Connor McDavid wins Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP despite Oilers losing Stanley Cup

Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid isn't leaving South Florida without some NHL hardware despite the Florida Panthers defeating his squad in a thrilling Stanley Cup Final Game 7.

McDavid was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP after leading all players in points with 42, which is fourth-best in NHL history. He also set a playoff record with 34 assists this postseason. 

Only Wayne Gretzky’s 47 and 43 points, and Mario Lemieux’s 44 points, are better than what McDavid has done in these playoffs. 

He is the sixth player – and second non-goalie – on the losing team to win the Conn Smythe.

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He also became the first player in league history to post back-to-back four-point games in Games 4 and 5 of the finals to help the Oilers work back from a 3-0 deficit. In turn, Edmonton became the first team since 1945 to force a Game 7 in the Final after going down 3-0. 

McDavid was held pointless in Games 6 and 7, as the Panthers kept him bottled up, though he did have some good chances in each game. 

Of course, the Panthers’ home crowd did not appreciate NHL commissioner Gary Bettman saying McDavid was the winner of the Conn Smythe, as their squad won the Stanley Cup in an incredible 2-1 finish. 

PANTHERS WIN STANLEY CUP IN THRILLING GAME 7 OVER OILERS

Panthers fans were chanting for Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers’ goalie, after Bettman named McDavid, and he certainly was in the running for the trophy after his stellar performance in Game 7 and throughout the playoffs. 

Bobrovsky did falter in the past three games leading up to Game 7, but he made some incredible saves against a desperate Oilers team in the third period to keep the Panthers’ lead intact for the victory. 

Throughout the playoffs, Bobrovsky averaged 2.38 goals against with a .903 save percentage.

While the Panthers’ offense was a force to be reckoned with, Bobrovsky’s play in the net allowed Florida to remain aggressive knowing they had a solid last line of defense behind them. 

Despite that, it's McDavid who showed out in these playoffs. He should also be a frontrunner for the Hart Memorial Trophy as overall league MVP this season.

And though he would've loved to leave Florida with his first career Stanley Cup in hand, his efforts were recognized with the highest regard. 

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Tennessee captures College World Series title in dramatic game over Texas A&M

The Tennessee Volunteers held off the Texas A&M Aggies in Game 3 to win the first Men’s College World Series title in program history on Monday night, 6-5.

The Aggies put pressure on the Volunteers in the ninth inning, scoring one run with two outs, but Tennessee pitcher Aaron Combs struck out infielder Ted Burton to end the game.

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Tennessee started the game with a Christian Moore home run, which got Vols fans in Omaha out of their seats. Retired NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and country music star Morgan Wallen were even spotted hugging each other as they hoped for a victory.

Texas A&M tied the game when Gavin Grahovac singled to score Travis Chestnut in the second inning. Tennessee responded with a Dylan Dreiling sacrifice fly and a Dean Curley RBI single.

Dreiling, who had a heroic effort in Game 2, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Kavares Tears’ RBI double then made it 6-1. The game was going Tennessee’s way, but Texas A&M began to make a comeback in the eighth inning.

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Two runs in the eighth inning and two runs in the ninth made Vols fans sweat, but once Combs struck out Burton, it was pure jubilation.

Dreiling, Tears, Curley, Hunter Ensley and Blake Burke racked up two hits each in the win. Ensley stunned the audience with his ability to get around a tag on a play at the plate to score in the seventh.

Tennessee’s Zander Sechrist got the start for the Vols, lasting 5.1 innings and striking out seven batters.

The last time Tennessee was a runner-up in the College World Series final was in 1951 – Oklahoma beat them 3-2 that year.

About 73 years later, the Vols are bringing a title back home to Knoxville.

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