| | | | | | | Presented By Babbel | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker · May 02, 2022 | | 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. Today's word count: 1,508 words (6 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🏒 A season of goals and points |  Data: NHL; Chart: Will Chase/Axios The NHL playoffs are upon us, closing the curtains on a regular season filled with high-scoring games and 100-point teams. By the numbers: Teams averaged 3.14 goals per game this season, the highest since 1995-96 (also 3.14) and a nearly 7% increase from last year (2.94). - Eight teams — Panthers, Avalanche, Blues, Maple Leafs, Wild, Flames, Lightning, Oilers — averaged 3.5 goals or more. Unsurprisingly, all eight made the playoffs.
- Four players — Auston Matthews (60), Leon Draisaitl (55), Chris Kreider (52), Alex Ovechkin (50) — scored 50 goals for the first time since 2005-06.
The big picture: All that scoring seemed to help the league's best teams — 13 finished with at least 100 points and nine finished with at least 50 wins, both the most in NHL history. Looking ahead: The scoring boom will likely fade in the playoffs, but that shouldn't detract from a field teeming with intrigue. Will the Lightning become the first team to three-peat since the Islanders in the '80s? Will the Panthers win their first title? Lots of fun storylines. - East: Panthers vs. Capitals; Maple Leafs vs. Lightning; Hurricanes vs. Bruins; Rangers vs. Penguins
- West: Avalanche vs. Predators; Wild vs. Blues; Flames vs. Ducks; Oilers vs. Kings
Go deeper: Breaking down all 16 playoff teams (ESPN) |     | | | | | | 2. ⚾️ Three up, three down |  | | | Buck Showalter and Edwin Díaz celebrate Friday's no-hitter. Photo: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images | | | | It's a great time to be a New York baseball fan. Reds fan? Not so much. Up: - New York: The Yankees and Mets (who threw their second-ever no-hitter on Friday) topped the standings in their respective leagues at the end of April for the first time in 36 years.
- Ben Joyce: The Tennessee reliever threw a 105.5-mph fastball (!!!), the fastest pitch ever recorded in college baseball and second-fastest in baseball history, trailing only Aroldis Chapman (105.8 mph).
- Clayton Kershaw: The Dodgers legend recorded his 2,697th regular-season strikeout on Saturday, passing Don Sutton for the most in franchise history.
Down: - Cincinnati: The Reds are 3-19, tied for the second-worst record through 22 games since 1900, trailing only the 1988 Orioles (1-21). This sequence sums up their season.
- Trevor Bauer: MLB has suspended the Dodgers pitcher for 324 games without pay, by far the most severe punishment handed out under the league's domestic violence policy. Bauer is appealing the decision, which would cost him over $60 million.
- Marcus Semien: The Rangers gave Semien a seven-year, $175 million deal this offseason. So far, he's batting a putrid .149/.224/.207 with -0.2 WAR and is 1-for-23 over his past six games.
| | | | | | | | 3. 🏈 NFL draft recap: Top Dawgs |  Table: Will Chase/Axios The 87th NFL draft is in the books, as 262 players from 105 schools took the next step in their football journey, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. By the numbers: Draftees represented all 10 Power Five and Group of Five conferences, four independent schools, nine FCS conferences and five D-II conferences. - Georgia's 15 draftees are the most since the NFL introduced the seven-round format in 1994.
- The SEC produced the most picks for the 16th straight year, and its 65 draftees tied its haul from last year as the most ever.
- Cincinnati's nine draftees are the most by a non-Power Five school since at least 1990, when Houston had seven.
- Texas didn't produce a pick for the first time since 2014, and just the second time since 1938.
More draft notes: - Who needs QBs? The first QB didn't come off the board until pick No. 20 (Kenny Pickett), the latest since 1997 (No. 26), and Pickett was the only QB taken in the first two rounds, which last happened in 2000.
- WR spotlight: A record-tying 17 receivers were taken in the first three rounds, and two more (A.J. Brown and Marquise Brown) got traded during Round 1. It's truly an incredible time to be an NFL wide receiver.
- Rare feet: Two punters were taken in the first four rounds for the first time since 2007. Somehow neither one was Matt Araiza, the Bills' sixth-round pick who just set the NCAA yards per punt record.
- Mr. Irrelevant: Iowa State QB Brock Purdy went to the 49ers with the 262nd and final pick, making him this year's Mr. Irrelevant.
- Draft goes global: Some picks were announced from abroad — including Germany, England and Mexico, which are hosting games in 2022 — as the NFL embraces its international ambitions.
Go deeper: | | | | | | | | A message from Babbel | | Learn a new language fast | | |  | | | | Babbel's language lessons are scientifically proven to be effective. With Babbel, you can start speaking a new language in just three weeks. Here's how: Babbel's quick, 10-minute lessons teach language you can use in the real world. Get started now for up to 60% off your subscription. | | | | | | 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | ⚽️ Chelsea sale update: The group led by Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly appears to be the frontrunner to buy Chelsea, but a late bid from Britain's richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has shaken things up. 🏀 Farewell, legend: C. Vivian Stringer is retiring after 50 years of coaching. Her 1,055 wins trail only Tara VanDerveer, Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt. 🎾 Becker jailed: Six-time major champion Boris Becker has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt. 👟 100 yards, 100 years: 100-year-old Lester Wright thrilled the crowd at the Penn Relays, running the 100-yard dash in 26 seconds and beating a couple 80-year-olds. | | | | | | | | 5. 🏒 EBUG: The best thing in sports |  | | | Photo: Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images | | | | Tom Hodges, a Texas insurance agent who is mostly blind in one eye, entered an NHL game on Saturday and stole the show. Does it get any better? What's happening: Hodges, who played college hockey at SMU, was the Emergency Backup Goalie for the Ducks in their season finale against the Stars in Dallas. - Home teams are required to have an EBUG available to either team, which is how Hodges came to make his surprise NHL debut after two Anaheim goalies got injured.
- He entered the game at the beginning of the third period with the score tied 2-2. Dallas got one shot past him and added an empty-net goal for a 4-2 win.
What he's saying: "That's the best group of guys ever," Hodges said after the game. "They just came up to me and tried to calm me down. They could tell I was ready to have a panic attack. They didn't care, win or lose, let in 10 [goals], just go out there and have fun." The big picture: Hodges is just the fifth EBUG to see NHL playing time, joining David Ayres (zamboni driver), Scott Foster (accountant), Shawn Hunwick (recent college grad) and Jorge Alves (equipment manager). | | | | | | | | 6. 🇺🇸 Photos across America | | Katie Taylor wrapped in an Irish flag. Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images NEW YORK — The biggest women's boxing match in history more than lived up to the hype, as Katie Taylor edged Amanda Serrano in a split decision to retain her undisputed lightweight championship. Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images BOSTON — Giannis Antetokounmpo (24-13-12) dominated the Celtics in a 101-89 Game 1 win, becoming the first Buck ever with multiple playoff triple-doubles. - Elsewhere: Jordan Poole (31-8-9) and the Warriors eked out Game 1 over the Grizzlies, 117-116.
Photo: Keith Griner/Getty Image NASHVILLE — 30,109 fans packed into Geodis Park — the largest soccer-specific stadium in the country — for its debut on Sunday, as Nashville played Philadelphia to a 1-1 draw. | | | | | | | | 7. 🌍 Photos around the world | | Real Madrid players hoisting Carlo Ancelotti into the air. Photo: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images MADRID — Real Madrid won its 35th LaLiga title, as Carlo Ancelotti became the first manager to win league titles across Europe's top five soccer leagues. - Ancelotti's titles: Serie A (AC Milan), Premier League (Chelsea), Ligue 1 (PSG), Bundesliga (Bayern), LaLiga (Real Madrid).
Jon Rahm celebrates with his son Kepa. Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Jon Rahm (-17) won the Mexico Open by a stroke for his first tour victory since the 2021 U.S. Open, ending a 315-day drought. Lyon's Wendie Renard celebrates a goal. Photo: Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images PARIS — Lyon beat PSG, 5-3 on aggregate, to advance to the Women's Champions League Final against reigning champion Barcelona, which beat Wolfsburg by the same aggregate score. - The intrigue: Lyon-Barça will be a rematch of the 2019 final, which Lyon won 4-1.
| | | | | | | | 8. 📺 Watchlist: NBA from coast to coast |  | | | Photo: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images | | | | The second round of the NBA playoffs resumes tonight, with games on opposite coasts: Miami and Phoenix. - No. 4 76ers at No. 1 Heat (7:30pm ET, TNT): Philly will be without Joel Embiid for at least Games 1 and 2 after the MVP finalist suffered a facial fracture in last week's series clincher over Toronto.
- No. 4 Mavericks at No. 1 Suns (10pm, TNT): Dallas is making its first second-round appearance of the Dončić era. Phoenix swept the season series, 3-0, but these two teams haven't met in over three months.
More to watch: | | | | | | | | 9. ⚽️ Soccer trivia |  | | | Angel City won its inaugural match, 2-1, over North Carolina. Photo: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images | | | | The NWSL season kicked off this weekend with all 12 teams in action. Question: Which five current teams were part of the inaugural 2013 campaign? - Angel City FC
- Chicago Red Stars
- Houston Dash
- Kansas City Current
- NJ/NY Gotham FC
- North Carolina Courage
- OL Reign
- Orlando Pride
- Portland Thorns
- Racing Louisville
- San Diego Wave
- Washington Spirit
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🎥 Top plays: Weekend edition |  | | | Gary Payton II rising for the jam. Photo: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images | | | - ⚽️ From midfield!
- 🏀 Payton poster
- 🥏 Full extension
- ⚾️ Robbery
- ⚾️ Another robbery
- ⚽️ Gorgeous goal
- 🏀 Giannis to Giannis
- ⚽️ Incredible saves
- 🏒 JVR dangle
- ⚾️ Maikel Franco!
Watch all 10. | | | | | | | | A message from Babbel | | Learn more than just language | | |  | | | | Speak a new language in just three weeks with Babbel's language lessons. Even better: Babbel provides context to the words you're studying by integrating cultural knowledge. Tips are sprinkled throughout lessons for easy learning. Try it today and get up to 60% off your subscription. | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "I get my draft picks down in Georgia" Baker Trivia answer: Chicago Red Stars, NJ/NY Gotham FC, OL Reign, Portland Thorns, Washington Spirit 🙏 Thanks for reading. Follow us on Twitter: @kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy. Tell your friends to sign up. |  | It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 200 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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