E.S.T. EP.4 NBA + NHL FINALS, INDIANA FEVER PLUS NFL HOLDOUTS

 Elite Sports Talk Episode 4: Playoff Thrills, Player Sagas, and NFL Holdouts

Welcome to "EST episode 4 with Charlie B," broadcasting from South Jersey, where the playoffs are buzzing with excitement, marked by thrilling comebacks and last-second victories. This episode delves into the latest in NHL, NBA, WNBA, and NFL news, offering insights into key matchups, player performances, and off-season drama.

NHL Finals: Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers

The NHL finals have been a rollercoaster, particularly for the Edmonton Oilers. Game 3 saw the Florida Panthers deliver a dominant 6-1 blowout, with six different players scoring goals, including Sam Bennett, Marawn, Reinhardt, Rodriguez, Verhy, and defenseman Aaron Eckllo. Florida's goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, was exceptional, saving 32 of 33 shots and nearly achieving a complete shutout if not for a second-period goal by Cory Perry. A key takeaway from Game 3 was the struggles of Oilers superstars McDavid and Draisaitl, who combined for zero points. Historically, when these two go scoreless, Edmonton's record is a dismal 2-11, highlighting their importance to the team's success.

However, the Oilers roared back in Game 4 with another "comeback for the ages". After trailing 3-0 in the first period, Edmonton scored three goals in the second period while holding Florida scoreless. The teams split goals in the third period, leading to overtime where Leon Draisaitl secured the game-winning goal. Draisaitl finished Game 4 with a goal and two assists, while Adam Henrik, Kenan, and McDavid also contributed assists.

This comeback victory epitomizes Edmonton's postseason journey, as they have now achieved eight comeback victories, the most in the NHL. Leon Draisaitl's heroics continued, making him only the third player in NHL history to score multiple overtime goals in the finals, and he now holds the record for most overtime goals in a postseason with four.

Despite the team's success, McDavid has faced a challenging series against Florida, tallying only six assists and not a single goal. Alexander Barkov of the Panthers has also been struggling, suggesting that aggressive defensive play by both teams might be limiting these star players' offensive output. The host predicts that McDavid will break through in one of the upcoming games.

In goal, Edmonton's Stuart Skinner has faced difficulties, being pulled in Game 3 for backup Calvin Pickard, and again in another game. Skinner made 14 saves but let up three goals on only 17 shots in one instance. In contrast, Pickard has been a "superhero" for the Oilers, performing exceptionally well whenever he steps onto the ice. His career playoff record stands at 8-1 in 12 games, with a 2.58 goals-against average (GAA) and a .900 save percentage. In the 2025 postseason alone, Pickard boasts a 7-0 record through nine games, with a 2.69 GAA and an .896 save percentage. The host expresses hope that Skinner's struggles won't derail his career, as he is considered a very good goalie.

With the series now tied, home-ice advantage shifts back to Edmonton, with two of the next three potential games being played there if the series reaches a Game 7. Florida, however, remains a formidable opponent, holding a 5-1 record in the postseason after a loss and an impressive 9-2 record on the road. The host hopes the Oilers secure a win tonight, envisioning McDavid and Draisaitl finally lifting the Stanley Cup, a long-awaited achievement for Canada.

NBA Finals & League Buzz

In the NBA finals, Game 3 saw the Pacers take a 2-1 lead, a significant advantage given that 80% of teams winning Game 3 go on to win the finals. The Pacers' success has been tied to several factors: they are 11-0 in the playoffs when their offensive rating is 110 or better, 11-1 when Tyrese Haliburton records eight or more assists, and 8-1 when he scores 20 or more points. In Game 3, Haliburton delivered with 22 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists. The Pacers also boast an 8-0 record when six of their players reach double figures in scoring.

However, OKC managed to tie the series by winning Game 4 with a score of 111-104. Both teams have shown incredible resilience after losses in the postseason: OKC is 18-2 after a loss this season (including playoffs) and a perfect 6-0 after a postseason loss, while Indy is 5-0 in their next game after a loss. This trend suggests a potentially intriguing Game 7. Road and home records also highlight their strengths: OKC is 5-4 on the road and 9-2 at home, while Indy is 7-2 at home and 7-3 on the road during the postseason.

Off the court, NBA news includes Russell Westbrook turning down a $3.5 million player option with the Denver Nuggets, meaning he will not return to the team. The "KD watch" continues, with the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly in a tightening race for the future Hall of Famer. The Denver Nuggets are also considered potential favorites to land Drew Holiday, with the Sacramento Kings also showing interest.

WNBA: Caitlin Clark's Impact

The WNBA has seen the Indiana Fever perform well when Caitlin Clark is present at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, holding an 8-0 record in such games. Recently, the Fever defeated the New York Liberty, who were the last undefeated team in the WNBA, with a score of 102-88. Caitlin Clark had a standout performance in that game, amassing 32 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, two blocks, and a steal. This marked her third game with 30 or more points, five or more rebounds, and five or more assists.

NFL: Holdouts and Cincinnati's Woes

The NFL offseason is currently marked by several prominent players holding out from training camps. Notable names include TJ Watt (Steelers), Terry McLaurin (Commanders), Jonnu Smith (Dolphins tight end), and Jalen Ramsey (Dolphins cornerback), who might be traded due to his over $13 million annual salary. Rookie holdouts include Sheamar Stewart (Bengals defensive rusher), Travis Hunter (Jaguars two-way receiver/corner), and Jedi Baron (Broncos cornerback).

A significant focus is on the Cincinnati Bengals, who are facing issues with key defensive players. Despite Joe Burrow having a statistically historic season last year, the Bengals missed the playoffs primarily due to their defensive struggles, which led to the termination of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's position. The Bengals have focused on maintaining their strong offense, successfully re-signing star receivers T. Higgins and Jamar Chase.

However, the team faces a contentious holdout with edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson, who has led the league in sacks for the past two seasons and led the NFL in pressures above expectation (+16.6), also ranking second in pass rush win rate, is seeking a long-term deal. He has played every game and 70% of defensive snaps over the last two years. Now 30 years old and in the final year of a contract that pays him $15.8 million, Hendrickson feels the team has been "kicking the can down the road" regarding a new deal. Compared to Miles Garrett's $160 million ($40 million per year), Hendrickson is currently the 11th highest-paid edge rusher, despite his elite performance. The host speculates that the Bengals might be hesitant to offer a long-term deal due to his age, a common practice in the NFL.

The Bengals' defensive woes are compounded by other departures. They cut Germaine Pratt, freeing up $4.5 million, but losing a player who recorded 99 tackles in 2022, 118 in 2023, and 143 last season. With potential losses of both Hendrickson and Pratt, combined with the struggles from last season, the host questions Cincinnati's commitment to winning. Rookie Sheamar Stewart reportedly stated that the Bengals are "more concerned right now about winning arguments over winning games," a sentiment echoed by the host who believes "real fans" can see the team's priorities.

Looking Ahead

The episode concludes with a Happy Father's Day wish to all fathers. The host promises future content, including "way too early NFL power rankings" and breakdowns of both the AFC North and NFC North divisions, complete with team schedules and record predictions. Listeners are encouraged to like, subscribe, and comment on the show, which is available on Spotify, iHeart Radio, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Audible, and YouTube under "Elite Sports Talk Podcast"

NBA & NHL FINALS RECAP, OFFSEASON NEWS, PLUS NFL UPDATES

 Elite Sports Talk Episode Recap: Coaching Changes, Playoff Drama, and NFL Buzz

This episode of Elite Sports Talk, hosted by Charlie B., covered a range of hot topics across the sports world, focusing on recent coaching changes, ongoing NHL and NBA playoff action, and significant NFL news.

Major Coaching Shakeups

The sports world has seen two notable coaching changes recently:

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Dallas Stars Part Ways with Pete DeBoer: After three seasons where he led the team to the Western Conference Finals each year, the Dallas Stars have fired head coach Pete DeBoer. While successful in reaching deep into the playoffs, the Stars "didn't get it done" by failing to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in any of those three attempts. A significant factor in the decision was the desire to avoid a "permanent wedge in the locker room" between DeBoer and All-Star goalie Jake Oettinger. An incident in the first game of the Western Conference Finals series against Edmonton, where DeBoer pulled Oettinger after just two shots on net (with the team already down two goals) despite understanding the strategic thought process behind it, is highlighted as a potential reason for the firing and the series outcome. Oettinger is described as very well-liked and deeply respected by his teammates, and pulling him publicly created a wedge that would be hard for a coach to recover from. DeBoer also seemed to blame Oettinger after that game. Despite this, DeBoer is called a "great coach". His record over the past 10 seasons is 445 wins, 247 losses, and 75 ties, for a .629 point percentage, comparable to Tampa Bay's John Cooper. This is the sixth time in the last eight seasons he's reached the Western Conference Final with three different teams and the fifth time he has been fired, having also been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice. The speaker believes it's likely best for DeBoer to "start over somewhere else next year" and expects he will eventually lead another team to a conference final. The Stars face a "rough patch" figuring out personnel and coaching changes and are expected to have a tough road ahead given the strength of teams like Edmonton and the Golden Knights in their conference.

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New York Knicks Fire Tom Thibodeau: The New York Knicks have announced the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, three days after their elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Indiana Pacers. This recent playoff run was the best the Knicks had been on in 25 years. The Knicks owner's statement suggested a focus on winning a championship, implying anything less was insufficient. Thibodeau is noted as the team's most successful head coach in the past 25 years. He joins a select group of only eight coaches in NBA history with over 500 regular season wins and a .550+ winning percentage who never won an NBA Finals. Common criticisms of Thibodeau included overplaying his starters and giving them too many minutes, a point even Muel Bridges reportedly commented on. Despite this, the Knicks led the entire NBA in starter minutes in the playoffs under Thibodeau, although he did start using bench players more. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks had back-to-back seasons with 50+ wins (52 in 2023-24 and 55 in 2024-25), a feat not achieved since 1994-95. Similar to the Stars' situation, the speaker is unsure if the Knicks will find a better coach than Thibodeau, even with potential personnel changes like trades for stars like Giannis or KD. It's suggested the Knicks "outdid themselves" this year by going further than many expected, and the road ahead will be tough.

NHL Stanley Cup Finals Update

The episode provided a look at the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals:

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Game 1: Edmonton hosted the first game for the first time since 1988. The winner of Game 1 has historically won the series 77% of the time. Leon Draisaitl was the hero of Game 1, scoring the first goal and the game-sealing goal in overtime. This made him the fifth player in Stanley Cup Finals history to score the first goal and the game-sealer in overtime. His overtime winner was a power play goal with 32 seconds left in OT, making him the fourth player since 1934 to score an overtime power play goal in the final. It was Draisaitl's third overtime goal this postseason, tying an NHL record. With the win, Edmonton extended their win streak to five straight, improved to 7-1 at home, and 4-0 in overtime games. Florida fell to 8-3 on the road after having only two road losses throughout the playoffs before this game. Florida had the best penalty kill in the playoffs entering Game 1. Connor McDavid's "legendary status is growing" with his elite skills, speed, and ability to create space. Stuart Skinner made 29 saves out of 32 shots against, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves out of 46 shots.

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Game 2: Game 2 went to double overtime, with Florida winning 5-4 about halfway through the second overtime period. Brad Marchand was the hero, scoring the game-ending goal and finishing with two goals in the game. Key players with points included Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell, Evan Rodriguez, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, and Nate Schmidt for Florida. For Edmonton, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, Evander Kane scored, Connor McDavid had three assists, and Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists. Stuart Skinner stopped 37 of 42 shots. Bobrovsky made 42 saves out of 46 shots again. It was described as a great performance from both teams, decided by who was the "hungrier team," which in this case was Florida. The series is now tied 1-1 heading to Florida. The speaker expects Edmonton to win at least one game on the road and now predicts the series will go seven games.

NBA Playoff Clutch Performance & Stats

Beyond the Knicks firing, the episode briefly touched upon another ongoing NBA playoff series (presumably the NBA Finals, although the source mentions OKC vs Indiana Game 2 which happened on the day of the recording, suggesting it might be the Western Conference Finals):

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Tyrese Haliburton was highlighted as the "most clutch performer of the postseason without a question".

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He hit the game-winning jumper with just 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game where OKC had led from the start until that shot.

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NBA teams trailing by nine or more points in the final three minutes of a Finals game were previously 0-182 since 1971; that record is now 1-182 after Indiana's comeback.

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Indiana's Game 1 win was their fifth 15-point comeback win this playoffs, the most since 1998.

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Despite Lou Dort's defensive effort (an All-NBA defender who usually shuts down opponents), Haliburton was clutch. While Haliburton's scoring numbers weren't high (14 points total, 12 before the winner, 6 of 13 from the field, 2 of 7 from three), he still had a double-double with 10 rebounds and six assists and was a +12.

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Key stats from Game 1 favoring Indiana despite 24 turnovers (compared to OKC's six): Indiana had a significant rebounding advantage (56 total vs. 39 for OKC, including 43 defensive boards vs. 29 for OKC), preventing second-chance opportunities for OKC.

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Indiana's road record improved to 7-2 this postseason.

NFL Updates

Several pieces of NFL news were covered:

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Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers: Aaron Rodgers has agreed to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for $13.65 million. This places him as the 22nd highest-paid quarterback this year by average annual value. Research into his salary history shows this is significantly lower than his previous rankings, including being the highest-paid in 2022, 2018, and 2013-2015. The speaker believes this is "pretty much it" for Rodgers' career and expects him to hang it up after this season, regardless of the Steelers' performance. He is expected to provide more production than Russell Wilson and Justin Fields combined gave the Steelers last year. Rodgers has been working with DK Metcalf in the offseason. It's noted that Arthur Smith's offensive system is different and not known for explosive passing plays, but will certainly have plays designed for Aaron. The defense, however, is expected to remain one of the best in the NFL, especially once a deal is done with TJ Watt.

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Steelers Tight End Situation: Pittsburgh's second tight end reportedly got hurt, leading to rumblings about potential trade talks between Pittsburgh and Miami for tight end Jonnu Smith. The speaker is unsure if anything will develop. The Steelers' offense will look different without George Pickens and Van Jefferson.

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Cleveland Browns Quarterbacks: Shedeur Sanders was seen "lighting it up" in OTAs for the Cleveland Browns. Joe Flacco commented on the younger quarterbacks (Shadore, Kenny Pickett, Dylan Gabriel), stating that while they can look to him and learn, he is not there to mentor but to win the job himself at age 40 or 41. Flacco previously led Cleveland to the playoffs as a comeback player but was routed in the first round.

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Shiloh Sanders: Shiloh Sanders is also making a strong impression with his football IQ and physicality in Tampa, and the speaker feels he will likely make the final roster.

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Derrick Henry's Motivation: After appearing on the Dan Patrick Show, Derrick Henry now has extra motivation for a 2,000-yard rushing season with the Baltimore Ravens. Dan Patrick told Henry that if he achieves the mark this year, he could get him a spot in an Adam Sandler movie, which Henry agreed to ("Okay, bet"). Henry, who was just shy of 2,000 yards last year, said his focus was previously on making the playoffs and winning a championship with Baltimore. This story is framed as a reason for fantasy football fans to confidently draft "King Henry".

The episode concluded by encouraging listeners to enjoy the ongoing NHL and NBA finals.