Laramie Boomerang laramieboomerang.com Saturday, June ,  l B3 Broncos competition goes on hiatus Some injuries more obvious than others in NHL playoffs

AP PHOTO Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, left, and Vegas Golden Knights cen- ter Chandler Stephenson reach for the puck during the third period in Game 2 of a second-round playoff series June 2 in Denver.

through injuries the last couple By STEPHEN WHYNO years, and to see the competitive- AP Hockey Writer ness and his wanting to be on the AP PHOTO ice (is contagious),” Petry said. quarterback Drew Lock jokes during a Denver Broncos OTA at the team’s headquarters May 24 in Englewood, Colo. Jeff Petry’s bloodshot eyes There was some uncertainty scared his three young sons until with Petry. He got fingers stuck Bridgewater added that Lock will By ARNIE STAPLETON rest of the season,” Bridgewater they pretended he was the villain in one of the photography holes join them. said, adding he didn’t shut it down in the glass in Game 3 of the last AP Pro Football Writer and they were the superheroes. “It’ll be fun,” Bridgewater said. because “I just love competing. I Then they were OK playing with round against Winnipeg, missed “Whenever you can get around the never take an opportunity to go out dad. the rest of that series and the start ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — guys that’s not always football, it there and compete for granted.” The Denver Broncos’ quarterback Petry returned to the ice of this one. He said the eye creates and forms that bond and His knee is now healthy, he said. for the Montreal Canadiens issue also stemmed from competition took an early summer that camaraderie.” “Yeah, I’m completely good.” hiatus Thursday when coach Vic in a Game 2 win in Las the incident. Bridgewater, who was acquired Lock found himself competing Vegas despite broken blood Petry knew Wednesday Fangio canceled the final day of from the Panthers on the eve of for his job this offseason after the team’s mandatory minicamp in vessels under his corneas morning he was playing the NFL draft, and Lock have each George Paton succeeded John El- against Vegas but didn’t take favor of a team bonding field day and an injury to his right have had their moments so far, but way as general manager and traded rushes during warmup that would featuring tug of war and a home hand. Playing through pain is Fangio cautioned against jumping for Bridgewater. indicate he’s in, and the Cana- run derby. part of the NHL playoffs and few to any conclusions just yet. Bridgewater arrived last month players are fully healthy this time diens’ Twitter account sent out Fangio did the same thing two “Coaches and everybody else but his crash course in the offense of year, though some injuries are a lineup that didn’t include him. years ago, when quarterback Drew likes to evaluate every day, but to was mitigated by his familiarity more obvious than others. Coach Dominique Ducharme in- Lock won the 3-point basketball me, the big evaluation will come with offensive coordinator Pat Petry and teammate Shea We- sisted it wasn’t gamesmanship but shooting and closest-to-the-pin more in camp,” Fangio said, adding Shurmur, whom he worked with in ber make no bones about gutting rather taking extra precautions. chipping contests. that “the evaluation and comparing Minnesota early in his career. “We needed to talk to the So, technically, Lock and Teddy the two is 2% to 3% these last few As for Lock, he said “it’s been a through hand ailments to stay on the ice. doctors — we needed to have the Bridgewater were still competing weeks. The 97% to 98% of it has yet really fun offseason” working with green light and after the morning one last time before summer break, to come.” Shurmur and finetuning details “There’s guys on our team, other teams that are dealing with skate they wanted to make sure just not in football. Fangio plans on splitting the instead of focusing on the big everything was fine after war- injuries, and this is the time of And that was a sore point on the snaps at training camp and may picture like they had to last year mup,” Ducharme said. year it’s important to get out there area airwaves filled with grum- not name his starting quarterback after the pandemic-induced virtual Like Stephenson, some injuries bling that a team coming off a 5-11 until after the third and final pre- offseason and cancellation of the and play through it if you’re able,” are too severe to play through. record, mired in a five-year playoff season game on Aug. 28. preseason. Petry said Thursday. “It’s obvious- Tampa Bay captain Steven Stam- drought and immersed in a QB Both Lock and Bridgewater are Lock said he and Shurmur have ly the biggest time of the year, so kos missed all but one game of the competition wasn’t capitalizing on looking for bounce-backs in gotten much more comfortable I wanted to do everything in my Lightning’s 2020 championship every snap it could get. 2021. with each other after finally power to get back and to get back run with a core muscle injury, Former Broncos O-lineman Lock’s 15 clicking late last season. as quickly as I could.” and the New York Islanders have Orlando Franklin, now a host on last season tied for the “He’s been extremely Keeping injuries secret is also been without forward Oliver 104.3 The Fan radio station in Den- league lead. He threw 16 TD cooperative with what I say I an NHL tradition, so the Golden Wahlstrom since the first round ver, noted that when Fangio scut- passes and went 4-9, missing like or what I say I don’t like,” Knights will say only that top because of an undisclosed injury. tled his final minicamp practice for time with a shoulder injury and Lock said. “We’ve meshed really, center Chandler Stephenson is Islanders coach said a field day in 2019, that decision for violating COVID-19 protocols. really well this offseason and added day to day with an “upper-body” Jean-Gabriel Pageau was fine after followed an intense offseason Bridgewater’s lone season in a couple new things he thinks injury as Vegas arrived for two not playing the final 13 minutes program. Carolina wasn’t good, either. He might fit the style of game that we games in Montreal. Earlier this of Game 2 against Tampa Bay on This time, Franklin noted, went 4-11 with 15 TDs and 11 in- play.” postseason, the Boston Bruins let Tuesday night. Lightning coach Fangio had already cut back on the terceptions, and he acknowledged And, Lock said, “I think the it be known goaltender Tuukka Jon Cooper said center Anthony intensity to appease players who this week that he shouldn’t have chemistry with the receivers is defi- Rask was playing hurt for two Cirelli was fine after apparently boycotted the start of the voluntary continuing playing after suffering a nitely taking strides forward.” rounds before revealing he needs being injured in a scrum after the offseason training program and knee injury against the Buccaneers While quarterback competitions hip surgery that will cost him part final horn of that game. only had them do 11-on-11 drills a in Week 10. blunt the work the No. 1 offense of next season. Fine sometimes has to be good handful of days. His stats suggest he’s right. gets with its leader during camp, There’s no denying what’s going enough at this stage of the play- Both who are Bridgewater completed 72% of said the flip side of hav- on with Weber and Petry. Weber offs. Montreal’s Jon Merrill, who seeking to make comebacks in his throws for 13 TDs, seven inter- ing two QBs means receivers can’t missed the final eight games of returned Wednesday after missing 2021 said they planned to continue ceptions and a 98.7 get complacent. the regular season with a left hand the previous seven games with working with their receivers in the before he got hurt. Afterward, his These two are vastly different, injury. He hasn’t yet mimicked the injury, feels like seeing teammates six weeks before training camp completion percentage dipped nine too, Jeudy noted: whereas Lock sport’s past by taping his stick to playing through pain can bond opens July 28. points and he threw just two TD throws a heater, Bridgewater his gloves, but the Montreal cap- players on this journey. “I usually go back to south Flor- passes to go with four interceptions throws “more of a floater.” tain hasn’t missed a game in the “At this time of year everyone is ida and fly a couple of guys where and a 78.8 QB rating. Bridgewater had a better descrip- playoffs and is tied for the team sacrificing their bodies,” Merrill I am,” Bridgewater said. “Who “I had something on the inside tion. lead in ice time, averaging over 25 said. “And it definitely creates an doesn’t love south Florida and the of my knee. I can’t even remember “I say it’s a ‘catchable pass,’” he minutes a game at age 35. intensity and a will to want to do beaches and all that?” what it was. But it lingered for the said. “He’s a guy that’s battled whatever it takes to win.”

U.S. Open/from B1 The 36-hole lead at Torrey Pines Long road finally leads back home for expansion Austin FC in the 2008 U.S. Open was 3-under So was Wolff, a surprise only 139. The course is strong as ever of an expansion team trying to McConaughey, a part owner of with enough wind, though a ma- By JIM VERTUNO because he lost all joy playing golf figure things out. Three straight the team, led one of them — and after such a hot start out of Okla- rine layer has kept sunshine from Associated Press losses took the edge off the prom- some diehards have even had tat- homa State that he walked away baking out some of the greens. ising start. toos of the team’s oak tree logo. from the game for two months, Then again, the weekend awaits. AUSTIN, Texas — The long Confidence came with draws at And like the players, some are even missing a major at the PGA The weekend will include Phil and winding road in the MLS is Seattle and Kansas City, the two relieved to finally stay home. A Championship. He returned to Mickelson, whose deft scrambling finally leading Austin FC back clubs at the top of the Western group of dedicated fans has given the toughest test in golf and shot kept him inside the cut line and he home. Conference standings. Austin is Austin a presence in the stands at 70-68, two-putting for eagle on the finished with a birdie for a 69. He The expansion team spent its currently 10th. games halfway across the country. last hole. was seven shots behind in his quest first eight weeks on the road Those performances showed One of them was Roma Desai, “It’s awesome that I came out to complete the career Grand Slam. while waiting to make its de- the club could trade punches a lawyer and member of the Los here and played well, but I think Bland will be a big part of the but at the sparkling new Q2 with the league’s best. They Verdes fan group, who traveled to more importantly, I’m just getting weekend, and that’s the charm of Stadium, and finally gets to left Austin players both all eight of Austin’s road games. closer to being more comfortable the U.S. Open. play in front of what prom- satisfied and frustrated for She and friends had planned and being happy and enjoying it,” “I love that about the game,” ises to be a sellout crowd what might have been had to attend the first match in Los Wolff said. “I feel like I’ve done a defending champion Bryson Saturday night against San they stolen at least one more Angeles. But what started as plan very good job of enjoying it, but DeChambeau said after a 69 left Jose. victory on the road stretch. a for only a few road trips quickly I’ve still got a long way to go to him five shots behind. “Anybody, “It’s a big moment for the club “I’d like for us to score more turned into all eight, sometimes keep a level head. Like I said, I’ll any age group, can play this great ... I expect it to be bumping,” said goals,” Wolfe said. “We’ve left a flying, sometimes driving all probably be working on the same game and compete and contend. Josh Wolff, who will get to make lot of goals out there.” night to the matches. thing that I’m working on now for If you’re got the skill set to get the his home debut as a . Perhaps they will come at home “I didn’t set out to do it. I just the rest of my career.” ball in the hole in the least amount “As a first-time coach, you only in front of more than 20,000 kept getting so hyped it was like, Dustin Johnson and Rory of shots, you can be up there with get one first home game.” fans at Q2 Stadium. The arena ‘OK, if I can make it work, I’ll see if McIlroy were headed the wrong the young guns.” There have been a few bumps made its debut Wednesday night I can do it.’ I had airline miles saved direction. Johnson, who missed Bland is the classic journeyman, on that road, though Austin has hosting the U.S. women’s national up,” Desai said. “I’ve been counting the cut in the Masters and PGA happy to be making a living at weathered some of them better team’s 2-0 win over Nigeria. down the days to this one. The Championship, dropped to 4 over golf for more than two decades, than expected. The locals have been warming atmosphere is going to be electric.” until a late rally gave him a 73 and disappointed to have not won until The season started with a loss up for the MLS party for weeks. Is a tattoo next? a spot in the weekend. He was sev- he broke through last month, not at LAFC, followed by impressive Supporter groups have held “It would be my first,” said en behind. McIlroy had to birdie nearly surprised as most everyone wins at Colorado and Minnesota chant and drum practices inside Desai, 38. “I don’t know if my two holes down the stretch for a else that he was tied for the U.S. before Austin settled into the role the stadium — actor Matthew parents would be too happy.” 73. He was six behind. Open.