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De Zerbi speaks. Has he seen improvement in the players since the win at Wolves? “Yes, they are working very well.
“I’m very happy to work with these guys. My target is to help them to show what we are.”
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The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning close out their series in Game 7, while the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild begin the second round tonight with Game 1.
My NHL player props highlight Brandon Hagel, Matt Boldy, and Lane Hutson.
Keep reading my NHL picks for Sunday, May 3, for the full analysis.
| Player |  |
|---|---|
 Hagel anytime goal | +150 |
 Boldy Over 3.5 shots on goal | -140 |
 Hutson Over 1.5 shots on goal | +100 |
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Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
+150 at BET99
Brandon Hagel has been an offensive force this series with six goals in six games, and at least one tally in each of the first four contests. The Tampa Bay Lightning forward is also getting tons of opportunities, ranking second on the team in ice time per game (25:21).
Tampa Bay’s power play is converting at just 15.4%, but the Lightning are getting plenty of chances. In fact, their 26 power-play opportunities are the most in the NHL this postseason.
Hagel has two goals with the man advantage and could add another tonight.
-140 at BET99
The Minnesota Wild are in for a tough battle against the Colorado Avalanche, but they proved they could hang with the NHL’s top teams in the first round.
The Stars were among the league’s stingiest teams during the regular season, but Matt Boldy racked up 33 shots in six games during their series.
Boldy logged Over 3.5 shots in every contest vs. Dallas, and cleared it in each of his last three meetings vs. Colorado this season.
+100 at BET99
Lane Hutson has been the best defenseman on either team this series, generating a ton of offense from the back end for the Montreal Canadiens.
Hutson’s 14 shots are tied for second on Montreal, while his 39 attempts lead the team by far. Hutson has logged Over 1.5 shots in four of six outings while skating over 28 minutes per game.
The Habs blueliner will come out flying in tonight’s must-win contest, and he’ll fire at least two pucks on net in Game 7.
These props are available now at BET99, one of our best betting sites.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Manchester United confirmed their Champions League qualification as Kobbie Mainoo hit a winner against their rivals
“Thanks to the Isak injury, yet again Slot is forced to fight fires rather than just manage,” laments Ian Copestake. “Unless it is in January, I hope one day he will be able to say, ‘same team as last year.’”
Now that would be a turn up for the Trent.
Continue reading...On 75 minutes up stepped Kobbie Mainoo with the coolest of winners before the Stretford End to cause bedlam among home fans and wrest the bragging rights Manchester United’s way.
After a raid down the left Alexis Mac Allister’s weak clearance rolled to the midfielder who beat Dominik Szoboszlai to punch home a finish that bested Freddie Woodman to the Liverpool goalkeeper’s right.
Continue reading...The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals for a chance at the conference finals. New York beat Atlanta in six games, while Philadelphia came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat Boston in seven games.
Both New York and Philadelphia are on three-game winning streaks entering this series. The Knicks trailed 2-1 in the series before ripping off three straight wins, while the 76ers trailed 3-1 and won three consecutive.
All four of the Knicks' wins have come by double digits in the playoffs, while there two losses came by a combined two points. The Knicks average the second-most points per game in the playoffs as a team (117.8) and have the third-best three-point percentage (38%). New York is led by Jalen Brunson (26.3) and Karl-Anthony Towns (18.7) averaging 45 points per game.
Joel Embiid returned in Game 4 of the first round and the 76ers are 3-1 since then. Embiid changed the course of the series versus Boston and his appearance adds a wrinkle or two to New York's game plan. Embiid averages 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists over 36.5 minutes per game in four playoff games.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
This game opened Knicks -8.5 with the Total set at 213.5.
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The Vancouver Canucks are sending two Hall of Famers to represent the organization at the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. According to a report from Patrick Johnston of Postmedia, Daniel and Henrik Sedin will be the Canucks representatives at this year's draft lottery. The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for May 5, 2026, at 4:00 pm PT.
Vancouver enters the draft lottery with the best odds at first overall. The organization has never selected first, but has made multiple selections in the top three in its history. Daniel and Henrik are two examples of top three picks, as they were selected second and third overall in 1999.
As for the odds, the Canucks have a 25.5% chance of selecting first overall. This comes after Vancouver finished 32nd in the NHL with a 25-49-8 record. This year's draft does not have a consensus first-overall pick, as most draft boards are split between Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg.
The 2026 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 26-27, 2026, in Buffalo. The Canucks currently have 10 picks, including four in the first two rounds. The last time Vancouver held two first-round picks was in 2014, when they selected Jake Virtanen sixth overall and Jared McCann 24th.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
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Räty Scores First Point, Finland And Sweden Collect Wins: Canucks At The 2026 Fortuna Hockey Games
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NEWS & NOTES
2025-26 Player Review: Charlie CoyleCoyle was drafted 28th overall in the 2010 draft by the San Jose Sharks. Contract Status - Unrestricted Free Agent on July 1.
Games Played - 82 - Played all 82 games for the 5th time in his career.
Goals - 20 - He scored 20 goals in a season for only the third time in his career (25 in 2023-24 with Boston & 21 in 2015-16 with Minnesota). He had 7 power play goals which tied his career high.
Assists - 38 - He tied his career high in assists that he set in 2017.
Points - 58 - Finished just two points shy of his career high set in 22-23 with Boston. Up from 35 in 2024-25.
2025-26 Player Review: Mathieu OlivierOlivier was undrafted out of Biloxi, Mississippi.Contract Status - Going into year two of a 6-year contract signed in 2025.
Games Played - 61- Down from 82 the previous season. He had two stretches where he was injured, including the final eight games after breaking his hand in a fight.
Goals - 15 - Was on a 20 goal pace, but due to missed games, he finished three shy of his career high.
Assists - 11 - Would've set a career high with 15 assists if not for the missed games.
Points - 26 - Olivier was on pace to hit 35 points.
2025-26 Player Review: Denton MateychukMateychuk was drafted 12th overall in 2022. Contract Status - Going into year 3 of his ELC. He'll be an RFA at the end of the 26-27 season.
Games Played - 75 - He played 45 in his rookie season after being called up mid-way through the year.
Goals - 13 - Mateychuk scored lots of good, timely goals, and didn't waste any opportunities. He scored one power play goal.
Assists - 18 - Something tells me Mateychuk is going to be an assist machine in his career. He had two power play assists.
Points - 31 - Finished on a 34 point pace. He and Zach Werenski could easily put up 150 points between the two of them.
2025-26 Player Review: Ivan Provorov Provorov was acquired by the Blue Jackets on June 6, 2023.Contract Status - Going into year 2 of a 7-year contract signed in the summer of 2025.
Games Played - 82 - He played 82 games for the 4th straight season, and 7th time in his career. In three seasons with the CBJ, he's never missed a game.
Goals - 9 - His 9 goals were tied for the 3rd highest of his career.
Assists - 22 - His 22 assists are the third highest of his CBJ career, and 5th highest of his career.
Points - 31 - 5th highest points total of his career, and third highest in his CBJ tenure.
2025-26 Player Review: Dmitri VoronkovVoronkov was the 114th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Contract Status - Going into year two of a two-year deal signed in July of 2025 at $4,175,000 per season.
Games Played - 63 - Down from 73 the year before.
Goals - 17 - Down from 23 the year before. He had 7 power play goals and one GWG.
Assists - 15 - Down from 24 the previous season.
Points - 32 - Down from 47 in 2024-25.
Four Former Blue Jackets Could Play For Switzerland At 2026 IIHF World ChampionshipsThe slew of current and former Blue Jackets could be making the trip to Switzerland this year. Forwards Grégory Hofmann and Calvin Thürkauf will most likely end up playing in the tournament.
Hofmann played 24 games for Columbus back in 2021-22 and had 7 points. He currently plays for EV Zug of the Swiss National League. He did not play in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Former Blue Jackets Forward Is On Fire Right NowThis former Blue Jackets forward is playing some excellent hockey for the Stars. While the series between the Stars and Wild is currently tied up, Duchene is doing all he can to help Dallas. In four games so far this postseason for the Stars, Duchene has recorded two goals, five assists, and seven points. With this, there is no question that the former Blue Jackets forward is on fire right now.
Ex-Blue Jackets Forward Is Ice-Cold So Far This PostseasonThis former Blue Jackets forward has had a slow start to the playoffs. In five games for the Penguins so far this postseason, Chinakhov has zero points and a minus-4 rating. He has also had zero shots in each of his last two games.
Ex-Blue Jackets Forward Has Big Playoff Moment For Canadiens This former Blue Jackets forward had a clutch moment with the CanadiensAt the 1:06 mark of the third period, Texier scored the Canadiens' game-winning goal. It was a nice goal for the former Blue Jackets forward, too, as he beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the rush with an excellent snapshot.
REPORT: Blue Jackets Defensive Prospect To Return To EuropeAccording to Elite Prospects European Scout Honza Zoufal, Stanislav Svozil, who was drafted 69th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, is in talks with HC Kometa Brno, which plays in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Extraliga">Czech Extraliga</a>. Svozil's contract will expire at the end of the season, making him a restricted free agent.
According to Elite Prospects European Scout Honza Zoufal, Stanislav Svozil, who was drafted 69th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, is in talks with HC Kometa Brno, which plays in the Czech Extraliga. Svozil's contract will expire at the end of the season, making him a restricted free agent.
OPINION: Re-Sign Corson Ceulemans And Promote Him To The NHLCorson Ceulemans was drafted 25th overall in 2021. Ceulemans was drafted 25th overall in 2021 by former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen. The thought when he was drafted was that after college and a year or two in the AHL, he would be ready to go. Unfortunately, Ceulemans ended up being a victim of Kekäläinen's swing for the fence trades of Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, more specifically, Severson.
Blue Jackets Must Target Sabres Star Forward This SummerThe Blue Jackets would be wise to target Sabres forward Alex Tuch if he hits the market this off-season. One specific area that the Blue Jackets could look to improve is their top six. When looking at their roster, one specific need they have is another high-impact winger.
Due to this, if Alex Tuch ends up testing the free-agent market instead of re-signing with the Buffalo Sabres this off-season, the Blue Jackets should strongly consider making a push for him.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
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The Detroit Pistons will look to complete the 3-1 comeback over the Orlando Magic this afternoon.
We have a plethora of NBA player prop projections for you to use when making your NBA picks.
We also have complete Magic vs. Pistons predictions for May 3.
 Magic |  Pistons |
|---|---|
| Cain o5.5 points -130 | Duren o12.5 points -105 |
| Black o11.5 points +100 | Thompson o9.5 points -105 |
| Suggs o13.5 points +100 | Harris u17.5 points +105 |
Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!
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Projection: 7.96 points
Jamal Cain made a name for himself after putting Duren on a poster, and he's played 20+ minutes in three straight for the Orlando Magic.
A total of 5.5 is very obtainable, especially when playing that many minutes.
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Projection: 13.35 points
Anthony Black has had a rough series against the Pistons, but Orlando will need him to score with Detroit putting all the pressure on Banchero.
Black posted 9 points in Game 5, and our model sees a similar game from Black this afternoon.
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Projection: 14.69 points
Jalen Suggs cleared this line in three of the first five games of this series, but he — along with everyone else — has failed to score often since.
Our projections expect the guard to return to form in this do-or-die game.
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Projection: 16.27 points
Our player prop projections indicate Jalen Duren will go Over today's point line with relative ease. The big man hasn't been himself this series, but he'll step up when the Detroit Pistons need him most.
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Projection: 11.62 points
Ausar Thompson has played heavy minutes for the Pistons over the last three games, resulting in positive outcomes for the team. His rebounding ability makes him a necessity, and he'll get plenty of floor time to pass this number.
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Projection: 16.51 points
Tobias Harris has been a stud for the Pistons this series, but our model calls for regression. The vet only averaged 13.3 points per game in the regular season, and he's playing over his head.
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| Location | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI |
| Date | Sunday, May 3, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ABC |
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The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche open their second-round NHL playoff series on Sunday. The Wild beat the Dallas Stars 4-2 in the first round while the Avalanche swept the Los Angeles Kings. The Colorado Avalanche are favored with a -194 moneyline compared to the Minnesota Wild's +161. The over/under for the matchup is set at 5.5 goals.
Date: Sunday, May 3
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
TV Channels: TNT, truT, HBO, CBC
Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Colorado Avalanche -1.5
Moneyline: Colorado Avalanche -194 (63.3%) / Minnesota Wild +161 (36.7%)
Over/Under: 5.5
The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning face off in Game 7 to determine the winner of their first-round playoff series. The Lightning forced Game 7 with a 1-0 victory in OT on Friday. The combined score of the previous six games is 14-14 and all of the six games were decided by a single goal. The Lightning are favored with a -161 moneyline compared to the Montreal Canadiens' +135.
Date: Sunday, May 3
Time: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
Where: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
TV Channels: TNT, truT, HBO, CBC
Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5
Moneyline: Tampa Bay Lightning -161 (59.2%) / Montreal Canadiens +135 (40.8%)
Over/Under: 5.5
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We’ve got two more Eastern Conference Game 7 matchups on tap, and there are plenty of big names at the heart of the action to target for player props.
I’m looking at stars like Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, and Donovan Mitchell to make their mark in these critical games.
Read on to see how I’m backing each of these players in my free NBA picks for Sunday, May 3.
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
| Cade Cunninhgam | Over 44.5 points + rebounds + assists | -115 |
 Paolo Banchero | Over 5.5 assists | -105 |
 Donovan Mitchell | Over 4.5 rebounds | +120 |
-115 at bet365
Cade Cunningham has played beyond his regular-season numbers in this series, averaging 32.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game on 44.9% shooting.
Cunningham has mostly acted as a primary scorer but has also served as a primary playmaker when he’s needed to, as he’s put up nine or more dimes twice in the series. Overall, Cunningham is putting up 45.3 PRA per game in this series.
And while that might seem unsustainable given his regular season output (39.4 PRA), we have to consider he’s logging serious minutes, being on the court for 40.5 minutes per game in this series compared to 33.9 during the season.
The Detroit Pistons aren’t going away from Cunningham in Game 7.
-105 at bet365
If the Orlando Magic are going to score an upset in Game 7, it will come on the back of Paolo Banchero.
The 23-year-old forward had an inconsistent season — which led to some discourse about how good he really is — and that has shown up again in this series, where a 45-point explosion in Game 5 was followed by a 4-for-20 shooting performance in Game 6.
One area where Banchero has remained relatively consistent is his ability to get the ball to his teammates. He’s averaging 6.3 assists per game in this series and has dished out six or more assists in four of the past five games.
Whether or not Banchero gets his shooting touch back in Game 7 (and maybe especially if he doesn’t), he should be able to distribute the ball to his teammates the same way he has throughout this series, which makes the Over on his assists total a smart play.
+120 at bet365
There are a lot of ways we could approach tonight’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, and even Donovan Mitchell himself has a lot of enticing props on the board.
But with the odds available, I’m being drawn to his rebounding total, which is offering plus money at a reasonably low number.
Mitchell has averaged 5.2 rebounds in this series after grabbing 4.5 boards per game in the regular season. In each of the last five games, he’s picked up at least five rebounds.
That continues a trend that started late in the regular season, as he finished strong with 6.3 rebounds per game in April.
Toronto isn’t a particularly effective team on the boards — ranking 16th in the NBA in rebounding rate this year at 49.5% — and Mitchell has had a big edge on the defensive glass when battling with the less physical Ja’Kobe Walter.
These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.
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The Orlando Magic will try to rebound from their historic Game 6 collapse when they take on the Detroit Pistons in a Game 7 that will decide the series. The Pistons have won the past two games, including a 93-79 victory on Friday in which they limited the Magic to just 19 points in the second half. The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals to face the winner of the Toronto Raptors-Cleveland Cavaliers series. The Pistons are favored by 8.5 points.
Date: Sunday, May 3
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
TV Channels: ABC
Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Detroit Pistons -8.5
Moneyline: Detroit Pistons -328 (73.4%) / Orlando Magic +260 (26.6%)
Over/Under: 202.5
Game 1:Magic 112, Pistons 101
Game 2:Pistons 98, Magic 83
Game 3:Magic 113, Pistons 105
Game 4:Magic 94, Pistons 88
Game 5:Pistons 116, Magic 109
Game 6:Pistons 93, Magic 79
Game 7: Sun., May 3, at Detroit (3:30 p.m., ABC))
*if necessary
The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers meet in a winner-take-all Game 7 in their first-round playoff series. The winner will face the winner of the Orlando Magic-Detroit Pistons series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The home team has won all previous six games in the series. Cleveland is favored by 8.5 points.
Date: Sunday, May 3
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
TV Channels: NBC, Peacock
Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -8.5
Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers -301 (71.9%) / Toronto Raptors +241 (28.1%)
Over/Under: 211.5
Game 1:Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113
Game 2:Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105
Game 3:Raptors 126, Cavaliers 104
Game 4:Raptors 93, Cavaliers 89
Game 5:Cavaliers 125, Raptors 120
Game 6:Raptors 112, Cavaliers 110 (OT)
Game 7: Sun., May 3 (7:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock)
*if necessary
With seven goals, Malcolm Rosas Jr propelled Sydney to the top of the ladder in a helter-skelter win over Melbourne
Malcolm Rosas Jr is the grandson of Bill Dempsey, who passed away in March. Dempsey was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2022, and should have been elevated to legend status on the strength of his speech alone. Dempsey was one of the greatest ruckmen to come out of the WAFL. His grandson is a completely different footballer – slighter, slippery around the packs and a superb user of the ball. His seven goals on Sunday propelled his team to the top of the AFL ladder, more than 30% clear of the second placed Fremantle.
In a brief, jam-packed and much-needed vent this week, Luke Beveridge lamented the high scores that the AFL and its broadcasters have contrived. But that sort of football has its place, especially on grounds like the SCG. Sunday’s game was a helter-skelter affair, with both sides blazing through the middle of the ground. At times it resembled one of those mid-1980s games in Sydney. It was a good era to be a forward then, and it was a good day to be a forward on Sunday.
Continue reading...
Good morning, everyone. With the first round just about completed (there is one game to be played as of this writing), it is time to make an update to our Stanley Cup Playoffs Open Post. You can see the original post here, but let’s dive into the new matchups.
The Schedule: Here is the Second Round Schedule from NHL.com.
Carolina Hurricanes (M1/1) vs. the Philadelphia Flyers (M3/8)
I could not imagine a more lopsided matchup in the playoffs than the one right here, which should have been a first-round series. Despite the Hurricanes coming off a long rest, the Flyers looked lost against them in Game One, generating only 10 shots at five-on-five with 0.81 expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick. If that is a sign of things to come for the Flyers, they are doomed to lose in four or five games. Of course, there were concerns that Nikolaj Ehlers and Alexander Nikishin would miss some time in the series, but they were ready for Carolina’s 3-0 shutout in Game One.
Philadelphia’s only hope this series is getting the performance of a lifetime out of Dan Vladar. He had a surprisingly good regular season with a .906 save percentage (career high) in 52 games (career high by 22 games). Even with his three-goal loss last night, he still has a .928 save percentage in seven games these Playoffs. But I simply do not believe the lineup optimization to beat Rod Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes. They can thank Stuart Skinner for getting them this far, but they’re facing a machine now.
Buffalo Sabres (A1/2) vs. TBD (Lightning or Canadiens)
The Buffalo Sabres continued their long-awaited resurgence by bouncing the Boston Bruins in the First Round. Head Coach Lindy Ruff has continued to get the best out of Buffalo’s offensive stars, with each of Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson sitting at a point-per-game or better through six games, along with Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs. Alex Lyon has been outstanding in net with a .955 save percentage and 1.14 goals against average in four starts and five games. With Buffalo winning their series over Boston pretty comfortably, Ruff has not even had to change the usual deployment of his players. Rasmus Dahlin leads the team in average ice time at 24:11 per night, which is dead-even with his regular season average. Guys like Thompson and Tuch have only added a minute or two per night, so they should all be pretty fresh for Round Two.
We will see tonight who of the Lightning or Canadiens move on to face them. Either way, it will be tough to beat Buffalo in a Best of Seven.
Colorado Avalanche (C1/1) vs. Minnesota Wild (C3/3)
It’s an absolute joke that this is a second round matchup. The Central Division desperately needs to be split up if this is going to keep happening. Send the Avalanche to the Pacific, and give Vegas or Utah to the Central. One of the Vegas Golden Knights or the Anaheim Ducks are destined for the Conference Finals because of this extremely dumb format. In my eyes, this is close to being an informal Western Conference Finals.
The Minnesota Wild are not the deepest team at forward, but they have some excellent wingers in Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Mats Zuccarello. Brock Faber has been excellent on defense, and Quinn Hughes is currently the best defenseman in the league. The big question here is how long they can hold up. Unlike the Buffalo Sabres, these guys basically play the entire game. Faber and Hughes are over 30 minutes per night from Round One. Boldy is at 25:14, Kaprizov at 24:40, and Joel Eriksson Ek at 23:44. Jesper Wallstedt has continued his excellence with a .924 save percentage. As long as none of those guys fall apart this series, they have a chance to upend Colorado, especially if Quinn Hughes has more performances like his Game 7 in Dallas.
The Colorado Avalanche, on the other hand, are one of the deepest teams in the league at forward. They swept the Kings without breaking much of a sweat, and their players should all be very rested. None of their guys have been close to playing as many minutes as the top guys in Minnesota. And why would they? It often feels like anyone on that team can score a big goal. Running Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and Jack Drury down the middle, with Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy also available to take shifts at center, the Avalanche have two teams’ worth of centers on their roster. Add on a great defense led by Cale Makar, with a Hall of Famer in Brent Burns eating his competition alive on the third pairing, it’s not hard to see how former Devil Scott Wedgewood had a .950 save percentage in four games against a team like Los Angeles. They have to turn it up a bit now, but they have an advantage.
Vegas Golden Knights (P1/4) vs. Anaheim Ducks (P3/6)
The Vegas Golden Knights handled the Utah Mammoth in six games, largely driven by that top line of Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, and Pavel Dorofeyev and the second line of Mitch Marner, Brett Howden, and Mark Stone. Tomas Hertl, relegated to third-line duty, has not been too impactful so far. But even if Vegas is not as deep as they once were up front, their top scorers and their top two defensive pairings can easily carry them to the Conference Finals. Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin have brought some production through six, though newcomer Rasmus Andersson has not yet found his offensive stride in Vegas. We’ll see if Carter Hart can hold up his end of the bargain.
The Anaheim Ducks certainly caught Edmonton at a good time. They do have a good young core in Jackson LaCombe, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier along with older scorers in Mikael Granlund, Troy Terry, Alex Killorn, and Chris Krieder. They have a decent top end of the roster, but their defense and goaltending has generally been awful. Winning round one with an .876 team save percentage, I have to wonder if Ville Husso starts taking games from Lukas Dostal this series. The Ducks were certainly benefactors of a lot of loser points and overtime wins this regular season, and I think they go the way of the Flyers here by being knocked out by more of a machine in Vegas.
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