The\u00a0Philadelphia Flyers\u00a0were inches away from a dramatic late win on Wednesday night. In a tense, grinding matchup at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Flyers thought they had struck with just 24 seconds left when Travis Konecny deflected a Travis Sanheim point shot past\u00a0Edmonton Oilers\u2019 Stuart Skinner.<\/p>\n
The arena erupted, and it looked like Philadelphia had snatched the game at the death. But seconds later, everything flipped. A replay review showed the Flyers were narrowly offside on the zone entry. The goal was waved off, leaving the crowd stunned and the Flyers visibly deflated.<\/p>\n
Oilers coach\u00a0Chris Knoblauch said\u00a0afterward, noting how a few inches erased Philadelphia\u2019s would-be winner.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s a game of inches, and they got a goal taken away just being offside by a couple inches, and we were able to [get] the overtime goal just because we were just onside by a couple inches,” Knoblauch said.<\/p>\n
Just 1:19 into OT,\u00a0Jack Roslovic\u00a0scored to give the Oilers a 2-1 win, their second straight. It was Evan Bouchard who opened the scoring late in the first, fed by\u00a0Connor McDavid, who extended his season-long point streak (six games) and now sits at 25 points through 18 games.<\/p>\n
The Oilers coach also praised Stuart Skinner, who saved 20 out of 21 shots with a .952 save percentage.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, in the first period \u2014 well, I shouldn\u2019t say the first period, but um, first five minutes \u2014 they had some really good scoring chances and Stu made the saves,” Knoblauch said. “Then after that first five minutes, um, we played much, much better…”<\/p>\n
Philadelphia still had plenty to like.\u00a0Matvei Michkov\u00a0scored in his third straight game, and Dan Vladar kept them alive with 30 saves.<\/p>\n
“A lot of credit to their goalie that made some nice saves.” Knoblauch aid.<\/p>\n
However, the night will be remembered for how close they came to snatching the lead. Konecny\u2019s near-goal perfectly captured the Flyers\u2019 push: tight checking, heavy pressure, and one razor-thin moment that almost changed everything.<\/p>\n
Instead, it was Edmonton\u2019s patience, as Knoblauch emphasized, that carried the night \u2014 and one overturned goal that left the Flyers wondering what might have been.<\/p>\n
The Cleveland Browns are expected to have a new quarterback in 2026, and many expect it to be a rookie in the draft.<\/p>\n
However,\u00a0NFL\u00a0insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic expects the Browns to pursue a veteran quarterback through a trade. The Browns insider believes the team will pursue a trade for one-time Pro Bowl quarterback Mac Jones.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe\u00a049ers\u00a0will probably trade Jones in February or March. And the Browns will be linked to that potential deal for that many reasons. Mostly that Jones\u2019 current contract calls for a 2026 base salary of just $1.4 million,\u201d Jackson\u00a0wrote. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cThe potential free agent (and trade) class is uninspiring, to say the least. I can\u2019t see the Browns signing up to be Kyler Murray\u2019s next team. So either the Browns chase the dream with Anthony Richardson, try again with Kenny Pickett (or Joe Flacco, or Winston), or run the wishbone with Trey Lance or Justin Fields. All of a sudden, Mac Jones seems like Josh Allen, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones was selected 15th overall by the\u00a0New England Patriots\u00a0in 2021 and was a Pro Bowler in his rookie season. However, he struggled in his next two years and was traded to the\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars. After one season there, he signed with the 49ers this offseason and has been having a ton of success.<\/p>\n
San Francisco could likely get a mid-round pick back for Jones, who has proven he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL again. For the Browns, Jones could also be a stopgap for a rookie to develop and learn the system for a year or two.<\/p>\n
Cleveland has stuck with Gabriel at quarterback, despite his struggles this season.<\/p>\n
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been adamant that Gabriel is the answer at quarterback and has been impressed with his play. But he knows the rookie, along with the entire team, has to be better.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I think with young quarterbacks, it\u2019s understanding that there\u2019s going to be ups and downs,\u201d Stefanski\u00a0said\u00a0on Monday. \u201cYou know, can Dillon play better? Yes, he can. Can we play better around him? Yes, we can. Can we coach him better? Yes, we can. So, I understand the question. But I just trust that our young players at every position, and certainly at the quarterback position, are guys that are going to work their tails off to get better every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel is set to start his sixth straight game on Sunday when the Browns host the\u00a0Baltimore Ravens.<\/p>\n
Although Jones has had a big impact on the 49ers\u2019 season, he is likely set to return to a backup role for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n
Brock Purdy looks to be healthy and should return this week, which will push Jones to the backup role.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey told me he is healthy. So I\u2019ll see today with my own eyes when he practices. And I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll look that way,\u201d 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. \u201cAs long as he does, then he is good to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the 49ers giving Purdy a lucrative long-term extension, he is the clear future at quarterback, which is why Jones could be expendable.<\/p>\n
Cole Shelton<\/strong>\u00a0Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more.\u00a0More about Cole Shelton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The\u00a0Philadelphia Flyers\u00a0were inches away from a dramatic late win on Wednesday night. In a tense, grinding matchup at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Flyers thought they had struck with just 24 seconds left…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breaking-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t