EDMONTON – Bye Bye Bye, Los Angeles Kings.

The Edmonton Oilers are moving on from the first round of the playoffs after dispatching the Kings for the fourth consecutive year. 

However, things don't get easier for the Oilers. They are very familiar with the Vegas Golden Knights, the team they will face in Round 2. Aside from being divisional rivals in the regular season, they have also met in the playoffs before.

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The Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild on Thursday to win their series in six games. 

The Oilers have only played the Golden Knights in the playoffs once. They lost that series during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, 4-2.

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The defense of the Golden Knights was too much for the Oilers to overcome. They played an incredibly patient game and made the Oilers pay whenever they made a mistake. 

The Oilers can’t have a repeat of that series.

For three consecutive playoffs, the Oilers had their playoff run ended by the (eventual) winner of the Stanley Cup. In 2022, it was the Colorado Avalanche, in 2023, the Golden Knights, and in 2024, the Florida Panthers.

The Oilers were outscored 19-22 over the six games. All things considered, there wasn’t that much separation between the Golden Knights and Oilers.

The Golden Knights' starting goalie, Adin Hill, has a regular season save percentage of .896 against the Oilers. He fared much better against them in the playoffs.

Hill started four games against the Oilers in that round, posting a save percentage of 1.00, .879, .914, and .950.

There is no schedule released for the second round at this time.

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During his postseason press conference on Apr. 21, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas provided a glimpse into what the summer could look like for the organization.

He mentioned some potential movement in the trade market as well as interest in the restricted free agent market, and he also specified a glaring area of need for the Penguins.

"I think the left side of our defense has been a problem," Dubas said. "There's just no other way [to put it]. Especially moving [Marcus Pettersson] out to Vancouver in that trade... I think the trade will serve us a great purpose in the future, but it hurts the left side of the defense corps now."

He added: "You can't just wish that all of [their current left defensemen] are going to improve and all move up into 1-2-3, left side of the defense. That's an area, I think, externally, that we have to improve. So, we’ll be on the lookout for that."

The unrestricted free agent market for left defensemen is not the greatest, and the Penguins desperately need to improve the position as urgently as possible, even from a minutes standpoint. With Matt Grzelcyk remaining unsigned and about to hit free agency, there are no current left-side blueliners on their roster who have shown they're capable of playing consistent top-four minutes.

So what can they look for in the trade market? Here are four defensemen Dubas would be well-served to make some calls about.

'We Have To Stick To A Very Concise Plan And Then Execute Our Butts Off': Dubas Clarifies Penguins' Summer PlansTo close out the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke with the Pittsburgh media on Monday.

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Pavel Mintyukov - Anaheim Ducks

Mintyukov, 21, is perhaps the most intriguing option on this list. He has one year remaining on his entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, and on the surface, he seems like a player the Ducks would not want to part ways with.

However, the fact of the matter is that Mintyukov had a disappointing sophomore campaign (five goals, 19 points in 68 games; minus-4) to follow up his excellent rookie season (4-28-63; minus-20), and in a crowded defensive pool of young, talented players, others are simply outperforming him. With the emergence of youngsters Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger, Mintyukov may not have the adequate space or opportunity to further grow and develop his game with the Ducks.

Mintyukov's game is raw, and the defensive side of his game could use some work. But there's no denying the high-upside potential of Anaheim's 10th overall pick in 2022.

If he's even remotely on the market, he's someone worth surrendering that conditional first-round pick from the New York Rangers for. 

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Bowen Byram - Buffalo Sabres

It was a season of ups and downs for Byram, who completed his first full season with the underachieving Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25. He finished the year with seven goals and 38 points in 82 games to go along with a plus-11.

The productive potential is certainly evident for the 23-year-old blueliner, who is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA). However, the defensive side of his game was shaky at times this season, and his play was inconsistent in a general sense throughout the season. 

But he still qualifies as a pretty steady option for a second-pairing defender - with the potential to develop his two-way game more - which is something the Penguins need. With Buffalo at an organizational crossroads, some changes may be on the horizon, and they may be willing to part with Byram's RFA rights if the return meets their asking price.

Realistically, this would probably involve either a prospect and a pick or a swap for a talented rostered player. Buffalo would probably prefer to hold onto him otherwise.

Signing Evolving Young Star Defenseman Must Be Priority For Sabres This SummerThe 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.

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K'Andre Miller - New York Rangers

When talking about other organizations at a crossroads, it's difficult to leave out the Rangers.

They are a bit cap-strapped. They fired their coach and are on the verge of hiring ex-Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. They missed the postseason one year after winning the President's Trophy. They have an underperforming, aging roster to go along with underperforming youth and not much promise prospect-wise on the horizon.

Miller, 25, is another pending-RFA. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenseman - like many of his teammates - had a somewhat forgettable season in blue and red, registering a downward-trending seven goals and 27 points in 74 games and sporting some poor defensive metrics to go along with it.

The Rangers will have some big decisions to make about their roster during the offseason. Even if Miller had a down year, he is still a very capable two-way defenseman with size, and he is a top-four defenseman at his best.

Given the Rangers' cap and roster situation, this is exactly the type of RFA that Dubas should target - especially after the Penguins' GM said that they'll look into RFAs that other teams can't afford to re-sign.

Report: Former Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan Closing In On 'Rich' Contract With RangersAfter parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, it was clear that former head coach Mike Sullivan was going to be in high demand.

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Mason Lohrei - Boston Bruins

More than likely, the Boston Bruins are on a crash-course destination to tank next season. Their roster was blown up almost entirely over the past year, and they finished at the bottom of the East along with the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Lohrei, 24, is a pending-RFA and showed high-upside potential offensively this season, putting up five goals and 33 points in 77 games. He is a good puck carrier, skates relatively well for his size, and has some offensive instincts.

But it's hard to ignore the fact that Lohrei was also a minus-43 on the season. Yes, this is plus/minus - but a number that extreme is a bit worrisome. Even though Boston was a mess defensively as a whole, Lohrei certainly was one of the guilty parties, and the Penguins shouldn't surrender the farm for him.

More than likely, the Bruins bring Lohrei back. He played top-four minutes this season and figures to be part of their future. But, if the Bruins are looking for assets - which, they will be - he might be someone they're willing to engage in discussions about. At the right price, he'd be a worthwhile gamble.

Former Bruins Defender Had Career Year With New TeamDuring this past off-season, the Boston Bruins let defenseman Matt Grzelcyk leave in free agency. This was after his placement on the team's depth chart dropped, with him being scratched in 10 out of the Bruins' 13 playoff games. 

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Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist, Adin Hill made 29 saves and the Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in Game 6 of their first-round series Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Hill improved to 4-0 all-time in Game 6 as the Knights' goaltender.

With the win, Vegas eliminated the Wild and will next face the winner of the Los Angeles Kings-Edmonton Oilers series. The Oilers led the series 3-2 ahead of Game 6 in Edmonton on Thursday night.

Captain Mark Stone and defenseman Shea Theodore also had a goal and an assist each to help the Knights advance into the second round for the fifth time in eight seasons.

"I think ever since I got here, that's the message, that we want to win," Theodore said. "Guys care about it every year; that's our goal in training camp. It's good to see us playing well at the right time."

Stone, who assisted on Eichel's goal with a stretch pass out of the zone that was inches out of reach of the stick of Minnesota star Kirill Kaprizov after he dived to try to prevent the breakaway, had four points in the last three games of the series.

Ryan Hartman scored both goals for Minnesota, which has lost nine consecutive series in the NHL playoffs.

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This is a breaking story and will be updated by 1 am eastern

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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.