The defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals look as strong as ever heading into the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. But the Carolina Hurricanes have been proving doubters wrong all season -- and having lots of fun while they're at it. Who wins this series? Let's break it down.

How they got here: Yes, the Capitals spent the summer splashing in fountains and celebrating the franchise's first Stanley Cup, but the hangover wasn't as severe as many feared. Washington won its fourth straight division title.

The Capitals did slump at times -- including a seven-game losing streak in mid-January -- but had some dominant stretches too. The captain set the tone. Alex Ovechkin cruised to his second-consecutive Rocket Trophy, and eighth overall. Ovechkin's 51 goals were 26 more than his closest teammate. The Caps began the season with nearly the same roster they ended with in June. They would add along the way -- including depth defenseman Nick Jensen and veteran winger Carl Hagelin, a force on the penalty kill -- but also lost some. They sent playoff hero Devante Smith-Pelly to the minors, and lost top pairing defenseman Michal Kempny to injury late in the season.

Carolina, meanwhile, has been injected by new energy. In his first full season as the majority owner, Tom Dundon has been intimately involved in day-to-day operations while Rod Brind'Amour shined as a rookie NHL head coach. With elaborate postgame celebrations -- which drew the ire of many traditionalists in hockey media -- and a fast-paced game, the Canes improved attendance and clinched their first playoff berth in a decade, snapping the NHL's longest postseason drought. The "Bunch of Jerks" had a bunch of fun. They also boasted a strong defensive structure. Young Finns Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho, plus captain Justin Williams, set the bar offensively.

When projected starting goalie Scott Darling faltered, Carolina benefited from surprise performances from both Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney.

First line: Aho led the Hurricanes in scoring with a career-high 30 goals and 53 assists. He's due for a star turn, and there's no better place to make your mark than the playoffs -- especially if he gets the chance to go up against Washington's top center, Evgeny Kuznetsov. That said, it's hard to imagine Ovechkin, or his line, slowing down anytime soon. The Hurricanes might have a hard time in particular finding an answer to Tom Wilson (most teams do). Advantage: Caps

Depth: The Canes flex some talent (and scoring production) on their second line, but after that, there's a significant drop off. The Capitals are also strong on their second line, and the third line has been especially impressive this season, thanks to a career-high 22 goals from Brett Connolly. Advantage: Caps

Defense: The Canes boast a surplus of capable defensemen, especially ones who can contribute offensively. The blue line is Carolina's biggest area of strength. The Caps are without top-pairing defenseman Kempny, a huge blow considering how effective the young Czech was in last season's Cup run. The Jensen acquisition was a prescient one. Advantage: Canes

Goaltending: Unlike last spring, Washington enters the playoffs with no uncertainty in net: Braden Holtby is the guy. Holtby ended the season with five straight wins and a .947 save percentage across those games. Mrazek has been a delight for the Canes this season; but this isn't the first time we've seen flashes of brilliance from the 26-year-old. His challenge now is sustaining it. Advantage: Caps

Health: Losing Kempny is significant, as the Caps are still juggling defensive pairs. Advantage: Canes

Special teams: The Caps' penalty killing unit has seen improvements, especially since adding Hagelin via trade, while the Canes have a top-10 unit. Washington's power play is slightly above league average; the Canes' power play is slightly below. Advantage: tie

Coaching: Rod Brind'Amour and Todd Reirden are in their first seasons as NHL head coaches. Brind'Amour has experiences of long playoff runs as a player, including winning the Cup with Carolina in 2006; Reirden has experience of a long playoff run from last spring, as a lead assistant for the Cup-winning Caps. Advantage: tie

Prediction: Caps in five

The Boston Bruins-Toronto Maple Leafs matchup in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs seemed preordained for months. Can the addition of John Tavares carry the rest of the Leafs to finally slay their demons? Let's break it down:

How they got here: The Bruins overcame injuries to the majority of their roster -- only four players appeared in more than 75 games, and none was a defenseman -- to again end up one of the NHL's top teams, with a 49-24-9 record and 107 points. They were third in goals against (2.59 per game) and 11th in goals (at 3.13) per game, fueled by Brad Marchand's 100-point season, David Pastrnak's 38 goals in 66 games and 73 points from David Krejci, matching his career high.

The Maple Leafs added free-agent prize John Tavares last summer but struggled with consistency this season, especially on defense. They were fourth in the NHL in goals per game at 3.49 but a middling 12th in goals against (3.04). They generate as many shots (33.4) as they surrender (33.1). The Leafs are a 100-point team (46-28-8), and they have a deep forward group and a capable goaltender. But are they good enough defensively to win this war against the rival Bruins?

First line: In the past, we might have skipped to the "Advantage: Bruins" part of this entry, but the line of Patrice Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak was actually a bit less effective than it was in dominating the league last season. Its goals-for percentage dropped form 63.64 to 53.85. Metrics such as expected goals for percentage (56.28) and high-danger shot attempt percentage (54.07) at 5-on-5 dipped as well. Granted, they played 462:16 together compared to 535 minutes in the previous season due to injuries. The Toronto line of Tavares, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman played 817 minutes together and was outstanding: 60.92 goals-for percentage, 56.82 high-danger shot attempts percentage and 53 goals generated. Basing this strictly on their play this season? Advantage: tie

Depth: The Leafs have their greatest advantage at the forward spot. Beyond Marner (94 points) and Tavares (88) is Auston Matthews (73 points in 68 games), who skated with combinations of Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander. Nazem Kadri, who was suspended for three games in the playoff series against the Bruins last year, and Patrick Marleau lead the third line. After their top line, the Bruins' best duo has been Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, who had 27 goals in a breakout campaign. Danton Heinen, Charlie Coyle, Marcus Johansson, rookie Karson Kuhlman and Sean Kuraly (currently injured) can all contribute. Noel Acciari and veteran David Backes, if he plays, are among the grinders. Advantage: Maple Leafs

Defense: As much as the forwards are an advantage for the Leafs, the blue line is an advantage for the Bruins. The depth of this group was on full display through a season of injuries, as only one defenseman (Brandon Carlo) played more than 70 games. It'll be tested again, as Kevan Miller will likely miss the start of the series. Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy are the top pairing, with Torey Krug (53 points) and Carlo next. Matt Grzelcyk will likely pair with Steven Kampfer, with Miller and John Moore out. For the Leafs, Morgan Rielly (72 points) and veteran (some would say liability) Ron Hainsey form the top pairing, with Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev as the second duo, followed by Travis Dermott and Jake "minus-5 in Game 7 last year" Gardiner as the other duo. Advantage: Bruins

Goaltending: The Bruins had the seventh-best team save percentage in the NHL, at .912 with nine shutouts. Tuukka Rask (27-13-5) was good, but backup Jaroslav Halak was even better (22-11-4), with a .922 save percentage and 16.30 goals saved above average. Frederik Andersen of Toronto once again faced a ton of shots (1,958) and made a ton of saves (1,796) for a .917 save percentage, often being the best player on the ice for the Leafs. His goals saved above average at 5-on-5 was 9.88. But the Bruins' duo is just a shade better. Advantage: Bruins

Coaching: Bruce Cassidy deserves a massive amount of credit (and perhaps a Jack Adams nomination) for leading the Bruins through their injuries to tie for second in the NHL in points. Mike Babcock, meanwhile, is starting to hear it from the critics who wonder about the Leafs' player usage and defensive stability. He is one of the most respected coaches in the NHL ... and one who hasn't won a playoff round since Nicklas Lidstrom retired. Advantage: Bruins

Health: The Bruins are without Miller, center Sean Kuraly and defenseman John Moore to start the series, but all could be back at some point. Toronto is fairly healthy. Advantage: Maple Leafs

Special teams: The Bruins have the third-best power play in the NHL, at 25.9 percent, while the Leafs are eighth, at 21.8 percent. Their penalty kills had identical 79.9 percent rates, though the Bruins were short-handed more times (244) than the Leafs (204). Advantage: Bruins

Prediction: Maple Leafs in seven. Andersen is the key to this series, as Toronto has no alternative in goal and because he has been the team's best defense all season. If he's able to steal a couple of games, this Toronto offense was second only to the Lightning in 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes (3.03). The Buds pull the upset.

The New York Islanders were one of the NHL's best stories this season. The Pittsburgh Penguins still feature a one-two punch of all-time legends in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Who will this first-round series? Let's break it down:

How they got here: The Isles began 2018-19 with tremendous uncertainty. Not only would it be a nomadic season -- commuting between Brooklyn and Long Island as they await a more permanent home -- but the team also needed to navigate without its former captain, John Tavares, who left in free agency. New GM Lou Lamoriello dubiously signed a handful of fourth-liners in free agency and gave the reins to Barry Trotz, who felt jilted after he won a Stanley Cup in Washington but did not receive the rich contract he felt he deserved.

The result? The Islanders were a pure delight. New York went from one of the league's most porous defenses to the most responsible. The goaltending was terrific. The Islanders proved everyone wrong, and now they have home ice for a series for the first time since 1988.

The Penguins have felt like a work in progress all season. GM Jim Rutherford made several midlevel tweaks -- whether it was the early season swap of Marcus Pettersson for Carl Hagelin or adding Jared McCann and Nick Bjugstad, two forwards for the future -- to get this team in the right direction. The top line has clicked consistently; not only did Sidney Crosby have a great season, but Jake Guentzel also scored 40 goals, with very little fanfare. The Penguins once again boast a roster with a ton of playoff experience, and they once again look like a team that waited to peak at the right time for a long playoff run.

First line: Offense hasn't been easy for the Islanders. In his first season as the Isles' top center, Mathew Barzal notched only 62 points, down from 85 in his sensational rookie season. Captain Anders Lee was the closest New York player to 30 goals; he had 28. Sidney Crosby might be having one of his most complete seasons as a pro and probably should be in the Hart Trophy conversation. Jake Guentzel quietly reached 40 goals. Advantage: Pittsburgh

Depth: The Islanders' strength comes from their balance and ability to roll four lines evenly. The defensive structure is sound in the bottom nine, but there aren't too many players who can score consistently. On the Pens' second line, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel didn't have their best or most consistent seasons, but they are both big-time threats this time of year. The Penguins' addition of Bjugstad and McCann are strong, but the fourth line isn't scaring anybody. Advantage: tie

Defense: New York doesn't have a true shutdown top pairing, but it doesn't have any glaring weaknesses either. Playing time is pretty even for all six blueliners, from 35-year-old Johnny Boychuk to 24-year-old Devon Toews, who leveled up this season under Trotz. Kris Letang had a bounce-back season for the Penguins, and as long as he's healthy, he will be a force in the postseason. Overall, Pittsburgh's blue line has been jumbled this season and is not a true area of strength. Advantage: New York

Goaltending: Something hasn't been right with Matt Murray dating to early last season. He has shown flashes of the goaltender he can be -- and management had so much faith in him that they felt comfortable parting ways with Marc-Andre Fleury -- but overall he was just decent, with a .919 save percentage and 2.69 goals-against average. New York's goaltending has been a revelation this season. Robin Lehner (.934 even-strength save percentage) and Thomas Greiss (.937) combined for a league-high 11 shutouts and took the William M. Jennings Trophy. Advantage: New York

Coaching: The two most recent coaches to win a Stanley Cup face off. Barry Trotz has been cause célèbre in the NHL after taking over this hodge-podge group and -- while extracting revenge on his old employer -- whipping them into one of the league's top teams. Mike Sullivan, as usual, had to jumble some lines and manage injuries. He knows how to get a team ready for a long playoff run. Advantage: tie

Health: The Penguins have had a hard time staying healthy this season, especially on the blue line. Kris Letang is back, but Brian Dumoulin is now out (but skating again). The Penguins hope to have depth forward Zach Aston-Reese back soon. The Islanders lost Andrew Ladd on March 24 with a torn ACL but have had to manage only minor injuries since then. Advantage: New York

Special teams: The Pens have the league's fifth-best power play, hitting at 24.6 percent. Once again, it's a huge asset for the team. The penalty kill is below league average, though they have had 12 short-handed goals. The Isles' power play has been dreadful at times, finishing 29th in the league, at 14.5 percent. The penalty kill is below league average at 79.9 percent. Advantage: Pittsburgh

Prediction: Pittsburgh in six

The numbers tell the story for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19: The wins and points in the standings that place them in the conversation for best regular-season team in the history of the National Hockey League. The offensive team statistics that reveal them to be a juggernaut. The individual accomplishments of their top players that will net them some hardware at the NHL Awards this summer.

But perhaps the most stunning number related to the Lightning's accomplishments? That would $79.5 million. That's the upper limit of the salary cap, and Tampa Bay's payroll was meticulously constructed to be underneath it over the past few seasons.

Keep that in mind while examining these facts and figures about the 2018-19 Presidents' Trophy winner. Other dominant regular-season teams in NHL history -- the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens -- had no such constraints. What the Lightning have done over the past several months, then, is unprecedented.

Here are 25 stunning numbers about the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning:

Note: Additional research by Vince Masi, ESPN Stats & Information. Stats via Hockey Reference and NHL.com.

The standings

With 62 wins, the Tampa Bay Lightning tied the 1995-96 Red Wings for the most by a team in the regular season in NHL history.

Their 30 road wins are second all-time in the NHL, behind the 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings (31).

With a points percentage of .780, the Lightning have the second-highest rate in NHL history for an 82-game season behind the 1995-95 Detroit Red Wings (.799). It's the fifth-best in NHL history for a team with at least 80 games played.

The Lightning are 21 points ahead of the second-place Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins, the widest gap between first- and second-place overall teams since the 1995-96 Red Wings finished 27 points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche.

Tampa Bay is only the second team in NHL history to post four different winning streaks of seven games or more in a single season. The other team? The 1983-84 Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers.

The team

The Lightning finished with a goal differential of plus-103, the second-highest mark in the past 20 years. The only team with a higher rate was the 2005-06 Senators (+107).

Their 3.96 goals per game is the highest in the NHL since 1996.

There have been 37 games this season in which they have scored five or more goals, the most by a team since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins had 41.

There have been 19 games this season in which they have scored six or more goals, the most by a team since 1995-96, when the Penguins did it 26 times.

The Lightning have trailed going into the third period 21 times this season, the fewest in the NHL and the fewest times since the 2008-09 Boston Bruins (17).

The special teams

The Lightning have a power-play percentage of 28.1 this season, which is the highest in NHL history for an 82-game season. It's the highest overall since the 1987-88 Calgary Flames were at 28.5 percent in an 80-game season.

The Lightning have a 33.0 percent power-play percentage on the road, the highest since the NHL began tracking the stat in 1977.

Nikita Kucherov's 48 power-play points are the most for a player in the past 11 seasons. They also set a new franchise record for a single season for the Lightning.

The rallies

The Lightning could never be counted out. They had 29 come-from-behind wins this season, which set a new record previously held by the 2015-16 Washington Capitals, who had 28 such victories.

They had a .600 points percentage when trailing after one period (15-10-0), which led the league, and were the only team over .500 in that situation this season. That's the highest percentage in 20 years.

They had a .429 points percentage when trailing after two periods this season (9-12-0). That's the best in the history of the NHL for an 82-game season. The next-best points percentage this season were the Flames, at .250.

The players

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has a career high in save percentage (.925) and goals-against average (2.40) this season in 53 games. He's in a near-statistical tie with Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens in goalie point shares, or the amount of points the goalie has added to his team's record, at 12.4.

In Steven Stamkos (45), Nikita Kucherov (41) and Brayden Point (41), the Lightning are the first team since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins (Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Petr Nedved) to have three 40-goal scorers.

Among the players who set new career highs in points this season in Tampa: Kucherov (128), Point (92) and Ryan McDonagh (46 points).

In Stamkos (98), Kucherov (128) and Point (92), the Lightning are the first team to have three 90-point scorers since the 2005-06 season.

Kucherov's 128 points shattered the franchise record, previously set by Vincent Lecavalier (108 points) in 2006-07. Kucherov's total is the best of any player in the past 20 years.

Stamkos (393 goals) passed Lecavalier (383) this season for most goals by Lightning player in their career in Tampa. Lecavalier needed 1,037 games; Stamkos did it in 746.

Kucherov was the first player in 20 years to hit 120 points in just 75 games and just the fifth player since 1993-94 to do so.

Kucherov is averaging 3.3 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, the highest average since 2012.

Kucherov leads the NHL in point shares with 14.3.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off one of the most dominant regular seasons in NHL history -- no, seriously, these numbers are eye-popping. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets just squeaked into the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs after being one of the more active teams at the trade deadline. Who wins this series? Let's break it down:

How they got here: The Lightning arrived via steamroller, flattening their foes en route to 62 wins, tying the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for most all time in a single season. The Lightning finished with a goal differential of plus-103, the second-highest mark in the past 20 years. Their 3.96 goals per game is the highest in the NHL since 1995-96. Winger Nikita Kucherov had an NHL-best 128 points, putting him in the driver's seat for the Hart Trophy. Kucherov (41 goals), Steven Stamkos (45) and Brayden Point (41) all had 40 goals, the first team to have three such players since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Blue Jackets arrived in a pool of their own sweat and fingernails chewed to the bone. It took 81 games for the Jackets to clinch a playoff spot, despite GM Jarmo Kekalainen making the biggest trade-deadline splash by dealing for Ottawa Senators forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, while hanging on to his own pending free agents in forward Artemi Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Columbus was 35-23-3 on the day of the trade deadline. The Jackets went 12-8-1 after that, but it was good enough to earn the last wild card and a date with a juggernaut.

First line: The Blue Jackets' line of Artemi Panarin (87 points), Pierre-Luc Dubois (61 points) and Cam Atkinson (69 points) account for the top three scorers on the team. They had a goals-for percentage of 56.82 at 5-on-5. The Lightning can serve some line salad game to game, but there's been one constant: Kucherov and Point (92 points) working together, mostly with Tyler Johnson (47 points) but also with Yanni Gourde (48 points). With Johnson, they had a goals-for percentage of 59.32. Advantage: Lightning

Depth: The Lightning were meticulously constructed for the past few seasons in an effort to amass the most talent they could under the current salary cap. The result? A team with incredible top-end talent, with secondary scoring from players such as Ondrej Palat and J.T. Miller, and with dynamic two-way players such as Alex Killorn and rookie Anthony Cirelli, who had 19 goals. The Blue Jackets aren't without depth, with players such as Duchene, Josh Anderson (27 goals) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (23 goals) contributing offensively, and a slew of others helping to make the Jackets a tough team to play against. Advantage: Lightning

Defense: Tampa Bay is anchored by Victor Hedman, the reigning Norris Trophy winner who skates 22:46 per game and plays with Mikhail Sergachev or Dan Girardi. Ryan McDonagh plays 22:05 per game, skating mostly with Erik Cernak. Braydon Coburn and Anton Stralman round out the group. The Jackets pair their two best defensemen in Seth Jones (46 points) and Zach Werenski (44 points). David Savard, Markus Nutivaara, Dean Kukan, Scott Harrington and Adam McQuaid round out the group They miss Ryan Murray, out with an upper-body injury. Advantage: Lightning

Goaltending: Andrei Vasilevskiy (39-10-4) is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy with a .925 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average. In 29 playoff games, he has a .919 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against. If that seems Jekyll and Hyde, then you haven't seen Sergei Bobrovsky's numbers. He had a decent regular season, with a .913 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average, but he played well down the stretch. But his career playoff numbers remain putrid: an .891 save percentage in 24 games, with a 3.49 goals-against average. Woof. Advantage: Lightning

Coaching: How much credit does Jon Cooper deserve for leading the best roster in the NHL to historic heights? Plenty, to be honest, from his system to his personnel management to keeping a team a country mile ahead of the field motivated. His teams have made the conference finals in two of three seasons. John Tortorella hasn't won a playoff series since 2013, but he has gotten the Jackets into the postseason in three straight seasons -- the longest streak in franchise history. Advantage: Lightning

Health: The Jackets are still without Murray, who has missed 24 games with an upper-body injury. Tampa had a few players banged up late in the season, including Ryan Callahan and Hedman, but should be at full strength. Advantage: Lightning

Special teams: The Lightning had a power-play percentage of 28.1, which was the highest in NHL history for an 82-game season. They were tied with the Blue Jackets atop the league on the penalty kill, at 85.0 percent. The Jackets' power play was 28th, at 15.4 percent. Advantage: Lightning

Prediction: Lightning in five. As previously stated, the Lightning have made it a habit of rolling through teams in the first two rounds, usually with one hiccup. The play of Bobrovsky in previous postseasons does nothing to dissuade that thinking.

Sadio Mane has demonstrated over the past two years that he's an elite big-game player, yet the Senegal striker's consistent performances for Liverpool in the highest-profile fixtures somehow continue to go under the radar despite the accolades and praise that come his way.

The Reds' UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first-leg tie against FC Porto at Anfield on Tuesday represents another opportunity for the forward, who turns 27 on Wednesday, to thrive in another high-profile fixture.

Mane started to demonstrate only last season that he could hold his own in the biggest matches.

While Mohamed Salah was being lauded for his remarkable goal scoring, Mane's form underpinned Liverpool's run to the Champions League final, and he ended the European campaign with 10 in 11 games.

His goal in the final against Real Madrid meant he became one of only four African players - after Rabah Madjer, Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba -- to score in the biggest club fixture in the football calendar; while that goal against Real provided only a brief glimmer of hope before calamities at the other end of the pitch, Mane has consistently provided defining moments for Liverpool.

Sadio Mane: A Man For The Big Occasion

Sixty-nine percent of his Champions League goals to date -- nine of his 13 strikes -- have come in the knockout stages of the competition, the most recent in the Merseysiders' 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the Round of 16. On that occasion, Mane scored twice, with his first -- an impudent dink over Manuel Neuer to give Liverpool the advantage -- prompting high praise from ex-Liverpool frontman Michael Owen.

"It's a goal of the highest quality, and even [the turn], the awareness of what's around and then a little coolness after all that to dink it over the line, it's a finish of the highest quality," Owen said on BT Sport.

Mane was in his element at the Allianz Arena, unfazed by the spectacle or the high stakes, and his goals, the second six minutes from fulltime to confirm safe passage, took him level with Steven Gerrard and Roberto Firmino on six away strikes in the history of the European Cup; no player for five-time champions Liverpool has scored more.

For broader context about his strike rate, only former Bayern forward Ivica Olic of all the players to have scored at least 10 goals in the tournament netted a greater percentage in the latter rounds when the stress and pressure is highest.

As testament to Olic's propensity to decide the high-profile fixtures, the former Croatia international, who scored seven of his 10 UCL goals in knockout matches, was handed the somewhat inelegant moniker 'The king of the biggest games' by his former national-team coach, Slaven Bilic.

Few credit Mane on such terms, despite his Champions League record.

They should.

The relative ease with which he has adapted to the rarefied environment -- the high-pressure bouts and the tougher opposition -- of the Champions League has also gone under the radar. To date, Mane's 13 goals in 19 games is a return bettered by only five players in their first 20 appearances in the UCL's history.

Should he score a goal against Porto, Mane will draw level with Alessandro Del Piero, Andriy Shevchenko and Jari Litmanen (14 in 20), and stand behind only Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roberto Soldado, both of whom scored 16 in their first 20.

That's elite company, with three of the five boasting winner's medals, yet Mane is rarely referenced as a player who flourishes under the brightest lights and who boasts the nerve and composure to settle the most high-profile clashes.

He should be.

"I think Sadio Mane can be Liverpool's most important player," ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop says. "I thought he showed that last year in the Champions League final once Mo Salah came off.

"I think Mane, both in terms of his attitude and performances, can be the player that, if Liverpool are to win either of these trophies, his role is absolutely vital."

Consistency and Confidence

As Liverpool's challenge for the English Premier League title also reaches the sharp end of the campaign, Mane appears to be thriving amid the added pressure and scrutiny. He's found a new gear since mid-January, scoring nine in 11 in the league.

Former Liverpool and Senegal midfielder Salif Diao believes that Salah's form last season has prompted Mane to take things to another level and refine various elements of his game.

"If you look at last season when the Ballon d'Or list came out, Salah was right up there, but Sadio wasn't, and that was purely because of the goals," Diao told Goal.

"Salah was more clinical in front of goal, and that was why he got all the awards and the praise at the end of the year.

"I think Sadio recognised that, and you can see how he has used that this season," the 42-year-old added. "He's more focused in front of goal, he's more clinical, and that is making the difference."

It hasn't always been this way, and Mane's come a long way since missing the decisive penalty for Senegal as they were eliminated from the quarter-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

He had been one of the stars of the group stage, netting twice as Tunisia and Zimbabwe were dispatched with ease. However, come the knockout clash with Cameroon, Mane and Senegal ran out of ideas.

Mane could not find a way past Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa and his stifling defence, and he missed Senegal's best chance three minutes from fulltime.

Things got worse in the resulting penalty shoot-out.

All eight takers had scored before Mane took Senegal's fifth penalty. His effort was saved, and Vincent Aboubakar's subsequent conversion sent eventual champions Cameroon through.

Mane wept inconsolably on the turf, as one of the most significant nights of his career had passed him by, but a genuine big-game player has blossomed out of that failure. Mane no longer remains a bystander in crucial fixtures, but is a player who increasingly ought to be seen as having the character to decide them.

Perhaps self-belief has been key.

"He needed more confidence when he came in," Jurgen Klopp said in November.

"The start was really good, but I think he was a bit surprised by himself.

"He needed to get used to the fact that he is a world-class player."

Sadio Mane: Africa's Next Big-Name Great?

Mane, undoubtedly, has come a long way since his misstep against Cameroon, but he's yet to produce a title-winning performance to compare with some of Africa's other big-game players.

Eto'o, for example, scored goals in two Champions League finals -- only the second player to do so -- and was outstanding as he won a third title with Internazionale in 2010.

The Cameroon great also scored in three finals as Inter won the Club World Cup, the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup in the same year. He was also influential in 2000 as he won the first of two Afcon titles with Cameroon, scoring in every round.

Drogba, too, made his mark in major trophy triumphs in a way that Mane hasn't yet managed.

As well as his star performance in the 2012 UCL final, when he scored an 88th-minute equaliser and then slotted the decisive penalty in the shootout to win Chelsea their first European crown, he also scored in four FA Cup finals -- the only player in history to do so -- winning every one.

Mane, soon to turn 27, needs to be adding titles to his resume in order to stand alongside Africa's true big-game greats. But he should have plenty of high-profile ties in the coming months -- from FC Porto at Anfield to the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt -- to claim a little more recognition and a place among his continent's genuinely decisive players.

When you're losing 0-6 0-5 and facing match point, the chances are there is no way back.

But the old saying goes that winners never quit - and Tara Moore refused to give up when she found herself in that exact position on Tuesday.

In a show of extraordinary grit, the British number nine saved herself from being double bageled at 30-40 down, and went on to beat French third seed Jessika Ponchet 0-6 7-6 6-3 at the ITF World Tour event in Sunderland.

The greatest comeback in tennis history? Well, the 26-year-old said on social media that it had been "never in doubt".

Moore has won nine ITF singles titles and reached the second round of Wimbledon in 2016.

She will face either Germany's Yana Morderger or Romania's Elena-Teodora Cadar in the second round in Sunderland.

‘So exciting to see this in my home town of Eindhoven’
By ELLIE MAWSON

Netherlands’ World No.31 Milou van der Heijden will be one of the home favourites in action when the DPD Open Squash takes place in Eindhoven from April 9-14.

The PSA World Tour Gold tournament will host 48 of the best male and female players when they descend on the Dutch city next week to battle it out for the titles.

The tournament will be held at the new DPD headquarters in Eindhoven to mark the grand opening of the postal company’s new distribution centre and will feature a total prize fund of $212,000 split equally between the men’s and women’s draws. Home hope van der Heijden can’t wait to see squash come back to the Netherlands.

“I’m very pleased,” said Dutch No.1 van der Heijden. “Obviously for me to play in the event, but also for the Dutch squash fans it is very exciting to have such strong draws in both events. I think it’s going to be a great week.

“Everyone has been talking about it for a while, so it’s exciting that it is almost here now.”

The last time a major squash tournament was held in the Netherlands was the 2011 PSA World Championships in Rotterdam and 28-year-old van der Heijden – who resides in Eindhoven – is looking forward to performing in front of her home crowd once again.

“The last time I played a PSA tournament in the Netherlands was qualification of the World Championships in Rotterdam back in 2011, so that is a long time ago. I think this will be completely different, as I now get to play on the glass court in such a great venue.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a great experience and I hope the crowd will get behind me, like other home crowds do at other tournaments.”

Van der Heijden recently captured her biggest PSA title to date after she defeated France’s Coline Aumard in the final of the Annecy Rose Open and she says she is hoping to carry that winning momentum into next week’s tournament.

“Winning at the Annecy Rose was great, I played well during that tournament. That is definitely the momentum I’m trying to keep going. Every tournament is different though, but winning a tournament never hurts your confidence I think.”

The Dutch player will begin her tournament against England’s World No.22 Millie Tomlinson in round one, with van der Heijden getting the better of her English opponent earlier this season at the Oracle NetSuite Open in San Francisco.

“Me and Millie have been playing each other since juniors. We’ve had some battles, so, this time will be no different.

“Millie is strong all around and has been playing well. I will need to be on top of my game and see where it can take me.”

Van der Heijden will be joined in the draw by women’s wildcard Tessa ter Sluis and Roshan Bharos, who takes the wildcard spot in the men’s event.

Opening round matches of the DPD Open will be played on Tuesday April 9 at a purposely built squash arena at the DPD premises and at Squashtime, a 15-court facility in Eindhoven, which is the home of Dutch National Champion van der Heijden. From April 10-14 all matches will be played on the glass court.

Tickets for the DPD Open are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook and Instagram or visit the event’s website. 

Pictures courtesy of PSA and Nick Thompson  

Stars return to Hull for a seventh year 
By ELLIE MAWSON

A record prize purse of $348,000 will be on offer at the 2019 Allam British Open when the world’s leading squash players line up at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre between May 20-26, 2019.

Split equally between the men’s and women’s draws, the prize purse is the largest since the tournament began in 1922, and the event will take place in Hull for a seventh successive year.

Known as ‘The Wimbledon of Squash’, the British Open is the sport’s longest-running tournament and this year will be headed up by World No.1s Ali Farag and Raneem El Welily as they aim to add their names to the famous trophy.

Defending champion Miguel Rodriguez – who last year became the first South American ever to win the tournament – will return alongside runner-up and two-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy.

Rodriguez and ElShorbagy are the only players in the men’s draw to have ever won the tournament, and will face stiff competition from World Championship runner-up Tarek Momen, Germany’s Simon Rösner, New Zealand’s Paul Coll, former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.8 Mohamed Abouelghar.

Raneem El Welily fell in last year’s final to World No.2 Nour El Sherbini and the two are seeded to meet in the final once again. World Championship runner-up Nour El Tayeb, 2015 champion Camille Serme, New Zealand’s Joelle King, England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry, Egypt’s Nouran Gohar and 2017 winner Laura Massaro make up the rest of the top eight seeds.

Meanwhile, Malaysian icon and five-time winner Nicol David also features as she makes her final appearance at the tournament. The 35-year-old will retire at the end of the season, bringing an end to her association with the event, which stretches back to 2001.

The British Open also represents the penultimate chance for players to win points for the PSA World Tour Finals. Ali Farag, Mohamed ElShorbagy, Karim Abdel Gawad, Raneem El Welily, Nour El Sherbini and Joelle King have already qualified for the season-ending jamboree, while the other competitors will qualify if they claim a top eight spot on the PSA World Tour Finals leaderboard.

The University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre hosts the British Open in its brand new state-of-the-art facility between May 20-26. Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.

All matches from the glass court will be shown live on SQUASHTV and Eurosport Player. Semi-finals and finals will be broadcast on mainstream channels around the world such as BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

For all of the latest news on the 2019 British Open, please visit www.allambritishopen.com or follow the tournament on Twitter: @BritOpenSquash 

2019 Allam British Open, Hull, England, May 20-26.

Men’s Entry List:
1) Ali Farag (EGY)
2) Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
3) Tarek Momen (EGY)
4) Simon Rösner (GER)
5) Paul Coll (NZL)
6) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
7) Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
8) Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
9) Diego Elias (PER)
10) Saurav Ghosal (IND)
11) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
12) Omar Mosaad (EGY)
13) Raphael Kandra (GER)
14) Joel Makin (WAL)
15) Zahed Salem (EGY)
16) Declan James (ENG)
17) Gregoire Marche (FRA)
18) James Willstrop (ENG)
19) Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
20) Max Lee (HKG)
21) Tom Richards (ENG)
22) Leo Au (HKG)
23) Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
24) Daryl Selby (ENG)
25) Cesar Salazar (MEX)
26) Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
27) Greg Lobban (SCO)
28) Youssef Soliman (EGY)
29) Borja Golan (ESP)
30) Adrian Waller (ENG)
31) Lucas Serme (FRA)
32) Mazen Hesham (EGY)
33) Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
34) Chris Simpson (ENG)
35) Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
36) Cameron Pilley (AUS)
37) George Parker (ENG)
38) Mostafa Asal (EGY)
39) Fares Dessouky (EGY)
40) Ivan Yuen (MAS)
41) Todd Harrity (USA)
42) Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)
43) Alan Clyne (SCO)
44) Campbell Grayson (NZL)
45) Ben Coleman (ENG)
46) Ramit Tandon (IND)
47) Joshua Masters (ENG)
48) Patrick Rooney (ENG)

Women’s Entry List:
1) Raneem El Welily (EGY)
2) Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
3) Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
4) Camille Serme (FRA)
5) Joelle King (NZL)
6) Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
7) Nouran Gohar (EGY)
8) Laura Massaro (ENG)
9) Tesni Evans (WAL)
10) Alison Waters (ENG)
11) Annie Au (HKG)
12) Amanda Sobhy (USA)
13) Victoria Lust (ENG)
14) Salma Hany (EGY)
15) Joshna Chinappa (IND)
16) Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
17) Joey Chan (HKG)
18) Yathreb Adel (EGY)
19) Nicol David (MAS)
20) Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
21) Emily Whitlock (ENG)
22) Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
23) Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
24) Fiona Moverley (ENG)
25) Rachael Grinham (AUS)
26) Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
27) Mariam Metwally (EGY)
28) Mayar Hany (EGY)
29) Nele Gilis (BEL)
30) Milou van der Heijden (NED)
31) Samantha Cornett (CAN)
32) Hollie Naughton (CAN)
33) Coline Aumard (FRA)
34) Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)
35) Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
36) Low Wee Wern (MAS)
37) Jenny Duncalf (ENG)
38) Lisa Aitken (SCO)
39) Julianne Courtice (ENG)
40) Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL)
41) Tinne Gilis (BEL)
42) Olivia Fiechter (USA)
43) Haley Mendez (USA)
44) Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
45) Melissa Alves (FRA)
46) Rachel Arnold (MAS)
47) Pre-Qualifier – TBC
48) Lucy Turmel (ENG) 

Pictures courtesy of PSA

Squash legend joins Camille Serme and Borja Golan on WSF trip
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

Shortly after bringing her illustrious professional squash career to a close, the sport’s ultimate ambassador Nicol David will join fellow players Camille Serme and Borja Golan for the 2019 WSF Ambassador Programme visit to Kenya, where the latest World Squash Federation initiative will be hosted by Kenyan Squash community in the country’s capital Nairobi.

Launched in 2011, the WSF international promotional initiative takes leading squash players, together with an international coach and referee, into younger squash nations to help raise the sport’s profile – through clinics, exhibition matches, refereeing and coaching seminars, and media presentations.

Joining Malaysia’s former world No.1 David, France’s world No.4 Serme and Spaniard Golan, a former world No.5, will be Belgian national coach Ronny Vlassaks and international referee Marko Podgorsek, from Slovenia. The 2019 campaign will take place from 27-30 June.

David is a tireless squash campaigner and ambassador. The 35-year-old record eight-time world champion played significant roles in all of the sport’s Olympic bids since 2005; was the leading light in several Women’s Tour Promotional visits to raise the profile of the sport in all corners of the globe in the 11 years preceding the WSF Programme; and participated in four of the ‘Ambassadors’ initiatives from 2011 to 2015.

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“We are all excited as this is truly the biggest event yet for our sport,” said national representative Gakuo Ndirangu.

“The timing is perfect: Squash is now really on the up and with all the squash clubs taking up a greater initiative in the promotion of the game at all levels and having great players, coach and referee here in June will stimulate this even more. Events will be hosted by Parklands Sports Club and the Nairobi Club, with all others joining in too.”

WSF CEO Andrew Shelley added: “As always, we are immensely grateful to Camille and Borja for taking time away from the busy international tour schedule to lead this vital promotional visit – and are thrilled that Nicol will be able be with us again too and delight Kenyans with both her charm and her skills.

“We look forward meeting and interacting with the Kenyan squash community and help the national federation boost the sport’s profile.”

The WSF Ambassador Programme first visited the Baltic country of Latvia in 2011, followed by a trip to the African countries of Malawi and Namibia, then Panama and Venezuela in 2013, Papua New Guinea in 2014, before focussing on the Balkan region in 2015 with appearances in Serbia, Romania and Croatia. In 2016, the team visited Dalian and Macau in China.

After the 2017 edition was postponed, the WSF team headed to Armenia (where Camille Serme was pictured above, with youngsters at Grand Sport in the country’s capital Yerevan) and Ukraine in 2018.

Pictures courtesy of WSF and PSA