On Tuesday, the AHL announced that former Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakob Pelletier was named the AHL Player of the Year, putting the exclamation point on the best pro season of his career thus far.

Pelletier, still just 25 years old, erupted for 28 goals, 49 assists, and 77 points in 62 games for the AHL Syracuse Crunch this season, establishing new career-highs across the board while leading the entire league in scoring, making him an easy choice for AHL Player of the Year.

In four Calder Cup playoff games, Pelletier added a goal and four assists, and he got to play in five NHL games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season as well.

The 2019 first-round pick was let go by the Flyers last offseason after a short stint in Philadelphia that saw him score three goals, five assists, and eight points in 25 games in place of the traded Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, playing in a limited role for then-Flyers coaches John Tortorella and Brad Shaw.

Free to sign with any NHL team after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Flyers, Pelletier inked a three-year pact with the Lightning, giving the perennial Stanley Cup contenders some depth and some young upside - two things they badly needed.

Flyers Trade Target: Devon LeviThe Philadelphia Flyers can buy low on a goalie prospect with potential and trade for Devon Levi, who is on his way off the Buffalo Sabres.

The 5-foot-9 winger could have had a role to play in Philadelphia with the Flyers again this season when Tyson Foerster missed time with two different injuries, but Denver Barkey and Alex Bump stepped up in their first professional seasons instead.

At the same time, though, given that Pelletier played almost exclusively in the AHL again this season, we can point to a weak Lehigh Valley Phantoms team that probably could have used some upgrades.

For instance, journeyman Lane Pederson finished as the Phantoms' leading scorer with 23 goals, 25 assists, and 48 points in 63 games, while Pelletier trumped that total with just his 49 assists.

Also consider that Anthony Richard, the team's second-highest scorer, just left for Switzerland, and Bump and Barkey, seventh and 14th, respectively, on the team in scoring, graduated to the NHL.

Alexis Gendron, who was traded to the Boston Bruins organization midseason, had a modest 10 goals, 12 assists, and 22 points himself.

That's all to say that the Flyers lost a lot of firepower over the course of the season, which culminated in an early end to the year for prospects like Oliver Bonk, David Jiricek, Hunter McDonald, Aleksei Kolosov, Carson Bjarnason, Jack Berglund, and Cole Knuble.

In the end, Pelletier bet on himself and signed elsewhere, and now he's a bonafide AHL star, at the very least.

Welcome to Ball Arena! Stay tuned for all of the action!

First Period

The Avalanche dictated the pace of play for the early going of the opening period. Although there weren't a ton of shots on goal, we saw several players get involved in the physical side of the game early. 

At the 6:27 mark, Wedgewood came up with an outstanding save on a 2-on-1 rush before Tomas Hertl tried to fire in the rebound from his knees, but missed the net. 

On the subsequent faceoff, Nathan MacKinnon won the draw, but Devon Toews mishandled the puck behind the net resulting in a turnover to Jack Eichel, who was turned away by Wedgewood on a pair of shots before the puck was cleared.

Colorado killed a penalty after Brent Burns was sent to the box for hooking Vegas forward Brandon Saad at 9:02. 

With 4:45 to go in the period, Logan O'Connor received a pass just past the red line and penetrated the Golden Knights defensive zone before putting on the brakes and firing a wrister, but it dinged off the left post, and the game remained at a 0-0 deadlock. 

At the end of one, the game remained scoreless, and both teams accrued 10 shots on goal. 

On Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Colorado Avalanche to kick off the Western Conference Finals. 

Puck drop is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PST. 

Carter Hart starts in net for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 8-4 and an average save percentage of .917 in 12 games this postseason. 

Scott Wedgewood starts in net for the Avalanche. Wedgewood has a record of 7-1 and an average save percentage of .914 in eight games this postseason. 

Mark Stone was on the ice for morning skate with the scratches ahead of Game 1, but did not take the ice for warmups.

Golden Knights Lines

Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev

Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner

Brandon Saad — Tomáš Hertl — Colton Sissons

Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar

Defense

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson

Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan

Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill

Ducks Lines

Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas 

Artturi Lehkonen — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy

Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Valero Nichushkin

Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Defense

Devon Toews — Sam Malinski

Brett Kulak — Josh Manson

Brent Burns — Jack Ahcan

Goaltenders: Scott Wedgewood / Mackenzie Blackwood 

Special Teams

VGK power play: 25.7%, 4th

VGK penalty kill: 86.8%, 5th

Ducks power play: 25.0%, T5th

Ducks penalty kill: 79.3%, 11th

Game Notes

The Golden Knights are 13-11 in Game 1s in franchise history. 

Historically, teams that take a 1-0 series lead go on to win 70.3% of the time. 

Mitch Marner is the postseason leader in scoring with 18 points (7G, 11A). 

Pavel Dorofeyev leads the league with nine postseason goals. 

Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 14.

How to Watch 

TV: ESPN

Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340

Hockey in the state of Florida has become much more than just a novelty.

This year will break a streak of six consecutive seasons in which the Stanley Cup Final was played in Florida.

The Tampa Bay Lightning went to the Final each year from 2020 to 2022 and the Florida Panthers reached the Final from 2023 to 2025.

Additionally, despite failing to extend the streak this season, both the Panthers and Lightning are considered among teams that could continue to compete for the Stanley Cup in the foreseeable future.

All that success has given Floridian hockey fans one hell of an in-state rivalry between its two NHL franchises, which has provided some incredibly fun and entertaining hockey games over the past several seasons.

Recently, RotoWire.com put together a guide of the most hated teams in America, going state-by-state.

While that might lead to the question of which team is more disliked inside the state, the Panthers or the Lightning, this collection of data looked to see which teams that played outside of each state were the most hated by those who live on the inside.

So neither the Panthers or Lightning was the most hated in Florida, just like how neither the Rangers or Islanders was most hated in New York, or how none of the Kings, Ducks or Sharks were the most hated in California, and so on.

Interestingly, the most hated team inside the state of Florida is apparently the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Florida was the only state that had Toronto listed as its most hated.

What makes more sense to this writer would be if it were the other way around. A team from Florida has knocked the Maple Leafs out of the playoffs in three of the past four postseasons; Tampa took out the Leafs in 2022 while Florida eliminated them in both 2023 and 2025.

Do you agree that Toronto is the most hated NHL team in Florida not named the Panthers or Lightning?

No states in the U.S. had the Panthers or Lightning listed as their most hated.

Outside of the Florida result, there were some other interesting elements of this data collection.

The most hated team in the U.S. is, according to this list, the Vegas Golden Knights, who are the most hated team in 11 different states, including Hawaii and Alaska.

Next is the Colorado Avalanche, hated in eight states, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, who are each hated in five states.

The most hated team in New York was the Boston Bruins, the most hated team in Pennsylvania was the New York Rangers and the most hated team in Massachusetts was the Canadiens.

Some of the seemingly random ones were the Philadelphia Flyers being the most hated team in West Virginia and the Edmonton Oilers being most hated in Nevada.

Let us know in the comments which team you think is the most hated in Florida.

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Photo caption: May 7, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) scores a goal and celebrates with center Anton Lundell (15) against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period in game two of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

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: You can see the NHL’s schedule here.

The IIHF Worlds Open Post: For Worlds-related commentary, please see here.

The Preview

The Eastern Conference Finals: The Carolina Hurricanes vs. the Montreal Canadiens

The Carolina Hurricanes are surely very rested. Through two rounds, they have played the minimum of eight games, and former Devil Taylor Hall leads them in scoring with 12 points. The Hurricanes also got the version of Freddie Andersen who usually shows up against the Devils in the playoffs, as he has a .950 save percentage and a 1.12 (not a typo) goals against average. Carolina does probably want to work some kinks out here. Sebastian Aho only has four points, as do Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis. Shayne Gostisbehere has not been as productive as he has been in the regular season. But the depth of their attack will be very difficult for Montreal.

Montreal probably deserved to lose the second round to Buffalo, and I tend to think that Buffalo would give Carolina a better chase. But Montreal’s top players are showing up. Lane Hutson is continuing to be a point-per-game defenseman in the playoffs, and the trio of Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky have continued to be very productive on the power play…but that may be their downfall. They have yet to really step up at five-on-five in these playoffs, and Devils fans know that Carolina is a ridiculously stifling team on the penalty kill. If that top line does not turn it around at even strength, this may be another short series for Carolina. If they do turn it around, we might be in for an upset.

A saving grace for Montreal is they have three good centers leading the way right now in Suzuki, Evans, and Danault. But I am not convinced that they have a third-line edge over the Carolina group of Hall, Stankoven, and Blake. What I am sure about is this should be a fun series to watch the net, as both Andersen and Jakub Dobes have had excellent performances throughout these playoffs. Dobes may be more inconsistent through two series, but the highs get really high with him.

The Western Conference Finals: The Colorado Avalanche vs. the Vegas Golden Knights

They did not make it here without controversy to write about, but the Vegas Golden Knights are back in the mix for a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and I am sure that everyone reading this is just thrilled to see it. To their credit, though, Mitch Marner has been incredible and good to rely on in these playoffs, and that contract is looking very much worth it at the moment. But I will push back on the narratives surrounding him for a moment: this is the fourth time out of the last five playoffs that Marner has produced at a point per game or better. He is scoring more goals as an individual, but it would be wrong to say this is the first time he’s shown this ability in the playoffs.

The Colorado Avalanche, though, are in a space similar to the Carolina Hurricanes. They are a powerhouse. Nathan MacKinnon has seven goals in nine games. Gabriel Landeskog is the same as he ever was. They have six players who have taken shifts at center in the playoffs, and all of them range from solid to elite. The one thing they will be fighting is an injury to Cale Makar, who has admittedly not been his usual uber-productive self. However, he will not be out long. With Devon Toews, Brent Burns, and assorted contributions from Brett Kulak and Josh Manson, the Avalanche should be able to survive a night without their top blueliner.

We will see who returns first between Makar and Mark Stone. However, the key to this series will be whether defense and goaltending can allow Vegas to hold on with Colorado. The Avalanche have not gotten their playoff goaltending completely set in stone yet, but Scott Wedgewood is 7-1-0 with a .914 save percentage. I would think his leash is not super long at this stage of the playoffs, as Mackenzie Blackwood has already played in a couple of games to less rousing individual success. The Knights may have better numbers in goal, but they have less depth to rely on, and they do not have the skaters to stay purely even with Colorado without big performances in net. Even with as good as they are with Eichel, Marner, Barbashev, and Stone, Colorado has an embarrassingly rich lineup.

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The St. Louis Blues made a late-season push for a playoff spot, which, as many predicted, fell short.

With that, the Blues pushed themselves into the ‘Mushy Middle,’ just outside the playoffs but too far from landing a potential top-five pick.

The Blues moved to 11th last by the end of the season, and did not move in the draft lottery, so their top pick this season will be the 11th overall.

While it is very possible that they can still find a very skilled player who could change the franchise, it’s far less likely than if they were selecting in the top five. But each draft is unique, players rise or fall, whether there is a good reason or not.

This year, a prime candidate to be selected far lower than he should be is Viggo Bjorck, and that’s why he can be considered the dream draft scenario for the Blues.

Bjorck is an ultra-skilled center with two-way versatility. The 18-year-old loves to have the puck on his stick, and he excels with it. When watching Bjorck, his ability to pick up the puck from his own end and skate in transition is evident each shift. At times, he can look like a one-man breakout and zone entry.

But he also excels when he has the puck in the offensive zone. He possesses slick hands with the ability to make passes into the slot and carry the puck into dangerous areas of the ice. 

Defensively, Bjorck is smart with his positioning in his own end, and along the boards, he’s able to position himself and utilize his stick to win puck battles.

With all those traits, it’s odd to see many draft analysts think Bjorck will fall in the draft, but the reason is due to his size. 

Can The Blues Trade Up In The 2026 NHL Draft?Could the St. Louis Blues use the 11th and 15th overall picks in the 2026 NHL draft to trade up? And how high can they realistically trade to?

Bjorck is listed at just 5-foot-9. That’s very undersized, especially for a center. While there is plenty of evidence that smaller players can be successful NHL players, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Mats Zuccarello, Alex DeBrincat, Brad Marchand, and Jonathan Marchessault all come to mind, none of those players are centers, and they were all selected outside of the top 10; in fact, Caufield is the only player selected in the first round. 

With all that evidence against Bjorck, it’s understandable why some believe he could drop in the draft. 

But with all that, there’s still reason to believe he can be a top-six center. Take Logan Stankoven, for example. Stankoven stands at just 5-foot-7, but his relentless motor and fearlessness to get to the front of the net has seen him be successful in the playoffs.

The best example might be Brayden Point. Point does stand a couple of inches taller than Bjorck, but they possess so many similar traits, and Point has been a key contributing player, and at times the best player on a Tampa Bay Lightning team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Draft-Eligible Viggo Bjorck Stars for Sweden: “It’s Just Hockey”Sweden rallied past Switzerland at the World Juniors as draft-eligible Viggo Björck sparked a third-period comeback in a 4–2 win.

Like Point, Bjorck owns a relentless motor, a strong lower body, and a high hockey IQ. Very few players have had the success Point has shown in the bumper spot, and we’ve already seen Bjorck have success in that position at the world juniors and the World Championship. 

In all, Bjorck notched six goals and 15 points in 42 games in the SHL this season. He then won the championship in Sweden’s U-20 league, posting eight goals and 20 points in nine games.

After a successful SHL season and a gold medal win with Sweden at the World Junior Championship, where he posted three goals and nine points in seven games, he was selected to represent Sweden at the World Championship.

So far, he’s posted one goal and two points in four games. Bjorck is the youngest ever player to represent Sweden at the World Championship. 

NHL clubs might fear his size, but they could risk missing out on a future star. At pick No. 11 and with two picks still in the first round, selecting Bjorck would be a worthwhile gamble. 

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The Anaheim Ducks just had their most successful season in nine years come to an end after a 4-2 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs. 

They’ve taken a colossal step toward becoming a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and have arguably opened that contending window in 2025-26 and beyond. 

One player who was once projected to be a key depth piece during the early stages of the Ducks’ build is veteran winger Frank Vatrano. 

Vatrano (32) entered the 2025-26 season coming off back-to-back-to-back 20-goal seasons, including a 37-goal, 60-point campaign in 2023-24 that earned him an All-Star appearance. 

Revisiting the Ducks Acquisition of John Carlson

Lack of Adjustments Proved Costly for Ducks against Golden Knights

With a high-energy approach and a lethal release, Vatrano’s usage increased year after year during his first three seasons with the Ducks, and he signed a three-year contract extension on Jan 5, 2025, worth $18 million in real dollars. Still, due to a percentage of it being deferred, his AAV settled at $4.57 million. 

The Ducks hired head coach Joel Quenneville ahead of the 2025-26 season, and he brought with him a mostly-new coaching staff, along with all-new play styles and systems. Due to how Quenneville elected to divvy up usage and how he prefers his lineups to be constructed, Vatrano found his role diminished and eventually eliminated down the stretch of the regular season. 

Vatrano averaged 16:41 TOI per game in 2022-23, 18:21 in 2023-24, and 17:33 in 2024-25, and featured heavily on both special teams units. He experienced difficulty carving a role for himself on the 2025-26 Ducks’ depth chart, sustained a shoulder injury in Dec, and left the team for a period of time due to personal reasons. 

He finished the year averaging just 11:49 TOI/G in 50 games played, scored just nine points (5-4=9), and was scratched for every game of the Ducks’ 12-game playoff run to the second round. It’s understandable to question his future with the Anaheim Ducks.

Vatrano has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.57 million. However, he is owed $900,000 per year for ten years, starting in 2035. That number will not impact his NHL club’s cap sheet, but will have to be honored in real dollars.

On the surface, due to his production and contract, he appears somewhat immovable for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. However, Verbeek was able to move center Ryan Strome at the 2026 trade deadline. Strome experienced similar struggles as Vatrano, only producing nine points (3-6=9) in 33 games and had a year and a half remaining on his contract that carried a $5 million cap hit. The Ducks didn’t have to retain on Strome’s contract and acquired a seventh-round pick in exchange. 

The 2026 NHL free agency class is notoriously thin, and combined with the dramatically rising salary cap ceiling ($95.5 million to $104 million), teams may find themselves interested in or in need of the services of a forward like Vatrano. 

If the contract is too much for teams to stomach and the Ducks intend to spend to the salary cap ceiling, as they may have to, given contract projections for RFAs like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, along with the potential to add to the roster, buying out Vatrano’s contract presents itself as an option for Verbeek. 

If Vatrano’s contract is bought out, his cap hit will decrease to $571,189 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. They will also incur a $2 million cap hit for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 seasons. 

Perhaps the least likely scenario, given all that’s transpired over the course of the 2025-26 season, is the hope that he re-finds his scoring touch and is afforded a role on the Ducks’ depth chart in 2026-27, rendering last season a “one-off.” Vatrano’s talent as a depth scorer and energy forechecker remains, but a longer leash than the coaching staff is willing to give out may be necessary to achieve that goal. 

The summer of 2026 will likely prove a pivotal one for the future of the Ducks franchise, as they have some aspects of their roster to iron out, some holes to fill, and a cap sheet that may require some navigating if they’re to maximize their potential and begin contending for Stanley Cups as soon as next season. Part of that navigation might include an important decision on what to do with Frank Vatrano.

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ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Washington Capitals re-signed defenseman Timothy Liljegren to a two-year contract worth $6.5 million.

General manager Chris Patrick announced the deal Wednesday. Liljegren will count $3.25 million against the salary cap next season and in 2027-28.

The right-handed-shooting Swede played just four games for the Capitals after they acquired him from San Jose at the trade deadline in early March. He could have a bigger role next season as part of a blue line that is not expected to have John Carlson back after Washington sent the pending free agent to Anaheim on the eve of the deadline.

Now 27, Liljegren has 94 points in 324 regular season and playoff games in the NHL, with the vast majority of that time spent with Toronto.

The biggest question of the offseason for Patrick and the front office is the status of longtime captain, face of the franchise and career goal-scoring record holder Alex Ovechkin, who has not yet declared whether he'll return for a 22nd season at age 41.

___

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The Montreal Canadiens have taken a very different path to the Eastern Conference Final than the Carolina Hurricanes, but they arrive with real reasons for optimism despite being sizable underdogs.

From clutch-game resilience and overtime poise, to a perfect response record after losses, this group has consistently found ways to rebound.

Add in strong coaching, steady identity, and playoff composure, and Montreal has legitimate belief heading into Round 3 despite being underdogs in the NHL odds.

Why Habs fans should have hope

• Time for Suzuki/Caufield to show up?
• Dobes continues to stand tall
• Rest vs. Rust
• ECF is the Canes' kryptonite
• Not your average group of kids

Five reasons Canadiens fans should be optimistic

The top line hasn’t even shown up yet at 5-on-5

The Montreal Canadiens have eight wins in the postseason, and of the team’s 27 even-strength goals, only one has come off the sticks of Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.

That top line, alongside Nick Suzuki, accounted for 72 total even-strength goals during the regular season, or 37% of all the team’s goals at even strength. It’s not as if Caufield and Slafkovsky have done nothing, though, as they’ve still contributed seven of the Habs’ 13 power-play goals through 14 playoff games.

This team is getting scoring from its middle six, but the offense still hasn’t played its best postseason hockey. Everything on that top line runs through Suzuki, who is still sitting at +3000 to win the Conn Smythe.

With how heavily head coach Martin St. Louis is leaning on his center, leading this series in points at +350, the betting favorite makes sense.

Canadiens odds to lead ECF in points

Player
Nick Suzuki	+350
Cole Caufield	+550
Lane Hutson	+700
Juraj Slafkovsky	+1500

Jakub Dobes

The goalie landscape in the NHL has changed. Gone are the days of riding your No. 1 for 70% of the season. All four starting goalies in the Conference Final were not their team’s No. 1 option early in the year.

Jakub Dobes has gone on an incredible run ever since Montreal changed goalie coaches on January 28 and brought in Marco Marciano. The rookie netminder closed the regular season at 13-5-1 with a 2.57 GAA and a .914 SV%, a notable jump from his earlier marks of a 2.96 GAA and .890 SV% before the change.

His 0.776 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes trails only three playoff goaltenders with at least three games played.

The eerie part is Montreal’s history with rookie goalies making playoff magic. Some guy named Patrick Roy won the Cup in his rookie season back in 1985-86, going 15-5 with a .923 SV%. He wasn’t even the first to do it. 

Ken Dryden led the Habs to a Cup in 1970-71 after appearing in just six regular-season games. Dryden played in two Game 7s across three playoff series that year, with Montreal playing in 20 of a possible 21 playoff games. Sound familiar?

Both Roy and Dryden walked away with the Conn Smythe in their Cup-winning rookie runs. Dobes enters the Eastern Conference Final at +1900 to win the Conn Smythe, and Martin St. Louis appears ready to ride him the rest of the way.

Rest vs. Rust

I hate this term more than anything, but you might never see a more classic “rest vs. rust” ECF setup. One team is coming off back-to-back Game 7 wins, while its Round 3 opponent rolled in at a perfect 8-0 SU. It’s the longest break between playoff series since 1919.

The Carolina Hurricanes haven’t played a game since May 9 — an 11-day layoff — while the Canadiens at least get a chance to catch their breath after taking Game 7 in Buffalo on Monday.

Teams coming off a Game 7 win and facing a team coming off a sweep are 8-1 SU in all series since 2000.

Montreal is +250 to win the series at BET99, the best available price.

Canadiensvs Hurricanes

May 21 • NHL ECF

Series Prediction

Canadiens to win series (+250)

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Freddy, the Bod, and the Canes’ semifinal track record

Things in the Eastern Conference Final have not been good for anyone associated with the Hurricanes since the days of Ron Francis. You could say this team has metaphorically pissed all over themselves when they are eight wins away from the Cup.

We have seen this early-playoff form from Frederik Andersen before. Just last year, he entered the ECF with elite numbers, much like this season, and fell flat, posting sub-.840 SV% numbers over four games before getting pulled.

He is 4-10 SU in the third round over his career.

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour may be running out of runway if he can’t break through this stage. Since taking over in Carolina, he's 0-3 in Round 3 across seven postseason appearances, and an even more concerning 1-12 SU in those series combined, despite going 24-8 SU through the first two rounds.

Don’t read too much into Carolina’s 8-0 SU start, as their path to this point has come against noticeably softer competition than the Canadiens have faced. The Canes are not walking all over their third straight opponent.

Odds for which game the Canadiens will win the series in

Result
Canadiens in 4	+3000
Canadiens in 5	+1500
Canadiens in 6	+850
Canadiens in 7	+725

Youth that's been tested under pressure

That Canadiens might be one of the youngest teams in the NHL, but this is a group that has handled every situation this season. They don’t panic down multiple goals late, they can win in overtime, and they have shown an ability to respond immediately after poor performances.

There’s a reason they are 5-0 SU this playoffs following a loss.

This might be one of the best-coached teams in hockey, and it’s a shame St. Louis didn’t receive more Coach of the Year attention.

There’s a reason this group has been labeled the “Cardiac Kids,” and it’s because adversity doesn’t seem to affect them — something the playoffs have made very clear.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Carolina Hurricanes have had 11 days to rest before the start of their third-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, and even though they are 8-0 So far in these playoffs, winning the Conference Final could still prove to be tricky. Since 2018-19, the Canes have reached the third round three times and have failed to make it through to the Stanley Cup Final.

In those three third-round series, they have a 1-12 record. In 2018-17, they were swept by the Boston Bruins, who would go on to lose the Final to the St. Louis Blues. In 2022-23, they were swept by the Florida Panthers, who would go on to lose the Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights. Finally, in 2024-25, they lost to those same Panthers 4-1, before Matthew Tkachuk and co. won the Cup.

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While one would be right to point out that there have been many personnel changes on the Hurricanes since they reached the first Conference Final under Rod Brind’Amour, the coach remains the same, and the starting goaltender is the same as in those last two occasions.

In 2022-23, Andersen played three of the four Conference Final games, losing them all. However, he had a .950 save percentage in the first game, a .941 in the second and a .833 in the last one.

Then, in 2024-25, he played four of the five games of the third-round series; he had a 20-save shutout in the sole win, but in the other three games, he gave up five goals once and four goals twice. In those three games, his SV stood at .750 twice and .833 once. Until the ECF, his SV was .931.

Fast forward to this year, and he has a 1.12 goals-against average and a .950 SV in eight games. However, in the series-clinching win against the Philadelphia Flyers, he let in two goals on 17 shots for a .882 SV.

Will the Canes’ 11 days off have allowed him to work through his ECF demons? Or has he spent them obsessing over the ghost of playoffs past? Furthermore, the veteran netminder has appeared in only 35 games this season, and he’s had more than his fair share of injury troubles over the years. Can he be consistent over the course of this whole postseason? The Canes better hope so, but at this stage, it feels like Andersen hasn’t really been tested after facing the Ottawa Senators and the Flyers in the first two rounds.

Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes has an 8-6 record in these playoffs, with a 2.52 GAA and a .910 SV%. He has had a few rough games in the first two series, but generally, he has been clutch for the Canadiens and has bounced back (or forward, as Martin St-Louis would say) every time he faltered. Furthermore, he did win his three duels against the Hurricanes this season, allowing eight goals for a 2.67 GAA and a .922 SV. As for Andersen, he lost both of his games against the Habs, posting a 3.73 GAA and an .806 SV.

If the Canes are to finally overcome this bump in the road that has given them so much trouble over the years, they will need Andersen to be at his very best and leave the past in the past.

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The Carolina Hurricanes are set to kick off their Eastern Conference Final series against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The Hurricanes will be looking to stay perfect this post-season by defeating the Habs in Game 1. 

The Hurricanes have undoubtedly had an excellent start to the playoffs. After finishing this season at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, the Hurricanes swept both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers this post-season.

Due to this, it is not surprising that they are viewed as the favorites heading into their series against the Canadiens. 

ESPN certainly has high hopes for the Hurricanes heading into the Eastern Conference Final. This is because 21 out of 23 ESPN staff members have picked the Hurricanes to defeat the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final. 

With the Hurricanes having an incredibly deep roster and having such a hot start to the playoffs, it is understandable that they are being viewed as favorites by ESPN right now. While this is the case, the Canadiens cannot be taken lightly, as they have knocked out two very good teams in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres this post-season. 

It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can knock out the Canadiens from here. 

The Vegas Golden Knights face the Colorado Avalanche, in the opener of the NHL’s Western Conference finals. The Golden Knights advanced to the West finals by beating the Anaheim Ducks in six games. The Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild in five games. The Avalanche are favored with a -193 moneyline compared to the Golden Knights' +160.

How to watch Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche

• Date: Wednesday, May 20

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

• TV Channels: ESPN, Spor, CBC, TVAS

• Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Colorado Avalanche -1.5

• Moneyline: Colorado Avalanche -193 (63.1%) / Vegas Golden Knights +160 (36.9%)

• Over/Under: 6.5

The Buffalo Sabres held end-of-season media availabilities on Wednesday after their Game 7 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, with a number of off-season questions like whether pending UFA winger Alex Tuch will re-sign, but another looming question was answered before GM Jarmo Kekalainen met with reporters, as the club announced that head coach Lindy Ruff has been signed to a two-year contract extension. 

Ruff was the winningest head coach in Sabres history after a 16-year stint from 1997 to 2013 that saw the club reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 and three Eastern Conference Finals in 1998, 2006, and 2007. After being fired by the New Jersey Devils late in the 2023-24 season, the 66-year-old returned to Buffalo after an 11-year absence on a two-year deal; the same term that was remaining on his contract with the Devils.  

The Sabres posted a 50-23-9 record (109 points) in 2025-26, the most points by Buffalo in one season since their President’s Trophy-winning season in 2006-07. The club won the Atlantic Division and Ruff earned a nomination as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

In their first playoff appearance since 2011, Buffalo eliminated the Boston Bruins in six games in the first round, winning three games on the road at TD Garden, and in the second round, pushed the Montreal Canadiens to Game 7, when Alex Newhook scored in overtime to end the Sabres season. 

There had been some speculation before this season that Ruff would finish out his contract and would then be elevated to an advisory role, but the fourth all-time winningest head coach in NHL history seemed invigorated by leading the young Buffalo club to the post-season. After Monday’s loss, John Wawrow of Associated Press indicated that all signs were pointing to Ruff returning behind the bench and that the decision was up to him.

Many of the Sabres players on locker cleanout day pointed to Ruff keeping them accountable as one of the main reasons for the club’s improvement this season.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Winnipeg Jets will host a 2026 NHL Draft Party at Canada Life Centre on Friday, June 26, giving fans the opportunity to watch the club make the eighth overall selection in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Several notable Jets prospects are expected to attend the event, including Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow and Sascha Boumedienne. Alumni and other team personalities are also scheduled to appear for autograph sessions and panel discussions throughout the evening.

Tickets become available Friday morning through Ticketmaster. Admission includes a beverage, a meal and a commemorative 2026 NHL Draft souvenir item. The organization is also offering an early-access pre-sale for season ticket holders.

The event will feature live entertainment, giveaways, merchandise opportunities and food and beverage options on the arena floor. Doors are set to open at 5 p.m., with the NHL Draft beginning one hour later.

This year’s draft will take place in Buffalo, with Round 1 scheduled for June 26 and Rounds 2-7 following on June 27. NHL clubs will once again operate remotely from their home markets under the league’s decentralized draft format.

The Jets currently hold seven selections in the 2026 draft, including one pick in each of the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, along with two seventh-round picks.

Should Winnipeg's management staff consider holding onto its first round pick, the Jets will be selecting at No. 8 overall. There is speculation, however, that the team is considering trading up for an NHL-ready player or trading down for a roster player who could immediately impact the team as early as the 2026-27 season.