SI:AM | The Hurricanes Are Not Invincible

DAN GARTLAND 

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I hope you enjoy the long holiday weekend. SI:AM will return to your inbox on Tuesday morning. 

 

In today’s SI:AM:

🗽 Knicks make it 2–0

🏎️ Kyle Busch dies at 41

⚾ Inside Gerrit Cole’s comeback 

Canes perfect no more

James Guillory/Imagn Images

The Hurricanes won’t just coast to the Stanley Cup Final. 

After Carolina swept both if its first two playoff series, the Hurricanes’ eight-game winning streak came to a screeching halt with a 6–2 blowout loss to the Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night. 

The Hurricanes held a slight advantage on shots, 27–22, but goalie Frederik Andersen had an unsightly 76.2% save percentage.

Andersen has had an up-and-down tenure with the Canes. He finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in his first season in Carolina (2021–22) but saw limited playing time in ’23–24 and ’24–25 due to blood clotting and a knee injury. This season was statistically the worst of his 13-year career, as he posted both his lowest save percentage (87.4%) and highest goals against average (3.05).

Andersen had been brilliant in the first two playoff series, though. He saved an outstanding 95% of the shots he faced and stood tall in three overtime games (including a double-overtime thriller). Maybe he was just rusty on Thursday after a 12-day layoff. But if the Hurricanes want to make a change in net at some point during the series, they have a good second option. Brandon Bussi, a 27-year-old rookie, posted better stats than Andersen in the regular season (89.4% save percentage, 2.47 GAA). The Canes shouldn’t make a move after one bad start from Andersen, but at least they have the option to do so if he lays another egg. 

Josh Hart’s redemption

 

Josh Hart was a liability for the Knicks in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. In Game 2, he was the star. 

New York’s historic comeback in the opening game of the series came with Hart on the bench. With Hart struggling on offense, coach Mike Brown opted to take him out of the game in the fourth quarter and replace him with Landry Shamet. It worked. Shamet hit a couple of big shots to aid in the Knicks’ comeback effort. The Knicks were outscored by 23 points in the 30 minutes Hart was on the floor and outscored Cleveland by 34 in the 17 minutes he was on the bench. 

Hart said after the game that he had no issue with being benched, and he showed on Thursday that he was able to put his lousy Game 1 behind him. He caught fire on offense and led the Knicks to a 2–0 series lead. 

Hart finished the game with 26 points on 10-for-21 shooting, the only New York player to score more than 19 points in the game. The Knicks won rather comfortably, 109–93. 

“It’s just who Josh is. He’s a gamer. He knew what he had to do in terms of adjustments he needed to make in order to be effective,” Brown said. “He was great, he was decisive. We have to play fast, so we’re not going against a set defense all the time.

Racing world mourns Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch, one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history, died Thursday. He was 41. 

Busch was hospitalized on Wednesday with an unspecified “severe illness” after he became unresponsive while using a racing simulator at Chevrolet’s facility in Concord, N.C., the Associated Press reported.

Busch’s last Cup Series race was at Watkins Glen on May 10, where he finished eighth. During the race, Busch radioed to his team asking for a doctor to give him a “shot” after the race. He had been complaining of a sinus cold. He then won the NASCAR Truck Series race on May 15 at Dover Motor Speedway before finishing 17th at the All-Star race at Dover two days later. 

Fans and fellow drivers had a love-hate relationship with Busch. He was preternaturally talented, but could also be abrasive and overly aggressive on the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr. began his remembrance of Busch by writing, “Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years.” Brad Keselowski wrote, “Tonight, I feel a little like the coyote with no more roadrunner to chase.”

Busch had struggled in recent years to replicate his earlier success, finishing 21st in the Cup Series standings last season and 20th the year before. That was part of why his Truck Series win at Dover carried extra significance. 

“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch said after the win. “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all—trust me.” 

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👀 The top five …

… things I saw last night: 

5. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl goalie Alexei Melnichuk’s misadventures while lifting the Gagarin Cup (the Kontinental Hockey League championship trophy). 

4. A beautiful move on a breakaway by the Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov. 

3. The Knicks’ 18–0 run in the third quarter to gain some separation against the Cavs. 

2. Angels center fielder Jose Siri’s clever playto throw out the Athletics’ Carlos Cortes. Siri acted all nonchalant, baiting Cortes into rounding first base a little too far. He then threw behind him to get the out. 

1. Juraj Slafkovský’s nasty toe drag for a goal to extend the Canadiens’ lead over the Hurricanes.  

📹 Best of SI Video

 

WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella joins Sports Illustrated’s Kent Brown to discuss Ronda Rousey’s return to the octagon and wanting a tag team match with Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham on the latest episode of the Pin Down.

 

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Published by RJ Hamster

I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis. I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God. I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons. I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA. While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon.. In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987). From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting. Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982. I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects. In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston. In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018. Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia. In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey. As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova. Love and God Bless, Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi

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