The Springfield Thunderbirds, the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate, have had their season ended in the Calder Cup playoffs, suffering a defeat at the hands of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
The Thunderbirds upset multiple teams in their path to the Atlantic Division final, and they pushed one of the AHL’s best teams to the brink, but in the end, the Penguins proved to be too much.
The Thunderbirds forced a Game 5 with a 2-0 win in Game 4, but the Penguins jumped out early in Game 5.
The Penguins got out to a 4-0 lead after the first period, setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Penguins added a fifth in the second period and a sixth early in the third before Akil Thomas was finally able to put the Thunderbirds on the board. Shortly after, the Thunderbirds added another pair of goals to make it 8-1.
Springfield’s season comes to an end, but there is plenty to be proud of. Adam Jiricek and Justin Carobonneau joined the lineup for the playoffs, picking up vital experience and making an impact. Jiricek and Carbonneau will be key factors for the Thunderbirds next season.
Additionally, top prospects Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein excelled following their stints in the NHL, proving they can be immediate factors to start the 2026-27 NHL season.
The Penguins now move on to the conference finals, where they will take on the winner of the North Division finals between the Toronto Marlies and the Cleveland Monsters.
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On Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights look to take a stranglehold 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Final over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
Puck drop is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PST.
In Game 2, the Avalanche broke the ice late in the first period. Despite dominating in the second, they didn’t manage to put another past Carter Hart. In the third, the Golden Knights launched yet another comeback and struck twice in just over two minutes to stun the Avalanche and held on for a 3-1 win.
Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 10-4 and an average save percentage of .924 in 14 games this postseason.
Scott Wedgewood likely starts in goal for the Avalanche. Wedgewood has a record of 7-3 and an average save percentage of .912 in nine games this postseason.
Because of the early puck drop, the Golden Knights did not hold a morning skate prior to Game 3. There will be no update on Mark Stone’s status until head coach John Tortorella’s media availability at 2:30.
Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomáš Hertl — Colton Sissons
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Defense
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Kaedan Korczak — Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Avalanche Lines
Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas
Artturi Lehkonen — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy
Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Valeri Nichushkin
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor
Defense
Devon Toews — Sam Malinski
Brett Kulak — Josh Manson
Brent Burns — Nick Blankenburg
Goaltenders: Scott Wedgewood / Mackenzie Blackwood
Special Teams
VGK power play: 24.4%, 4th
VGK penalty kill: 86.0%, 6th
Avalanche power play: 24.1%, 5th
Avalanche penalty kill: 80.0%, T10th
Game Notes
The Golden Knights are 13-7 in Game 3s in franchise history.
Historically, teams that take a 3-0 series lead go on to win 98.2% of the time.
Mitch Marner is the postseason leader in scoring with 19 points (7G, 12A).
Pavel Dorofeyev leads the league with ten postseason goals. He is the fifth player in Golden Knights franchise history to record double-digit goals in one postseason.
Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 16.
UPDATE: Added a goal scorer and a who will win prediction.
The Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes meet at the Bell Centre tonight for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final, with puck drop at 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and TNT.
My Hurricanes vs. Canadiens predictions expect Lane Hutson to pick up his first assist of the series after a quiet start to the series.
Hurricanes: The Hurricanes have only been outscored by one goal at 5-on-5 despite getting a .778 SV% from their goaltending. For perspective, the Oilers ranked dead last in that category during the regular season with an .889 SV%. Even if Frederik Andersen doesn't play well, he's going to play better — and things will look good for the Canes when that happens.
Hurricanes vs Canadiens best bet: Lane Hutson Over 0.5 assists (-150)
Lane Hutson is one of the league's most dynamic players, and his usage reflects that. Nobody on the Montreal Canadiensis playing more minutes, and nobody on the Canadiens is getting more offensive zone starts.
Head coach Martin St. Louis is doing his best to put Hutson in positions to create offense, and he is consistently delivering.
Hutson has recorded nine assists over his last 10 games and picked up a helper in four of his last five on home soil.
I expect Hutson to benefit from more favorable matchups in Montreal and see value in backing him up to -160.
Hurricanes vs Canadiens Game 3 same-game parlay
The Carolina Hurricanes are known for their suffocating pressure, but that hasn't impacted Cole Caufield. He has found the scoresheet in four of five games against the Hurricanes this season, including a multi-point effort in the series opener.
Caufield often shares the ice with Hutson at 5-on-5, and they play a lot of catch on the top power-play unit, making them strongly correlated.
Lastly, Hutson has blocked three or more shots in four straight vs. the Hurricanes. He is playing a ton, and the Hurricanes shoot more frequently than anybody, giving him a high floor and ceiling.
Hurricanes vs Canadiens SGP
Lane Hutson Over 0.5 assists
Cole Caufield Over 0.5 points
Lane Hutson Over 1.5 blocked shots
Hurricanes vs Canadiens Game 3 goal scorer pick
Nick Suzuki (+225)
Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens in both shots on goal and high-danger chances through two games. He is finding space to operate in tight, and Frederik Andersen owns a very underwhelming .761 high-danger SV% in this series. Suzuki is a prime candidate to take advantage.
Lane Hutson has eight assists over his last eight games. Find more NHL betting trends for Hurricanes vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Hurricanes vs Canadiens Game 3
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Monday, May 25, 2026
Puck drop
8 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet, TNT
Hurricanes vs Canadiens latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It'd be foolish to pretend that the Toronto Maple Leafs would consider drafting anyone other than Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg with the first overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL draft.
However, with all the prospect analysts across the hockey community, sometimes there are different conclusions and opinions.
That's the case with The Athletic's Corey Pronman, who ranked defenseman Chase Reid No. 1 in a prospects tier ranking.
It's an unpopular opinion, and Pronman admitted that himself. But that doesn't diminish Reid's potential to be a top defenseman in the NHL, and the Maple Leafs have needed a player like that for quite some time.
Reid, a Chesterfield, Mich., native, has spent the past couple of seasons in the OHL with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He had impressive campaigns in each of those seasons, posting at least 40 points.
This past year, Reid recorded 18 goals, finishing fifth in the OHL in that category among defensemen, and 48 points in 45 appearances for the Greyhounds. He led Sault Ste. Marie blueliners in scoring, and tied for the team lead in plus-minus with a plus-27 rating.
The right-handed defenseman helped push the Greyhounds to the second round of the OHL playoffs, putting up three goals and six points in 10 post-season contests.
They earned a 4-1 series win over the London Knights in the first round, but later fell to the eventual OHL champions, the Kitchener Rangers, in five games the following round.
Reid also made an appearance at the World Junior Championship for Team USA, scoring two goals and four points in five games.
Pronman compared Reid's style of play to Florida Panthers D-man Seth Jones and rated his hockey sense, compete, and shot as above average.
"Reid is a talented defenseman with a lot of offensive tools," Pronman wrote. "He has the speed, hands, vision and shot to generate chances and be a leading scorer for an NHL team.
"Reid isn't overly physical, but he works hard enough and makes plenty of stops due to his reach, feet and compete level even while playing an aggressive style of play offensively," Pronman wrote.
He also added that Reid is projected to be a major minute-muncher in the NHL and someone who can run a team's top power-play unit from the point.
Furthermore, the 6-foot-2 blueliner is ranked No. 2 for North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He's committed to Michigan State University, meaning he'll be playing in the NCAA next season.
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While the Senators’ 2020 draft class is remembered for producing name brands like Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, Ridly Greig and Tyler Kleven, one under-the-radar member of that group just put together the best professional season of his career in Belleville.
Philippe Daoust had plenty to feel good about in 2025-26, putting up career highs in games played (63), goals (14), assists (36), and points (50).
It was his best pro season in all categories by a country mile, more than doubling his previous personal bests in goals, assists, and points.
Sens Nation with THN's Steve Warne discusses the recent report that the Sens may be interested in G Devon Levi.
He finished fifth on Belleville’s team scoring list and gave himself a legitimate shot at getting back onto an NHL contract for next season and beyond after spending this past year on an AHL deal.
The Barrie, Ontario native developed excellent chemistry alongside linemates Xavier Bourgault and Arthur Kaliyev on what he describes as one of the best lines in the AHL. But he also emerged as one of the team’s leaders in a young dressing room. His efforts were recognized by the team when he was named Belleville’s 2025-26 Coaches’ Choice Award winner.
The last time Daoust hit 50 points was in tier 2 junior, playing for the French River Rapids in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
“Yeah, it's good,” Daoust told Belleville play-by-play man David Foote in a B-Sens YouTube interview. “Obviously, a little bit of a bump up, points-wise, than the year before. Yeah, I felt good and just happy I stayed healthy this year.”
After several injury-interrupted seasons early in his pro career, Daoust said consistency helped him finally find his game.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Daoust said. “I think, you know, you try not to think about it too much. I had some pretty rough past years, but the last few years have been good to me, and I think I've developed my game quite a bit, and obviously, that's just by me playing a lot of hockey.
“So I'm just glad to be back out there consistently and helping the team contribute.”
Selected 158th overall by Ottawa in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, this season wasn’t just his strongest statement as a prospect, it was probably his first.
But the next challenge is a new deal. After seeing his NHL contract expire, Daoust says it would be nice to land an NHL deal this summer.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Daoust said. “I think it was a little bit of a 'prove it' year for me. So I think I did well and kind of opened some eyes up there. I just play my game, try to just stay steady and consistent, and I think I did that this year.
“I’m ready to have another big year next year.”
For a player who entered the season well off Ottawa's future radar, Phillippe Daoust may have finally forced his way back into the discussion as an NHL prospect, if not here, then somewhere else.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This story was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Click on the latest headlines below to read the latest stories there:
While Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen was a big part of the reason why Rob Brind’Amour’s men swept their first two series, he has been having difficulties against the Montreal Canadiens in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final.
On Saturday night, the Canadiens had only 12 shots on goal through 60 minutes, yet they managed to beat Andersen twice to force overtime. Before the start of round three, the netminder had a .950 save percentage in the Cane’s eight wins. In two games against the Canadiens, however, he has struggled. In Game 1, he gave up five goals on 21 shots for a .762 SV. In Game 2, he surrendered two goals on just 12 shots for a .833 SV.
Clearly, he’s not doing as well as he was in the first two rounds, and the Canadiens have to capitalize on that. It won’t be easy to do if the Habs don’t shoot more often. Martin St-Louis’ men tend to go for quality over quantity when it comes to shots, but they may want to reconsider in this series.
The more shots they put on net, the better their odds of beating Andersen, who’s clearly doubting himself. On at least three occasions on Saturday night, the Canes’ netminder checked behind himself after making a save, clearly wondering if the puck got past him.
Granted, taking a lot of shots against Carolina is easier said than done, but that’s an adjustment Martin St-Louis and his coaching staff have got to make in this series. Making the most of Andersen’s shaky play will be key if the Canadiens are to get through to the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite Andersen having two difficult games to start the series, it would be surprising to see Rod Brind’Amour go with his backup for Game 3, but if the trend continues, he may just do so, and the Canadiens have to strike fast.
Target: John Klingberg - Defense - 34 Years Old - 12 Years of Experience
Klingberg was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 5th round of the 2010 NHL Draft. After his time in Dallas, he signed with Anaheim in 2022. Since then, he's been with a different club every season. He went from the Ducks to the Wild in a trade on March 3, 2023. He then signed in Toronto in 2023, Edmonton in 2024, and then last season with San Jose.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Aaron Portzline argued that the Blue Jackets should try to bring in Alex Tuch if he hits the free-agent market this summer and if they end up losing Mason Marchment or Boone Jenner.
This year's free agent class has some interesting potential options for the Blue Jackets to consider. One specific pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) who stands out as an interesting potential target for the Blue Jackets is San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro.
Much like Coyle, he could probably get a few more bucks and term in Columbus, should he want to stay. But does he want to stay? He seemed to thrive in Columbus after having a not-so-good time in Seattle. At media day after the season, though, Marchment sounded noncommittal and said he would let his agent and Waddell get something done if something came up.
Target: Teddy Blueger - Center - 31 Years Old - 8 Years of Experience
Teddy Blueger was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2nd round of the 2012 NHL Draft. After spending five years in Pittsburgh, he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on March 1, 2023, to help them with their Stanley Cup run. That summer, he signed with Vancouver, where he scored 23 goals in three seasons.
The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported today, and THN Columbus confirmed, that Cleveland Monsters goalie Ivan Fedotov has left Cleveland and has returned to his home country of Russia.
The reason for his return is due to an undisclosed injury. He is currently not listed on the roster.
Hockey 24/7's Frank Seravalli released his latest trade board for the 2026 NHL off-season. Two Columbus Blue Jackets were featured on it, as forward Kent Johnson and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made the cut.
Target: Bobby McMann - Center - 30 Years Old - 4 Years of Experience
Bobby McCann went undrafted and made his NHL debut during the 2023-24 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. McMann played four years at Colgate University before signing as a free agent with Toronto on April 29, 2022. He was traded to the Seattle Kraken on March 6, 2026.
2025-26 Stats With Muskegon Lumberjacks and Boston University: He had 17 points in 13 games with Muskegon, and 7 points in 18 games as a freshman at BU.
THN Ranking: 8th - Kennedy, 4th - Ferrari
NHL Central Scouting: Ranked 7th among North American Skaters
2025-26 Stats With Tappara: He had 3 points in 29 games. For U20 Tappara, he had 13 points in 15 games.
THN Ranking: 24th - Kennedy, 25th - Ferrari
NHL Central Scouting: Ranked 6th among International Skaters.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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MacKinnon is a high-volume shooter who will spray from all over the offensive zone, whereas Landeskog takes more of a quality over quantity approach at the net-front.
Somebody needs to get those scoring threats the puck, and that is a job Martin Necas has done admirably all playoffs — he leads the team in assists and primary assists.
I'm backing him to add to his total in Game 3, and see value in doing so up to -125.
Game 3 Prop #2: Shea Theodore Over 1.5 shots (-150)
Shea Theodore has attempted shots at a consistently healthy rate during the playoffs, recording at least four in 10 of his last 11 games — including the first two of this series.
He has a remarkably strong track record when taking four or more shot attempts. Theodore has cleared 1.5 shots on goal in 74% of his games hitting that benchmark, and 84% on home soil.
He generates a lot of his volume from the right point, and the Avalanche ranked 24th in defending that shooting zone this season. I'm backing Theodore to take advantage and would bet to -170.
Game 3 Prop #3: Noah Hanifin Over 1.5 blocked shots (-150)
Noah Hanifin has mostly paired with Rasmus Andersson since the latter was acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights. They've largely been used in a defensive role, starting plenty of shifts in their own zone.
Hanifin's blocked shot output has spiked in kind. He has blocked multiple shots in 61% of his home games since the trade, a far cry from the 30% prior.
Hanifin recorded at least two blocks in 13 of his last 19 in Vegas and seven of his past nine. I like him to fill the shooting lanes against a desperate Avalanche team, and would bet it up to -170.
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The 2025-26 season was a successful one for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alex Bump. The 22-year-old forward played in his first 17 career NHL games this campaign, where he had five goals and nine points. He also played in six playoff games for Philadelphia, where he scored two goals.
Overall, Bump showed plenty of promise during his first chance on the Flyers' roster. He also played well while in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, posting 11 goals and 26 points in 36 games. With this, there is a lot to like about the 2022 fifth-round pick's play so far.
However, now that Bump has gotten a taste of NHL action and has finished his first full professional season split between the NHL and AHL, it is clear that he is a prime breakout candidate to watch next season for the Flyers.
The potential for Bump to emerge as a key part of the Flyers' forward group is there, and it would not be surprising if he takes another big step in the right direction next season because of it. He is one of the Flyers' most promising prospects, and it is going to be interesting to see if he can hit a new level in 2026-27.
The Buffalo Sabres are entering this off-season with multiple important players due for new contracts, like Alex Tuch, Zach Benson, and Peyton Krebs. With this, the Sabres will have some decisions to make when it comes to their roster.
The Sabres may need to free up some cap space if they want to keep all of their top players this summer. Because of this, let's look at a few players who have the potential to be dealt this summer.
Jordan Greenway
If the Sabres want to free up some cap space, they could look to move a forward like Jordan Greenway. While his physicality makes him a nice part of the Sabres' bottom six, his $4 million cap hit is expensive for his role. In 40 games this season, he had one goal, five assists, and 57 hits.
Michael Kesselring
Michael Kesselring is a pending restricted free agent the Sabres could look to deal. The fit was simply not there this season for Kesselring and the Sabres, and he was scratched often during the playoffs. In 34 games this season for Buffalo, he had zero goals and two assists. He also played in just one playoff game.
Devon Levi
Devon Levi has been in the rumor mill often already now that the Sabres' playoff run is over. With the Sabres having multiple goalies ahead of him on their depth chart, there simply isn't a path for Levi on Buffalo's roster right now. Due to this, it would make sense if they moved him this off-season and gave him a much-needed fresh start.
Two former members of the Vancouver Canucks have taken big steps in their respective post-NHL careers, both of which centre around industries in the arts sector.
Aaron Volpatti, who spent nearly three years with the Canucks from the 2010–11 season to 2012–13, released his first country music song on Friday. Titled “A Beer A Day,” the song features sharp strums of a guitar and the occasional rattle of a tambourine.
Music isn’t the only field Volpatti has explored since retiring from the NHL due to injury after stints with the Canucks and the Washington Capitals. The forward released his bookFighter: Defying the NHL Odds back in 2022, detailing his journey to the NHL after sustaining fatal burns in a tragic incident.
Volpatti wasn’t the only Canuck to have revealed a neat detail about their post-NHL career this weekend, however. In an article by Kevin Forsyth ofPenticton Western News, former Canucks goaltender Richard Brodeur revealed that he will be taking the next step in his painting career by opening an art gallery.
Dec 7, 2019; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks alumni Darcy Rota and Richard Brodeur, and Stan Smyl, and Harold Snepts, and Thomas Gradin are honored before the start of the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Brodeur’s painting journey has been fairly well-documented in previous years, with the former goaltender visiting various towns and cities around BC to showcase his art. Now, Brodeur’s art will have a permanent home at Gallery 35, located in Parksville on Vancouver Island. The gallery is set to open later next week, on May 30.
On the ice, Brodeur spent eight seasons with the Canucks, including taking part in Vancouver’s first-ever Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1982. He finished his time with the Canucks with an overall record of 126–173–62, including a career-best 21 wins in 1982–83.
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The Montreal Canadiens managed to force overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night despite the home team dominating the game. Martin St-Louis’ men were just one goal away from taking a 2-0 lead back home to Montreal, but in the end, it wasn’t to be. If the coach didn’t go all out for the win with his forward selection early in extra time, he did have standout defenseman Lane Hutson out early, and the choice might have backfired.
As Hutson was retrieving a puck by the boards deep in the zone, Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall came in for a hit, but his knee caught Hutson’s knee before the defenseman fell to the ice. The look on the blueliner’s face as he got up and went back to the bench was quite telling; he didn’t like the hit, and he was visibly in some discomfort, slamming the door of the bench shut.
Losing Hutson’s mobility and offensive instinct would be disastrous for the Canadiens. The defenseman is second on the team in points (and 10th overall in the league) with 14 in 16 games, and while he hasn’t been on the scoreboard in the first two games against Carolina, he’s still been a force for the Habs.
While the blueliner is quite shifty on the ice and often manages to elude hits, he took the full force of the Hall hit, and the point of contact is a worry. On top of being a minute muncher, he quarterbacks the Canadiens' first power-play units and is called upon on the penalty kill. The Michigan native is a jack of all trades for the Habs, and his loss could equate to that of Cale Makar for the Colorado Avalanche.
The Canadiens will not be practicing today, but there will be a media availability at the team’s hotel at 10:00 AM. Hopefully, we will get some information on Hutson’s status then.
Edit: St-Louis confirms Hutson is fine.
Lane Hutson wasn’t happy after Taylor Hall stuck out his knee on a hit along the boards during OT pic.twitter.com/43zFbRFbP2
After taking a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Final over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens were hoping to emulate what the Vegas Golden Knights did on Friday night and take a 2-0 lead on the road. If the Canes appeared rusty in the first period of Game 1, it wasn’t the case in Game 2.
Rod Brind’Amour’s men got out of the gate in a hurry and displayed the full extent of their relentless brand of forecheck, which seemed to take the Canadiens by surprise a bit.
Fast And Furious First
The first frame was played at high speed; at times, it looked as if the Hurricanes had five Speedy Gonzaleses on the ice. After 20 minutes, Carolina had 14 hits to the Canadiens’ seven, despite having much of the puck possession. The Canes also dominated in the faceoff department, winning 64% of their draws and leading in shots 7-2. Still, the period ended on a 1-1 tie.
There were a couple of cautionary tales on the ice for Juraj Slafkovsky. Early on, he passed the puck right in front of Jakub Dobes’ net, and it was nearly intercepted. Then, in the dying seconds, he made yet another no-look back pass that led to a two-on-one odd-man rush. Luckily for the power forward, there was no damage done, but he must play a smarter game.
For all the Canes’ possession, though, they only manage to score once, and it was on a weak shot that deflected to get past Dobes. The kind of goal a goalie hates because it’s not going in at high speed, but there was nothing he could do. Josh Anderson tied up the score less than 10 minutes later on yet another great Phillip Danault play.
Being Disciplined
Referees do not tend to call a lot of penalties in the playoffs. Still, when they do call one, they tend to even things out at the first opportunity they get, which is exactly what happened in the first frame when Jayden Struble was given a roughing penalty for taking down Andrei Svechnikov after the whistle. The Canes player went down easy, but that’s to be expected in the playoffs.
Dobes also got an interference call for interfering with Mark Jankowski as he was going around the net, but the Canes had been pressuring the Habs, and that was just the goalie trying to land a hand. His play around the net in these playoffs has been highly useful for the Habs, but that was his fourth penalty of the postseason. The rookie netminder displayed nerves of steel when a stick got stuck in his skate, and he managed to calmly thread it out, without play being stopped, as if it was just business as usual.
William Carrier's stick got caught in Jakub Dobes' pad strap, and Dobes had to play with it stuck to him for a bit 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/D0roUC6oTz
Alexandre Texier took the worst penalty in the dying seconds of the middle frame. After Nick Suzuki missed a golden opportunity to score the equalizer, the Frenchman was given two minutes for slashing K’Andre Miller, but it could have been worse. The move was reminiscent of a Brad Marchand play on Alexei Emelin back in the day, not the kind of Marchand move you want to draw inspiration from.
Playing The Game That’s In Front Of You
The Canadiens did manage to tie the game at 2-2 before the end of the third frame once again through Anderson, but they didn’t last long in overtime. Montreal tried to keep up its momentum by attacking at the start of overtime, but they weren’t doing it the right way.
The fourth line, made up of Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, and Oliver Kapanen, had possession and was about to enter the offensive zone. Instead of putting the puck in deep, Kapanen rushed his play, which Jalen Chatfield intercepted. He sent the attack the other way, catching the Canadiens off guard as Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson were on their way to the bench to change. It was a two-on-two, but Dobson didn’t have the speed necessary to close down Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored his second of the game. It’s worth mentioning that his first goal was a fantastic individual effort on which he beat both Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson.
After the game, Martin St-Louis was asked about having his fourth line on the ice early in overtime. Why are you asking me that? To which the journalist replied that he was asking because it was early and the fourth line was on, St-Louis gave him a Shane Wright-worthy stare before saying, “Yeah, they were there.” It will be interesting to see if Kapanen’s mistake costs him his spot in the lineup. We’ve seen the coach stand by Dach when it was his mistake that cost the game.
While the result will be disappointing for the Canadiens, they can take solace from the fact that the Hurricanes brought their A-game in this second duel, and they weren’t blown away. Montreal still took them to overtime and is coming back to town with a 1-1 tie, having taken home-ice advantage away. Game 4 is set for Monday night at 8:00, and it promises to be an interesting evening at the Bell Centre.
If the Philadelphia Flyers are going to block one of their prospects on defense, they may as well lean in and make a big-ticket signing to truly justify it.
Much has been made about the availability of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh, who is set to hit the free agent market after scoring 70 points in 73 games for the Stanley Cup contender this year.
The problems with Raddysh, though, are that he will turn 31 in February and has enjoyed his NHL success with the benefit of playing on an already-established power play that features talents like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, and Brandon Hagel.
Raddysh is a good player, to be clear, but there are risks that might make the Flyers averse to a big-money signing there.
Elsewhere on the free agent market, though, will be Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who nobody seems to be talking about at all.
Andersson, 29, is on the older side as well, but has been doing it for longer on Calgary Flames teams that were both good and, well, not good at all.
The Swede can be a power play quarterback if needed, too, scoring three goals and 40 total power play points between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the Flames.
Despite being a relatively average 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Andersson plays with some nastiness, and while he does come with his warts, is in the upper-echelon of offensive defensemen around the NHL.
The point totals don't reflect that, but he generates tons of chances for himself and others, uses his legs effectively to transport the puck
As for the warts, though, we can look at JFresh Hockey's HockeyStats.com, which visualizes all of AllThreeZones's microstats for us.
Andersson struggles quite a bit in his own end at times; he ranks in the ninth percentile in pass exits, and he's even worse defending the rush with a third-percentile placement in prevention of possession zone entries.
Andersson does almost everything else at a high-to-elite level, and when we consider that both he and current Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim have been deployed as pseudo-No. 1 defensemen, putting those together as a pair becomes an attractive idea.
Undoubtedly, whether it's Raddysh or Andersson, the Flyers will have to make room for a newcomer, trading defense for offense and more than likely moving on from Rasmus Ristolainen.
That's a risk they will have to take in order to reach the next step in their rebuild, though.
Fortunately, they stumbled upon Dan Vladar, who will certainly sign a lucrative contract extension with the Flyers at some point in the near future.
And, speaking of Vladar, the Flyers' emerging vocal leader in the locker room and on the ice can help make an Andersson signing possible.
Vladar, of course, played with Andersson on the Calgary Flames for four seasons from 2021 to 2025.
It's worth noting that Garnet Hathaway is another secret agent the Flyers could have working for them, as he played with Andersson on the Flames and AHL Stockton Heat from 2016 to 2019.
Lately, it's become more and more known how appealing a destination the Philadelphia Flyers are for other players, and few on the team could speak to that more right now than Vladar and Hathaway, who always have nothing but good things to say about the team, the city, the fans, and the organization.
All signs point to the Flyers making a splash this offseason, be it through trade or free agency, but Andersson should certainly be in the mix with some Flyers connections and a productive NHL career through various circumstances under his belt.
The Chicago Blackhawks have the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. There are a lot of players for them to consider there, depending on what the three teams ahead of them (Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, & Vancouver Canucks) decide to do.
If all of the players that the Blackhawks truly want within that top four are already off the board, there is a different direction they can take. Plenty of prospects with similar ceilings will be available in the back half of the top ten. The Blackhawks could gain another asset by trading down 5-8 slots.
There will be a handful of players drafted later in the first round who end up being standouts. Are the Blackhawks willing to take a risk like that to gain in the long term? One of these five players may be worth the gamble:
Viggo Bjork
Viggo Bjork is one of those players who may end up being drafted higher than anyone thought, but he is not touted the way that his countryman, Ivar Stenberg, is. Perhaps he should be. At best, he’s still likely to be just the fourth or fifth forward selected, and there are a handful of defensemen to go in the top ten as well. If the Blackhawks wanted Bjork after seeing his SHL, World Junior, and World Championships performances, they probably can’t go down too far.
Ethan Belchetz
Ethan Belchetz had a strong point per game type of season with the Windsor Spitfires in 2025-26, which set him up to be a mid-first round pick in the NHL Draft. He will challenge himself by playing college hockey with Michigan State in 2026-27, which will be great for his development as a winger with aspirations of making it to the NHL. If Chicago moved back to draft a player like him, you’d think that they vision him playing wing alongside one of their current young centers.
Oscar Hemming
Oscar Hemming is a highly skilled Finnish-born player who had an interesting season. He came over during the 2025-26 season to play 19 games with Boston College, and he’s set to play the full season there next year. Should the Blackhawks select a player like Hemming, they’d be getting a forward who may end up being a center one day. It’s always good to have forwards who can play multiple positions in the organization.
Wyatt Cullen
Wyatt Cullen is the son of former NHL player Matt Cullen, who had a long career playing big roles on good teams. The younger Wyatt may be even more skilled at this stage of the development. After playing a significant role in the United States National Team Development Program, Cullen is ready for the next stage. For him, it will be the University of Minnesota after being drafted somewhere in the middle of the NHL Draft’s first round. By adding him, the Blackhawks would continue their run of drafting fast players who can create offense at will with their speed.
Tynan Lawrence
For a while, Tynan Lawrence of Boston University was in the conversation for the second overall pick. His stock has recently fallen just a little bit, but he will still be selected in the top-15. With the Blackhawks looking for more scoring down the middle, Lawrence is someone to think about if trading down is their mindset.
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Martin Necas 
