March 3, 2025 Game of the Day Recap
Lightning 1 – Panthers 2
The Battle of Florida was a battle of the goalies in the opening period. With either side not being able to get much going offensively, the defense of each team was showing early. Seth Jones, for the Panthers, was acquired this last week from the Blackhawks, and he played well in his first bit of time.
Nikita Kucherov was all over the place in the first not getting any goals or assists, but being all over the passing lanes and in the offensive zone. He laid a few good hits to keep some fire under the ass of his teammates.
The second period had a little bit more action as something was finally able to get in the back of the net, coming off the stick of Alexander Barkov, the Panthers captain. Getting that first one past Andrei Vasilevskiy unassisted.
Sergei Bobrovsky was a beast in the second period, blocking everything from the Lightning, securing the lead going into the 3rd period. For the other side, Vasilevskiy had more issues with Barkov later on in the period when the Panthers capitalized on a power play opportunity, with Barkov getting another goal in the period.
With 4 minutes left in the 2nd, the Lightning went on a power play for the remainder of the period as a result of a high-sticking double minor penalty. This was their only chance to stay in the game and get something on the board before heading into the last period. Sergei Bobrovsky kept the Lightning scoreless, saving everything during a time when the Panthers really needed it.
The third started off hot for the Lightning, as they needed a goal before the Panthers put it away going up 3. Brayden Point was able to get a goal on the board for Tampa Bay, getting it by Bobrovsky, who had been playing tremendous up to that point in the game. This opened up the offense for them as they were teased by the goal horn yet again, only for it to be a mishap. The puck went off the bar and directly down without crossing the line in goal or hitting the back of the net. It took a Panthers defenseman to clear the puck from the goalie zone, fighting with a member of the Lightning, to feel safe again.
The Panthers played good defense for the remainder of the game and got awfully close to allowing a goal while the Lightning had an empty net low. With seconds winding down on the clock, Tampa Bay took a few shots, but they just could not beat Bobrovsky tonight. Masterclass by him.
The Brayden Point goal was the last scoring of the game for both teams as the Panthers came away with a 2-1 win against their rivals. The Panthers take the lead in the season series going up 2-1.
March 4, 2025 Game of the Day Preview
Auburn – Texas A&M
Auburn has had one of the best regular seasons ever. In a loaded SEC with a handful of Top-10 teams, the Tigers have lost one conference game. At 27-2 on the season, and 14-1 in the SEC, Auburn is the only team with a solidified 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. A case could be made for Duke, but not even close to the level of Auburn. The two games that Auburn has lost this year was against Duke, the current number 2 team in the country, and Florida, the current number 5 team in the country.
Johni Broome is the best player in college basketball, even though he has been struggling with injuries for a notable stretch of the season. Broome leads Auburn in all main offensive and defensive stats, other than steals. He averages 18.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game while not turning the ball over that much. His size cannot be taught, and his footwork is very good around the rim. I think he will win the Naismith Award for the best college basketball player in the country, but Cooper Flagg from Duke has been making a strong case against him.
Texas A&M has had a touch stretch of games over the last 2 weeks. They have lost 4 straight in conference, 3 of those coming from ranked opponents with 2 of 3 being in the Top-10. Wade Taylor IV, who might be my least favorite player in college basketball, will be a vital piece of the Aggie team if they want to come away with a home win against the best team in the nation. He is their leading scorer, and the pace of the game is dictated through him. If he can take smart shots and get the opposing guards into foul trouble, be on the lookout for a court storming.
With 2 games remaining for each squad, including this game, now is the time to start playing how you need to play for March to go well. With the basketball gods watching this one closely, mostly for the seeding of Texas A&M, anything surely can happen in College Station, Texas.
The Division Predictions will be out LATE tonight. Should be around 9:30 CST.