🏒 Bobrovsky's a Brick Wall, Hurley's Big Decision, & MLB Walk-Off Madness Including a Grand Slam! 🚨⚾️

Happy Tuesday Blitzers, 👋 

In Today’s Edition: The Florida Panthers' fortress of a goalie might be why the franchise raises its first Stanley Cup. Dan Hurley was presented with basketball’s most ruthless decision (stay or go), and I don't know how he did it. Plus, a pair of extra-inning walk-offs happened well beyond Midnight ET. West Coast baseball isn’t for the rookie sportswriters. We’re glad you got your sleep; let us get you caught up!

WTF Stat Of the Day: In the 2011-2012 NHL season, the Los Angeles Kings became the first 8th-seeded team to win the Stanley Cup, defeating the top three seeds in their conference.

🏒 Florida takes a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup finals behind exceptional play from their rockstar goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. Scroll down for more.

🏀 Hurley turns down reported $70 million to stay in Storrs, CT - details below.

⛳️ With his fifth win in eight events and another $4 million at Muirfield Village on Sunday, Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 PGA Tour season earnings have surpassed $24 million — $3 million more than his previous record from last season. It’s only June. (Scottie Scheffler’s Money Record) (CBS Sports)

🎾 An athlete speaking at a university - going viral - for all the right reasons, Roger Federer’s Dartmouth Graduation Speech was grade A.

💨 Fastest man alive, Usain Bolt, reveals ruptured Achilles after injury in charity soccer match.

MLB - full MLB Power Rankings Below.

• Yankees def. Royals (4-2) Carlos Rodon Throws Gem (7 Innings, 1 Run)

• Orioles def. Rays (5-2) O’s Sweep, Gunnar Henderson Hits 21st HR

• Twins def. Rockies (5-0) Chris Paddack Throws Stellar Shutout

• 🚨 Mariners def. White Sox (8-4) - Cal Raleigh Hits Walk-Off Grand Slam

• 🚨 Astros def. Giants (4-3, 10 Innings) - Austin Slater Hits Walk-Off Single 

🚨 *Denotes Walk-Off Winners

Game 2: The Fortress of Bob 🏰 - Sergei Bobrovsky Dominates Again as Panthers Pound Oilers With 3rd-Period Blitz (4-1) / FLA Leads Finals (2-0)

 That’s one goal allowed in two games on hockey’s biggest stage. The Edmonton Oilers have a Stanley Cup Finals problem, and his name is Sergei Bobrovsky. The Florida Panthers took Game 2 last night (4-1) and a 2-0 series lead with four unanswered goals, including three in the third period. It was the Oilers who struck first and led for much of the first two periods, but Big-Stop Bob is a force to be reckoned with.

Chants of “Bob-by! Bob-by! Bob-by!” rang throughout Amerant Bank Arena late in the third as Florida's star goaltender clamped down. Evan Rodrigues had just found the net twice in 10 minutes to put Florida up, 3-1. A dust-up in the final minutes led to some 4-on-4 hockey and an opportunity for the Oilers, but Bobrovsky still didn’t flinch. Aaron Ekblad found an empty-netter with 2:28 left. Things stayed chippy, though. Vincent Desharnais got tossed for a cheap shot, and the Oilers started to unravel. We’ll reset up in Canada for Game 3 on Thursday, but it won’t matter if the fortress of Bob remains impenetrable.

 Bobrovsky’s Big Playoff Run: Bobrovsky and the Panthers have given up more than two goals in just four of their 19 postseason games, and two of those four came in the first series. They’ve held opponents to two goals or less 12 of the last 13 times they’ve taken the ice. That's a recipe for success.

 A 91-Percent Guarantee: Teams that go up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals win the Cup 91 percent of the time. The Panthers have never lost a playoff series when leading 2-0 (4-0 overall).

 Top Skater & Goalie Stats (Game 2)

E. Rodrigues (FLA): 2 Goals

A. Lundell (FLA): 2 Assists

S. Bobrovsky (FLA): 19 Saves (.947 SV%)

S. Skinner (EDM): 27 Saves (.889 SV%)

 FLA Leads Finals Series (2-0)

Game 3: Thursday (8:00 pm ET, ABC)

 Read More

CBS Sports: Panthers Pummel Oilers in Game 2 Behind Bobrovsky, Rodrigues

Sporting News: Aleksander Barkov Injury Update After Panthers Captain Takes High Hit From Leon Draisaitl

Bonus: Shirtless Florida Kid Once Again Photobombs Stanley Cup Final Interview 

NCAA - Hurley Goes Back to School - UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley Turns Down Lucrative $70 Million Offer From Lakers to Stay at Connecticut.

 Back-to-back, and still not satisfied? Much was made about the L.A. Lakers’ overwhelming offer to UConn head coach Dan Hurley last week. He turned it down on Monday to stay with the Huskies and chase another NCAA title run. Reports said the Lakers deal was for six years and $70 million. Hurley’s current UConn contract is less than half that — about $32 million. I have questions, but the Lakers’ coaching search continues.

Danny’s Decision: It’s hard to envision a more enticing NBA coaching offer than Los Angeles and LeBron James, but Hurley has been as successful as any coach at the collegiate level. His UConn squad won back-to-back national championships and pulled another top-10 recruiting class. Jumping from college to the NBA hasn’t been easy, either. Eleven coaches have left the NCAA for the NBA in the last three decades and have a collective losing record (1,483-1,797). Only one has won a championship at both levels — Larry Brown (Kansas 1988 / Pistons 2004).

 Where the Lakers Go Next: Los Angeles is one of two teams without a head coach. The other is the Cleveland Cavaliers. There were talks between L.A. and J.J. Redick before the Hurley hoopla. The former Duke and Clippers sharpshooter is a close friend of LeBron and a current ESPN analyst, but he’s never been a head coach at any level. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are also linked to L.A.

 Read More

ESPN: Dan Hurley Rejects Lakers Offer to Stay at UConn

SportingNews: Why Did Dan Hurley Turn Down the Lakers?

MLB - MLB Power Rankings - Top-5 Teams in Another Stratosphere, But the NL Central is Getting Silly in This Week’s MLB Power Rankings 📊 

The 70-game mark is fast approaching, but our top-tier teams aren’t going anywhere. The Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Orioles, and Guardians have proven to be the best five teams in baseball after the Braves lost Ronald Acuna Jr. at the end of May. There’s a wave of contenders hovering around .500 in the chase, including almost every team in the NL Central (see below). That division is whacky at the moment. The summer ahead brings more questions, but we may already know the answers. Are any teams ready to provide a surprise?

 MLB Power Rankings

1. Yankees (47-21) —

2. Phillies (45-20) —

3. Dodgers (41-26) ↑1

4. Orioles (43-22) ↑1

5. Guardians (42-22) ↓1

6. Brewers (39-27) —

7. Royals (39-28) —

8. Mariners (38-30) ↑1

9. Braves (35-28) ↑1

10. Twins (34-27) ↓1

 Teams 11-20: 11. Red Sox (33-33), 12. Rangers (31-34), 13. Blue Jays (32-34), 14. Padres (35-35), 15. Reds (32-34), 16. Tigers (32-33), 17. Cubs (32-24), 18. Giants (33-34), 19. Diamondbacks (31-35), 20. Rays (31-35)

 Teams 21-30: 21. Cardinals (31-33), 22. Pirates (31-34), 23. Astros (30-37), 24. Nationals (30-35), 25. Mets (28-36), 26. Athletics (26-42), 27. Angels (25-40), 28. Rockies (23-43), 29. Marlins (22-43), 30. White Sox (17-50)

 NL Central Chaos: All five teams in the NL Central (Brewers, Cubs, Reds, Cardinals, and Pirates) are separated by just seven total games as of June 10. The other five divisions have an average separation of 18.2 games.

On June 11th, 2012, in the Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, the LA Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1, winning the series 4-2. This victory marked the first Stanley Cup title in the Kings' 45-year history.

Today’s Must-Watch List

⚾️ MLB 

Braves at Orioles (6:35 pm ET, MLBTV)

Phillies at Red Sox (7:10 pm ET, TBS)

Yankees at Royals (8:10 pm ET, MLBTV)

Rangers at Dodgers (10:10 pm ET, ESPN+)

🏀 WNBA

Lynx at Aces (10:00 pm ET, NBA TV)

Trivia Time Answer

B. Dave Andreychuk won his first Stanley Cup at 40 with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. His perseverance and dedication throughout his long NHL career were finally rewarded, making him the oldest player to win his first Stanley Cup. This achievement highlights the importance of resilience and determination in sports. Kyle Okposo is the oldest player in this year's NHL playoffs who hasn’t won a Stanley Cup at age 36.