Sports

Stanley Cup Finals Game 6: Simplicity Should Seal the Deal for the Lightning

Published

6 years ago

September 28, 2020

Tampa Bay Lightning's Steven Stamkos and Andrei Vasilevskiy celebrate a goal against the Arizona Coyotes at Amalie Arena Thursday, January 9, 2019. Photo: NHL.

TAMPA BAY, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Game 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals left Lightning fans fearful to what the series could look like. Dallas came off four rest days and hit the ice with speed, control, and physicality, winning 4-1. In Game 2 Tampa’s familiar hustle and resilience worked in their favor. The Lightning stormed the first period with three goals a couple minutes apart from one another: first Point, next Palat, lastly Shattenkirk.

Tampa’s defensive pairings have been playing outstanding and continued to do so. It all came down to Vasilevskiy, who only allowed one goal in the second and third period, helping the Bolts tie up the series 1-1 in a 3-2 win.

Game 3 was pure magic. Steven Stamkos suited up for the first time since Feb 25^th, unleashing an emotional and electric energy throughout the team. More importantly, leave it to the Capitan to not just make an appearance, but an impact within his 2:47 of playing time. 6:58 into the first period, off a pass from Hedman, Stamkos gained control of the puck along the boards and takes a sharp angled shot to the far side on the net for a Tampa Bay goal. The response and support from the bench was moving! The Bolts built off of the play and presence of their Captain in the second period, scoring three more goals between Hedman, Point, and Palat.

Three players who have been leading contributors in Tampa’s playoff run. The Lightning closed out Game 3 with a 5-2 victory. Although everyone was hopeful for more Stamkos play, a Game 4 Stammer was ruled out. You could almost say the guys pulled off this overtime win to honor their Captain. Kevin Shattenkirk, with the winning overtime goal, gave Stamkos a big hug once they exited the ice.

For the first time since 2014 in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Stars and Lightning would face off in back to back games. Game 5, which took place Saturday, was a hard-fought game. Stars’ key player, Corey Perry got Dallas up 1 with less than 3 minutes left in the 1^st period. Tampa has had a short response time most of playoffs when it comes to catching up on the board. 4:37 into the 2^nd period, Ondrej Palat records his 11^th goal of playoffs. The score remained tied until 3:38 into the third, when Sergachev gave Tampa Bay the lead, 2-1. As the game began to wind down and hopes of winning the cup in just under eight minutes, Dallas’ other driving force of the series, Joe Pavelski ties the game back up, meaning more overtime for the Lightning. OT one goes scoreless regardless of the offensive pressure laid on the Stars, and in OT two the Stars forced a Game 6 after Perry gets one past Vasilevskiy.

A tough loss, yes. At the end of the day it is the Stanley Cup Finals and teams find that extra gear right before its time to head home. Tampa has mentioned that their focus after games is to remain even keeled and turning the page to the next game. After the Game 5 loss, Victor Hedman said, “we’re a resilient group and we know how to respond to adversity” something the Bolts have proven time and time again.

According to Coach Cooper in his post-game presser, they played a winnable game, but they’ve been in this position before and rebounded. Cooper said, “I really like how we’ve responded after losses.” As for how this team keeps grinding through and staying unified, “There’s a focus with this group and a collective leadership with Stammer not in the lineup that has been exceptional” and quite obvious, every player on the roster has been ready to step up at any point of these series and made an impact in one way or another, no matter how big or small. After each loss, we have seen the Lightning follow up with a win and the same will be expected tonight as they stick to their game plan and style to close out the series.

_________________________________________

Kasey Hudson is Associate Sports Editor for Florida National News. | sports@floridanationalnews.com

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LIV Golf to begin winding down operations Nov. 9 after five years, $5 billion spent

Published

14 hours ago

November 7, 2026

FNN SPORTS

LIV Golf sign in a landscaped setting in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News

NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.

Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.

“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.

LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.

Basketball

USF Women’s Basketball Opens Season With 80–54 Victory Over Furman

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.

The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.

A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.

Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls

Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.

A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry

The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.

Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:

“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”

— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.

South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.

– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

Central Florida News

USF Defeats UAB 30–10, Secures Fourth Consecutive Bowl-Eligible Season

Published

4 days ago

November 3, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

C.J. Hicks (#1) USF defensive end lines up before the snap during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory over UAB at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Bulls overcome early deficit behind defensive touchdowns and a record-tying performance from C.J. Hicks.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The University of South Florida (USF) secured its sixth victory of the season Saturday, October 31, defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 30–10 at Raymond James Stadium. The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 6–2 overall and 2–2 in American Conference play, making the program bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

Defense Turns the Game Around

UAB opened the game with a 10–0 first-quarter lead, but South Florida responded with 30 unanswered points, highlighted by two defensive touchdowns.

Defensive end C.J. Hicks delivered one of the game’s most significant performances, recording four sacks to tie the USF single-game record. Two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in touchdowns.

Late in the second quarter, Hicks forced a fumble by UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, allowing USF defender Asani Redwood to recover the football and return it six yards for a touchdown. The play gave South Florida a 17–10 halftime lead.

Asani Redwood and UAB #71 UAB defensive lineman #71 attempts to tackle USF’s Asani Redwood during the October 31, 2026, matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Hicks created another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, forcing a second fumble that linebacker Grayson Howard recovered and returned 13 yards for a touchdown, extending USF’s lead to 27–10.

South Florida’s defense finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, limiting UAB to just 177 total offensive yards, including 17 rushing yards.

Offensive Adjustments Provide Momentum

Following an injury to starting quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., sophomore Luke Kromenhoek entered the game and helped shift momentum in South Florida’s favor.

Luke Kromenhoek (#17) USF quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (#17) carries the football while facing pressure from a UAB defender during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Kromenhoek finished with a career-high 92 rushing yards, including a 42-yard run that helped establish the Bulls’ offensive rhythm.

Running back Jason Collins Jr. added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10–10.

Kicker Nico Gramatica contributed three field goals, connecting from 31, 30 and 33 yards to help secure the victory.

Bowl Eligibility Marks Another Program Milestone

With its sixth win, South Florida secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, matching the second-longest such streak in program history.

The accomplishment allows USF to qualify for postseason bowl consideration, although an official bowl invitation and destination have yet to be determined.

The victory also kept the Bulls competitive in the American Conference standings, with four regular-season games remaining following the UAB matchup.

Looking Ahead

USF will return to conference competition Friday, November 6, traveling to face East Carolina as the Bulls continue their pursuit of a stronger conference finish and a postseason bowl invitation.

Final Score: USF 30, UAB 10