Category: Ice Hockey

In Game 3 of the Ducks’ first round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, Jeff Viel took a cross checking penalty 200 feet from his own net, sending the Oilers to the power play. Connor McDavid would score on the ensuing power play, cutting the Ducks’ lead to one.

“Bad penalty,” Viel said after the game. “Cant take a penalty in the o-zone. I kind of felt bad, especially since they score on (the power play). Huge goal they get back after.”

But Viel would atone for his error, depositing a backhand past Connor Ingram—after some terrific work from Jackson LaCombe—to give Anaheim a much-needed insurance goal with just over three minutes left to play in the third period.

In Game 4, Mason McTavish also took an offensive zone penalty, with the Oilers scoring just four seconds into that power play. Viel would score in his second consecutive game 10 minutes later, setting the series up for its first overtime game. Again, a Ducks player would atone for his earlier error, with McTavish proving vital on Ryan Poehling’s overtime winner.

As Oilers forward Trent Frederic attempted to skate the puck out of the defensive zone, McTavish stripped him and sent the puck up to Poehling all in one motion. Poehling’s centering pass to Chris Kreider caromed off Darnell Nurse’s skate and slipped through goaltender Tristan Jarry, barely crossing the goal line. That play gave the Ducks a 3-1 series lead, a momentum swing that put them in the driver’s seat.

“I think that we have ways of whether you get scored on or you make mistakes, we expect it,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think sometimes, you might miss a little of time, you might miss a shift here or there, but you're gonna be out there. 
You're gonna be right back out there. Sometimes, (there) might be some longer absences in that, whether it’s missing a part of a period and after that, you might not play games. But, for the most part, (they should) expect to be out there.

“The guys know that we're going to make mistakes, especially defensively. We’ve been trying to improve that area because we know that we battle back and we have fine ways of putting ourselves back in the game. It’s basically been the way the season has gone all year long. That’s been proven that, hey, we're not out of anything.”

“It was pretty stressful in the penalty box,” Viel said. “The confidence from Q for putting me back out there after a tough penalty was a good vote of confidence. Awesome to get rewarded.”

“We’re just gonna make mistakes,” defenseman Jacob Trouba said. “We’re still gonna continue to make mistakes. We’re learning on the fly here, but there’s no quit in the group. There’s no letdown. We believe we can score goals, we believe we can defend well enough, we believe we can win hockey games. I think that’s what it’s all about right now.”

The words ‘believe’ and ‘belief’ have been used heavily by the Ducks throughout this playoff run. Troy Terry stated how proud he was of the team after Game 1 of their series against the Oilers.

“It’s unfortunate, the result of that game, and it's going to be tough to swallow, but we got to put it behind us.” Terry said. “But I I we kind of got our feet under us. We’re into this thing now.”

“We believe in ourselves,” Captain Radko Gudas said. “We’ve been down so many times this year and we keep coming back, so there's a big belief in this group.”

“We just believe in ourselves,” Poehling echoed after his overtime winner in Game 4. “I thought we played great, honestly. 
The whole game just got off to a start where they got a few bounces, but that's the thing about our team. We've done it all year and I think it just teaches you throughout a season that, hey, you're never out of it. And the belief on the bench is something that you truly feel and you go out there with confidence and play. It’s a great way to play hockey.”

The Ducks’ self-belief, coupled with a short memory, will aid them well in a matchup against another team with plenty of playoff experience in Vegas. While the Ducks may have swept the season series, a new face is behind the bench for Vegas after Bruce Cassidy was fired with eight games remaining in the regular season. John Tortorella has the reins for the rest of the season and holds a record of 11-2-1 since becoming the new bench boss.

“Short memory, forget about it,” Cutter Gauthier said of the team’s reaction to their Game 5 loss in Edmonton.” The longer we let it linger, the longer it's going to affect our game. It’s a new day. We have a 3-2 series lead right now, and we have an opportunity to win the series tonight. 
So we're going to do everything we can to try and get that done.”

The best players at keeping a short memory are the goaltenders. Lukáš Dostál’s performances in the first round were quite up to standard, but he saved his best performance for the closeout game, stopping 25 of 27 shots and making plenty of key saves to prevent the Oilers from sending the series to seven games.

“He’s a special goalie,” defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “He's been huge for us all year, and I think, honestly, that (the goals against) starts on us as players. I think we’ve got to be better. We knew they were gonna have a push when their backs against the wall. He’s been great for us all year, and I think those goals are on us.”

“I can turn the page right away because I don't wanna really dig too much into the past,” Dostál said. “I'm trying to take the positives, trying to take the negatives, always, from the game and just move on.”

The idea of self-belief being the driving factor for top-notch playoff performances may feel a bit whimsical, but the Ducks have shown that they can turn up another gear. Their 2-6-2 stretch to close out the regular season was nowhere to be found in the playoffs as they dispatched the Oilers in six games. They’ll need some of the same self-belief and short memory if they hope to beat the Golden Knights.

Related:

2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 2, Game 1 - Ducks vs. Golden Knights Gameday Preview (05/04/26)

Five Key Matchups for the Ducks in the Second Round vs. Golden Knights

Five Anaheim Ducks Storylines Ahead of their Second Round Series vs the Vegas Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will return for Game 1 of the team's second-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks after missing nearly six months with a lower-body injury.

Coach John Tortorella confirmed the news before Monday night's game.

Karlsson was hurt in the first period of Vegas’ 4-3 overtime loss against the Ducks on Nov. 8.

Karlsson had four goals and three assists early in the season before the injury. He had back-to-back 50-point seasons, but finished with only 29 in 53 games last season, when he was sidelined twice because of injuries.

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Viva Las Vegas, baby. The Ducks have made it to the second round, winning their first playoff series in nine years in their first playoff berth in eight years against the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.

They find themselves against the Vegas Golden Knights, the first time that these two teams are facing each other in the playoffs. It’s the first time since the Golden Knights’ inaugural season that both teams are in the playoffs.

“They're a good hockey team,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “They’ve got balance, they skate, they're big, they go to the net, they defend pretty well, they play as a group of five in all zones, they seem to be connected. Not a lot of holes. I think that we’ve got to be at our best. We're gonna have to make sure that we start the series (hard). 
Every game's going to be important that we play consistently, we can't give up leads. When I say leads, we can't give up basically chasing a game—like we saw most of the year and in that last round as well—to have success. So, let's make sure our starts are going to be better.”

“Everybody’s really excited,” Mason McTavish said. “We’ve got a great Vegas team we’re gonna be playing, so I'm just excited for that challenge. They’ve got a lot of great players and so do we, so it should be a great series and we're looking forward to it.”

Troy Terry has regularly missed morning skates over the past month or so, but will play in Game 1, per Quenneville. Radko Gudas (lower-body) participated in Monday’s morning skate and could be an option going forward. He has not played since Game 1 of the Oilers series.

Former Duck William Karlsson will return to the lineup for the Golden Knights in Game 1. He had been out since November with a lower-body injury. His re-insertion into the lineup gives the Golden Knights four steady cogs down the middle in Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Karlsson and Nic Dowd.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry

Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke

Mason McTavish - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier

Jeff Viel - Tim Washe - Ian Moore

Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba

Pavel Mintyukov - John Carlson

Tyson Hinds - Drew Helleson

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Golden Knights Projected Lines

Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Pavel Dorofeyev

Brett Howden - Mitch Marner - Mark Stone

Tomáš Hertl - William Karlsson - Keegan Kolesar

Cole Smith - Nic Dowd - Colton Sissons

Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson

Ben Hutton - Kaedan Korczak

Carter Hart (confirmed)

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is complete, and although the Florida Panthers did not participate, several former Panthers players have moved on.

The first round featured several thrilling series, as well as sweeps.

Today, we’ll look at how each former Panthers player fared in the first round and what comes next for them in the second round.

Owen Tippett and Noah Juulsen, Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers pulled off a slight upset over the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning the series in six games. The Flyers made a late run into the playoffs and carried that momentum into the playoffs.

Former first-round pick of the Panthers, Owen Tippett, was a force for the Flyers. The 27-year-old only scored one goal and two points, but his speed was a handful for the Penguins to deal with. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury against the Penguins and was held out of the lineup for Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Noah Juulsen played just four games with the Panthers, but he’s become a serviceable third-pairing defender. Juulsen played in four games against the Penguins, failing to record a point and averaging 10:51 of ice time. 

Former Panthers Goaltender Signs Extension With HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes have signed former Florida Panthers goaltender Brandon Bussi to a three-year, $5.7 million contract extension.

Brandon Bussi and Mike Reilly, Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes are rolling. They swept the Ottawa Senators in the first round and started their series against the Flyers with a dominant 3-0 win.

While Brandon Bussi hasn’t played, Frederik Andersen has been the starting netminder for the Hurricanes. He was great for the Hurricanes during the regular season. Bussi was signed to a two-way deal by the Panthers in the off-season, but was claimed off waivers by the Hurricanes in pre-season.

As for Mike Reilly, he played just two games with the Panthers, but he has been an effective defenseman throughout his career. Reilly did not play in the first round, but the 32-year-old notched two assists in Game 1 against the Flyers. 

Samuel Montembeault and Mike Matheson, Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round in Game 7 just last night. Montembeault didn’t dress for any game, as he has been demoted to the third-string netminder. 

The 29-year-old was a third-round pick of the Panthers in 2015, but played just 25 games with the organization. 

Mike Matheson played 299 games with the Panthers, the most of any team in his career, although it will be the Canadiens with whom he’s played the most soon. The 32-year-old has posted some strong offensive seasons in his career, but now he’s used more as a solid second-pairing two-way defender.

The Canadiens are set for a challenging second-round matchup against the Buffalo Sabres.

Alex Lyon, Buffalo Sabres

Alex Lyon is a Panthers hero, and now he’s becoming a Sabres icon. Lyon helped the Panthers make a late push to the playoffs in 2023, and now he’s stepped into the crease in place of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and has dominated. 

The 33-year-old guided the Sabres to three wins, allowing just one goal in each win. He allowed just two goals in his only loss in the playoffs so far. 

Frank Vatrano and Radko Gudas, Anaheim Ducks

Radko Gudas and Frank Vatrano haven’t been a factor in the Anaheim Ducks’ success. If anything, Gudas did the opposite.

In Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, Gudas fell over his feet while Mattias Ekholm skated towards him, allowing a clean shot on goal before the Oilers scored on the rebound. Gudas then exited the lineup with an injury and has not returned. The Ducks went on to win four of the next five games.

As for Vatrano, he’s been a healthy scratch for the Ducks. He played five seasons in Florida, but the same issues that plagued him before continue: inconsistency.

Could The Panthers Take Advantage Of The Goaltending Situation In Minnesota?If the Florida Panthers are in the market for a goaltender this off-season, could they look to take advantage of the situation with the Minnesota Wild?

Vladimir Tarasenko and Jeff Petry, Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild may have been handed the toughest hand in the first round, but they didn’t complain. Rather, they defeated the Dallas Stars in six games and looked more in control than the Stars did.

Vladimir Tarasenko was a bit quiet, but he remains a solid offensive player now in his mid-thirties. Tarasenko wasn’t an incredible producer for the Panthers when they won the Stanley Cup in 2024, but he pitched in when needed. 

As for Petry, he was an off-season signing whom the Panthers traded away at the deadline. The veteran has skated in just one playoff game for the Wild so far. 

The Wild will be in tough against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, as Game 1 finished 9-6 in a loss for the Wild. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Montreal Canadiens will be facing off against the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after their impressive Game 7 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Now, the Sabres have already gotten some promising news that has the potential to make things a bit more difficult for the Canadiens. 

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff shared that forward Sam Carrick has been progressing well and could practice with Buffalo on Tuesday. This is after Carrick was initially expected to miss all of the second round. Yet, with Carrick making progress and potentially being ready to practice with the team, there is a real chance that he could end up playing for Buffalo this series after all. 

If Carrick ends up being good to go for the Sabres, it would not be the best news for the Canadiens. While he is not a big-time star, he is a hard-nosed forward who plays a smart defensive game, kills penalties, and has success at the dot. Because of this, he would have the potential to make things more difficult for the Canadiens if he ends up being given the green light to return for Buffalo. 

In 73 games this season split between the New York Rangers and Sabres, Carrick had nine goals, seven assists, 16 points, 65 penalty minutes, and 105 hits. He notably heated up after being traded to the Sabres, though, posting five goals and an assist in 13 games. 

Sam Carrick, who was initially expected to miss Round 2, has progressed well and could practice tomorrow, per coach Lindy Ruff.

More → https://t.co/VVFs8QUDLV

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) May 4, 2026

Everything changed for the New York Islanders when they won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, selecting then 17-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick.

From living with Matt Martin and his family to breaking so many records, Schaefer has gone quickly from draft prospect to prodigy. 

BREAKING: Islanders' Matthew Schaefer Will Not Play For Team Canada At 2026 World Championships Disappointing Olympic snub foreshadows Schaefer's surprising absence from Canada's 2026 World Championship roster.

Schaefer has been tremendous on the ice, and when the cameras are rolling, so it's not a shock that he was back on camera ahead of Tuesday's 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. 

On Monday, the NHL released a video of Schaefer Face-Timing the Martin girls, a skit to explain the draft lottery in a way that everyone can understand:

The NHL Draft Lottery is Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

Want to know how it's going to work? Let Matthew Schaefer of the @NYIslanders explain. https://t.co/1FeMmtLb6Z

— Bill Price (@BillPriceNHL) May 4, 2026

The Islanders, who won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery with just 3.5 percent odds, ended the 2025-26 season with a 2.0% chance of winning the lottery for a second straight season. 

However, per the rules, teams can only move up 10 spots in the lottery, so, while the Islanders technically could win the lottery for a second straight year, winning would just mean they select third overall in Buffalo on June 26 and June 27.  

You can watch the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, which takes place live from NHL Network's studio in Secaucus, New Jersey, at 7 PM ET on ESPN, Sportnets and TVA. 

The Buffalo Sabres were in an unfamiliar position, awaiting the results of a Game 7 contest between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. In spite having a roster littered with Stanley Cup winners and outshooting the Habs 29-9, Alex Newhook’s third period sent the favored Lightning to the golf course early for the fourth straight postseason, and the young Montrealers to the second round for the first time in five seasons. 

"Sometimes playoffs are just about winning the game. It's not how you get it done," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said on Monday. "You've got to find different ways. You watch that game last night. You got a crazy goal. You haven't had a lot of opportunities.....Sometimes it doesn't look real pretty, but you got to find ways to win games in the playoffs, and they found a way to win Game 7." 

The Sabres split their season series with the Canadiens (1-1 at Key Bank Center and 1-1 at the Bell Centre), and were successful at playing effectively on the road in the postseason, winning all three games in Boston, limiting the Bruins to just three goals at TD Garden. That kind of success will be even more difficult to achieve in Montreal, in front of their rabid fanbase. 

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

"I think you (have to) manage to puck well and don't give them the start they want. That'll be a high energy building for sure. Every building in the playoffs is high energy,” Ruff said. “It's one of the great places to play hockey, to be there for a game where (you're) the home team (or) the road team. I couldn't wait when I started my career to play in Montreal, because of the history of that place."

 Ruff provided an update on his injured players on Monday. Center Noah Ostlund suffered a lower-body injury in Game 5 last week and has been ruled out for the second round. He had also indicated that Sam Carrick would be out for Round 2, but on Monday said that the veteran center is feeling further along than he said, and could practice with the club on Tuesday if he gets the go-ahead from the team’s medical staff.  

Justin Danforth, who has been out since mid-October with a broken knee-cap, is working his way back, but Ruff would not rule out him returning if the club goes deeper in the playoffs.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Jakub Dobes, take a bow.

The 24-year-old netminder posted a .923 SV% and 2.04 GAA in the Montreal Canadiens' series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Next up, the Buffalo Sabres.

We'll take a look at Dobes' Conn Smythe odds and see where he stands among the other elite netminders who've received the honor.

Jakub Dobes Conn Smythe odds entering Round 2

Conn Smythe Odds

Jakub Dobes (+3500)

Bet now at img src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/82/bet99_bg.svg" alt="BET99" style="display: block; height: 44px; width: auto; max-width: 160px; object-fit: contain; border-radius: 4px;"

The situation

Jakub Dobes' 35/1 odds put him on the same level as Tage Thompson, Kirill Kaprizov, and Nick Suzuki. The only player who's really done anything remotely close to the Montreal Canadiens' netminder is Kaprizov, and he's staring in the face of the Colorado Avalanche, who're the consensus Stanley Cup odds favorite — already down 1-0.

Dobes and the Canadiens have a difficult but easier task against the Sabres, with books pricing this near a pick' em. If Montreal gets by Buffalo, things don't get any easier.

The Habs will likely face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final and the Colorado Avalanche after that... but let's not pretend like Montreal just took out the Los Angeles Kings.

Dobes outplayed a future Hall of Famer in Andrei Vasilevskiy, and while he's no Carey Price, the team Dobes has in front of him is better than what the Habs gave No. 30 in 2021.

History at a glance

Netminders have won the Conn Smythe Trophy 17 times in NHL history, with Canadiens legend, Patrick Roy, winning it thrice. As for recent history, Vasilevskiy — the goalie who just got bounced — won in 2021 — while Jonathan Quick and Tim Thomas won in 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Here is a breakdown of their stats, and how Dobes stacks up through Round 1:

Player	GAA	SV%
Andrei Vasilevskiy	1.90	.937
Jonathan Quick	1.41	.946
Tim Thomas	1.98	.940
Jakub Dobes	2.04	.923

Looking at that, the Habs' netminder will need to get that GAA below 2.00 and up his SV% to at least above .935 if history repeats itself. One thing he does have going for him, though, is that no skater has more than six points for Montreal.

Dobes was clearly the best player in bleu, blanc, rouge against the Bolts, which is why only Suzuki currently has the same odds as him. 

I think it's quite clear that the biggest obstacle between the 24-year-old netminder and the Conn Smythe is actually winning the Cup.

Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere did win in 2003 despite his Ducks falling one game short, but his .945 SV% and 1.62 GAA slots him ahead of every playoff run we just mentioned outside of Quick.

Yes, Dobes was the reason the Canadiens now own the record for fewest shots by a team in a playoff win, but the best path to the Conn Smythe is leading Montreal to their first Cup since 1993.

The conclusion

The Habs are hungry, and the rebuild has clearly paid off. They're about to play a very winnable series against Buffalo, and will then likely take on a Carolina Hurricanes team known for crumbling under the pressure when the going gets tough deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bet99 currently has Montreal at +950 to win the Cup, which sounds like a great bet to pair with Dobes winning Conn Smythe honors.

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.

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs trudge on, much of the NHL has already turned its attention to the future.

Among those teams? The Vancouver Canucks, who are looking for their first ever No. 1 pick in the NHL Entry Draft lottery. As they look to find a new GM to replace Patrik Allvin, who was fired in April, the Canucks look to finally be entering a much-needed rebuild. With 18.5% odds to get the No. 1 overall pick and Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg looking like distinct possibilities, 2026 may give the franchise the jolt it needs.

REQUIRED READING: NHL playoff predictions for second round: Who goes to conference finals?

While the team with best odds to get the No. 1 pick has retained it in three of the past five years, 2025 saw a stunning climb when the New York Islanders jumped from the 10th-best odds to land defenseman Matthew Schaefer first. Behind the Canucks are the Chicago Blackhawks – who landed Connor Bedard No. 1 overall in 2023 – and the New York Rangers, who won the most shocking lottery in NHL history in 2020.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be in their first draft under new GM John Chayka, but could be without a first-round pick. With the fifth-best odds to get the No. 1 overall pick, Toronto has a top-five protected pick that would go to the Boston Bruins if it is No. 6 or lower.

As always, it all comes down to the luck of the draw.

Continuing the NHL awards announcements, today's finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy are: The NHL has announced that, alongside Rasmus Dahlin and Jonathan Toews, Gabriel Landeskog is one of the three finalists for the trophy.

Here are the finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. 🏆 #NHLAwards

The Trophy is awarded annually by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey. pic.twitter.com/i01Cc6Sh4H

— NHL (@NHL) May 4, 2026

The trophy is handed out to the winner who “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.

This award and others are voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA).

It's been one hell of a season for Landeskog. No matter how hot he is playing, there is always some sort of unfortunate injury that sets him back. It's already hard enough that he had to take two full seasons off while recovering from a surgery that not many hockey players generally have. He is the first NHLer to return after that work, when he started his rehab with the Colorado Eagles and then made his debut during last season's playoffs against the Dallas Stars.

Gabriel Landeskog Set to Play in His First Professional Game Since 2022<b>Loveland, Colo.</b> - The Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles (AHL) announced this morning that Gabriel Landeskog will dress for the Colorado Eagles in their match tonight against the Henderson Silver Knights. This will be his Eagles debut.

Throw in the groin injury he suffered from Cale Makar when the Avalanche came back from the Olympic break, which kept him from February 25 to March 6. He has two goals and five assists for seven points, with the Avalanche going 5-1-0 in the stretch. Then the “96 miles-per-hour slapshot to the nuts” happened, keeping him out for three weeks.

Despite playing his first regular season in over two years, playing in the Olympics, and dealing with a pretty serious groin injury, he still managed to finish with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 60 games. His impact on and off the ice is more than just a leadership role; it shows in the statistics. 

Landeskog Overcomes Injury, Ready for 2026 OlympicsAfter fearing he might miss what could be his final Olympic Games, Gabe Landeskog is now ready to chase Olympic gold.

With Landeskog in the lineup, the Avalanche had a record of 45-7-8; when he was out of the lineup, they had a record of 10-9-3. His leadership is much more than just in the locker room and on the practice ice; his knowledge and work ethic make the Avalanche a better, deeper team, and it showed on the ice. Through five playoff games so far, he has two goals and three assists for five points, tied for the third most on the team.

Landeskog's return to the team has been the biggest impact and story of the season. Not having your captain on the ice for the last two seasons hurt, and it showed. It's great to see the immediate impact he made on the team during his return, and it shows how much he means to the team and the league itself.

Avalanche Outlast Wild In 15-Goal Thriller To Take Game 1Colorado leaned on a relentless offensive surge and a multi-point explosion from its stars to outlast Minnesota 9–6 in a chaotic, back-and-forth Game 1 at Ball Arena.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is tomorrow, May 5th, and will air on ESPN at 7 PM Eastern. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets are scheduled to pick #14 overall, just like in 2025. Much to the delight of the team and fans, Jackson Smith was an excellent pick after seeing what he did during his freshman season at Penn State. But don't get used to that, because it won't happen every year. The Jackets were slated to pick #13, but "fell" to 14. 

This year it's the same situation. They will pick #14 but will have a 1.5% chance to move up to as high as #4 in the draft. That 1.5% might as well be 0%, because it's not happening. They could actually fall to 15, which will most likely happen. 

Last year, upstart Utah was allowed to move up to 4 from 14, much to the dismay of many other teams. If you subscribe to conspiracy theories, this is your chance to puff out your chest just a little bit. 

The New York Islanders also jumped from 10 to 1 to secure the services of Matthew Schaefer, which again drew the ire of the teams that earned the top overall pick. Again, conspiracy theorists, stand up!

For the last few years, the NHL Draft Lottery has meant something to the Columbus Blue Jackets and their fans. Even though it was almost a given that they would fall in the draft order, they watched and begged for a miracle, which never came. The only miracle came when the Ducks picked Leo Carlsson instead of Adam Fantilli, which allowed the CBJ to pick him at #3. 

Even though fans have suffered through several rough seasons, the NHL hasn't allowed this franchise to profit from its misery. Will that ever change? 

This year will be just like last year, unfortunately. Sadly, it'll just be another day to watch a team win the lottery, who has either already won it in the last couple of years, or it will go to a team that happened to have a bad season randomly. 

So, will you watch the Draft Lottery, or will you be partaking in the Cinco De Mayo celebration? Will you be doing both? Many fans of Columbus will torture themselves and watch as a team like Toronto, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, win the NHL Lottery. 

Or will it be Florida, which, due to injuries, has the 8th-best odds to win the lottery? Let me remind you that they are the two-time defending cup champs and went to three straight finals.

What about Chicago? Would the NHL allow them to draft yet another generational talent, just three years after Connor Bedard? 

Of course, the CBJ could trade that pick to move up in the draft, or they could trade it to bring in roster-ready players. But that was the case last year, too, and they got absolutely zero traction from it. So, expect them to make the pick. 

Get your popcorn ready if you plan to watch, because someone is going to get their feelings hurt tomorrow.  

REMINDER: The 2026 #NHLDraft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 5 (7 p.m. ET on @ESPN, @Sportsnet, @TVASports).

Draft Lottery Guide: https://t.co/pFMjPK7m9jpic.twitter.com/3a2MGt9Sg8

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 4, 2026

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!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.

Let us know what you think below.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights meet in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals tonight, with puck drop scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena.

My Ducks vs. Golden Knights player props for the series opener will highlight Jackson LaCombe, Mark Stone, and Leo Carlsson.

Read more for my NHL picks for Monday, May 4. 

Ducks vs Golden Knights props for Game 1

Player	Pick
Jackson LaCombe	Over 0.5 assists	-105
Mark Stone	Over 0.5 assists	+120
Leo Carlsson	Over 2.5 shots on goal	-155

Game 1 Prop #1: Jackson LaCombe Over 0.5 assists

-105 at BET99

Jackson LaCombe has been brilliant in these playoffs for the Anaheim Ducks, leading the team with nine points. He’s scored once and tallied eight assists, three of which came with the man advantage. The defenseman is a tremendous playmaker, and I’m eyeing him to keep it rolling in Game 1. 

LaCombe cashed the Over in helpers in five of the six games against the Oilers in the first round. LaCombe also had 48 apples during the regular season, and he compiled two helpers in three meetings with the Vegas Golden Knights.

He's also pacing the team in ice time per game (just under 27 minutes), giving him extra opportunities to be involved when Anaheim lights the lamp.

Game 1 Prop #2: Mark Stone Over 0.5 assists

+120 at BET99

Mark Stone has been his usual productive self in the playoffs, notching five points, including three assists.

The veteran finished with a helper in each of the final two games against the Mammoth. The Ducks may have looked better against the Oilers, but they were 28th in the league this season in goals allowed, and Stone almost always has his hand in the Golden Knights' offense. 

He finished with 28 goals and 45 helpers in 2025-26. Stone only faced Anaheim once, but he was setting up goals left and right, tallying a pair of assists. The 33-year-old also had 27 of his assists this season at T-Mobile Arena in only 31 outings. He’ll produce in Game 1.

Game 1 Prop #3: Leo Carlsson Over 2.5 shots on goal

-155 at BET99

Leo Carlsson averaged 2.75 SOG per game during the season, and he’s upped that production in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carlsson is averaging an impressive 4.66 shots on target across six contests. While he only finished with two SOG in Game 6 against the Oilers, the other five were a shot frenzy. 

The 21-year-old hit the Over in all of those contests, and he even had 10 SOG in the series opener. Carlsson was also a key chance creator in two regular-season meetings with Vegas, putting six pucks on net. He’s also cashed the Over in three consecutive road games.

img alt="Get a first bet encore up to $800 with the BET99 promo code COVERSNHL" width="100%" loading="lazy" src="https://img.covers.com/promo-articles/bet99nhlcreative2526.jpeg"Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL.
(not available in Ontario)

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.