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Top 100 NHL Players: 8-12 - Apr. 17 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 10

8 QUINN HUGHES

POS: D | AGE: 26 | LY: 6

> Hughes’ most celebrated attribute is his playmaking ability. But he’s also one of the NHL’s foremost workhorses. He was averaging the 10th-highest ice time in the entire post-lockout era this season, and his workload, which actually increased following his move to Minnesota, was heavier than any other ‘D’ in the past decade.

9 KIRILL KAPRIZOV

POS: LW | AGE: 29 | LY: 10

> It took Kaprizov six seasons and 381 games to rewrite the Wild’s history books. He’s already the franchise’s all-time leading goal-scorer, and he’s steadily chipping away at Mikko Koivu’s franchise-leading point total. Only five NHL players have scored at a greater per-game rate than Kaprizov over the past three seasons.

10 ZACH WERENSKI

POS: D | AGE: 28 | LY: 14

> Name a category in Columbus, and Werenski is probably at or near the top of it. It’s not easy for a defenseman to lead a playoff-contending team in scoring, but that’s the impact the 10th-year NHLer made this season. Werenski also played more than 26 minutes a night – second in the league to Quinn Hughes.

11 CONNOR HELLEBUYCK

POS: G | AGE: 32 | LY: 5

> Never let it be said again that Hellebuyck can’t win the big one. He was heralded as the hero for Team USA at the Olympics. Back in Winnipeg, it was a down year (how could it not be after last year’s heroics?), but his .956 SP in Milan was the third-best ever in an Olympic tournament featuring NHL talent (minimum five games).

12 SIDNEY CROSBY

POS: C | AGE: 38 | LY: 12

> Crosby notched his 21st point-per-game season in a row this year – extending his own all-time NHL record. Even at 38, ‘Sid The Kid’ continues to be an ace two-way player. His early-season heroics helped put the surprising Penguins in the playoff race, and his boffo play after returning from the Olympic injury kept them there.

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Since the Montreal Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, there’s been a lot of talk about how Rod Brind’Amour’s team was rusty or how it handed the game to the Habs by not playing up to its own standards. But there’s one insider who’s not buying into that narrative: Elliotte Friedman.

The Sportsnet’s personality made it clear that the Canadiens deserved full credit on his 32 Thoughts podcast:

In a building that was hostile, in a building that was excited, in a building that was difficult to play in, they absolutely smothered them and held on. And not just held on but were never really seriously threatened. And I think if you say “Oh, the Hurricanes had too much rest, they weren’t themselves, they were sloppy...”, that’s not what this story was about. Were they as good as they’ve been? Obviously not. But a big part of that was the team at the other end, and Dobes really outduelled Andersen. This was a full domination; the Canadiens deserve all the credit performance. Take nothing away from them in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.

- Elliotte Friedman on credit being due to the Canadiens

It’s hard to argue with Friedman here; it seems like too often, the Canadiens are not given the credit that they deserve. Even Jacob Slavin was quoted as saying that he had personally given the games to the Canadiens. If I’m part of the Habs’ coaching staff, I make sure the players are aware of that to fuel their motivation.

The fact that their opponent is unwilling to give them credit might be a good opportunity for the coaching staff to create urgency for the Sainte-Flanelle. Winning a second game in Raleigh would give the Canadiens a stronghold on this series, but going back home tied 1-1 wouldn’t be disastrous either.

Montreal has failed a few times this postseason to capitalize on those opportunities, perhaps because the players subconsciously felt they had accomplished their mission. If this is used in the right way, it may just fire them up enough to counter the urgency the Hurricanes are sure to play with, as they’ll be desperate not to head to Montreal down 0-2 in the series.

---

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DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche, the NHL’s best team during the regular season, are in serious danger thanks to a Vegas squad that’s on a run after a late-season coaching change.

“I don’t think people had this on their bingo card,” Golden Knights defenseman Dylan Coghlan said. “We knew we could do it.”

Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored in a 2:07 span in the third period and the Golden Knights stunned the Avalanche 3-1 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final.

Eichel tied it, then set up Barbashev for the go-ahead goal with 8:38 remaining. Barbashev added an empty-netter with 1:03 left. The comeback stunned the capacity crowd and wiped out the top-seeded Avalanche’s 1-0 lead.

By winning twice at Ball Arena, the Golden Knights put the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche in a huge hole. Since 1982, road teams that started 2-0 in the conference finals have a 13-0 series record.

“They understand the situation,” said Vegas coach John Tortorella, who has watched his team go 17-4-1 since he took over on March 29. “I’m not sure where the series goes. I’m not sure where Game 3 goes. But I know I’m not going to have to worry about that, because they get it.”

Carter Hart had another stellar performance, stopping 29 shots. He made 36 saves in a 4-2 win on Wednesday.

Colorado was cruising after Ross Colton opened the scoring in the first period. But things unraveled for the Avalanche in the third. Eichel lined a shot past Scott Wedgewood for his first goal in 11 games to get Vegas on the board.

“I haven’t scored in a million days,” he cracked.

The Golden Knights then took advantage of a miscue — Devon Toews and Brock Nelson struggled to clear the puck along the boards in the Avalanche end — as Eichel sent a pass to Barbashev, who rang in a shot off the post.

This was the fourth third-period comeback by the Golden Knights in this postseason, the most in a single playoffs in team history, according to NHL Stats.

“Just resiliency,” Hart said. “That’s the key word for our group here — we’ve just stuck in games and just grinded it out, and just battled. Resiliency, that’s a term that describes our group really well. We’re never out of the fight, and we’re always grinding in games.”

Game 3 is Sunday night in Las Vegas. The Avalanche are hoping to have star defenseman Cale Makar back in the lineup. He has missed the last two games because of an upper-body injury.

“There’s urgency to get him back since he got hurt,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s doing all the work he can possibly do to get back as fast as he can.”

Before the Golden Knights’ rally, the Avalanche were 45-0-0 when leading after two periods in the regular season and playoffs combined.

“It stings for sure right now,” Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “But tomorrow we’ll wake up, have a meeting, fly to Vegas and regroup. That’s all you can do.”

Vegas struggled on the power play, going 0 of 4. The team also saw defenseman Brayden McNabb limp to the locker room in the first period soon after taking a check along the boards. He returned for the third period. The hard-checking Golden Knights finished with 32 hits and 16 blocked shots.

“We know how hard it is to win,” Eichel said. “A lot of that falls on playing hard defensively.”

Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson briefly left late in the second period after delivering a check on Barbashev and then ramming his face into the boards.

Wedgewood had 22 saves.

“We can’t ride the emotional roller-coaster like fans,” Bednar said. “If you lose Game 1, you’re getting swept. If you win Game 1, we’re sweeping them. That’s not reality. You have to deal with the task at hand and what’s to come. We’re not going to try and win four games the next night in Vegas. We’re going to try to win one game.”

DENVER, May 22nd, 2026– During the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights made their living off of seemingly unsustainable third-period comebacks. After their performance on Friday against the Colorado Avalanche, those third-period comebacks don’t feel unsustainable– they feel inevitable.

Through two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avalanche looked like a team of destiny. They dispatched their opponents, the Los Angeles Kings and the Minnesota Wild, in just nine total postseason games. But after Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, that no longer appears to be the case. Now, it’s the Golden Knights emanating those ‘team of destiny’ vibes.

Game 3 of the Western Conference Final is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST on Sunday.

1. Comeback Knights

During the regular season, the Avalanche were 41-0-0 when leading after two periods. In the postseason, they were 4-0. 

Now, that record stands at 4-1.

These Golden Knights simply always believe they can come back and win games. In the regular season, there were times when they managed to salvage at least a point from games where their grave was much deeper than a one-goal deficit. If they knew about the Avalanche’s spotless record, it didn’t faze them.

“​​We’re very comfortable in third periods,” said Noah Hanifin postgame. “All year, we played a lot of comebacks, and I thought we had a good game. We obviously knew they were going to push tonight after the last game, and I thought we handled it well, stayed composed and had a great third period.”

2. Road Warriors

On April 24th, the Golden Knights lost Game 3 in Salt Lake City and fell behind 2-1 in their First Round series against the Utah Mammoth. Since then, they have been near-perfect on the road, winning all but one for a 6-1 record.

Of all those road wins, these last two are arguably the biggest. Going up 2-0 against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche is a big, big deal. They entered the series as heavy underdogs, and are now favored to win it and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in franchise history. The Golden Knights also have a 4-1 record in franchise history when leading 2-0 in a series.

3. Winning Mindset

Since taking over as head coach of the Golden Knights on March 29th, John Tortorella has preached that having the right mindset matters more than the X’s and O’s of the game. No one expected the Vegas Golden Knights to be up 2-0 in the Western Conference Final against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche– that is, no one except for John Tortorella.

“We’re thinking about getting two,” said Tortorella during his pregame media availability. “We’re all-in, and we’re trying to get another one out of here.”

Up 2-0 and heading back to Las Vegas, the Golden Knights are in an incredible position to take a stranglehold on this series. It’s up to them to have the right mindset and take the necessary steps to get one step closer to the Stanley Cup Final.

“I guarantee you, we won’t [get caught up in being up 2-0],” said Tortorella following the 3-1 win. “I don’t have to say anything to them. They just understand the situation. I’m not sure where the series goes; I’m not sure where Game 3 goes. But I know I’m not gonna have to worry about that, because they get it.”

With the Golden Knights bringing a 2-0 series lead back to Las Vegas, history is accompanying them when opening a playoff series with consecutive wins.

Vegas has won four of the five series it's been in after winning Games 1 and 2, including the Western Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final in 2023.

The Golden Knights defeated the West's No. 1 seed Colorado 4-2 in Game 1, and came from behind with three unanswered goals for a 3-1 victory on Friday in Game 2.

Vegas goaltender Carter Hart continues to impress as one of the best players on the ice for the Knights. He leads all postseason goalies with 10 wins, and among netminders with at least four appearances, he ranks No. 3 with a .924 save percentage and No. 5 with a 2.25 goals-against average.

"I feel good," Hart said. "I’m just trying to take things one period at a time, one shift at a time, and one puck at a time, and just enjoy it."

The series resumes in Vegas with Games 3 and 4 on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.

Three of the series the Knights won after taking a 2-0 lead were during years they made it to the Stanley Cup Final, as they swept the Los Angeles Kings in 2018, when they lost to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Knights also defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in five games after taking a 2-0 series lead during the 2020 playoffs in the bubble.

The only time Vegas lost a playoff series after winning the first two games was in 2024, when they stole Games 1 and 2 in Dallas, but eventually lost in seven games.

"It changes quick," Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood said. "You just bank on a seven-game series, find a way to get one next. It’s really all you can bank on and just prepare for that. But obviously, I think that’s the playoffs. It’s not an easy script, set in stone, predicted or prepared. This is the hand we’ve been dealt, we (have) to find a way to play it to our advantage."

History could also rear its ugly head onto the Avalanche, who finished the regular season with the league's best record, at 55-16-11. Their 121 points earned them the Presidents' Trophy award, but that hasn't equated to success in terms of the Stanley Cup.

"Stings for sure right now, but tomorrow we’ll wake up, have a meeting, fly to Vegas and we’ll regroup," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "That’s all you can do. Win or lose, you do the same thing. Would we have liked this one tonight? For sure, but move on."

The last team to win the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season was the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012.

All that said, this series is far from over, especially if the Avalanche get back all-world defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the first two games of the series.

"It’s big, obviously, getting two on the road, but it’s far from over, and we know that," Noah Hanfin said. "It’s a long series. They’re a great team over there, and we have to stay even-keeled.

"We have to come home, really take advantage of this home ice, and dig in. This Game 3 is going to be huge."

PHOTO CAPTION

The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate a goal during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena.

DENVER, May 22nd, 2026— On Friday morning, Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella sat in front of a microphone for his pregame media availability and announced that he wouldn’t be satisfied with a split heading back home. 

“I think we need to be better if we’re going to have an opportunity,” he said. “Because we’re thinking about getting two out of here… We’ve had some things that we’ve talked about that we need to adjust, even though we got a win. We’re all-in; we’re trying to get another one out of here.”

Tortorella got his wish. The Golden Knights stunned the Colorado Avalanche with one of their trademarked third period comebacks and held on for a 3-1 victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final.

In the first period, the Golden Knights were the better team. They outshot the Avalanche 12-11 and generated 13 scoring chances against Colorado’s six. However, they entered the first intermission trailing by one. 

The Avalanche broke the ice at 16:59 in the first. Nazem Kadri worked the puck up to Brent Burns at the point, who ripped off a one-timer towards the net. Ross Colton drifted out from around the goal line, batted down Burns’ shot, and beat Carter Hart glove-side.

COLORADO STRIKES FIRST IN GAME 2!

📺: @espn, @Sportsnet & @TVASportspic.twitter.com/IFA06S3ArN

— NHL (@NHL) May 23, 2026

At the start of the second period, Martin Nečas took two separate minor penalties, setting the Golden Knights up for a four-minute power play. Jack Eichel took an interference penalty one minute in, and the Avalanche killed off the rest. 

It was all Avalanche for the remainder of the period. They held the Golden Knights to just three shots on goal and controlled 92.57% of the expected goal share. They generated 11 scoring chances while holding the Golden Knights to five, and generated five high-danger chances while not allowing any. 

The dam finally broke for the Golden Knights in the third period. They stunned the Avalanche with two goals in just over two minutes, and Colorado was never able to recover.

The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 9:15 in the third. Jack Eichel drove deeper into the zone, drifted to the right dot, and went post-and-in to beat Scott Wedgewood far-side.

Jack Eichel with his first goal since Game 3 against the Mammoth, and we are tied in Denver!

1-1

pic.twitter.com/hNd4CAogf9

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 23, 2026

The Golden Knights took the lead at 11:22 in the third. Pavel Dorofeyev won a wall battle in the neutral zone and fired the puck in. The Avalanche tried and failed to clear twice; on the third attempt, Pavel Dorofeyev batted the puck to Jack Eichel in the high slot. Eichel found Ivan Barbashev, who stepped into his shot and beat Scott Wedgewood with a wrister from distance.

What a turn. The Golden Knights win yet another board battle, and Jack Eichel sets Ivan Barbashev up for a beauty from the high slot.

2-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/FROlg5Z6gc

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 23, 2026

From that point on, the Avalanche managed just five shots on goal– and two came after Ivan Barbashev’s empty netter to seal the game.

“[There were] so many shot blocks and desperation plays,” said Jack Eichel following the 3-1 win. “Credit to the group. It really feels like we’re playing for each other.”

The Golden Knights will return to Las Vegas with a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final and a chance to take a stranglehold on the series. Game 3 is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST on Sunday.

“It’s big, obviously, getting two on the road, but it’s far from over, and we know that,” said Noah Hanifin. “It’s a long series. They’re a great team over there, and we have to stay even-keeled. We have to come home, really take advantage of this home ice, and dig in. This Game 3 is going to be huge.”

After a frustrating loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1, the Colorado Avalanche we back at it two night later hoping to even up this Western Conference Finals series. An even more frustrating loss ensued as the Avalanche gave up their first third period lead and dropped this game 3-1. Vegas now takes a 2-0 series lead for a pair of games upcoming in their building.

The Game

Minus Cale Makar again, this game felt like the first meeting between these two teams. It was a cautious approach by both sides and Vegas earned a healthy amount of the shot share. But before the end of the period Colorado would strike first. Ross Colton fired on a rebound off of a Brent Burns shot to put the Avalanche up 1-0 after 20 minutes of play.

The second period went scoreless but each team had their opportunities on the man advantage but couldn’t cash in. A Vegas four-minute power play was interrupted by their own penalty and Colorado had some good looks on the four-on-four. Vegas was held to just four shots in the period but the score was still just 1-0 Colorado.

Midway through the third period it seemed Colorado was going to nap their way to a 1-0 victory since they hadn’t lost a game all year entering the third period with a lead but Vegas found some puck luck and got back into the game. First Jack Eichel unleashed a blistering shot and found Scott Wedgewood off his angle slightly to hit the far side post and in. Then just two minutes later Ivan Barbashev found a loose puck in the slot and gave Vegas a lead for the first time in the contest.

Now scoring was an urgent matter and the Avalanche made a push and then pulled Wedgewood for the extra attacker but Carter Hart shut everything down and Vegas secured a 3-1 victory after Barbashev found the empty net for his second goal of the evening.

Takeaways

Cale Makar can’t be replaced but it’s still no excuse for $64 million worth of forwards who couldn’t find any offense in this contest. Ross Colton, the lone goal scorer for Colorado, played a team-low eight minutes of ice time. The rest had two ineffective power plays and largely didn’t shoot the puck. When Nathan MacKinnon only has one shot on goal, that’s usually a symptom of a loss.

This is the first true patch of adversity the Avalanche have faced all season long but there’s still time for them to respond. It’s an uphill climb to get back into the series, and probably would need a Game 7 victory, but it’s not supposed to be easy getting to the Stanley Cup finals.

Upcoming

The series shifts to Vegas for Game 3 on Sunday, May 24th at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb limped off the ice in the first period of Game 2 after a check.

McNabb delivered a hit to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski, whose skate came up and appeared to catch the Vegas player in the leg.

ESPN cameras caught McNabb limping toward the dressing room and unable to put weight on his right leg.

McNabb was not on the bench in the second period, leaving the Golden Knights with five defensemen during the second game of the Western Conference finals. But he was able to return for the beginning of the third period.

Brayden McNabb has yet to return to Game 2 after leaving in the first period following this hit pic.twitter.com/cZkhtOpaIJ

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 23, 2026

McNabb had been averaging more than 21 minutes in the playoffs. He had one goal, two assists and 19 penalty minutes in 12 games.

Brayden McNabb injury update

The Golden Knights defenseman was back on the ice at the start of the third period and helped Vegas kill two Colorado power plays.

He hit Martin Necas up high with his glove in the third period, but the on-ice officials conferred and no penalty was called.

It looked like there was a penalty called for high-sticking on Brayden McNabb but after the officials discussed, there was no call.

McNabb's hit Necas in the face with his glove 🫣 pic.twitter.com/Nm9qaVq6jt

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 23, 2026

The Golden Knights rallied in the third period on a goal by Jack Eichel and two by Ivan Barbashev for a 3-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Josh Manson injury update

McNabb wasn't the only defenseman to leave the game. Colorado's Josh Manson went to the dressing room after he tried to check Barbashev and went face first into the boards during the second period.

Josh Manson has left the Avs' bench after going face-first into the boards while laying a hit on Ivan Barbashev 😵🤕 pic.twitter.com/eDu0EbqcP1

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 23, 2026

He, too, returned in the third period.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brayden McNabb limps off ice with leg injury after check

The Philadelphia Flyers should be on the hunt for another goalie this off-season. Samuel Ersson struggled this campaign as the team's backup, so it would not hurt for the Flyers to bring in some more competition. 

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Detroit Red Wings goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa stands out as a very fascinating potential option.

Questions about Cossa's future in Detroit have been coming up now that the Red Wings' season is over. This is mainly because the Red Wings have two other exciting goalie prospects in Michal Postava and Trey Augustine. If the Red Wings do make him available, the Flyers would be wise to kick tires on the 23-year-old goalie. 

While Cossa has just one NHL appearance on his resume, he still has the potential to blossom into a very good goaltender. There is a reason why he was selected by the Red Wings with the 15th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, after all. 

Cossa spent all of this in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins and had a strong campaign. In 39 games with the AHL club this season, the 6-foot-7 goaltender posted a 26-8-4 record, a .915 save percentage, a 2.33 goals-against average, and five shutouts. With numbers like these, he certainly has the potential to make the jump to the NHL next season and could be a nice backup option for the Flyers because of it.

Ultimately, with the Flyers needing goalie depth, Cossa would be a very good prospect for them to take a chance on if he is made available. Let's see if they target him from here. 

We are about to begin.

First Period

The start of the game was just as exciting as one would expect as both teams traded waves of momentum. Nathan MacKinnon took a hit against the boards and still found a way to get his hands on the puck and fed a pass to Artturi Lehkonen in the slot, but his shot was blocked.

Vegas also had their opportunities as Mitch Marner tried to deke his way around Scott Wedgewood, but the William M. Jennings Trophy winner stood tall and stuffed Marner's shot between his pads.

And yes, the physicality also showed up, but it was the Golden Knights who delivered the first strike as Ivan Barbashev dished out a heavy hit on Logan O'Connor against the boards. Barbashev is built like a bear. He's the same player that broke Sam Girard's sternum during round two of the 2022 playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup when he played for the St. Louis Blues.

Brent Burns and Josh Manson you could say were the modern version of the Bath Brothers in the early stages as well as they dished solid hits on William Karlsson and Brett Howden, respectively, with the latter tapping Manson on the leg after taking a hit from behind. 

With under six minutes to go in the opening period, Vegas got a massive chance that fell right into their laps when Marner took off on a breakaway as Manson got caught napping, but Scott Wedgewood turned away a slap shot and the immediate rebound to keep the game tied at 0. 

Ross Colton gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead with 3:01 remaining, ripping a scintillating wrist shot top shelf over the glove of Carter Hart off a rebound generated by a point blast from Brent Burns. Nazem Kadri also picked up an assist after feeding Burns a pass from just behind the net to ignite the sequence.

At the end of the first, Colorado lead 1-0 and shots on goal were even at 12 shots on net apiece.

Second Period

The second period kicked off with penalties. Martin Necas earned a double minor after slashing and subsequently tripping Barbashev. However, early into the extended power play, Jack Eichel was called for interference. Following some 4-on-4 action, Colorado killed off the remainder of Necas' four-minute penalty to return to 5-on-5. 

About seven minutes into the period, Nathan MacKinnon brought his muscle into the mix as he dropped a charging Kolesar at the blue line. 

After a frustrating Game 1 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Colorado Avalanche are back in action again tonight, as they look to bounce back and even this series up in Game 2.

Colorado Avalanche

Game 1 was, in a word, frustrating for Colorado. Yes, Vegas is a good hockey team and they were incredibly opportunistic with their goals, but the Avs made it super easy for them to actually benefit from those opportunities, as they made a lot of mistakes defensively in that game, giving the Golden Knights maybe a bit of an easier time than they would’ve had otherwise. Tonight, they’ll have to clean up those defensive mistakes to even this series.

There’s no greater storyline for Colorado than what’s the status of Cale Makar. He was a participant at morning skate, which is fostering some optimism that he can return to the lineup tonight. In net it still looks to be Scott Wedgewood despite the loss.

Projected Lineup

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Gabriel Landeskog
Valeri Nichushkin – Brock Nelson – Martin Necas
Ross Colton – Nazem Kadri – Nic Roy
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews – Sam Malinski
Brett Kulak – Brent Burns
Jack Achan – Josh Manson

Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Vegas Golden Knights

As previously mentioned, the Golden Knights were very opportunistic in Game 1, and capitalized on the opportunities they got throughout the game. They were as advertised in this game, being strong defensively and overall frustrating to play against. Colorado did make a late push in Game 1 and showed that they’re capable of hanging with this team, they’ll just need to capitalize the way Vegas did to even this series.

No lineup changes are expected for Vegas, though Mark Stone did make the trip to Colorado but he’s still out indefinitely.

Projected Lineup

Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad – Tomas Hertl – Colton Sissons
Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolessar

Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanafin – Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton – Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart
Adin Hill

Follow along in the comments below!

On Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights look to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

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

The teams last met on Wednesday for Game 1. The Avalanche came out hard and fast, but the Golden Knights weathered the storm and escaped the first period with a 0-0 tie. They got the ever-important first goal and scored twice more to take a 3-0 lead early in the third period. The Avalanche roared back, but the Golden Knights held on for a 4-2 win.

Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 9-4 and an average save percentage of .920 in 13 games this postseason.

Scott Wedgewood starts in goal for the Avalanche. Wedgewood has a record of 7-2 and an average save percentage of .911 in eight games this postseason.

Mark Stone was on the ice for morning skate, but remains OUT for Game 2 per head coach John Tortorella.

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

Kaedan Korczak — Dylan Coghlan

Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill

Avalanche Lines

Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas 

Artturi Lehkonen — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy

Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Valeri 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: 27.0%, 4th

VGK penalty kill: 85.4%, T6th

Avalanche power play: 25.9%, 5th

Avalanche penalty kill: 77.4%, 11th

Game Notes

The Golden Knights are 10-10 in Game 2s in franchise history, and have lost the past four Game 2s 

Historically, teams that take a 2-0 series lead go on to win 87.6% of the time. 

Mitch Marner is the postseason leader in scoring with 19 points (7G, 12A). 

Pavel Dorofeyev leads the league with ten postseason goals. He is the fifth player in Golden Knights franchise history to record double-digit goals in one postseason. 

Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 15.

How to Watch 

TV: ESPN

Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340

As the Ottawa Senators consider how to proceed with their backup goaltending position for next season, a new name has entered the fray.

According to NHL analyst and former Ottawa 67's goalie Kevin Weekes, Buffalo Sabres farmhand Devon Levi is a player several teams are interested in, including the Senators.

Per what I’m told @BuffaloSabres G
Devon Levi is a name of interest to
several clubs including Ottawa that
are looking to add to their goaltending
position. #HockeyXpic.twitter.com/3T9ojQOzox

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) May 22, 2026

Ottawa started last season with Leevi Merilainen as their backup, so this may be the first Leevi to Levi goalie transition in NHL history.

Levi was a dominant goalie for the CCHL's Carleton Place Canadians in 2019-20, posting phenomenal numbers. He had a 34-2-1 record, a 1.47 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage, and 8 shutouts. Levi also won just about every award in Canadian Junior A hockey that year.

The following season, as he continued to dominate at the NCAA level (Northeastern), his numbers for Canada at the World Juniors were also out of this world. He went 6-1 with a 0.75 goals-against average, a .964 save percentage and three shutouts.

Levi saw quite a bit of action in the 2023-24 NHL season, appearing in 23 games, but has spent much of the past two-and-a-half seasons with the AHL's Rochester Americans. He’s still just 24 years old and currently appears crease-blocked in Buffalo behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colton Ellis.

Still only 24, he’d certainly come at the right price, contract-wise.

Last summer, Levi signed a two-year, $1.625 million contract with the Sabres at an average annual value of $812,500. So he still has another year left on his contract and will remain under club control as he hits restricted free agency next summer, although he is arbitration-eligible. 

Levi was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft, but was part of the 2021 trade that sent Sam Reinhart to the Panthers.

The Senators have not ruled out leaning on their internal goaltending options, whether it’s Merilainen (RFA), Mads Sogaard (UFA-G6) or veteran James Reimer (UFA), but strong arguments can be made against all those options, and all three need new contracts.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

This story was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Click on the latest headlines below to read the latest stories there:

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The Montreal Canadiens took the series opener in statement fashion, and they’ll look to grab a 2-0 series lead with a Game 2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes tonight.

My top Canadiens vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks for on Saturday, May 23 are headlined by rising Montreal star Juraj Slafkovsky.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 2 prediction today

Canadiens vs Hurricanes best bet: Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 points (-150)

Game 1 was a statement from Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky.

Not only did the budding star rack up three points, but he and linemates Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were also the only Montreal trio to drive five-on-five possession, producing a 63.3 Corsi For percentage.

The Carolina Hurricanes are going to push back Saturday, but I’m still expecting the Habs to generate offense. Slafkovsky has posted an elite 4.06 points per 60 minutes across the past six games, making this prop playable up to -160.

Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen was never going to maintain his .950 save percentage across the first two rounds moving forward, so Game 1 stands as a potential sign of things to come in the Carolina crease.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 2 same-game parlay

In addition to Andersen looking shaky in the series opener, Habs No. 1 Jakub Dobes has had his own spells of inconsistency this postseason, allowing at least three goals in seven games.

I also fully expect the Hurricanes to generate more high-quality scoring chances in Game 2. Carolina produced just 2.87 expected goals in the series opener after averaging 3.72 per 60 minutes through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Returning to Slafkovsky, he’s recorded three or more shots in five games while posting a high-end 18.78 shot attempts per 60 minutes during the highlighted six-game heater.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes SGP

• Over 5.5
• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 points
• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 2.5 shots

Canadiens vs Hurricanes odds for Game 2 today

• Moneyline: Canadiens +165 | Hurricanes -200
• Puck Line: Canadiens +1.5 (-150) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+130)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-125) | Under 5.5 (+105)

Canadiens vs Hurricanes trend

Carolina has won 19 of its last 25 games (+11.30 Units / 28% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Hurricanes.

How to watch Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 2

Canadiens vs Hurricanes latest injuries

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