Ball Girl #054: Colorado Avalanche win the Goblet of Fire!

But c'mon! Wouldn't that be cooler?! 

Can I have your NUMBER?

• 1896: The first year the Stanley Cup was awarded, to the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. Since 1926, it has only been awarded to the National Hockey League.

TL;DR

🏒 The Colorado Avalanche are the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Champions!

🏀 Rumors are swirling around Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets) that he will forego his player options to join LeBron James and the L.A Lakers next season

🏁 McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown assured reporters that his relationship with driver Daniel Riccardo has never been stronger, despite commenting on his underperformance several weeks prior.

🏌️28-year-old Xander Schauffele (American, PGA rank #23) won the 2022 Travelers Championship this past weekend, marking the sixth win of his career.

⚾ LA’s Freddie Freeman returned to his old stomping grounds at Truist Park to play the Atlanta Braves for the first time in an opposing team’s uniform. ATL welcomed Freeman back with heartwarming standing ovations and his 2021 Braves World Series ring.

NHL

Avalanche taste sweet victory

The Colorado Avalanche secured game 6 last night to win the Stanley Cup!

• Game recap: The Lightning were up 1-0 to start things off and they were feeling good… Until the Avalanche turned on the jets in the second period. Nathan MacKinnon and Arturri Lehkonen each scored a goal to put the Avs ahead, 2-1. Lehkonen’s goal ended up being the game winner as the Lightning couldn’t make anything happen in the third period.

• The Players: This Avalanche victory came down to a deep roster. 10 different Avs scored in the cup final series. The stars of the team: Nathan MacKinnon was a key part of the Avs offense all year. Nazem Kadri was the x-factor who added that secret sauce to the Avs play. And Cale Makar, star defenseman, won the Conn Smythe award for most outstanding player of the postseason.

• Some History: This is the Avs first cup win since 2001. The captain of that 2001 team, Joe Sakic, is now the team’s general manager. Talk about full circle. * sniffle*. 

• Nicolas Aube-Kubel got so excited carrying over the Cup that he spilled the chili. It’s okay, that dent will buff out for sure…

MLB

Dramatic Astros vs. Yankees series ends in split

• After a dramatic 4-game series, the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees split their series in the Bronx (2-2). Houston led at the end of 20 innings within the series, and New York led in only two innings within the series, both of which they walked it off to win.

• Game 1 (NY win): Astros were up 6-3 for most of the game. BUT in the 9th inning, the Yankees scored 4 runs, securing a walk-off W with a hit by the one and only Aaron Judge.

• Game 2 (HOU win): Astros’ Justin Verlander allowed only one Yankees’ run to score. Houston won 3-1.

• Game 3 (HOU win): Securing a 3-0 win, the Astros threw a combined no-hitter. Cristian Javier was responsible for 7 scoreless and hitless innings, tossing a career-high 13 strikeouts.

• Game 4 (NY win): Jose Urquidy extended Houston’s streak, throwing ~6 scoreless innings… until Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run to break the Yankees’ dry spell of 16 hitless innings. Aaron Judge had his 2nd walk-off of the series, hitting a bomb to secure NY’s 6-3 W.

Freeman back in ATL

• Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman returned to his old stomping grounds at Truist Park to play the Atlanta Braves for the first time in an opposing team’s uniform.

• Freeman was a lifelong member of the Braves until he signed a 6-year contract with LA in March. ATL welcomed Freeman back with heartwarming standing ovations and his 2021 Braves World Series ring.

Golf

Xander brings home the W from Cromwell, CT!

• Xander Schauffele has officially claimed his second win of the year at the 2022 Travelers Championship, and the sixth win of his career. He finished 2-under in the final round and 19-under for the tournament. Schauffele managed to edge out Sahith Theegala and J.T. Poston by two strokes, who both tied for 2nd at 17-under. Schauffele will bag $1.49mm, while both Theegala and Boston take $738.7k.

Next up? PGA vs. LIV is BACK!!!

• The John Deere Classic (PGA) June 30–July 3, 2022Course: TPC Deere Run (Silvis, IL)Purse:$7.1mm

• LIV Golf Invitational Portland June 30-July 3, 2022Course: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (North Plains, OR)Purse: $25.0mm

Time Out for the Tea

Anita Alvarez saved from drowning at 2022 FINA World Championships

• During Alvarez’s artistic swimming final of the 2022 FINA World Championships in Athens, Greece on Wednesday, she fainted near the end, forcing her coach and another swimmer to dive in to save her. The International Swimming Federation did not permit Alvarez to compete in the women’s team final on Friday. In an interview to follow, Alvarez remarked how demanding her sport is and how these incidents are common.

IT’S A BOY!

• Yesterday morning, Patrick and Brittany Mahomes announced that baby #2 is a boy! They, of course, had to have the MOST extra gender reveal.