dismissed would cause his mentor and former Sox coach Jim Leyland to turn down overtures by owner Jerry Reinsdorf to take over after Bevington was removed before the start of the 1998 season and replaced by first-time manager Jerry Manuel.

2024
A 6-3 loss at Milwaukee finished off a sweep, and marked a 11th straight loss and 15th in 16 games for the White Sox. But more than that, it dropped the club to 15-45, 30 games worse than .500, at the earliest date in franchise history. That record was tied for the seventh-worst start to a season in baseball history.

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New Maple Leafs Assistant GM Judd Brackett's NHL Drafting History With Wild And Canucks

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a pair of hires on Monday, bringing on Judd Brackett as assistant GM and Freddie Hamilton as chief of staff.

Brackett previously spent six years with the Minnesota Wild as their director of amateur scouting and has run the last five drafts for that organization. Before his time with the Wild, he was with the Vancouver Canucks for 12 years, with his final five years there as the director of amateur scouting.

Brackett's new role with the Maple Leafs is to oversee player evaluation across amateur and professional scouting. So while he's not the director of amateur scouting for Toronto - that's Mark Leach's role - he'll likely have a strong say in the upcoming draft.

With that in mind, here is a look at Brackett's drafting history when he was the director of amateur scouting with the Wild and Canucks over the last 11 years.

Brackett helped decide on six first-round picks in his last five drafts for Minnesota. There are a few notable names that come up, but no one that jumps out as a clever pick late in the draft.

Zeev Buium, Charlie Stramel, Liam Ohgren, Danila Yurov, Jesper Wallstedt and Carson Lambos are the five first-rounders. Of the batch, Ohgren has the most NHL games under his belt with 97 appearances.

None of these picks has set the league alight, but Buium and Wallstedt could be on a path to becoming stars in this league. And even though Buium and Ohgren are no longer on the Wild, they were assets that helped acquire defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Canucks.

Some other notable prospects that have come outside the first round include second-rounders Hunter Haight in 2022, who is an AHL regular at 22 years old and Riley Heidt in 2023, who has recorded three 90-plus-point seasons in the WHL. 

Another notable selection is fourth-round pick Adam Benak, who scored 77 points in the OHL this past year and had a big showing for Czechia at the 2026 World Junior Championship.

Why The Maple Leafs Added Judd Brackett And Freddie Hamilton To StaffWhy The Maple Leafs Added Judd Brackett And Freddie Hamilton To StaffThe Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Judd Brackett and Freddie Hamilton to their front office as assistant GM and chief of staff, respectively. Here is why both were brought in by GM John Chayka.

In five drafts as the director of amateur scouting for the Canucks, Brackett had four first-rounders to work with, two of which were top-five picks.

The biggest name Vancouver selected with Brackett at the wheel was Elias Pettersson at fifth overall in 2017 and Hughes at seventh overall in 2018.

One not-so-great pick was Olli Juolevi, who was selected fifth overall in 2016. The next two players on the draft board were Olympic gold medallists Matthew Tkachuk and Clayton Keller. Juolevi only appeared in 41 NHL games, and currently plays for Tappara in Finland's Liiga.

Maple Leafs 2026 NHL Draft Pick: The Case For Gavin McKennaMaple Leafs 2026 NHL Draft Pick: The Case For Gavin McKennaThe Toronto Maple Leafs are privileged to own the first-overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL draft. With debate as to who they should select with that pick, here is the case for Gavin McKenna

There are a few players that the Canucks selected deep in the draft under Brackett's leadership. 

In 2019, Vancouver picked Nils Hoglander in the second round, and he has played 331 games in the NHL. In that same draft, they selected goaltender Arturs Silovs in the sixth round. Silovs has had some big moments in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Canucks and with his current team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Another notable player is Jonah Gadjovich, selected in the second round of the 2017 draft. He's not a game-breaker, but he does have two Stanley Cups to his name with the Florida Panthers, and thrives in the role of a pesky fourth-liner. The 27-year-old has featured in 130 NHL regular-season games and 16 playoff contests.

Outside of leading clubs at the draft table, Brackett has also served as a scout for Team USA in the last three World Junior Championships. The Americans have won two of those three competitions.

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Report: Canucks To Sign Russian Prospect Safonov

The Vancouver Canucks could be adding some size to their lineup for next season. According to a report by Daria Tuboltseva of RG Media, Russian forward Ilya Safonov could be making the move to the NHL next season. The 25-year-old center is listed at 6'4", 205 lbs and played last year in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan. 

As reported by Tuboltseva. "Safonov initially had an agreement with Vancouver’s previous management group. After the changes, his move became uncertain. However, according to the latest information, the player and the club have now reached an agreement on a contract. Safonov is expected to sign a one-year entry-level contract."

Vancouver acquired Safonov from the Chicago Blackhawks just after the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The trade was for future considerations. Chicago initially drafted Safonov in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. 

Over his KHL career, Safonov has played 331 regular-season games and recorded 128 points. This year, he finished with 16 goals and 33 points in 68 games. Safonov and Ak Bars Kazan made it to the KHL Final this year, but fell in six games to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 

Ilya Safonov at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
Ilya Safonov at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)

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How Blackhawks Played Against 2026 Stanley Cup Finalists This Year

The Stanley Cup Final is set. The Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights are going to take on the Eastern Conference Champion Carolina Hurricanes. 

This has the makings of an incredibly entertaining hockey series between two teams that have tremendous skill while also being great at shutting down their opponents. 

It has been a while since the Chicago Blackhawks have made it to the playoffs, let alone sniff the Stanley Cup Final. When the Blackhawks faced these two teams in the regular season, however, they held their own most of the time. 

Vs Vegas

The Chicago Blackhawks, as fellow members of the Western Conference, played against the Vegas Golden Knights three times. In those games, they went a modest 1-1-1. Taking three points out of six is not bad, but all three games came before the Knights started to look like the team they are now. 

On December 2nd, the Golden Knights won 4-3 via the shootout in Las Vegas. Connor Bedard was still on his early-season heater, and his 17th of the season gave them a lead before Braeden Bowman eventually tied it late. Shea Theodore earned the shootout winner to send the home fans away with a smile. 

On January 4th, Vegas' only trip to Chicago, the Blackhawks got the best of them 3-2 in overtime. It was Tyler Bertuzzi who scored his 22nd goal of the season in the extra frame to secure the win. This was his third goal of the game to complete a hat trick. Bertuzzi reached the 30-goal plateau in 2025-26, and this game was huge in that quest.  

It wasn't until March 14th back in Las Vegas that either team earned a decisive victory, as the Golden Knights won 4-0. At that point, Vegas hadn't made the coaching change yet or started to look like the machine that made their way to the final, but there were signs. 

Vs Carolina

Both of Chicago's matchups with the Carolina Hurricanes came in the second half of the season. Chicago went 1-1-0 against the eventual winners of the East.

The first game was a victory for the Blackhawks in Raleigh on January 22nd. Despite being outshot, the Blackhawks found a way to hang in there. Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard were back from their mid-season injuries, but it was Nick Lardis and Oliver Moore who stole the show. 

Tied up at three, this match needed a shootout. Eventually, Moore secured the win for Chicago. Little did they know at the time that they had just beaten the eventual Eastern Conference Champions. The shootout goal doesn't count as a real goal, but he did have an assist and a fight to go with the shootout winner, so it was a lite version of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. 

The second game was a tough look for the Blackhawks on home ice. On April 9th, with just four remaining in the season, it was one of their more lopsided losses of the season. Anton Frondell scored twice, but those were the only two goals for the Hawks in a 7-2 rout that favored the Hurricanes.

With a large portion of their core sitting out to rest up for the playoffs after already clinching the division, they still found a way to take care of their business against the Hawks in a big way. 

Conclusion

Spencer Knight started four out of the five games against these two teams. Arvid Soderblom started the fifth one, which was the home-ice win over the Golden Knights on January 4th. 

It wasn't the best set of games for Knight, who had a tremendous breakout year as the number one starter, but it was clear that these two good teams were a lot for Chicago's defense to handle in front of their star goalie. 

The Blackhawks went 2-2-1 against the two teams competing for the Stanley Cup this week. To go NHL .500 against teams like that is impressive, but there is important context.

All but one of these games took place before things really fell apart for Chicago in the final month of the season.

The Blackhawks overachieved at times this year, and that included playing up to their competition. That certainly didn't help them avoid coming in 31st place.

A lot of improvement to their roster and player development is needed before they are truly competing with these types of teams in playoff-like atmospheres. 

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The Post’s 2026 Stanley Cup Final predictions

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Goaltender Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes tends the net during practice on Media Day ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 01, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina

The Post’s hockey experts make their selections for the Stanley Cup Final:

Mollie Walker

Rangers beat writer

Pick: Hurricanes in 7

Conn Smythe: Frederik Andersen

The Golden Knights will be the toughest opponent Carolina has faced in these playoffs, especially if Mitch Marner continues at this rate. But the Canes have looked unstoppable and will be galvanized by this long-awaited opportunity.

Goaltender Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes tends the net during practice on Media Day ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 01, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. NHLI via Getty Images

Ethan Sears

Islanders beat writer

Pick: Hurricanes in 6

Conn Smythe: Frederik Andersen

Carolina will get a bigger challenge than any Eastern team could offer, but Rod Brind’Amour’s club is deeper, faster and finally seems to have the goaltending to match. The Candy Canes lift Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Michael Leboff

Sports betting writer

Pick: Golden Knights in 6

Conn Smythe: Mitch Marner

Styles make fights, and for the first time in this postseason, the Hurricanes will run into an opponent that can counterpunch against their relentless pressure. John Tortorella’s springtime master class ends in a Cup.

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Dereck Lively makes progress in his recovery from foot surgery

The Dallas Mavericks have not seen much of Dereck Lively throughout his nascent career. In fact, the promising young center has played in only 98 of 240 (41%) possible regular season games since being selected with the number 10 pick in 2023. The bulk of his missed games stacked up this past season, when he only logged time in seven contests before undergoing season-ending foot surgery.

Lost in the mix of the NBA Draft Lottery, the hiring of Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz and the firing of now-former head coach Jason Kidd, was an update provided by Lively himself. Lively joined Myles Turner and Breanna Stewart on the Game Recognize Game podcast to discuss a range of topics, beginning with his recovery process.

Seen throughout the season with some combination of walking boot and scooter, and even sporting a cane for a while, Lively offers the good news of having jettisoned all of that. “No boots, no crutches, just normal walking shoes,” he said when asked about his current status, following that up with “it’s solely just getting back to building my lower leg strength.”

That last part sounds concerning, but underscores what Lively has been through in a long recovery process. He has not seen game action since December, so a measured process to his return is to be expected. Fortunately, he has over four months before next season tips off and it sounds as though he is well on his way to putting all of this behind him.

Lively is certainly on the Cooper Flagg timeline, but whether or not he is part of Ujiri’s long-term vision is yet to be determined. Lively is up for a contract extension prior to next season, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Does Dallas package him up as part of a rebuild, or do they have confidence in a return to form and attempt to lock down his services on a favorable deal as he comes off a lengthy injury hiatus?

When healthy, he is an exciting, dynamic player that can bring a defensive presence and offensive lob threat (with a burgeoning three-point shot?) that can help the Mavs. Hopefully he will find a more permanent return to action right here with the Mavericks.  

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks

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Open Thread: Spurs announce fan activations for NBA Finals

TOPSHOT - A fan wears a likeness of Victor Wembanyama spray painted on their hair as they cheer awaiting the selection during an NBA Draft Watch Party at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on June 22, 2023. The San Antonio Spurs in Thursday's NBA Draft in New York, are expected to choose French player Victor Wembanyama, widely viewed as a once-in-a-generation talent capable of transforming a franchise, as the No. 1 pick. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

The Spurs are returning to the NBA Finals. For most, getting a ticket is nearly impossible. In San Antonio, the Spurs are monitoring ticket sales and reaching out to season ticket holders involved with reselling tickets through unapproved sites.

In New York, ticket prices are soaring.

According to TickPick, the current price for Game 3 in NYC is now $4,115 – 336% more expensive than the current price of $944 for Game 1 in San Antonio. For those who can’t afford the “get in” price of the NBA Finals, the Spurs Organization is continuing to create opportunities for fans to gather communally as the Race for Seis continues.

Per a Spurs press release:

The San Antonio Spurs announced fan activations that will continue across the city as the team advances to the NBA Finals, taking on the New York Knicks. The organization will continue fostering fan engagement and team spirit with free, public activations such as watch parties, giveaways and more. All the latest Playoff information can be found at Spurs.com/Playoffs.

Official Watch Parties
The Rock at La Cantera, 1 Spurs Way
Official watch parties, presented by Michelob ULTRA, will continue at The Rock at La Cantera for all Finals games. Attendance is limited and will be granted on a first come, first served basis. RSVP at Spurs.com/Playoffs is encouraged but does not guarantee entry.
 
Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive
Frost Bank Center will continue to host free watch parties for all away games, presented by USAA. Tickets are required but do not guarantee entry. Join the Spurs Fan Club to be notified when tickets are available to claim at Spurs.com/FanClub.  Attendance will be limited and will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis with required ticket.
 
Participating Pluckers Wing Bar Locations
Participating Pluckers Wing Bar locations in San Antonio and Austin will stream all Spurs Finals games, and customers who wear Spurs gear to these viewings can receive five free wings with the purchase of an adult entrée. Offer available while supplies last and subject to Pluckers’ offer terms.

As you can see, there are many ways to watch and to share in the experience with your fellow Pounders.

Be safe and Go Spurs Go!

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June 2026 Penguins offseason checklist

Happy, one of the five Humboldt penguin chicks born during hatching season at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, which has recorded it's highest ever number of Humboldt births. The fluffy newcomers hatched after an incubation period of around 40 days, and are currently being kept safe in their nest boxes, cared for by their parents and closely monitored by the park's experienced keeper team. Picture date: Thursday May 21, 2026. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images

It’s a new month, and June is a big one on the hockey calendar. The Stanley Cup gets awarded, teams gear up for the draft, some trades and player movement happens as the league looks toward the big day on free agency on July 1st.

Checking back in with last month’s list got a few items off the list:

Step 1: The Wilkes-Barre playoff run

Still ongoing, WBS had Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night.

Step 2: Find out draft position

The Penguins stick with 22nd overall, getting no help from other teams to move up a spot or two. Bummer, but so it goes, at least now they know.

Step 3: Sort out Evgeni Malkin

Resolution on this was reached by signing Malkin to a one-year extension.

Step 4: Ownership transition

Status quo holds for awaiting the official finalization league. Word is that could be this month, including more involvement out of Mario Lemieux. That would be a nice opening impression for a new ownership group.

Step 5: Other free agents

The unrestricted free agents on the NHL roster, along with Malkin, are Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, Connor Clifton, Ryan Shea, Ilya Solovyov and Stuart Skinner.

Malkin, Dewar and Solovyov were re-signed in May. There’s still a month before free agency but if there was a 0.5 over/under for another signing out of this group to come back, you might be fine in taking the under. Contract/market forces make it reasonable for Mantha and Shea to see what the free agency will bring, it doesn’t look like there’s interest from the team on anyone else still out there.

—

Now, as we ease into June here’s the current checklist of what to watch for.

Step 5b: More about free agents

On a related note to Step 5 above, there’s restricted free agency ahead for Arturs Silovs, Egor Chinakhov, Joel Blomqvist, Ville Koivunen and Alex Alexeyev. Aside from what the decision is about Alexeyev, either new contract agreements or at least qualifying offers will be sent to the rest of that group by the deadline later this month for progress in that area in the near future.

Down a notch further, several key AHL players are headed into unrestricted free agency. It was already announced in March that Joona Koppanen agreed to a 2026-27 contract to play in Sweden. Boko Imama, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and defenseman Sebastian Aho are free agents on a level of player that tend to bounce around at this stage of their careers (though the well-regarded Imama is a solid candidate that the Pens may keep for a third season in the organization). Taylor Gauthier is on that path too as a free agent, though the Pens have expressed public interest in returning.

Step 6: June 1 free agents

This year there wasn’t much drama for the Penguins on drafted players whose rights expired yesterday. Zam Plante and Luke Devlin don’t apply since they are still enrolled in college that means Pittsburgh retains their rights a while longer. Max Graham was on an AHL contract last year and played more in the ECHL without looking like much of an NHL prospect.

Next year’s June 1 could have been bigger since 2025 CHL prospects who don’t have college commitments will be on the clock to sign by 6/1/27 or re-enter the draft. But many, including Quinn Beauchesne who opted to commit to Boston College for next season, have helped push back that quick clock, Ryan Miller, Kale Dach and Carter Sanderson are on the CHL to NCAA path as well. Travis Hayes, who was in Wilkes as an ATO this spring, still is in-line to be a June 1, 2027 sign-by date and see his pro career start in 2027-28.

(For further detail, there’s also an August 15th sign by date for NCAA players who have graduated, which is when Cruz Lucius is expected to opt for free agency after turning down an offer for Pittsburgh).

Step 7: Front office silly season

Todd Nelson’s name is starting to get floated around as a potential head coaching candidate. There are three openings currently (Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver) and more situations that could up in the air (LA has an interim coach, Vegas doesn’t have a coach for next season as of yet). Nelson is an veteran coach with three AHL championships and plenty of NHL experience, it wouldn’t be a shock if he’s offered a chance somewhere given the strong season the Penguins had and Nelson’s role with the power play and player development.

Three general manager jobs have recently been filled (Toronto, New Jersey, Vancouver), Nashville remains looking for a new GM. Jason Spezza’s name has been out there as a rising star, it may or may not be this cycle but it does look like eventually he will be getting a GM job somewhere in the future.

On the surface, Pittsburgh is set with all key members in the front office under contract for next season. Whether anyone decides to leave and responding to vacancies after waiting and seeing if they develop will be the name of the game.

Step 8: Draft prep

The bulk of the month will likely be spent finalizing a plan for the NHL draft, to be held June 26-27 in Buffalo.

The Penguins currently have seven picks, including three in the top 54 selections of the draft. Pittsburgh only has one pick over Rounds 4-7 (Nashville’s sixth rounder). The word ‘currently’ looms large. The Pens made four trades at the 2025 NHL draft – twice they traded down, once they traded up and they made another deal to send out an NHL player for a second round pick. They’re often very active to shuffle around on draft day and that could again be the case this season to attempt to extract as much value as possible for the future, depending on how the situation plays out in real time.

Step 9: Pro Scouting

Another behind the scenes action point, the Penguins will definitely be trying to find the next versions of Parker Wotherspoon, Anthony Mantha, Arturs Silovs and Justin Brazeau, if they can. All of those players contributed mightily to team success in 2025-26 and any NHL team can always strive for improvement around the margins if they find the right fits available. The results of this work won’t be seen until July but the time now for preparation is at hand to scour which players may be available as free agents and how they might fit with the organization.