NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 2 : Brenden Dillon #5 of the New Jersey Devils takes a shot on goal during the second period of the NHL regular season game against the Washington Capitals at the Prudential Center on April 2, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
An illuminating conversation with Brenden Dillon:
What happened with the #NJDevils this season?@BDillon04 joined the guys and talked about the team's disappointing year and outlook with Sunny Mehta.
“There have been conflicting reports about Simon Nemec and whether he requested a trade from the New Jersey Devils. Regardless, I think there is a very real chance Sunny Mehta trades Nemec this summer – and rightfully so. The 22-year-old is a flawed player and hasn’t come close to living up to the expectations that come with being selected 2nd overall in the draft.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“Sunny Mehta has a few tasks at hand as the New Jersey Devils’ new general manager. Among them is improving the team’s depth on defense and up front. One model he could look to is what Kyle Dubas has done as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM over the last year and change.” [Devils on the Rush]
Hockey Links
A bit of a stunning result in the Western Conference Final:
“There are still teams with significant raises for top players kicking in next year, along with other key unrestricted and restricted free agents who will demand more expensive contracts. The combination of those forces will leave a few organizations without the requisite cap space to bring everybody back.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 24: Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Colorado Avalanche at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Egor Chinakhov Born: February 1, 2001 (Age 24/25 season) Height: 6’ 1” Weight: 203 pounds Hometown: Omsk, Russia Shoots: Left Draft: 2020 first round (21st overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets 2025-26 Statistics: 72 games played, 21 goals, 21 assists = 42 points (w/ Penguins: 43 games played, 18 goals, 18 assists=36 points); 6 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists in playoffs. Contract Status: Just completed a two-year contract originally signed with Columbus. Set to become a restricted free agent and is arbitration eligible.
For reference when looking at Chinakhov’s monthly splits for this season, he was acquired by the Penguins on December 29th from the Columbus Blue Jackets, and made his Penguins debut on January 1st. Knowing that removes any confusion about what stats belong with Columbus and which with Pittsburgh.
While he didn’t score in his debut with the Penguins on New Years Day, he didn’t wait long to make an impact with his new team, scoring in his second game just two nights later in Detroit, then adding another five in January and becoming one of the Penguins most valuable players in the second half of the season.
March was a make or break month for the Penguins playoff hopes, and they faced a daunting schedule without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for lengthy portions. That is exactly when the Penguins needed their depth to step up and Chinakhov held up his end of the bargain, scoring six goals and recording 15 points in 17 games to help keep the Penguins afloat during the crucial stretch.
Story of the Season
When a player is described as needing a fresh start or a change of scenery, it’s often deployed as just a nice way of saying that specific player isn’t very good. Since Kyle Dubas took over the Penguins front office, he has brought in a few names that have been labeled in that fashion and the results have been mostly as expected with those players.
Then there is Egor Chinakhov.
Brought over from Columbus just before the new year, Chinakhov carried the “change of scenery” moniker as a former first round pick who was struggling mightily with the Blue Jackets, recording just three goals and three assists through the first 29 games of the season. It was a high price for Dubas to pay for Chinakhov, sending over a second and third round pick plus Danton Heinen to Columbus, but the pay off was well worth the cost.
Chinakhov joined the Penguins at a critical juncture of their season, coming off a December that saw them go 5-5-4 and lose eight straight at one point, including a slew of embarrassing meltdowns that resulted in several blown multi-goal leads.
Although Chinakhov didn’t arrive in Pittsburgh until around the midway point of the 2025-26 season, his impact was felt the rest of the way. After making his Penguins debut on New Years Day, he scored nine goals in his first 20 games with the team leading into the Olympic break and helped them post a 12-3-3 in that same span, putting an ugly December behind them and giving them momentum for the home stretch once the season resumed.
Coming out of the break, the Penguins were sitting in a playoff spot but facing a daunting March slate and missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Like many of his teammates, Chinakhov stepped up with an outstanding performance throughout this stretch, recording 15 points across 17 games that solidified the Penguins as a playoff team.
In total with the Penguins in 2025-26, Chinakhov played in 43 games, tallying 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points. That works out to a .84 points per game pace over an 82 game season and a massive improvement over his time with the Blue Jackets where he was at just a .21 PPG pace.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
One thing Egor Chinakhov does very well is put the puck in the net. His shot speaks for itself and Penguins fans saw first hand just how lethal he is when the puck is on his stick. Chinakhov does not create many high danger opportunities on the ice but he doesn’t need to when he can shoot the puck as well as he does.
Chinakhov ranked second in both GF% and G/60, but the only players above him in those catrgories were Filip Hallander and Avery Hayes respectively, both who played significantly less minutes this season than Chinakhov. He was the only Penguins player to top a P/60 of three this season, and even though that number is isolated to his time with the Penguins and does not account for him time in Columbus, that gives him the fourth best P/60 in the entire league this season when just looking at his second half.
Chinakhov is an offensive weapon. His shot enables him to look very good on goals and finishing, it’s going to be exciting to see a full season’s worth of data next year with him in a scoring line role surrounded by players who can get the puck to him. Figuring out how to get a spot or role on the power play ought to be a top off-season coaching priority for Dan Muse to ponder to unlock even more from Chinakhov’s game to help the team.
Chinakhov’s shot is otherworldly, and his speed is right there to boot. Those are scarce skills to combine a shot like that on a player who can move as fast. Maybe Chinakhov is the long awaited good karma the Penguins were due for Konstantin Koltsov, a player with all the speed in the world, but cursed with cinder blocks at the end of each arm where his hands should have been.
The wildest part about the shot metrics are how many wrist/snap shots Chinakhov takes. He has almost unmatched velocity and often can release these just as quickly. As long as they’re on target, goalies don’t stand a chance against this type of power. Interestingly enough, however, according to NHL Edge, Chinakhov did not score a goal on any of his 10 hardest shots of the season.
The speed bursts and acceleration that Chinakhov regularly displays is just absurd. It’s one trait besides his shot that really makes him stand out on the ice and there were several instances this season where his speed caught defenders flat footed and created chances for the Penguins.
Highlights
I’m still taken back that Kyle Dubas traded a 2 and Heinen for EGOR Chinakhov
There is little reason to believe Chinakhov won’t be in a Penguins uniform next season, but he will need a new deal this summer since he is a pending restricted free agent. He made $2.1 million against the cap on his last deal that was signed with Columbus and he has surely done enough to warrant a pay raise on this deal. How much of a pay raise remains to be seen but given the Penguins cap space it won’t be any issue for them to take on.
Besides money, the other question regarding Chinakhov’s new deal will be length and that’s where more of the risk comes into play. Perhaps Dubas has seen enough and is convinced Chinakhov can live up to his first round billing and will feel confident in giving him a long term deal to remain in Pittsburgh. On the flip side, maybe Dubas is more interested in a bridge deal as a “prove it” challenge for Chinakhov. It will be interesting to see how this plays out between the front office and the player this summer.
Bonus question: What is Chinakhov’s ceiling as a player?
After coming over from Columbus in Decemeber, Chinakhov was an absolute offensive force for the Penguins. His numbers in Pittsburgh spread out across a full NHL schedule work out to roughly 35 goals and 70 points. That puts him in company with players like Adrian Kempe, Brandon Hagel, and fellow pending RFA Pavel Dorofeyev. Those are some pretty good comparables and the Penguins will be thrilled to have Chinakhov post those type of numbers.
It almost feels like we are putting blinders on when we only look at his work with the Penguins and ignore how bad he was in Columbus, but that team was a complete disaster until their midseason coaching change so it’s hard to know exactly what to make of that.
Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but given how good Chinakhov looked in the Penguins system, it doesn’t feel like that much of a stretch to think he could be a centerpiece for the Penguins future both in the short and long term.
Ideal 2026-27
Taking his 43 game sample size with the Penguins from this past season and extrapolating it over the course of 84 games is the ideal scenario for Chinakhov next season. He’s more than earned a top-six role and as long as he’s playing with guys who can get the puck on his stick he can do the rest with his speed and shooting ability.
His own playmaking ability gets overshadowed by his lethal shot, but in his time with the Penguins this season he showed that he was more than capable of dishing the puck just as well. Getting him looks from his teammates combined with setting up chances for his teammates will go a long way towards the Penguins success in 2026-27.
One major focus for the Penguins this offseason involving Chinakhov will be figuring out a way to get him more power play time, ideally by getting him a permanent spot on the top unit with the likes of Crosby and Karlsson. Simply having his shot lingering as a threat should be enough to open up opportunities for others on the ice, but knowing he needs little space to get shots on net at even strength, the extra space on the man advantage could turn him into even more of a weapon and fully unleash his game.
Bottom line
There’s no question about it, Egor Chinakhov has been one of the more important and impactful acquisitions by Kyle Dubas since he came to Pittsburgh. From a healthy scratch in Columbus to a top-six mainstay with the Penguins, Chinakhov shattered whatever expectations anyone had of him when he was acquired.
It didn’t take long for his game to blossom in the Penguins system and it has everyone wondering what exactly the Blue Jackets were doing that they failed to unleash the player we were watching on a nightly basis. His shot is lethal, he can skate by you in a flash, and he has playmaking ability that the Penguins were sorely lacking in years past. Every shot he takes feels like a rocket coming off his stick, and more than once did he score where no one was actually sure the puck went in the net or not.
There is a new deal to iron out this summer between the Penguins and Chinakhov and it’s a deal he certainly earned with his play once the Penguins traded for him in December. If he can continue to develop and be the player we saw in the second half of the season, then it’s a safe bet he’ll have a home in Pittsburgh for many years to come.
Final Grade
A.
It’s fair to say the Penguins probably don’t survive that March stretch without Chinakhov playing at the level he did. With Crosby battling injury and Malkin either being suspended or injured himself, the Penguins needed players to step up and Chinakhov was one who did on almost a nightly basis.
Even outside of that March stretch, it was clear Chinakhov brought something to the Penguins that they did not have on the roster before he arrived and helped take an already good offense and make it that much better. Working closely with fellow Russian Malkin seems to have unlocked something in Chinakhov that remained buried during his time in Columbus.
If there was one knock on Chinakhov from this season it’s his performance in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers. In his first taste of playoff hockey, he put up a goose egg in all offensive categories over the six games. It wasn’t even that his process in those games was bad he just could not buy a goal and the Penguins were desperately in need of some.
All in all though, not much to complain about from Chinakhov in his first stint with the Penguins. He’s an exciting player who revitalized his career and has the makings of a player who could be a very important piece in what Kyle Dubas is trying to build in Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 25: The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate after Chris Kunitz #14 scored the game winning goal against Craig Anderson #41 of the Ottawa Senators in the second overtime with a score of 3 to 2 in Game Seven to win the Eastern Conference Final during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 25, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nine years ago today, Chris Kunitz scored one of the most memorable goals in Pittsburgh Penguins history with a double overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.
The Penguins were looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2017 after beating the Sharks to win the title in 2016.
Pittsburgh bullied their way past the Blue Jackets and won a second-round matchup against the Capitals for a second straight season, earning a spot in the Eastern Conference Final for the fifth time in ten seasons.
The Ottawa Senators and their defensive way of stifling offense gave Pittsburgh fits throughout the series, holding the Penguins to three goals for the first three games.
The Penguins managed to battle through the slog, winning Game 4 and Game 5 to put the Senators on the brink of elimination.
Ottawa held serve at home, sending things back to Pittsburgh for a series-deciding Game 7.
Chris Kunitz opened the scoring, but Mark Stone quickly equalized.
Justin Schultz gave the Penguins a third period lead, but again, the Senators wouldn’t go away as Ryan Dzingel tied the game 2-2.
Overtime was up next, followed by a second overtime period.
Then came one of Chris Kunitz’s career-defining moments.
The Penguins were headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time since 2008.
Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EDT
LINE: Avalanche -120, Golden Knights +100; over/under is 6
STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS: Golden Knights lead series 3-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Colorado Avalanche in the third round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the seventh time this season. The Golden Knights won the last matchup 5-3.
Vegas has gone 25-14-9 in home games and 39-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights have a 48-7-11 record in games they score at least three goals.
Colorado has a 55-16-11 record overall and a 32-9-5 record on the road. The Avalanche are 31-7-6 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Dorofeyev has 37 goals and 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Mitchell Marner has seven goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games.
Nathan MacKinnon has 53 goals and 74 assists for the Avalanche. Gabriel Landeskog has scored four goals with five assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.8 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.
Avalanche: 6-4-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.3 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: Jeremy Lauzon: out (upper-body).
Avalanche: Cale Makar: day to day (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche have faced very little adversity so far this postseason. They swept the Los Angeles Kings without much ado, and dispatched the Minnesota Wild in just five games. But after blowing a three-goal lead in Game 3 to fall behind 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, the Avalanche are learning just how quickly snow melts in the deserts of Nevada.
This time last week, the Avalanche were a team destined for greatness, and for their second Stanley Cup in five years. Nearly every writer and analyst in the hockey world predicted this series going in the other direction, and for good reason.
What everyone failed to take into account is just how much the Golden Knights thrive on being counted out.
Game 4 of the Western Conference Final is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. PST on Tuesday.
1. Had Us in the First Half, Not Gonna Lie…
When the Golden Knights were down 2-0, Pavel Dorofeyev scored on the power play to cut the Avalanche’s lead in half. Or, at least, he thought he did. Instead, the goal was waved off, and the officials upheld the call on the ice. Just 36 seconds later, Jack Drury scored shorthanded to give his team an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
As it turned out, that insurmountable three-goal lead wasn’t insurmountable in the slightest.
“The period ends,” said Mark Stone following the win. “That’s probably the best thing that happened to us— the period ends.”
In a year where miraculous comebacks were the norm, the Golden Knights did something tonight that they failed to do all season: they came back from a three-goal deficit. And they did so against an Avalanche team that was 52-0-0 with a multi-goal lead.
2. Return of the Cap
Golden Knights Captain Mark Stone returned to the lineup for Game 3 after missing the previous five games with a lower-body injury. He slotted in on the third line with Tomáš Hertl and Colton Sissons and made his impact felt almost immediately. He threw four hits in his 15:45 TOI, jump-started the comeback with his power play goal, and assisted on Hertl’s game-winner.
“He does a lot for our team, on the ice and off the ice,” said Mitch Marner postgame. “His leadership, the intensity he brings to every game… It’s big to have 61 back. It’s great to have him in the locker room.”
Of course, no one is happier about Stone’s return to the lineup than Stone himself.
“I don't like watching, ever,” said Stone following the 5-3 win. “I want to play every game. It’s been an unfortunate part of my career, sitting out. But this time of year, it definitely is harder.”
3. Can We Say That?
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella had just one thing to say about his team following the 5-3 comeback win.
“This was a game where we showed some balls,” Tortorella said postgame. “I want them to feel it for a little bit, as far as what they just did against a really good hockey club.”
Tortorella was absolutely right. Facing a three-goal deficit against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the first period, the Golden Knights easily could have folded. They didn’t.
Instead, they chipped away at Colorado’s lead, gaining more and more confidence with every goal. The Golden Knights were an avalanche, and the Avalanche– who were such a powerhouse during the regular season and in the first two rounds of the playoffs– were powerless to stop it.
“We’re a team that doesn’t have any quit,” said Mitch Marner following the 5-3 win. “We want to make sure every game, regardless of the score, we’re fighting and trying to come back.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Keegan Kolesar #55 of the Vegas Golden Knights scores a goal past Scott Wedgewood #41 of the Colorado Avalanche. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things were supposed to be different as the Western Conference Final series between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights shifted to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And for a period it appeared the visitors were back on track, but ultimately a collapse led to a 5-2 loss as the Avalanche are now in a 0-3 series deficit and on the brink of elimination.
The Game
First, the fun stuff.
Gabe Landeskog opened the scoring just three minutes into the game, giving Avalanche fans a sense of relief that the required fast start did, in fact, come to fruition. Four minutes later Nazem Kadri added to the lead on a slick pass from Martin Nečas.
On a Vegas power play it appeared that Pavel Dorofeyev scored as the puck hit off the shaft of his stick. The officials initially waived it off thinking the puck hit his hand. Apparently video evidence as in inclusive so the original no-goal call stood. A break for the Avalanche and they doubled down on it in short order as Jack Drury took the puck shorthanded and made a nice deke to beat Carter Hart to the post. A 3-0 lead and 16-7 shot advantage was just what the doctor ordered for Colorado after 20 minutes of play.
Unfortunately this game lasted longer than 20 minutes as the positives started unraveling almost immediately as the second period began. Mark Stone, just off the injured list himself scored on the power play just 19 seconds into the frame. No time to panic but William Karlsson scored for Vegas four minutes later to officially get back in the game. Keegan Kolesar tipped a Dylan Coghlan shot at the midpoint to tie the game at 3-3 and Vegas didn’t look back.
In the third period Colorado looked cooked as they could only muster seven shots on goal. Vegas got the go-ahead tally as Tomas Hertl walked Sam Malinski and shot the puck past Scott Wedgewood at the midpoint of the period. Colorado received their fourth power play late in the frame but looked laughably disjointed on it. Then, it was only a matter of time before Vegas cashed in on the empty net from Brett Howden to arrive at the 5-2 final score and 0-3 series deficit for the Avalanche.
Takeaways
Injuries will become a major talking point (excuse) moving forward. Despite getting Cale Makar back at clearly less than 100% this contest unfortunately saw Nathan MacKinnon take a puck off of his knee late in the second period. He tried to come back in the third but only lasted a shift until he was put on power play and extra attacker only duty. Val Nichushkin also was absent the entire third period with an undisclosed ailment. There was no update on either player in the post game.
This seemed like the game where things were going right for the Avalanche. With the three-goal lead and a crucial call that went their way, things were unfolding nicely to at least give the Avalanche some much-needed momentum if only for one game. The most alarming part is how that success was so short-lived, they couldn’t even get this game to overtime. Postgame Jared Bednar admitted morale is cratering. Can this team muster up enough moxie to make it a series or is it already over?
Jared Bednar on the team morale: "It's low. It's as low as you can get. … Gotta find a way to get over it."
The Avalanche looked like they were going to make a big statement after going up 3-0 on Vegas after the first period, but Vegas flushed the bad period.
They went on to score five unanswered goals to move within one win from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in five years.
VIVA LAS FREAKING VEGAS ✨
THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS HAVE A 3-0 SERIES LEAD IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/HpNDKX3MYV
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
Nelson played 19:02 in the loss, recording no shots on goal, winning 57 percent of his draws. Toews, who got his defense partner Cale Makar back after a two-game absence, recorded two assists with two shots on goal in 23:14.
Nelson, who inked a three-year deal worth $7.5 million annually on June 4, 2025, has struggled in these playoffs with just two goals and one assist in 12 games.
On the flip side, Toews has had a fantastic postseason, with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 12 games.
Game 4 of these Western Conference Finals comes your way on Tuesday night at 9 PM ET on ESPN.
Following Friday’s Game 2 win, head coach John Tortorella took the podium and guaranteed that his Vegas Golden Knights would be ready for Game 3. He spoke with a steady confidence, swearing that his team wouldn’t get caught up in having a 2-0 lead over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
“I guarantee you, we won’t,” said Tortorella following the 3-1 win. “I don’t have to say anything to them. They just understand the situation.”
It sure didn’t look that way at first. But, as it turned out, Tortorella was right.
The Avalanche broke the ice at 3:21 in the first period. Nathan MacKinnon chipped the puck out, taking advantage of a pinching Rasmus Andersson. Devon Toews won the footrace, blew around Noah Hanifin, and drove the net. The puck rolled off his stick, but Gabriel Landeskog crashed the net and got it to go on the second attempt.
Devon Toews hops up on the rush and blows past Noah Hanifin. Hart makes the save, but Gabe Landeskog gets it to go.
The Avalanche doubled their lead at 7:03 in the first. Josh Manson sent a stretch-pass up the middle of the ice, springing Martin Nečas on a breakaway. Nečas pulled off, curled up, and found Nazem Kadri in the high slot. Without breaking his stride, Kadri fired off a wrister that beat Carter Hart blocker-side.
Nazem Kadri doubles the lead for the @Avalanche!!!
The Avalanche extended their lead while shorthanded at 13:15 in the first. Parker Kelly flipped the puck out, and it got free to Jack Drury in the neutral zone. Drury sped in, drove the net, and finished off a nifty move in close.
And just like that, it’s a three-goal deficit instead of one. Jack Drury on a shorthanded breakaway.
The Golden Knights got on the board on the power play just 19 seconds into the second period. Mitch Marner found Mark Stone driving the net, and the Captain chipped it past Scott Wedgewood’s glove in his return to the lineup.
The Captain is back. Redirects Marner’s shot from the point and the Golden Knights are on the board!
When down 3-0, the Golden Knights showed no panic. The same cannot be said of the Avalanche when their three-goal lead began to evaporate. From that point on, it was all Vegas. The Avalanche were on their heels, and the Golden Knights kept them there.
The Golden Knights pulled to within one at 4:05 in the second. Scott Wedgewood made the save on Mitch Marner’s shot from the point, but Parker Kelly couldn’t get the clear. The puck bounced over to William Karlsson, who ripped it home for his first goal since October 26th.
Don’t look now— they’re alive! William Karlsson gets Mitch Marner’s rebound and this is a one goal game.
The Golden Knights tied the game at 12:46 in the second. Keegan Kolesar batted down Dylan Coghlan’s fluttering shot from the point and poked the puck home after it hit the post.
When they get going, this fourth line is just nails. Keegan Kolesar bats down and pokes Coghlan’s shot past Wedgewood, and we are tied!
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night at 12:46 in the third. Mark Stone chipped Kaden Korczak’s stretch-pass over to Tomáš Hertl, who entered the zone with speed. Hertl danced around Sam Malinski and beat Scott Wedgewood with a heavy backhand.
They. Are. Inevitable. Tomáš Hertl dances around Sam Malinski and beats Wedgewood with a backhand that would make Sidney Crosby proud.
The crowd inside T-Mobile Arena resembled a morgue when Jack Drury scored to give the Avalanche a three-goal lead. The volume level increased every time the Golden Knights cut into that lead; after Hertl’s goal, that building was close to the loudest it’s ever been.
They grew even louder when Brett Howden hit the empty net to seal a 5-3 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
“It’s a find-a-way league,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 5-3 win. “We found a way.”
The Golden Knights celebrate a goal during their May 24 win against the Avalanche.
LAS VEGAS — There are a number of adjectives that could be applied to how the Golden Knights have found various ways to win in the regular season and playoffs.
Vegas coach John Tortorella had his own description.
“This is a game where we showed some balls,” the man known as Torts said after the Golden Knights’ latest Houdini act.
Tomas Hertl weaved his way toward the slot and broke a tie at 8:21 of the third period as the Golden Knights overcame a three-goal deficit Sunday night to beat Colorado 5-3 and move within a victory of their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in nine years.
“It obviously feels really good right now, but we’re playing a hell of a hockey team,” Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner said. “We know that the next game is going to be even tougher now. Enjoy this for the next 10 minutes, 30 minutes, go home and then try to take care of yourself, and do what you got to do to be ready tomorrow.”
The Golden Knights celebrate a goal during their May 24 win against the Avalanche. AP Photo
The Golden Knights go for what would be a stunning sweep over the Presidents’ Trophy winners on Tuesday night. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Colorado will try to become just the fifth team to win a series after falling behind 3-0. Los Angeles in 2014 was the most recent team to accomplish that in eliminating San Jose in their first-round series.
Vegas, which trailed 3-0 after the first period, was 0-19 in the playoffs when behind that many goals. The Avalanche were 74-1 when holding such a lead.
“As low as it can get,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of the team’s emotions. “It’s a big hill to climb. The next 24-to-36 hours is for … you’ve got to find a way to get over it, regroup and go again.”
Colorado has other concerns because front-line center Nathan MacKinnon might not be fully healthy going forward. MacKinnon, who has 15 points this postseason and led the league in the regular season with 53 goals, took a puck to his right knee in the second period and played through the injury.
That comes just as the Avalanche got back star defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the first two games this series because of an upper-body injury.
Tomas Hertl celebrates a goal during the Golden Knights’ May 24 win. Imagn Images
Vegas keeps finding aways, going this deep into the postseason despite being outshot in 11 of 15 games, including now nine in a row. The Golden Knights erased deficits the past two games against Colorado, though Game 2 was just 1-0.
“We’ve been all season long many times down,” Hertl said. “We’ve come back so many times. Even after the first when we were down 3-0 we knew we could do it.”
Hertl, Mark Stone and William Karlsson each had a goal and assist. Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden scored the other Golden Knights goals, and Mitch Marner and Kaedan Korczak each tallied two assists. Carter Hart made 32 saves.
Cale Makar looks to move the puck during the Avalanche’s May 24 loss to the Golden Knights. AP Photo
Stone’s goal came on his first appearance since suffering a lower-body injury in Game 3 of the second-round series against Anaheim. Kolesar, who had gone 37 playoff games without a goal, picked up his first point of the postseason.
Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Jack Drury scored for the Avalanche, and Devon Toews had two assists. Scott Wedgewood stopped 18 shots.
The Avalanche dominated the first period by taking a 3-0 lead, but the Golden Knights thought they had cut the deficit to 2-1 when Pavel Dorofeyev appeared to score a power-play goal with 7:26 left. Officials immediately waved it off and the decision was upheld on video review.
Colorado then made the Golden Knights pay when Drury found himself alone on a breakaway, deking Vegas goalie Hart to score the short-handed goal with 6:45 left for the three-goal lead.
But the Golden Knights didn’t let the two-goal swing trouble them too much, with Stone’s power-play goal 19 seconds into the second period sparking a three-goal answer to tie the game heading into the final period of regulation.
Then Hertl broke the deadlock — and now the Golden Knights just need to win one of four games.
“I want them to feel it for a little bit, as far as what they just did against a really good hockey club,” Tortorella said, “but then we get back to work tomorrow.”
There was a moment of silence before the game for two-time NASCAR champion driver and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch. He died Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia developed into sepsis, according to a statement from Busch’s family.
It was the perfect start for the Avalanche heading into Game 3. Cale Makar is returning, and they set the tone early by going up 3-0 in the first period. Though things turned for the worse, as we might have seen the Avalanche's worst meltdown this season, as they crumbled, blew a lead, and fell 5-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights, now facing the prospect of being swept heading into Game 4.
Period 1:
The Avalanche start strong, just three minutes into the period as Devon Toews makes a strong move to the net to draw a penalty, but it's captain Gabriel Landeskog who follows up right behind him to clean up the loose puck rebound and in to make it 1-0.
Avalanche keep their foot on the gas pedal as Josh Manson sends a great stretch pass to Martin Necas entering the offensive zone, who makes a pretty behind-the-back pass to Nazem Kadri and rifles it in to make it 2-0. Cole Smith takes the first penalty of the game as he is called for tripping, but the Avalanche can’t convert on their first power play.
Nazem Kadri is called for high-sticking Jack Eichel; it's only a minor. The Knights would convert on the play as Pavel Dorofeyev would track down his round and bat it in, but the referees immediately called the play dead as they motioned that the puck was pushed in with his glove.
The Golden Knights have a goal called back after the officials determine the puck deflected off Pavel Dorofeyev’s glove. pic.twitter.com/7eM1fQ7Wis
The Avalanche continue on the penalty kill but manage to capitalize short-handed. Parker Kelly clears the puck, and it goes over the heads of the Knights players, leading to a Jack Drury short-handed breakaway, and he converts with a nifty backhanded shot to make it 3-0. Brock Nelson would take a tripping penalty just under a minute left in the period, giving the Knights a power play heading into the second.
Period 2
It takes just 19 seconds into the period as Mark Stone taps in Mitch Marner's pass to quickly get the Knights on the board to make it 3-1. The Knights, early in this period, start as the more aggressive team, and it doesn’t help that the Avalanche are making a bunch of errors and giving the Knights more chances to get back into the game.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
The Knights' continued pressure is rewarded as William Karlsson finds a bobbling puck and rifles it past Wedgewood to make it 3-2 just four minutes after Stone got them on the board. Brent Burns is called for cross-checking, but the Avalanche penalty kill continues to stand strong and kills it off.
Then disaster strikes, MacKinnon takes a shot from the blueline right to his knee and is down in pain, badly. He does need some help to get up and skate off the ice, but nothing too serious. He doesn’t head off into the dressing room immediately and tries to get some shifts in, but seeing him on the ice, he doesn't look good, no explosiveness, one bit.
The Avalanche get another chance on the power play when Cole Smith is called for high-sticking, but come up short. The Knights' pressure and the Avalanche's continued strong lead lead to more chances, and it continues to hurt them. Keegan Kolesar bats down Dylan Coghlan's shot from the point and pokes it past Wedgewood to tie the game with seven minutes left in the period.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
The period ends, and it might go down as the Avalanche’s worst period in the playoffs, if not the season entirely. Defensive breakdowns, errors in their own zone, and just not putting more pressure when being up 3-0 entering the period in a series down 2-0.
Period 3:
Stone is called for slashing Wedgewood, but Ross Colton is called for roughing Stone, so both are sent off, and it's two minutes of 4-on-4 that go scoreless. On a Knights rush, Tomas Hertl dekes out Sam Malinski, who has been having a bad game, and sends a backhand shot past Wedgwood to give the Knights the lead at 4-3.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
The Avalanche gets another chance to tie the game when Marner is called for tripping Necas, but the Avalanche's power play continues to fall flat. MacKinnon tries his best with a bad knee with the Avalanche to mount a comeback, with Wedgewood pulled with two minutes left in the period, but a Brett Howden goal seals the deal, and the Avalanche fall 5-3.
Despite the Avalanche getting Cale Makar back and going up 3-0 in the first period, disaster after mistake after error follows suit, and the Avalanche collapse, now trailing 3-0. History doesn't help them either, as the last time there was a reverse sweep in the playoffs was 2014, when the San Jose Sharks blew a 3-0 lead to the Los Angeles Kings.
Next Game
Game 4 falls on Tuesday, May 26th, which could either see the Knights sweep the Avalanche and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals or force a Game 5 back in Ball Arena.
LAS VEGAS , NV - MAY 24: Josh Manson (42) of the Colorado Avalanche defends Tomas Hertl (48) of the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Denver Post via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — Tomas Hertl weaved his way toward the slot and scored the winner at 8:21 of the third period to rally the Golden Knights from a three-goal deficit Sunday night and defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 and move to within one game of their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in nine years.
The Golden Knights go for what would be a stunning sweep over the President’s Trophy winners on Tuesday night. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to win the President’s Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Colorado will try to become just the fifth team to win a series after falling behind 3-0. Los Angeles in 2014 was the most recent team to accomplish that in eliminating San Jose in their first-round series.
Vegas, which trailed 3-0 after the first period, was 0-19 in the playoffs when behind that many goals. The Avalanche were 74-1 when holding such a lead.
Colorado has other concerns because front-line center Nathan MacKinnon might not be fully healthy going forward. MacKinnon, who has 15 points this postseason and led the league in the regular season with 53 goals, took a puck to his right knee in the second period and played through the injury.
That comes just as the Avalanche got back star defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the first two games this series because of an upper-body injury.
Hertl, Mark Stone and William Karlsson each had a goal and assist. Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden scored the other Golden Knights goals, and Mitch Marner and Kaedan Korczak each tallied two assists. Carter Hart made 32 saves.
Stone’s goal came on his first appearance since suffering a lower-body injury in Game 3 of the second-round series against Anaheim. Kolesar, who had gone 37 playoff games without a goal, picked up his first point of the postseason.
Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Jack Drury scored for the Avalanche, and Devon Toews had two assists. Scott Wedgewood stopped 18 shots.
The Avalanche dominated the first period by taking a 3-0 lead, but the Golden Knights thought they had cut the deficit to 2-1 when Pavel Dorofeyev appeared to score a power-play goal with 7:26 left. Officials immediately waved it off and the decision was upheld on video review.
Colorado then made the Golden Knights pay when Drury found himself alone on a breakaway, deking Vegas goalie Hart to score the short-handed goal with 6:45 left for the three-goal lead.
But the Golden Knights didn’t let the two-goal swing trouble them too much, with Stone’s power-play goal 19 seconds into the second period sparking a three-goal answer to tie the game heading into the final period of regulation.
Then Hertl broke the deadlock — and now the Golden Knights just need to win one of four games.
There was a moment of silence before the game for two-time NASCAR champion driver and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch. He died Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia developed into sepsis, according to a statement from Busch’s family.
The Detroit Red Wings entered the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals as the favorites over the young Pittsburgh Penguins, who were only three years into the Sidney Crosby era.
The Red Wings had defeated the Nashville Predators in six games in the Western Conference Final, swept the rival Colorado Avalanche in four games in round two, and held off a rally by the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, winning in six games.
Following a special ceremonial puck drop at center ice featuring Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux, the game was on.
While it appeared that the Red Wings had taken a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal from Nicklas Lidstrom, it was called back thanks to Tomas Holmstrom's reputation of being a net-front presence.
However, their fellow Swede Mikael Samuelsson would eventually break the ice in the second period, beating Marc-Andre Fleury with a backhanded wraparound shot. Samuelsson struck again early in the third period, doubling Detroit's lead with his second goal of the evening.
Detroit's Dan Cleary tallied a shorthanded goal later in the period, followed by a late power-play goal from eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zetterberg in the waning seconds.
Goaltender Chris Osgood stopped all 19 shots that he faced for the shutout.
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The Senators don’t have a lot of blue-chip prospects knocking on the NHL door right now. But one that will command plenty of attention at training camp this fall is former first-round pick Carter Yakemchuk.
After spending this past season with the Belleville Senators, the 20-year-old right-shot defenceman appears to be tracking exactly the way Ottawa hoped when they selected him seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The question now is whether Yakemchuk has done enough to seriously challenge for an NHL roster spot next season.
Sens Nation with THN's Steve Warne discusses the recent report that the Sens may be interested in G Devon Levi.
The short answer is... maybe.
Yakemchuk’s first pro season was productive and encouraging, and he certainly has a penchant for good first impressions. In his first AHL season, he had 40 points in 54 games. In his first regular season and first Stanley Cup Playoff games, he had 2 points in each contest.
But his ability to create offense from the back end has never been in question. It was about learning the defensive side of the game and improving his skating.
“I thought it was definitely a big learning year for myself, but I thought overall improved throughout the year, so I was pretty happy with it,” Yakemchuk told broadcaster David Foote in an interview posted this week on B-Sens YouTube channel.
One of the biggest moments of his season came when he earned his first NHL recall and got the opportunity to make his NHL debut with Ottawa.
“I think I’d go with that for sure,” Yakemchuk said. “It was awesome. I mean to have my family there, and (for them) to be able to watch that game was awesome. Because obviously, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So just to share that moment with them, it was awesome.”
But making the awesome jump from first-year AHL player to full-time NHL player is never easy for young defencemen, especially on a Senators team that’s now in a legitimate playoff window, way past development mode.
After a 2-8 record in the past two playoffs, it won’t be enough to just make the playoffs next season, and head coach Travis Green will want more reliability and structure on the back end, not less.
That’s where Yakemchuk’s camp battle gets interesting.
His challenge will be proving he can defend consistently enough to earn Green’s trust. Yakemchuk acknowledged that his goal is to improve in all areas this summer, particularly his skating.
“I think skating for me is the biggest thing I want to improve on. Obviously to play in this league or in the NHL, you’ve got to be a good skater, so that’s something I’ll be working on in the summer.”
After Yakemchuk tore up the preseason in the fall of 2024 (7 points in 4 games), the Sens had to be tempted to keep him around. But for his own good, they didn’t want to rush him unnecessarily. If they made that decision again this fall, it might be partially for the team’s good as well.
At the same time, the right side of Ottawa’s blue line isn’t exactly locked down at the moment. If it stays that way, and Yakemchuk arrives at camp a little quicker and more polished defensively, there’s absolutely an opportunity there to win a job.
By Steve WarneThe 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:
One of the San Jose Sharks' pending unrestricted free agents has already gotten his plans for the 2026-27 season sorted out.
Defenseman Lucas Carlsson has signed with Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League. His newly-signed contract with Djurgårdens runs for four seasons and upon expiration, he'll be 32 years old.
Carlsson spent the majority of his time in the Sharks organization with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, but he did play a few games at the NHL level as well.
During his two seasons as a member of the Sharks organization, Carlsson played 103 games for the Barracuda. From the blue line, he scored 22 goals and 49 points during that time.
Carlsson also played in 13 games at the NHL level for the Sharks, all of which came during the 2024-25 season. He scored a goal and had four points during his limited opportunities with the Sharks.
Prior to his NHL career, Carlsson played in the SHL for Brynäs IF. In his SHL career, he's appeared in 136 games, scored 14 goals, and tallied a total of 38 points. Given the nature of his contract, it's likely we've seen the last of Carlsson in North America.
Avalanche vs Golden Knights goal scorer predictions for Game 3
Player to score a goal
Odds
Nathan MacKinnon
+105
Brock Nelson
+335
Tomas Hertl
+350
💲Goal scorer parlay: Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Tomas Hertl
+2000
Goal scorer pick: Nathan MacKinnon (+105)
I'm backing Nathan MacKinnon to have a strong volume game, and his shot output correlates strongly with his goal scoring. MacKinnon found the back of the net in 62% of his games when attempting seven shots or more this season, and he has attempted at least seven shots in five of his last six.
Focusing specifically on this matchup, MacKinnon has generated 45 shot attempts over five games against the Vegas Golden Knights this year — including 11- and nine-attempt performances while John Tortorella was behind the bench.
The Colorado Avalanche desperately need a win and will rely heavily on MacKinnon to lead the charge. That means a ton of offensive zone starts and extra ice time for the Rocket Richard winner. Bet him to find the net up to -111.
Goal scorer pick: Brock Nelson (+335)
Brock Nelson has scored just twice in the playoffs despite creating 24 scoring chances and 4.03 expected goals.
That is highly abnormal, as Nelson has scored more goals than expected in 11 consecutive years.
He is a consistently excellent finisher, and I want to buy the dip. Even with this cold stretch, Nelson has found the back of the net in 32% of all games this year. A +335 price tag implies a 23% chance of scoring.
I think the fair price is somewhere in the middle, and would back Nelson up to +270.
Goal scorer pick: Tomas Hertl (+350)
Tomas Hertl is not playing a lot at 5-on-5, but he's getting a steady dose of offensive zone starts, which helps him maximize his minutes.
Nobody on the Golden Knights has recorded more shot attempts, scoring chances, high-danger chances, or created more rebounds than Hertl in this series.
He is also skating on a talented top power-play unit, playing a net-front role and looking to pounce on loose pucks sprayed to the net.
Hertl's a big threat to an Avalanche team that hasn't gotten high-danger saves consistently since the first round. I'd back him to +310.
Avalanche vs Golden Knights anytime goal scorer parlay (+2000)
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Nathan MacKinnon
Tomas Hertl