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The last time the Florida Panthers lost a hockey game, it was 18 days ago.
St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer was doing the honors then with 37 saves in a 4-1 victory; he'll try to do the honors again on Tuesday when the Blues (20-17-1) try to end a seven-game winning streak by the Panthers (25-12-2).
The lone goal Florida scored in that game was from Eetu Luostarinen, and it was of the fluke variety off the curved glass near the bench that hit the metal partition and bounced crazy into the net when Hofer was playing a rim around the net.
Florida will be out for revenge and have talked about how the Blues didn't get their best effort and have scored 31 goals (4.4 per game) since that loss to the Blues, scoring three or more in all seven, including four or more in six of the seven.
Hofer has won two of his past three starts, but he did lose his last start, a 4-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins when he allowed three goals on 29 shots.
The Panthers are a high shot-volume squad and will be looking to do more of the same here tonight.
More must-reads:
- Flames captain out week-to-week with upper-body injury
- Three-time All-Star announces retirement from NHL
- The 'Active NBA players with the most 20-point games in a season' quiz
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Insider Reveals Why The Detroit Red Wings Blundered And Traded Away Top Defenseman Jake Walman
Jake Walman was dealt by the Detroit Red Wings in the summer, and now a top insider has suggested something was going on behind the scenes to force a trade. The past few months have meant many changes for Jake Walman, who was signed to an extension by the Detroit Red Wings before being traded away as a salary cap dump to the San Jose Sharks. Then, the Sharks would flip him to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a first-round pick, and unsurprisingly, that saw plenty of backlash for Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, who completely fumbled the handling of a very valuable asset. While few details were given, reporter Andy Strickland has suggested that something was going on behind the scenes that made Detroit want to make a deal, but in hindsight, it's something they likely could have handled much, much better. 'They didn't just pay San Jose a second pick to get rid of Jake Walman who they just committed a contract extension to, and they're paying him 3.4 million. So something, right? There was something going on, I don't know exactly what it is.' Unsurprisingly, Walman was caught completely off guard by the deal after he had just inked a new extension, stating that he felt like he was simply thrown away by the Red Wings after the trade went through. 'I was a little bit shocked that they just threw me away. That's how I felt. I was upset. I wanted to prove people wrong, at that point, the following year. I thought we were building something in Detroit, and I was going to be a part of it.' We may never quite know exactly what it was about Walman or whether it was a specific incident that caused Yzerman to move on from the talented defenseman, but after giving up an asset to move him to a team that then got a first-round pick out of him, it's safe to say that the heat is turning up on the Red Wings GM after this and several other bad moves.
Browns insider predicts trade with Giants, stunning QB move
The Cleveland Browns possess the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They are likely hoping that Miami's Cam Ward, the "consensus" No. 1 quarterback in this year's class, remains available after the Tennessee Titans make their selection with the first overall pick. However, Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand and NFL reporter Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com believe the Titans will take Ward with the draft's top pick. Thus, Grossi predicted in his latest mock draft that the Browns will trade their No. 2 selection to the New York Giants for pick No. 3 and choice No. 65 this year, along with a 2026 third-round pick. Grossi thinks this could result in the Giants taking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 and the Browns landing Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart with the third pick. Following the NFL Scouting Combine, some speculated that the Browns could select Sanders with the second pick and that the Giants would "reach" for Dart at No. 3. Sanders has been linked with the Giants since at least December. Still, numerous reports revealed that some teams don't view him as a first-round prospect after he allegedly "hit the wrong notes in combine interviews." Perhaps there's reason to believe the Browns are one of those clubs. As of Thursday afternoon, the Giants and Browns continued to be mentioned as potential landing spots for veteran quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins, even though the Atlanta Falcons seem serious about not releasing Cousins anytime soon. Grossi wrote that "signing either Cousins or Wilson might be the clearest signal yet of the Browns taking a position player other than quarterback with their first pick," and ESPN's Field Yates thinks Cleveland could draft Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter over both Sanders and Dart. Interestingly, Dart's supposed rise in draft stock has coincided with Sanders sliding down the board in mock drafts. It's difficult to know what to believe during the draft process's "smokescreen season," but it's worth noting that NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY shared on March 5 that at least "one team source" had Dart ranked ahead of Sanders following the combine. It remains to be seen if the Browns or Giants would be bold enough to select Dart over Sanders with the second pick in the draft.
Vikings Lose Former 1st-Round Pick to Chiefs: Report
The Minnesota Vikings bolstered their defensive front in free agency, signing Jonathan Allen (three years, $51 million) and Javon Hargrave (two years, $30 million) to lucrative contracts. It was a significant investment for the Vikings, who ranked 28th in spending on the defensive line with just $11.7 million spent on five rostered defensive linemen in 2024. That unit provided plenty of value, allowing the second-fewest rushing yards in the league, but offered more to be desired in the pass rush. It led to the Vikings selling out to create pressure, blitzing at the highest rate in the NFL. The desire to improve the defensive line has led several meaningful contributors to reach free agency, but there is still the possibility of re-signing as depth. However, that won't be the case with a former first-round pick who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on Day 5 of free agency. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Friday, March 14, that Jerry Tillery is signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs. The 28th overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2019 draft, Tillery didn't live up to his draft status initially and was released after three seasons. He spent two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders before signing a one-year, $3.8 million deal with the Vikings last season. Tillery played every game and made 11 starts, playing the third-most snaps (482) on the defensive front last season. He totaled 19 pressures and 19 total tackles, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Fellow starter Jonathan Bullard remains a free agent while nose tackle Harrison Phillips is poised to start with Allen and Hargrave on each of his shoulders. Bullard and Tillery's combined 25 total pressures pale in comparison to Allen and Hargrave's 113 combined pressures from the 2023 season. Jihad Ward, who played 452 snaps last season, is also still a free agent. Meanwhile, the Vikings have retained Jalen Redmond and Levi-Drake Rodriguez as developmental pieces.
Former Steelers RB Najee Harris seemingly takes shot at Pittsburgh after arriving in Los Angeles
Insider questions if Aaron Rodgers will respect ‘back up QB’ Kevin O’Connell, Vikings leadership
The Minnesota Vikings have made multiple moves in the early stages of free agency to strengthen some of their weaknesses. They have signed a pair of offensive linemen from the Indianapolis Colts to help protect their quarterback and give their running game a boost. They have also added a pair of defensive linemen to improve their toughness. However, there are questions about the backup quarterback position that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell may have to address. The Vikings are planning to hand their QB1 position to J.J. McCarthy. He was the No. 10 pick overall in last year’s draft, and after making a positive impression on O’Connell and the Vikings coaching staff in the offseason and the early stages of training camp, McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus that cost him the 2024 season. The belief is that he will be ready to go this summer, but there are no guarantees. Even if McCarthy is healthy, there are legitimate questions about the Vikings’ backup quarterback position. Last year’s starter Sam Darnold has signed with the Seattle Seahawks, and Daniel Jones left through free agency to join the Indianapolis Colts. Bringing in an aging Aaron Rodgers has been mentioned, but it could lead to problems because of Rodgers’ status within the NFL and his reputation as something of a diva. Would Rodgers work well under O’Connell and Vikings coaches? Rodgers is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history. The 41-year-old is a 4-time NFL Most Valuable Player and a 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback. He won the Super Bowl XLIV MVP award and he is a sure-fire Hall of Famer. He played 18 years with the Green Bay Packers before spending the last 2 seasons with the New York Jets. NFL insider Diana Russini of The Athletic questioned the kind of fit Rodgers would be within the Vikings organization. While O’Connell is extremely well thought of for the job he has done in his first 3 seasons as Minnesota’s head coach, he was a backup quarterback in his playing days. Would Rodgers have respect for O’Connell’s position since he has accomplished so much more in his career than O’Connell did in his career? Josh McCown is the quarterbacks coach for the Vikings and while he had a decent NFL career as a quarterback, it doesn’t compare to Rodgers’ accomplishments. Would Rodgers listen to the suggestions of O’Connell and McCown? While there are reasons to question the Vikings’ need for Rodgers, the only other quarterback on the Minnesota roster besides McCarthy is Brett Rypien. He did not throw a pass last year and his experience is quite limited.
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