The Pittsburgh Penguins' playoff run came to an end on Wednesday night, as they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime by a 1-0 final score. The Penguins showed great heart after going down 3-0 in the series by winning Games 4 and 5, but they just fell short in Game 6.
Now, the offseason is here for the Penguins, and it should be a very big summer in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have several pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) to make decisions about this summer.
However, there appears to be a good chance that these three pending UFAs won't be back for the Penguins next season.
Stuart Skinner, G
After losing the Penguins' crease during the playoffs to Arturs Silovs, it is certainly fair to wonder if Stuart Skinner's time in Pittsburgh could be coming to an end. This is especially so when noting that the Penguins also have top goalie prospect Sergei Murashov looking NHL-ready.
In 27 games this season for the Penguins after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner had a 12-9-5 record, a 2.99 goals-against average, and an .885 save percentage.
Kevin Hayes, RW, C
Kevin Hayes is another Penguins pending UFA who likely won't be back next season. The 33-year-old forward became the odd man out on Pittsburgh's roster this season and was scratched several times because of it.
In 28 games this season with the Penguins, he had four goals, eight points, and a minus-1 rating. He did not play in a single postseason game for the Pens.
Connor Clifton, D
It would not be particularly surprising if the Penguins let Connor Clifton leave in free agency. The 31-year-old was scratched often this season by the Penguins, and that included multiple times during the playoffs.
With this, it would not be shocking if the Penguins looked to add a younger upgrade for their right side over Clifton. In 50 games this season, Clifton had two goals and four assists. He also had zero points and a minus-3 rating in three playoff games.
MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 26: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Tampa Bay Lightning crashes into goaltender Jakub Dobes #75 of the Montréal Canadiens during the second period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 26, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montréal Canadiens 3-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the month of April about to be in the books, we’re nearing the end of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Six of the eight series have been incredibly hard fought with either high levels of quality hockey, entertaining hockey, or burning hatred between the two sides.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been idle for four full days going on five days after completing a sweep of the Ottawa Senators, and while we now know their first round opponent will be the Philadelphia Flyers, we still don’t know much else about who will be in the mix in round two.
Here’s the state of play around the league outside of Carolina’s four-game sweep:
Eastern Conference
Philadelphia Flyers def. Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2
The Flyers became the third team to advance to the second round on Wednesday night with a 1-0 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, meaning they will be Carolina’s opponent in round two.
Philadelphia avoided becoming the fifth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead in the playoffs, as Pittsburgh was just one more goal away from forcing a decisive Game 7 on home ice.
More coming on the Flyers later today, but this sets up an interesting off-season in the Steel City, as Evgeni Malkin is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and while he turned back the clock in the regular season, the tone about extending his career in Pittsburgh has been noncommittal from both sides since training camp.
Kyle Dubas did a good job putting a solid team together this year, but he will have his work cut out for him in his bid to give Sidney Crosby another shut in the playoffs next year.
Buffalo Sabres lead Boston Bruins, 3-2
Speaking of being on the verge of blowing leads, things looked over and done for the Bruins after a humiliating 6-1 loss at home in Game 4 to go down 3-1.
Then, Jeremy Swayman and David Pastrnak did what they usually do in Game 5 in Buffalo, as Swayman bounced back from Game 4 and Pastrnak delivered a silky smooth overtime winner to quiet the Buffalo crowd and send the series back to Beantown for Game 6 Friday night.
For the Sabres, the season they snapped what was by far the longest playoff drought in the NHL should have felt like house money, but this team was too good all year to accept a first-round exit against an inferior opponent.
Now, the pressure is squarely on for a largely inexperienced group to close the door on a savvy but flawed Bruins squad.
Montreal Canadiens lead Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2
There are a few strong contenders, but for me, this has been the best series of the first round. Three of the five games have been decided in overtime, and the other two were one-goal games that came down to the wire.
Tampa Bay seemed to grab momentum when Brandon Hagel’s sixth goal of the series late in the third period of Game 4 gave them a win that tied the series, as of course the Vegas-favored and more experienced Lightning finding their footing and heading back home would give them a major edge, right?
Wrong. The Canadiens went to Florida and stunned the Bolts on Wednesday night, as Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy let in one of the worst game-winners you’ll see all postseason in a 3-2 loss to put his team’s backs against the wall.
For all the talk of Montreal’s top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky being elite, it was the team’s forward depth that won them the game Wednesday as Brendan Gallagher, Kirby Dach, and Alexandre Texier came up with the club’s goals.
The fourth one is the hardest to win, and Tampa Bay won’t go down without a fight, but the Canadiens are a very, very dangerous team.
Western Conference
Colorado Avalanche def. Los Angeles Kings, 4-0
While it may have been a little bit surprising that the Hurricanes swept a Senators team down the stretch, there is absolutely zero surprise that the Avalanche did away with the Kings in four games.
The Presidents’ Trophy winners are the favorites to lift Lord Stanley, and everyone knows it, and Colorado really wasn’t tested here despite delivering a solid all-around performance. Fresh off his first 100-point season, though, former Hurricanes Martin Necas was held without a goal and limited to just two assists. His playoff struggles in Carolina were well-documented, and against tougher teams, the Avs will need him to be a factor in producing offensively.
On the other side, what a phenomenal career for retiring Kings center Anze Kopitar. It was great to see him get his due respect this season and then in the handshake line after Game 4.
Another former Hurricane who has something to do with Martin Necas (can’t quite recall exactly why) and his team are facing elimination here, as Mikko Rantanen and a hobbled Stars team just can not muster a goal at 5-on-5.
Dallas’ power play is keeping them in the series, but Minnesota has brought an all-around game backstopped by the phenomenal play of rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt. Olympic gold medalist Matthew Boldy has been a revelation for the Wild, as has the top pairing of his fellow gold medalists in Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber.
The Stars had a 2-1 series lead, but an overtime win at home for Minnesota in Game 4 followed by a relatively comfortable 4-2 win on the road in Game 5 have allowed the Wild to flip the script.
This series was always going to be a close one between two teams that deserved better fates than losing in the first round. The Wild have a chance to knock out the Stars on home ice on Thursday for the opportunity to take their shot at the Avalanche.
Vegas Golden Knights lead Utah Mammoth, 3-2
This a series with a clear-cut villain against a squad pretty much everyone wants to see win.
Just like in the last series, a 2-1 lead for one team has been flipped to a 3-2 lead for the other, as the Golden Knights have come up with back-to-back overtime wins to push the Mammoth to the brink.
Neither team is getting much in the way of quality goaltending, as Carter Hart and Karel Vejmelka have both struggled mightily. Vejmelka and Utah failed to hold on to 4-3 third-period leads in both Games 4 and 5, and it looks like that might cost the Mammoth their season.
Game 6 is slated for Friday night at 10:00 PM EST from Salt Lake City, and if you can stomach the lack of sleep, that promises to be one of the best games of the postseason.
Anaheim Ducks lead Edmonton Oilers, 3-2
This series sort of mirrors the one between Boston and Buffalo, but in this instance, instead of being a just-okay Bruins squad, the team looking to come back is the two-time reigning Western Conference champion Oilers.
Led by a valiant effort from Connor McDavid in Game 5, the Oilers cut a 3-1 series deficit to 3-2 behind strong play in net from Connor Ingram after looking like a team with nothing left in the tank through four games.
The Ducks are going to be one of the forces of the next decade or so in this league. Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier are a phenomenal one-two offensive punch, and Jackson LaCombe is the new Jaccob Slavin in that he’s this generation’s outstanding defenseman on a smaller market team that the national media is realizing has been overlooked for a bit.
While Anaheim’s future is promising, they could make their present intriguing too if they can find a way to deliver a knockout blow to the Oilers in Orange County on Thursday night.
The former 2018 third-round (76th overall) pick by Toronto has spent the last three seasons back in his home country of Russia, playing in the KHL, and has been quite productive.
Der-Arguchintsev appeared in only one NHL game since he was drafted in 2018, with the Maple Leafs against the Dallas Stars on Dec. 6, 2022. The playmaking forward then left Toronto in the summer of 2023 as a restricted free agent for a fresh start back home in the KHL.
He definitely got that, and now is looking to return to the team that drafted him.
"Semyon is considering the option of returning to Toronto," his agent, Shumi Babaev,
told R.org in an article posted on Tuesday. "We contacted former general manager Brad Treliving and expressed our desire to return to the club’s system. Now we are waiting for the appointment of a new general manager and to understand his position."
In his three seasons in the KHL, Der-Arguchintsev has scored 101 points (36 goals and 65 assists) in 171 regular season games. The 25-year-old also put up eight goals and 24 points in 36 KHL playoff games.
Der-Arguchintsev most recently made headlines after scoring a highlight-reel shootout-winner for Dynamo Moscow in mid-March.
Babaev adds that his experience back in Russia has helped prepare Der-Arguchintsev for another opportunity to try and crack the Maple Leafs' roster.
"I believe Semyon is ready for the NHL. Of course, he has to be ready for the possibility of playing in the AHL, but there is no point in going there just for that," Babaev said. "We are talking about a one-way contract with a salary closer to the league minimum."
The Maple Leafs may be looking for more depth this summer as the likes of Matias Maccelli, Nick Robertson, Jacob Quillan, and Ryan Tverberg are all pending restricted free agents.
Calle Jarnkrok, Travis Boyd, and Vinni Lettieri are also set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
Der-Arguchintsev's agent adds that there have been no "concrete negotiations" with the player's KHL club, Dynamo, and that the club has yet to contact their side about an extension.
Depending on how things shape out this summer, the Maple Leafs may be able to use Der-Arguchintsev's skill in their bottom six. First, though, Toronto needs to figure out its front office structure.
Once that's concluded, we'll see if they're interested in bringing the former prospect back in.
The Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning were back at it for Game 5 on Wednesday night. For the first time in this series, Martin St-Louis decided to bring a new player into his lineup: the 33-year-old battle-tested veteran, Brendan Gallagher. Ahead of the game, the Habs released a lineup that they didn’t really plan on using, which was St-Louis keeping his cards close to his chest, but he put his cards on the table at the opening draw, sending Juraj Slafkovsky out with Jake Evans and Ivan Demidov.
While the Buffalo Sabres’ crowd charmed Canada by singing its national anthem on Tuesday night, for a third game in a row, the singer chosen by Tampa wasn’t exactly up to the task. Not that that’s what people are there to see, but it does make you wonder.
Gallagher had been waiting for his opportunity since the start of the series, and he wasn’t going to miss it. With just three minutes gone in the game, he went hard to the net and picked up the scraps of a great individual effort by Alex Newhook to give the Canadiens an early 1-0 lead. In the first frame, he only spent 2:24 on the ice, but every time he was there, he was visible and managed to land two hits.
Then, in the second frame, he only added two minutes and 15 seconds to his tally, and he added another hit and late in the period, came in at full speed to pick Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pocket and feed Phillip Danault in front of the net, but he couldn’t put it in.
The veteran played a total of 6:48 across 10 shifts on the night, and all were solid, disciplined minutes. He didn’t extend any of his shifts, and it was a winning formula.
So Gallagher sits 4 games in the regular season, scores against Philly. Sits 4 games in the playoffs, scores against the Bolts...interesting. #GoHabsGo
Jakub Dobes has been playing aggressively all series long, and, in most games, it has served him very well. Early in Game 5, the Canadiens had a four-minute power play, and the netminder was their best player on that sequence. When the puck came deep into the Canadiens zone, he came out and stickhandled patiently with it, keeping it away from none other than Brandon Hagel before calmly passing it. A few seconds later, he found himself in possession of the puck and launched a rocket of a transition pass.
He’s also very aware of what’s going on around his net and made a good poke check as the Bolts were trying to catch him with a wraparound, without tripping the player. While what you’re mainly looking for from a goalie is making the saves behind the posts, it’s little plays like that that can give you the upper hand on a play that can turn out to be very important.
Still, in the dying seconds, it was his ability to make the important saves that allowed the Canadiens to fly back home with a 3-2 win and a 3-2 series lead. The masked man finished the game with 38 saves on 40 shots for a .950 save percentage. You can’t ask for much more from a goaltender.
Bouncing Back
The Canadiens could have been deflated when Dominic James scored on a two-on-one seconds after the referees missed a couple of penalty calls, but they weren’t. Just 11 seconds later, Kirby Dach gave the Habs their one-goal lead back, allowing them to move right along and let go of the frustration.
The big Albertan who had a great bounce-back game in Game 3 was much less visible in Game 4, but in Tampa, he certainly made his presence felt at the right time.
After sticking to his guns about his first time for the first four games, the Canadiens’ coach finally decided it was time to mix things up. He brought the energetic and forechecking machine, Josh Anderson, to the first line and put Slafkovsky with Demidov and Evans on the second line, creating a new challenge for Jon Cooper. Furthermore, instead of trying to give his guys rhythm by sticking to his combinations, he made on-the-fly adjustments a la Cooper.
When the Lightning had tired players on the ice, he sent out his usual first line, and the Bolts were struggling to keep up with them and cut their space. While they didn’t score, they produced good pressure, which carried over to the next line. Unfortunately, the sequence ended with a bad decision by Mike Matheson, who missed the net with a high shot. The puck bounced off the glass and sent Tampa off on a two-on-one, on which they tied up the game.
Once the Canadiens had regained the lead through Alexandre Texier early in the third, St-Louis also started deploying Danault alongside Suzuki, making his line more defensively responsible.
The two teams will meet again at 7:00 PM on Friday night, at the Bell Centre, and chances are, we’ll be in for yet another tight battle.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' Big Three of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang has been a huge part of the team's success with three Stanley Cup championships and nearly 4,000 games together.
But Malkin's contract is up and he can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Could this be the end of the Big Three?
Malkin has indicated a desire to return and general manager Kyle Dubas put off the decision until the offseason, which has arrived for the Penguins after their 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6.
He certainly can still play. He had 61 points in 56 games during the regular season, but he did miss 26 games with injury and a five-game suspension. A one-year deal would be a good compromise for the soon-to-be 40-year-old.
Crosby has one year left on his contract at $8.7 million, meaning he can sign an extension as early as July 1. Letang has two more years at $6.1 million. Though Letang's play appears to have slipped a bit, he did score the winning goals in Games 4 and 5.
The Penguins have more decisions to make than just on Malkin.
Anthony Mantha is also an unrestricted free agent. He scored 33 goals in the regular season on a one-year, $2.5 million contract but had only one point in six games in the playoffs.
Connor Dewar, Noel Acciari, Kevin Hayes, Connor Clifton and Ryan Shea are also pending UFAs.
So is goalie Stuart Skinner, who arrived this season in a trade. But the Penguins have to re-sign Arturs Silovs, who replaced Skinner (three losses) and won two playoff games and pushed Game 6 to overtime.
The Penguins also have goalie prospect Sergei Murashov, 22, in the American Hockey League. Could they let Skinner walk to give Murashov a chance for promotion?
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 29: Erik Karlsson #65 and Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins exchange words with Trevor Zegras #46 of the Philadelphia Flyers after the whistle during the first overtime period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Up until the very end, the Pittsburgh Penguins battled and fought to force a Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers in their first round series, but Dan Vladar was a brick wall in net and Cam York found a just enough daylight behind Arturs Silovs to score an overtime winner that gave the Flyers a 1-0 victory in Game 6 to eliminate the Penguins and send the Flyers into the second round where they will face the Carolina Hurricanes.
After no scoring through 60 minutes thanks to some stellar goaltending from both Silovs and Vladar, Game 6 went into overtime for the first time this series and the Penguins were in control for much of the overtime period but Vladar never blinked. Although they had few opportunities in the extra frame, all the Flyers needed was to make one count and Cam York did exactly that to initiate handshakes between the two rivals. [Pensburgh]
Pens Points…
Mario Lemieux was in attendance for the Penguins Game 5 win on Monday night and his presence around the team may become more frequent in the near future. According to sources close to Mario, he is planning on having a bigger role with the franchise once the team sale is approved to the Hoffman family. [The Athletic $$]
In case of emergency, the Penguins recalled Joel Blomqvist from the AHL on Wednesday to serve as the third goalie for Game 6 in Philadelphia. Sergei Murashov held that role earlier in the series, but with him being the top netminder in Wilkes-Barre, it was Blomqvist getting the nod last night. [Trib Live]
It has been a roller coaster 2025-26 for Kris Letang, with seemingly more downs than ups this season. While there will certainly be questions about Letang’s future this offseason, right now he is playing his best hockey of the season right as the team needs him most. [The Hockey News]
Aside from a single assist in Game 5, this has been a series to forget for Penguins leading goal scorer Anthony Mantha. Through 19 career playoff games, Mantha has never recorded a postseason goal, but he’s hoping if he start putting more puck on net his luck will start to change. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
It’s all Eastern Conference goalies among the finalists for the Vezina Trophy this season. Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders and Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins will each be looking to take home their first Vezina while now six-time finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy will hope to add to his 2019 win. [NHL]
After being held pointless in a four game sweep against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk spoke to the media on Tuesday and denied any rumors he was unhappy in Canada’s capital and could be looking for a way out this offseason. [NHL]
The playoffs are steadily widdling down the number of combatants, with the Penguins the latest to fall. Tonight the Wild-Stars and Ducks-Oilers resume their series, with the home team in each aiming to stave off elimination again.
Yesterday’s late-breaking news was expected yet tempered by the Islanders’ late-season swoon: Ilya Sorokin is indeed one of the Vezina finalists for best goalie, along with Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy. The other two are the common favorites, so don’t hold your breath for Ilya.
But without Pavel Dorofeyev, the Golden Knights wouldn’t have made it to overtime. The winger recorded his first career playoff hat trick in a 5-4 win, including the game-tying goal with 52 seconds remaining in regulation.
With 37 goals in the regular season, Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights in scoring for the second consecutive year. However, after a costly mistake in Game 4 on Monday, he rode the pine for most of the third period.
On Wednesday, he bounced back, and he did so in a big way.
“Players make big plays at key times,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella. “Perfect timing. It's good timing. He was fighting it a little bit, but he’s found his game. Hopefully, it’ll continue.”
Dorofeyev scored his first of the night on the power play with 41 seconds remaining in the first period. Tomáš Hertl made a play to find him all alone in the right circle, and Dorofeyev picked his spot.
French fries for my drive to Utah! Pavel is all alone in the right circle and beats Vejmelka clean.
His next two goals came because of his willingness to go to the net.
“Everything around that net, so many things are happening. It’s a big part of playoff hockey, protecting your blue and getting to the other blue,” said Tortorella. “The puck seems to find him when he’s on his game. I thought he’s done a really good job of the battles, too, as far as battling for pucks. You do stuff on the other part of the game, I think you get rewarded in the strength of the game.”
Dorofeyev’s second of the night came off an excellent drop-pass by Shea Theodore after Jack Eichel won an offensive zone draw. As Theodore pressed lower in the zone, Dorofeyev went to the net. When Theodore fed him a drop-pass from below the goal line, the winger roofed it.
Ew. Shea Theodore jukes Kevin Stenlund, dances below the goal line and hits Pavel Dorofeyev with a drop pass. Pavel is once again all alone and roofs it.
The Golden Knights pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker down 4-3 late in the third period. Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka made the save on Jack Eichel’s one-timer and another on Reilly Smith’s second attempt. But once again, Pavel Dorofeyev was in the right place and ready to collect the change.
Throw the hats! Pavel Dorofeyev scores with the net empty.
“I was so fired up,” said Dorofeyev postgame. “It’s not [my first goal] in a tight game, but in playoff time, it feels so, so good.”
Dorofeyev played 23:34 in Game 5 and led the Golden Knights with five shots on goal. He also blocked two shots, finished the night as a +2, and wasn’t on the ice for any of Utah’s four goals.
“I think Dory’s game has been coming,” said Tortorella following the 5-4 overtime win. “Big credit to Dory. I’ve pushed him along here a little bit as far as his play. He’s handled himself really well, and found a way to be a star tonight in a big game.”
In Game 4, Pavel Dorofeyev rode the pine for most of the third period in a tie game. In Game 5, he capped off a hat trick by scoring the game-tying goal with just 52 seconds remaining in regulation. That’s hockey.
And yet, somehow, Dorofeyev’s heroics aren’t the story as the Vegas Golden Knights topped the Utah Mammoth 5-4 in double overtime. Instead, that honor lies with Brett Howden and his second shorthanded goal in two games.
Both teams played a tight first period, and shots were tied at seven apiece. The Golden Knights had more scoring chances, but the Mammoth generated the edge in high-danger chances with four.
The Mammoth opened the scoring at 17:11 in the first. Nick Schmaltz won an offensive zone draw back for John Marino, who switched places with Clayton Keller and drifted down towards the goal line. Keller fired a shot wide, and Marino snapped the rebound into the net.
John Marino. Keller banks it off the end boards, and Marino gets the rebound.
Two minutes later, the Golden Knights found the equalizer on the power play. Kevin Stenlund got a stick on Jack Eichel’s pass attempt, and the puck flipped up into the air. It landed on the stick of Tomáš Hertl, who found Pavel Dorofeyev all alone in the right circle for his second of the postseason.
French fries for my drive to Utah! Pavel is all alone in the right circle and beats Vejmelka clean.
The Mammoth were the better team in the second period, generating 12 scoring chances against the Golden Knights’ nine. However, they went into the second intermission with a 3-2 lead after scoring two quick goals to end the period.
The Mammoth regained the lead at 10:40 in the second. Mikhail Sergachev fired a shot around the boards, and Clayton Keller got to the loose puck first. Keller found Lawson Crouse all alone in the slot, and the winger beat Carter Hart over the blocker.
The Golden Knights tied the game at 15:37 in the second. Jack Eichel won an offensive zone face-off, and Ivan Barbashev chipped the puck back for Shea Theodore. Theodore avoided the pressure of Kevin Stenlund, danced below the goal line, and dropped a pass to Pavel Dorofeyev; Dorofeyev roofed it for his second of the game.
Ew. Shea Theodore jukes Kevin Stenlund, dances below the goal line and hits Pavel Dorofeyev with a drop pass. Pavel is once again all alone and roofs it.
Just 1:40 later, the Golden Knights took their first lead of the night. Mark Stone intercepted Karel Vejmelka’s clearing attempt and sent the puck to Shea Theodore at the point. The defenseman stepped into the slot and wired a shot home for his second goal in two games.
Shea Theodore with a blast from the point. It changed directions on the way to the net, but he lead the handshake line.
Down by a goal, the Mammoth pressed hard in the third period. They outshot the Golden Knights 10-7 and generated eight scoring chances while holding Vegas to four.
The Mammoth scored the equalizer just 5:54 into the third. Kevin Stenlund won a defensive zone draw, and MacKenzie Weegar chipped the puck forward to Dylan Guenther. Guenther crossed over and left the puck for Kailer Yamamoto, who blew past Noah Hanifin and entered the zone on a 2-on-1 with Guenther. Yamamoto got the pass across, and Guenther wired it home short-side.
Mammoth 2-on-1. Yamamoto to Guenther and it’s a tie game.
The Mammoth took the lead at 12:42 in the third. The Golden Knights gave up yet another 2-on-1, this time with Alexander Kerfoot and Michael Carcone against Jeremy Lauzon, and Carcone finished it off.
Redemption, thy name is Carcone. Scores off ANOTHER 2-on-1 from Kerfoot.
Despite trailing in the third period, there was no panic on the Golden Knights’ bench.
“I think the resiliency of our group has been something that we’ve prided ourselves on throughout the entire season. We never feel like we’re out of a game,” said Jack Eichel postgame. “I think we did a great job of fighting back and finding a way to score one late.”
The Golden Knights pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker and tied the game with 53 seconds remaining in regulation. Karel Vejmelka made the save on Jack Eichel’s one-timer from the half wall, but Pavel Dorofeyev got to the loose puck in front of the net and completed the hat trick.
Throw the hats! Pavel Dorofeyev scores with the net empty.
Both teams had their fair share of scoring chances in overtime. Carter Hart made a ten-bell save on Clayton Keller; Karel Vejmelka denied Tomáš Hertl’s one-timer on the power play. But for the first time in the entire series, neither team scored a goal in a period.
Just 3:42 into double overtime, Reilly Smith took an offensive zone penalty. But as they have all series, the Golden Knights’ penalty kill stood strong. Karel Vejmelka denied Jack Eichel on a shorthanded breakaway, but the Golden Knights scored moments later.
Deep in the attacking zone, Mitch Marner and Brett Howden forced a turnover. The puck ended up on Howden’s stick, and he stepped into the slot and wired a wrister that beat Vejmelka far-side and gave his team a 3-2 lead in the series.
Brett Howden with his second shorty in as many games!
“Mitch did a really good job,” said Howden following the 5-4 win. “It’s kind of like the other night on the PK. He did a good job of getting a stick in there, interrupting the play. [The puck] kind of popped out, and I just tried to get a shot. After that, I just kind of blacked out.“
The Utah Mammoth were 52 seconds from seizing control of the series, but in one brutal swing of momentum, everything changed.
Utah now returns to Salt Lake City facing elimination after a crushing 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series on Wednesday night. What looked like a signature road win slipped away late, leaving the Mammoth trailing 3-2 in the series with no margin for error the rest of the way.
Vegas completed the comeback behind a dramatic night from Pavel Dorofeyev, who delivered a hat trick and buried the game-tying goal with just 52 seconds left in regulation. Brett Howden then struck short-handed in the second overtime, finishing off a gut-punch defeat that swung the series back in the Golden Knights’ favor.
The game was a wild, emotional tug-of-war from the opening puck drop. Utah grabbed the lead twice in the first two periods on goals from John Marino and Lawson Crouse, but each time Vegas answered quickly and refused to let the Mammoth build any breathing room.
After Shea Theodore gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 advantage heading into the third, Utah responded with the kind of push that seemed destined to change the night. Dylan Guenther buried the equalizer, then Michael Carcone scored his second goal of the series to put the Mammoth ahead 4-3 late in regulation.
With the clock winding down and Utah on the verge of a massive win, Dorofeyev ripped home his third of the night to silence the celebration and force overtime.
Neither side could end it in the first extra frame, but in the second overtime Howden capitalized on a short-handed chance to complete Vegas’ stunning escape.
Now the path is simple for Utah: win Friday night at Delta Center or the season is over. A victory would force a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Las Vegas.
Puck drop for Game 6 is set for 8 p.m. Friday in Salt Lake City.
Things were looking concerning for the Philadelphia Flyers and Matvei Michkov when head coach Rick Tocchet yanked the Russian phenom from the lineup after a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4.
A 3-2 Game 5 loss to the Penguins was even less inspiring, and Pittburgh played it like they knew they would win if they could stop the Flyers from scoring. It worked.
After one game, Tocchet decided to reinstate Michkov to the Flyers' lineup, making wholesale lineup changes and removing veteran Garnet Hathaway. His faith in the 21-year-old winger was rewarded on Thursday night.
The benching seemed to light a fire under Michkov, who looked his typical self for much of Game 6. Hunting for open space to make an impact offensively, being creative with his passes, and shooting when given an opportunity.
The 2023 No. 7 overall pick probably could have scored two or three times in the contest, notably missing a power-play one timer, being denied by Arturs Silovs on a partial break, and then forcing Silovs into the splits on a rush shot against the grain.
Still, in a contest that was deadlocked at 0-0 for 77 minutes, Michkov delievered.
After Noah Cates won an offensive zone faceoff to defenseman Cam York, Michkov took a pass from York, evading pressure from Ben Kindel before dealing back to York.
York let a long-range wrister fly, beating Silovs cleanly through loads of traffic in front of the net. It was Michkov's first point of the series and first playoff point of his nascent NHL career, helping York earn his first playoff goal in the tense 1-0 win.
"It was good for him to come back and have an impact, obviously he had some chances. It's playoff hockey, it's hard. For a young kid, it's always tough," Cates said of his linemate.
"Hopefully, he kind of learned. He got his chances and was flying tonight. So, good on him to take it for what it was and come back ready and hungry to help the team."
With the lineup changes, Michkov was paired with Cates and Alex Bump, with Denver Barkey moving up to play with Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny.
"Mich is a young kid. Bumper . . . now we got a group of guys, by them being a pack, it might help," Tocchet added. "It's not just we have a couple of young guys. We have a bunch of them. So, maybe that'll help the mental part of the game, too."
The Flyers are now overall 14-3-1 this season when Michkov and Bump are both in the lineup, and it's clear that they thrive off each other and play well.
Of course, the pack Tocchet refers to includes Michkov, Bump, Barkey, and Porter Martone, who all figure to be important parts of the Flyers both now and in the future.
After a rollercoaster six games against the Penguins, they'll get to experience at least four more games of NHL playoff hockey against a daunting Carolina Hurricanes team next week.
It has been a magical run for the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins, who most didn't expect to be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
And, unfortunately, their Cup hopes this season have come to an end.
After a hard-fought series in which the Penguins won two straight after a 3-0 series deficit, Pittsburgh was eliminated in Game 6 on an overtime goal by Philadelphia Flyers' defenseman Cam York. The Penguins controlled the majority of play throughout the game - including in overtime - but a lost faceoff and a shot through traffic ended their season in heartbreak.
Pittsburgh outshot Philadelphia, 42-32, and Flyers' goaltender Dan Vladar earned the 42-save shutout for the Flyers. Arturs Silovs was outstanding in goal for the Penguins, stopping 31 of 32 shots in this game and he allowed just five goals on 82 shots in three games this series for a .939 save percentage.
The Carolina Hurricanes have finally learned their second round opponent.
In took a bit longer than first expected, but the Philadelphia Flyers finally found that fourth win in a Game 6, 1-0, OT win to advance past the Pittsburgh Penguins after initially holding a 3-0 series lead.
The Hurricanes have already been waiting for four days after sweeping the Ottawa Senators in their first round series and odds are they're going to have a full week of rest before the second round series actually kicks off.
The two clubs have never met in the postseason before.
This year, Carolina went 3-0-1 against Philadelphia, with every game being decided beyond regulation.
However, the Hurricanes are a much deeper team, having more 20+ goal scorers (7-4) and four players who eclipsed 70 points this season (Flyers had zero).
The Canes are also a much more experienced team, having made the playoffs in eight straight seasons, while this is the first time the Flyers have been in the postseason since 2020.
Special teams might be another area where the Hurricanes can pull away as Philly had the league's worst power play this season (15.7%) and a bottom-10 penalty kill (77.6%).
However, what might give the Hurricanes a bit of trouble is the fact that Flyers have gotten a lot better defensively at 5v5, especially following the Olympic break.
They've gotten a Herculean effort from Dan Vladar in net and a hot goalie is always a difficult nut to crack.
It could be another tight series because of that, but I'd expect the Hurricanes to be heavy favorites given their depth, talent and overwhelming wealth of experience.
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The Minnesota Wild (3-2) took a 3-2 series lead with a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars (2-2) in Dallas on Tuesday.
Game 6 is set for Thursday back in Minnesota at 6:30.
In Game 5, Stars' captain Jamie Benn was at it again with his behind-the-play antics.
Benn, 36, has zero points in five games and is a minus-5. He has just one goal in his last 23 playoff games.
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Wednesday that they have fined Benn $2,604.17, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Wild forward Ryan Hartman during Game 5 of the teams’ First Round series in Dallas
The incident occurred at 14:45 of the third period. Benn was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking.
Here is the NHL DOPS explaining the Auston Matthews suspension decision on the Benn clip... weird how it fits perfectly pic.twitter.com/VUhP2Hjke9
Hartman was assessed a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. This is the sixth cross-check Benn has delivered with full force. It was the first one that resulted in a penalty and the first one that resulted in the NHL taking notice.
But that slap on the wrist of $2,604.17 won't stop Benn's antics. He has been fined or suspended in four out of the last five playoffs. He was suspended in 2023 for cross-checking.
Fining him $2,604.17 isn't an acceptable justification for this decision and will only allow him to continue this.
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- The Penguins are putting EVERYTHING on net in the first five minutes. They're stringing some really good shifts together.
Arturs Silovs also just made one heck of a save on Owen Tippett.
- Silovs again comes up huge with a poke check save and then another save a few seconds later. We're still scoreless at the first TV timeout.
- The Penguins got the first power play of the game and...didn't do anything with it. There's still too much perimeter play and not enough of a shoot-first mentality. There's also not enough traffic in front of the net. Now, it's the Flyers' turn on the power play.
- Flyers get nothing on the power play. Penguins' penalty kill continues to be very stingy in this series.
END OF FIRST PERIOD: Penguins 0, Flyers 0. Both teams had great chances to score, but both goaltenders have been up to the task.
Second period
- The Penguins just had two great shifts in a row early in the period. The fourth line won numerous battles along the boards and started cycling really well. They also got some quality chances before the top line came on, and also got some great chances. They had a few Flyers pinned in their own zone for over two minutes.
- The Penguins got another power play in the period and once again, no dice. Egor Chinakhov had the best chance on it, but he hit the post. That unit is giving them nothing right now.
- I'm loving the top line right now. Crosby, Rakell, and Rust are grinding the Flyers down and hemming them in their own zone each time that they're out there.
- Take a bow, Arturs Silovs. Just made a HUGE save on Matvei Michkov before making another huge save from in-tight. He has been fantastic in this game.
END OF SECOND PERIOD: Still scoreless, but the Flyers will get a power play to open the third period after Kris Letang punched Travis Konecny as the buzzer sounded.
Third period
- The Penguins bailed Letang out and killed the penalty to open the third period. Excellent stuff by the PK.
- Tommy Novak had a golden opportunity from right in front of the net and,,,tried to pass it. He NEEDS to rip the puck there.
- You can tell how tense it is. Each team is being so careful with the puck.
- What a save by Silovs on Michkov. Flashed his glove...again!
- Still no score with 5:36 to go in the third period. Silovs had to come up with another huge save after a turnover in the defensive zone.
Bryan Rust had a glorious chance late in the third period...but couldn't beat Dan Vladar. This has been an insane game.
END OF THIRD PERIOD: We're heading to overtime. Who's going to be the hero?
Overtime
- The Penguins have been the better team in this overtime and are firing everything at Vladar, but no luck. Anthony Mantha just had the best chance, and he still can't find the back of the net.
- The Penguins' fourth line has been fantastic in this one. They're getting chances every time they hop over the bench.
- GOAL: Right after Arturs Silovs made the save of the game, Cam York buried one past him from the point, eliminating the Penguins. Flyers 1, Penguins 0.
