No three-peat: Florida Panthers eliminated from NHL playoff contention

TheFlorida Panthers' quest for a rare three-peat was almost over before it started.

The two-time defending champions were already without Matthew Tkachuk because of offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia that he played through during the playoffs.

Then, on the first day of fall practice, captain Aleksander Barkov, a three-time Selke Trophy winner as top defensive forward,tore his ACL.

That was a major blow after an offseason in which general managerBill Zito defied the oddsand got Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad re-signed.

Instead of the Panthers pushing for the NHL's first three-peat since the 1980s, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a9-4defeat against thePittsburgh Penguinson April 4.

Normally, a team with Barkov's situation would place him on long-term injured reserve and bring in someone, but the newly enactedplayoff salary capmakes that tougher to pull off.

The Panthers opened the season with three consecutive wins then lost four in a row as the injuries piled up.

Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov had surgery for an upper-body injury in mid-October with an estimated recovery time of five months.

"We're not allowing any short-term injuries this year," coach Paul Maurice quipped at the time.

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Eetu Luostarinen missed eight games with burns after a"barbecuing mishap."Seth Jones missed 2½ months afterbeing hit with a puckat the Winter Classic. Marchand missed 11 games in the lead-up to the Olympics.

Tkachuk was able to return on Jan. 19 and the Panthers got to a season-best eight games above .500 (three points out of a playoff spot) on Jan. 25 before they fell again.

After the Olympics, in which the Panthers sent a league-best nine players, the Panthers began shutting down injured players,including Marchand. And Niko Mikkola, Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues suffered long-term injuries recently.

"The most dangerous job in sports right now is to play for theFlorida Panthers," Maurice told reporters.

Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits

Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.

What did the Florida Panthers accomplish?

Now that the Panthers are out of the playoffs, here's a look back at what they accomplished in recent years:

• Won the Presidents' Trophy in 2021-22 but lost in the second round.

• Traded for Tkachuk in July 2022, recovered from a 3-1 series deficit against the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round and reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996. They lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.

• Won the Atlantic Division title in 2023-24 and captured their first Stanley Cup title, beating the Edmonton Oilers in the final.

• Won four rounds in the 2025 playoffs despite lacking home-ice advantage and beat Edmonton again for back-to-back titles.

What's next for the Florida Panthers?

The Panthers' position near the bottom of the NHL standings will be advantageous. They moved their 2026 first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Jones, but it's top 10 protected so they should be able to hang onto it. This draft is considered deep.

Florida moved Jeff Petry at the trade deadline but retained Sergei Bobrovsky and other pending unrestricted free agents and will try to re-sign them.

The Panthers had played 12 playoff rounds in the last three years, plus had heavy representation in the 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics. A season out of the playoffs will help them rest and heal.

Once Barkov returns, the Panthers will automatically be better. IfBobrovsky re-signsand returns to form and Florida is able to avoid this season's spate of injuries, it should be a Stanley Cup threat again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Panthers eliminated from NHL playoff contention; why champs are out

byCreto Bactum

in

April 04, 2026

No three-peat: Florida Panthers eliminated from NHL playoff contention

TheFlorida Panthers' quest for a rare three-peat was almost over before it started. The two-time defending champions were alr...

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'Bob's Burgers' actor Eugene Mirman rescued from fiery crash by New Hampshire governor's detail

BEDFORD, N.H. (AP) — “Bob's Burgers” voice actor and comedianEugene Mirmansuffered serious injuries after crashing his car into a toll plaza and being pulled from the fiery wreckage by a state trooper assigned to protect the governor of New Hampshire.

The crash happened just before noon Tuesday when a northbound electric vehicle struck the Bedford Toll Plaza and caught fire, New Hampshire State Police said.Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotteand her security detail came upon the crash soon after, and a trooper and two others pulled Mirman from the burning car through a window, said State Police Col. Mark Hall. The governor, who left her vehicle and retrieved a fire extinguisher, was not in any danger, he said.

“Eugene was in a very scary car accident,” Mirman's agent Jay Glassner confirmed in a statement Wednesday. “He wants to thank the bystanders, state police, first responders and hospital staff who saved him. He is grateful to be on the mend. At this time, we kindly ask for privacy for Eugene and his family as he focuses on recovering from his injuries.”

Hall called the actions of the rescuers “heroic.”

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“Without hesitation, they put themselves in danger to render aid to someone who was in need of it,” Hall said.

State police identified the driver as Yevgeny Mirman, 51, of Massachusetts. Mirman, who was born in Moscow and grew up in Massachusetts, is known for voicing musical middle child Gene Belcher in more than 300 episodes of the animated comedy “Bob’s Burgers” and its movie, in addition to roles on “Flight of the Conchords,” “Delocated” and “Archer.”

Ayotte said she and her husband were praying for the driver’s recovery.

“I want to thank the Trooper on my security detail and the bystanders who stepped up to help at the scene of the crash for their brave lifesaving efforts,” she said in a statement.

The crash remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.

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April 04, 2026

'Bob's Burgers' actor Eugene Mirman rescued from fiery crash by New Hampshire governor's detail

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Report: NCAA Tournament expansion to 76 will be finalized after Final Four

NCAA's leadership and basketball committees are expected to finalize expansion of the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments to 76 teams shortly after the conclusion of this year's tournament, Yahoo Sports reported on Friday.

Per the report, the new format would see 52 teams earn berths directly into what is currently the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the remaining 24 -- 12 lower-seeded automatic qualifiers and the final 12 at-large teams -- would play 12 opening-round games Tuesday and Wednesday. They would be held in the longtime First Four home of Dayton, Ohio, and at an additional site to determine which teams would advance to Thursday and Friday's first round.

However, these details could also reportedly change as the NCAA continues to talk with its men's tournament TV partners in Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS, which have broadcasting rights through the 2031 tournament.

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The report didn't indicate how quickly expansion could be added, but it could theoretically come as soon as the 2027 NCAA Tournaments. But expansion "will happen" barring something unforeseen in the next few days.

It would mark the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.

The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference were the leading voices behind tournament expansion, according to the report. However, it's also something that NCAA president Charlie Baker has said he's in favor of doing.

--Field Level Media

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April 04, 2026

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Judge dismisses Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni

A federal judge in New York tossed out actor Blake Lively'ssexual harassment claimsThursday against actor Justin Baldoni over their roles in the movie "It Ends With Us," but he left intact two retaliation claims, which will let a jury hear many of the allegations anyway.

The 152-page ruling by Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan came after Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment among more than a dozen claims against Baldoni and other parties.

A trial is scheduled to start on May 18. A brief phone conference was conducted after Liman issued his ruling. On the call, lawyers discussed the process of jury selection for the trial.

Baldoni, who directed the movie and co-starred opposite Lively, has denied the sexual harassment claims.

Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios had countersued for $400 million against Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. The judgedismissed Baldoni's claimslast June.

In his ruling, Liman determined that Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee. On that basis, he said she was not entitled to bring sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That law prohibits employment discrimination on various grounds, including gender.

In an analysis of the sexual harassment claims, the judge said Lively's claims had to be viewed in the context of the movie they were working on.

"Lively claims that during filming, Baldoni leaned in and gestured as if he was intending to kiss her, and that he kissed her forehead, rubbed his face and mouth against her neck, put his thumb to her mouth and flicked her lower lip, caressed her, and leaned into her neck, saying 'it smells good,'" the judge wrote.

He said there was no question that the conduct would support a hostile work environment claim if it happened on a factory floor or in an executive suite.

However, the judge noted, Baldoni was "acting in the scene."

"Assuming he was improvising, the conduct was not so far beyond what might reasonably be expected to take place between two characters during a slow dancing scene such that an inference of hostile treatment on the basis of sex would arise. At least in isolation, the conduct was directed to Lively's character rather than to Lively herself," he wrote.

"Creative artists, no less than comedy room writers, must have some amount of space to experiment within the bounds of an agreed script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment," Liman added.

Despite those findings, the judge said some sexual harassment claims may be put to a jury to support two retaliation claims that survived the ruling, including one against It Ends With Us Movie LLC and Wayfarer Studios, and a third claim that was left intact, alleging breach of a contract rider agreement against It Ends With Us Movie LLC.

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The judge noted that Baldoni once said "pretty hot" after asking Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra underneath, and that when he was warned that it was inappropriate and distracting to make such comment, he allegedly rolled his eyes and responded: "Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training."

Liman also cited a scene in which Baldoni pushed for Lively to perform a birth scene naked and then the scene was filmed over several hours without the set being closed to nonessential personnel.

Attorneys for Baldoni said in a statement to CBS News that they're "very pleased" the court dismissed the sexual harassment claims, stating they were "very serious allegations."

"What's left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court," attorneys Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach said in a statement.

An attorney for Lively said in a statement to CBS News that the case "has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively's reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial."

"For Blake Lively, the greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they've targeted," said Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for Lively. "She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it becomes easier to detect and fight."

In February 2025, Livelyalleged in an amended complaintthat Baldoni made other women uncomfortable on the set of "It Ends with Us."

"It Ends With Us," an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, wasreleased in August 2024, exceeding box office expectations with a $50 million debut. But the movie's release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.

Lively appeared in the 2005 film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and the TV series "Gossip Girl" from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including "The Town" and "The Shallows."

Baldoni starred in the TV comedy "Jane the Virgin," directed the 2019 film "Five Feet Apart" and wrote "Man Enough," a book challenging traditional notions of masculinity.

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byCreto Bactum

in

April 04, 2026

Judge dismisses Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni

A federal judge in New York tossed out actor Blake Lively'ssexual harassment claimsThursday against actor Justin Baldoni over their...

Read More