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Oilers need to find ways to lean on McDavid less

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DENVER — The addiction is real.

Dave Tippett and Todd McLellan both had it. Jay Woodcroft did his best to recover from it.

And now, Kris Knoblauch has perhaps graduated to a new stage of rehab, having played Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together for just 22 seconds at five-on-five during Sunday’s 4-2 win at Vegas. He’s still afflicted, but trying to kick the habit one … day … at … a … time.

The drug? It has been dubbed “The Nuclear Option.”

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How do you know a coach is on it? Well, Jon Cooper succumbed to it in Milan — a propensity to over-use Connor McDavid, the best player on the planet.

And if even Cooper could not abstain, perhaps it’s impossible.

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“You media guys think you’re so smart, with your ‘Don’t put them out together’ bull—-,’” a former Oilers coach said to me recently, only half-joking. “If you were behind the bench you’d be throwing those two out there before the 10-minute mark.”

From what we’ve seen, and what players have told us on and off the record, I’m not so sure we would.

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Here’s how it works: The moment a game appears to be slipping away — the second a 2-1 game goes to 3-1 — the lines are ripped up so that McDavid and Draisaitl can slide down the pole, don their silk capes, and save the day like Batman and Robin when the Bat-Signal illuminates.

It’s been an issue here for as long as the Oilers have contended, in equal parts helping them win and hindering their team-building. I found these quotes in a four year old column, penned after a well-rounded game that hinted at a total team effort back in February of 2022:

“It’s not like the NBA, where you can have two guys and you can win a championship,” Evander Kane instructed. “You see how hard it is to win, and the teams that win don’t always have the best players.”

“I don’t think in the game of hockey that you can win the Stanley Cup with two guys,” fourth-line centre Derek Ryan added that night. “That is the beautiful thing about hockey. You can’t just have the best player and win. You have to have the best team.

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“Those guys are amazing and we can speak to that all day. But we need to support them,” Ryan said. “We also needed the opportunity to do so.”

Somehow today it’s still a topic, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast this week.

Even general manager Stan Bowman appears to coaxing his coaching staff in that direction, with the acquisition of a quality third-line centre in Jason Dickinson and a rowdy fourth-liner in Colton Dach at the Trade Deadline.

Dickinson has “leader” written all over him, and is ready to take on the responsibility of dragging this Bottom 6 into the fight — if Knoblauch gives them the minutes to fight with.

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“I like going out there and making everybody feel comfortable,” Dickson told Sportsnet. “When I get out there it’s a sense of security that, OK, I can count on him. ‘If I pinch, he’s got my back. If there’s a bobbled puck, he’s got my back.’ To solidify a Bottom 6 is what I like to do.”

On Sunday, the Oilers got a welcome fourth-line goal from Trent Frederic, who was rewarded with 10:59 of ice time — decent fourth line minutes. But his linemates, Dach (5:05) and Josh Samanski (7:39) were not so fortunate.

Dickinson played 15:33 (12:34 at even strength), as Knoblauch begins to trust — for one game at least — a more traditional four-line system.

The irony for Dickinson lies in the fact that, while most players come to Edmonton gushing over the opportunity to play with 97 and 29, if he plays his cards right he won’t play with them at all.

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“Exactly,” he said. “My role is to make their jobs easier.

“Connor and Leon are special players, and me coming in is not going to change that,” he explained. “So what I want to do is give them better matchups. Take a little bit off their plate.

“I know Connor was killing penalties every now and then. (Dickinson wants to) take that off his plate, so he’s not wasting his energy out there on the kill. Better having him play five-on-five and on the power play with full energy, and (with Dickinson) being able to take some of the match-ups off his plate.”

McDavid took a regular turn killing penalties in Vegas, playing 1:56 shorthanded, but regular PK centreman Adam Henrique was not in the lineup. Only Dickinson played more among forwards than McDavid on the PK.

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We’re not sure why McDavid is killing penalties, an art that should increasingly include shot blocking as the playoffs approach. Many coaches use their PK unit to find ice time for depth forwards — to include them in the process — rather than going back to their star player on yet another occasion.

Then there’s the fact that this season, for some reason, McDavid and Draisaitl have not produced at five-on-five the way they have in past years.

“The (expected goals) stats are overwhelming. They’re about 70%, which is an unbelievable number,” Knoblauch said. “But they just haven’t been able to put the puck in the net.

“It hasn’t been the same this year.”

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We asked Draisaitl about it, and he was steadfast, despite the metrics:

“I’m pretty sure when you look at the chances created and the way the ice is tilted, it’s probably still in our favor,” he said. “I know how it feels when we’re out there together, and that the ice is tilted most of the night. Sometimes that’s just as important as actually scoring.

“Maybe the puck hasn’t gone in as much as we’d like, but I wouldn’t bet against us.”

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NFL world reacts to Chargers agreeing to terms with OL Cole Strange

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The Chargers agreed to terms with offensive lineman Cole Strange on a two-year, $13 million deal. There is reportedly $9 million guaranteed on the deal.

Strange is another former Dolphins player the Bolts have added in the last few days.

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Over the weekend, Los Angeles agreed to terms with fullback Alec Ingold, who spent four seasons under Mike McDaniel as head coach.

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Now, the Chargers have added another former player of McDaniel’s in Strange, who started 14 games at right guard in Miami last season. The 27-year-old should provide much-needed depth to the offensive line, a unit that struggled to stay healthy throughout the 2025 season.

Strange is entering his fifth NFL season and is set to don powder blue for the next two seasons. He has played in 44 games, including 43 starts. He’s spent the most time playing left guard, logging 1,546 snaps at the position. He also has 808 snaps at right guard and 117 snaps at center.

General manager Joe Hortiz said the front office would be prioritizing protecting Justin Herbert this offseason, and they’ve done just that with their additions in the last few days.

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Here’s how social media reacted to the Chargers agreeing to terms with Strange:

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‘Dream is to play senior World Cup’: Yash Dhull opens up on heart surgery and comeback | EXCLUSIVE | Cricket News

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Yash Dhull Exclusive: Heart surgery, recovery and senior World Cup dream

Yash Dhull (Image credit: Instagram)

NEW DELHI: Life felt incredibly difficult and frustrating for Yash Dhull as he spent months confined to the four corners of a room. The 2022 Under-19 World Cup-winning captain was bedridden after undergoing heart surgery, slowly recovering while battling the constant urge to return to the middle and resume playing cricket.Dhull was diagnosed with a hole in his heart after his family urged him to consult a doctor. He had been experiencing symptoms for some time — shortness of breath, constant fatigue, lack of energy and sudden weight loss. As the symptoms worsened, medical tests confirmed the condition, forcing the young cricketer to step away from the game and focus on treatment and recovery.

Yash Dhull Exclusive: Heart surgery, recovery and senior World Cup dream

“Many times it happened that after playing a full match, like a national match, I would feel extremely tired and it felt like my fitness was gradually going down. Later, when I was in a camp, the issue was detected there. I got tests done again and that’s when we found out exactly what it was. Even the doctors were a little surprised — they asked how I was still playing. I hadn’t realised it earlier, but once it was detected, it meant there was an option to fix it,” Yash Dhull told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“At that time the timeline wasn’t clear because there was no option except surgery. My mindset was clear, and my family also believed that getting it done at the right time was the better option because the problem could have become bigger later. For me, health is everything. My thinking was simple — if I become fit, everything else will slowly come back. It takes time, but things gradually fall into place. When you are not mentally or physically fit and have issues, you cannot move forward properly. So my focus was to finish this issue first and then see how things move ahead,” he said.After the heart surgery, Dhull was bedridden for several days. As per the doctors’ advice, he was told not to travel or play cricket for a while.But the determined youngster had just one question for the doctors — and he asked it almost every day: “Main kab se cricket khel sakta hoon?” (When can I start playing cricket again?)

Yash Dhull (Image credit: PTI)

“That time was tough. I was itching to get back in the middle. When I started running again, it just wasn’t happening. Even completing one round was very difficult. Slowly, things began to improve. I even tried to play in the DPL in the first year, but it wasn’t possible because my heart rate and BP were going very high. It was very risky as my BP could suddenly shoot up, so I had to back off. Then I started preparing for the season and praying for recovery. Things improve gradually. If you rush them, they don’t work. When you take it step by step, it takes time, but eventually things come back,” Yash Dhull, who led India to the 2022 Under-19 World Cup title after beating England in the final, said.DHULL’S NEXT TARGET: SENIOR WORLD CUPDhull is among the few captains who have led India to the Under-19 World Cup title.India have won the Under-19 ODI World Cup a record six times — in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022 and 2026. The title-winning captains include Mohammad Kaif (2000), Virat Kohli (2008), Unmukt Chand (2012), Prithvi Shaw (2018), Dhull (2022) and Ayush Mhatre (2026).

Yash Dhull (ICC Photo)

For Dhull, however, the Under-19 World Cup is not just a memory. His next target is clear — representing India at the senior World Cup.“I talk to players like Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma and Axar Patel. I’m very close to them and you learn a lot just by being around them. You observe what they do and how they go about their work, and that helps a lot. They’ve always told me to prepare in such a way that when an opportunity comes, you don’t miss it,” he said.Due to health issues and the surgery, Dhull — who played for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League from 2022 to 2024 — went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction.“Yes, you do feel a little disappointed, but at the same time you cannot get stuck in that feeling. You have to get back to your work. If you stay stuck on one thing, you won’t be able to focus on the opportunities ahead. Right now, I’m waiting to see what opportunities come my way. Whatever comes, I’m preparing for it and I’m ready. Anything can happen in life at any time — things can change anytime — so I’m preparing for that,” Dhull said.“The dream is to play a senior World Cup. I am confident that I will play one day. Every cricketer dreams of representing India at a World Cup,” he said.

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Rennae Stubbs accuses Donald Trump of ‘disrespecting’ US Army soldiers killed in Iran drone strike

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Rennae Stubbs recently accused President Donald Trump of ‘disrespecting’ US Army soldiers killed in an Iranian drone strike. The former tennis star criticized Trump as a ‘draft dodger’ after the President showed up to the dignified transfer of the soldiers in a baseball cap.

Earlier this week, an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait killed six service members. The US Army Reserve soldiers were brought home in a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday, March 7 and Trump, alongside first lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance were in attendance for the event.

Recently, an Instagram Threads user shared a picture from the event, writing,

“President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President Vance honoring with Dignified Transfer the 6 members of our military who lost their lives. God bless these heroes and their families.”

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Reacting to this, Rennae Stubbs accused President President Donald Trump of ‘disrespecting’ the fallen soldiers, writing,

“Disrespecting them with a hat on. What do you expect from a draft dodger.”

Rennae Stubbs shares sweet golfing moment in memory of her mother

Stubbs at the City Cup (Image Source: Getty)Stubbs at the City Cup (Image Source: Getty)
Stubbs at the City Cup (Image Source: Getty)

Rennae Stubbs recently invited fans behind-the-scenes into her life with a sweet glimpse into her golfing outing. The Australian revealed that she used to often golf with her mother, but hadn’t been out on the course since her mother passed away last year.

She went on to share that she recently returned to the sport, wearing her mother’s chain around her neck, and unlocked an incredible achievement, writing on X,

“If you don’t know, I love golf & so did my mum. She played her whole life & when she passed last year, I hadn’t played golf since. Well I played for the 1st time yesterday, wearing her chain around my neck & this happened! Thankgod i filmed it. Thx 😇 #holeinone #seinseiporcupine.”

As a tennis player, Rennae Stubbs competed on the WTA Tour between 1992 and 2011. The Australian was a doubles specialist, and won four women’s doubles Grand Slam titles as well as two mixed doubles Major championships.

After calling time on her career in 2011, Stubbs shifted her focus to coaching. In recent years, the 54-year-old has worked with the likes of Serena Williams, Eugenie Bouchard, Karolina Pliskova and Samantha Stosur.

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