Czech winger Dominik Kubalík, 29, has signed a two-year contract with EV Zug, the National League club announced on Friday.

Last season, Kubalík had 52 points in 56 regular-season and playoff games for HC Ambrì-Piotta.

“Dominik is an experienced player with leadership qualities. With his speed, his intelligence and his shot, he strengthens our team on the wing,” said Zug GM Reto Kläy.

The news confirms reports from a month ago that Kläy and Kubalík’s agent were in contact.

A native of Plzeň, Czechia, Kubalík was a seventh-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2013 but, other than two seasons in the OHL, stayed in his home country until 2017, when he went to Switzerland for the first time. In 90 National League regular-season and playoff games between 2017 and 2019, Kubalík had 37 goals and 60 assists for 97 points. In 2018-19, he was the league scoring champion and MVP.

In five NHL seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, Kubalík has 93 goals and 83 assists for 176 points in 357 regular-season games. In his first NHL season with Chicago, the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign, he had 46 points in 68 regular-season games, then eight points in nine playoff games. However, he had only 15 points in 74 games with Ottawa in 2023-24 and, as a result, had trouble attracting contract offers last summer.

Report: Swiss Club Interested In Tomas Tatar, Dominik Kubalik Unhappy with the way his team’s season finished, EV Zug GM Reto Kläy recently spoke to the Swiss media about how he’d like to go about strengthening his team for next season.

Kubalík has made no secret of his desire to return to the NHL. Last year’s contract with Ambrì-Piotta included a clause that would have allowed him to leave the team if he had received an offer from an NHL team by Dec. 15. Although Zug’s announcement wasn’t specific about the details, it appears that his new contract includes the opportunity to accept a potential NHL offer.

“With a player of his caliber, the NHL is, of course, always a topic and we are aware of the risk that Dominik would take the step back to North America should he receive a corresponding offer,” said Kläy.

Internationally, Kubalík has produced big for the Czechs over the years with 46 points in 43 career games at five IIHF World Championships. In 2023, he led the tournament with eight goals and was a forward on the tournament all-star team. He also had two points in five games for the Czechs at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Martin Nečas Says Yes; Czechs Take 25 To Denmark The Czech roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championship is starting to come together. A week ago, David Pastrňák confirmed he would play and on Tuesday, at the team’s end-of-season press conference, Colorado Avalanche GM Chris McFarlane confirmed that Martin Nečas would be going as well.

EDMONTON – No two playoff series are exactly alike.

No two players are, either.

The Edmonton Oilers have two wholly unique goaltenders: Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. They are unique in style and career accomplishments. But Pickard has achieved something that Skinner hasn’t yet.

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Both goalies have started at least 40 games in a season. Pickard did that for the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17, and Skinner has done that for three consecutive seasons.

However, Pickard has been the superior playoff performer to date. And the numbers back up this case.

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Skinner has a record of 19-17-0 in the playoffs to go along with a 3.00 goals against average (GAA), a .889 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout. Pickard is 7-1-0, with a 2.68 GAA and a .895 SV%.

However, Pickard’s most recent accomplishment, this playoff run, gives him a milestone that no one else has in the NHL. 

Pickard is the first goalie in NHL history to start six consecutive games and have six comeback wins. This is a wild achievement to have.

New Oilers Schedule For Round 2 vs Golden KnightsEDMONTON – Everyone’s life revolves around a calendar and a schedule.

It’s no secret that this playoff run has been a singular experience. Despite the Cinderella story of last year’s Oilers club, they are taking it up a notch this postseason.

They didn’t dig themselves the same hole this year that they did last season, but they came close. Now, they have a whole new set of challenges that they are ready to face.

And they have a consistent netminder behind them, ready to meet those challenges.

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After failing to reach the final at February's inaugural Four Nations Face-Off, Team Sweden head coach Sam Hallam will get another chance at international glory at this month's World Hockey Championship.

However, the same opportunity was not extended to his top two goalies from that tournament.

Following their NHL teams' recent eliminations, Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark and former Senator goalie Filip Gustavsson, now with Minnesota, both contacted Team Sweden, hoping to represent their country again. Both offers were politely rejected.

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Hallam told Swedish newspaper Expressen this week that he has no regrets about the decision.

"I stand behind it 100 percent that it was the right decision," Hallam said. "We talk about pros and cons and guesses. (Goaltending) wasn't a position I was prepared to gamble with. I'm very comfortable with how we handled the situation and with the goalkeepers we have."

At a glance, it looks like Ullmark was beaten out by three goalies: Jacob Markstrom, Samuel Ersson, and Arvid Soderblom, who are all a little light on Vezina Trophies. But timing was a factor as well.

Last Saturday, during the Senators’ final media availability, when Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch asked him about it, Ullmark admitted he was disappointed.

"It would have been a great opportunity to play for Team Sweden obviously back home in Stockholm,” Ullmark said. “So, I’m let down about that whole situation. I really wish that I had the opportunity to do that and put the national team jersey on now, especially when we didn’t make it to the second round.

“But that’s the decision that they’ve made. There's nothing I can go about and change. It’s just something that they have to own up to.”

Frankly, it does seem a little odd to leave the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner off the team. And it's not like Ullmark can be judged harshly for his 4 Nations performance. Coming off injury, he didn't start any of the three games. His only action was coming in cold after Gustavsson was yanked midway through the second game.

However, with the top 16 NHL teams competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the availability of goalies from those rosters is uncertain — their teams could go deep, or the players could get injured. By choosing Ersson (Philadelphia) and Soderblom (Chicago), both from non-playoff teams, Sweden ensured stability and availability in goal.

Beyond that, the Swedes did leave space for one wild card: a goalie from an NHL team eliminated in the first round. As it turned out, there were three excellent options — Ullmark, Gustavsson, and New Jersey's Jacob Markstrom. If Sweden had known all three goalies would lose in the playoffs, they might have acted differently.

Communications Shift: Senators Now Play It Close To The Vest Under StaiosIf the past week’s events have taught us anything about Steve Staios’ stewardship of the Ottawa Senators as general manager, it’s that he is incredibly guarded.

Markstrom had missed the Four Nations tournament due to injury, so he may have been Sweden’s preferred option all along. Meanwhile, cutting Ersson or Soderblom at the last second after they had committed to play for their country would have set a poor tone for the future. It's already hard enough for national programs to convince NHL players to play in the event. 

“A lot happens in the playoffs, there can be both injuries and them winning their hockey games," Hallam told Expressen. "So that is why we really wanted to be safe with having two in place, then we hoped to spice it up with a really good goalie, and that is what happened.”

For Ullmark, if Sweden truly believed he was a lesser goalie than all three of the netminders they took, that might qualify as a snub. But this was just a timing thing, and there's zero shame in losing out to Markstrom. Not only is Markstrom an elite NHL goalie, but his season ended two days earlier than Ottawa's, making him the proverbial bird in the hand for Sweden.

"I have full respect for Linus' feelings of probably being damn angry at me for making the decision, and very disappointed," Hallam said. "It's part of the game, and I think his statements are transparent and good."

You'd have to believe that Ullmark remains very much on Sweden's radar for the Winter Olympics in February when the NHL shuts down and timing isn't an issue for anyone.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa

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Tim Stützle is joining the German team at the IIHF World Championship, the German Ice Hockey Association announced on Friday night.

“Immediately after the end of his NHL season, Tim publicly stated that he would like to join us,” said Christian  Künast, manager of the German team. “We are pleased that we have now calmly resolved all the formalities and that he will be joining us. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ottawa Senators, from whom we have already received approval for his participation, and we look forward to Tim’s arrival here in Herning.”

“We are, of course, delighted that Tim, a very high-quality player, is joining us and will further strengthen our team for the tournament,” said German coach Harold Kreis. “He demonstrated his strengths in the past NHL season and delivered a great season with the Senators. We had a very good and detailed conversation during our NHL trip, during which he reiterated his intention to join us. It’s all the more pleasing that his participation in the World Championship is now working out.”

Stützle becomes the fourth active NHLer on this year’s German team (see roster below).

To make room for Stützle, Marcel Noebels, a former Philadelphia Flyers prospect who is a veteran of eight World Championships and a silver medalist from the 2018 Winter Olympics, was cut from the team. That reduces the contingent on the team from DEL champion Eisbären Berlin to six.

Moritz Seider To Captain Germany At Worlds Germany’s initial 25-man roster for the 2025 IIHF World Championship includes three players who played in the NHL this season and three others who are currently under contract to NHL teams.

Germany’s first game is on Saturday afternoon against Hungary, although Stützle probably won’t play until at least Germany’s third game on Tuesday against Norway.

Goaltenders: Mathias Niederberger (Red Bull Munich), Arno Tiefensee (Adler Mannheim / Dallas Stars), Philipp Grubauer (Seattle Kraken).

Defensemen: Korbinian Geibel, Eric Mik, Jonas Müller (all Eisbären Berlin), Leon Hüttl, Fabio Wagner (both ERC Ingolstadt), Lukas Kälble (Adler Mannheim), Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings), Maksymilian Szuber (Tucson Roadrunners, AHL / Utah HC).

Forwards: Tim Stützle (Ottawa Senators), Leo Pföderl, Frederik Tiffels, Manuel Wiederer (all Eisbären Berlin), Yasin Ehliz, Patrick Hager, Maximilian Kastner (all Red Bull Munich), Alexander Ehl (Düsseldorfer EG), Marc Michaelis (Adler Mannheim), Joshua Samanski (Straubing Tigers / Edmonton Oilers), Justin Schütz (Kölner Haie), Wojciech Stachowiak (ERC Ingolstadt), Dominik Kahun (Lausanne HC, SUI), Lukas Reichel (Chicago Blackhawks).

Canada Ready To Start Worlds With All-NHL LineupCanada is set to begin the IIHF World Championship on Saturday against Slovenia with an all-NHL lineup.

It was a wild ride of a season for the Montreal Canadiens this past season and that was true for goaltending as well. What started as a Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau partnership became a solo gig before Montembeault was partnered with rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes. Let’s look at the Habs’ goaltending this past season.

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Samuel Montembeault

When Kent Hughes elected to trade Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils towards the end of the 2023-24 season and after signing Montembeault to a three-year contract extension worth $9.45 M, the message was clear: he was now the number one.

The Becancour native had never played more than 41 games, but this year, he played in 62 games and, for the first time in his career, reached the 30-win plateau. He had a career year with a 31-24-7 record, a 2.80 goals-against average, and a .902 save percentage.

It wasn’t a perfect year, though, and there is plenty of room for improvement. For instance, he must learn to shut the door when the Canadiens have just scored a big goal. Nothing kills momentum like conceding a goal when you just scored one, which happened quite a few times this season.

Furthermore, towards the end of the regular season, he was too often beaten by shots from far out that should have been stopped; perhaps, like the rest of the team, he was learning to deal with the nerves brought on by the magnitude of the moment.

Still, he made significant progress this season, and without him, there would have been no playoffs. In an ideal world, he wouldn’t have seen as much action. If all goes according to plan, the Canadiens should be able to share the workload more evenly next season. He gets a B for his performances in 2024-25.

Cayden Primeau

After showing positive signs during the 2023-24 season, Primeau had what could be appropriately categorized as a fall from grace. He was often in the net when the Canadiens suffered some of their more lopsided losses of the season. By the time he was sent down to the Laval Rocket after the Christmas break, his save percentage had fallen to just .836 while his GAA stood at 4.70, the worst amongst goaltenders who had played at least nine games.

Ultimately, he only played 11 games with the Canadiens, down from 23 the year before. In 2023-24, his GAA stood at 2.99 and his SP .910. He seemed to be losing the net behind him; his positioning and balance were wrong. With no safety net and not being the third goaltender this year, his performance came crashing down. For years now, we’ve been saying his development was affected by the lack of playing time in the Covid season, but the pandemic is over, and everyday activities have resumed.

What’s puzzling, however, is that once he was demoted to the AHL, he became an entirely different goaltender. In 26 games with the Rocket, he had a 21-2-2 record, a 1.96 GAA, and a .927 SP.

The look Joshua Roy gave Cayden Primeau before hugging him? Now that's hockey happiness!

(this was as the Rocket clinched the top spot in the league) pic.twitter.com/twMqaCIQDf

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 22, 2025

At this stage, one must wonder if he has what it takes to play in the NHL. He was, after all, a seventh-round pick, and the way he was able to right the ship in the lower league is surprising. If it is an issue with handling pressure, that’s far from ideal for a goaltender. Being the last line of defence does come with a considerable chunk of pressure, and that’s in any NHL market.

His contract will expire at the end of the AHL playoffs, and Kent Hughes will undoubtedly have to ponder what to do with the restricted free agent. Let him go? Keep him in the AHL in a partnership with Jacob Fowler?

His performance with the Canadiens would have earned him a failing grade, but his spectacular bounce back with the Rocket brings him up to a C-.

Jakub Dobes

His arrival after the Christmas break was a breath of fresh air, and his start was nothing short of extraordinary. He won his first five games, including a shutout win over the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, and was playing fearlessly.

He’s far from technically sound, and his positioning can be off at times, but he’s a fighter in the net, and he’ll do whatever he needs to reach that piece of vulcanized rubber. As a result, his saves often look spectacular and are crowd pleasers. His confidence and bravado in the net are interesting to see. He stands his ground and has an active stick when players try to disturb him.

Jakub Dobes has settled in nicely. #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/je5jchCHRG

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 28, 2025

In 16 games, he had a 7-4-3 record, a 2.74 GAA, and a .909 SP. While he went through a dry spell after his five consecutive wins, he bounced back nicely before the end of the season and was ready to take over when Montembeault went down to injury in the playoffs.

In three postseason games, he was 1-2-0 with a 2.91 GAA and a .881 SP. The lack of experience was apparent a few times, and his hesitation resulted in a couple of goals, but overall, given the circumstances, it would have been hard to ask for more from him.

For now, at least, it looks like the backup role will be his to lose at next camp unless, of course, Hughes has a secret plan we’re not yet privy to. It’s a small sample, but I give him a B minus for what he showed this season.

---

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Canada is set to begin the IIHF World Championship on Saturday against Slovenia with an all-NHL lineup.

It didn’t look like that a week ago when several junior-aged and European-based players were in the lineup. However, in what THN’s Adam Proteau described as “The Sidney Crosby Effect,” once the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar declared his intention to play in his third career World Championship on Sunday, he was soon followed by Nathan MacKinnon and Marc-André Fleury. Since then, Stanley Cup first-round casualties Jared Spurgeon, Mike Matheson, Jordan Binnington, Brayden Schenn and Phillip Danault have joined the team.

The only non-NHLer remaining on the roster is Dylan Garland of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who is getting the start in the opener against Slovenia but, once Fleury and Binnington get over their jet lag, will likely be relegated to third-goalie status.

A similar thing happened back in 2015, the last time Crosby played in a World Championship. Canada’s roster was looking run-of-the-mill that spring until Crosby said yes after the Penguins missed the playoffs. By the time Canada took the ice for its first game, the team included the likes of Taylor Hall, Matt Duchene, Claude Giroux, Jason Spezza, Jordan Eberle, Tyler Seguin, Dan Hamhuis and Brent Burns. It also included MacKinnon, Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly, who are all back this year.

That Canadian team started with a 6-1 win over Latvia, finished with a 6-1 win over Russia in the final, and ran the table with a perfect 10-0 record in that tournament, winning every game in regulation time and outscoring its opponents 66-15.

Since then, no team has managed a perfect record at the Worlds. We’ll soon see how far this roster can take the team. 

Goaltenders: Marc-André Fleury (Minnesota Wild), Dylan Garand (Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL / New York Rangers), Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues).

Defensemen: Noah Dobson (New York Islanders), Ryker Evans (Seattle Kraken), Mike Matheson (Montreal Canadiens), Brandon Montour (Seattle Kraken), Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers), Jared Spurgeon (Minnesota Wild), MacKenzie Weegar (Calgary Flames).

Forwards: Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Will Cuylle (New York Rangers), Phillip Danault (Los Angeles Kings), Adam Fantilli (Columbus Blue Jackets), Tyson Foerster (Philadelphia Flyers), Barrett Hayton (Utah HC), Bo Horvat (New York Islanders), Kent Johnson (Columbus Blue Jackets), Travis Konecny (Philadelphia Flyers), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville Predators), Brayden Schenn (St. Louis Blues).

Can This Roster Break USA’s World Championship Semifinal Curse?Can the team that USA Hockey has assembled to represent the country at this year’s IIHF World Championship reach the final? Previous teams have appeared good enough on paper.

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 and read your opinions.

On tonight's show, Katie Gaus, Emma Lingan and Michael Augello react to the Florida Panthers coming within one game of tying the series with a 5-4 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Leafs vs Panthers Game 3 - Playoff Frenzy | The Hockey NewsWelcome to Playoff Frenzy Live by The Hockey News presented by STIX.com, where we give our live reactions and break down the latest news to all the biggest g...

They also look at the Winnipeg Jets facing the Dallas Stars.

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

Check out the show right now.

The Florida Panthers picked up perhaps their most important win of the season on Friday night.

Entering Game 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Panthers were down 0-2 after dropping both games north of the border.

Florida dug deep and came back from a two-goal second period deficit to take down Toronto 5-4 keep their season very much alive.

It took all of 23 seconds for the Leafs to score first and take the crowd out of the game.

Matthew Knies jumped on a loose puck in front of the net after a Toronto-dominated shift to give the visitors a very early 1-0 lead.

About five minutes later, the fans raised out of their seats for a big hit by Carter Verhaeghe on Chris Tanev, but Toronto simply took the puck up ice and John Tavares pulled Sergei Bobrovsky out of his net with a strong move to his right before wrapping the puck around the opposite side of the net and in.

Florida’s captain stopped the bleeding at the 7:38 mark, carrying the puck off the boards and toward Joseph Woll.

Barkov’s backhand went off the stick of Leafs’ defenseman Morgan Reilly and into the net, cutting Toronto’s lead in half.

An offensive zone interference penalty by A.J. Greer early in the second period led to Toronto’s third goal.

Tavares got his stick blade on a shot by Mitch Marner from just inside the blue line to restore the Maple Leafs’ two-goal lead.

A scrum at Toronto’s net would lead to a replay review and eventually, a Panthers goal.

A shot by Evan Rodrigues was stopped by Woll, but it squeaked behind him and toward the goal line.

Brandon Carlo reached behind Woll and stopped the puck just before it crossed the goal line, but Sam Reinhart came swooping in and poked the puck just over the goal line.

Just 64 seconds later, Carter Verhaeghe converted a gorgeous backhand pass from Sam Bennett into a yawning cage to tie the game at three, sending the packed house into a frenzy.

It wasn’t until there was 4:53 left in the period that another goal was scored.

Tomas Nosek carried the puck into Toronto’s zone, cut behind Jonah Gadjovich to create a screen and beat Woll with a deceptive wrist shot, giving the Panthers their first lead of the night.

A fluky goal midway thought the third period would tie the game at four.

Bobrovsky made the blocker save on a shot by Morgan Reilly, but the rebound went directly off Seth Jones and right into the back of the net with just over nine minutes to go.

Florida failed to convert on a late power play, sending the game into overtime.

With 4:33 left in overtime, after several big saves by Sergei Bobrovsky, Brad Marchand ended the game with a deflected shot that fluttered past Woll.

Florida now has a chance to even the series on Sunday night in Sunrise.

On to Game 4.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Barkov’s goal was his third in the past four games.

Sam Reinhart picked up the primary assist on Barkov’s goal. It was his first point of the series. He finished the game with two.

Rodrigues logged a pair of assists, his first multi-point playoff game since Game 5 of last season’s Stanley Cup Final.

Verhaeghe is up to six points over his past four games after picking up a goal and an assist Friday.

Bennett has points in six of Florida’s eight playoff games.

Nosek’s goal was his second as a Panther, and first since Nov. 7 against Nashville.

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Former New Jersey Devils defenseman Connor Carrick is taking his talents overseas. The right-shot blueliner has signed a two-year contract with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League, as announced by the overseas club.

Carrick, 31, played all of this season down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors. In 63 games with the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate, he posted 18 goals, 41 points, 101 penalty minutes, and a plus-5 rating. Overall, it was a strong season in the AHL for the Orland Park, Illinois native, and he will now look to make an impact with HC Lugano from here.

Carrick played three seasons with the Devils from 2018-19 to 2020-21. In 60 games with the Metropolitan Division squad, he had three goals, 12 assists, 15 points, 58 hits, and a minus-14 rating. Carrick's time with the Devils ended during the 2021 NHL off-season when he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Seattle Kraken.

In 242 career games over eight NHL seasons split between the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Devils, and Boston Bruins, Carrick has posted 13 goals, 50 points, 157 penalty minutes, 238 hits, and a minus-19 rating.

Recent Devils News 

Devils GM Provides New Update On Jake Allen Contract TalksThe New Jersey Devils are entering this off-season with an array of free agents. When it comes to their pending unrestricted free agents, there is no question that Jake Allen is the most notable. Devils Sign Exciting Forward Prospect To Entry-Level DealThe New Jersey Devils have made a move, signing forward Lenni Hameenaho to a three-year, entry-level contract. His new deal will kick in during the 2025-26 season. Devils' Sheldon Keefe Has Powerful Message For TeamWhile speaking with reporters on May 8, New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe had a powerful message for the team. The Devils' bench boss made it abundantly clear that he expects the team to hit another level after taking a step forward during the 2024-25 campaign.

It's no secret that, as is true in many sports, defense wins championships in hockey, but it underscores the importance of goaltending when it comes to which teams succeed in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And a quick look at a couple key numbers only confirms it in the current post-season.

To wit: of the eight teams still playing this year, seven of them were in the top-10 in goals-against average. The Edmonton Oilers were the only anomaly, as they were 14th-overall in G.A.A. at 2.87. But otherwise, the teams that have lasted longest also had a well-above-average overall defense. And what we're seeing in the playoffs is similar, as the top four playoff G.A.A.s are owned by four teams -- the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs and (tied for fourth) the Florida Panthers -- who are still playing. That's not by accident.

Thus, this is why the Buffalo Sabres have to have a better overall defense, but they also need improvement in net. Because this season, the team G.A.A. was not only well below-average, but it was the pits, as their 3.50 G.A.A was third-worst in the league. 

That means workhorse Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has to be better. His 3.20 G.A.A. this year wasn't great, and his save percentage of .887 also left much to be desired. Greybeard James Reimer likely won't be back, and youngster Devon Levi's brief (nine-game) stint also didn't look good (.872 SP, 4.12 G.A.A.).

Certainly, the Sabres' defense in front of the goalies has to be better as well. We're not here to tell you it's solely the goalies' fault. But there's no question Buffalo's overall presence in their own zone has to be stronger, and the goalies have to own their role in that challenge.

Another free agent depth signing in net could be crucial for the Sabres if things don't go well defense-wise out of the gate for them next fall. Buffalo's offense can only do so much, if the guy between the pipes can't do their part. So the pressure will be on Sabres goaltending until further notice -- and if it doesn't go as hoped, bigger changes might be on the horizon for the team's goalie picture.

As the final seconds ticked down in Edmonton in Game 6, Kings fans were surely feeling sorry for themselves and maybe even thinking that only the LA Kings could lose to the same team four years in a row in the first round, right?

Wrong. The Boston Bruins were already passengers on this pain train back in the mid-80s. The Bruins ran into their hated rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, every year in the first round between 1984 and 1987, and like the Kings, were sent packing every time. 

If, however, the Kings continue to follow the Bruins' example, they may find themselves in a very long playoff run nest season. 

After four straight losses at the hands of the Habs, Ray Bourque and the Bruins started cooking in 1988. After avoiding Montreal in the first round this time-maybe something the Kings should think about- Boston would take out Dave Andreychuk and the Buffalo Sabres in six games in the first round. 

In the second round it would be time for redemption: a rematch with the red, white, and blue nemesis known as the Montreal Canadiens. This time, however, Ray Bourque, Cam Neeley, and Ken Linsemen would finally have their revenge against Le Tricolore in five games.

The Hockey Samurai 侍 (@hockey_samurai) on X1988. Habs/Bruins. Adams Div Final. With this goal, Cam Neely puts the icing on the cake and Boston finally beats Montreal in the playoffs. They had gone 0-18 in series since 1946 and Seabass slays the dragon. #NHLBruins

But getting the Montreal monkey off their back wasn't enough for Boston. They were hungry for more and went on to defeat Kirk Muller and the New Jersey Devils in seven games in the Prince of Wales Conference Finals.

And here's where the parallels with the Los Angeles Kings come into focus. Who did the Bruins face in the Cup Finals? The Edmonton Oilers. Gulp.

Now it's true that the current Oilers feature the formidable duo of McDavid and Draisaitl, it's fair to stay they have nothing on the 1988 Oilers. A quick glace at that roster reveals names such as Jari Kuri, Mark Messier, and Wayne Gretzky: a far cry from the likes of Connor Brown, Evander Kane, and Zach Hyman.

Facing the fire power of these future Hall of Famers would prove to be too much for Boston and they would eventually find themselves on the wrong end of a sweep.

Thus, if it's any solace to the Kings and their fans, precedent has shown that the fifth time can be the charm. The formula? Avoid Edmonton in the first round next year and then don't lose in the Finals. 

Piece of cake. 

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Nathan MacKinnon was all smiles as he arrived for the 2025 IIHF men's World Championship.

That said, he had to answer some tough questions in front of a sea of reporters about the Colorado Avalanche's first-round loss and his former teammate, Mikko Rantanen.

One of the wide range of topics discussed after Team Canada's Friday practice was Rantanen, who scored a third-period hat trick to propel the Dallas Stars to eliminate the Avalanche in what felt like a revenge game against the team that traded him. 

With the Avalanche and Rantanen struggling to agree on a new contract extension early in the season, the team traded the superstar right winger to the Carolina Hurricanes, which then moved him to the Stars at the trade deadline. 

The Stars ultimately gave Rantanen an eight-year, $96-million contract extension, and the rest is history. He leads the NHL with eight goals and 15 points in eight playoff games.

MacKinnon attempted to dodge a question about whether the Avalanche made a mistake trading Rantanen, but he did share some feelings about his former teammate.

"It's tough to say," MacKinnon said. "I can't really give you an answer. I don't know. Obviously, I'd love to have him on the team, but he's not on the team, so I don't really know what to say. Definitely miss him. Obviously, he scored a hat trick on us in Game 7. Amazing player and great friend as well."

MacKinnon and Rantanen played in Colorado with each other since the 2015-16 season and shared many valuable memories, including winning a Stanley Cup in 2022.

All of the feelings associated with those memories don't go away. 

While the loss of getting eliminated still stings, MacKinnon had nothing but positive things to say about Rantanen.

"He's an amazing player," MacKinnon said. "As you know, he did so much for our team, so no surprise that he's dominating. Yeah, he's been playing great."

Will The Colorado Avalanche Benefit Long-Term From Depth Over A $12-Million Rantanen? The Colorado Avalanche began and ended the 2024-25 NHL season on a low note. 

There was also a quick discussion about how the Avalanche lost against the Stars in Game 7 of the first round.

MacKinnon made sure to give Dallas its flowers, not before mentioning the two late third-period penalties that allowed the Stars to seize momentum of the game and win.

"They just don't go away," MacKinnon said. "I thought, overall, we had a good series. We played well enough to win. Obviously up 2-0 with 10 minutes left. I think some of those penalties were, I don't know if those are playoff Game 7 penalties, but it is what it is. I feel like our team is close. You know, it's a first-round loss, but it's a pretty good team we played."

It's clear this Avalanche and Stars rivalry is not going anywhere. As for MacKinnon, he still has a different championship to win. Team Canada gets going against Slovakia at 6:20 a.m. ET on Saturday at the World Championship.

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.

The votes for the NHL Quarter-Century Team are finally in. 

And, so far, two Pittsburgh Penguins' all-time greats have made the cut.

With the NHL releasing the names in groups by decade of debut, and captain Sidney Crosby and fellow center Evgeni Malkin made the second cut out of players that debuted between 2000-10. 

The other names from that cut included Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Patrice Bergeron, and Pavel Datsyuk. 

Still dominating the history books 👏

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been named to the #NHLQCTeam, which recognizes the top 25 players of the last 25 years.

Details: https://t.co/RFkS49Cw53pic.twitter.com/ZoN9RI5bLT

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 9, 2025

Crosby, 37, debuted in the first post-lockout season in 2005-06 after being selected first overall in 2005, and he has been dominating the NHL ever since. He's registered 602 goals and 1,637 points in 1,311 games, and he sits ninth all-time in points. He also recorded his 20th consecutive point-per-game season in 2024-25, officially breaking Wayne Gretzky's previous record of 19. He is widely regarded as one of the five greatest NHL players of all time.

Malkin, 38, was drafted second overall behind Ovechkin in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Known as one of the greatest Russian-born players of all time, he has put together an impressive career with 506 goals and 1,327 points in 1,184 games. He became just the fourth active player to reach the 500-goal plateau during the 2024-25 season.

Both Crosby and Malkin are three-time Stanley Cup champions (2009, 2016, 2017), and each have won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award, the Art Ross Trophy, and the Hart Trophy.

The NHL Quarter-Century Team will be fully revealed over the next several days, and it will feature the 25 best NHL players since 2000 as voted on by fans. Each NHL franchise had its own Quarter-Century team - slow-rolled during the back half of the regular season - which was voted on by a panel of media, former players, and executives representing each team.

The 25 players for the NHL Quarter-Century team were made eligible by being voted to their respective team's first-Quarter-Century team. There are no positional limits for the players selected.

You can track the Quarter-Century reveals on The Hockey News here.

Coaching Conclaves: Who Should Be Annointed Next Penguins' Head Coach?The Vatican conclave to elect a new Pope has officially concluded, but there are other conclaves generating buzz around the National Hockey League.

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We’re getting into the meat of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and The Hockey Show is elbow deep.

This week, hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork welcomed one of their favorite hockey broadcasters that both grew up watching.

NHL on ESPN host and play-by-play voice Steve Levy was kind enough to join the show and discuss the latest happenings in the playoffs, including the red-hot Edmonton Oilers and tightening series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals.

Steve also spoke about longtime friend and colleague Barry Melrose, and the boys all discussed their favorite This Is SportsCenter commercials.

As for this week’s wins and fails of the week, we had polite chirping by Canadian fans, a historic run by Edmonton and a collective fail for one an embellishment call that had everyone scratching their heads.

Roy and Dave then get into the latest on the Florida Panthers, who trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 in their best-of-seven second-round series.

You can check out the full show in the video below:

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Three takeaways: Panthers third line is playing like a first line, Florida allowing too much off the rush