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Good morning! I challenge your call.
Best on Best, Indeed: Canada breaks hearts in OT, again
Of course it was Canada, and of course it was in overtime. The brilliant 4 Nations Face-Off ended last night in the most thrilling ā or heartbreaking ā way possible, depending on your preferred country.Ā
Nearly 15 years ago, it was Sidney Crosby winning a gold medal for Canada against the United States in OT at the Olympics. It made him a legend, and he was on the ice last night when Connor McDavid earned his place in lore with his own OT winner against the U.S.Ā
It was swift, beautiful and decisive:
CONNOR MCDAVID! OVERTIME WINNER! šØ
CONNOR MCDAVID TRANCHE EN PROLONGATION! šØ#4Nationspic.twitter.com/AF96PDU2S8
ā Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) February 21, 2025
Canada 3, USA 2. There is a brilliant yet jarring suddenness to OT at this level. Hockey is a fast game. It is hard to keep up with a whirring puck live, so every single second feels like must-watch TV when the next goal wins. Thatās how it felt for a little more than eight minutes last night.Ā
Three instant Pulse takeaways:Ā
- The U.S. has not won a best-on-best tournament since 1996, but there will be a quick chance for retribution just one year from now at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- I donāt know how this translates to other sports, but hockey should field one of these competitions at every possible point going forward. Our internal metrics were stunning for this game, topping even some Super Bowl interest from readers. Iām excited to see the TV ratings.
- Remember our chat last week about the decline of Canadian goalies? Jordan Binnington took offense, apparently, as he was godly in the OT period. The Americans had multiple great looks on net and Binnington stood firm. It was breathtaking.Ā
How are we supposed to go back to the regular season after this?
News to Know
Wemby out
Spurs wunderkind Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the rest of the season with a blood clot, marking the end of a spectacular sophomore campaign for the leagueās brightest young talent. Wembanyama, 21, averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and an NBA-best 3.8 blocks per contest in 46 games played, which renders him ineligible for any postseason awards. He was the front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year. Sam Amick says itās a short-term loss in what should still be an alluring career.
ESPN, MLB break up
Major League Baseball and ESPN mutually agreed to opt out of their TV contract after this season, according to a memo sent to team owners by commissioner Rob Manfred. The reason cited by MLB: āminimal coverageā on ESPN platforms outside of live games. The two have been partners since 1990. See more on their future here.
More news
- The NBA suspended Bucks forward Bobby Portis 25 games for violating the leagueās anti-drug policy. Portisā agent said it was an honest mistake
- Juan Soto bought new Mets teammate Brett Baty a new car in exchange for No. 22. Baty, 25, has been driving the same car since high school.
- The Yankees extended manager Aaron Boone through 2027. Iām sure fans will react normally.
- The Saints hired Eagles QBs coach Doug Nussmeier to be their new offensive coordinator. Nussmeierās son Garrett is the starting QB for LSU just up the highway. š
- USMNT star Christian Pulisic denied thereās any rift with Milan manager Sergio Conceicao. Uh oh.
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Beep Boop: The future has begun
What could be a huge moment in MLB history passed without much fanfare yesterday, in a game that didnāt matter. Quickly:Ā
- Cubs pitcher Cody Poteet became the first MLB pitcher to ever win a challenge in the new automatic ball-strike system, which allows the pitcher, catcher or batter to challenge an umpireās call. Fabian Ardaya reported the process seemed rather smooth.
- It is a simple concept ā adding a minimal but startling effect into the game of baseball ā yet it has some unique offshoot consequences, as Jayson Stark detailed yesterday. The strike zone is going to change by ā¦ never changing.Ā
Welcome, robots. I promise to be nice.
Things You Need to See: Sentnor sends a rocket
Forgive me if this sounds repetitive: A bright young USWNT star scored a breathtaking goal last night in international play, signaling the sort of star-is-born storyline this group of women is accustomed to by now.Ā
Such was the case with 21-year-old Ally Sentnor, who fired this laser beam into the top corner in the USWNTās 2-0 win against Colombia:
Sentnor SENT! IT!#USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/J6QFSUGCnw
ā U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 21, 2025
It was a moment for Sentnor, who got her first USWNT start last night and likely earned future playing time. Joining her in the youth movement was 17-year-old Lily Yohannes, who also made her first USWNT start, and was exquisite in the midfield.Ā
See more on the SheBelieves Cup win here, including Cat Macarioās special return to the lineup.
Watch and Listen
šŗ NBA: Knicks at Cavaliers
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Weāre due for an NBA reset this week, and hereās a great place to start. Cleveland is still the clear leader of the Eastern Conference, but New York has been hot. One of these teams could easily make the finals. Take a gander.Ā
šŗ NCAAM: No. 14 Michigan State at No. 12 Michigan
8 p.m. ET on Fox
An already spirited rivalry gets the added value of stakes here, as both these teams are the class of the Big Ten this year.Ā
Get tickets to games like these here.
š§ The Athletic Hockey Show asks what the U.S. will need to do to avenge this loss when the Olympics roll around. TryĀ SpotifyĀ orĀ Apple Podcasts.
Pulse Picks
Our NFL staff embarked on a mock draft and came away with a big splash: the Raiders trading up for their QB of the future. See the picks here.
The high-profile athlete burglaries are still a startling story. Alex Andrejev compiled a great rundown of all the facts.Ā
Whatās the next stop for Myles Garrett? The NFC East seems to be a likely landing spot, though none of these suitors would surprise me.Ā
Jim Bowden picks 10 teams that should target Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in free agency. The frenzy begins.Ā
The hottest college football recruiting team is ā¦ Illinois? Itās true.Ā
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on the weird saga of Quinn Hughes and Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.Ā
Most-read on the website yesterday: The 4 Nations live blog, of course.
(Top photo: Brian Fluharty / Imagn Images)
