Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Thursday, June 13.

NHL

The Florida Panthers took a commanding 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. Here’s a quick recap: 

• The first period was a microcosm of the entire series. The Oilers dominated play, but Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was just too good. The Panthers capitalized on their best chance and took a 1-0 lead.

• Edmonton answered quickly, tying the game early in the second period. Unfortunately for the home crowd, they proceeded to follow that goal with 15 minutes of the worst hockey possible, giving up three goals on defensive miscues.

• Although the Oilers staged a late comeback, Bob and the Panthers held them off, winning the game 4-3. All playoffs, Florida has played strong defense and managed close games. This series has been no exception.

The Panthers have never won a Stanley Cup. However, the last time a team was swept in the Stanley Cup finals was 1998, so history tells us they might have to wait through the weekend.

U.S. OPEN GOLF

Everyone’s excited to see Rory McIlroy atop the leaderboard, and his bogey-free round of -5 was truly exceptional. Along with co-leader Patrick Cantlay, McIlroy tied the best US Open round in Pinehurst history. As Rory goes for his elusive fifth major, a lot of talented golfers are right on his heels, including the longest driver of the field, the one-of-a-kind Bryson DeChambeau (-3).

It was rough sledding for favorite Scottie Scheffler, but he managed to keep himself in the running with a +1 score. A slew of talented golfers surround Scheffler on the leaderboard– in addition to Scheffler, I’d keep an eye on the trio of Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, and Xander Schauffele (even par) making a push up the leaderboard.

Two other golfers stand out amongst the field of 156- Adam Scott, playing in his record 92nd consecutive major, sits at even par. And the last man into the field, Jackson Suber, is in the top 10 at -1! Suber only got into the Open after Jon Rahm’s last-minute withdrawal. Golf sure is amazing, isn’t it? A great start to what will surely be an exciting weekend.

MLB

Down 3-2 in the ninth against the best team in baseball? No problem for Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia. Garcia drove in two runs with a walk-off double, taking down the Yankees 4-3. It’s been quite a season so far for the Royals– a year after finishing as one of the worst teams in baseball, Kansas City is ten games over .500.

It’s pretty amazing the number of walk-off wins around baseball lately– even the New York Mets joined in on the fun, as veteran slugger J.D. Martinez hit a two-run shot to beat the Miami Marlins 3-2.

Bruce Bochy moved into 9th place all-time in wins by a manager, as his Texas Rangers beat the Dodgers 3-1. Reliever David Robertson struck out the MVP-trio of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman for the second night in a row- he’s the only player in baseball to accomplish the feat all season.

Well it might not be the play of the day, but this pitch from the game in Minnesota is still a must-watch. Juuust a bit outside…

WNBA

It was a rough night for Caitlin Clark (seven points on 3-11 shooting) but the Indiana Fever took down the Atlanta Dream 91-84. Last season’s rookie of the year Aliyah Boston led the way for the Dream, scoring 27 points and recording 13 rebounds.

Newly anointed US Olympians Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson each dropped 30 points, leading the Las Vegas Aces to a 103-99 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. Reigning MVP Wilson set the WNBA record for most 25-point games in a row, with eight.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

A busy day in the world of the NFL! Netflix dropped a trailer for an upcoming series called Receiver, following some of the best pass-catchers in the game (it looks really awesome). The Falcons were fined and penalized a 5th round draft pick due to illegal tampering with free agent QB Kirk Cousins this offseason. And Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawence signed a new contract that ties him as the highest-paid player in NFL history (based on an annual value of $55 million). That’s a lot going on for a random Thursday in June.

The newly announced NHL franchise in Salt Lake City will be known as the Utah Hockey Club, at least for one season. This bold name, along with the newly announced sky blue, white, and black color scheme, really captures the essence of Utah… I’ll let you determine exactly what that means. The former Arizona Coyotes are still deciding on the permanent name of their new team, in a poll that the public can vote in– is the best option really Mammoth?

Conor McGregor has withdrawn from his upcoming UFC fight due to injury. The energetic Irishman last fought in 2021, and has won just one fight since 2016 (if you’re reading this Conor, I’m a big fan. Simply reporting the news, please don’t get mad).

KEEP AN EYE OUT…

Anticipating two big stories to break over the weekend… amidst the changing landscape of NIL and money in the NCAA, college sports conferences are considering selling their naming rights. And JJ Reddick is officially interviewing for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job. You’ve officially been warned.

PLAY OF THE DAY

When you’re feeling good, you’re feeling good…

THIS WEEKEND’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

NCAA College World Series, beginning 2 PM on ESPN

Eight teams have made their way to Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series. North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida State are on one side of the bracket, and play today. On the other side, Kentucky, NC State, Texas A&M, and Florida start their World Series games on Saturday. 

MEN’S SOCCER: European Championships, beginning 3 PM ET on FOX

Every four years, the top 24 teams in Europe compete in the Euros. This year’s tournament is being played in Germany, and begins today with the hosts taking on Scotland. The favorites to win it all? Mighty England, although Kylian Mbappe and France, Christiano Ronaldo and Portugal, the host country Germany, and the always talented Spain will believe they can win it all, too. The tournament runs for a whole month, with the finals scheduled for July 14.

NBA FINALS: Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 PM on ABC

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics look to close out the NBA Finals with a sweep. After receiving heavy criticism for fouling out and playing lackluster defense in game three, I don’t think Luka Doncic will let his Mavericks team go down without a fight.

MLB: Cardinals @ Cubs; Yankees @ Red Sox, Friday-Sunday

Two of the most storied rivalries in sports, going down on the same weekend. The Yankees have the best record in baseball, while the Cards, Cubs, and Red Sox are each fighting for a winning record. We could look back at this weekend as a turning point for all four ball clubs.

NHL: Panthers @ Oilers, Saturday 8 PM on ABC

The Oilers are up against it. They’ll need superstar Connor McDavid to come up with some magic if they want to extend their season.

WNBA: Sky @ Fever, Sunday 12 PM on CBS

Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese, round two in the pros. Two struggling teams, but always fun basketball when these two young stars meet.

GOLF: US Open, beginning 6 AM on USA/Peacock/CBS

Golf, all weekend long. Happy Father’s Day- enjoy the quiet beauty of the North Carolina pines.

A lot of great action- we’ll be back with a recap of everything on Monday.