The Winnipeg Jets will be without star forward Mark Scheifele for Game 6 in St. Louis on Friday.

His absence is directly related to an injury suffered on a check in Game 5 at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night. 

The 32-year-old was crunched early in the first period on a punishable hit by Brayden Schenn, who jumped into an open-ice hit, catching Scheifele without the puck in Winnipeg's defensive zone. 

"Well, clearly they’re trying to do a job on our skilled guys, and trying to make them pay a price," Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo said on Thursday. "We're trying to do the same too. It's a physical series. This has been right up there with some of the most physical hockey I've played in the playoff series. And we knew that going in, and they're going to continue to try to do that."

Scheifele bounced back up rather quickly and played another seven shifts. However, he was later hit in the open ice by Blues' forward Radek Faksa, which also knocked him down heavily to the ice.

After the game, coaches Jim Montgomery and Scott Arniel went back and forth on what caused Scheifele to miss the second and third periods, ultimately walking away undecided. 

Although pleading with the NHL Department of Player Safety to look at Schenn's high hit, Arniel had no success, and the Blues' captain will remain in the lineup for the pivotal Game 6. 

"We've talked to the league, like I said," Arniel said Thursday. "We've been talking. There's a supervisor that's here every day. So they know how we feel. We've passed on our message and we hope that those things don't happen. I'm not saying that we're going out to (get) retribution. But we've got to win hockey games. So however that comes about, we've got to get it done."

Scheifele, on the other hand, will not travel with the Jets and remains out of the lineup. 

"Obviously extremely (disappointed)," Arniel added. "You're hoping that maybe for the best, you wake up today and things are better. But right now he won't be making trip and we'll see, we'll just go day-to-day, moving forward."

Winnipeg missing star players come the postseason is not a new storyline, by any measure.

Scheifele, for instance, has missed games against Calgary alongside Patrik Laine (in 2020), sat out due to suspension in 2021 against Montreal and injured his shoulder against Vegas in 2023. 

Cole Perfetti also missed the postseason in 2023 against the Golden Knights. Nikolaj Ehlers made it into just one game that year after a dirty check from Ryan Hartman near the end of the regular season, while Josh Morrissey got hurt on his first shift of Game 2 against Vegas. He sat out the rest of the series. And who could forget Morgan Barron's nasty slice to the cheek - fortunately, he didn't need to sit out.

Brenden Dillon and Vlad Namestnikov both missed time in the opening round against Colorado last season, giving way to Cole Perfetti, who made his playoff debut in Game 5. 

As history shows, the Jets have rarely had a full lineup of regulars come playoff time since their rip to the Western Conference Final in 2018 vs. Vegas.

It appears as though that will also be the case this postseason. Already missing Ehlers until at least the second round (lower-body), Winnipeg was without Gabe Vilardi until Wednesday, who made his return to action after missing a month of time due to an upper-body injury.

“This is going to be a meat-and-potato kind of, work zone-to-zone, get out of our zone, get through that neutral zone and then make them spend some time in their end of the rink," Arniel said of Game 6. "You know, not having Nik, not having Scheif, kind of knocks out a couple of your top six players. So this is straightforward, grind it out kind of work for, fight for every inch and get those greasy goals, a lot like we scored last night."

Now, with Scheifele on the mend, the Jets will look to take care of business on the road for the first time this postseason, as they battle St. Louis in what could be the final test of the round. Or, the game could follow the script set over the first five games with the home team proving victorious. 

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time on Friday. The game can be viewed live on Sportsnet.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got the job done against the Ottawa Senators in Game 6.

With the Maple Leafsat risk of blowing a 3-0 series lead, they beat the Senators 4-2 to make the second round for the first time since 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and just the second time since 2004, the last time they faced the Senators in the playoffs.

At the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ont., Toronto took the lead against Ottawa on Thursday night off a power-play goal by Auston Matthews. William Nylander extended the lead to 2-0.

Senators captain Brady Tkachuk tipped a shot into the net to cut the lead to one entering the third period, and David Perron tied the game by banking a shot off the back of the head of Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

Just over a minute later, however, Max Pacioretty capitalized on some offensive zone time to take the lead back. It was his first playoff goal since 2021 with the Vegas Golden Knights. He has a goal and an assist in four games this post-season after recovering from injury issues. His last regular-season game was Feb. 8.

Despite the Senators piling on the pressure in the final minute with an empty net, Nylander scored at the other end to seal the deal.

The Maple Leafs next face the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, in the second round. The Panthers, which finished third in the Atlantic Division in the regular season, eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.

When the Leafs beat the Lightning in 2023, they faced the Panthers in the second round as well. Florida won in six games and eventually made it to the Stanley Cup final before falling to the Golden Knights.

As for the Senators, they finish their first playoff appearance since 2017, when they made it to the Eastern Conference final. Tkachuk led the Senators in scoring in this series with seven points (four goals, three assists) in six games, while Matthews led the Leafs with two goals and five helpers for seven points.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.

After the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines, provide updates on the rest of the night's NHL slate and read your opinions.

On tonight's show, Katie Gaus and Michael Augello react to the Toronto Maple Leafs beating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in Game 6 and winning the series.

The Maple Leafs lost twice before winning the series, and they now face the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, in the second round.

Leafs vs. Sens Game 6 - Playoff FrenzyWelcome to Playoff Frenzy Live by The Hockey News, where we're recapping all of the action from Game 6 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators.

Share your thoughts in the comments and live chat, and the hosts may discuss your message during the stream.

Check out the show right now.

It was a valiant comeback effort by the Ottawa Senators, but in the end, losing the first three games of their first round playoff series was just too much to overcome. 

The Senators' 2024-25 season came to an end in Game 6 on Thursday night with a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. William Nylander led the way for Toronto with two goals and an assist. Max Pacioretty, who was moved up to the second line tonight, had two points, including the winning goal with 5:39 to play. Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for the Sens, who were dead even in shots with Toronto at 23 apiece.

The opening period was one of the most wide-open we've seen in the series. Both teams had some excellent chances, but the scoring dam refused to break until Brady Tkachuk’s interference penalty in the neutral zone with just over two minutes left in the period. The hit was slightly late, but it's the kind of hit that officials frequently overlook, especially in games as important as this one.

After going cold for two games, Toronto then finally capitalized with the extra man. From the left point, Auston Matthews directed a puck at the net with the approximate speed of a firm pass. It made its way through traffic, and just as a screened Linus Ullmark came off the post in search of a view of the puck, the puck slid past his skate, just inside the post.

It was reminiscent of an intermission contest where a fan successfully shoots a puck through a tiny slot in a board covering the net.

That gave the Leafs some momentum heading into the intermission, and they built on their lead in the first minute of the second period. Pacioretty knocked the puck away from Nick Jensen at the Ottawa blue line and it ended up on the stick of  Nylander. Thomas Chabot, who backed up way too far, allowed Nylander all the time he needed to pick his spot under Ullmark's blocker.

Less than seven minutes later, both Chabot and Tkachuk made amends, teaming up for Ottawa's first goal of the game. Chabot's knee-high wrist shot from the left point was handled masterfully by Tkachuk, who tipped it over Anthony Stolarz's right shoulder to cut the lead in half.

The Senators came out strong in the third period. Tim Stutzle had an early chance, deflecting one off the goal post, and he created several great opportunities for himself throughout the period. However, he couldn't capitalize.

But Canadian Tire Centre erupted when veteran David Perron scored from down below the goal line, banking the puck in off of Stolarz's back to tie the game at 2.

The celebration was short-lived.

Less than two minutes later, with everyone thinking about yet another overtime, Toronto's Max Domi outworked Ottawa's defense behind the Senators' net and found Pacioretty alone in the high slot. Pacioretty then beat Ullmark to restore Toronto’s lead with less than six minutes to go.

Nylander then put the game away with an empty netter to seal the deal, ending Ottawa's season.

"I'm proud of the guys," Perron said. "(The loss) is tough to think about too much right now. You can always look at plays, but I'm proud of the guys and how much they grew this year. And even from game to game, it felt like we really had a chance to kind of push this to 7 and that's tough."

The fans shared Perron's emotions. During the player handshakes, the building was still fairly full, with fans applauding the effort. Not only did the Senators get back to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the future appears to be extremely bright, o and off the ice.

Some of the fans began chanting Brady Tkachuk's name. Despite dealing with a nagging injury, big number 7 led the Sens with 7 points in 6 games, and after the game, the captain was highly emotional when asked about the loss.

"I mean, it's devastating, Tkachuk said, his voice barely a whisper. "I really believed... It's just a tough pill to swallow right now."

Tkachuk said he was proud of the team, even the guys who don't lace 'em up every night.

"I'm really proud of every single guy in this room. Everybody who wasn't playing – staff, trainers, everybody. Everybody in this organization. I mean, I think it takes will, it takes guts. 

"We didn't get the job done, but I think we're going to take these lessons and be that much better because of it. I know it's tough to realize right now, but everything happens for a reason, and I'll be better because of it."

As for Toronto, they win the first Battle of Ontario in 21 years, improving their playoff record against Ottawa to 5-0. The Leafs will have their hands full, facing the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who just mowed down the Tampa Bay Lightning in round one.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

Be sure to bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa for Senators coverage all year long.

On his 29th birthday, William Nylander was reportedly close to being held out of the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup due to a game sheet issue.

Ahead of Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators, the Maple Leafs inserted Alex Nylander, William's brother, on the game sheet instead of the 29-year-old. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, NHL officials caught this before the game began, allowing Nylander to play.

If an official hadn't caught the mistake before the game started, there would've been a chance that Nylander wouldn't have been able to play.

Per rule 5.1 in the NHL's rulebook: "Prior to the game, if an official (on-ice or off-ice) notices that a player is in uniform but has not been included on the submitted lineup, the Referee shall bring this to the attention of the offending team so that the necessary correction can be made to the Official Game Report with no penalty assessed."

Below is rule 5.2 of the rulebook, which is what could've happened to Nylander had the officials missed it.

"Only players on the submitted line-up before the game may participate in the game. The determining factor when considering whether or not a player is eligible is that the player’s name, and not necessarily the player’s number, must be correctly listed by the Manager or Coach of that team," the rulebook states.

"Whenever an ineligible player is identified to the Referee, the ineligible player will be removed from the game and the Club shall not be able to substitute another player from its roster. No additional penalties are to be assessed but a report of the incident must be submitted to the Commissioner."

'We've Only Done It Once Before': Gauging The Temperature Of The Maple Leafs Ahead Of Game 6 Against The SenatorsKanata, Ont. — The Toronto Maple Leafs have another chance to close out their series with the Ottawa Senators on Thursday when they visit Canadian Tire Centre for Game 6 of their first-round playoff series.

Nylander had an assist on Auston Matthews' power play goal in the first period of Game 6. His sixth assist of the series came on Toronto's first power play goal in an elimination game in 30 opportunities.

The forward also scored 43 seconds into the second period against Ottawa after intercepting the puck at the offensive blue line. It was Nylander's second goal of the series, after scoring in Game 1 on Apr. 20.

WILLIAM NYLANDER 🚨

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! pic.twitter.com/lSNomT9W51

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 2, 2025

Nylander has eight points — two goals and six assists — through six games in the Battle of Ontario. He scored a career-high 45 goals in 82 games this season.

---

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.

Last night, the London Knights swept the Kitchener Rangers in the Western Conference Final of the OHL Playoffs. They now have the opportunity to win back-to-back OHL Championships. 

The Knights have played 12 games and come away with 12 wins in the postseason. The reigning champions have swept all three series they have played, coming away relatively unscathed. 

They go into the finals on course to accomplish a feat that has only been done one other time in OHL history. The last time an OHL team won a championship without losing a postseason game was during the 1987-88 season. 

Of the three remaining reams in the playoffs, London averages the highest goals per game (5.5) while also allowing the fewest goals against (2.3). Based on the stats, London is the heavy favourite to take the championship this season. 

You could feel the intensity from the Rangers' bench at the start of last night's game. Ottawa Senators prospect Luke Ellinas rewarded the Rangers' efforts by scoring the game's opening goal on the power play. The goal was the result of a beautiful passing play that left Knights' goaltender Austin Elliot completely in the lurch.

Jackson Parsons Named OHL Goaltender Of The YearThe Ontario Hockey League announced yesterday that Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers is the 2024-25 winner of the Jim Rutherford Award, which is awarded annually to the OHL Goaltender of the Year. 

The Knights responded immediately, tying the game under a minute later. Noah Read tracked down a bouncing puck in the Rangers' crease before pushing it into the back of the net. 

From there, London took full control of the game, scoring a total of four unanswered goals courtesy of San Jose Sharks prospects Sam Dickinson, Kasper Halttunen, and New York Islanders prospect Jesse Nurmi. 

Sennecke Scores Hattrick In Statement WinLast night, the Oshawa Generals defeated the Barrie Colts 7-1 to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Anaheim Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke scored a hattrick and added an assist in the Generals' victory. 

Dickinson had another fantastic game, finishing the night with a goal and an assist. He's second on the team in postseason scoring with seven goals and 15 assists. 

Chicago Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham did score in the third period to cut the London lead down to 4-2, however, it was too little, too late as London held on for the win. 

Interestingly, we could see a repeat of last year's championship series if Oshawa defeats the Barrie Colts in the Eastern Conference Final. The Generals currently hold a 3-0 lead in that series. London will await the winner of the series, having already punched their ticket to the finals. 

---

After parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, it was clear that former head coach Mike Sullivan was going to be in high demand.

And it appears he may have already landed his next gig.

According to a joint report by ESPN's Emily Kaplan and Kevin Weekes, the New York Rangers are in "advanced contract talks" to name Sullivan the 38th coach in franchise history.

In addition, the contract is allegedly one of the "richest" coaching contracts in NHL history. 

The New York Rangers are in advanced contract talks to name Mike Sullivan head coach, sources told @KevinWeekes & me. It is expected to be one of the richest coaching contracts in NHL history.

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) May 1, 2025

A native of Boston, Sullivan, 57, became the head coach of the Penguins in December of 2015. He led Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, and he departed Pittsburgh a decade later as the winningest coach in franchise history with 409 regular season victories - as well as 44 playoff wins. 

Things Are Reportedly Getting Close And Trending Toward Mike Sullivan Becoming The Rangers' CoachThe New York Rangers appear very close to hiring their next head coach. 

The Rangers missed the playoffs this season as the reigning President's Trophy winners, falling short of expectations in every discernible way with an 11th-place Eastern Conference finish and six points out of the final wild card spot.

They finished the season 39-36-7 and fired former head coach Peter Laviolette following the conclusion of the regular season.

8 Possible Replacements For Mike Sullivan As Penguins Head CoachWith the shocking news that the Pittsburgh Penguins and longtime coach Mike Sullivan have mutually agreed to part ways, it comes as no surprise that one of the first talking points is who will be the one replace him.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

The Carolina Hurricanes were the first club to move to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this week, with three former Sabres in William Carrier, Eric Robinson and Taylor Hall contributing to them getting past the New Jersey Devils in five games. On Wednesday, the Hurricanes announced that they have signed the 33-year-old Hall to a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension. 

The Edmonton Oilers 2010 first overall pick was part of the three-way deal with Colorado and Chicago in January that also saw winger Mikko Rantanen go to the Canes. Hall was a rental in the final year of a four-year deal he signed with Boston and finished the season with 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists) in 31 games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday?

Sabres Ownership Ranked Worst In NHL By Survey In The Athletic

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change

The Calgary native joined the Sabres in 2020 on a one-year, $8 million deal with Buffalo in 2020 after winning the Hart Trophy in 2018 and being dealt to Arizona, to play under former Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger. His tenure with the Sabres was disastrous, as Hall scored two goals in 37 games and was dealt to Boston in April 2021 with Curtis Lazar for Anders Bjork and a 2021 second-round pick that turned into Russian forward Aleksandr Kisakov.

Here is how some former Sabres did in the playoffs on Wednesday:

Joel Armia(MTL) 1A, +1, 9:53 TOI, 2 Hits

Montreal was eliminated by Washington in five games. 

Sam Reinhart(FLA) 1G, 1A +1, 20:09 TOI, 7 SOG

Evan Rodrigues(FLA) 13:58 TOI

Dmitri Kulikov(FLA) -1, 21:57 TOI, 7 Hits

Zemgus Girgensons(TB) -1, 8:27 TOI, 5 Hits

Florida eliminated Tampa Bay in five games, and will play the winner of Ottawa-Toronto. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Lost in the sorrow of elimination was that Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman David Savard played the last game of his career on Wednesday night. As the Habs were getting ready to shake hands with the Washington Capitals, the hulking blueliner was wiping away his tears, not because his team was eliminated, but because it truly was the end of the road for him.

 Laval Rocket Wins Game One
Canadiens: Season Of Progress Comes To An End
Canadiens: About That Devastating Hit

Speaking to the press after the game, coach Martin St-Louis said:

Our youth wouldn’t be where it is right now without David Savard. It’s been an honor for me to coach that man, a professional who leads by example with all the kids growing up in our culture. He’s not the only one, but I know we won’t have that influence anymore. He was surrounded by excellent vets, the Gally, Dvo, Andy, Matheson, Carrier…We have a damn good group. So, my emotions…of course, it’s a shame the season is over, but I’m so proud of this group.

- St-Louis on Savard and his group.

The saying may be “If you can’t beat them, join them, " but Savard pulled a reverse-Marian Hossa, he beat the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup final in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and signed with them as a free agent. Little did he know he was going to have to step right into Shea Weber’s skates, not so much as the player, but as everyone’s dad in a group that became younger in a hurry with Weber, Carey Price, and Paul Byron’s careers almost ending in that last game against Tampa Bay.

He signed a four-year contract with a Cup finalist team, and a few months later, he found himself in a full-blown rebuild. He stuck with it, though, taking everyone under his wing and helping this young defensive core mature.

Drafted in the fourth round by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2009 draft, Savard spent 11 years in their organization before being traded to the Lightning at the 2021 trade deadline. He played 14 regular-season games with the Bolts and 20 playoff tilts before raising the holy grail.

Bonne retraite à un leader sans pareil! Nos meilleurs voeux pour la suite, Savy! 🤝

Happy retirement to a leader like no other! Best of luck for the road ahead! pic.twitter.com/fPPOpwMBam

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) May 1, 2025

Over his 15-year career, the shot-blocking machine played 870 games, gathering 54 goals and 188 assists along the way for a total of 242 points and 467 penalty minutes. In 62 playoff games, he put up 17 points and 20 penalty minutes. He wasn’t an offensive defenseman by any stretch of the imagination, but he was a reliable defenseman with an imposing presence you could rely on.

While Savard was understandably sad as he left the ice on Wednesday night, at least he was able to call it a day on his own terms. His decision wasn’t dictated by a career-ending injury like Weber's or contract negotiations that went south like Andrei Markov's.

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

If you believe that hockey teams can carry momentum from one game to the next in a Stanley Cup Playoff series, then the Senators might as well set up a proper stall in their locker room for Ol' Man Momentum.

Since Jake Sanderson's overtime goal in Game 4, Big Mo has been on Ottawa's side and will be again on Thursday night – at least to start Game 6 of the Battle of Ontario.

After losing the first three games of the series—two of them in overtime—the Senators have responded nicely, winning each of the past two games, including a 4-0 win in Toronto on Tuesday.

For Ottawa hockey fans, most of whom don't much care for the Leafs, this momentum has restored faith and excitement in the series. So, on Thursday night, Canadian Tire Centre is expected to be, as Brady Tkachuk put it on Tuesday, "pure insanity."

Brady Tkachuk On Thursday's Game 6 Atmosphere in Ottawa: 'I Expect Pure Insanity'In the moments after being announced as one of the game's three stars on Saturday night in Ottawa, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk gestured to centre ice, telling fans the team would be coming back for Game 6.

"This is not just about our team,” Tkachuk said on Thursday. “It's about our city. You could feel the excitement, and we're going to need it tonight. I mean, the amount of energy, pride we get from our fans, this city, it's something that I don't really think they know the impact that they have on our team.

"The season's on the line again tonight, so it's going to be a lot of fun."

For Tkachuk and the Senators, it's been baptism by fire. Their young core is learning all the things that only actual playoff experience can teach. They're getting exposure to a completely different kind of intensity and learning what it takes to succeed in these fierce circumstances when everyone is watching. It will serve them well for the rest of this season, however long it runs, and on into next season and beyond.

Head coach Travis Green shared that view when asked about where the Senators have made their biggest strides in this series.

"A lot of areas,” Green said. “Just the comfortability of playing playoff hockey, the importance of certain parts of the ice. Things you talk about all year that get magnified during playoff hockey. You grow up watching playoff hockey, but until you play it you don't really know where that intensity level gets to until you actually go through it. So probably, if I have to name one area, it would be the intensity part of it."

Toronto faces a different kind of intensity via pressure. As if they didn't already have enough—from being the heavy favourite, or their 58-year Stanley Cup drought, or the fear of being the fifth team in NHL history to blow a 3–0 series lead—now they're having to hear daily about their historical inability to close.

Going back to 2018, they’re now 1–13 in playoff games where a victory would have eliminated their opponent. And in those games, according to NHL.com, the Leafs have gone 0-26 on the power play.

Not only has the Leafs' power play come up empty in the past two games, but they've also given up a short-handed goal in each. That’s the risk teams run when they roll with their five best forwards and defencemen. It often creates extra danger at both ends.

As far as changes go on Thursday, veteran forward Max Pacioretty will slide up to the second line with William Nylander and John Tavares. He takes the place of Pontus Holmberg, who has zero points in the series. So, that's a roster edit that feels like a 'What took you so long?' kind of move.

The Sens aren’t messing with anything. They're hoping to cling to their momentum to force Game 7 and a chance at history on Saturday night.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

For more great Senators coverage from The Hockey News, be sure to check out THN.com/Ottawa.

Gaud's Plan: Adam Gaudette's Decision To Sign In Ottawa Works Out PerfectlyAdam Gaudette has quietly been one of the best stories of the Ottawa Senators’ season – a tale of a player struggling to get back to the NHL, joining forces with a team struggling to get back to the NHL playoffs.

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild is back in action tonight for Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights. It is a win or go home situation for the Wild as they look to force a Game 7 back in Vegas with a win tonight. 

The Wild are not expected to make any changes tonight. Head coach John Hynes said this morning that Filip Gustavsson should start tonight. He left Game 5 after the second period with an illness. 

We won't know the lines until warmups but the Wild are expected to roll out the same lineup tonight as Game 5. 

For the Golden Knights, Pavel Dorofeyev will miss tonight's game. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said this morning that Dorofeyev is listed as day-to-day. 

Victor Olofsson will come in and replace Dorofeyev in the lineup. He played in the first three games of the series until the Golden Knights decided to play Tanner Pearson for the last two games. He assisted on the Game 5 overtime winner.

Here are tonight's projected lines (subject to change). 

Wild Projected Lines

Kirill Kaprizov - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy

Marcus Foligno - Ryan Hartman - Mats Zuccarello

Marcus Johansson - Freddy Gaudreau - Gustav Nyquist

Yakov Trenin - Marco Rossi - Justin Brazeau

Defense:

Jonas Brodin - Brock Faber

Jake Middleton - Jared Spurgeon

Jon Merrill - Zach Bogosian

Starting Goaltender: Filip Gustavsson

Scratched: Declan Chisholm, Devin Shore, Jesper Wallstedt, Liam Ohgren, Vinnie Hinostroza, Zeev Buium.

Injured: None

Black Aces:Hunter Haight, Cameron Crotty, Carson Lambos, Travis Boyd, Brendan Gaunce, Samuel Hlavaj, and Ben Jones. 

Golden Knights Projected Lines

William Karlsson - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone

Brandon Saad - Tomas Hertl - Victor Olofsson

Ivan Barbashev - Nicolas Roy - Reilly Smith

Tanner Pearson - Brett Howden - Keegan Kolesar

Defense:

Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague - Alex Pietrangelo

Noah Hanifin - Zach Whitecloud

Starting Goaltender: Adin Hill

Scratched: Alexander Holtz, Ben Hutton, Ilya Samsonov, Kaedan Korczak, Cole Schwindt. 

Injured: Pavel Dorofeyev

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

Wild Related News

Wild's Filip Gustavsson Expected To Start In Goal For Game 6ST. PAUL, Minn - There was some concern when Filip Gustavsson left Game 5 after the second period with an illness and then to not return to the bench for the rest of the game.  Golden Knights Face Wild For Game 6 Tonight Without Their Top Goal ScorerST. PAUL, Minn - The Vegas Golden Knights will be without its top goal scorer from the regular season. Head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed this morning that Pavel Dorofeyev will not play tonight. 

The Buffalo Sabres have clear goals in this off-season, including being a better defensive team. But one of the biggest tasks for the Sabres has to be getting a key defenseman locked up under contract for as long as possible.

We’re speaking, of course, of young defenseman and pending RFA Bowen Byram. The 23-year-old is coming off a season in which he set personal-bests in assists (31) and points (38), and Sabres GM Kevyn Adams cannot afford to let Byram get away.

It’s definitely going to be costly to get Byram’s signature on a contract extension. He’s been making $3.85-million for the past three seasons, and a healthy raise will put him in the area of $6-to-$8-million per season. But while that amount of money will carry with it a certain degree of sticker shock for Sabres fans, what’s the alternative here – letting Byram walk away? That would hurt Buffalo more than figuring out how to keep him in a Sabres uniform.

You have to know there will be teams prepared to pay Byram that amount. And considering that the NHL’s salary cap ceiling will rise exponentially in the next few seasons, giving Byram a major raise won’t hurt as much as it would in a flat-cap situation. Most teams are paying quite a bit to keep their top-four defensemen happy, and Byram is definitely a top-four talent on the back end.

For that reason, Adams has to do whatever it takes to keep Byram in the fold. If the Sabres are going to finally take that next competitive step and get into the playoffs next season, they need to have Byram’s dynamic performance working for them. Buffalo ownership can’t let a million dollars here or there be the reason why Byram chooses to play elsewhere, and signs an offer sheet with a different team that drives up his asking price even higher than it’s already projected to go. He’s still not close to his prime, so investing in him now makes a lot of sense.

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of ChangeThe Buffalo Sabres, at their season-ending press availability, were all singing from the same hymn book, and the song was Bruce Hornsby’s “Gonna Be Some Changes Made”. The questions that will be utmost in the minds of a frustrated fanbase will be what kind of changes, and in the end, will those changes have the desired effect of ending the club’s 14-year playoff drought. 

Byram isn’t a lockdown defensive specialist, but he is a savvy offense-minded D-man whose skill set would be highly-valued by many teams. The Sabres landed a solid talent when they acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche, and now their job is to keep him around for the foreseeable future.

And if they don’t, Sabres management will be rightfully ripped for letting an above-average asset get away.

There are very few negatives that come with advancing past the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Actually, this may be the only one.

Once teams move to round two, their respective local game broadcasts go away. The only networks that can broadcast past the first round are the national rightsholders.

That means Game 5 in Tampa Bay was the last game that Florida Panthers play-by-play voice Steve Goldstein and analyst Randy Moller will be calling this season.

That’s the bad news.

But don’t fret, because there is some good news.

While there won’t be any more games to call for the Panthers’ local Scripps Sports broadcast team, fans will still be able to get playoff info and analysis from the crew before every single playoff game.

Great news South Florida sports fans... our @ScrippsSports
coverage of @FlaPanthers Stanley Cup run continues!

30 minute pregame show before every game on the same stations you watched all season. Thanks for tuning in all year, see ya next round! pic.twitter.com/ybjYhtWHck

— Steve Goldstein (@goldieonice) May 1, 2025

Starting with Game 1 of the second round, Scripps will be offering a full 30 minute pregame show that the entire Panthers’ crew, which includes Goldstein, Moller, Katie Engelson, Jessica Blaylock and Ed Jovanovski, will be a part of.

Additionally, each show will have coverage both in studio and on site for every game, home and away.

For those who crave the local flavor during the most important games the Panthers will play, this news should come as music to your ears.

We’ll find out soon enough who Florida will be facing in the second round, either Toronto or Ottawa, but either way, Goldie and his gang will be there to cover it, every step of the way.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Three takeaways: Bobrovsky, Panthers shut down Tampa Bay when it counts to close out contentious series

Big night by Marchand line helps Panthers eliminate Lightning with 6-3 win in Game 5

Florida's ability to adapt has been key to their 3-1 series lead

Panthers can punch ticket to second round with Game 5 win in Tampa

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad suspended 2 games for elbowing Brandon Hagel

On Thursday, Hockey Canada announced the first 15 players to represent Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, which begins on May 9. While there is talent on the roster, many have been left off the team, whether that’s by the players’ choice or management’s.

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas is Canada's GM for this tournament. He’s joined by a selection committee of four NHL executives, including Dennis Bonvie, Jason Spezza, Andrew Cogliano and Gregory Campbell, who have assisted Dubas in evaluating and selecting players for the roster.

Some big names who didn’t qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs are not listed on the roster, like Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard and Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos, among others.

Since this isn’t the full team, there is the possibility that these players haven’t made up their minds on participating, but the reality is that they are not on the team currently.

However, for those who are on the team, there are plenty of players who could be on the bubble of making Canada’s Olympic team for February 2026. 

Philadelphia Flyers right winger Travis Konecny and defenseman Travis Sanheim both made the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, but will be challenging for Olympic roster spots again. Joining Team Canada for the World Championship helps their case.

Other defensemen, including the New York Islanders’ Noah Dobson, Calgary Flames’ MacKenzie Weegar and Seattle Kraken’s Brandon Montour, also boost their odds to play in the Olympics by participating in this tournament. 

Additionally, youngsters Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, along with Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnston of the Columbus Blue Jackets, have also put themselves on the map with an opportunity to represent their country.

In terms of goaltending, Canada has listed Dylan Garand, who hasn’t played a game in the NHL. The 22-year-old netminder plays for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, the affiliate club of the New York Rangers.

However, with the Montreal Canadiens recently being eliminated from the playoffs, there’s a chance that Samuel Montembeault suits up for Canada at this tournament.

Here are the 15 players selected for the 2025 World Championship:

Forwards:

Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

Will Cuylle, New York Rangers

Adam Fantilli, Columbus Blue Jackets

Tyson Foerster, Philadelphia Flyers

Barrett Hayton, Utah HC

Bo Horvat, New York Islanders

Kent Johnston, Columbus Blue Jackets

Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers

Ryan O’Reilly, Nashville Predators

Defense:

Noah Dobson, New York Islanders

Ryker Evans, Seattle Kraken

Brandon Montour, Seattle Kraken

Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers

MacKenzie Weegar, Calgary Flames

Goaltenders:

Dylan Garand, Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

ST. PAUL, Minn - There was some concern when Filip Gustavsson left Game 5 after the second period with an illness and then to not return to the bench for the rest of the game. 

On Wednesday, Wild head coach John Hynes said that all signs point to Gustavsson being ready to start Game 6. He said he was feeling a lot better. Hynes said Thursday morning that it still seems the same way. 

Gustavsson, 26, is 2-1-1 with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in five games this playoffs. He went 31-19-6 during the regular season with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage with the Wild.

He is expected to start tonight in a win or go home game for the Wild. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

Wild Related News

Could We See Some Lineup Changes For The Wild In Game 6?ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild held an optional skate this morning ahead of its Game 6 matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Golden Knights Face Wild For Game 6 Tonight Without Their Top Goal ScorerST. PAUL, Minn - The Vegas Golden Knights will be without its top goal scorer from the regular season. Head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed this morning that Pavel Dorofeyev will not play tonight.  Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury Sets NHL Playoff Goaltending RecordIn a 2-1 game after the second period in Game 5, Marc-Andre Fleury led the Wild on the ice for the third period.