The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to open the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday.
Following the end of the St. Louis Blues' 5-2 victory against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 of their first-round series, Sportsnet revealed that the Leafs will open their second-round series against the Florida Panthers on Monday with a start time of 8 p.m. ET.
The Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Thursday and advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three seasons. As they did back in 2023, they meet the Panthers, who knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
The Panthers are defending Stanley Cup Champions and are repeat Stanley Cup Finalists. The 8 p.m. ET start time will be the latest start for the Leafs during the postseason. They had one 7:30 p.m. ET start in round one, with the other five games starting shortly after 7 p.m. EDT.
It should be noted that the NHL Draft Lottery is also set for Monday at 7 p.m. ET and it's more than likely that the league did not want to have a playoff game going running against it. Even still, that lottery broadcast is expected to be finished by 7:30 p.m, allowing rightholders to have the full 30-minute pre-game prior to the 8 p.m. start.
The Leafs took Friday off after their big win and are scheduled to be back on the ice on Saturday. The remaining first-round schedule has yet to be released.
Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Connor Hellebuyck was pulled from the Winnipeg Jets' crease for the third time in four games as the St. Louis Blues won Game 6, 5-2.
The first period came to an end with the Blues leading 1-0, thanks to Phillip Broberg's first goal of the playoffs. The Jets were heavily outplayed in the opening frame, throwing just two shots at Jordan Binnington.
Morgan Barron had thought he tied the game, but an offside challenge reversed the call. The Jets did, however, tie the game with Cole Perfetti's first of the playoffs. But just like Games 3 and 4, the Jets imploded the Blues took over, scoring four unanswered goals. Nathan Walker got it started before, Brayden Schenn, Cam Fowler and Alexey Toropchenko added to the lead.
As the third period began, it was Eric Comrie who took over the Jets' net, replacing Hellebuyck for the third consecutive road game. Nino Niederreiter scored his second goal of the playoffs to cut the Blues' lead to 5-2, but the thoughts of a comeback were short-lived, as the Blues shut down every attempt the Jets made.
Hellebuyck allowed five goals on 23 shots, and his replacement, Comrie, stopped all four shots he faced. While he wasn't challenged too often, when called upon, Binnington delivered, turning away 21 of the 23 shots he saw.
The Jets and Blues will return to Winnipeg for a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday.
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Viktor Arvidsson (33), Mattias Janmark (13) and Vasily Podkolzin (92) celebrate after scoring during the second period during Game 6 of their playoff series against the Kings Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
This one is a little different, though, because this was a season that had inspired rare promise before it ended Thursday in the same painful monotony as the last three, with the Oilers going on and the Kings going home.
And that’s particularly disappointing since the Kings tied franchise records for wins (48) and points (105) and set one for home victories (31) this season. Yet it ended with the team breaking another record: it has now gone 11 seasons without winning a playoff series, the longest drought in team history.
A postseason in which the Kings seemed primed for a long run lasted just six games, the last a 6-4 loss to the Oilers at Rogers Place that leaves the organization once again shuffling off into the offseason plagued by doubt, frustration and one big question.
Edmonton Oilers Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic celebrate after scoring in the first period against the Kings during Game 6 of their playoff series at Rogers Place on Thursday. (Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
What happened?
“Having the season that we had, the group of guys in this locker room, and know, to come up short again? It sucks,” said captain Anze Kopitar, who scored the team’s final goal of the season. “It's frustrating. This one hurts a little more.”
Hurts a little more because the Kings lost more than a game and a series Thursday. They lost a golden opportunity. Rarely has a postseason set up so favorably for the team.
After acquiring Andrei Kuzmenko at the trade deadline, the Kings went on a tear, winning 17 of their final 22 games, averaging better than 3.7 goals a game. The once-punchless power play became potent; goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper went 15 games allowing two or fewer goals, the second-longest streak in the NHL’s expansion era; and the team sprinted past the Oilers to place second in the Pacific Division, its best finish in nine seasons.
No team finished the season hotter nor healthier than the Kings.
That also meant the Kings, who had the best home record in the NHL in the regular season, would have the home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. And if they finally got past an Edmonton team that limped into the postseason wounded, they would have faced Las Vegas in the second round and a team from a quartet of Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado or St. Louis in the Western Conference final.
The Kings were a combined 8-4-1 against those teams in the regular season. It wasn’t outlandish to think the Kings had a shot at the Stanley Cup Final.
“It’s all going according to plan,” one team executive whispered early in the playoffs. And then it wasn’t, with the Kings once again tripping over a familiar hurdle.
“One hundred percent it’s a missed opportunity,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “We had great buy-in from our players. We believe we could have won the series. We believe we should have won the series. We didn't.
“So that's the bottom line.”
The Oilers have proven to be the kryptonite to even the most Superman-ish of Kings teams, with Edmonton the place the Kings postseasons go to die.
The teams have met in the playoffs 11 times since 1982 with the Oilers winning nine of those series, including the last four in a row. The last time the Kings beat Edmonton in the playoffs, in 1989, Wayne Gretzky led the team in points, current general manager Luc Robitaille was in his third season as a player while Kopitar, the only player on this year’s team who was even alive then, was still in diapers.
This year’s loss may be the most painful of the lot though.
The Kings had the home-ice advantage, one of the league’s top three goaltenders in Darcy Kuemper and the top power play in the playoffs. They led in every game.
Yet they still lost in six.
The turning point in the series came in late in Game 3. After dominating the first two games at home, the Kings were leading the first game in Edmonton with about seven minutes to play when disaster struck. After the Oilers’ Evander Kane tied the game on a controversial goal, Hiller challenged the call, claiming goalie interference. He lost, Edmonton was awarded a power play, and 10 seconds later the Oilers went in front to stay.
In Game 4 the Kings led with less than 35 seconds to play when Quinton Byfield failed to make a simple clearance out of the Kings’ zone. The Oilers pounced on the mistake to tie the game, then won it in overtime. They never lost again.
“You can pinpoint Game 3, we didn’t close out,” Kopitar said. “Definitely Game 4. It's a completely different series if we go home up 3-1 versus 2-2. But could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.”
The Kings simply wore down, especially on the blue line. That’s why they gave up a playoff-worst 15 goals in the third period and overtime in the series. The Oilers scored just 12 times in the first and second periods combined.
Yet asked in his postgame news conference if he regretted how he used his defensemen, Hiller was curt.
“No,” he said.
And with that he walked away from the podium for the final time this season.
Edmonton Oilers fans celebrate their team's playoff series win over the Kings Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
Then there’s the offense. Kopitar and Adrian Kempe combined for 19 points in the series, but had just one goal and two assists combined after Kane’s tying goal in Game 3.
“The chances were there. We just couldn’t convert,” Kopitar said. “Credit to their goalie, he made some good stops. Credit to their team. The last couple of games they played a solid checking game and made it harder on us to generate stuff.
The five new 94 overall master set players are Andrei Vasilevskiy, Larry Murphy, Ryan McDonagh, Bryan Trottier, and Jarome Iginla.
16 additional Stanley Cup base cards were added, led by 93 overall Thomas Steen, Olaf Kolzig, Deryk Engelland, and Borje Salming and 92 overall Sergei Zubov, Cory Sarich, and Bernie Nicholls.
Six new Wildcard players were added and are playable, all are 94 overall. The players are David Pastrnak, Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid, Jacob Markstrom, Zdeno Chara, and Cale Makar.
Four new Game Day players, two 91 overall players from the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are also available, Evgenni Dadonov and Cody Ceci for the Stars and Josh Manson and Jonathan Drouin for the Avalanche.
Each master set Playoff player costs three 91+ Playoff cards and any two 91+ cards.
Players can trade any three 89+ Playoff cards for a 91 Playoff card or any three 87+ cards for an 89 overall Playoff card.
There are Collectible sets where players can trade in Stanley Cup Collectibles for player packs. Players can trade in 30 Stanley Cup Playoff Collectibles for a 91 overall untradeable or 93 overall BND card.
The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is wrapping up, and there has been no shortage of entertaining highlights and storylines for hockey fans to enjoy.
This week on The Hockey Show, co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork discussed much of the happenings that have occurred so far during an exciting start to the postseason.
Several of the opening round series’ are complete, and we already know our second round matchups in the Eastern Conferene.
The Metro-winning Washington Capitals will host the Carolina Hurricanes while the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Atlantic Division champs, will face last season’s Stanley Cup winners, the Florida Panthers.
To discuss the postseason and current NHL news, including the New York Rangers hiring Mike Sullivan and the amazing season from rookie Macklin Celebrini, Roy and Dave welcomed San Jose Sharks host and reporter for NBC Sports California Tara Sloan to the show.
As many of you know, Roy and Dave have been closely following the journey of the team they cover, the Panthers.
Last week, Florida advanced past the opening round of the playoffs when they eliminated their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in five games for the second consecutive postseason.
Joining this week’s show to discuss Florida’s mission to repeat, their opening round win, becoming a new dad and lots more was Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen!
You can check out both interviews and the full show in the video below:
Tampa Bay Lightning star right winger Nikita Kucherov is one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy, underscoring his excellent regular-season performance this year.
But after the Lightning were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Florida Panthers Wednesday night, Kucherov’s output does not compare well to his regular-season showings.
For years now, Kucherov has produced a tremendous amount of offense. In the past three regular seasons, he’s generated a combined 267 assists and 378 points. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s best point-producer in the past two years and he recorded at least 30 goals each time. This season alone, he had 1.55 points per game. You can’t deny him his due respect as a needle-mover.
However, the playoffs are a different story for Kucherov since winning the Stanley Cup back-to-back and losing in the final the year afterward.
In the past three playoffs, where the Lightning have won a combined four games in three playoff rounds, Kucherov has only one goal.
The 31-year-old Russian has put up 17 points in 16 playoff games in the past three years, which is still quite a drop from his regular-season rates, but posting just a single goal in that span is a problem.
Can you imagine the outcry that would be taking place if Kucherov were a Toronto Maple Leaf, and he only posted one goal in three playoff years when his team loses in the first round? Leafs fans and media would be tearing him apart.
Even if you give Kucherov a bit of a break for earning only $9.5 million per season, that’s still a lot of money you’re giving to a player who has put up a combined 111 goals in the past three regular seasons but can’t make it translate into playoff success.
It would be one thing if the Lightning scored bucket-loads of goals this spring, and Kucherov was responsible for creating that offense as a playmaker extraordinaire. But against the Panthers, Tampa Bay managed only seven goals in its four losses.
Now, Kucherov told reporters on Friday that he suffered a left hand extensor injury on Feb. 25, and that he did not want to miss any games.
“The trainers did a hell of a job getting me to games, and we go through some hard time,s but it is what it is,” Kucherov said. “Guys are playing with a bunch of bruises and something else, but I just wanted to play hockey and enjoy the moment and be with the guys.”
For an injured player, 11 goals and a league-leading 36 points in 24 games since Feb. 25 is very impressive. But he also proved he can still play and produce at an elite level, which means those expectations remain in the playoffs.
And to Kucherov’s credit, he has been a strong playoff performer throughout his career. He has 53 goals and 118 assists for 171 points in 152 career playoff games. He had 34 points in 25 games in 2019-20 en route to the Stanley Cup, 32 points in 23 games to defend the title and 27 points in 23 games when they just missed out on the three-peat. He had seven or eight goals in each of those years.
As one of the world’s best players, Kucherov deserves credit for what he’s been able to do in the regular season and in past post-seasons. But he shouldn’t be protected from criticism.
Athough he deserves to be in the mix for the Hart Trophy as one of the NHL’s most valuable regular-season performers, a fair estimation of his playoff production indicates that he’s been nowhere near as dynamic when the games matter most from 2022-23 to now.
It was a bittersweet sight for Senators supporters to see a packed house cheering their team off the ice for the 2024–25 season after a hard-fought series.
What’s important to remember for Senators fans is that this team took a major step this season — one worth celebrating. They could have rolled over when the series was at 3–0, but instead, they put a scare into the first-place Leafs. Game 5 in Toronto ended in boos and fans fleeing early, despite the Leafs still holding the series lead.
The “Brady sucks” chants gave way to silence.
This young, inexperienced team started a “here we go again” narrative against the heavily favoured Leafs. This was the moment the Senators put the league on notice: they’re back and won’t be an easy out for years to come. Three overtime games, one blowout each way, and a Game 6 tied late — this series could have gone either way.
The Leafs played an excellent series and were a formidable opponent. Full credit to them for blocking out the noise and closing out the series after an insane 1–13 record in elimination games during the Matthews/Marner era before Game 6. Their rebuilt defense made it very difficult to get rebounds and traffic in front of goalie Anthony Stolarz. Their power play was absolutely lethal and struck quickly and often.
The Leafs may be 5–0 against the Senators in the playoffs, but the vibes were never this positive in those previous defeats. Those series featured two teams at similar points in their contention windows. Now, the Leafs are likely down to their final opportunity with this core, while Ottawa is just opening its window. This was likely always going to be the end result when comparing the skill and experience of the two teams.
Still, there are small consolations for Ottawa fans. This series didn’t end in a sweep, and Toronto broke its second-round playoff drought against Tampa two years ago — not against the Sens. Either point would have led to a full season of Leafs fan ammunition in “friendly” social media banter.
Speaking of Ottawa fans — major credit goes to them for finally taking their building back from the invading horde of Leafs supporters. Thanks to grassroots efforts from the team and die-hard supporters like Kevin Lee, tickets ended up in Senators fans' hands. It was a three-game party in Kanata. The regular season may return to business as usual, but those playoff nights gave the team real home-ice advantage — and the players noticed.
Captain Brady Tkachuk wore his emotions on his sleeve in his final media scrum: “You just feel the support... I just really wanted to do it for them. They were absolutely amazing.”
A far cry from a year earlier, when he said: “I just finished Year 6 and haven’t done a thing... I’m sick and tired of losing. At the end of the day, I’m just disappointed.”
Tkachuk, who led the team with 7 points in 6 games, will be an even better leader for having felt the sting of this experience and the love and support of the fans. He and the rest of the squad have plenty of reasons for optimism — even if moral victories might feel a bit hollow immediately after losing a series to their provincial rivals.
Young stars Tim Stützle (5 points) and Jake Sanderson (OT winner in Game 4) had their coming-out parties. Core pieces like Thomas Chabot and goalie Linus Ullmark settled in after shaky starts. Tyler Kleven showed playoff readiness. Even Drake Batherson, despite some untimely penalties, will be wiser from the experience.
The window is now open for contention. Minor tweaks could mean winning one more OT or one-goal game. With a supportive owner and a patient GM, they’ll look to carry this year’s momentum forward.
New addition Dylan Cozens will benefit from a full camp. Young goalie Leevi Meriläinen looks ready to platoon with Ullmark.
Coaching was a major bright spot. Travis Green made adjustments that helped the team rally in the series. His defensive structure created buy-in where others failed, frustrating top opposition forwards all year.
One more fast forward to complement Stützle, and a tough right-handed defenseman to support the strong left side and the penalty kill, would be welcome. Strong veteran playoff experience in either role would be a bonus — and GM Steve Staios likely knows it.
Much ink has been spilled about Ottawa’s lack of top-end prospects, but this group has made wise choices with key picks. Carter Yakemchuk looks like a future top-four righty. Mid-rounders like Blake Montgomery, Tomas Hamara, and Stephen Halliday are all trending upward. If they repeat the success of savvy drafting like Ridly Greig, Shane Pinto, Meriläinen, and Batherson — and if the NHL eases its first-round penalty — the farm could rebound quickly. Expect the team to keep their pick this year and delay the penalty.
It’s been so long since Ottawa saw playoff hockey, many forgot what it brings: heartbreak on the way to greater success. This year’s mission was to take a big step — and they did. From the energized fans to the steady management and finally playoff-tested players, the light at the end of the tunnel has arrived. They’ve given every reason to believe another leap is coming.
Maybe it’ll even mean a long-overdue victory in the next Battle of Ontario.
The Chicago Blackhawks have had a ton of great players over the years, whether the team was winning or not. For a short time, one of those great players was the wonderful Marc-Andre Fleury.
Over his legendary NHL career, Fleury also spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Minnesota Wild. Most recently, he was part of a great duo in Minnesota.
On Thursday night, Fleury’s career came to an end with a first-round series loss to one of his old teams in the Golden Knights. Vegas beat Minnesota in six games.
By his final season, Fleury served as the backup to Filip Gustavsson. Fleury only played in relief for Gustavsson in game five as the latter left the game due to illness. That would end up being his final in-game appearance of his NHL career.
Once the handshake line between Vegas and Minnesota ended, Fleury stepped off the ice for the final time as an NHL player. His personality, smile, and skills will be missed by all hockey fans.
This won't be the end of Fleury in the public eye, though. He is someone who could end up in the front office of an organization or in hockey one way or another. He will also have special ceremonies in Pittsburgh over time as they celebrate their run during the Sidney Crosby era.
Fleury will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day soon, now that he is officially hanging them up. He leaves the game with a record of 575-339-92. Those 575 wins are the second most in NHL history (Martin Brodeur). He also had a career 2.60 goals-against-average, a .912 save percentage, and 76 shutouts.
Fleury is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, a winner of the Jennings Trophy, and a Vezina Trophy recipient. All of these accolades put him in the stratosphere of the game's all-time greats.
The Blackhawks were lucky to be a small part of it. He played for them during the pre-trade deadline portion of the 2021-22 season. Fleury appeared in 45 games for Chicago before being traded to Minnesota. He was a great warrior for a team going through some massive change.
On his way out of the league, Fleury was nominated for the NHL's Bill Masterton Trophy, which goes to the player voted to best exemplify the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. This is a well-deserved honor.
Now that his career is over, his fans can look forward to seeing what the next chapter of his life is. On the ice and off, he was one of the NHL's supreme talents. The league was a better place for having him in it for so long.
The Rochester Americans put the finishing touch on avenging their first-round loss to the Syracuse Crunch one year ago, completing a three-game sweep with a 4-0 victory in Game 3 at Upstate Medical University Arena in Syracuse on Thursday. The Amerks dominated the series, scoring 11 goals to the Crunch’s two, and goalie Devon Levi made 30 saves for his second straight shutout.
Mason Jobst scored the game-winner in the first period and added a third-period marker. Veteran blueliner Kale Clague continued his scoring prowess with his third goal of the series, and Brendan Warren added an empty-netter. Buffalo Sabres first-rounders Konsta Helenius and Jiri Kulich each had assists in the contest.
“I thought it was incredible, I thought the second half of the game we took over.” Amerks head coach Michael Leone said after the win. “I think the best part about it was the first two games. I thought we were okay, but we won, and then we finally got to our game, and I thought we tilted the ice, and the guys were incredible. The sacrifice and the effort was awesome.”
Levi, after going 25-13-4, with a 2.20 GAA and .919 save% during the regular season, is 3-0 with a microscopic 0.67 GAA and .978 save % in the playoffs, bolstering his case with the management of the NHL Sabres that he is ready to challenge starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for playing time next season.
Rochester may have to wait for more than a week before they know their opponent for the second round, as Laval and Cleveland play Game 2 of their best-of-five series on Friday. The Rockets lead the Monsters 1-0 after a 3-2 win in Laval on Thursday. The AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens will get some reinforcements after the Habs' elimination to Washington, as Oliver Kapanen was sent back on Friday.
Defenseman Vsevolod Komarov did not play in Game 3 and is still in concussion protocol after being injured in a fight with the Crunch’s Jack Finley, but it is possible that he would be available for the second round with a long layoff between series.
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Regula was claimed off waivers on December 11th. He spent his entire season with the Oilers rehabbing an injury. He was placed on injured reserve before the Boston Bruins placed him on waivers.
Funnily enough, on June 26th, 2023, he was part of the package the Chicago Blackhawks sent to the Bruins to acquire the aforementioned Hall.
In the 2023-24 season, Regula played 55 games for the Providence Bruins of the AHL and recorded 26 points. The year prior, he split his time between the NHL and AHL, playing four games with the Blackhawks and 51 with the Rockford IceHogs.
The #Oilers have signed defenceman Alec Regula to a two-year, two-way contract extension! The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from Boston in December. https://t.co/H6R1XmSBOz
Regula has played 22 NHL games over three seasons. In those 22 games, he recorded one goal, 21 shots, and an average of 16:54 per game.
He signs a two-year, two-way contract with the Oilers worth $775,000 per season. The right-handed defender will bring much-needed depth to the organization, especially the Bakersfield Condors.
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The NHL announced many award nominations on Friday, including the three Jack Adams nominees. The trophy is awarded each year to the best coach as voted by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association members.
This year, the three finalists are Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets, Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals, and Montreal Canadiens’ bench boss Martin St-Louis. The other two nominees were at the helm of the best team in their respective conferences, while the Habs barely squeezed into the playoffs. St-Louis’ presence amongst the finalists shows how surprised the hockey world was to see this young Canadiens’ team make the Spring dance and how big of an accomplishment it was.
A little over two weeks ago, St-Louis was interviewed by RDS’ Pierre Houde on the Bell Centre ice after the last game of the season, and you could tell how proud of his group the rookie coach was. Houde asked him how he experienced his own progression as a coach, and he replied:
Of course, we have a fantastic group when you think about Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, who had the courage to appoint a former player with no experience behind the bench. I was confident that the experience I had in hockey would serve me well to help a young group. As for my life, I left home a bit earlier than my wife thought, so I owe her a lot. She has always allowed me to chase my dreams and passion, and never asked me to retire early as a player. I played until I was 40, I’m very lucky on that front. And of course, as a staff, we’ve evolved and learn a lot every year. Even in the last week, we’ve learned a lot; it’s not easy to coach a young team stressed about reaching a goal they can almost touch.
- Martin St-Louis on his progression as a coach.
Since being brought on by the Hughes/Gorton duo, St-Louis has coached 283 regular-season games, leading his team to a 115-131-37 record. The team has kept improving since he replaced Dominique Ducharme during the 2021-22 season, and the organization decided to undergo a complete rebuild. Montreal finished the year with 91 points in the standings, 15 points ahead of their 76-point effort in 2023-24 and 23 points ahead of their 2022-23 total.
When the Canadiens were struggling mightily in November, some suggested that St-Louis had lost the room and should be fired, but they had no idea what would come. From December 3, the Habs went 32-18-8 and were one of the best teams in the NHL. Fueled by Patrik Laine’s return to action, Jakub Dobes’ arrival, and Nick Suzuki’s plea to the GM not to trade anyone, the Canadiens made their way to the playoffs, leaving it till the very last day to clinch.
Never one to hog the spotlight, when the coach was asked about what it meant to be nominated, he explained:
As a coach, you’re only as good as your staff, your support staff, my assistant coaches, and, you know, the buy-in from the players. To me, that’s where it all starts. It’s a team award. We don’t get recognized with this award unless everybody’s pulling in the same direction. So I’m very proud of the team that, as an organization, got nominated for that.
- St-Louis on being nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy.
He also said he was flattered by the nomination, but added he felt he did a lot of coaching in his last 10 years as a player, suggesting the media should ask former teammates about that.
As for Arniel and Carbery, the former led the Jets to their first Presidents’ Trophy thanks to a 56-22-4 record with 116 points, team records in both wins and points. Only three coaches have earned more victories in their first year with an organization. As for the latter, in his second season at the Capitals’ helm, he guided the team to a 20-point improvement with a 51-22-9 record with 111 points and the second place overall in the league.
Win or lose, the nomination is an accomplishment in its own right for St-Louis, who went from being a minor hockey coach to an NHL one in a flash and showed he was more than up to the task. Like during his playing career, he proved the naysayers wrong, and it certainly feels like he’s not done.
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The NHL announced the three finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy on Friday.
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar and Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point are this season's finalists for the award, which goes to the player "adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association vote on the award at the end of the regular season.
Each finalist ranked among the NHL's top four scorers who recorded fewer than 10 penalty minutes during the regular season. Eichel ranked first with 94 points, while Point's 82 points and Kopitar's 67 points ranked third and fourth, respectively. Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had 89 points and eight penalty minutes.
Eichel had four minor penalties while setting a career high in assists (66) and points (94). Since 2000-01, only three players – Jack Hughes, Barkov and Point – recorded more points without hitting double digits in penalty minutes in a season.
This is the first time the 28-year-old is a finalist for an NHL award, and he could be the second player in Golden Knights history to win the Lady Byng Trophy, after William Karlsson did so in 2017-18.
Kopitar won the Lady Byng twice, in 2015-16 and 2022-23. Only Pavel Datsyuk and Martin St-Louis won the trophy more times in this century.
The 37-year-old averaged 18:57 of ice time while recording just four penalty minutes on the Kings. Those are the fewest penalty minutes for any player who played at least 55 games this season, and Kopitar played 81, getting 21 goals and 46 assists for 67 points.
Point only took two penalties this season: a major for fighting Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Bobby McMann on April 9 and a tripping penalty against the Leafs on Nov. 30.
This season is just the second time Point has had fewer than 10 penalty minutes, with the other coming in 2022-23. He had 95 points in 82 games that season and finished third in Lady Byng voting.
Of the top 50 scorers this season, Point had the fewest penalty minutes.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel has been named a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.
The winner of the award, which is given annually to the player voted best to combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, will be announced at a later date.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a career season, scoring 28 goals and 94 points in 77 games, including a +/- rating of +32. His stellar play at both ends of the ice will likely earn him a top-10 Hart Trophy finish.
The nomination marks the first time Eichel has finished as a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy and the second Golden Knight to do so after William Karlsson won the award in the 2017-18 season.
Despite averaging 20:32 of ice time and killing penalties, Eichel took just eight penalty minutes. He took four minor penalties all season, which was tied for the fewest among players who finished top 20 in the NHL in points.
Competing with Eichel for the Lady Byng Trophy honors are Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point and Los Angeles Kings' veteran center Anze Kopitar. Kopitar is a three-time finalist and previously won the award twice. Point is now a two-time finalist, finishing third when he was first nominated.
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‘That’s How You Win A Series’: Craig Berube Praises Scott Laughton’s Shot-Blocking Heroics, Maple Leafs' Bottom-Six Delivers Against SenatorsWith 25 seconds left on the clock in a one-goal game, it wasn’t a member of the ‘Core Four’ who made the defining play of the Toronto Maple Leafs' series-clinching win – it was Scott Laughton, throwing himself in front of a Jake Sanderson slap shot to preserve the lead.
Maple Leafs’ ‘Business-Like’ Mindset Overcomes Potential Playoff Disaster to Advance to Second RoundKANATA, Ont. — When the final horn sounded at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrated their 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators, pushing them through to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
'I Thought I Was Done Playing A Number Of Times': How Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty Persevered To Score Series-Clinching Goal Against SenatorsIt was 225 days ago, on Sept. 19, when Max Pacioretty, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie with the number 67 stamped on, first stepped in front of the camera to explain why he joined the organization.
