Japan coach Jamie Joseph paid tribute to those affected by Typhoon Hagibis after his side beat Scotland to reach their first World Cup quarter-final.

The hosts overcame the Scots 28-21 to top Pool A in Yokohama, but Joseph said "some people would not be celebrating" the win after at least 23 people died.

"I really want to acknowledge the families that have lost people in the typhoon," he said.

"That really motivated our players and they wanted to play for them today."

The Brave Blossoms face South Africa in the last eight, and Joseph insists his side have "more belief" now, despite famously beating the Springboks in England four years ago.

"You can just look around and see how special a moment this is for our team and for this country," he added.

"I think the world has always respected Japan, but Japan have not always trusted themselves.

"Tonight we went up another level and they gave everything they possibly could. Everyone gave 150% and that is what it takes to win Test matches.

"The more we win, the more that belief will grow."

Those comments were echoed by talismanic flanker Michael Leitch, who said his side would "give everything" against South Africa.

"It's a tough time at the moment with the typhoon," he said.

"Everyone who is suffering with the typhoon, this game was all for you guys. The crowd was massive for us, and today was more than just a game.

"It was nothing about skill, it was all about emotion and physicality, and we showed that today."

Scotland led through Finn Russell's try, but Kotaro Matsushima, Keita Inagaki and Kenki Fukuoka all crossed before half-time.

Japan wing Fukuoka added another after the break to guarantee his side a bonus point and the hosts were able to hold out despite late Scotland scores from Willem Nel and Zander Fagerson.

"This is great for Japanese rugby, for rugby in Asia and for tier-two rugby," added Leitch.

"First we have qualified for the quarter-finals and now we are shuffling the goalposts. The biggest reason is belief, that is the trigger.

"Since 2011, the opponents we have played have been stronger and stronger. We have played more tier-one nations and played in Super Rugby."

Analysis

BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English

The big question for World Rugby is: what do you do with Japan? For the next four years, are they going to go back to playing at a level well beneath them? Or are you going to find them a place in the Six Nations or Rugby Championship?

That's the only way they're going to build on what they have now, which is incredible - packed stadium, multi-million viewers watching this game, a country in thrall to rugby. If you're going to let that disappear, then that would be a crying shame, and actually an affront to Japanese rugby.

Japanese rugby writer Oliver Trenchard, on BBC Radio 5 Live

Anything is possible in the quarter-final. We saw the weight of expectation get to them in the first game with Russia, but you feel that has been lifted off their shoulders. Certainly against Ireland, and in the first half against Scotland, they played some free-flowing rugby. It's a knockout competition now so who knows what could happen.

BBC Rugby Union correspondent Chris Jones

It is absolutely huge. This World Cup has come to Japan to grow rugby in Asia. We saw the start of that four years ago, especially with what happened when Japan beat South Africa, and now we have seen that fulfilled.

Social media reaction

Scotland's early Rugby World Cup exit in Japan will "eat away" at full-back Stuart Hogg "for a long, long time".

Gregor Townsend's side failed to progress from Pool A after losing a frenetic clash with the hosts 28-21.

Scotland had already been beaten by Ireland in their opening pool match and fell short of a quarter-final berth for only the second time in history.

"We can't keep saying we'll be better for this experience because we've said that before," said Hogg.

"The hard truth is, if we don't get better, it's going to be the same situation.

"I don't think it's actually kicked in what's happened. When it does, it will eat away at me for a long, long time. It's going to hurt. But this is the place we've put ourselves in."

Scotland began their campaign with a 27-3 hammering by Ireland, who went on to finish second in the pool and book a last-eight date with New Zealand.

Although they bounced back to thrash struggling Samoa and Russia to nil, Townsend's men needed to take four more points than Japan from Sunday's decisive finale in Yokohama.

Scotland trailed 28-7 early in the second half, and despite scoring two tries, could not subdue the irrepressible host nation, who will now face South Africa.

"It's given me the kick up the backside that I probably needed to get better, to learn, and I can guarantee every single player in that Scotland team is the same," Hogg, 27, added.

"We were beaten by the better side. We truly believed we were coming here to achieve something special and we've come up short and we're going home a lot earlier than we had planned.

"If we were at our best, we wouldn't be going home. It's as simple as that. We can't afford to make error on error, concede 28 points and expect to win Test matches."

'There's a lot more in this team'

Having overseen a disappointing Six Nations campaign in which Scotland won a single game and earned a madcap 38-38 draw at Twickenham, Townsend became the second coach to fail to guide the national team to a World Cup quarter-finals.

Since taking charge in the summer of 2017, the former British and Irish Lion has led Scotland to home and away wins over Australia, a Calcutta Cup triumph at Murrayfield amid a three-win Six Nations in 2018, and within a score of a maiden victory over New Zealand.

But there have been heavy losses to Ireland, Wales and France, as well as underwhelming summer tour defeats by Fiji and the USA.

When asked whether he had taken Scotland as far as he can, Townsend replied: "There's a lot more in this team. Experiences are what make you as a group and how you react to those experiences.

"That was a unique situation we were in tonight, we knew it was always going to be a challenge given the way Japan were playing, given our [four-day] turnaround.

"But we had the team and ability and the start of that game to go on and win it by the necessary amount of points. That we didn't is hugely disappointing and we'll have to learn from that.

"You don't get another shot in a World Cup for four years but we've got to improve as we hit our next tournament which will be the Six Nations in a few months' time."

After more than three decades of living the nomadic life of a NASCAR driver and broadcaster, this year’s racing season marked a new beginning for 56-year-old Kenny Wallace.

“This was a big year for me and I’ve learned a lot about myself. Between racing so much that it’s unbelievable, to doing motivational speeches, to racing asphalt, I’m having the time of my life. I am literally living the dream right now,” Wallace told SPEED SPORT.

Known in the NASCAR garage area by the nickname “Herman,” Wallace started his last NASCAR race in 2015 and he stepped away from his longtime role with FOX Sports at the end of last season to pursue his dream of being a full-time short-track racer.

So, how’s that working out?

“That’s a great question because I wanted to see how it was going to work out for me, too,” Wallace said. “I’ll never forget, Dale Earnhardt Jr., we were texting back and forth, and he said, ‘All eyes are on you, Kenny. We all want to see how this turns out for you.’

“I would say the highlight of the year for me was going and running several asphalt races that I did not plan on. What happened was I had planned about 60 dirt races with my modified, but there were two things I did not plan on. First, my motivational speeches preceded me; people started hearing about them. I started doing these motivational speeches around the United States, and then promoters at several tracks called and wanted me to come to their tracks and race asphalt.

“I guess all of the asphalt promoters across the United States remembered I was an asphalt racer first. That’s what caught me by surprise, the asphalt racing and my motivational speaking. Those two things I didn’t have on my radar.”

As the calendar turned to fall, Wallace admitted he was overly ambitious in mapping out his dirt-racing schedule.

“I need to back it down a little bit,” he said. “From Tuesday, June 25, at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill., now listen to this, we ran 10 races in 13 days. Here’s the bottom line: I learned that I don’t need to race that much. We raced so much that I learned something Mark Martin said that I never thought would come true. Mark Martin said, ‘I love racing, but not every day.’ I learned that I love racing — but not every day. I also learned that I would love racing more if I get a little bit of rest. I filled my cup to the brim.”

Further adding to Wallace’s workload is the fact his racing operation has a lot in common with a one-man band.

“People come up to my shop and it’s really funny,” he noted. “At the end of the last year, this person just showed up. He was a fan. The guy hung out and I finally said, ‘Hi, can I help you?’ He said, ‘We were coming through St. Louis and we wanted to stop and see your place.’ When he got comfortable, he said, ‘Where are all of your employees?’ I said, ‘It’s just me.’ The man was completely shocked.

“I have a part-time employee, a guy named Joe Bilyk — we call him ‘Buddha.’ He goes to the races and works at the shop when he can. But for the most part, I do all of the fabrication and mechanical work. The thing about me is I didn’t start driving until I was 22 because, first and foremost, I’m a fabricator and a mechanic. It’s a job I really enjoy.”

With his NASCAR career in the rearview mirror, Wallace and his wife, Kim, have returned home to the St. Louis area.

“I’m located in Arnold, Mo.,” Wallace said with a tone of pride in his voice. “My shop is a 100-by-60-foot building – I call it a building because I only get half of it. My wife gets the other half. My actual race shop is 50 feet by 60 feet. The other half is where my wife holds her bingo parties and celebrations like birthdays, graduations, bridal showers and baby showers. So the building is truly half and half – half for my race car and half for special events and parties.

“I live in a new home and it is a 2,500-square-foot home, built small on purpose because I learned in life that I don’t like a big home. What I put all of my effort into is family and friends. I had a big home, 6,000 square feet, in North Carolina and it was too big. I love my home here in Missouri — I’ve got a basement. It’s absolutely perfect.”

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TALLADEGA, Ala. – For most in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage, discovering an engine issue during qualifying would be considered highly unfortunate.

Denny Hamlin, however, viewed his motor woes on Saturday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway as a stroke of good luck.

By realizing the issue during his flying lap in Busch Pole Qualifying, Hamlin was able to get his car slowed up, get back to the pit area and relay to his crew that they needed to make an engine swap. Had he completed his run Saturday, the story might have been different.

“We were maybe 15 seconds from finishing dead last in the race, so I’m very, very fortunate it happened there at the end of the lap,’’ said Hamlin, who topped Friday practice with an average speed of nearly 205 miles per hour. “It broke down the backstretch.

“Obviously, starting last will be tough, but we’ll be fine,’’ Hamlin added. “It’s Talladega; anything can happen.’’

That kind of confidence is critical as Hamlin, a four-time Cup Series winner this season, chases his first championship after years of futility, near-misses and bad luck in the standings.

That chase would receive a huge boost with a win in the 1000Bulbs.com 500. Hamlin won at Talladega in 2014, but in recent years the game on superspeedways has become more about having friends in the draft and manufacturer battle lines than ever before.

As far as Hamlin’s concerned, though manufacturer alliances are a positive thing, in the end they might not get him all the way to victory lane. With that in mind, he’s looking out for himself first.

Asked when he would focus on his own interests, Hamlin was quick to offer a reply.

“Lap one,’’ Hamlin said. “I always have that mentality to do whatever I need to do for myself to get the best finish I can, and that’s equaled good success.

“If you’re just kinda riding a line and willing to not make a move you’re essentially conceding an opportunity to win the race. If you are eighth in line with the manufacturer, you’re essentially saying, ‘I’m just here to help the first seven in front of me,’ and I don’t think many are willing to have that outcome,” Hamlin continued. “It looks good in practice, but in the race it’s really hard to execute. You try to play the percentages and figure out where you need to be; you obviously want to be up front because the leader doesn’t wreck too many times, but second place does and on back. The odds increase with every position that you’re in.

“You’ve just got to, as a driver, kind of analyze the situation and look around and see how anxious everyone is. Do you sense a wreck? If you sense it, it’s probably coming. That’s where you’ve really got to trust your instincts and put yourself in the best place possible. Sometimes that’s backing out and getting out of it and seeing how it plays out.”

With all that in mind, instead of stressing about things he can’t control, Hamlin is staying focused on what he can control – himself – and staying as calm as possible under fire.

“I’m just going to do the best job that I can do at that particular race and not worrying about what anyone else is doing,’’ Hamlin said. “All I control is like the best finish for myself. I can’t be worried about strategy. That’s the crew chief’s job. I can’t worry about the car setup. That’s the crew chief’s job.

“The best I can do is drive it to the best of my ability, give the best information and let the results fall where they may. I’m confident if we can do that and we execute a decent race this weekend, our performance will be plenty next week (to advance in the playoffs).”

OSWEGO, N.Y. – With the 103 Sportsman entries whittled down to 36 for Sunday’s Chevrolet Performance 75, Kyle Inman backed up a heat win earlier in the week with a steady drive from seventh to claim the winner’s share of the Super DIRT Week purse.

Inman showed great patience, working his way forward on a black, slick daytime surface to become the third and final leader. Polesitter Kevin Root led the early laps with Robert Delormier challenging him to no avail, but by the time the fourth yellow flew on lap 28, Inman had arrived on the scene and sat second for the restart.

Matt Janczuk, who lined up 13th, had also clawed his way through the field and sat third. The return to action saw Janczuk excite the crowd by taking to the extreme outside and driving around the lead duo to take command.

At lap 50 it was Janczuk, Inman and Root and the finish looked pretty solid for Janczuk, but the next restart saw Inman take a deep breath and use Janczuk’s outside groove to run back to the lead through turns three and four.

After that, Inman had to ride out a number of yellows, including a pair with just two laps remaining, but the single file restarts gave him breathing room and he was home free after a final green-white-checker run.

“It was a crazy race,” said Inman. “We were sliding around all over.  I finally suckered Kevin to the top and got by him, then got around Matt for the lead. This thing really flies on the restarts and that was the secret. It was awesome.”

Root held on for second ahead of Janczuk, Moise Page, Delormier, Kane Bristol, Connor Cleveland, Chris Mackey, James Michael Friesen and Adam McAuliffe.

OSEWGO, N.Y. – Josh Coonradt finessed an extremely slick Oswego half-mile to claim the Wilkins RV 50 for Pro Stocks Sunday at Oswego Speedway during Super DIRT Week.

A dozen yellows, mostly for multi-car spins that appeared to be choreographed and did little damage, kept scrambling the field behind him, but Coonradt kept steady and held off all challengers.

Polesitter Tony Markou got away from front row companion Coonradt on the initial green, but Coonradt challenged him a couple of times before Markou looped it all by himself on lap 10, giving Coonradt a lead he’d hang onto like a big dog with a bone.

Luke Horning worked on Coonradt through the teens as perennial contender Rob Yetman chewed his way forward from seventh. By the time the lap counter hit 20, Yetman was third. Horning then joined the spinfest on a lap 40 restart, leaving nine cars in a heap in turn one and promoting Yetman to second.  But that was as far as he’d get, as he could get alongside Coonradt but never quite put him away.

Lap 43 brought the worst crash, with Rick Duzlak and Jay Fitzgerald hitting the frontstretch wall and each other a ton to draw a red, but the spinouts continued right to the end.

Sid Harmer Jr. and Jason Casey had joined the battle for the lead when Horning spun and with all the shuffling from spins, Markou eventually made his way back to the lead pack as well.  Harmer got Yetman for second on a lap 44 restart, with Casey edging by as well.

Two more restarts, including a green-white-checkered restart that added a lap to the advertised distance, brought two more shuffles but Coonradt, though he slid high a few times, always prevailed at the start/finish line.

At the checkers, it was Coonradt, Harmer, Markou, Casey, Scott Towslee, Yetman, Jay Corbin, Steve LaRochelle, Burton Ward and Chris Crane.

“I’m speechless,” said Coonradt, no stranger to victory lane from numerous wins at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Fonda Speedway.  “I’m just glad to be here.  We kept having cautions and it seemed like the lap counter would never get off 44 but we finally got to 50.”

AIKEN, S.C. — The Southeast Gassers Association will make history Oct. 19 when the penultimate race of its 11-race schedule will be the first race in the organization’s history to be streamed live via the SPEED SPORT Network.

Race 10 of the SEGA season will be run at Carolina Dragway, giving fans both in the grandstands and viewing live online to see drag racing the way it looked decades ago.

SEGA’s aim is to turn back the clock to 1967, stopping time and technology in their tracks.

To drag racing purists, the year often represents the pinnacle, as well as the end of the original hallowed gasser era of the late 1950s and ‘60s.

As today’s “gasser” craze rapidly spreads around the world, the SEGA holds true to the rules mandated and enforced by owner Quain Stott, who founded the series in 2011.

“We started it because I had raced Pro Mod for 19 years with the best equipment money could buy. Pro Modified, the fastest door slammer cars in the world.  Racing was really good to me,” Stott told SPEED SPORT. “I made a lot of good money racing so I wanted to give back to the sport that had been so good to me. The best thing I could do was to preserve the history of the sport.”

Stott said there is one big difference between SEGA and other nostalgia racing series.

“The other nostalgia gasser groups are not presenting drag racing the way it was,” Stott noted. “The most important part to preserving the history is classifying and racing the cars the way they were raced. Ninety-nine percent of the nostalgia groups are bracket racing. Or in some cases classifying the cars by the ET they run. There was no bracket / index racing in the old days.”

“I’m not downing bracket racing I have many friends that do it and I have done it myself years ago, but they did not bracket race in the mid 60s and that is a FACT,” Stott added. “We wanted to race the cars like they raced and make them appear the way they appeared then. Even the decals have to be an old-school design.

“We started it and everybody told us we was stupid and strict rules wouldn’t work, but here we are almost nine years later.”

The 2006 IHRA champion has made it his purpose to bring back the art and skill of drag racing when clutches were smashed and drivers ripped through the gears of ill-handling, full-bodied race cars. Though the SEGA rules are loosely based off the 1967 rule book, they are much more defined and meticulously refined to combat today’s technological advances that infiltrate the modern-racing scene.

SEGA race cars include no electronics, no automatic transmissions and no modern suspensions. The result of these rules and others is a resurgence of the purest form in nostalgia drag racing. This form of organized heads-up, first-to-the-finish line, real class drag racing has brought fans from around the world back to the local grassroots drag strip.

Another throwback to yesteryear, are the flashy backup girls that have become stars of their own. After long smoky burnouts, these girls and go-go boots aid in keeping their drivers in the racing groove for the best chance at victory.

What started as a two-car grudge race in 2011, has resulted in more than 100 pre-1968 scratch-built — and many original, straight-axle, naturally aspirated, gas-burning gassers. Along with the A/Gas, B/Gas and C/Gas classes, SEGA boasts true 1967 Super Stocks and experimental A/FX alcohol burning monsters.

In most cases SEGA race cars are named, just as they were years ago.

As the series heads to Carolina Dragway for its first live-streaming race, Alan Gaulding, who drives “Frequent Flyer,” leads the A/Gas class, while Tim Bailey, aboard Alley Cat II, leads the B/Gas category.

Fans watching at Carolina Dragway or via the live stream will also see C/Gas leader Leslie Horn driving Stud Muffin and Super Stock top dog Robert Peffley wheeling 4-Speed Stampede.

Stott was animated when asked what viewers of the Oct. 19 live-streaming event will see.

“They will feel like they have been taken back in a time tunnel to 1967,” Stott said. “Every car on the race track will fit Southeast Gasser rules and every car on the track will be a four-speed. They will see drag racing where the first one to the finish line wins.”

The only classes that race first-to-the-finish-line now are the professional classes. This is a rare chance to see first-to-the-finish-line racing with the blue collar working man involved.”

Stott said he hopes the new broadcast will introduce the Southeast Gassers to a new audience, while providing a much improved video product for all fans.

“We feel like it will introduce us to a new market. By no stretch of the imagination do we have our market tapped out, but it’s time to be introduced to new fans who might think we are like the others,” Stott noted. “It will help spread the word of what our mission is, and fans who’ve already been following our live Facebook feeds are going to see a much higher quality broadcast that they can watch it on their TVs. Once people see it, they’ll pass the word on. We hope the end result puts more fans in the already packed stands. We want the whole world to see what Southeast Gassers are all about, and let them choose what the best Gasser group in the world is.”

The final SEGA event of the season is Nov. 2 at Shadyside Dragway in Shelby, N.C.

Click here more information about Southeast Gassers Championship Drag Racing Series.

The LIVE Pay Per View is just $19.99, and viewable on the SPEEDSPORT.tv website, on Roku or Amazon Fire.  To signup or for more information, visit gassers.speedsport.tv.

I watched a Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames game this week. Not by mistake. Not because I fell asleep with Center Ice streaming. I watched it because of pure, uncut, mutual animosity.

The rivalry between Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk managed to surpass the trash-talk-laden hype leading up to the game. It's a feud that has spanned a few seasons. Doughty, who once said he has no respect for Tkachuk, recently said, "I think we both know who the better player is, so if he wants to compliment me first, I'll give him one back."

Tkachuk had two goals and an assist, including the tying goal late in the third period. Doughty had two assists and the winning goal in the 3-on-3 overtime.

"When you buy a ticket, you're going to watch those two closely," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "Nobody went home disappointed with Doughty or Tkachuk's performances tonight."

Well, maybe Flames fans did, depending on their tolerance for theatrics. After Doughty scored in overtime, he skated over to the glass, arms outstretched in an "Are you not entertained?" manner, followed by a discernible (but NHL-endorsed, given the league's reaction) pro wrestling crotch chop. Doughty further got his WWE on by cupping his glove to his ear to capture every jeer being showered upon him from the crowd.

"As much as I love getting booed every time I touch the puck, you kind of want to shove it in their faces," Doughty said.

Yes! This is exactly what should happen in hockey. Emotions. Anger. Hatred. Stakes. The personal rivalry is real, and it made the team rivalry simmer.

Hate sells. Not the prefab forced rivalries that network marketing departments try to shoehorn into a random night of the week, but the real animosity that arises from playing the game at its most competitive level.

As mentioned on ESPN On Ice this week, there are three tiers of player vs. player hatred:

Tier 1: Competitive juices. These are the rivalries borne out of pure competition. I'd put Alex Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby in this one. They were born into a rivalry as rookies, playing for two franchises that already had heat in the Capitals and Penguins, respectively. But their hatred was purely competitive, based on accomplishments. It's the kind of rivalry that can eventually get to the point where the two currently reside: off-ice camaraderie. Especially when they're just sitting on the boards, watching the young'uns during the All-Star skills competition.

Tier 2: On-ice animosity. This is like a Tier 1 rivalry but with the existence of a pest as an accelerant. Brad Marchand and P.K. Subban are a good example during their brief "frenemies" feud when the latter was with the Montreal Canadiens. This is also where Doughty vs. Tkachuk resides. They poke and prod on and off the ice, taking a competitive rivalry and turning it supernova.

Tier 3: Actual IRL hatred. The thing about Doughty vs. Tkachuk is that it's mostly about what happens on the ice. Contrast that with the most intense player vs. player rivalry in the NHL right now, the Sharks' Evander Kane vs. the Golden Knights' Ryan Reaves. They trash-talk like few do -- Reaves has called Kane "weak"; Kane once called Reaves "the muffin man" after a fight -- and their hatred extends well beyond the rink. "We haven't liked each other for a long time," Reaves said. "I don't think me and Kane are getting a beer anytime soon."

Their feud has helped amplify the league's best rivalry: San Jose and Vegas. So did that controversial major penalty on the Knights when Joe Pavelski cracked his head on the ice in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs last season, with the man advantage leading to a historic Sharks rally.

These flashpoints can change the trajectory of a feud: Recall Claude Lemieux's hit on Kris Draper in the 1996 Western Conference final, which set the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings on a bloody, brutal, yearslong rivalry that would define the 1990s for the NHL as much as the trap did.

And, in the process, created appointment viewing for fans.

The NHL is better when teams and players lean into the hate. When Marchand gets hated for licks and sticks on opponents. When Tom Wilson of the Capitals gets hated for taking out foes with borderline hits. Even in small doses, it's such a catalyst: Would James Neal have scored six goals in three games were it not for his palpable animosity for the way in which he was treated by the Flames last season? (Of course, skating with Connor McDavid helps, too.)

I wish we had more hate in this league. I wish these guys didn't all have the same agent or all hang out at Biosteel camp every offseason. I wish the NHL were more like the NBA, wherein the players can be defined by their interpersonal rivalries. It seems like every pair of teams have their own Doughty/Tkachuk, to the point that entire lists are compiled around NBA social media beefs.

I realize this is treacherous territory, when I start hoping that the NHL could be more like the NBA, because some hockey fans have this archaic notion that individualism and ego are somehow antithetical to the game's alleged virtues. But in the constant search for ways to create a buzz for hockey, there are few more effective than good old-fashioned hatred and the theatricality that comes from it.

I watched the Kings and Flames this week. I watched Matthew Tkachuk on a mission to annoy. I watched Drew Doughty, fueled by snarky animosity, play the heel. And they're going to get me to watch again.

Jersey Fouls

From Brad:

Red was such a good 7. So was Garry. But Joey. And Walt! Wait, I've got it. But screw Maroon. pic.twitter.com/Dsn5mj21W5

— St. Louis Game Time (@StLouisGameTime) October 6, 2019

This Blues fan has decided to celebrate many of the Nos. 7 in franchise history: Red Berenson, Garry (sp) Unger, Joey Mullen and Keith "Walt" Tkachuk. Forget the Patrick Maroon snub -- this disrespect for Cliff Ronning and Nelson Emerson will not stand!

Three concerns about the Penguins

The Winnipeg Jets had the honor of embarrassing two different Metro Division teams in the past week. They rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the New Jersey Devils in a shootout on their opening night, and then they humbled an already humbled (thanks to injuries) Pittsburgh Penguins team despite having a blue line consisting of Neal Pionk and five non-playable characters.

(I don't want to say that the Jets' defense was decimated by departures and injuries, but it was one scratch from re-signing Teppo Numminen.)

The loss stung for the Penguins. Yes, they were missing Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust and Nick Bjugstad, but a critical assessment of the roster indicated they might not have made much of a difference. Here are three concerns about the Penguins, early on:

1. They acquired the wrong speed. To his credit, GM Jim Rutherford identified a deficiency in the offseason and addressed it. "We lost our speed," Rutherford told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We lost our depth at forward over that period of time. Now, we're back. We should have good speed and the type of player who can bring the determination. ... We have to see how it all comes together over time. How much does everybody like each other? How hard are they going to play for each other and support each other? That's what every team looks for. We're in a much stronger position for that to happen now."

They added Brandon Tanev, Dominik Kahun, Alex Galchenyuk, Marcus Pettersson, Bjugstad and Jared McCann in the past year. Some of these players would be OK pieces on better teams, but on the Penguins, they're being asked to play bigger roles. Bjugstad hasn't hit 20 goals since 2015. Galchenyuk hasn't since 2016. Maybe they're solid investments for pieces that no longer fit (Phil Kessel, Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan), but it feels like the rest of the conference is buying Fortune 500 stock while the Penguins are playing hunches.

2. The defense was never addressed. Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin and Justin Schultz are keepers. The rest of the blue line, not so much. Rutherford acquired Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbranson and, according to recent reports, is trying to trade both. The Penguins were 22nd in expected goals against since the last month of last season. The group lacks anything close to quality depth.

3. They picked the wrong goalie. Not to pick at this wound again, but Marc-Andre Fleury has an expected goals saved above average of 22.17 since 2016, while Matt Murray is at minus-9.22, per Evolving Hockey. Yes, there are mitigating circumstances, including Murray's health and other factors. But he's one Tristan Jarry hot streak away from not being the starter, while Fleury is the backbone of a Cup contender. Yes, it's revisionist history. But the debate rages.

Rutherford has earned his grace period. He built back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. NHL equilibrium dictates that those who orchestrate the rise are usually there for the fall. This season seems like it could be a stumble, especially given the injuries. Next summer, he'll have some salary-cap space to work with. The Penguins might not make the cut this season, but don't write them off. Rutherford just needs to continue to fix some of his mistakes.

Winners and Losers of the Week

Winner: Buffalo Sabres

No, this isn't the first time we've seen them sprint out of the gate. But under Ralph Krueger, they look more cohesive and a lot tougher to play against. The fact that they've done this with Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner on different lines is impressive. We're not sure if this just means they're a bubble team vs. a basement team, but so far, so fun.

Loser: New Jersey Devils

A pathetic blown four-goal lead against the Jets on home ice was the appetizer for getting outscored by a combined 11-2 against the Sabres and Flyers. In other words, they've been outscored 15-2 since opening the season with a 4-0 lead. They're a structural mess, getting outpossessed dramatically. Jack Hughes looks overmatched. John Hynes was given a contract extension in January. Good times.

Winner: James Neal

As mentioned before, the "Real Deal" turned his angst in Calgary into a volcanic start with the Oilers, with six goals in three games. He felt he was never given a chance to shine under Bill Peters. Edmonton put him with Connor McDavid. He's shining.

Loser: Milan Lucic

Sure, James Neal is leading the NHL in goals scored. Well, the guy he was traded for leads the NHL with 26 penalty minutes. No points. But lots of PIMs. Which was the point for the Flames, we guess.

Winner: Gritty

This is just savage:

It really be like that, @GrittyNHL? #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/p6NF6tFu9y

— NHL (@NHL) October 9, 2019

Loser: Eugene Melnyk

While this could be a listing for any week, we'll pop the Senators' owner here, both for Katie Baker's "yes, even worse than Daniel Snyder" column and people being so desperate for him to sell the team they invented a granddaughter for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft who might buy the Ottawa Senators.

Listen to ESPN On Ice

New! Emily Kaplan and I chat with Matt Duchene of the Nashville Predators, talk NHL player rivalries, overreact to early returns and more! Listen here.

Puck Headlines

Looking at the convoluted history of the Winnipeg Jets' Heritage Classic jerseys.

Steven Stamkos attempts to rally the Lightning, or at least prevent them from making the same mistakes. ($)

How kids from the Congo became hockey stars. An inspiring story.

Petr Cech, often considered among the best Premier League goalkeepers of all time, will continue his netminding ways -- but this time on ice skates.

Jon Lee-Olsen, goalkeeper of Rungsted Seier Capital in Rungsted, Denmark, recently said he was gay in a live interview with a Danish news program.

The University of Minnesota-Duluth and its former women's hockey coach have reached a tentative agreement that would settle long-running discrimination claims in state and federal courts.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly will be honored by the Business of Hockey Institute, which has to be a "Nathan For You" scam.

Finally, this is a terrific little documentary featuring Sidney Crosby in Rimouski, Quebec, to be honored by his junior team, the Rimouski Oceanic.

Hockey tl;dr (too long; didn't read)

Jeremy Rutherford takes a look at Jordan Binnington through his family. ($)

In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN

Last year, we published my "Hockey In Alabama" project, one of my favorite things I've ever had the honor to write. One of the people who was instrumental in growing hockey in Birmingham, and a huge part of that story, was Art Clarkson, the legendary "P.T. Barnum of minor league sports." He died this week at age 78. He was a classic. Read about him in my story here.