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SPORTS Tuesday 14 March 2023
Connor McDavid puts NHL on notice with goal-scoring frenzy

By STEPHEN WHYNO Crosby, himself a two-time
AP Hockey Writer MVP and three-time Stan-
Connor McDavid is must- ley Cup winner, is impressed
see entertainment and not by McDavid’s eagerness to
just for hockey fans. evolve. Dallas Stars coach
The best player in the world Peter DeBoer uses McDavid
is having such an off-the- as an example for young
charts year that his peers players of how to isolate a
can’t help but watch his weakness and turn into a
highlights. The Edmonton strength.
Oilers captain has already “I think that’s a lesson for
set career highs with 55 everybody that this guy
goals and 127 points, and just wasn’t touched by the
there are still 15 games left hand of God with talent,”
in the regular season. DeBoer said.
“He’s from a different plan- “He’s worked at it and at
et,” Washington Capitals his game, at getting bet-
captain Alex Ovechkin ter.”
said. Dylan Strome witnessed
McDavid’s latest act has McDavid honing aspects of
been as a goal-scorer after his game when they were
spending his first seven NHL junior teammates in Erie,
seasons as more of a play- Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid (97) skates the ice during a break in play against the Pennsylvania.
maker. He’s shooting first, Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 11, 2023, in “He’s finding new ways to
asking questions later and Toronto. become more creative,”
making the entire league Associated Press Strome said. “Sometimes
take notice. for the most points in a sea- of always said that I take pace for the highest single- you wonder what more
“He’s dominating,” Pitts- son. the best available play, but season total since the sal- can he do?”
burgh Penguins captain McDavid is authoring an- this year I just feel like I’ve ary cap era began in 2005, Strome, now playing with
Sidney Crosby said. “He other MVP-worthy sea- been put in some good surpassing the 65 Ovechkin Ovechkin in Washington,
just continues to get bet- son this time while running spots, obviously playing sored in 2007-08. Ovech- sees McDavid scoring from
ter. And as any player, away with the goal-scoring with some good players, kin, who trails only Wayne different angles, shooting
that’s what you want. But title. Much like he focused and the puck’s going in. I Gretzky on the career from further away from the
when it’s a guy like that, it’s on improving in the faceoff think that’s ultimately just goals list and is 79 away net and attempting more
scary.” circle and rounding out his the difference.” from breaking the record, one-timers.
Trying to defend McDavid is two-way game in previous The difference between marvels at what McDavid Some of that came from
a scary proposition for op- years, he made a con- McDavid and the next- is doing. watching Crosby, reigning
ponents, and it has been certed effort to score more closest scorer, teammate “How he play the game, MVP Auston Matthews and
since he broke into the himself and surpassed the Leon Draisaitl, is 29 points. how he control the puck, others, and studying how
league in 2015 with his daz- 50-goal mark for the first Boston’s David Pastrnak how he control the speed, they shoot the puck.
zling stick work and blinding time in his career. ranks second in the league he’s fun to watch,” Ovech- “So many guys go about
speed. He has already won “I’ve never been an elite in goals and he’s still nine kin said. “It’s great that he’s it so many different ways,”
the Hart Trophy as MVP goal-scorer,” McDavid back of McDavid. able to show not only one McDavid said. “It’s always
twice and four times took said. “I’ve kind of always After six mulitgoal games year, but he’s consistently a chance to learn, watch-
home the Art Ross Trophy been a pass-first guy. I kind in his last 10, McDavid is on doing that over and over.” ing other guys.” q

‘Fosbury Flop’ high jumper Dick Fosbury dies at 76

By EDDIE PELLS leaped backward, bent changed an entire event “Fosbury Flops Over the that day wrote that Fosbury
AP National Writer himself into a “J” shape to forever with a technique Bar” after one of his high looked like a fish flopping in
Dick Fosbury, the lanky catapult his 6-foot-4 frame that looked crazy at the school meets. The reporter a boat.q
leaper who completely re- over the bar, then landed time but the result made it
vamped the technical dis- head-first on the mat. the standard.”
cipline of high jump and Fosbury cleared 2.24 me- Fosbury started tinkering
won an Olympic gold med- ters (7 feet, 4 1/4 inches) with a new technique as a
al with his “Fosbury Flop,” in Mexico City to win the teenager at Medford High
has died. He was 76. gold and set an Olympic School in Oregon. Among
Fosbury died Sunday after record. By the next Olym- his discoveries over the
a recurrence with lympho- pics, 28 of the 40 jumpers years was a need to move
ma, according to his publi- were using Fosbury’s tech- his takeoff point farther
cist, Ray Schulte. nique. Today, it is by far the back for higher jumps. Most
Before Fosbury, high jump- most-used technique for jumpers planted a foot and
ers cleared their heights by elite high jumpers across took off at the same spot
running parallel to bar, then the globe. regardless of the height.
leaping over with a scissors “The world legend is prob- Fosbury’s technique took a
kick, often with their faces ably used too often,” sprint while to catch on. The term
pointed downward. At the great Michael Johnson “Fosbury Flop” is credited to
1968 Mexico City Olympics, tweeted. “Dick Fosbury the Medford Mail-Tribune, Dick Fosbury, of the United States, clears the bar in the high
he took off at an angle, was a true LEGEND! He which wrote the headline jump competition at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Associated Press