Colorado has a chance to clinch their spot in the conference final tonight, but the other two remaining series continue to provide good drama.
Islanders News
Mat Barzal has withdrawn from the Worlds due to precautionary pre-existing “minor” injury reasons, so Canada has to settle for some Sidney Crosby guy instead. [Isles | TSN] Andrew Gross says Barzal is expected to have a normal offseason and training camp.
Matthew Schaefer has a new partnership to help families dealing with cancer, a cause that’s obviously close to his heart. [Newsday | Isles]
Prospect Report: Luca Romano is winning the battle, but Kashawn Aitcheson has done his part in forcing OT in consecutive games. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Vegas pulled back ahead of the Ducks with an OT win in Game 5. [NHL]
The Sabres looked like they were screwed by a dubious goalie interference call, but they got an insanely fortunate Tage Thompson carom off the glass to tie it on their way to a win to even the series, 2-2. [NHL]
Vegas is also in the news because they apparently will not allow Edmonton — who still have a head coach they haven’t fired — to speak with fired coach Bruce Cassidy. [Sportsnet]
It’s not me, it’s you (Toronto): Apparently Mitch Marner is having his best playoff evah. [NHL]
Injuries continue to haunt the Wild as they try to stave off the inevitable. [NHL]
Making sense of the big decision facing the Stars and Jason Robertson this summer. [Stars]
The NHL took its sweet time to announce a six-game suspension for Charlie McAvoy after his wild slash on Zach Benson in the first round. [TSN]
Columbus signs Charlie Coyle to a six-year extension at age 34. [NHL]
And Son of Manson, Apple Not Far From Tree, was fined $5,000 for butt-ending, his latest dirty move. [TSN]
Matvei Michkov exit interview on his trying season and hopes for better next year. [Crossing Broad]
The Penguins “would love” to have Evgeni Malkin back, says Kyle Dubas. [TSN | NHL]
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Rickard Rakell Born: May 5, 1993 (33 years old) Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 194 pounds Hometown: Sundbyberg, Sweden Shoots: Right Draft: 2011 first round (30th overall) by the Anaheim Ducks 2025-26 Statistics: 60 games played, 24 goals, 24 assists, 48 points Contract Status: Rakell has two seasons remaining on his contract with a $5 million AAV through 2027-28. History: 2024-25; 2023-24; 2022-23; 2021-22
Rickard Rakell entered 2025-26 coming off the best season of his professional career, and the biggest question was whether he could sustain it. The answer ended up being mostly yes.
While he did not quite replicate the career highs he posted during the previous season, Rakell remained a major offensive piece for Pittsburgh and continued to thrive alongside Sidney Crosby. Even through stretches where the Penguins battled injuries and inconsistency, Rakell found ways to produce offense.
Early on, Rakell looked like a perfect fit on Sidney Crosby’s wing once again, registering eight points through nine October games and building on the chemistry previously established alongside Bryan Rust on the opposite wing.
By midseason, things became more complicated. A hand injury that required surgery cost Rakell several weeks and disrupted some of the momentum he had built.
Rakell and fellow Swede Erik Karlsson became two of the biggest drivers of play post-Olympic break, however. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
His March surge became one of the biggest reasons Pittsburgh stayed competitive late in the year. Rakell piled up 19 points in 17 games, generating offense at five-on-five, and even filled in at center while Crosby was rehabbing an injury, despite being a natural winger.
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.
Rakell’s underlying numbers continued to paint the picture of a strong offensive winger, even if his defensive impacts fluctuated. Then again, the 2025-26 Penguins weren’t exactly known for their defensive prowess.
Playing major minutes with Crosby naturally inflated some offensive opportunities, but his ability to finish and complement Crosby makes him difficult to replace.
Rakell followed up a career-best year in 2024-25 by having an almost identical season in 2025-26 via a lot of the WAR-driven outlooks. That’s very impressive for a 30+ year old player to string together quality, especially considering Rakell was asked to play a variety of roles between being on the Sidney Crosby line as a winger and at times having to center his own line- despite not playing that position in many years. Rakell handled anything asked of him in what looked like an effortless fashion and excelled.
Rakell’s microstats are those of an offensively gifted player. Once the puck gets into the offensive zone, he is going to create a lot via his in-zone shots, chances, and goals. At this point in his career, he is not going to add much in the neutral zone via exiting or entering zones. That’s what makes him more of a complementary support player, which is a valuable role that he can maximize with his offensive talent.
If a player is on a line with Sidney Crosby frequently, he’d better be comfortable and successful at getting to the net and getting shots away. Rakell did that in spades. Ninety shots from high danger spots on the ice (in just the 60 games) is a great stat to see, demonstrating effectiveness in that area. Rakell is going to work his way in close, and when that happens, the offense will follow from a player with good hands.
When Rakell needs to get on his horse, it’s still there as far as the burst goes. Part of the reason why he is aging well and able to put up some of the best seasons of his career this deep into it is due to his skating ability remaining strong. The two years remaining on his contract don’t look very daunting as far as how his legs are holding up to this point.
Highlights
Rickard Rakell proved the Penguins have NO QUIT. "That was awesome!"- 29er. Here's the radio call of the game tying goal presented by S&T Bank. pic.twitter.com/RS5LerS5Y0
Questions swirled last summer (as they might again in 2026) about whether Rakell, now 33, has a future in Pittsburgh as the team still aims to get younger.
The Penguins have to decide how aggressively they want to reshape the roster around younger talent over the next two years.
This season showed the Penguins are not yet in the same tier as the Hurricanes or the Avalanche; the rebuild is far from over. Those contenders will always value a productive top-six winger at $5 million, especially because the salary cap continues to rise.
After another strong season, moving him now would not be about freeing up cap space. Put the tinfoil hat on and throw Rakell into a hypothetical trade proposal for, say, Chicago’s fourth overall pick?
Kyle Dubas has no problem taking a few big swings to improve his team. Trading up in this draft to further accelerate the rebuild and also get younger might be too good of an opportunity to pass up if it presents itself.
But it would mean giving up one of the few reliable finishers on the roster.
Ideal 2026-27
Assuming Rakell remains a Penguin, he most likely continues to see time as a top-line winger. The Penguins don’t have any wingers in the system (in the short-term) that Rakell would be blocking with his presence.
You can pretty comfortably pencil 6-7 in for 20 goals and 50 points, assuming he’s healthy and deployed as he has been in the past.
Bottom line
Rakell followed up his breakout 2024-25 campaign with another highly productive season and further solidified himself as a valuable piece of Pittsburgh’s core.
After the uncertainty surrounding him in 2024, that represents a massive turnaround, a win for the player and team.
Final Grade: B
Equalling or surpassing the career marks he had in 2024-25 would have been the dream scenario, and even though he had 22 fewer points this go-around, Rakell remains a dependable top-six veteran.
What did you think of Rakell’s season? Share your thoughts below.
Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)
Buffalo, New York; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Sabres -120, Canadiens +100; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Series tied 2-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres for game five of the second round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 2-2. The teams meet Tuesday for the ninth time this season. The Sabres won 3-2 in the previous meeting.
Buffalo is 50-23-9 overall with a 22-9-5 record in Atlantic Division games. The Sabres have a 50-4-8 record in games they score at least three goals.
Montreal is 48-24-10 overall and 22-12-3 against the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens are 48-8-9 when scoring three or more goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tage Thompson has 40 goals and 41 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has four goals and three assists over the past 10 games.
Cole Caufield has 51 goals and 37 assists for the Canadiens. Alexander Newhook has six goals and one assist over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging three goals, 4.8 assists, six penalties and 15.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Canadiens: 5-3-2, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.6 assists, 6.4 penalties and 15.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Sabres: Noah Ostlund: out (lower body), Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).
Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
LAS VEGAS, May 13th, 2026– Nothing came easy for the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime during the regular season. They set a franchise record by going past regulation 26 times, and they lost 17 of those contests.
Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.
Now, overtime is played at 5-on-5. After tonight’s 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, the Golden Knights are a perfect 3-0 in overtime this postseason.
The Golden Knights hold a 3-2 edge as the series shifts back to Anaheim. Game 6 is scheduled for 6:52 p.m. PST at the Honda Center.
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. Man Down!
Brayden McNabb, the Golden Knights’ best stay-at-home defenseman, was ejected from the game just nine minutes into the first period for a hit on Ryan Poehling. He played only 3:17; just like that, the Golden Knights were down to only five defensemen for 55 minutes.
McNabb got a 5 MINUTE MAJOR for this hit on Poehling.
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella refused to comment on the call postgame.
“It’s just no sense talking about it… I just don’t get it,” said Tortorella following the 3-2 win. “High marks for the whole team tonight. I’m proud of the team tonight. Getting down, losing Nabber, one of our top D, losing him– I think he played three minutes– and still finding a way to get things done, to get a win, I’m really proud of the hockey club.
Poehling did not return to the contest.
Injury Update: Ryan Poehling has an upper-body injury and will not return to this game.
Can we start calling Pavel Dorofeyev ‘Mr. Game 5’ yet? His Game 5 hat trick in the First Round against the Utah Mammoth sent his team to overtime. Tonight, scored the Golden Knights’ first goal in addition to the overtime game-winner.
But that’s not all. In the second period, Dorofeyev was hobbled after taking a heavy shot from Jackson LaCombe to the right knee. He was slow to get up, and after being attended to by the trainer, he headed down the tunnel.
Needless to say, he returned.
“Just a blocked shot,” said Dorofeyev following the win. “It’s a s— part of my job, but it hurts more when I miss it. I just got myself together and got back on the ice.”
3. Holding Out for a Hero
By now, everyone’s heard the intimidating, yet oddly specific, statistic: the Golden Knights have never lost a series after winning Game 5 to go up 3-2. And now, they’ve won another Game 5 and can end this series in Anaheim on Thursday. But in all those Game 6s of old, there was one consistent factor: Mark Stone.
Stone has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, and there’s a very good chance that he doesn’t play in Thursday’s Game 6. And that means that the Golden Knights will close this series out without their Captain.
Teams that go up 3-2 in a series have historically won 79.8% of the time. Even without Stone, I like the Golden Knights’ chances against a young and relatively inexperienced Ducks team. But the Captain is watching from the sidelines, and someone else will have to step up and answer the call when the lights are brightest.
LAS VEGAS, May 12th, 2026– Rasmus Andersson said it best: there’s a feeling that no moment is too big for the Vegas Golden Knights. They conceded the tying goal late, rebounded quickly, and came out flying to start overtime. They scored the game-winner in the first five minutes of overtime and edged out the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 3-2.
“Big moments, right? It’s overtime– the easy answer is, the next goal wins,” said defenseman Rasmus Andersson following the 3-2 overtime win. “I think we’re a pretty comfortable group in [that situation]. There’s a lot of players in [the locker room] who’ve been through it and had a lot of success and won, and they usually lead the charge.
“We’re an older team,” Andersson acknowledged. “And there’s a feeling that no moment is too big. We’re very confident when we go to overtime. I think we keep our composure and just try to simplify stuff, honestly. Usually, overtime goals aren’t the prettiest, and it’s the rebounds, or the tips, or the screened shots from the blue line.
“But we just try to stay calm in there and work shift by shift,” Andersson finished.
In the first period, the teams played fast and loose. For every 2-on-1 the Ducks had, the Golden Knights went back the other way on a breakaway. Anaheim ended the period with six high-danger chances; the Golden Knights generated seven and controlled 57.19% of the expected goal share.
The Golden Knights lost Brayden McNabb just nine minutes into the first period. The defenseman threw a late hit on Ducks center Ryan Poehling, and after Poehling was slow to get up, the officials gave McNabb a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct.
McNabb got a 5 MINUTE MAJOR for this hit on Poehling.
The Ducks broke the ice at 12:36 in the first on the ensuing five-minute power play. Carter Hart kicked out Cutter Gauthier’s wrister from the right circle, but he left the rebound in the blue paint. Hart lunged for the loose puck, but Beckett Sennecke got there first and banged it home.
Queue the Sabrina Carpenter. Hart kicks out Cutter Gauthier’s shot and Beckett Sennecke pots the rebound.
The Golden Knights found the equalizer on a power play opportunity of their own at 16:13 in the first. Pavel Dorofeyev stripped the puck from Chris Kreider, danced into the slot, and ripped off a wrister that beat Lukáš Dostál top-shelf.
Take a bow, young Pavel. Strips Kreider of the puck, moves into the slot, and rips one top shelf.
In the second period, the run-and-gun play from the first period was nowhere to be found. The teams combined for just 12 scoring chances, and for the first time this series, the Golden Knights and the Ducks entered the third period tied.
It didn’t stay that way for long.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night at 4:48 in the third. Brandon Saad got a piece of Rasmus Andersson’s shot from the point, but Lukáš Dostál made the save. Tomáš Hertl got to the loose puck and backhanded it home for his first five-on-five goal since February 1st.
Tomáš Hertl! Rasmus Andersson’s rebound pops right to him, and the monkey is officially gone. Boy, I’ve never seen him smile so wide.
“Every game, I tried not to think about a goal because, especially in the playoffs, winning games is all that matters,” said Hertl postgame. “I’ve tried so many different things over the last two months– it was almost impossible not to think about it. Hopefully this is behind me, and this stretch never happens again, because, honestly, it was way too long.”
After a period of sustained pressure, the Ducks finally broke through and found the equalizer at 16:55 in the third. Mason McTavish found Cutter Gauthier below the right circle, and Gauthier one-touched a cross-ice pass to Olen Zellweger at the left dot. Zellweger received the pass, picked his shot, and beat Carter Hart far-side.
What a shift for the Ducks. Cutter Gauthier was magnificent there on the keep, and again on the dish. Olen Zellweger with the finish.
It was all Golden Knights in overtime. As Rasmus Andersson said, they simply rise to the occasion. They outshot the Ducks 5-0 and generated three scoring chances while not allowing Anaheim a single one.
The Golden Knights struck just 4:10 into overtime. Jack Eichel pick-pocketed Troy Terry, protected the puck from Leo Carlsson, and circled lower into the zone. He danced around Olen Zellweger and threaded a pass to Pavel Dorofeyev at the goal line; Dorofeyev knocked the puck down and batted it home.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 13, 2026
“To be honest with you, I can’t even tell you what happened there,” laughed Dorofeyev after the 3-2 overtime win. “I just saw a puck, whipped my stick on it, and thankfully got it in.”
The series shifts back to Anaheim on Thursday, where the Golden Knights will have an opportunity to close it out. Game 6 is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. PST.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville speaks to the media after their Game 5 overtime loss (2-3) to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights entered Game 5 with a 2-2 series tie after the teams split the first four games, with each team winning one home game and one road game.
The Ducks had a better approach in Game 4 after going down early in Game 3 and never being able to properly recover. They scored first and, despite the Golden Knights tying the game twice, never relinquished the lead the entire game. Their power play also broke through in Game 4 after going 0-for-11 through the first three games of the series.
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella said after Game 4 that he felt his team took too many penalties (they took four minor penalties). The Ducks have had 15 power play opportunities compared to the Golden Knights' 12 power play opportunities through four games. The Ducks have scored twice on the power play this series (both in Game 4) while the Golden Knights have scored thrice.
Mason McTavish, Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore were inserted into the Game 4 lineup in favor of Jansen Harkins and Tyson Hinds, who were healthy scratches, and Drew Helleson, who missed Game 4 with an undisclosed injury. Captain Radko Gudas was a game-time decision for Game 4, but did not play. He was ruled out for Game 5 by head coach Joel Quenneville following Tuesday's morning skate.
Lukáš Dostál and Carter Hart faced one another for the fifth consecutive game, unsurprisingly. Dostál stopped 29 of 32 shots in the game, while Hart stopped 34 of 36 shots in the game.
Ryan Poehling suffered an injury nine minutes into the game due to a hit from Brayden McNabb, who was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. Poehling did not return to the game.
Game Notes
A helter-skelter first period led to several scoring chances off the rush for both teams. Both Dostál and Hart gave up a couple of big rebounds, which neither team was able to capitalize on in the first. Despite being on the penalty kill for five minutes, the Golden Knights generated more chances at 5v5 in the first.
Game 5 featured more low-event hockey (for the most part), but featured plenty of chances off the rush for both teams. The Golden Knights began to take control once they gained the lead in the third, with the Ducks struggling to negate their cycle at times. Both teams made the most of their power play opportunities in a game that didn't feature many penalties.
Physicality continues to play a big role as this series progresses, with plenty of post-whistle scrums. Both teams are trying to play as close to the edge as they can without taking penalties.
Mason McTavish/Cutter Gauthier-While McTavish and Gauthier lost their linemate early in the game, they continued to build off their Game 4 performance and created chances alongside whoever their pivot was. While usually more of a goalscorer, Gauthier has been utilizing his vision more in the last couple of games to find teammates in good scoring positions.
McTavish found himself in prime scoring positions by simply being around the slot and the crease, the beneficiary of Gauthier's playmaking. His presence around Hart caused several rebounds to pop out in front of the crease, leading to several scoring opportunities. Both McTavish and Gauthier's vision and passing were vital in setting up Zellweger's game-tying goal in the third period.
Chris Kreider/Troy Terry-Terry has missed almost every morning skate since mid-March as he continues to manage his workload, surely due to a lingering injury. He's giving it his all, but it's beginning to show a bit more as this series has progressed, as he is beginning to overhandle the puck and appears to have a lack of jump in his skating.
Similarly, Kreider has not impacted the game on a consistent basis and was guilty of not getting the puck out of the defensive zone on Vegas' first goal. Both he and Terry were unable to get the puck out in overtime, which eventually led to Dorofeyev's game-winning goal. With Poehling likely out for Game 6, Quenneville will have to shuffle the lines around, which may lead to one or both of Kreider and Terry coming off the top line.
Fourth line-Quenneville seems intent on matching his fourth line against Mitch Marner's line, much like he did in the Oilers series to slow down Connor McDavid. While that may have worked to an extent, it's not quite having the same effects with Ross Johnston on that line instead of Ian Moore. The lack of foot speed on that line has been noticeable in defensive coverage, as they are a bit slow to get out and take away the perimeter at times.
Lukáš Dostál-It was a mostly solid night from Dostál, who kept the Ducks in the game for most of it and had some big saves down the stretch. His rebound control was a bit shoddy on Vegas' second goal, but Ian Moore was more at fault for not tying up Tomáš Hertl and icing the puck on the previous play. Dostál can't be faulted for either of Pavel Dorofeyev's goals, with the first being an absolute snipe and the second a baseball whack into the top part of the net. If not for Dostál, Vegas likely would have scored more than three goals.
Olen Zellweger-Zellweger didn't get a ton of ice time in his playoff debut in Game 4, but picked up a point on Moore's game-winning goal. He looked more engaged in this one, choosing the right times to activate offensively and creating effective breakouts with his skating. He received more ice time down the stretch for his efforts. More activation from the defensemen is something that Quenneville wanted going into Game 4, which Zellweger provided in both Games 4 and 5.
The series now returns to Anaheim, with the Golden Knights holding a 3-2 lead and a chance to end the series in six games. Game 6 will be Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m. PT at Honda Center.
One minute the Buffalo Sabres were getting booed, reviewed and rattled inside Bell Centre — three hours later, they were walking out with their season very much alive.
The Buffalo Sabres responded to mounting pressure Tuesday night with arguably their grittiest performance of the postseason, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a chaotic, emotionally draining Game 4 that somehow felt longer and heavier than the final score suggested.
There were bizarre bounces. Endless penalties. Controversial reviews. Momentum swings violent enough to flip the building in seconds. And in the middle of all of it stood Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who hadn’t started a game in nearly three weeks and suddenly looked like a man refusing to let Buffalo’s season spiral away.
By the end of the night, the series was tied 2-2 — and the Sabres had rediscovered something that looked a lot like themselves.
“Our belief never wavered,” Zach Benson told NHL.com.
“I don’t think there’s ever been wavering confidence in our group all season,” echoed Tage Thompson. “From Day 1, we had people doubting us and counting us out. It’s all these guys inside this room, our staff, that’s the only opinions that matter in here, and we all believe in each other.”
Chaos Nearly Buried Buffalo Early
The opening period felt less like playoff hockey and more like survival.
Buffalo stormed out of the gate with the urgency of a desperate team. Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring after the Sabres overwhelmed Montreal early, silencing the Bell Centre crowd before it fully settled into the game.
Moments later, it appeared Buffalo had grabbed complete control.
A lengthy video review confirmed that Jack Quinn had extended the lead after jamming the puck through goaltender Jakub Dobes near the crease. The Sabres celebrated. The Canadiens challenged. Then came another review — one that drained nearly all the oxygen from the building.
The goal was overturned for goalie interference.
The delay stretched endlessly. Buffalo’s momentum evaporated. The Bell Centre came roaring back to life. And suddenly, the game flipped.
Alex Newhook capitalized shortly after to tie the game before Cole Caufield buried a late power-play goal to send Montreal into intermission ahead 2-1 despite Buffalo controlling large stretches of play.
For a team that lost composure badly in Game 3, the situation felt dangerous.
Instead, the Sabres steadied themselves.
“We learned our lesson,” said Thompson, “and in a similar situation coming into the first intermission, did a way better job regrouping, just calming ourselves back down. I thought we played a great game.”
“There was a lot of elements that went the other way,” added coach Lindy Ruff. “The review where we get the goal, the review where they take it away. Which I totally disagree with, just for the fact that Dobes always is swinging his stick. He initiated the contact with (Konsta) Helenius with his stick coming across the crease.”
Luukkonen Slammed The Door Shut
The equalizer arrived in the strangest possible fashion.
During a second-period power play, Thompson dumped the puck into the offensive zone from near center ice. The puck ricocheted violently off the end boards, bounced directly toward the crease and somehow slipped past Dobes inside the post.
Bell Centre groaned. Thompson could barely believe it himself.
The bizarre goal tied the game, but it also reignited Buffalo’s confidence.
From there, the Sabres began playing with conviction again. Their power play — lifeless for most of the opening round — suddenly looked dangerous. Early in the third period, Peyton Krebs drew a penalty that opened the door for Benson, who calmly found soft ice in the slot before finishing off a slick passing sequence for the eventual game winner on his 21st birthday.
“We’ve talked about our power play being good in key moments. That’s what we did: We went out there, we executed,” said Benson, who turned 21 on Tuesday and is up to four goals these playoffs. “Heck of a slip pass by [Josh Doan], and my job was pretty easy from there, just putting it in the net.”
Joked Thompson: “I don’t know if being 21 makes him an adult, but it’s exciting. … No better way to celebrate Benny’s birthday than getting the game winner.”
What followed was pure desperation hockey.
Buffalo blocked everything.
Shots ricocheted off legs, gloves, hips and sticks as the Sabres collapsed around their net in waves during the final minutes. Samuelsson was everywhere, finishing with six blocked shots, six hits and massive minutes against Montreal’s top players.
“He was a beast,” Ruff said.
“Those are things that don’t look pretty on TV or to fans watching,” Thompson said of the blocks, “but that stuff on the bench gets us just as jacked as scoring a goal.”
And whenever Montreal managed to break through the layers in front, Luukkonen erased the chance.
The Finnish goaltender turned aside 28 shots overall and was especially brilliant late, surviving a furious Canadiens push that threatened to overwhelm Buffalo’s defense. His sprawling saves on Caufield midway through the game may have ultimately preserved the entire night.
“He’s a dog,” Benson said. “We had all the confidence in the world in him – all of our goalies. Upie made so many big saves tonight that we really needed in key moments. All the credit goes to him. He was the biggest reason why we walked out of this building with a win.”
After getting embarrassed in Games 2 and 3, the Sabres could have unraveled completely inside one of hockey’s loudest buildings.
Instead, they absorbed every punch, survived every bounce and dragged this series back to even.
The Utah Mammoth had the talent to skate with the Vegas Golden Knights, but when the series turned into a war of attrition, experience, structure and sheer force won out.
Playoff hockey finally arrived in Salt Lake City with genuine electricity behind it. The Delta Center shook on May 1 as fans draped in Mammoth colors believed they were about to witness a Game 7 push from one of the NHL’s fastest-rising teams. Instead, the night became a harsh lesson in what separates an exciting young contender from a battle-tested postseason machine.
The Utah Mammoth were dismantled 5-1 by the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6, ending a fiercely contested series that had largely been defined by razor-thin margins and overtime drama. For most of the matchup, Utah looked capable of pulling off the upset. The skill was undeniable. The speed was real. But over six games, the cracks that often haunt inexperienced playoff teams slowly widened.
Strength Alone Shifted The Series
Coming into the series, the stylistic contrast was obvious. Utah wanted pace, transition offense and open ice. Vegas wanted to suffocate the game, lean on its size and grind every shift into exhaustion.
Eventually, the Golden Knights imposed their identity.
Vegas controlled extended stretches simply by overpowering Utah along the boards and below the circles. Their offensive-zone possession became relentless. Shift after shift, Utah defenders were pinned in their own zone while Vegas cycled the puck with patience and physical authority.
The Mammoth never completely backed down physically. In fact, they finished the series with more hits. But there is a difference between throwing hits and controlling a game through physical play. Vegas used its strength economically and strategically. Utah often looked like a team expending enormous energy simply trying to survive the next wave.
That distinction became more visible as the series wore on.
By Game 4 and Game 5, Utah’s legs appeared heavier. Breakouts became sloppier. Defensive recoveries slowed. The quick-strike attack that helped fuel early wins started disappearing beneath the pressure Vegas created shift after shift.
The Golden Knights didn’t just outmuscle Utah physically — they dictated the emotional pace of the series.
Experience Became The Deciding Factor
The moments that ultimately buried Utah were not necessarily failures of talent. They were failures of composure.
Game 4 offered the clearest warning sign. After taking the lead, the Mammoth drifted into a conservative shell, protecting the advantage instead of continuing to attack. Vegas recognized it immediately and gradually tilted the ice until the equalizer arrived. Once overtime began, the momentum had already shifted.
Game 5 became even crueler.
Utah stood seconds away from seizing complete control of the series before one defensive breakdown unraveled everything. The Golden Knights exploited a single moment of hesitation, drawing coverage away and creating just enough space for the tying goal that silenced the building and psychologically flipped the series.
Those are the situations veteran teams survive because they’ve lived through them repeatedly. Vegas remained calm while Utah looked overwhelmed by the weight of the moment.
That gap in experience surfaced constantly throughout the series. The Golden Knights rarely panicked. Their structure remained intact under pressure. Utah, meanwhile, occasionally chased hits, overcommitted defensively or lost its shape during chaotic sequences.
For a young team making its first real playoff push, those mistakes are common. Against a veteran contender, they become fatal.
Injuries only magnified the problem.
The absence of players like Jack McBain and Barrett Hayton quietly altered the complexion of the series. Utah lost depth, faceoff reliability and some of the grit necessary to withstand Vegas’ relentless style. Their replacements competed hard, but the lineup lacked the same edge once the series became increasingly punishing.
Still, despite the disappointment, this postseason likely marked the beginning of something far more important in Utah.
The city embraced playoff hockey completely. The atmosphere inside the Delta Center evolved from curiosity into genuine passion. Every massive goal, every thunderous hit and every overtime sequence felt like another step in cementing Salt Lake City as a legitimate NHL market.
More importantly, the foundation appears legitimate.
Logan Cooley continued to flash star potential. Dylan Guenther looks poised to become a centerpiece scorer. The anticipated arrival of Tij Iginla only strengthens the belief that Utah’s competitive window is just beginning to open.
The Mammoth may have lacked the maturity, depth and muscle needed to survive this postseason. What they did not lack was promise.
And after a spring that transformed the Delta Center into one of hockey’s loudest stages, expectations around Utah are no longer about simply arriving. Now they are about what comes next.
May 12, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) scores on a shot against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of game five of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
LAS VEGAS — Pavel Dorofeyev scored his second goal of the game at 4:10 of overtime to give Vegas a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, moving the Golden Knights a victory away from advancing to the Western Conference final.
Game 6 of the second-round series is Thursday night at Anaheim.
The Golden Knights can reach the conference final for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. Anaheim, making its first playoff appearance in eight years, will try force a Game 7 back in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Tomas Hertl had gone 29 games going back to the regular season without a goal, but now has two in two games. He also had the primary assist on Dorofeyev’s power-play goal in the first period. Jack Eichel had two assists, including the primary one on the winner.
Carter Hart stopped 34 shots.
Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger scored his first career playoff goal from the left circle to tie it at 2 with 3:05 left in regulation. Beckett Sennecke extended his goals streak to four games with a power-play score. Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier each has two assists and Lukas Dostal made 29 saves.
Ducks center Ryan Poehling was helped off the ice after being checked hard into the boards by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb nearly midway through the first period. McNabb received a five-minute major for interference and was sent to the dressing room with a game misconduct, costing the Golden Knights a first-pair blue liner.
The Ducks got a goal off the power play when Sennecke scored off a rebound. Dorofeyev answered after taking the puck from Chris Kreider, shifting to the slot and snapping a shot past Dostal.
Hertl’s rebound goal at 4:48 of the third period nearly stood up before Zellweger took advantage of extended offensive zone time to force extra play.
MONTREAL (AP) — Zach Benson broke a tie on a third-period power play on his 21st birthday and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Tuesday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Benson took a pass in the slot from Josh Doan, kicked the puck to his stick and put a backhander past goalie Jakub Dobes at 4:41 of the third. The goal came with Jake Evans off for holding Peyton Krebs.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Buffalo, with Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday night. The series winner will face Carolina in the Eastern Conference final. The Hurricanes swept both of their series.
Tage Thompson tied it for Buffalo in the second period with a fluke goal and also had an assist. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring and Doan had two assists.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Alex Lyon in goal after the Sabres dropped Games 2 and 3, making 28 saves in his first action since being pulled in the third period of a Game 2 loss to Boston in the first round.
Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield scored for Montreal. Dobes stopped 19 shots.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, DUCKS 2, OT
LAS VEGAS (AP) —Pavel Dorofeyev scored his second goal of the game at 4:10 of overtime to give Vegas a victory over Anaheim, moving the Golden Knights a victory away from advancing to the Western Conference final.
Game 6 of the second-round series is Thursday night at Anaheim.
The Golden Knights can reach the conference final for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. Anaheim, making its first playoff appearance in eight years, will try force a Game 7 back in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Tomas Hertl had gone 29 games going back to the regular season without a goal, but now has two in two games. He also had the primary assist on Dorofeyev’s power-play goal in the first period. Jack Eichel had two assists, including the primary one on the winner.
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a game-winning goal against the Ducks Tuesday in Las Vegas. (Candice Ward / Associated Press)
The Ducks are a loss away from summer after Pavel Dorofeyev scored 4:10 into overtime, giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the teams’ second-round playoff series Tuesday. Dorofeyev, who also scored on a power play in the first period, batted a Jack Eichel pass just inside the left post to end the longest game of the series.
With the win, Vegas leads the best-of-seven series three games to two heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Anaheim, where the Ducks’ season could end.
The Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke and Dorofeyev exchanged power-play goals in the first period while the Golden Knights' Tomas Hertl and Anaheim’s Olen Zellweger scored in the third, with Zellweger’s goal with 3:05 to play sending the game to overtime.
Anaheim struck first, with Sennecke opening the scoring midway through the first period. But the goal proved costly since the Ducks traded the score for forward Ryan Poehling, who took a vicious hit from defenseman Brayden McNabb along the boards nine minutes into the game. McNabb drew a five-minute interference penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct on the play, allowing Sennecke to bang in his second power-play goal in as many games 3 ½ minutes later.
It was Sennecke’s fifth score of the playoffs and the third power-play goal in five tries allowed by Vegas’ once-formidable penalty kill but the Ducks lost Poehling for the night.
Two minutes later, Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, who arguably played his best game of the series, made a big play to preserve the lead, reaching out to take the puck off the stick of Vegas winger Mitch Marner at the end of a breakaway. Pavel Mintyukov was whistled for slashing at the end of the play, however, giving Vegas a power play of its own and Dorofeyev quickly converted, scoring on a wrist shot from between the circles for his second man-advantage goal in as many games.
Eichel got an assist on the tying goal, his league-leading 13th of the playoffs.
Vegas would later go down a man as well, losing Dorofeyev for much of the second period after he was drilled by a Jackson LaCombe slap shot. The Russian was attended to by a trainer, then helped to the bench but he returned to the ice just before the second intermission and would up winning the game.
The Ducks peppered Vegas goalie Carter Hart with 17 shots in a scoreless second period that saw the Golden Knights go nearly eight minutes without putting the puck on goal.
Vegas was more active in the opening minutes of the third period and that paid off when Hertl corraled a loose puck just outside the crease and whacked it by Dostal to put the Golden Knights in front. The play started with defenseman Rasmus Andersson firing the puck on goal from the right-wing boards following a faceoff. Dostal made the stop but the rebound hit the skate of Ducks defenseman Ian Moore and bounced to Hertl, who nudged it into the net as he tumbled to the ice.
Zellweger, given a ton of space inside the left circle, evened the score by lining a wrist shot over Hart’s left shoulder and off the crossbar late in the period. Zellweger made his playoff debut in Game 4 and contributed an assist before scoring his first postseason goal.
The finalists for the annual Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award were announced on Tuesday, and somehow, Pittsburgh Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas wasn't one of them.
All three have done a great job with their respective teams, but it's still crazy that Dubas wasn't even a nominee for this award after the work he did over the last year to turn the Penguins from what many expected to be a bottom-five team into a playoff team.
For starters, he hired Dan Muse as head coach after the 2024-25 season ended, and it's already been one heck of a hire. He did an outstanding job with the veterans and the younger players, while the special teams units were also fantastic. Muse was eventually named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award.
Switching gears a little bit, basically all of the roster moves that Dubas made last summer and during the 2025-26 season were home runs. He signed Anthony Mantha to a one-year "prove it" deal, and he went on to have the best season of his career, compiling 33 goals and 64 points. Yes, he didn't play well in the playoffs, but it was still a great signing.
Justin Brazeau and Parker Wotherspoon were also brought in on cheap deals during free agency last summer and, like Mantha, had their best individual seasons. Brazeau lit the league on fire to start the season and finished with 17 goals and 34 points in 64 games.
Wotherspoon was a great fit on the top defensive pair with Erik Karlsson and was the Penguins' most reliable defenseman on the left side. He was strong in his own zone and was also one of their most physical players.
Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas. Photo credit: Kelsey Surmacz, The Hockey News
Dubas traded for goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks and only gave up forward Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick. Silovs was up-and-down during the regular season, but lived up to his name as a big-game goalie in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He drafted Ben Kindel, who went on to have a better rookie season than anyone expected, finishing with 17 goals and 35 points. Bill Zonnon is also on the way after scoring his first AHL goal on Tuesday, and Will Horcoff had a strong freshman season for the University of Michigan.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry got off to a solid start with the Penguins this season, winning nine of the 14 games he played. He was still in the third year of a five-year contract, making $5.375 million per season, and Dubas still found a way to get out of the deal. He shipped Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers for fellow goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick.
Skinner was serviceable for the Penguins down the stretch and into the playoffs. Kulak was playing solid with Letang before he was later flipped to the Avalanche for fellow defenseman Sam Girard and a 2028 second-round pick. Girard was up-and-down with the Penguins after the trade and will have an opportunity to show more once the 2026-27 season starts in October. Overall, it's still tidy business by Dubas.
How about sending a second-round pick, a third-round pick, and forward Danton Heinen to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Egor Chinakhov? Chinakhov needed a change of scenery and fit the Penguins like a glove, compiling 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games after the trade. He was fantastic with Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak and is set to get a new contract this summer.
Elmer Soderblom was acquired by Dubas just before the trade deadline and was a great fit in the bottom six. He racked up five goals and 10 points in 20 games after coming over from the Detroit Red Wings, using all of his 6'8 frame to his advantage. His board play was also impressive, as was his ability to protect the puck.
Soderblom is expected to be a mainstay in the Penguins' bottom six next season and potentially future seasons as well.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins got off to a great start in their Atlantic Division Final series against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Tuesday.
WBS won Game 1 2-0, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series against Springfield. The game was scoreless heading into the second period before Penguins prospect Bill Zonnon scored his first AHL goal in his first AHL game.
Zonnon got the puck right by the left circle and cut to the net with a beautiful backhand move to make it 1-0 almost halfway through the second period.
The move showcased his net-front ability, which I think is the most underrated aspect of his game.
WBS took a 1-0 lead into the third period and got a huge insurance goal from Tanner Howe with 12:41 left in the final frame. Howe came in on a breakaway and fired the puck top shelf, making it a 2-0 game.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 13, 2026
WBS was able to defend very well for the rest of the period, and goaltender Sergei Murashov also stood tall to record his first shutout of the playoffs. Murashov is locked in right now and is seeing the puck really well, while also doing a great job with his rebound control. His confidence is very high.
Defenseman Harrison Brunicke had another stellar game and was a force in all three zones. He continues to drive play offensively and defend his own zone really well.
Game 2 between WBS and Springfield is set for a 7:05 p.m. ET puck drop on Thursday.
Defenseman Brayden McNabb was tossed from the May 12 game, 9 minutes into the first period, when he was slapped with a 5-minute major and game misconduct for a hit that left the Ducks' Ryan Poehling seemingly in a daze.
McNabb, who has been on the Golden Knights since their inaugural 2017-18 season, was called for interference after he slammed Poehling into the boards shortly after the puck had exited his vicinity. Poehling struggled to get up, eventually rolling onto his back as he was attended to by a trainer. He eventually got to his feet and skated off the ice with considerable assistance from defensemen John Carlson and Jacob Trouba.
Ryan Poehling needed assistance getting off the ice after a big hit from Brayden McNabb. pic.twitter.com/Sn9d3ql2HQ
The Ducks will be without Poehling for the rest of the game. He's been ruled out with an "upper-body injury." The Golden Knights will have to play the rest of Game 5 with five defensemen.
Beckett Sennecke scored during the 5-minute power play to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.
Brayden McNabb has been assessed a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Ryan Poehling 😬
Poehling needed assistance getting off the ice and has gone to the locker room 🤕 pic.twitter.com/hhHsqZlpzB
MONTREAL, CANADA- MAY 12: Zach Benson #6 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of Game Four of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre on May 12, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images)
NHLI via Getty Images
MONTREAL — Zach Benson broke a tie on a third-period power play on his 21st birthday and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Tuesday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Benson took a pass in the slot from Josh Doan, kicked the puck to his stick and put a backhander past goalie Jakub Dobes at 4:41 of the third. The goal came with Jake Evans off for holding Peyton Krebs.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Buffalo, with Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday night. The series winner will face Carolina in the Eastern Conference final. The Hurricanes swept both of their series.
Tage Thompson tied it for Buffalo in the second period with a fluke goal and also had an assist. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring and Doan had two assists.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Alex Lyon in goal after the Sabres dropped Games 2 and 3, making 28 saves in his first action since being pulled in the third period of a Game 2 loss to Boston in the first round.
Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield scored for Montreal. Dobes stopped 19 shots.
Thompson tied it at 2 on four-minute power play seven minutes into the second when his dump-in from just over center ice deflected off the glass in the left corner to the crease and bounced in off Dobes’ right leg. Montreal’s Alexandre Carrier was called for the double minor after high-sticking and cutting Rasmus Dahlin.
The Canadiens failed to take advantage of a four-minute power play of their own after Bowen Byram was sent off for high-sticking Alexandre Texier late in the second period. Montreal was 1 for 7 on the power play.
Buffalo opened the scoring on Samuelsson’s goal at 6:32 of the first period, and appeared it make it 2-0 1:30 later when a video review confirmed Jack Quinn’s shot crossed the goal line inside Dobes’ glove, However, Montreal successfully challenged for goalie interference on Konsta Helenius.
Newhook then tied it at 1 with 9:52 left in the first with his fifth goal of the series and sixth of the playoffs. Caufield gave the Canadiens the lead with 13 seconds to go in the period, beating Luukkonen from close range on a power play.
