Some of the highlights of what has come to be known as the Snoopy Bowl – the annual New York preseason showdown – are below:

Aug. 8, 2019: Giants 31, Jets 22

Daniel Jones seen highs and lows as Giants quarterback, but in his preseason debut, he dazzled. He completed all five of his pass attempts and finished his one series with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler. The game was suspended for 59 minutes in the first quarter for lightning, but the Giants earned the 31-22 victory after the delay.

Aug 24, 2018: Giants 22, Jets 16

Sam Darnold put on a show. The No. 3 overall draft pick — taken one spot after the Giants selected Saquon Barkley — in the 2018 NFL Draft threw for 86 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Terrelle Pryor, as he stood out in the Jets’ quarterback competition. However, the Giants escaped with a 22-16 victory.

Aug. 26, 2017: Giants 32, Jets 31

The Giants’ defense made their mark. Landon Collins and Donte Deayon both returned interceptions for touchdowns and Jason Pierre-Paul recorded a safety. The Giants grabbed an early 29-3 lead by scoring three first-half touchdowns after failing to notch any touchdowns in their first two games of that preseason.

Aug. 27, 2016: Giants 21, Jets 20

In a sluggish game for both teams, the Giants emerged with a one-point victory, even though they did not get past the midfield until a face mask penalty on Brandon Bostick during a punt return with 2:36 left in the third quarter. This contest notably featured the return of Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, who played for the first time since 2014 due to injuries. He caught one pass for four yards.

Aug 22, 2014: Giants 35, Jets 24

This game proved that Geno Smith would be the starter over Michael Vick. Smith finished the game by going 9-of-14 with 137 yards, including a one-yard touchdown pass to then-rookie Jace Amaro. But Giants backup quarterback Ryan Nassib stole the show, throwing three touchdown passes in the second half to secure the victory.

Aug. 24, 2013: Jets 24, Giants 21 OT

This signaled the end of Mark Sanchez’s career as a Jet. Coach Rex Ryan inserted Sanchez into the game in the fourth quarter behind the third-team offensive line after Smith — a rookie at the time — threw three interceptions. Sanchez then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. He never played another down for New York.

Aug. 17, 2010: Giants 31, Jets 16

Eli Manning suffered a gruesome 3-inch gash on his head that required 12 stitches after running into Brandon Jacobs and getting tattooed from behind by Jets linebacker Calvin Pace. With his helmet flying off, Manning fell forward into Jets safety Jim Leonhard’s helmet. A staggering Manning saw blood trickle down his face from his forehead. Fortunately for the Giants, Manning was okay.

Victor Cruz had his coming-out party with a three-touchdown performance that helped him make the Giants roster as an undrafted free agent out of UMass. Cruz hauled in six passes for 145 yards and became the linchpin for the Giants passing attack for years.

Aug. 23, 2003: Jets 15, Giants 14

After leading the Jets to the playoffs the previous season, QB Chad Pennington took a big blow in this one. Pennington suffered a broken and dislocated left wrist after being hit by Giants linebacker Brandon Short, costing him the first five games of the regular season. The Jets went 1-4 without their quarterback en route to a dismal 6-10 season.

Aug. 22, 1998: Jets 27, Giants 23

One of the most sobering moment of the Jets-Giants history came when star cornerback Jason Sehorn returned the opening kickoff — the first of his NFL career — and tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee, requiring season-ending surgery. The injury robbed Sehorn of many of his natural gifts — he was never quite the same player again, retiring five years later — ruining a promising future.

Aug. 11, 1976: Giants 16, Jets 14

The only Jets-Giants preseason clash played at Yankees Stadium was postponed two days by Hurricane Belle. It was also Joe Namath’s last Jets-Giants game. He threw a pair of touchdown passes, but Giants kicker George Hunt’s field goal won it for Big Blue.

Aug. 17, 1969: Jets 37, Giants 14

Riding high after their Super Bowl III victory over the Colts, the Jets hammered the Giants in the two teams’ first preseason meeting at the Yale Bowl behind three touchdown passes from Namath. Not only did the Giants lose to the young upstarts, but it was the final nail in coach Allie Sherman’s coffin: he was fired before the first regular-season game.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

University of Minnesota wrestling star Gable Steveson won the Olympic men’s freestyle 125kg gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the most dramatic fashion.

The 21-year-old Apple Valley, Minn. native was trailing Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili – the No. 1 seed and three-time world champion – 8-5 with under 10 seconds left. Steveson rallied for two takedowns, including one in the final second, which held up under video review.

Trailing 4-0 after the first period, Petriashvili rallied back before the American earned a 9-8 comeback victory. Steveson earned the gold medal after outscoring his opponents – including 2016 Olympic gold medalist Taha Akgul of Turkey – 23-0 in the first three rounds. 

The 275-pound heavyweight celebrated his triumph with a backflip.

And his family went even crazier.

Steveson’s full name is Gable Dan Steveson. He was prepared for greatness from the start, named after Dan Gable, a 1972 Olympic champion.

“It might have been destiny to reach this spot,” Steveson said.

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The reigning Pan American Continental champion won his first NCAA title in March and was the co-winner of the Hodge Trophy – given to the best college wrestler in the country – last season after a 17-0 year with the Gophers. He holds a 34-match win streak in collegiate play.

The US has now won seven wrestling medals in Tokyo. Steveson is the first American heavyweight to win gold at the Olympics since Bruce Baumgartner in 1992.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

According to reports, the Blackhawks were able to acquire the reigning Vezina Trophy winner for only Mikael Hakkarainen because Chicago is under the impression Fleury may retire rather than join a new team.

Fleury will mull over his future with his family this summer, his agent Allan Walsh said on Twitter.

“While Marc-Andre Fleury still hasn’t heard from anybody with the Vegas Golden Knights, he has apparently been traded to Chicago. Marc-Andre will be taking time to discuss his situation with his family and seriously evaluate his hockey future at this time,” Walsh wrote.

Walsh said that he and Fleury, 36, learned about the trade on Twitter, and had yet to hear anything from Las Vegas.

Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins, won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender last season after notching a 26-10 record, 1.98 goals against average and .928 save percentage.

The Golden Knights were expected to trade one of Fleury or Robin Lehner in order to open up cap space.

Vegas, which did not retain any of Fleury’s salary in the move, will save $7 million by unloading Fleury.

This trade comes four days after the Blackhawks acquired star defenseman Seth Jones from the Blue Jackets.

Jones is expected to sign an eight-year, $9.5 million extension Wednesday.

It also comes as the Blackhawks are under fire after being accused of not taking action when a player on the 2010 Stanley Cup team informed the team of alleged sexual abuse by former video coach Brad Aldrich.

The Blackhawks will visit Vegas on Jan. 8.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

When Devin Booker had five fouls in Game 4 against the Bucks – one more would have removed him from the game – the referees missed an obvious call against the star guard. Booker attempted to disrupt a layup attempt from Bucks guard Jrue Holiday. Booker blatantly reached in and clearly fouled his opponent late in the fourth quarter, but the officials decided to let the violation go.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know,” Holiday said when asked about the non-call.

Added referee James Capers after the game. “During live play, I saw a clean sweep of the ball and thought it was a no call. However, after seeing the replay, I now realize that I missed Booker’s right arm around the waist of Holiday, and it should have been a defensive foul on the play.”

This moment nearly changed the NBA Finals, as Booker – who led all players with 42 points on 17-for-28 shooting – was able to continue in the game. Nonetheless, courtesy of a brilliant and critical block from Giannis Antetokounmpo – who thought “[he] was going to get dunked on, to be honest” – and some big shots by Khris Middleton the Bucks held on for a 109-103 win to tie the series 2-2.

“Going down the stretch, we kept believing in ourselves. We kept executing,” Antetokounmpo said. “We wanted this bad, and the team showed it tonight. But we got to keep getting better.”

NBA players and reporters took to Twitter to share their feelings on the missed call.

Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals will take place in Phoenix Saturday night at 9 p.m. The home team has won each of the first four games in the series.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

The 18-year-old earned a promotion to the Low-A Tampa Tarpons on Tuesday following only seven games with the Rookie level Florida Complex League Yankees. And in his first game with his new team, he showed once again why his future could be so bright.

Leading off as a designated hitter Tuesday night – the switch hitter is a natural outfielder – Dominguez recorded his first career extra-base hit and his first career multi-RBI game, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs during a 6-2 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

Dominguez, whom the Yankees signed out of the Dominican Republic two years ago for a record $5.1 million bonus, hit a third-inning RBI double down the first base line to put Tampa up 1-0 and added an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to put Tampa up 4-2.

After making history Sunday when he became the player with the least amount of pro experience to play in the MLB’s Futures Game — when he said he hoped to reach the majors in “three or four years” — Tuesday night was another step for one of the game’s young phenoms.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

During the top of the second inning, Fox Sports’ Joe Buck and John Smoltz welcomed Freeman onto their broadcast as one of the mic’d up players. When Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes was pitching to Aaron Judge, Freeman started to panic.

“Aw geez, if he gets to first base, he is going to make me look so short. Aw geez. Ugh,” Freeman said. “I am just under 6’5″ and I am about to look really, really small here in a second. Yeah, I don’t look up very often. He is potentially going to make me do it.”

When Burnes – who currently holds the MLB record for strikeouts without issuing a walk to start a season with 58 – walked Judge on four pitches, Freeman knew what was coming.

“Oh here we go, gosh darn it. I told them I was going to look short if you got to first base and here we are,” Freeman said to Judge. “Ugh, a couple of guys with perfect teeth though, I know that.”

Baseball fans took to Twitter and offered their thoughts on the special moment.

“I’m not a Braves fan but Freeman is TV gold when he’s mic’ed up,” one fan wrote.

“While I don’t love the uniforms, gimme the in-game mic’d up players all day. Freeman was fun to listen to,” another fan proclaimed.

One fan even offered a solution to Freeman’s troubles: “Come over to the Yankees so you can avoid these situations.”

Freeman, 31, is the reigning National League MVP and appeared in his fifth All-Star game, making his third consecutive start. Judge, the 29-year-old Yankees right fielder, has 140 total home runs in a career that has featured three All-Star Game appearances, a Home Run Derby victory and Rookie of the Year trophy.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

The eccentric Australian is known for his unique personality, and he showcased it during the ninth inning of the American League’s 5-2 MLB All-Star Game victory Tuesday night. Hendriks, who was heard during his appearance telling catcher Mike Zunino his microphone wasn’t working and he could not hear anything, let some curse words fly on the broadcast,

“God damn it,” the 32-year-old muttered.

“Yeah f–k this,” he exclaimed after throwing out a pitch.

“The fact I was able to throw the ninth and have a relatively eventful ninth, kind of plays into my personality a little bit,” Hendriks said afterward. “And not realizing the mic was hot and I couldn’t hear them and they could hear me was a lot of fun.

“I’m sure that made for some interesting TV. I hope the bleep-er guy was on point.”

WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

The AL won its eighth consecutive All-Star Game Tuesday night at Coors Field, powered by All-Star Game MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his memorable 468-foot home run.

Hendriks helped out too, pitching a scoreless ninth to earn the save. While the Aussie did allow two base hits, Mike Zunino of the Rays — who also hit a home run at the top of the sixth inning — threw out Brewers catcher Omar Narvaez attempting to steal following his leadoff single. After Braves youngster Ozzie Albies hit a double, Hendriks pitched a game-ending ground ball to Trea Turner.

“I tend to get a little animated out there and throw a couple of expletives around,” Hendriks said. “But I have fun out there, that’s the biggest thing.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has been known for making decisions fans hate, most recently seven-inning doubleheaders and a man on second base during extra innings, but Tuesday showcased one of his worst decisions yet.

As the American League won their eighth consecutive All-Star Game – this time 5-2, led by All-Star Game MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who hit a 468-foot home run into the thin Denver air – the players were forced to wear uniforms they themselves despited.

It was a storyline that overshadowed the game itself. Usually, players wear their normals uniforms with an All-Star Game patch, creating a beautiful, unique collage of players – one of the many things that makes the sport and All-Star Game iconic. Fans took pride in seeing players on their team wearing their favorite jerseys.

But this year, the stars wore concoctions many compared to jumpsuits. The AL wore all navy blue and the NL wore white, with three-letter abbreviations for what team the player represented on the front. Players wanted more input in the design.

“We can do better. We can do better, man,” White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said. “We need the players’ input next time.”

“MLB should just let the players wear their own uniforms instead of these slow pitch softball ones,” Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brett Anderson posted on Twitter.

“I’m a big fan of each team wearing their own,” White Sox closer Liam Hendriks said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the uniformity, I don’t mind the little stars on the back, but for me, this year specifically, it would have been nice. I don’t like blue pants.

“I think it’s interesting. I don’t mind the concept they’re going for, I just feel like they need a little more player input. This year was thrown together so quickly, so hopefully years in the future we can get a little collaboration going.”

Fans and journalists alike joined forces to share their frustration over the jerseys, too.

“I really enjoyed when the MLB All-Star Game had the players in their own uniforms. It was cool to see them all playing together. Felt like real All-Stars. This has the look of a slow-pitch softball tournament,” one fan wrote.

“That said these uniforms are horrific. The best part of the All-Star game growing up is seeing the AL and NL team uniforms together on the field. MLB overthinks and still finds a way to strip us of this perk,” political columnist Joe Concha wrote.

“One of the main points of the MLB All-Star Game is the civic pride you get from watching your team’s best players in their own uniforms competing with and against all the other teams’ best players,” Mets radio broadcaster Wayne Randazzo said. “That’s taken away with these uniforms. They can’t do this again.”

Baseball had the sporting stage essentially to itself on Tuesday night and it did unite a country of fans – it was just for the wrong reason.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

The Yankees’ top prospect recorded his first career hit in pro baseball Monday afternoon. The 18-year-old hit a single on a ground ball to center field in the seventh inning of an 8-7 FCL Yankees win.

In his eight innings of action, the young outfielder also stole his first base and notched his sixth walk in four games. He made his professional debut on June 28.

Dominguez was given a $5.1 million signing bonus as an international amateur free agent in July 2019.

After recording his first hit, he will face a big test next week. The MLB’s No. 24 prospect will become the first player ever to appear in the Futures Game without first playing in a full-season league.

“Is this premature to have someone unwrapped like this in a Futures Game?” general manager Brian Cashman said, per MLB.com. “The answer is yes. At the same time, we can’t deny it’s an experience he will learn from. Good or bad, it’s a growth opportunity. We just decided to take advantage of it if they decided to select him.”

Added manager Aaron Boone: “A special talent. And from all I can tell and all I hear is a really good kid. So look forward to him starting his career and charting his own path and hopefully the hype and the pressure doesn’t become too much of a factor or is something that also can fuel a player, too. But he’ll chart his own path and go at his pace and hopefully be impacting us at some point.”

Coors Field will host The Futures Game on July 11, with at 3 p.m.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Now, Kelenic is making a name for himself in Tacoma, Wash. After a brutal start to his MLB career with the Mariners that included a 0-for-39 slump, the Mariners sent the No. 6 pick in the 2018 amateur draft to Triple-A on June 7, where he is working on the mental aspect of his game.

“Just understanding the controllables, the stuff that I can and can’t control,” Kelenic told MLB.com. “This game is one of the hardest games in the world. And when you’re at such a young age, with the best players in the world, you need to learn to not let results make you fluctuate how you feel. You’ve got to stay consistent. And as long as you do the things you can control really well, then the rest will all take care of itself.”

His new perspective has gone a long way. After starting his MLB career with a disappointing .096/.185/.193 slash line, Kelenic has returned to prominence in the minors, hitting .278/.362/.589 (.951 OPS) with seven homers, 21 RBIs, 16 strikeouts and 12 walks since his demotion.

“It wasn’t like anything I hadn’t seen before,” Kelenic said of his MLB promotion. “Everything there — I’ve seen the 98 mph fastball, I’ve seen a wipeout slider, I’ve seen all that stuff. It’s just, you’re in a place where everyone is extremely, extremely good.”

Kelenic called his demotion a “blessing in disguise” last month, and his sentiment is justified. While in Tacoma, Kelenic has been able to work on his weaknesses, like inside fastballs and low breaking balls.

“It was a lot of just on the edges,” Kelenic said. “It never came to the heart of the plate. But here, too, there’s pitchers that are throwing a lot of off-speed stuff away, and then pounding me in to get me off of it.”

At 45-40, the Mariners are still in the hunt, sitting just 3.5 games behind the A’s for an AL Wild Card spot. And perhaps a rejuvenated Kelenic can be the boost the Mariners as they continue their postseason push.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Former Mets pitcher Tom Glavine said Jacob deGrom’s 2021 season reminds him of another Baseball Hall of Famer’s historic stretch of dominance.

“I witnessed [Greg Maddux’s] four-year run in Atlanta when he won four straight Cy Young Awards, and it was very similar to what [deGrom] is doing in the sense that if [Maddux] went out and gave up two runs in a game, you were scratching your head like ‘Oh my God, what just happened?’” Glavine, a former Braves pitcher, told “Tiki and Tierney” on Monday. “If you go out there for 35 starts, you’re gonna have a third of your starts where you’ve got it. You just walk out there, put your glove on the mound, and you’re gonna win. Then you’re gonna have a third where you just don’t have it, and then a third in the middle where you’ve gotta figure out how to win those, and those are the ones that shape whether you have a good year or great year.”

DeGrom is on another level this season. His 0.69 ERA in 13 starts has never been matched. He has the same amount of RBIs (six) as earned runs. And, unlike previous seasons, he finally is getting run support — deGrom has recorded seven wins this season.

“That kind of stuff is just stupid,” Glavine said. “It’s hard to argue, especially in today’s game and what it is, that a guy can go out and have the dominance that he’s had. I think you absolutely have to include this run that he’s on right now in the conversation with the greatest pitching runs in the game.”

While they played in different eras, deGrom’s statistics have matched up with Maddux.

From 1992-95, when he won an MLB-record four straight Cy Young Awards, Maddux had a 1.98 ERA. DeGrom’s ERA over the last four years has been 1.90.

“[Maddux] in that four-year run never had those bad ones,” Glavine said. “He never had that day where he went out there and just didn’t have it. Now you look at [deGrom] and what he’s doing, it’s the same situation, but he’s doing it at a stupid level.”

This is not the first time a Braves star has compared deGrom to Maddux. All Star third-baseman Chipper Jones called deGrom’s 2018 season — the Mets superstar went 10-9 with an MLB-best 1.70 ERA in a Cy Young campaign — “Maddux-esque.”

“I saw utter domination,” Jones said in 2018. “I mean, you’re talking about an all-time type season.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Adam Fox was named the NHL’s top defenseman, as voted by the media, the league announced Tuesday.

Fox is the first Ranger to win the award since Brian Leetch in 1997, and the fourth overall. Leetch won the award twice.

The 23-year-old Fox led all NHL defensemen with 42 assists and finished with 47 points in 55 games games, his puck-moving ability reminiscent of the Hall of Famer Leetch.

Fox also averaged 24:42 a night and blocked 102 blocked shots as the Rangers’ top defenseman.

He joins Bobby Orr as the only players to win the Norris Trophy in their second NHL season.

The other finalists for the award were Victor Hedman (Lightning) and Cale Makar (Avalanche), who edged out Fox for Rookie of the Year in 2020.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Mariners pitcherHector Santiago received a 10-game suspension on Tuesday after he was ejected while being removed from Sunday’s game. Umpires examined Santiago’s glove, ejected him and confiscated the glove after finding a sticky substance.

Santiago, a former Met who’s from Newark, said Sunday he did not use anything illegal. The 33-year-old will appeal the suspension and remains active.

“[Umpire Phil Cuzzi] said he felt some sticky stuff on the inside of the glove,” Santiago said following the Mariners’ 3-2 victory over the White Sox. “All I used was rosin. I used it on both sides, trying to keep that sweat from dripping down to the hands.”

Mariners manager Scott Servais added: “It’s about 85-90% humidity [Sunday] He had rosin all over himself. When you put rosin on sweat, it gets sticky.”

The Mariners will not be able to fill Santiago’s roster spot during his suspension if it is upheld.

As the umpires inspected his glove, they immediately noticed something sticky on the inside. Cuzzi ejected him moments later.

“What we do is we go around the whole glove, feeling for anything that would be sticky or something,” crew chief Tom Hallion said after the game. “It was very noticeable, and then the rest of the crew inspected to make sure we were all in agreement. All four agreed that it was a sticky substance, and that’s why he was ejected.”

The MLB authenticator then placed his glove in a bag after the ejection.

Santiago, a one-time All-Star, is 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 23 strikeouts across 17 innings in his first season in Seattle. He joined the Mariners on a one-year, $570,500 contract.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

In the third period of Game 6, Mayfield scored with a timely pinch and a perfectly placed snipe, tying the score at 2-2 and giving the Islanders new life.

“[Mayfield] has been a key part of this team for the past few years in the shutdown role that he plays,” fellow Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock said Thursday morning. “The job he does on the penalty kill and then scoring the big goal that he did — that goal was huge for us.”

But Mayfield’s hit on Kucherov in the first period Wednesday — for which no penalty was called — could alter the balance of Game 7. The Lightning’s star forward did not return to the game Wednesday and his status for Game 7 on Friday in Tampa is in question.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper had no update Thursday on Kucherov, who missed the entire regular season after hip surgery, though it seemed as if the Lightning were preparing to play without their leading postseason scorer.

“If that scenario came about, we have to count on the guy we bring into the lineup,” Cooper said. “This isn’t new for us and you move on. If you’re fortunate enough to win the game, it makes for one hell of a story.”

Mayfield, meanwhile, is playing some of the best hockey of his career. The 28-year-old has been symbolic of the Islanders’ journey this season. He works hard, never gives up and gets rewarded.

Like many Islanders, however, Mayfield struggled before Barry Trotz took over as head coach a little over three years ago.

“I can tell you that when I first got here, I didn’t know anything about Mayfield,” Trotz said. “He had some potential. He was trying to do a little too much, trying to be that offensive defenseman, trying to make plays that weren’t there.”

Even as recently as this year, Mayfield was not playing up to his full potential. His Corsi for percentage (46.7), expected goals against (32.8) and goals for versus goals against (50.0) were all fifth among Islanders defensemen in the regular season. Not very good statistics.

Once the playoffs came around, however, Mayfield — who has two years left on the bargain five-year, $7.25 million contract he signed Jan. 4, 2018 — stepped up his game. He has six points and a plus-12 rating in 18 postseason contests.

“He has length and he has strength. He is a good penalty-killer. He protects the net well,” Trotz said. “Now you are seeing a very good defenseman who plays a hard game and he is playing a lot of minutes for us.”

Whether a crucial penalty kill, a timely fight or the big goal, the big-bodied defenseman can provide it. Mayfield has become the Islanders’ secret weapon — and without him, their season would likely be over.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper had no update on the status of Nikita Kucherov for Friday’s win-or-go-home match with the Isles with a Stanley Cup Final berth hanging in the balance. Kucherov left Game 6 after just one shift following a cross-check by Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield.

While Cooper was short with reporters Thursday morning, he did talk about who would need to step up if his star winger, who has 27 points in 17 games, could not play.

“It is early to talk about that,” Cooper said. “But if [Kucherov could not play], we would have to count on the player that came into the lineup. You move on. And if you are fortunate enough to win the game, it makes one hell of a story.”

Kucherov — the former MVP who missed the entire regular season while recovering undergoing hip surgery — continued his shift after being cross-checked and later attempted to check Mathew Barzal. But Kucherov came up awkwardly, crippled over in pain and immediately left the ice. His night lasted 46 seconds.

Mayfield did not receive a penalty for his actions.

“The play on [Kucherov], the referee doesn’t see it. Probably a guy looking for a cheap shot there,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said Wednesday night. “I think [the referees] said they didn’t think it was malicious. They don’t have a chance to look at it on replay like we do.”

The NHL officiating has been a topic of discussion all postseason and Game 6 was no different. There were uncalled cross-checks on both teams, and the penalties that were called were questionable.

“It would be weird to say [Mayfield’s cross-check] wasn’t malicious,” Cooper said. “I don’t think that’s in the rule book, that cross-checks have to be malicious. I just know it happened really close to one of the officials, and he didn’t see it.”

No matter what happens Friday night for Game 7, Cooper is ready for the challenge that lies ahead — with or without Kucherov.

“We played 56 games without [Kucherov],” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “Usually, we have 12 forwards when we play without him, so that probably made it tougher on us when we had 11. But we’ve gone down this path for four months. It’s nothing new for us.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Just over nine months after tearing his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020-21 NFL season, Barkley is back on the field. The 2018 first-round pick posted a video Tuesday on Instagram showcasing his agility and athleticism.

Barkley cut around cones, ran routes and caught passes. He also conducted drills on the beach.

In the clips, Barkley makes sharp turns and tests his lateral movement, looking strong and ready to make an impact on his team.

It has been a busy week for the Penn State product. Barkley practiced his golf swing at the driving range with trainer George Gankas Saturday afternoon. While less physically taxing than the gridiron, his swings put pressure on his knee and he passed the test.

Barkley missed all of OTAs and minicamp rehabbing his knee injury — a recovery that can take up to a full year. It is currently unclear if he will be healthy when training camp starts on July 27 and there is no timetable on his return.

“I’m going to take it one day at a time, come in with my head down and ready to work,” Barkley said earlier this month. “I’m fortunate enough that I don’t think that I have anyone around me — not going to think I know from top to bottom, there’s nothing that’s going to be forced for me to come back. It’s going to be whenever my body tells me I’m ready and it will show when I’m ready to go, that’s when I’ll be able to go out there and be hopefully as good as I was before or even better.”

If Barkley is healthy, it will be a big boost to the Giants offense. He rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018, building off of that strong start with 1,003 yards and six-touchdowns a year later. He has added 1,219 yards and an additional six end zone trips as a receiver during his NFL career, too.

The Giants open their season in East Rutherford against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 12.

“We are going to make sure that we take [Barkley’s] rehab at the correct rate for his individual body and injury. It’s not any mirror of anybody else’s injury out there,” Giants coach Joe Judge said. “We have to make sure that we let him get it at his pace and put him on the field, can play 100 percent aggressive and confident and he’s going to play safe and he can play effective.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Now, Barzal and the Islanders can take a deep breath.

The NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday fined Barzal $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, meaning he will avoid a suspension.

The speedy forward will have his spot atop the Islanders depth chart. The team will need him — down 3-2 in the series, they face a do-or-die Game 6 on Wednesday.

Islanders coach Barry Trotz — who has been tough on Barzal in the past — was “disappointed” in Barzal for putting his digging his team into a deeper hole. However, the franchise center’s teammates sympathized with the context of the situation.

“Emotions are running high out there,” Islanders forward Jordan Eberle said of the incident. “Sometimes things get heated and they escalate. He and the rest of the group will respond with the home crowd behind us.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar

Last year, the former Giants and Eagles wide receiver exchanged punches with Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who dumped Tate’s pregnant sister in 2019.

Now, as Tate remains unsigned with NFL training camps starting next month, he wants to be teammates with Ramsey.

“I would love to go back home to Tennessee,” Tate said in an appearance Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “[Indianapolis], over with Carson Wentz. Obviously, the [Los Angeles] Rams would be fantastic with [Matthew] Stafford. I had my best years with Stafford. I really like the entire NFC West, to be honest.”

The former Lions wide receiver was at his strongest with Stafford in Detroit, notching more than 90 catches in four different seasons. But that will surely create a sticky situation in the locker room if Tate gets his wish.

Tate also named the Titans — who just traded for All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones — and the Colts — who re-signed T.Y. Hilton to a one-year deal this offseason — as his other targets.

The free agent wide receiver struggled in New York — he recorded 1,064 receiving yards over two seasons, 65th among wide receivers since 2019-20. During a “Monday Night Football” loss to the Buccaneers in November, Tate yelled “Throw me the ball” into a television camera after scoring a touchdown. Tate’s wife Elise took to Instagram afterward to say her husband was “so underutilized” and “was open the entire game.” Tate was benched for the next game for his outburst.

According to Next Gen Stats, Tate only averaged 2.1 yards of separation per target last season, tied for fifth-fewest among wide receivers. He was a cap casualty in March.

Nonetheless, Tate still thinks his value is high.

“To me, I am like a fine wine. I just get better as I age,” Tate said. “I have not had any major injuries. For the most part I am on the field. I have been great in the locker room.

“Unfortunately, last year was kind of a [COVID-19] year. Everything going on just didn’t go my way as far as getting the ball, but I made the most of the opportunities I did have. When I did get the ball in my hand, I was making contested catches in the slot, down the field, wherever it may be.”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:David Lazar