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NHL commentator Ryan Whitney took to X, formerly Twitter, to express his disbelief and disappointment after the Detroit Lions blew a 17-point lead in the second half of the NFC Championship game, ultimately missing the chance to advance to the Super Bowl. Ryan Whitney's tweet called the game an "all-time choke," expressing sympathy for devastated Lions fans:
The game saw the Lions' physical dominance, outgaining San Francisco 280 to 131, picking up 18 first downs and limiting the Niners to 4.7 yards per play. However, the Niners engineered a remarkable comeback, tying the third-largest comeback in conference championship history. The turning point came during a pivotal play where a pass intended for Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor bounced off his facemask, allowing Niners' Brandon Aiyuk to make a crucial 51-yard catch.
The Niners' defense adjusted all game against Jared Goff, allowing only seven points in the second half, while quarterback Brock Purdy's performance significantly improved, throwing for 174 yards and a touchdown and contributing 49 rushing yards in the final 30 minutes.
Ryan Whitney stands by his early season prediction, doubles down on team that he believes will win Stanley Cup
The former Edmonton Oilers player stood by his prediction regarding who he thinks will win the Stanley Cup come June. Whitney recalled the tweet he posted on the first game day of the ongoing NHL season, where he spoke about the Edmonton Oilers being favorites to lift the Stanley Cup this season.
The Oilers endured a difficult start to the season, falling to 5-12-1, but have since rallied back to find themselves in a playoff spot. While talking on the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast, Ryan Whitney said:
"I called this, I wrote a tweet the morning of the first game of the NHL season explaining how excited I was the NHL season is back and I'd said that the Edmonton Oilers are going to win the Stanley Cup. Right now, this is a team that is firing on all cylinders...I think this team right now, is on the perfect projection. This team is unstoppable."
The former Penguins and Oilers defenseman spoke highly of center Ryan Macleod, who's had a very impressive season so far:
"Have you seen Ryan MacLeod? Last 12 games, 12 points, seven goals. He's one of the fastest skaters in the league."
The Oilers currently sit third in the Pacific Division, owing to their franchise-best 13-game win streak. Hart Trophy favorite Connor McDavid is performing at his usual best, contributing 16 goals and 43 assists in 40 appearances.
