But Montreal and Carolina do share one commonality: They have made it this far while receiving little production from their top lines.
The ineffectiveness of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky as a unit is well-documented; Montreal has been outscored 8-1 at five-on-five when its top three forwards have been on the ice through two rounds. Caufield, Suzuki and Slafkovsky have combined for five points at five-on-five (two goals and three assists) in 14 playoff games.
Their top-line counterparts in Carolina — Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis — also have not filled the scoresheet, recording four total points at five-on-five (two goals and two assists) over eight games. Collectively, they have not been on the ice for a Carolina goal in nearly 80 minutes of five-on-five playing time. The Hurricanes have generated just 36.9 per cent of the expected goals in those minutes, compared to 54.3 per cent in the regular season.
“All that matters is winning right now,” Aho told reporters. “We know we’ve got to be better at certain areas, but at the same time, wins are the only thing that (matter) right now.”
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Aho added that his individual success in past playoff runs did not help the Hurricanes reach their ultimate goal. He had 85 points in 89 career playoff games before this season, including 10 points in 13 Eastern Conference final games. Carolina lost 12 of those 13 games.
Ideally, however, Aho and his linemates, who combined for 90 goals in all situations (46 at five-on-five) during the regular season, would be leading the charge offensively. The good news is that Svechnikov, Aho and Jarvis picked up their play in the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers, out-chancing them 11-4 at five-on-five over four games.
“The last couple games of the Ottawa series and then into the Philadelphia series, I thought our line created a lot of chances, and we’re all just a little bit snakebitten right now,” Jarvis, who has four points after leading the Hurricanes with 16 playoff points last year, told reporters. “But I think as long as the chances are coming, that means we’re doing something right. And as long as the defensive part of our game doesn’t lack in any way, I like where we’re at.”
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has underlined that last part whenever he has been asked about his top line’s quiet post-season. Carolina has given up only one five-on-five goal when the Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis line has been on the ice. Of course, it helps that goaltender Frederik Andersen is virtually unbeatable at the moment. Andersen has stopped all 13 slot shots on net he has faced at five-on-five during the top line’s minutes, including 10 inner-slot shots. (The lone goal scored against the Hurricanes’ top line came in Game 2 of the first round versus the Ottawa Senators.)
Last round, Aho spent most of his time matched up against Flyers forwards Tyson Foerster (20:48 of head-to-head ice time), Porter Martone (20:17) and Trevor Zegras (18:24). Brind’Amour could pit Aho’s line against Suzuki’s line in the upcoming series.
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“They’re playing against the other team’s best guys, and they’ve sawed that off,” Brind’Amour told reporters. “If they had scored 15 goals and given up 15, that’s the same thing. So they’ve done a good job. And we do need them to get on the scoresheet — (Aho) knows that — but I’ve been happy with the way they’ve gone about their business.”
Depth has carried Carolina and Montreal to the third round. The Hurricanes’ second line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake has outscored opponents 9-1 at five-on-five, and Nikolaj Ehlers has been one of the league’s best play-drivers in the playoffs. Canadiens forward Alex Newhook, meanwhile, just scored six goals in seven games against the Buffalo Sabres — the second most by a Canadiens player in a single series over the past 30 years.
But at some point, the Hurricanes and Canadiens will need their top forwards to make a difference at five-on-five. The first group to do so could head to the Stanley Cup Final.
“I think we’re all big-game players and that’s something that we pride ourselves on,” Jarvis told reporters. “So as the playoffs get tighter and you get deeper into it, I think that’s when we can come and really make an impact on this run. And that’s kind of our plan.”
Minnesota Vikings players gathered in a pregame huddle during warmups at U.S. Bank Stadium before facing the Philadelphia Eagles at home. On October 19, 2025, in Minneapolis, the group prepared together as Minnesota finished its early routine and readied for another NFC matchup in front of the home crowd before kickoff that afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings did virtually nothing to enhance their interior offensive line this offseason, rolling with last year’s pair of guards, Donovan Jackson and Will Fries, while promoting Blake Brandel to center after Ryan Kelly’s retirement. Now, according to ESPN, that unit is the club’s “x-factor” in 2026.
ESPN determined every NFL squad’s x-factor this week, and for Minnesota, that’s the iOL.
The Vikings’ Interior Offensive Line Has to Pay Off
Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson worked through positional drills at Lucas Oil Stadium while teams evaluated interior blockers during the NFL Scouting Combine. On March 2, 2025, in Indianapolis, Jackson took part in testing and field work as draft prospects tried to strengthen their profiles before pro days and private team visits. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
ESPN: Vikings X-Factor: Interior Trenches
In an article that claimed the Vikings have the sport’s 22nd-best roster heading into 2026, Seth Walder noted the iOL as the x-factor: “X factor for 2026: Interior offensive line. Will Fries struggled last season at guard after signing a big free agent contract, with a sixth percentile pass block win rate.”
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“But he boasts upside, as does fellow guard Donovan Jackson, Minnesota’s first-round draft pick in 2025. Blake Brandel played 347 snaps at center last season in his first time playing the position in the NFL. He is expected to start there again in 2026.”
The interior offensive line was a problem for the Vikings about half a decade ago but has largely stabilized since Kevin O’Connell took over in 2022.
Walder added, “How those three players improve could play a big role in how much offensive success the Vikings have this season.”
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Donovan Jackson
Jackson produced a commendable rookie campaign, finishing just under 60.0 per Pro Football Focus. He also navigated a broken wrist right away in his career, playing 14 of an eligible 17 games.
From the Walder observation, it’s all about Jackson taking the next step. He played steady enough to give fans hope for a promising career; no one will be too surprised if he shows up in 2026 and balls out.
Jackson also said last month that he’s more prepared as a sophomore: “I feel like last year I was a headless chicken trying to learn a foreign language with this playbook. Another year under my belt, I come out here, and I’m trying to get better with certain details.”
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Will Fries
Fries is in a different boat. He must elevate his game in 2026. While that may sound blunt, it’s accurate. The Vikings invested heavily in him, not for an adequate starter, but for a cornerstone player. After his initial season in Minnesota, he still has much to prove.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons worked past Minnesota Vikings guard Will Fries during first-half action at Lambeau Field, testing Minnesota’s protection in a divisional matchup. On November 23, 2025, in Green Bay, Parsons got by Fries as the Vikings offensive line dealt with pressure from one of football’s premier edge defenders. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.
Fries’ stellar performance with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024 is the caliber of player Minnesota believed they were acquiring. His 2025 season wasn’t a complete failure, but it certainly didn’t justify his substantial contract. PFF assigned him an overall grade of 61.8, which is merely passable.
However, passable is insufficient for an annual salary of $18 million. That grade should be closer to 71.8, not 61.8. This is the stark reality of his contract. If Fries makes strides in 2026, the investment will begin to look justified, bringing collective relief. But if his performance remains the same or similar, the situation will quickly become uncomfortable next offseason.
The Vikings require the dominant Fries from his Colts tenure; they paid a premium for that level of play.
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Blake Brandel
Brandel has unexpectedly emerged as one of the most intriguing players on the roster.
Just a few years ago, such a statement would have seemed odd. Since joining the Vikings in 2020, Brandel has primarily served as Minnesota’s versatile offensive line backup — a reliable utility player capable of stepping in at guard, tackle, and even center when needed.
Now, though, the Vikings are giving him a genuine audition at center, a decision that speaks volumes. Minnesota notably passed on signing a veteran center in free agency or drafting one early. The move follows Brandel’s performance last season when he filled in for Ryan Kelly, who missed nine games due to concussions. Brandel showed improvement as the weeks progressed, apparently convincing Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips to continue this experiment.
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Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O’Neill and guard Blake Brandel worked through side-by-side reps during minicamp as the offensive line sharpened its timing. On June 10, 2025, in Minneapolis, the pair focused on footwork and communication while Minnesota continued building cohesion up front during offseason preparation at the team’s training facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Should Brandel perform as a Top 15 center, the Vikings’ trust will be validated. They might even consider a preemptive contract extension. A two-year extension at approximately $6 million per season could prove to be a shrewd move if he solidifies his position as a starter by September.
While Brandel typically begins a season as the flexible backup, this time, the Vikings are treating him as their primary plan at center. He logged a 61.4 PFF mark, not far off the aforementioned Fries. In fact, Jackson, Fries, and Brandel logged similar grades in 2025. Decent, not great.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
He’s grown up watching matches on Centre Court and his game is inspired by the legendary Andre Agassi – learn all about British wildcard Arthur Fery ahead of his quarter-final match against Flavio Cobolli at Wimbledon 2026.
Milwaukee has won four straight games and seven in a row against St. Louis. The Cardinals lost their fourth straight.
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Gasser (2-3) allowed just a two-run homer to Nelson Velázquez. He struck out four, walked one and scattered four hits.
Cooper Pratt gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead with a leadoff triple in the third inning and scored on a Christian Yelich groundout.
Luis Lara, in his major league debut, got his first hit and RBI with a two-run single that gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead in the fifth.
Milwaukee broke it open with seven runs against Cardinals reliever Jared Shuster in the seventh. Ortiz started the outburst with a solo homer and Brice Turang, Gary Sánchez, Jackson Chourio and Pratt followed with RBI hits.
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Cardinals starter Hunter Dobbins (1-1), who was appointed the team’s 27th man for the doubleheader, allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked three.
With St. Louis trailing by eight, infielder Bryan Torres pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
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Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (3-7, 3.12 ERA) will make his final start before the All-Star break after having turn in the rotation pushed back a day. The Brewers counter with LHP Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.82 ERA) in the fourth game of their five-game series on Wednesday night.
LeBron James is one of the latest people who stood up for Philadelphia 76ers star Jaylen Brown. There has been some noise about how Brown was treated by the Boston Celtics, trading him to an Eastern Conference rival for Paul George and future draft picks.
After the deal, there have been reports from anonymous sources about how the league had “mixed” opinions about the NBA star. According to the reports, not everyone likes Brown, especially his off-season activities.
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Former NBA player Austin Rivers posted a video on Instagram and addressed the “schmear campaign” from “anonymous campaigns.”
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“He’s done nothing wrong,” Rivers said. “My man just works hard. Yeah, he has a stream and he does all these other stuff, and he is very outspoken and that can ruffle feathers and ‘scare teams’ from what I’m hearing, for whatever reason. But the only thing that really matters is the guy just shows up and plays.
“Now we got a schmear campaign by a bunch of anonymous sources, nobody puts their name out, of course. It’s a bunch of twerps and the NBA is filled with them. A lot of them who have no background in basketball, never really put any weight or any work or sweat in the game. They’re just people who got a part in an organization and have just lasted.”
LeBron James responded on Instagram by reposting the video and sharing it on his stories.
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“PUT A FKN NAME ON IT!” James posted.
James defended Jaylen Brown amid the criticism from anonymous sources after the Celtics-76ers trade.
Since many believed Boston didn’t receive enough in return, the Celtics-76ers transaction also generated a lot of buzz. Brown had just finished the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, leading the team to a 56-26 record and finishing sixth in the MVP voting.
George, meanwhile, appeared in 37 games, averaging 17.3 points in his second season in Philly. He also served a 25-game suspension without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.
LeBron James And Jaylen Brown Could Team-Up in Philly
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the teams that are rumored to pursue LeBron James this summer. The conversations about James potentially landing in Philly started after the franchise traded for Jaylen Brown, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
“When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown, I did some research, and I found out within 24 hours, he (LeBron) is taking their pitch very seriously,” Charania said. “When I talk to teams now, I have a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then some teams on the peripheral.”
Having LeBron James team up with Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe could give the 76ers enough push to dominate the East.
Manchester United icon Gary Neville has reacted to Lisandro Martinez’s performance for Argentina in their win over Egypt in the World Cup
Gary Neville has issued a blunt verdict on Lisandro Martinez’s performance for Argentina with a clear message about the Manchester United defender. Martinez helped his country record one of the most dramatic victories at the World Cup so far in Atlanta on Tuesday evening.
Argentina came from two goals down late in the second half to record a 3-2 victory over Egypt in the last-16 tie at the World Cup, with Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez on the score sheet.
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Martinez started in defence alongside Romero for Argentina and played a key role in helping his country keep their hopes alive of defending their crown.
The United defender went into the game on the back of scoring in Argentina’s 3-2 win over Cape Verde in the previous round of the tournament.
Neville has given a mixed verdict on Martinez’s performance for Argentina, explaining the positives and negatives of the way the United defender plays.
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“You watch [Cristian] Romero and [Lisandro] Martinez, and they’re the best ‘worst centre-halves’ in the world,” Neville said during ITV’s post-match coverage.
“You watch them, they give goals away constantly. But they don’t care about giving goals away because they’ll score goals at the other end. They have massive personalities and they keep going.
“Look, at that point in the game, you think Argentina are hanging on for dear life. They’re fighting for their lives and Romero is part of that comeback, you know what I mean? Why is he there?
“You always ask the questions: ‘why is Martinez scoring in the last game? Why is Romero scoring there?’ Because they don’t give in and they fight, and they fight, and they fight.”
Fellow United legend Roy Keane was alongside Neville in the ITV studio and praised Romero following the Tottenham defender’s goal against Egypt.
“It’s his movement,” Keane said. “It’s obviously a brilliant delivery. His movement is like a striker, he just peels off the back of the defender.
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“Yes, it’s poor defending, they’re trying to hold a high line. But his movement and his timing is like a top-class striker. Absolutely fantastic. We go back to that desire to try and get back in the game.”
Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana, who injured his right knee in the 19th minute of Monday’s 4-1 win against the United States in the round of 16, will miss the remainder of the World Cup.
In a statement released by the Belgian soccer federation, team doctor Brahim Hacene said medical examinations confirmed that Onana ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee.
“This is devastating news,” Hacene said, “both for him personally and for the team.”
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The 24-year-old Onana appeared in four games at the World Cup for Belgium, and made his second start of the tournament against the USA. Onana also played in two games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and scored a goal in a 5-2 blowout win over the U.S. in a World Cup warmup match in March. He was replaced in the 21st minute on Monday by Hans Vanaken, who scored one of Belgium’s four goals.
Onana has been with Aston Villa of the Premier League since 2024, and previously played for Everton.
“We immediately consulted with Amadou and with Aston Villa to agree on the best approach to his recovery,” Hacene said. “Over the coming days, we will jointly determine the next steps in his medical treatment and rehabilitation. Throughout this process, we will continue to provide Amadou with our full support.”
Onana will stay with the Red Devils for their quarterfinal match against 2010 champion Spain on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium for a semifinal berth against France or Morocco. There are no other significant injuries to Belgium’s roster, according to the statement.
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Midfielder Jérémy Doku, who didn’t start for Belgium on Monday but came off the bench as his fitness remains an issue, participated in Tuesday’s training session. So did midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who did not play on Monday.
Ruben Vargas converted the final penalty to send Switzerland to their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954 after a goalless stalemate against Colombia in Vancouver on Tuesday. The Swiss go on to face title holders Argentina, who survived an almighty scare against Egypt earlier in the day.
One of the most dramatic matches of the FIFA World Cup unfolded Tuesday afternoon at Atlanta Stadium.
After next week’s World Cup semifinal, the stadium will shed its tournament identity. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will reclaim its name, and the natural grass installed for the tournament will give way to the artificial turf used for Falcons games before Atlanta hosts the Denver Broncos in a preseason game next month.
While the retractable-roof stadium continues to host World Cup drama, its regular tenant knows all too well what it’s like to be at the center of football heartbreak.
Lionel Messi (10) of Argentina celebrates with teammates after the 3-2 victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 07, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.(Patrick Smith – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
More than nine years ago, Tom Brady engineered one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, rallying the New England Patriots from a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Falcons in overtime in Super Bowl LI.
Moments after Lionel Messi equalized in the 83rd minute to erase Argentina’s two-goal deficit against Egypt, Enzo Fernández completed the comeback with a header as the final minutes ticked off the clock. Brady then took to social media, drawing a comparison to the Patriots 2017 comeback.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium on Feb 5, 2017, in Houston, Texas.(Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
“Yeah so that might top 28-3,” the seven-time Super Bowl winner wrote on X, adding a mind-blown emoji.
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Egypt got on the board first on Tuesday afternoon, courtesy of Yasser Ibrahim’s goal in the 15th minute. His teammate Mostafa Zico followed with a score in the 67th to build Egypt’s lead to 2-0.
Messi helped guide Argentina to its first World Cup title in four years, defeating France in a final that was ultimately decided by penalty kicks.
Lionel Messi (10) of Argentina celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 7, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.(Elsa/Getty Images)
Argentina’s 3-2 comeback Tuesday booked its place in the quarterfinals, where it will face the winner of Switzerland and Colombia on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri. Switzerland and Colombia were scoreless at halftime of their Round of 16 match.
Speaking to the Ring Magazine, Canelo said he would love the opportunity to share the ring with Crawford once again.
“I hope that [Crawford] fight happens again. That’s what I hope, and I think it would be amazing for fans, too, right? For everybody. It’s a big fight. I hope I get my rematch.”
In an interview with the same outlet earlier this year, he was a little more bullish when asked if he was upset that Crawford had retired without ‘giving him the opportunity back’.
“Yeah, of course. I always give him credit, but we need to run it back. I didn’t feel the way I wanted to and I need to make it happen again and it’s gonna be different. I think for him to deserve all the credit, he needs to give me the rematch.”
Despite Canelo’s willingness and the potential mega payday, Crawford has consistently said that he is happy in retirement. It leaves the Mexican to focus on the current challenges in the super-middleweight division, with champions Hamzah Sheeraz and Osleys Iglesias waiting should he beat Mbilli in Saudi Arabia this October.
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