Running analysis of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Our hockey writers shared observations throughout Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Sunday, May 4

Blues need to solve road woes

If the Blues are to successfully steal Game 7 against the Jets on Sunday, they'll need to find a way to ditch a recent trend of stinking on the road. St. Louis has dropped all three games in Winnipeg this series, and it has lost six in a row away from home dating back to the regular season.

It's a bit of an odd stat because the Blues were a respectable 20-16-5 on the road over the 82-game campaign and 16-10-4 after Jim Montgomery took over as head coach in late November. Anything can happen in a Game 7, but home-ice advantage is a big factor. Tonight is the 200th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, and the home side has won 58.8% of the time. - Sean O'Leary

No Scheifele in Game 7

Ruling out top center Mark Scheifele for Sunday's massive home game means the Jets will retain their forward lines from Game 6. Vladislav Namestnikov centers Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi. Adam Lowry's between Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti. Morgan Barron's with Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton.

Analytically, that Lowry line was dominant against the Blues in Game 6 (80% shot share, 95% expected goals share) but failed to score at five-on-five. Winnipeg's power play going 2-for-6, with goals from Niederreiter and Perfetti, barely brightened a 5-2 blowout loss.

Even with Scheifele unavailable, the Jets have four healthy 60-point scorers and plenty of battle-tested veterans who are equipped to rattle Jordan Binnington, the ultimate big-game goalie. Binnington outdueled Connor Hellebuyck in the 4 Nations Face-Off final and is 2-0 with just two goals allowed in Game 7s, though he hasn't played in one since St. Louis clinched the Cup in 2019. - Nick Faris

Blues grinders troubling Schenn

The Blues exploited a surprising mismatch - the fourth line versus defenseman Luke Schenn - as they dragged their showdown with the Jets to a decisive Game 7.

Winnipeg's been outscored 10-3 with Schenn on the ice at five-on-five even though the rugged deadline acquisition is playing sheltered minutes. Schenn's mainly matched up against three pure grinders - Radek Faksa, Alexey Toropchenko, and Nathan Walker - who combined for 49 points all season but already have 11 in the series. Heating up without warning, Walker and Toropchenko buried half of the Blues' eight goals in Games 5 and 6.

St. Louis has 18 goals at five-on-five. Schenn, the Jets' No. 5 defender, was on hand to dig most of them out of the net.

Bad goaltending hasn't done him any favors: Winnipeg's .706 save percentage with Schenn on the ice is the worst for a defenseman in the playoffs, per Natural Stat Trick. But Walker cleanly beat Schenn to a loose puck at the crease in Game 5, and Schenn screened Connor Hellebuyck without blocking the shot on multiple Game 6 goals.

The 35-year-old journeyman, signed through 2026, is on his ninth NHL team. His 32 penalty minutes (six minors, two misconducts) rank second in the postseason behind defense partner Logan Stanley. He chirped at his younger brother, Blues captain Brayden Schenn, during Winnipeg's blowout loss in Game 6 to send a message for the winner-take-all rematch. His mission for Sunday night is to tread water against the Faksa line. - Nick Faris

Rantanen shoots up leaderboard

Mikko Rantanen was stuck on a single assist through four Stars playoff appearances.

A big fifth outing against the Avalanche upped his total to four points. Then he submitted four-point periods in Games 6 and 7 to spark a furious Dallas comeback, eliminate the team that traded him in January, eclipse Nathan MacKinnon's own scoring outburst, and make heads explode.

Thanks to his surreal surge, Rantanen tops the Round 1 points leaderboard with one more Game 7 to go. Blues defenseman Cam Fowler and Jets forward Kyle Connor could potentially rise to his level Sunday night.

The scoring leaders for teams not represented above are Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk (4-3-7), Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel (3-3-6), Florida's Sam Reinhart (2-4-6), Vegas' Tomas Hertl (3-2-5), Montreal's Lane Hutson (0-5-5), and New Jersey's Nico Hischier (4-0-4). - Nick Faris

No Miro, no Robertson, no problem

The Stars began the first round with hope. Hope that No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen - a seemingly irreplaceable piece of a top-heavy blue line - would return from injury at some point in the series. Hope that leading goal-scorer and offensive catalyst Jason Robertson, also injured, would do the same.

Dallas' series with Colorado went the distance, and neither player drew in. But it ultimately didn't matter. Mikko Rantanen, a superstar forward inexplicably traded twice in one season, put the Stars on his back Saturday night at home, recording four points (three goals, one assist) in the third period of Game 7.

The most dramatic part: Rantanen's legendary effort in the 4-2 Stars victory came against his former club. Somewhere, Avalanche president Joe Sakic and general manager Chris MacFarland are face-palming. They created a monster; Rantanen put up a ludicrous five goals and six assists in the final three games.

Rantanen, who won a Stanley Cup with the Avs in 2022, has 113 points in 88 career playoff games. The big Finnish winger is the definition of clutch.

Meanwhile, Dallas coach Pete DeBoer's Game 7 record improved to 9-0.

The Stars won the series despite getting outplayed on aggregate and surrendering seven goals to all-world center Nathan MacKinnon. Next up: the winner of Sunday's Game 7, Winnipeg vs. St. Louis. - John Matisz

Saturday, May 3

It's down to Hellebuyck vs. Binnington

Just like in February, Connor Hellebuyck's battle with Jordan Binnington will decide a winner-take-all game.

Binnington was the victorious and marginally better goalie in the epic 4 Nations Face-Off final. He's been infinitely more competent in the Jets-Blues series that's going the distance. Binnington enters Game 7 with 15 goals allowed and an .897 save percentage for the 8-seed Blues. Hellebuyck's stats are ghastly (23 goals, .815 SV%), and Winnipeg yanked him for the third straight road game in Friday's 5-2 stinker.

The Jets' defense is unbreakable when Hellebuyck, the Vezina Trophy shoo-in, plays out of his mind. His 2024-25 goals saved above expected total (49.5) was the second-best of the past 15 NHL seasons, per Evolving-Hockey.

Defensemen let him down in Game 6 with giveaways, bad gaps, missed shot blocks, and sloppy coverage. But Hellebuyck whiffed on Brayden Schenn's goal, curiously didn't freeze the puck when St. Louis struck again, and failed to prop up a team that was missing its top center, the injured Mark Scheifele.

Hellebuyck's collapse would be dumbfounding if it wasn't a playoff tradition. His slippage is a big reason Winnipeg, a consistently strong team, hasn't been to Round 2 since 2021 or the conference finals since 2018. It contrasts Binnington's ability to raise his game under the brightest lights. He kept Canada afloat in overtime of the 4 Nations final, and his good work in Game 6 included kick saves on Jets forwards Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers when the score was close.

Hellebuyck's been the steadier goalie in Winnipeg this series, with a comparably tolerable .879 save rate and 3-0 record at home. Unlike at the 4 Nations, a Canadian crowd will back him Sunday in Game 7. He has one chance to outclass Binnington with everything on the line. The pressure is astronomical. - Nick Faris

Players to watch in Game 7

The NHL's about to double down on the sweetest sight in sports: a Game 7.

The Stars host the Avalanche on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, and the Jets welcome the Blues on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. These four players will be counted on to make a meaningful mark.

Nathan MacKinnon: The Avalanche superstar's sixth playoff goal, the current NHL high, stemmed from incredible puck luck: Dallas forward Colin Blackwell elbowed a clearance into his own net. MacKinnon promptly won two faceoffs to tee up game-sealing empty-netters. One way or another, he makes things happen for Colorado and could play over 25 minutes if a goal is needed or the outcome's in doubt.

Wyatt Johnston: The Stars' young gun is about to become the fifth NHLer since 2000 to play 45 playoff games before his 22nd birthday, per Stathead. The others: Scott Gomez, Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, and Mikhail Sergachev. Already an invaluable two-way center, Johnston was a career-worst minus-5 in Colorado's Game 6 win. His wealth of experience means he can shake it off and won't shy away from the challenge of being line-matched against MacKinnon.

Cam Fowler: Outrageously, Fowler needs just one point to match Connor McDavid's league-leading 11 in the round. The veteran defenseman played his 1,000th game with the Blues - he scored twice at Wrigley Field in the Winter Classic - after approving a trade out of Anaheim, his longtime NHL home. Between the rejuvenated Fowler, partner Colton Parayko, and the Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk pair, four St. Louis blue-liners have had stellar series.

Cole Perfetti: If you want food, go to the store. If you want goals, go to the net. Perfetti followed the trusted adage in Game 6 by creating a scramble in front of Jordan Binnington and batting in the puck for his first career playoff tally. The Jets had been starving for offense from their second line and top power-play unit. They've controlled play and continually tested Binnington despite being outscored 6-2 in Perfetti's five-on-five minutes. - Nick Faris

Superlative awards for Round 1

All but two series are complete, so we're going to hand out made-up awards for some of the most memorable moments of a thrilling opening round to this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Best game: Oilers-Kings Game 4. This entire matchup was a thrill ride, but Edmonton's dramatic comeback to tie the series at two was an instant classic that completely flipped the momentum. Evan Bouchard tied it with 29 seconds left in regulation before Leon Draisaitl netted the overtime clincher.

Best performance: Cam Fowler, Game 3 vs. Jets. The Blues defenseman racked up five points in St. Louis' first win of the series, joining Cale Makar as the only blue-liner to do so in the past 30 years. He scored the game-winner, fired five shots on goal, and owned a 77.5% expected goals rate at five-on-five.

Wildest moment: Tom Wilson-Josh Anderson scrum leaks into the bench. The Capitals-Canadiens series was as physical as any in the first round, and it reached a boiling point at the end of the second period of Game 3, as Wilson and Anderson nearly came to blows on Washington's bench.

Best goal: Matthew Knies' breakaway gem. The Toronto winger schooled Ottawa to tie Game 4 before the Sens' overtime win. Knies blew past Artem Zub after closing a huge gap and roofed a slick deke on Linus Ullmark.

MVP so far: Connor McDavid. Last year's Conn Smythe winner picked up right where he left off, registering 11 points - 10 at even strength - in the opening round to help the Oilers rediscover their swagger. - Sean O'Leary

Fabulous round for Finns

Finnish excellence was a defining storyline in Round 1.

Sebastian Aho's eight points and overtime series clincher propelled the Hurricanes onward. Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell, and Eetu Luostarinen were some of the Panthers' top scorers and most influential forwards. Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen's magnificent eight-point period - they pitched in on four Stars goals in the middle frame of Game 6 - almost eliminated the Avalanche, who recovered to extend their season.

Game 7 is filled with Finnish flavor. Defenseman Esa Lindell will play major minutes for Dallas. Mikael Granlund joins Hintz and Rantanen on a lethal top line. Colorado counters with clutch forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta, whose combined three career playoff OT goals were all series enders.

It's a bummer for Miro Heiskanen's team and nation that he remains out with a knee injury, though that could change in the next round if the Stars win Saturday.

In a way, his countrymen are atoning for a fourth-place finish at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Finns fought valiantly at the tournament - they beat archrival Sweden on Granlund's OT winner, then clawed back to frighten Canada - but were overmatched without Heiskanen, their only world-class defenseman.

When Finnish stars play into May, fewer of them suit up at the world championships, a celebrated event in Finland that gets going in Stockholm, Sweden, next Friday. The Finns topped Canada for gold in 2019 and 2022 and reached another final in between, but they're coming off back-to-back quarterfinal exits. - Nick Faris

Stars' DeBoer is Game 7 magician

History favors the Stars in the monumental finale of their matchup with the Avalanche. The club made sure of that by hiring head coach Peter DeBoer.

Wielding a magic touch, DeBoer's led the Stars, Golden Knights, Sharks, and Devils to eight career Game 7 victories without a single loss. He's tied with Darryl Sutter for the most Game 7 wins by an NHL coach, but Sutter's teams suffered three defeats. The next-best perfect record belongs to Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who improved to 5-0 in last year's Stanley Cup Final.

DeBoer's Game 7 wins all happened in the first two rounds and invariably led to conference final appearances, as well as Cup Final losses with the 2016 Sharks and 2012 Devils. Five of the eight wins were by one goal. Six came in his team's home rink, where Dallas will be Saturday. His spotless record is on the line again because Colorado rallied in the third period of Game 6 to push the Central Division slugfest to the limit.

Seven active head coaches have won multiple Game 7s: DeBoer; Maurice; Jon Cooper (four); Mike Sullivan (three); and Craig Berube, Rod Brind'Amour, and Bruce Cassidy (two apiece), per NHL.com. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar's had no such luck. His 0-3 record in Game 7s includes gutting one-goal losses to the 2020 Stars and DeBoer's 2019 Sharks. - Nick Faris

Shorthanded Stars look to finish the job

The Stars-Avalanche series always felt destined for a Game 7, but Dallas deserves credit for getting there without Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Stars are coming off a disheartening Game 6 loss but are in good shape to advance thanks to some key players stepping up.

Thomas Harley ranks second among all playoff skaters in average ice time (28:19) and has limited Colorado to three five-on-five goals during his minutes this series. He's evolved into one of Dallas' most important players, and the Avalanche have taken notice of the Stars' depth making an impact after six high-octane contests.

"Listen, they're playing without Heiskanen, and they're playing without Robertson, and they've had other guys step up and elevate their game. They're deep. This is a deep team. They finished where they finished for a reason," Colorado head coach Jared Bednar told NHL.com's Nicholas Cotsonika.

Anyone can be a hero in a Game 7. And based on the way this series has gone so far for the Stars, they must be comfortable with the chances of someone in green finding a way to step up Saturday. - Sean O'Leary

Friday, May 2

Stars need more from ex-Av Duchene

The Mikko Rantanen storyline has taken up a lot of oxygen in the Avalanche-Stars series - and rightfully so, given Rantanen's talent level, strong ties to Colorado, and his dominant four-point effort in Thursday's epic Game 6.

This fixation has allowed another former Avs forward to fly under the radar.

Matt Duchene, who was drafted third overall by the Avalanche in 2009, has been largely ineffective for the Stars through six games. The 34-year-old center has yet to score and has contributed just one assist (a really nice helper on the power play in Game 5, mind you) following an 82-point regular season.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer has given Duchene a prominent role, with his nightly ice time (17:47) sitting fifth among Stars forwards heading into Saturday's Game 7. Dallas has scored twice and allowed two goals in Duchene's 83 five-on-five minutes, spent mostly alongside Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. Duchene recorded a measly three shots on goal in those minutes. One bright spot: The former nine-year Av has won 60% of his faceoffs in the series.

If you're a Dallas fan, you're holding out hope that Duchene's saving his best performance for last and that history will repeat itself. Duchene ended Colorado's 2023-24 season by burying a loose puck in the second overtime period of Game 6 in the division rivals' second-round series. - John Matisz

How old playoff newcomers fared

Jeff Skinner and his fellow grizzled playoff newcomers had wildly different experiences in Round 1.

Skinner played 1,078 career games for the Hurricanes, Sabres, and Oilers before he finally tasted the postseason. He waited 15 years to skate for 11 minutes in Edmonton's opening loss to the Kings. Despite assisting Mattias Janmark's jam play, Skinner was scratched for the rest of the series after Evander Kane was cleared to return from a yearlong injury ordeal. There's a chance he will be cycled into the bottom six against the Golden Knights.

Zemgus Girgensons broke his personal playoff drought by leaving Buffalo after 10 seasons. The 770-game veteran forward didn't tally a point but threw 13 hits as his Lightning capitulated to the Panthers in five. Girgensons played more penalty killing minutes than usual (2:32 per game) because teammate Brandon Hagel was in and out of the series. Girgensons was able to remain in Game 4 after Niko Mikkola crushed him from behind into the boards, leading to the Panthers defenseman's ejection.

Two Senators cornerstones - Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk - endured a long rebuild and made their postseason debuts after 512 games apiece. Chabot's first playoff goal helped Ottawa blank the Maple Leafs 4-0 before the Senators were eliminated in six.

The first sighting of "Playoff Brady" didn't disappoint. Tkachuk's four goals included a late equalizer to force overtime and a tip that sparked a fleeting Game 6 comeback. He knocked Pontus Holmberg off his feet to turn a Toronto scoring chance into an Ottawa goal in transition. He led the Senators with seven points while playing with less frenzied force than he did at the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he got banged up in February.

The new longest individual droughts mostly belong to current or past members of the Sabres. Rasmus Ristolainen tops the unlucky group with 776 career games and none in the postseason. Next up are Rasmus Dahlin (509), Tage Thompson (448), Mario Ferraro (408), and Henri Jokiharju (407). - Nick Faris

Blues found their guy in 'Monty'

Win or lose in Friday night's do-or-die Game 6 against the Jets, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong won't be worried about one part of his operation anytime soon - coaching. If it wasn't abundantly clear months ago, the first round has proved it: Jim Montgomery is the perfect bench boss for St. Louis.

Montgomery's one of the NHL's top tactical minds (let's give the Blues some credit for Connor Hellebuyck's playoff lull). "Monty" also manages to strike a balance between holding players accountable and treating them like human beings. He has high standards but understands development isn't linear for everyone. This approach aligns with the Blues' competitive timeline as a wild-card team looking to take a step forward next season through internal growth.

Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister on Nov. 24, five days after he lost his own job in Boston. The Blues played at a 105-point pace the rest of the way, peaking with a 12-game winning streak. (That transformative 60-game run should have but didn't earn Montgomery a Jack Adams Award nomination.)

It's a fascinating time in St. Louis. Armstrong chose a retool over a rebuild - an appropriate strategy given the amount of young talent on the roster and in the pipeline. The longtime executive is set to hand off GM duties to ex-Blues forward and current special assistant to the GM Alex Steen after the 2025-26 season. It's a rare formalized succession plan that also includes Armstrong staying on as president of hockey operations through 2028-29. - John Matisz

Jets aim to advance without Scheifele

Mark Scheifele's injury absence has cascading effects for the Jets as they try to win a closeout game in St. Louis. Losing their most important forward weakens the Jets' firepower and center depth and heightens the need for a lockdown defensive performance, an achievable target that's been elusive for much of the series.

Keeping the puck out of the net spurred Winnipeg to the Presidents' Trophy. But the Blues, the gutsy underdogs who have become unbeatable at home, scored 12 goals on 52 shots in Games 3 and 4. They've outscored Winnipeg 6-2 on power plays in the matchup. Their 15.1% shooting percentage at five-on-five - the Panthers' 12% mark is second-best in the playoffs - stems from lighting up Connor Hellebuyck from all around the offensive zone.

Playing without Scheifele is a rarity for Winnipeg. He's been healthy all year and only missed nine games over the past three regular seasons. The last time he was sidelined in the playoffs, the 2023 Jets lost 4-1 in Vegas and were eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion.

Vladislav Namestnikov replaces Scheifele as the top center between Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi. Captain Adam Lowry, the new 2C, might play 20 minutes for the first time since Scheifele missed a couple of weeks in January 2024. Offensive weapon Nikolaj Ehlers was on Lowry's wing at morning skate and may be cleared at game time to return from his foot injury, which would be a welcome boost.

Either way, the formula that produced a Game 5 victory - Namestnikov, Lowry, and defenseman Dylan DeMelo all chipped in goals after Scheifele's exit - could help the shorthanded Jets finish the job Friday. - Nick Faris

Pacioretty's symbolic winner

Of course Max Pacioretty delivered the dagger in the late minutes of Game 6 to eliminate the Senators and repel some demons.

The rare Maple Leafs player bold enough to wear No. 67 and symbolize Toronto's long championship drought made a savvy play to create the game-winner. As linemate Max Domi battled for the puck behind the Ottawa net, Pacioretty skated to the slot, then inched backward into open space. Pacioretty took Domi's feed at the top of the faceoff circle and snapped his first goal since Dec. 20 over screened netminder Linus Ullmark's glove hand.

Cagey veterans shone throughout the Leafs-Sens matchup: The four oldest forwards on the ice - Pacioretty, John Tavares, Claude Giroux, and David Perron - combined for seven goals and 15 points. Perron's cheeky bank shot rang off Anthony Stolarz's mask to tie Game 6 in the third period, setting up Pacioretty's heroics.

Besides Domi (Game 2 overtime winner), No. 67 was the only Leafs depth forward to provide secondary scoring in the series. - Nick Faris

Brown powers Oilers to Round 2

Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark were linchpins of the bulletproof penalty kill that succeeded at a 94.3% clip during Edmonton's 2024 Stanley Cup Final run. Their contributions were unsung, then became too great to overlook.

These depth forwards headlined Game 5 against the Kings - Janmark scored the third-period winner - and Thursday's series clincher. Brown had two big assists and hit the empty net for his third goal of the round as the Oilers won 6-4. On Edmonton's first goal, he caused a scramble at the goalmouth and banked in a shot off Adam Henrique. Trent Frederic scored when Brown brought the puck up ice and swept a pass around a sliding defenseman.

Edmonton patiently waited for this version of Brown - the smart playmaker, opportune finisher, and dogged defender - to arrive last season. Battling the aftereffects of an ACL tear, Brown failed to find the net until his 55th Oilers game and narrowly avoided being waived so the team didn't have to pay a hefty bonus overage. He's playing like himself again, and it's hard to bounce the Oilers when Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid receive that kind of help.

That said, the Kings' collapse was catastrophic. They're the second NHL team (it's never happened in another Big Four league) to fall to one opponent in four straight opening rounds, following the 1980s Bruins against the Canadiens. Coaching miscalculations and defensive slips handed the Oilers a lifeline, and they gripped it. L.A. lost Games 5 and 6 despite taking early leads and holding Draisaitl and McDavid to a paltry total of three assists. - Nick Faris

Sens lose, core checks off key box

Ottawa's season ended Thursday night thanks to a nail-biting 4-2 loss to Toronto. Even though nobody expected the Senators to go on a deep playoff run, losing in the first round still stings. This is a young group that battled back from a 3-0 series deficit only to lose in Game 6.

In a day or two, the Sens will realize they accomplished something of note. Something to take forward. They made it abundantly clear in a hard-fought series - which included three overtimes - that they're to be reckoned with in the Atlantic Division. Ottawa may not be ready to compete for a division title in 2025-26, or even 2026-27, but this is a club that's absolutely, positively on the rise.

The Sens broke an eight-year playoff drought, which meant Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Drake Batherson, and Thomas Chabot were all playoff rookies. It showed early, but by the end of the series, not a single core member looked uncomfortable or overcome by the moment. Stutzle, in particular, was significantly more effective in Game 6 than Game 1.

Man, those Canadian Tire Centre crowds were unbelievable for Games 3, 4, and 6. The NHL postseason is better with the Senators involved. Hockey gods, can we get an encore of the Battle of Ontario next year? - John Matisz

Leafs bend, don't break vs. Sens

Take that, demons.

Auston Matthews sniped a gorgeous along-the-ice power-play goal to open the scoring and was physically dominant all game. William Nylander scored two goals, including an empty-netter, and was buzzing all night. Mitch Marner recorded a primary assist, and John Tavares won 64% of his faceoffs.

On Thursday, unlike so many times in the past, the Maple Leafs' stars - the Core Four - delivered in a momentous playoff game. They didn't just show up; they ran the show in a 4-2 Game 6 victory before a raucous Ottawa crowd.

Toronto closed out a series in which the Leafs earned a 3-0 lead, failed to complete the sweep, then lost Game 5 on home ice with boos filling the air.

Next is a date with the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who needed just five games to dispose of an extremely strong Lightning team. Florida, a legitimate repeat threat, will be a substantial test. The Paul Maurice-coached squad is super deep up front, big and mobile on the back end, and anchored by two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers are intimidatingly good defensively, ratty, and don't lack for clutch goal-scorers.

Toronto will be the underdog. If any team in the Matthews-Marner era can overcome the odds, though, it might be this one coached by the unflappable Craig Berube and backstopped by ex-Panther Anthony Stolarz. - John Matisz

Thursday, May 1

Game 6 pressure index

The NHL's Game 6 slate - four are happening Thursday night, while the Jets and Blues own the spotlight Friday - should provide spectacular drama.

Besides the Maple Leafs' core players, who hope to improve to 2-13 in closeout situations, these are some of the protagonists who face pressure to perform.

Drake Batherson: In his turbulent playoff debut, Batherson's recorded two points, coughed up the puck ahead of a losing goal, and taken four stick penalties, including a double minor in overtime. Usually, he's a source of stability for the Senators, having played all 82 games for three consecutive seasons while averaging 65 points. Burying a quality chance - he's generated a fair share in the series - would aid Ottawa's pursuit of a Game 7 miracle.

Kirill Kaprizov: Asking Kaprizov to raise his game to some higher level would be ridiculous. He's had an excellent series against the Golden Knights with five goals, nine points, zero scoreless games, and a slew of highlight plays. He's combined with linemate Matt Boldy to tally 10 of 17 Wild goals (59%) and 16 of 42 Wild points (38%). Kaprizov carries the team. Even one quiet night from him would spell elimination.

Cale Makar: Makar scored 30 goals as a defenseman by wiring the puck from the point and getting it to more fertile scoring areas. The bulk of the Avalanche superstar's goals (18) came from extremely or somewhat dangerous areas of the offensive zone, according to NHL EDGE. But he's taken zero high-danger slot shots in the playoffs and Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has stoned all of his distant attempts while limiting Makar to two measly power-play assists.

Jim Hiller: The Kings-Oilers series shifted when Hiller's unsuccessful challenge for goaltender interference instantly led to a backbreaking goal. L.A.'s late collapses highlighted how the coach was barely playing depth players and fatiguing his stars. The Kings need to make a stand on the road to avoid the deepest cut of all: a fourth straight series loss to Edmonton after entering as the favorite and wasting a two-win lead.

Connor Hellebuyck: Hellebuyck might become the first goalie since Carey Price in 2015 to complete the Hart-Vezina Trophy double. His playoff save percentage (.822 against the Blues) somehow keeps worsening. He's made one quality start in five tries, and the Jets managed other wins by holding St. Louis to fewer than 20 shots. Without Mark Scheifele on the road in Game 6, Hellebuyck needs to be a pillar for Winnipeg, not a liability. - Nick Faris

Deadline trade conditions check-in

The Panthers defeating the Lightning 6-3 on Wednesday to advance to the second round was welcome news to Don Sweeney. The Bruins general manager was widely criticized at the trade deadline for dealing Brad Marchand to the Panthers in exchange for only one draft pick.

Florida's series victory means Boston is one step closer to getting a better pick from its Atlantic Division rival.

Marchand, a Bruins icon, was sent to Florida with half of his $6.125-million salary for a conditional 2027 second-round selection. That second is bumped up to a 2027 or 2028 first if the Panthers win two playoff series and Marchand - a pending unrestricted free agent who was injured at the time of the trade - appears in 50% of Florida's playoff games.

Here are two other notable conditions hanging in the balance:

Brian Dumoulin trade: Courtesy of New Jersey, Anaheim receives either Edmonton's or Winnipeg's 2025 second-rounder - whichever pick is higher. The Oilers are up 3-2 over the Kings and the Jets are up 3-2 over the Blues.

Brock Nelson trade: The Islanders receive a 2028 third-round pick if the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup and Nelson plays 50% of Colorado's playoff games. The Avs are down 3-2 to the Stars. - John Matisz

Panthers are Kucherov's kryptonite

The road to the Stanley Cup runs through the defending champions. The Panthers established that by stuffing Nikita Kucherov in a locker for a second straight year.

The Lightning superstar is a proven championship performer, but his production spiraled in Florida's back-to-back Round 1 triumphs. Kucherov had no goals in either matchup. He managed four assists in the series that Florida sewed up Wednesday with a 6-3 win. A team that lets him score at will in the regular season - Kucherov has 21 goals and 47 points in 38 career showdowns - is the one he can’t dissect in the playoffs anymore.

Kucherov is a magical playmaker and the NHL's premier power-play scorer, but Tampa Bay's PP went 2-for-18 and consistently failed to punish Panthers penalties. Florida's smothering defense held him to one point across the Lightning's four losses and blocked half of his 28 shot attempts in the series. A scoring threat when the Bolts rampaged to Cup Finals, Kucherov has one playoff goal with a 2.7% shooting percentage since 2023.

Tampa was disjointed in the Battle of Florida. Brandon Hagel missed two games, Oliver Bjorkstrand never returned from injury, the Panthers got way more depth scoring, and Andrei Vasilevskiy dropped another duel to Sergei Bobrovsky. The Lightning's shiny goal differential (plus-75 in the regular season) suggested they were a sleeping juggernaut. Instead, the champs gave them the business. - Nick Faris

Namestnikov steps up in key moment

It'd been 20 games since Vladislav Namestnikov scored a goal entering Wednesday's pivotal Game 5 in Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele's first-period injury could've spelled doom for a Jets team in desperate need of a win on home ice, but instead, it was the versatile veteran who came through in the second period.

After assisting on Dylan DeMelo's go-ahead tally, Namestnikov buried his first goal since March 11 to give Winnipeg insurance entering the third period. Namestnikov's marker stood as the eventual game-winner as the Presidents' Trophy winners moved one victory from the second round. It was Namestnikov's first two points of the series.

The Jets' lack of center depth behind Scheifele has been a consistent criticism despite the team's immense regular-season success. It'll be an uphill battle for Winnipeg if Scheifele misses more time, but for Game 5, Namestnikov was there to fill the void and come up clutch in key moments. - Kyle Cushman

Ousted Habs can hold head high

Montreal wanted to play meaningful hockey down the stretch this season.

Mission accomplished, and then some.

The Canadiens put up a respectable fight against the top-seeded Capitals before being eliminated with a 4-1 Game 5 loss in Washington on Wednesday. The group gained valuable experience in the process.

Really, 2024-25 was a season of non-stop growth in Montreal.

Captain Nick Suzuki, a respected two-way center, leveled up his offensive game en route to a career-high 87 points. Go-to sniper Cole Caufield set a personal best with 37 goals. Dazzling defenseman Lane Hutson exceeded expectations and will probably claim the Calder Trophy. Electric winger Ivan Demidov came over from Russia late in the year but sooner than expected overall, and he showed well in seven games. A third notable rookie, Jakub Dobes, joined Samuel Montembeault as the goalies of the present and future.

There were other positive developments, but we'll stop there for now.

Habs players hugged teary-eyed teammate David Savard extra tight Wednesday. The 34-year-old defenseman is retiring following nearly 900 NHL games. He was the oldest player on an extremely young roster. - John Matisz

Leafs promote Pacioretty

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube appears to be shuffling the deck a bit ahead of Game 6 against the Senators.

Max Pacioretty was promoted to the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander during Thursday's morning skate, while Pontus Holmberg was bumped down to the bottom six between Max Domi and Bobby McMann. Domi was previously centering McMann and Pacioretty. Here's the new look, with the first and fourth lines remaining untouched:

Pacioretty was the most common left-winger for Tavares and Nylander during the regular season. The trio only controlled 45.3% of the expected goals in 179 five-on-five minutes but generated 59.2% of the actual goals, per Evolving-Hockey.

Though he certainly has more offensive ability than Holmberg, Pacioretty hasn't made much of an impact since entering the lineup in Game 3, outside of a few big hits. It's fair to wonder if the 36-year-old can keep up with the pace of the playoffs - especially higher in the lineup - after missing the final 27 games of the regular season due to injury.

Pacioretty has 25 goals in 81 career playoff games, though. Berube is leaning on experience - at least to start the game. Don't be surprised to see him get the blender out if Pacioretty fails to provide Tavares and Nylander with a necessary spark. - Josh Wegman

Sens need to score first

Colleague John Matisz previewed Thursday's big Battle of Ontario confrontation from the Toronto perspective. One simple key to victory for Ottawa is getting on the board first.

The Senators were 35-6-0 in the regular season when they scored the opening goal and 10-24-7 when the opponent did. That was the league's most extreme split. Scoring first boosts a young group's confidence, lets Ottawa dictate the tempo, signals goalie Linus Ullmark settled into the game, and deadens the impulse to blow the zone to chase offense or grip the stick if it doesn't come.

After taking leads, the Sens got Games 3 and 4 to overtime and cemented a Game 5 shutout. Four Ottawa shooters - Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, and Thomas Chabot - beat Anthony Stolarz in those matchups by floating pucks over the Toronto goalie's shoulders. Besides Stutzle's power-play rip, none of those shots had a high velocity, but they were accurately feathered past a screen or through layers of traffic to the top corner. - Nick Faris

Stat leaders through Game 5

Every playoff team pushed its matchup to five games. Game 6 looms in five competitive series. As crunch time arrives in Round 1, here's an update on the current points leaderboard.

Kempe's sizzling pace cooled as the Kings lost their series lead, but he still fronts the pack alongside Draisaitl and McDavid. Kaprizov and Boldy dragged the Wild to Game 6 against the heavily favored Golden Knights. A pair of top playmaking centers, Aho and Strome, can chill on the couch before squaring off in the next round.

MacKinnon has put the most shots on net (31). Marcus Foligno's 38 hits edge Zach Hyman's 36. Brian Dumoulin claimed the time-on-ice lead (29:21) as the Devils played into a couple of double overtimes. The top regular faceoff taker is Max Domi (64.9%), though Nico Hischier's 89 won draws are 20 more than the next guy. Jake Walman has the best plus-minus (+8), while Kempe and the eliminated Brendan Gallagher tail the entire field (-7). - Nick Faris

Wednesday, April 30

D-men are driving offense

Devon Toews, the first defenseman to net a goal in these playoffs, pinched to the crease for a backdoor tap-in as the Avalanche routed the Stars. Thomas Chabot, the latest D-man to score ahead of Wednesday's action, whipped a point shot to the top corner to get the Senators rolling in Game 5.

In between, Nate Schmidt bagged consecutive game-winners for the Panthers and Cam Fowler's five-point eruption got the Blues in the win column. Evan Bouchard produced three assists, two goals, and another two goals in various high-octane Oilers games. Simon Benoit and Jake Sanderson traded overtime clinchers in Ottawa. And Simon Nemec's zone entry, dangle, and finish in double OT briefly prolonged the bruised and battered Devils' season.

Scoring from the blue line is happening in spurts and massive moments. Around the NHL, 31 defensemen combined to pot 39 goals over 37 postseason games through Tuesday. The group is led by Bouchard's four strikes, Schmidt's three, and two apiece from Thomas Harley, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Morgan Rielly.

Defensemen account for five of Toronto's 15 goals and five of Florida's 13. Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones scored 11 seconds apart in the waning minutes of the third period to push the flabbergasted Lightning to the brink of elimination. Four different blue-liners have scored for the Blues and Hurricanes. Somehow, 30-goal sniper Cale Makar has yet to beat a goalie despite peppering 19 shots on net, the second most at the position after Bouchard.

Over the past three postseasons, NHL defensemen combined to score 35, 26, and 31 goals in the equivalent span of first-round games. Right now, more of them are carrying hot sticks and stepping up at the offensive end. - Nick Faris

Ullmark is Leafs' latest nemesis

Linus Ullmark was the picture of calm in the Senators' net Tuesday. He stoned 29 shots in Ottawa's 4-0 road win at a subdued Scotiabank Arena. He's the sixth goalie whose brilliance in an elimination game prevented the Maple Leafs from closing out a series.

Opposing netminders own a 13-1 record with the following numbers in this Leafs core's 14 closeout opportunities:

Their collective stat line: 408 saves on 433 shots, .942 save percentage, two shutouts, five overtime victories. They famously foiled 30 consecutive Leafs power plays in these games. Toronto's last PP goal in a clinching scenario came from Patrick Marleau's deflection two minutes into Game 7 against the 2018 Bruins.

The Battles of Ontario and Florida are the only ongoing series that haven't featured a goalie change. Ottawa stuck with Ullmark through a few shaky games. Toronto's Anthony Stolarz was dominant early in the matchup and has been let down by a lack of scoring support, with three Leafs goals tallied over the last seven periods of action.

Ullmark's Senators were the 212th NHL team to go down 3-0 in a series. They're the 26th to force Game 6, upping the success rate of underdogs in the situation to 12%, per Hockey Reference. For the record, 15 of those clubs fell in the sixth game, six lost in seven, and four rallied to complete the reverse sweep. - Nick Faris

Pearson's feel-good moment

Stick tap to Tanner Pearson. The veteran forward has been through a lot over the last few seasons.

Pearson was limited to 14 games in 2022-23 due to a hand injury that was mismanaged by the Canucks. Another hand injury limited him to 54 contests with the Canadiens a year ago. After signing a professional tryout, he had to earn a roster spot with the Golden Knights this campaign.

But Pearson played a huge role in the Golden Knights' overtime victory in Game 5 against the Wild, winning a key puck battle behind the net before setting up Brett Howden's game-winner with a sweet no-look pass. The assist was Pearson's first playoff point since the 2020 bubble.

The 32-year-old, who won a Cup with the Kings in 2014, is a depth player at this point in his career, but it's great to see him healthy and contributing again. - Josh Wegman

Caps, Jets, Bolts injury carousel

The expected return of Aliaksei Protas from a skate cut would be a major boost to the Capitals, who have the second round in their sights. Breakout seasons from the likes of Protas, a hulking 30-goal forward, helped catapult the Caps from the playoff fringe to the top of the Eastern Conference. They can eliminate the young, overachieving Canadiens at home in Wednesday's Game 5.

Lit up by the Blues in consecutive games, the Jets hope Gabe Vilardi can supply a spark in his comeback from injury. Vilardi authored his own career year while riding shotgun with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele on the NHL's most-used forward line. His return strengthens every line and adds support for Connor and Scheifele, who carried Winnipeg to two opening victories but were stifled along with the rest of the lineup in St. Louis.

The Lightning will try to stay afloat without Brandon Hagel, who absorbed the elbow to the head that got Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad suspended. The Battle of Florida's been nightmarish for Hagel. He has no points, hasn't been on the ice for a Tampa Bay goal, and was banished from Game 3. Hagel's late hit on Aleksander Barkov initiated a tit for tat in a chaotic, violent series. - Nick Faris

Losing goalies deserving better

There's only so much goalies can do at times. They can do their job incredibly well but have nothing to show for it. Take Jacob Markstrom, for example.

The Devils were vastly outmatched in a 4-1 series loss against the Hurricanes, but Markstrom was the only reason New Jersey was able to steal Game 3 and force overtime in Game 5. He faced 180 shots in the series (36 per game), more than any other goalie in the playoffs. He posted a .911 save percentage and stopped 5.07 goals saved above expected - the second-best mark among goalies this postseason, trailing only his counterpart for most of the series, Frederik Andersen (6.89), per Evolving-Hockey.

Markstrom isn't the only one, though.

Filip Gustavsson stole Games 2 and 3 for the Wild, stopping 30 of 32 shots in each contest. Even in back-to-back OT losses he turned aside 65 of 71 shots - especially impressive considering he was likely playing through an illness in Game 5 before eventually departing after the second period. He leads all goalies with a .919 save percentage this postseason and ranks fifth in GSAx.

Even Darcy Kuemper, whose playoffs started with a rough showing in Game 1, has turned a corner. He was the only reason L.A. managed to stay in Game 5, saving 43 of 45 shots. His save percentage the last four games is .916. Overall, his 1.48 GSAx is eighth-best this postseason - an impressive mark against the high-powered Oilers offense that's totally controlled the last few games. - Josh Wegman

Oilers' unsung heroes emerge

Mattias Janmark, scorer of six goals over his last 151 regular-season games, bagged his sixth goal of the past two postseasons for the surging Oilers in Wednesday's 3-1 win.

They leaned on the Kings until the dam burst. Evander Kane tied Game 5 on the Oilers' 22nd shot, and Janmark was on the spot to bury shot No. 38, a rebound in transition. Coach Kris Knoblauch dresses Janmark to kill penalties and be stingy for 10 minutes a night, but the fourth-line center's reputation for clutch offense continues to grow. Last year, his breakaway finish was Edmonton's only goal in Game 7 of the Cup Final.

Plus-minus is a flawed stat, but there's no discrediting Jake Walman's plus-8 differential in this series, the current NHL high. The deadline pickup gained body position on a Kings forechecker and airmailed the puck to start the rush that led to Janmark's winner. Los Angeles has four goals in the last eight periods, and none in the span when Walman, a defensive stabilizer, has been on the ice. - Nick Faris

Carolina's finally clutch

Sebastian Aho's series clincher at 4:17 of double overtime snapped the Hurricanes' cold streak in sudden death. The Canes had lost six consecutive playoff overtime games since the 2023 Eastern Conference Final on goals by these opponents: Matthew Tkachuk, Tkachuk again, Mathew Barzal, Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, and Simon Nemec.

A fitting hero pushed Carolina to Round 2. Aho's eight points against the Devils were a series high. He had two power-play snipes in Tuesday's theatrical 5-4 win, starting with the equalizer after the Canes got down 3-0 within 10 minutes and trailed again in the second period. Aho's second career playoff OT goal follows his series finisher against the Predators in the first round of 2021.

Aho models consistency. He's virtually assured to post a double-digit point total for the seventh straight postseason. He's up to 78 points in 79 career playoff outings. The only NHLers with better scoring rates over a similar volume of games are this era's defining legends (Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Sidney Crosby) and their superstar sidekicks (Leon Draisaitl, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Evgeni Malkin). - Nick Faris

Tuesday, April 29

Leafs' power play disappoints - again

The Maple Leafs' five-forward power-play unit dazzled down the stretch of the regular season, then put up five goals on nine opportunities to start the playoffs. The past two games have been a completely different story.

Toronto's power play was a liability in both Game 4 and Game 5.

On Tuesday, it failed to capitalize on three crucial opportunities against Ottawa despite extensive offensive-zone time. Props to the Senators for adjusting their penalty-killing strategy mid-series. All four skaters are collapsing in the slot area, encouraging Toronto to pass the puck around the perimeter while basically daring Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and the other Leafs stars to pick a corner on goalie Linus Ullmark. Zero picked so far.

Making matters worse, the Leafs have now surrendered a shorthanded goal in consecutive games. Matthews misread the PK coverage Tuesday and passed the puck to Adam Gaudette instead of Mitch Marner. Nylander, gassed from a long shift, couldn't keep up with Dylan Cozens on the ensuing rush. Gaudette fed Cozens, and he beat Anthony Stolarz clean for the shortie.

The special teams score in Games 4 and 5: Sens 3, Leafs 0. The power-play time: Toronto 12:24, Ottawa 5:32.

There's much more to pick apart about the Leafs' woeful showing in Game 5. But the headlining issue is the power play and its lack of pop. - John Matisz

Spotless victory for plucky Sens

Brady Tkachuk is apparently a man of his word.

"We're coming back here," the Senators captain barked multiple times to the Canadian Tire Centre crowd Saturday, having just avoided a series sweep at the hands of the Maple Leafs. Now, after Tuesday's statement victory in Toronto, the Senators are indeed headed back to Ottawa. Game 6 of the Battle of Ontario goes Thursday, and all the pressure is on the visiting Leafs.

The Sens played a nearly flawless team game Tuesday. The skater group was excellent defensively in all situations. Goalie Linus Ullmark authored his finest performance so far, turning aside 29 Toronto shots. Key offensive pieces produced - Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle combined for six points, while Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens each bagged their first career playoff goal.

The 4-0 win was the Sens' 11th shutout of 2024-25. Their 10 regular-season blanks tied the Connor Hellebuyck-juiced Jets for most in the NHL.

Jake Sanderson deserves a boatload of credit. The stud blue-liner was good in the opener and has upped his value with each passing game. He sniped the winning goal in Game 4 and put on an absolute clinic in modern defending in Game 5. Sanderson eliminated offense all over the ice in a game-high 26:27, leveraging his skating and reach like few NHLers can. - John Matisz

Ekblad's punishment fits on-ice crime

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended two games for delivering what the NHL Department of Player Safety considers a "high, forceful elbow" to the head of Lightning forward Brandon Hagel.

It's a reasonable punishment for Ekblad's retaliatory actions.

The incident occurred Monday in the second period of Game 4 in the Battle of Florida. It was Ekblad's second contest back after serving a 20-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Hagel exited Game 4 with an apparent head injury, and the Lightning have already ruled out the 90-point man for Wednesday's Game 5. Hagel himself was suspended for one game earlier in the series after laying out an unsuspecting Aleksander Barkov. The feisty winger had a target on his back.

The league said in its explanation video that Hagel's injury factored into the length. Conversely, Ekblad's clean record ("no relevant history") helped the 11-year veteran's case. - John Matisz

Bednar's doppelganger goes viral

The Stanley Cup Playoffs don't have to be completely serious all the time, and the Dallas fan impersonating Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar on Monday night offered a fun reminder of the spirit of the game.

In what was the biggest game of the series so far, this fan's getup created a lasting memory in an outstanding Stars performance that gave the team a 3-2 series lead. Bednar's doppelganger is reminiscent of former Senators bench boss Paul MacLean's lookalike, and with the Stars guaranteed to return home - be it in this series or the next - look out for this fan's next act. - Sean O'Leary

McDavid, Gretzky, and a historical quirk

When Connor McDavid faces the Kings in the postseason, his mind-boggling production puts him on par with No. 99.

McDavid has nine points through Game 4 (average of 2.25 per night), 45 points in 22 career Oilers-Kings matchups (2.05), and 126 points in 78 total playoff games (1.62). His colossal scoring average ranks second in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.

Wayne Gretzky (1.84 points per game) is the enduring record-holder. Mario Lemieux (1.61) is right behind McDavid. Retired center Barry Pederson (1.53) torched some defenses for the 1980s Bruins. And Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl (1.50) is another Kings slayer. They're the only qualified players who remotely compare to McDavid across a century of playoff action.

Then there are McDavid's unqualified comparables. Newsy Lalonde's 15 goals in seven bygone playoff games are the stuff of legend. Four fringe forwards dazzled in playoff cameos, never drew into the lineup again, and place high on the career points-per-game leaderboard before a filter is applied.

Derek Laxdal dished two assists for the 1990 Islanders in his single playoff outing. Rusty Crawford (1918 Toronto Arenas), Don Deacon (1939 Red Wings), and Steven Rice (1991 Rangers) share a stat line: two appearances, two goals, one assist. Rice, a first-round draft pick who was shipped to Edmonton in the Mark Messier trade, skated in 329 regular-season games for teams that tended to miss the playoffs, like the '90s Oilers and Hartford Whalers.

For a fleeting moment, these guys produced like McDavid on the NHL's big stage. That's a cool claim to fame. - Nick Faris

Rantanen takes charge for Stars

Mikko Rantanen's strange season produced a rewarding moment in Monday's pivotal Game 5.

His first Stars playoff goal stood as the winner in a 6-2 rout that pushed his former team to the edge of elimination. Rantanen skated in a straight line from the defensive zone to the Avalanche crease in the second period and shelved Roope Hintz's pass on an odd-man rush.

Players don't luck into 100-point years. Rantanen had two of those and won a Cup in Colorado, yet his stardom was questioned when he embarked on a winding journey and struggled to mesh with the Hurricanes as a blockbuster rental. He was traded again at the deadline, extended in Dallas through 2033, and rediscovered his scoring touch, but then he settled for one assist through the first four Stars-Avalanche matchups.

Rantanen's 31 shot attempts (18 on net) in the series are a team high. He couldn't have scripted a better time to dent Mackenzie Blackwood's save percentage, which fell from .939 to .909 after Monday. Dallas scored off the opening draw after holding leads for a measly 62 seconds of action through Game 4. Rantanen clapped back at his skeptics with assists to Wyatt Johnston and Hintz that helped foil Colorado's attempted comeback. - Nick Faris

Panthers-Lightning series out of control

The Battle of Florida, which pits arguably two of the best five teams in the NHL against each other in the first round, has devolved into madness.

The drama began in Game 2, with Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel thumping an unsuspecting Aleksander Barkov. The hit was very late and overly forceful. Hagel received a major penalty for interference, plus a one-game suspension.

The tables turned in Game 3, as Florida's Matthew Tkachuk nailed Jake Guentzel with a similar albeit less egregious hit. Tkachuk was assessed a major. However, the NHL's Department of Player Safety did not levy any supplemental discipline.

The series officially went off the rails in Monday's Game 4, as Florida's Aaron Ekblad - back following a 20-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy - delivered a forearm shiver to Hagel's head. No penalty was called. Later, another Panthers defenseman, Niko Mikkola, was assessed a major penalty for boarding and the series' first game misconduct. Ekblad would go on to score the tying goal in a 4-2 Panthers win.

Florida's up 3-1 in the series but could be without Ekblad for Game 5. His vicious and ostensibly targeted hit on Hagel is worthy of at least a one-game suspension, especially since there was no call on the ice. (Mikkola got off with a $5,000 fine.) The league needs to get the Ekblad punishment right to bring civility to a totally unhinged and poorly officiated series. - John Matisz

West players to watch tonight

A pair of Western Conference squads will seize 3-2 series leads Tuesday. Keep an eye on these players in Golden Knights-Wild at 9:30 p.m. ET and Kings-Oilers at 10 p.m. ET.

William Karlsson: The Golden Knights gave up an equalizer but began to tilt the ice in Game 4 when Karlsson and Jack Eichel united on the top line. Demoted in the lineup, Ivan Barbashev tapped in the overtime winner alongside Nicolas Roy and Reilly Smith. Vegas might have found the right mix to take control of the series, though that hinges on Karlsson escaping a terrible slump (two goals, 3% shooting percentage since Christmas).

Joel Eriksson Ek: Kirill Kaprizov scored four goals and eight points through four games. Minnesota linemate Matt Boldy has four goals and six points. Their center, Eriksson Ek, remains snakebitten and stuck on no goals with one assist despite leading the series with 17 shots on target. The Wild missed Eriksson Ek's power and competitiveness when he was injured throughout the season, and they could use a timely tally tonight.

Drew Doughty: Los Angeles has outscored Edmonton 14-6 through the first 40 minutes of games. The Kings are down 12-5 in third periods and OT. The Oilers, who are proficient comeback artists, now have eight wins between the regular season and playoffs when they trail entering the third. Coach Jim Hiller is reluctant to trust his depth defenders, so Doughty and his partner on the top pair, Mikey Anderson, must dig deep until the clock expires.

Leon Draisaitl: Edmonton's Hart Trophy candidate has been on the ice for 12 goals for and three against. Shot attempts (120-45), shots on net (51-23), and dangerous chances (19-5) in his five-on-five shifts heavily favor the Oilers. Besides defense and goaltending, this team's biggest problem is that Draisaitl and Connor McDavid occasionally need to rest. Their dominance delivers victories. - Nick Faris

East players to watch tonight

Tuesday's slate is crammed with important Game 5s, beginning with Maple Leafs-Senators at 7 p.m. ET and Hurricanes-Devils at 7:30 p.m. ET. These four players can profoundly influence the drama.

Auston Matthews: Toronto is in closeout territory, so the captain's impact in that situation is under the microscope. The Leafs are 1-12 with a chance to eliminate opponents in the Matthews era. His career scoring average in those pressurized games (0.69 points) pales in comparison to non-closeout playoff games (0.93) and the regular season (1.16). It's time for him to blast a puck past Linus Ullmark to cap a strong series and stop Ottawa from sowing doubt.

Jake Sanderson: Ottawa's most important skater is the 22-year-old defenseman who raced to save the puck at the blue line before unloading his Game 4 overtime winner. Sanderson, one of the NHL's most fluid skaters, tops the matchup in ice time (27:35 per night) by a sizable margin. He's been assigned to shadow Matthews, and his three points co-lead a team that's struggled to put many shots and dangerous chances on net.

Pyotr Kochetkov: Carolina's in cruise control against the banged-up Devils, but goalie Frederik Andersen was run over by Timo Meier and won't play in Game 5. Andersen's .936 save percentage in the round shows he'd rediscovered his groove after slumping to end the regular season. Kochetkov, the healthier Hurricanes goalie over the past couple of years, is about to make his eighth career playoff appearance (third start).

Nico Hischier: The Devils are on the ropes and seeking a counterpunch in Raleigh, where they were outscored 7-2 and outshot 73-50 in Games 1-2. They need leadership by example from Hischier, their first-line center in Jack Hughes' absence, and as much production as he can muster. Hischier has three goals, all at even strength, despite being tailed for much of the series by shutdown god Jaccob Slavin. Can he somehow reach another gear? - Nick Faris

Time to unleash Rossi

The Wild's usage of Marco Rossi through four playoff games against the Golden Knights has been curious, to say the least. He's averaging 10:53 per contest - the third-lowest mark among Wild skaters - while centering Minnesota's fourth line. Rossi has managed two goals and an assist in his last two games, but it hasn't translated to an increased role - yet.

Rossi is just 23 years old and undersized at 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, so it's easy to understand why head coach John Hynes may be hesitant to trust the 2020 No. 9 pick. His underlying numbers aren't great, either: He owns a paltry 31.4% expected goals share at five-on-five, per Evolving-Hockey. But that's still better than third-line center Frederick Gaudreau (30.4%), who's getting 14:40 per night and is without a point in the series.

Rossi finished second among Wild skaters in points (60) and third in goals (24) during the regular season. Since his production has begun to translate to the postseason, Hynes should be inclined to bump Rossi's minutes, and perhaps try him alongside more talented wingers than Yakov Trenin and Justin Brazeau. - Josh Wegman

Monday, April 28

Top shorthanded weapons

The PWHL, whose second regular season ends Saturday, has innovative rules that set it apart from the NHL. One is the jailbreak rule, which terminates power plays and frees the guilty party from the box when a shorthanded goal gets scored.

There's no indication the NHL would adopt the jailbreak, but top shorthanded scorers, including Sam Reinhart and Robert Thomas, praised the concept in interviews with theScore when the PWHL rolled it out. The rule rewards penalty killers for pursuing, possessing, and potting the puck. It's a powerful incentive and psychological boost.

Imagine what the jailbreak would look, feel, and sound like in a Stanley Cup Playoff setting. Logan O'Connor would have absolved Devon Toews for a delay-of-game infraction while thrilling the Colorado faithful with his steal and breakaway rip against Dallas. David Perron could have triumphantly left the sin bin when Shane Pinto put Ottawa up 2-0 in a must-win at home against Toronto.

When New Jersey drew a slashing minor in Game 2, Jordan Martinook's immediate snipe to the top corner stole the momentum and helped widen Carolina's series lead. Reilly Smith's shorthanded deke spooked Minnesota in Game 3, but Marcus Foligno responded with his own shorty into Vegas' empty net.

During the regular season, the Rangers (18 shorthanded goals), Panthers (12), Lightning (11), Hurricanes (10), and Sabres (10) would have been the jailbreak's greatest beneficiaries. Vincent Trocheck and Alex Tuch tallied six apiece, and Reinhart and Seth Jarvis led players who made the postseason with five. - Nick Faris

UFA stock watch

Let's look at a few pending unrestricted free agents who've improved their stock to start the postseason.

John Tavares: Three goals and two assists. Clutch faceoff wins. Second on the Maple Leafs in shot and expected goals generation. Tavares has been a difference-maker through four Toronto-Ottawa games. The assumption is the 34-year-old, two-way center re-signs on a team-friendly deal. Surely, given his impressive regular season and playoffs, other clubs are considering offering Tavares a deal he can't refuse. Teammate Mitch Marner, the 2025 free agent class headliner, has also had a strong start to the playoffs.

Anthony Beauvillier: The Capitals were careful not to disrupt chemistry midseason, making few moves. One they did make - Beauvillier in for a second-round pick - is working wonders. Beauvillier, a smart and speedy winger skating on a line with Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin, carries a four-game point streak into Wednesday's Game 5 against the Canadiens. He's up to 36 points in 59 career playoff games. Washington is Beauvillier's sixth NHL team after four trades. He'll likely seek security in free agency.

Corey Perry: Perry, who turns 40 on May 16, is proving he still has gas in the tank. He's been a net-front headache all series against the Los Angeles Kings, collecting two goals and an assist in four games. "The Worm" displayed exceptional hand-eye coordination Sunday when he batted in the puck for Edmonton's first goal in a 4-3 overtime comeback victory. "I honestly feel like he could play until he's 50, just because of his brain," Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl told reporters after Game 4.

Honorable mentions: Andrei Kuzmenko (five points in four games for the Kings), Frederik Andersen (.936 save percentage for the Carolina Hurricanes before getting hurt Sunday). - John Matisz

Devils win for worst luck

Injuries sink playoff runs, and rotten luck in that department continues to haunt the Devils as they face elimination.

Defensemen Brenden Dillon, Luke Hughes, and Johnathan Kovacevic remain out for Tuesday's must-win Game 5 in Raleigh. Dillon and Hughes were hurt in the series opener against the Hurricanes. Kovacevic's injury forced New Jersey to play with five blue-liners for the bulk of Game 3, which finally ended when Simon Nemec scored in double overtime to secure the Devils' lone victory.

New Jersey's makeshift top pair of Brian Dumoulin and Brett Pesce is absorbing huge minutes. Both members of the second pair - Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler - just returned from their own long absences. The Devils are battling, but they've been outscored 5-0 on special teams and 14-7 overall with a 6.4% team shooting percentage. Facing Carolina without Jack Hughes and half of a blue line is a miserable experience. - Nick Faris

Is fatigue ailing Kings?

It's fair to wonder if the Kings are running out of gas. Los Angeles blew leads in back-to-back losses in Games 3 and 4 with head coach Jim Hiller running a short bench. His team was significantly outplayed after the 40-minute mark of those contests, controlling just 24.4% of the expected goals at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.

The Kings are essentially utilizing nine forwards and four-and-a-half defensemen. Fourth-liners Alex Turcotte (4:13), Trevor Lewis (4:10), Jeff Malott (4:10), and Samuel Helenius (2:58) are averaging less than five minutes per game. After the top four on defense, Brandt Clarke (11:49), Jordan Spence (6:08), and Jacob Moverare (2:31) have played sparingly.

Hiller has tried mixing and matching. Turcotte, Lewis, Spence, and Moverare have been scratched at different points in the series. But in the end, it's putting more wear and tear on the Kings' top players.

Edmonton's big guns have stepped up in big moments, but its depth - particularly up front - is prevailing in this series. The Oilers' least-used forward, Trent Frederic, is still averaging 10:40 per contest. The ability to roll four lines keeps everyone else fresh. - Josh Wegman

Electric Oilers strike again

The two-win homestand that destroyed the Kings' momentum and tied a thrilling series was vintage Oilers.

Game 4 exemplified how they triumph in the playoffs. It was harder than it needed to be, and Edmonton won because Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and a talented player in their orbit pulled a rabbit out of a hat.

Once again, Sunday's heroic sidekick was Evan Bouchard - the ultimate boom-or-bust defenseman, as colleague Josh Wegman wrote before puck drop. Bouchard coughed up possession and let breakaway scorer Kevin Fiala slip behind him as the Oilers went down 3-1. But his offensive instincts and booming one-timer made the difference in the third period. His pair of goals, both assisted by Draisaitl and McDavid, forced overtime.

Draisaitl cemented the frantic comeback and put the finishing touch on a four-point night - his sixth over the past four postseasons - by roofing Edmonton's 17th shot in OT. He, McDavid, and Bouchard all played over 30 minutes. McDavid spun away from the OT celebration to thank Calvin Pickard for his 38 saves, including 19 straight to end the game.

Noted Oilers killers Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar were kept quiet. The top-line drivers had tallied 16 points through three matchups, including four apiece in Game 2, when they thoroughly outclassed Draisaitl and McDavid. The Kings may be able to bounce back on home ice and finally oust their playoff nemesis if they fight fire with fire. - Nick Faris

Hagel back in the mix

Controversial hits in the Battle of Florida are a thing of the past - we'll see how long that lasts - and Lightning forward Brandon Hagel will be back in the lineup for Monday's massive Game 4 after serving a one-game suspension. Matthew Tkachuk will also dress after avoiding discipline for his retribution on Jake Guentzel, but we're zeroing in on Hagel for this one.

Hagel's foray back into the series will give Tampa Bay its optimal top six. Jon Cooper united Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point in Game 3, and it paid dividends in the Lightning's commanding win. Keeping that trio together allows Hagel to skate with Anthony Cirelli on the second line.

Hagel and Cirelli dominated when playing together this season. They played nearly 1,000 five-on-five minutes together, outscoring opponents 52-36 while controlling 61% of expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick. They're two of the strongest two-way forwards in the NHL and can make a notable difference as the Lightning seek to make this series a best of three. - Sean O'Leary

Panthers' Verhaeghe is extremely due

Carter Verhaeghe scored on 14.8% of his shots on goal in his first five NHL regular seasons - a span of 330 games, which is no small sample. A nightly threat off the rush, he earned the "sniper" label fair and square.

The speedy Panthers winger then shot 8.3% this year despite registering shot attempts, shots on goal, and expected goals at fairly normal rates by his standards. He endured six stretches of at least five games without a goal, the longest drought extending to a miserable 13 games. The final tally: 20 goals in 81 games to follow 34 in 76 in 2023-24 and a career-high 42 in 81 in 2022-23.

All of this is context for what's happening right now. Verhaeghe, who signed an eight-year, $56-million contract extension with Florida last fall, has yet to score in three games against the Lightning. He had no past issues in the playoffs, bagging an unbelievable 24 goals in 55 games from 2022-24, including 10 game-winners (five in overtime). He's firing the puck at Tampa Bay's net plenty to start the series, just like he was during the regular season.

Three games isn't a drought, and Verhaeghe is well beyond due to break out, perhaps as early as Monday's Game 4. (He has to, right?). Either way, what an odd season for the two-time Stanley Cup champion. - John Matisz

Sunday, April 27

Paper-eating Duhaime comes up big

Brandon Duhaime recently went viral for literally eating the Capitals' lineup card to fire up his teammates ahead of Games 1 and 2 against the Canadiens. The antics were on brand for the forward, with childhood friend and Caps teammate Jakob Chychrun saying, "That's Doggy, that's what he does."

Duhaime - or "Doggy" or "Dewey " - became a focus again in Games 3 and 4.

On Friday, the 27-year-old accidentally deflected a puck past his own goalie in front of a raucous Bell Centre crowd. Duhaime reacted with a look of horror. It turned out to be the game-winning goal in a 6-3 Montreal win.

On Sunday, Duhaime redeemed himself by scoring twice in the third period. The first goal, which came seconds after teammate Tom Wilson issued a violent but clean hit at center ice, knotted Game 4 at 2-2. The second, an empty-netter, iced it 4-2. The Caps won 5-2 and now hold a 3-1 series lead.

Duhaime, picked in the fourth round, 106th overall, in 2016 by the Wild, entered Sunday's game with one career goal in 26 playoff appearances. He logged the sixth-most minutes among Caps forwards (13:16), recorded three shots on goal, five hits, and two blocks, and drew a minor penalty.

It was a stellar performance for a depth guy. The question now: With Washington back in the driver's seat, will Duhaime be back on lineup-card duty, reading and eating, ahead of Wednesday's Game 5? - John Matisz

Andersen injury par for the course

Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen left Sunday's game against New Jersey following a collision with crease-crashing Devil Timo Meier. Pyotr Kochetkov took over, and the Hurricanes cruised to a 5-2 victory to take a 3-1 series lead.

This development is par for the course for a few reasons. Andersen's encountered horrible injury luck during his career. Blood clotting and a major knee injury limited him to 38 total games over the past two regular seasons. The Dane's latest issue, coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters, will be evaluated Monday.

The Hurricanes have made the playoffs in all seven Brind-Amour-led seasons, winning at least one series six times and advancing to the conference finals twice. A Stanley Cup Final appearance has eluded the club thanks to two lingering issues: lack of timely goals and lack of timely saves. Andersen had stopped 88 of 94 Devil shots before the Meier collision, which controversially went unpenalized. The injury hurts Carolina's chances of flipping the script.

Canes-Devils has been the series of injuries. The Devils played Game 4 without Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon, and Jonathan Kovacevic.

Andersen is far from the first starting goalie of the opening round to miss time.

Both goalies in Capitals-Canadiens left Game 3 due to injury, and while Washington's Logan Thompson returned Sunday for Game 4, Montreal's Samuel Montembeault remains out. Meanwhile, Edmonton's Stuart Skinner, Dallas' Jake Oettinger, Vegas' Adin Hill, and Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck (twice) have all been yanked midgame for performance reasons. - John Matisz

Blues boast what Jets need

The first three Jets-Blues clashes belonged to the top lines. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Alex Iafallo scored five of seven goals, including both third-period winners, in Winnipeg's victories. Pavel Buchnevich bagged a Game 3 hat trick with plenty of help from Robert Thomas and playmaking defenseman Cam Fowler (four assists apiece).

To square the series, St. Louis inflicted a Jets collapse in Game 4 with five unanswered goals from as many sources. Jake Neighbours scored on a mid-air bunt. Point shots from Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk either sailed past screens or deflected in off Neal Pionk's backside. Thomas and Brayden Schenn wound up alone by the crease when they tucked in pucks.

The 5-1 result widened the yawning gulf between Jordan Binnington - who was cool, collected, and perfectly positioned to stop 30 shots - and the Vezina Trophy shoo-in at the other end.

Connor Hellebuyck's save percentage plunged to .817 in the round and .863 over the last three postseasons. He can't keep defacing his reputation in Game 5, which feels like a must-win for Winnipeg in light of the Blues' undefeated heater across their last 14 home games.

Sunday also exposed the Jets' lack of scoring depth. Their only goal stemmed from the top line's relentless checking and puck control in tight spaces, which led to Connor's backhand finish. Four prospective secondary scorers - Cole Perfetti, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, and Adam Lowry - have only chipped in one goal, three points, and 24 shots on net in the series.

Winnipeg misses the injured Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabe Vilardi, who briefly warmed up Sunday as he inches closer to dressing. The first line is flexing its muscle and scoring touch, but can another forward be the next man up? - Nick Faris

Can Bouchard mitigate mistakes?

Evan Bouchard is the ultimate Jekyll-and-Hyde player. He's blessed with supreme offensive skill but is prone to boneheaded mistakes that usually end up with him digging the puck out of his net. The latter is a major reason why he didn't sniff Canada's 4 Nations roster.

In Game 1 against the Kings, Bouchard had three assists but also an egregious turnover that proved to be costly in a one-goal loss. In Game 2, he gave Quinton Byfield way too much space on a two-on-one, but the Oilers were blown out anyway. In Game 3, he kept the mistakes to a minimum and scored two huge power-play goals in an Oilers win.

The Oilers need more of the Game 3 version of Bouchard for them to come back in this series. The 25-year-old has added pressure to play a more mature game with Mattias Ekholm - Edmonton's best defensive defenseman and Bouchard's usual partner - not available in this series. Is Bouchard up to the challenge of keeping Mr. Hyde from emerging? - Josh Wegman

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