Panthers Look to Even up on Road Trip vs Avalanche

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The Florida Panthers (5-3-4, 14 points) seek to close out an up-and-down four game road trip Wednesday when they visit the Colorado Avalanche.

Florida has lost two out of three away from Sunrise, including a 7-2 waxing at Vancouver Monday night.

 

Backup goalie Sam Montembeault was roughed up in that one, which forced Sergei Bobrovsky to step in on his scheduled day off.

Florida had their eight game point streak snapped and have given up 15 goals in their last three games, losing two.

Alexsander Barkov is still seeking his first goal but is tied for the team lead in overall points thanks to his 13 assists.

Evgenii Davodov has boosted the Florida offense with points in three straight games (2 goals, assist).

Mackenzie Weegar has also provided a much lift in scoring from the blue line, he picked up two assists in their 6-2 win at Edmonton during the trip.

Weegar leads all defenseman for the Panthers with eight points on three goals and five assists.

Bobrovsky (4-2-3, 3.79GAA, .870SV%) should get the start in net for the Panthers.

Meanwhile for the Avalanche they enter the game losing two out of three as well but have been stellar to start the season (8-2-1, 17 points).

Colorado fell to the Anaheim Ducks in their last game on Saturday and should be well rested with three full days to prepare.

Nathan McKinnon leads the Avs with 15 points and had a goal and an assist in Colorado’s 5-4 win against the Panthers October 18th.

Colorado is a solid offense, ranking 10th in the NHL in goals scored with 258 and seventh in power play conversions at 22%. Florida has been solid on the penalty kill, ranking 10th killing 81.3% when down a man.

The Panthers will still be without forward Vincent Trocheck while Colorado is down top forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.

Florida will hopefully be able to put up a solid defensive effort given the shuffling top lines for Colorado, play on the blue line continues to be an issue for the Cats.

Puck drops from the Pepsi Center in Denver is 10:00PM EST.

Make sure to follow @SportsWaveDave for more Florida Panthers news. 

Check out the Goldie On Ice Podcast hosted by Steve Goldstein for exclusive Panthers content. Photo by Tony Capobianco

 

The Dolphins' free agent signings fit into coach Brian Flores' scheme. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

ESPN FPI: Miami has a great shot at the top pick in next year’s draft

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According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Miami Dolphins have a 70 percent chance at the top pick in the 2020 draft. It is safe to say that 2019 hasn’t been the easiest season for the Miami Dolphins, but the front office, coaching staff and fan base is hoping it will pay off in the end.

Behind them is the winless Bengals, who have a 17 percent chance according to the power index.

However, Cincinnati did just announce the benching of Andy Dalton. The nine-year veteran has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions under center for the Bengals. In fact, he is the first quarterback to lead a team to both a 8-0 and 0-8 start.

However,  Ryan Finley is stepping in, a rookie who was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL draft.

Finley will have some help as star receiver A.J. Green is expected to return sooner rather than later for Cincinnati.

Despite a winless first-half of the season, Miami is hoping the Bengals can go on a run and win a handful of games in order to create some distance in the race for the first pick in the draft.

Keep in mind that Dolphins coach Brian Flores has his sights set on wins, not the top pick in the draft. Miami is starting to show signs of a competitive football team, despite the 0-7 record.

The Jets looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL, here are Miami’s “biggest” games remaining on the nine-game schedule:

Jets at Dolphins, Nov. 3; Dolphins at Jets, Dec. 8; Bengals at Dolphins, Dec. 22.

It hasn’t been the easiest season, but with a little luck, Brian Flores and company can continue to show signs that they’re the right crew for the job without ruining Miami’s chance at a top pick.

Heat Win Behind Stellar Night from Bucket Bros

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The Miami Heat rolled into Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks with a 2-1 record. Coming off a rollercoaster weekend that had fans salivating at the thought of adding a top 15 player to a roster that had shown loads of grit and resolve, but lacked the reliability of a tried and true closer.

Enter Jimmy Butler. Back with the team after the birth of his daughter, Rylee (pronounced Riley . . . how’s that for culture?) Jimmy entered a locker room full of young players, confident in their roles and a couple of vets adjusting to theirs.

Butler’s impact was felt almost immediately as he showcased his offensive arsenal early. A measured drive to the rim, a catch and shoot 3, an and-one off balance runner in the lane . . . Butler was in his bag early scoring 12 points in the first quarter.

The second quarter, however, belonged to Tyler Herro. Apparently Herro was tired of all the Kendrick Nunn love and decided to enter into the Rookie of the Year conversation himself. Herro scored 19 in the 2nd, rediscovering the shooting stroke that dazzled fans in the preseason.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young came into the game torching opposing defenses, but his night was short-lived after he was stripped in the lane by Justise Winslow and stepped down awkwardly with his right foot, twisting his ankle.

But even before the Hawks lost their superstar point guard, the Heat’s defense looked stout, outside of consistently losing track of big man John Collins. After Young’s exit, though, the Hawks offense turned anemic without a consistent shot creator on the floor all night. The Heat took full advantage, keeping the Hawks in the low 40’s in FG percentage.

The defensive triumvirate of Butler, Winslow and Bam Adebayo will be something to watch closely all year. With Coach Erik Spoelstra leaving either Butler or Winslow on the floor until late in the game to guard the perimeter. The Hawks promptly scored with ease and Butler was back in the game the next play. With Winslow leading the team in minutes on the young season, he undoubtedly welcomed the opportunity to share the defensive load.

Goran Dragic chipped in another great performance off the bench with 21 pts.  The pressure that Dragic puts on opposing second units is impressive. He has stated that Sixth Man of the Year is his personal goal and so far it seems well within reach.

After carrying an 18 point lead into the 4th quarter, things got tight late behind a full court press from the Hawks and half court traps.  The Heat were able to hang on (112-97) with the night ultimately belonging to the debut of Butler with 21 pts and a record setting effort from Herro.

Herro scored the most ever points off the bench by a Heat rookie with 29, the record was previously held by Michael Beasley with 28.

Adebayo finished with 17 pts and 10 rebs, securing his third double-double in 4 games. Nunn finished with 17 pts as well, continuing his hot scoring streak.

The Heat play next on Thursday night against these same Hawks with Young’s return to the lineup uncertain.

 

Erik Spoelstra and the officials, a love story

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Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra had himself quite the weekend.

Miami had back to back games over the weekend against the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves. In both games, Spoelstra received attention for his antics criticizing poor officiating In crucial parts of the game. Saturday night against Milwaukee Heat center, Bam Adebayo was trapped in the corner by George Hill and Brook Lopez. Spoelstra was signaling timeout to the referees but wasn’t awarded one, this led to him running onto the court during the middle of a Giannis Antetokounmpo fast break and receiving a technical foul.  

The following night in Minnesota during the fourth quarter of a closely contested game the officials seemed to have missed a kicked ball violation on Karl Anthony-Towns. This led to an Andrew Wiggins three which ultimately sealed the game for the Timberwolves. Spoelstra was livid and individually pointed at each official during a timeout in which he appears to be yelling at them as well. 

Emotions were extremely high as both games over the weekend came down to key possessions late. Last season Spoelstra also reached a point where he was clearly frustrated with Nba officiating after a loss to the Golden State Warriors In mid-February. This year however It starts early as he has shown his frustration often with crucial calls down the stretch going in favor of the opposition. The Heat split the weekend series and find themselves at 2-1 facing Eastern Conference player of the week, Trae Young, and the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at the American Airlines Arena. 

Miami Dolphins secure draft capital in Aqib Talib trade

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The Miami Dolphins made a move on Tuesday.

The Miami Dolphins have made a major move ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and this one should boost the secondary. The Dolphins acquired Aqib Talib from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a late-round future draft pick.

If only, he was the Aqib Talib of old. He is currently on IR due to a rib injury. Chances are, he will never see a snap for the Miami Dolphins. Miami basically took on his $4.2 million salary for a fifth-round draft pick.

This is certainly an intriguing move to me. Miami gets an asset that will be used to bolster the team in the future. The fact that they were willing to take on the money portion of things surprises me. However, when you are in a rebuild, the price for a draft pick may be a bit hefty at times.

Miami head coach Brian Flores has already expressed public support for the move. From the sounds of it, Flores hopes to be able to work with Talib. However, there is no denying that the crown jewel in this deal was the draft pick. If the Dolphins can manage to keep Talib around for longer than just this season, that is great. However, I wouldn’t count on it. If Talib walks after the 2019 season, then Miami at least has a draft pick to play with for the future.

It’s intriguing to see all this roster reshuffling. It may seem a little bit tedious right now, but it should put the Miami Dolphins in a better position for the future. Now, the big challenge for the organization will be to make sure that they make the right decisions with these draft picks in the coming years. Again, it is easier said than done. However, I am confident that the organization has done their research. For a rebuild as big as this one, it makes sense to not leave any stone unturned. That certainly was the mindset on Tuesday, as they continue to stockpile resources.

The Dolphins' free agent signings fit into coach Brian Flores' scheme. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

The Miami Dolphins are starting to lose the right way

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This was closer to the perceived plan prior to the season.

Lose, but with dignity.

Fall, but with pride.

Get closer to franchise changing quarterback Tua Tagliovailoa, but stay reasonably close on the scoreboard.

After an abominable start to the 2019-20, Brian Flores and his increasingly well-organized Miami Dolphins have been doing that lately.

They took a 14-0 lead Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, before dropping the game, 27-14. That dropped their record to 0-7,  and marked the third straight game that they didn’t entirely embarrass themselves. In fact, they covered again — the spread at BetDSI.com and other sportsbooks was 13.5 or 14 at kickoff.

This game turned on a mistake we would be lamenting for weeks if we really wanted them to win — Nick O’Leary letting a ball bounce off his chest, with the carom corralled by former Dolphin defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, the first of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s two interceptions. From there, Miami inexplicably called an all-out blitz on a 3rd-and-20, which caused a short screen to go the distance. The offensive line stopped blocking, and Ryan Fitzpatrick started running for his life. Xavien Howard sat down, a consistent pattern whenever it appears the Dolphins might mess up and win.

And the tank was back on.

The tank that is required to top (or bottom) Cincy, the Jets, and all the other terrible teams this season.

The tank that Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young isn’t so happy about…

Here are some of the tweets that told the story (there’s actually some good in here!):

 

Robert Nkemdiche signing

Robert Nkemdiche promoted to Miami Dolphins active roster

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The Miami Dolphins have updated their active roster.

The Miami Dolphins have made a decision on Robert Nkemdiche, promoting him to the active roster. It is unclear if he’ll play on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nevertheless, his comeback is quite impressive.

He had season-ending knee surgery a little less than 11 months ago. Now, he is back to playing football.  As many of you know, he began his career with the Arizona Cardinals. He spent three seasons in the desert and came to Miami on a one-year, $1.16 million deal. The new deal came just 11 days after a failed physical designation with the Cardinals on July 28. From tearing his knee last December, to having the opportunity to play in a game, he has certainly come a long way.

For his career, he has 44 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. There is no doubt that the potential is definitely there. He was named to the  All-SEC first team in 2015 as a member of Ole Miss.

The ends are a plus for Miami Dolphins

Nkemdiche joins the likes of Christian Wilkins, Taco Charlton, John Jenkins, and Avery Moss at the defensive end position. This position could definitely be considered a source of strength for Miami. In particular, I’m excited to see the development of Christian Wilkins. The amount of youth at the position combined with the amount of veteran talent makes for a great combination.

Nkemdiche’s development will be interesting to watch as well. As a veteran, he is is trying to get back to what he was before his injury. It remains to be seen if he can do that.  A strong showing for this defense would certainly be a step in the right direction.

The Miami Dolphins have made it clear that they’re going to rebuild this roster. However, just because they are undergoing a rebuild does not mean that they lack talent. As long as Nkemdiche can say healthy, he is certainly a viable piece on the line. I’ll be interested to see exactly how he fits with the Miami Dolphins moving forward. His statistical production in particular is definitely something to watch.

Kenyan Drake’s Top 5 Miami Dolphins Moments

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Kenyan Drake has always been a bit of a polarizing player for the Miami Dolphins since he was drafted out of Alabama in the 2016 draft. He has had stretches of fans asking, “why isn’t he touching the ball?!” and flashes of game-breaking ability.

With Drake being traded to Arizona today and we say our goodbyes, we will focus on the ladder of the two. The Three Yards Per Carry Podcast gives us their top five Kenyan Drake moments.

Number one shouldn’t shock anyone…….

Kenyan Drake, and his unfulfilled potential, off to Arizona

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We knew this one was coming.

The last coaching staff couldn’t figure out how to use Kenyan Drake.

And this one never seemed especially interested in cracking that code either — in a contract season.

So Drake, who could rip off long runs but frustrated coaches in other areas, has been traded to the Arizona Cardinals as part of the Miami Dolphins’ historic purge. This came after Drake was kept home rather than making the trip to Pittsburgh for the Dolphins’ Monday Night Football clash (?) with the Steelers.

So, you see, they didn’t get much. But this adds to their stash, and gives them even more ammunition to move up if they identify players higher in the draft that they want.

So what does this mean?

Well, first, Mark Walton (from the University of Miami) appears to be the starter for now. Kallen Ballage has not impressed this season, and it’s likely the Dolphins will address running back with a couple of their picks.

Also, it means we will likely see Drake thrive elsewhere, at least at first, like Jay Ajayi did briefly in Philadelphia.

He’s an explosive player but can be an exasperating one too.

The concern here is that the Dolphins have traded so much of their core — think Minkah Fitzpatrick, who faces them tonight — that it’s hard to know what they’ll do with the next batch of “promising players.”

Now we see what Arizona does with him.

Last man who was part of the Miami Miracle, turn off the lights.

Miami Heat have a stud on the rise in Kendrick Nunn

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The Miami Heat have certainly benefited from his contributions.

Although the Miami Heat lost by a 112-106 score on Sunday evening, there were many positives to take away from the game. One of them was the continued production from rookie shooting guard Kendrick Nunn.

For the third game in a row, Nunn played well. In 40 minutes of action, he shot nine-of-17 from the field. He managed to go five-of-nine from beyond the arc and made both his free throws. In addition to his shooting success, he also recorded four rebounds and two assists. In total, he scored 25 points on the evening. With both his field-goal percentage and three-point percentage above 50%, it’s safe to say that he was efficient.

It was good to see him play well on Sunday, especially coming off back-to-back games. He had a solid game on Saturday as well, but the efficiency wasn’t there. In particular, he was cold from behind the arc against Milwaukee. He finished two-of-eight in that department. Nevertheless, his overall body of work was impressive. He finished with 18 points on the evening.

It’s good to see Nunn provide this sort of spark for Miami. You can definitely tell the potential is there. As a matter of fact, the potential is not only there, it is a tangible thing. In his last preseason game against Houston, he scored 40 points in 40 minutes of play and shot 55.6% from the field.  In what is a very talented and crowded Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat are going to need as many scoring options as possible. Nunn certainly provides that, and it is an unexpected surprise.

For me, the sample size is still a bit too small to fully judge what he is capable of. However, there is no denying that he has provided a spark for the Miami Heat. I’d expect that to continue as the season goes on. He certainly has the talent and capability to be successful. It will be interesting to see how he does over the next couple of games. He has a skill set that is sustainable, and that will definitely work in his favor moving forward. He is a good basketball player, and success definitely has a chance to be a part of his future.