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SPORTS Diamars 3 mei 2022

Mets cut slumping Canó with almost $45 million left on deal

(AP) — Robinson Canó of guys. It’s difficult for J.D.
was cut Monday by the Davis, Dom Smith, (Luis)
New York Mets with near- Guillorme.”
ly $45 million remaining
on his contract, ending An eight-time All-Star and
an ill-fated marriage and two-time Gold Glove win-
perhaps signaling the end ner, Canó spent his first nine
of his decorated major big league seasons across
league career. town with the New York
Yankees and helped them
The slumping Canó was des- win the 2009 World Series.
ignated for assignment in a He has won five Silver Slug-
move announced about an ger awards and was MVP of
hour before teams were re- the 2017 All-Star Game.
quired to trim their active
rosters from 28 players to Canó has a .302 career batting
26. Relegated to a part-time average with 335 home runs,
role this season, Canó was 1,305 RBIs and an .842 OPS
a casualty of the crunch as in 17 seasons. He has 2,632
the first-place Mets chose to hits, including 571 doubles.
keep younger, more versatile
bench players instead. Canó is owed $44,703,297 by
the Mets from the remainder
The 39-year-old Canó, who of the $240 million, 10-year
sat out last season while serv- contract he signed with Se-
ing his second suspension designated hitter. Canó and several teammates lenging for a veteran player attle. He has lost $36,258,065
for performance-enhancing have said they were confident such as Canó, accustomed because of the two drug sus-
drugs, is batting .195 (8 for Despite his early struggles in he would eventually produce to being in the lineup every pensions.
41) with one home run, three a reduced role, the decision at the plate if given the op- day, to adjust and flourish as a
RBIs and a paltry .501 OPS to jettison Canó was still a portunity. And with the writ- part-time player. New York has seven days to
in 43 plate appearances. He complicated one for the Mets ing perhaps on the wall, star trade or release Canó, or send
homered to the opposite field — and not only because of all shortstop Francisco Lindor “I don’t care how experi- him outright to the minors —
with a vintage swing in the the money he’s owed. said Sunday he wouldn’t be enced you are, it’s tough. And an assignment he would have
home opener April 15 against happy if Canó was cut. I’m very empathetic to that,” the right to refuse because he
Arizona, but has appeared in He remained a popular vet- Showalter said Sunday. “It’s has at least three years of ma-
just 12 of 23 games, starting eran in the clubhouse happy Mets manager Buck Show- difficult for him. I’m aware jor league service.
six at second base and five at to share his baseball wisdom. alter acknowledged it’s chal- of that. It’s difficult for a lot

What it takes for NHL playoff contenders to win Stanley Cup

(AP) - The path to the whatever it takes to win.” Players and coaches who have other team an opportunity were in the top five in goals
Stanley Cup is rarely a won the Cup or reached the to take advantage of it, it’s against.
straight line. Sometimes The NHL is full of title con- final described that climb as another big area,” said Ruff,
it’s the direction a puck tenders that turn out to be a combination of consisten- who coached Buffalo to the Rod Brind’Amour, who cap-
takes when it banks off the pretenders and plenty of suc- cy, confidence and the right final in 1999. “A lot of times tained the Hurricanes to the
post and in — or out. cess stories about teams that combination of goaltending power plays can struggle. As a Cup in 2006 and coaches
figure it out and get the job and timely scoring. team that’s looking to win, if them now, said getting strong
Four years ago, Artemi Pan- done. As the playoffs begin you can keep the other team’s goaltending and keeping guys
arin clanked a shot off the Monday night, Burakovsky The Tampa Bay Lightning power play off the board, it in the lineup are among the
post late in regulation that and the Avalanche, the Caro- certainly had all that when gives you a better chance to keys.
could have put Columbus lina Hurricanes and Presi- they won back to back the win.”
up three games to none in dents’ Trophy-winning Flor- past two years. In 2021, they “What does it take? You’ve
the first round against Wash- ida Panthers are among the eliminated Florida in the first Five of the past six champi- got to be healthy when you
ington. Lars Eller scored, the teams looking to make the round, Carolina in the sec- ons have finished top five on hit playoffs,” Brind’Amour
Capitals won the series and leap — a challenge that is part ond round and Trotz’s New the power play or penalty kill said. “If your top guys are
went on to lift the Stanley good health and great luck York Islanders in the Eastern in the playoffs. Five of six also out, it’s going to be hard.”
Cup. but more about figuring out Conference final.
how to ride the roller coaster
Andre Burakovsky looks of wins and losses through Ken Daneyko, who won the
back now and acknowledges four rounds. Cup with New Jersey three
he and the Capitals got some times, pointed to a penalty
lucky bounces on the way to “Once you commit to some- by Sam Bennett that cost the
their first championship in thing, be it the defensive part Panthers last year. Hurricanes
franchise history. Now with of the game or whatever was defenseman Jaccob Slavin
the Colorado Avalanche, holding you back and you said special teams were the
he’s well-aware that’s just commit to it and you break difference against Tampa Bay
one part of what it takes for through, then it becomes eas- and in their previous playoff
a playoff team to get over the ier because you know what’s exits to the Boston Bruins.
hump and win it all. there,” said Barry Trotz, who
coached the Captials to the Current Devils coach Lindy
“It’s so hard to win the Stan- Cup. “It’s almost like climb- Ruff is on board with that be-
ley Cup,” Burakovsky said. ing Mount Everest. You want ing a crucial part of winning
“You’re going to need a little to do it, you think you can do in the playoffs.
bit of luck and you’re going it and then you actually have
to need everyone in your to do it and you get to a cer- “If your penalty killing’s
team to be extremely dialed tain place.” strong, if you’ve taken pen-
in and sacrificing and doing alties and you don’t give the