NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 12 : Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils warms up before the NHL regular season game against the Ottawa Senators at the Prudential Center on April 12, 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
On a potential Nico Hischier contract extension: “All things being equal, it would appear an extension is the most likely outcome, but things are at an early and delicate stage.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Hischier will be 28 before playing a game on a new deal and he has made 22 playoff appearances. Of course he wants to hear the roadmap to more success. There’s no denying the team has an excellent core, which he is aware of, and Mehta’s winning pedigree should have Hischier confident the front office can make the right moves. I don’t envision this negotiation being much of a struggle, and expect the captain to sign a lucrative extension before reporting to training camp in September.” [Infernal Access]
“Trading Nemec may make the most sense because if he returns to the Devils and struggles as he has the last two seasons, his trade value will plummet. And with the Devils needing some scoring help, Nemec may be their best trade asset. We’ll see what GM Sunny Mehta and the Devils decide to do.” [Devils on the Rush]
Hockey Links
The Golden Knights are on to the Stanley Cup Final:
A look at the top remaining free agents in this summer’s class: [Sportsnet]
“Maple Leafs forward Max Domi is out indefinitely after complications arose during an offseason surgery. Toronto announced the news Monday and shared that Domi — who played through his undisclosed ailment during the 2025-26 regular season — will continue to work with the club’s medical staff until being reevaluated ahead of training camp in September.” [ESPN]
“Veteran forward Claude Giroux is looking to come back for a 20th NHL season this fall, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports. Giroux is a pending unrestricted free agent after spending the past four years with the Ottawa Senators. He said after Ottawa’s first-round playoff exit last month he would need time to weigh his future, but it appears he’s not ready to hang up his skates just yet.” [TSN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Just over a year after being fired by the Philadelphia Flyers, John Tortorella has already done several things many thought impossible.
Tortorella, 67, hopped out of the ESPN booth and behind the bench, taking over for Bruce Cassidy as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The result was a 7-0-1 finish to the regular season, and now a scintillating run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
At the time of Tortorella's hiring by the Golden Knights, many were concerned about the fit with former Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, given the public's general view of Marner as a "soft" player who ran from the spotlight.
Instead, Marner is the playoffs' leading scorer with seven goals, 14 assists, and 21 points in just 16 games, with teammate Jack Eichel right behind with his 18 points in 16 games.
Even in Philadelphia with the Flyers, Tortorella made things work with Matvei Michkov, even if there were battles and benchings along the way.
In Vegas, Tortorella has also been reunited with former Flyers goalie Carter Hart, whose sudden departure to tend to the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case in 2024 was something Tortorella pointed to as the team crumbled in the months that followed.
After being found not guilty of the sexual assault charge and serving a suspension levied by the NHL, Hart has returned to form under his old Flyers coach, leading all goalies who have played past the first round with a .924 save percentage and a 12-4-0 record.
Now in the Stanley Cup Final, Tortorella, Hart, and the Golden Knights await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens series.
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (84) and center Nathan MacKinnon (29) congratulate Vegas Golden Knights. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
One week ago, the Colorado Avalanche looked like they were cruising toward another deep playoff run. Now they’re heading home earlier than anyone expected after getting swept out of the Western Conference Final by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche fell 2-1 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, completing a four-game series win for Vegas that few people saw coming given how the playoffs started for Colorado.
This was supposed to be the year Colorado pushed all the way. They opened the season on an incredible 31-2-7 run, rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and entered this series as one of the clear favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Instead, everything came apart in just over a week.
Vegas, meanwhile, found its rhythm at exactly the right time. A team that was fighting just to stay in the playoff picture late in the regular season ended up completely controlling the series and punching its ticket back to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Game
It was a cautious start by both teams but Vegas got on the board first as Mark Stone got behind the defense just under five minutes into the game. It was one of their first shots on goal and Mackenzie Blackwood settled into the net from that point forward. Still, Vegas took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission after a fairly balanced first period.
In the second the Avalanche couldn’t get much going and fired only six shots on goal despite earning a power play and then controlling play for a little while after. Vegas also didn’t score and had a power play themselves. A 1-0 Vegas lead wasn’t insurmountable at that point after 40 minutes of play.
The third period was a continuation of the first but both teams weren’t generating much offense. Vegas got the crucial second goal, though from Coke Smith. From that point on they could lock down the game. Gabe Landeskog gave Colorado a glimmer of hope with three minutes to go and cut the lead but they never could find the equalizer. A sweep, a completely collapse and a final 2-1 loss.
A Series That Got Away From Colorado Fast
Game 4 summed up the series pretty well. Vegas struck early when Mark Stone got behind the defense and scored on a breakaway just a few minutes into the first period.
Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start of the series, kept things from getting out of hand early. He made several big saves and was probably the reason the game stayed close as long as it did. This series was never about goaltending, though.
But offensively, Colorado just never really found its footing.
There were long stretches where the Avalanche couldn’t generate much of anything. At one point, they went nearly 30 minutes of game time with just one shot on goal. For a team that’s built around speed and scoring, that’s a tough stat to explain.
Injuries, Pressure, and a Quiet Offensive Struggle
It’s worth noting the Avalanche weren’t at full strength. Nathan MacKinnon played through an injury he picked up in Game 3, and Valeri Nichushkin was out after getting hurt earlier in the series. Other key players like Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen also weren’t at 100%.
Still, even with that context, this was a tough series for Colorado’s offense overall.
They weren’t able to consistently break through Vegas’ defensive structure, which clogged up the middle of the ice and made it hard to create clean chances. That part isn’t surprising — Vegas has been doing that to teams all postseason — but the extent of the struggle definitely was.
And honestly, the overall effort in Game 4 will be hard to ignore. For a team with this much talent, it just wasn’t there often enough when it mattered.
A Painful Finish to a Promising Season
The Avalanche had built a reputation this season for being nearly unbeatable in certain situations. Before Game 2 of this series, they were 45-0 when leading after two periods. Before Game 3, they were 52-0 when leading by multiple goals.
But those numbers didn’t matter once the series got away from them.
Game by game, Vegas chipped away at their confidence. Colorado had leads slip away, momentum disappear, and eventually just couldn’t recover.
Last year ended in heartbreak too, but this year feels different — more abrupt, more complete, and harder to explain.
Blow it all up. No one should feel safe after this historic embarrassment.
May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) and right wing Logan O’Connor (25) defend against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Cole Smith (22) during the first period in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored for Vegas and the Golden Knights suffocated Colorado’s high-powered offense to beat the Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday night for an unthinkable sweep to make their third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons.
The Golden Knights will get a break while they watch to see whether Carolina or Montreal emerges from the Eastern Conference Final.
This is a crushing end for an Avalanche team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and had blown through the playoffs with an 8-1 record. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Stone scored for the Golden Knights on a lob pass from Brayden McNabb deep in his zone. Stone caught the puck and had a direct path to the net and made the most of it. Smith later tipped in Dylan Coghlan’s shot from the point with 5:45 left for a critical two-goal margin.
Carter Hart stopped 20 shots, coming within 2:03 of his first playoff shutout in six years.
Gabriel Landeskog ended that shutout, one of the few highlights of the night for the Avalanche, who went the final 14:23 of the second period without a shot on goal and more than 22 minutes with just one shot.
Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start in the series, gave the Avalanche a chance to win with several dazzling saves en route to 24 saves overall. His best stop came late in the second period when he lunged to glove a power-play shot from Pavel Dorofeyev.
The journey to the Cup Final isn’t quite the Cinderella story of the Golden Knights’ first team that made the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 before losing in five games to Washington, but Vegas’ journey to this point was far from expected.
The Golden Knights faced the possibility of not making the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history when management fired coach Bruce Cassidy, who led the club to the 2023 title, with eight games left in the regular season.
In came John Tortorella, who validated the controversial decision by leading Vegas to a 7-0-1 record to close the regular season and then series victories over Utah and Anaheim. Then the Golden Knights faced an Avalanche team on a roll and without any sign of slowing down.
At least until facing Vegas.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar searched for answers against the Golden Knights, even changing goalies on Tuesday. The Avalanche also dealt with injuries to their top two players this series — reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon.
The Golden Knights had their own injury issues, winning the first two games of the series without Stone.
Is it finally time for Tomas Hertl to raise the Stanley Cup? It's certainly a possibility, as his Vegas Golden Knights punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night when they completed a sweep of the President's Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche.
Hertl isn't the only former Shark on the hunt though, as former Sharks winger Joel Ward, an assistant coach for the Golden Knights, is also looking for his first championship. Neither one were able to raise the prestigious trophy in San Jose, now they'll have the opportunity to do so with one of their greatest rivals.
As a 32-year-old center with a long injury history, Hertl is running out of opportunities to etch his name on the grandest trophy in hockey. He's halfway through a massive contract that he signed with the Sharks back in 2022 and his name has been in trade rumors ever since he arrived in Sin City.
Ward, on the other hand, never had the chance to win the Stanley Cup during his playing career. He retired as a member of the Sharks organization following the 2017-18 season, just a couple of seasons after the team in teal came up just short and lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final.
By eliminating the Avalanche, the Golden Knights did crush a pair of former Sharks' Stanley Cup dreams though. Both Brent Burns and Mackenzie Blackwood will have to wait at least one more season to raise the trophy.
A change of scenery has benefitted former Nashville Predators forward Cole Smith, forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon as the trio will play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, on Tuesday to sweep their way to their third Stanley Cup Finals appearance in nine seasons.
Smith scored the game-winning goal with 5:45 left in the game, tipping in a shot from Dylan Coghlan for his third goal of the playoffs.
Sissons and Lauzon were traded to the Golden Knights in late June for defenseman Nicolas Hague and a 2027 third-round draft pick, which was later upgraded to a second-round selection after Vegas advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
Smith was dealt at the trade deadline in March for a 2028 third-round pick and defenseman Christoffer Sedoff.
VEGAS HAS SOME BREATHING ROOM AS COLE SMITH SCORES WITH 5:45 TO GO, KNIGHTS UP 2 😱🚨 pic.twitter.com/lMlnaJ2l5G
Sissons has six points (two goals and four assists) in 15 playoff games, and Lauzon has played in six games. Smith has four points (two goals and two assists) in 15 games.
While this will be Smith and Lauzon's first trip to the finals, Sissons will return for the first time since 2017, when the Predators faced the Pittsburgh Penguins and fell in six games.
In the run to the finals, Sissons had 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 22 games.
The Golden Knights have been seen as the winner of the trade with the Predators. Hague played 62 games with the Predators this season, scoring 15 points (three goals and 12 assists) and having a plus/minus of minus-10.
Nashville also signed Jonathan Marchessault out of free agency in 2024, who had been with the Golden Knights for seven seasons. Since joining the Predators, Marchessault's play has declined, recording 31 points (12 goals and 19 assists) in 62 games this past season.
The Golden Knights will await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is TBD.
After some speculation, the Pittsburgh Penguins made it official on Tuesday, re-signing franchise icon Evgeni Malkin to a one-year deal.
Malkin's contract has an average annual value of $5.5 million, but it is structured really well. According to Pierre LeBrun, he has a $2.5M salary, a $3M signing bonus, $500K in games-played bonuses, a $1M bonus if the Penguins make the playoffs next year, and an extra $500K per playoff round won bonus.
Malkin could make up to $9M if everything goes perfectly next season.
This contract was a long time coming, especially after Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas told the media earlier this month that the team would "love" to have him back.
"We would love to have him back. We just continue to work with J.P. on it. That’s as clear as I can be," Dubas said during his end-of-season presser on May. 12.
The two sides worked for the next couple of weeks before announcing the news on Tuesday afternoon.
"We look forward to Geno continuing to provide great moments for the city of Pittsburgh, while helping us return the Penguins to Stanley Cup contention through his play on the ice and his leadership off the ice," Dubas said in a statement on Tuesday.
It has always made so much sense to bring Malkin back for next season, especially after the season he just had. He finished with 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games before recording three points in six playoff games. This was his first point-per-game season since the 2022-23 season, when he compiled 27 goals and 83 points in 82 games.
There's no way the Penguins were going to replace his production from last year in free agency, given how poor this year's class is expected to be. The best free agent available is Alex Tuch, and he's going to sign for too much money and too long a term.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) controls the puck against the Florida Panthers during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Alberti-Imagn Images
Malkin will also get a full season to play with Egor Chinakhov after the two played together in the second half of the regular season. They showed instant chemistry on the second line and read off one another super well.
You can also say the same about Tommy Novak's chemistry with Malkin. Malkin hinted during the 2025 offseason that he wanted to play with Novak in the 2025-26 season, and he got his wish, playing with him in numerous games.
To take it a step further, the Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin line was together for 30 games and played 222:55 at 5v5 this season. When that line was on the ice, the Penguins had a +5 goal differential, 51.8% of the expected goal share, 52.8% of the scoring chances, and 52.1% of the high-danger chances.
There's a good chance that the Penguins go right back to that line when the 2026-27 season starts in October, which brings me to my next point. Malkin played on the wing for a lot of this past season and looked rather comfortable there. He can still play center if needed, but he was excellent after Penguins head coach Dan Muse moved him to the wing. That flexibility is super important.
Malkin also isn't blocking anyone on this roster. Do the Penguins have some young forwards coming? Yes, but they are players who will be pushing for some of the bottom-six spots. I see Avery Hayes filling Noel Acciari's role for next season, while Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and even Tristan Broz will be pushing for spots on the third and fourth lines. None of them is ready for a top-six role, yet.
Dubas will still be able to accomplish his goal of getting younger and getting those difference-making players in their mid-to-late 20s while still having Malkin on the roster. He's not preventing any of that, especially since this upcoming season might be his final one in the NHL.
This deal was one of the biggest slam dunks in the history of slam dunks, and now, the Penguins can turn their attention to other matters, including a new deal for Chinakhov. He's set to be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Penguins are expected to bring him back.
Five years ago, in May, a rookie Ilya Sorokin broke out nationally for the New York Islanders in their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sorokin went 4-0 in the series, with just sparkling numbers. He posted a goals against average of 1.95 and a save percentage of .943, leading the Islanders into the second round.
Sorokin's magnum opus came in Game 5, when the Penguins had the home crowd in PPG Paints Arena rocking. The Penguins totally blitzed the Islanders.
The second period saw the Penguins rifle 20 shots on goal, yet they only came up with one tally, which kept the score at 2-1 and well within reach for the Islanders.
The onslaught didn't stop early in the third. The Penguins pushed hard for an insurance tally, but Sorokin kept everything out.
The shots read 37-14 with 11:30 to play in the third. Sorokin was all but perfect.
Then, Jean-Gabriel Pageau threw a big hit and knocked the puck to Leo Komarov. Komarov found Jordan Eberle all alone in front, and he outwaited Tristan Jarry, tying the game.
The Islanders and Sorokin never looked back. Sorokin made more herculean-like saves in overtime, all leading to Josh Bailey's famous 2OT winner.
Enjoy the highlights from Game 5, almost entirely a Sorokin highlight reel:
Five years ago today, May 26, the New York Islanders polished off their first-round upset of the-then division champion Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
Nassau Coliseum shook as hard as it did in the glory days of the 1980s as the Islanders marched on.
Rookie sensation goaltender Ilya Sorokin led the way, dominating the Penguins in Games 1, 4, and 5 before a shaky start to Game 6 saved by his team picking him up.
Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey, and Anthony Beauvillier torched the Penguins in the series and especially in Game 6.
Nelson scored twice in the second period, while assisting on Beauvillier's first period tally. Josh Bailey notched two assists, including a jaw-dropping slap-pass assist to Nelson.
The Islanders trailed three separate times in Game 6, but never once backed down.
Ryan Pulock scored the game and series-winning goal in the second period.
Sorokin went 4-0 in the series, including making 48 saves in Game 5 in Pittsburgh to give the Islanders a chance to close out the Penguins in Nassau Coliseum.
Before the season, did anyone have John Tortorella and Carter Hart teaming up in Vegas and leading the Golden Knights to a Western Conference Final sweep?
You wouldn’t have found any odds on that. Tortorella didn’t have a coaching job in October and Hart wasn’t eligible to play yet. But the former Flyers head coach and former Flyers goaltender are headed to the Stanley Cup Final after Vegas finished off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche on Tuesday night.
The Golden Knights completed a stunning sweep with a 2-1 win at T-Mobile Arena. Hart had 20 saves and nearly delivered his first playoff shutout since 2020, when he was with the Flyers in the bubble.
The Golden Knights will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Final matchup between the Hurricanes and Canadiens. After sweeping the Flyers in the second round, Carolina has a 2-1 series lead on Montreal.
Evgeni Malkin is back for another year in the Steel City.
The beloved Penguins star signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract on Tuesday, marking his return for his 21st NHL season, and one that will likely be his last.
Malkin will turn 40 later this summer and has spent his entire NHL career in a Penguins jersey.
In a video posted by the team, Malkin expressed his excitement to remain in Pittsburgh for another year, calling Tuesday the “best day of my life!”
“Best city. Best fans. I stay one more year,” he said earlier in the video.
The new deal includes a possibility for Malkin to earn $3.5 million in performance bonuses, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and also includes a no-movement clause.
Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in Game 6 of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
The Penguins can seek a three-team approved trade list from Malkin for possible trades Feb. 1 and beyond, the outlet also reported.
“Over the last several weeks, myself and Dan Muse have had very open discussions with Evgeni and his camp about him returning for the 2026-27 season, how his role will evolve and what all of our expectations are at this stage of Evgeni’s career and the current stage in the evolution of the Penguins,” president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “The result of that process is Evgeni returning to the Penguins for his 21st season with the club.”
Malkin never wanted to leave Pittsburgh, though the team remained noncommittal publicly about the idea of keeping him for another season until recently.
The Russian star told reporters after the Penguins lost to the Flyers in Game 6 of the opening round of the playoffs that he understood if the Pens wanted to change course.
“It’s not easy for Kyle, maybe he wants new blood here,” Malkin said, per the Associated Press. “I understand business. I understand he wants maybe new team, see new faces here.”
Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first period goal against Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
Malkin has certainly had a Hall of Fame career with the Penguins, winning three Stanley Cups with the franchise in 2009, 2016 and 2017.
He sits second in all-time games played with 1,269 games, third in goals with 533 and second in game-winning goals with 89.
Only Sidney Crosby has played more seasons with the Penguins.
Malkin was drafted second overall in the 2004 NHL Draft behind Capitals star Alex Ovechkin and made his NHL debut on Oct. 18, 2006.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 24: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche skates with the puck ahead of Pavel Dorofeyev #16 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of Game Three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 5-3. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If the Colorado Avalanche season were a boat at sea, the vessel would be taking on water with the feeling of impending doom as the choppy waters of a series sweep loom over the horizon. A journey that started in the waters of Los Angeles could come to a sinking halt in the desert of Las Vegas, as the Golden Knights have a 3-0 series lead with a chance to advance to the cup final tonight.
Colorado seems battered and bruised from the quest, as Cale Makar is clearly not healthy, and Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin were hobbled in game three.
The team from the Mile High City also appears morally drained after blowing their first third-period lead to lose game two and a 3-0 first-period lead in game three. In fact, in game three, Colorado failed to register a shot in the last 12+ minutes of the final frame despite getting a power play at one point.
Vegas has been sippin’ pina coladas like a prize fighter as their (hard-earned) luxury yacht rolls into port for another night of dominance. The Avalanche have had zero answers to what Las Vegas has brought to the table, and so for the Golden Knights, the focus will be more of the same.
Will the Avalanche end the suffering and go quietly, or will they put up a fight?
Colorado Avalanche: 8-4
The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (11-4)
Time: 6:00 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+, ESPN
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
What can I really say about where the Avalanche stand today ahead of game four? A lot.
For starters, it feels like Nathan MacKinnon either got some incredible treatment over the last 36 hours or he will, at a minimum, be hobbled this evening after he took a puck to the outside of his right knee in game three. The impact was substantial enough to bench MacKinnon for most of the third period outside of one pointless power play appearance.
I don’t say pointless because MacKinnon shouldn’t be out on the power play, but he was clearly unable to make any explosive movements and was basically ineffective.
This leads me to an adjustment I hope to see from Bednar. I don’t think riding your clearly wounded top guys into the ground is going to do anything but accelerate losing.
The approach we saw in game three just came off desperate as the top group waved off a timeout just to inevitably be too gassed to stave off an open net attempt.
Moreover, it explains why the end of game three was so lifeless.
Only one team in NHL history has come back from down 3-0 beyond the quarterfinals, and that was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.
Saying things have changed since then is incredibly reductive, but back then, Leafs head coach Hap Day chose to bench the team’s leading scorer and a veteran defender to make his lineup younger, faster, and better equipped to play 60 minutes of playoff hockey.
Here are three keys to victory for the Colorado Avalanche:
Effort every second of every shift.
A commitment to sacrifice and teamwork
Patience and pride.
It’s desperation time for the Avalanche (although I’d argue it has been for at least two games), and they will have to lean into that to avoid the sweep. That means controlling what they can control, and that starts with effort.
Speaking of effort, you clearly aren’t going to skill it up to a victory against this Vegas team, so to win, Colorado will have to buy into sacrificing offense for defense, grinding in the corners and below the goal-line, and crashing the net.
The approach that’s required right now isn’t a pretty one. It’s not gonna land anyone on ESPN’s top ten or make an end-of-year highlight reel. The Avalanche will have to trust themselves, prepare for battle, and play for the logo on the front of their jerseys.
Note: I have italicized the individuals who are a bit questionable tonight. We haven’t gotten the real word on either Nichushkin or MacKinnon’s status, and Cale has dealt with stuff all postseason.
Nothing has been reported, but it feels like the right time to give MacKenzie Blackwood a chance in game four.
Vegas Golden Knights
When John Tortorella took the reins in Vegas, he talked a lot about just getting out of the way with this Vegas group, which has an established cup-winning core and a cupboard full of talent. It’s apparently exactly what was needed to right the ship in Vegas.
Good goaltending has also helped, as Carter Hart is on a Jordan Binnington-like run here in the 2026 playoffs. His success has been largely instrumental in Vegas’ commitment to the counterstrike approach, as he’s backstopped the group well when Colorado has earned the seldom-seen high-danger look.
Vegas is in comfortable territory right now, but won’t just take the foot off the gas this close to getting back to a cup final.
Here are three keys to victory for the Golden Knights:
Stick to the plan.
Play to win.
Ride momentum.
Vegas’ approach is undefeated against the team that many (along with Carolina) viewed as a shoo-in for the Cup Final. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
With this sort of series lead, it’s human nature to let up a little bit, seeing as only four teams have ever come back from being down 3-0 in the NHL’s 109 seasons. That gives the Avalanche ~ a 3.7% chance of realizing a reverse sweep.
That’s the sort of unlikelyhood that can seep into the little habits, but as we know in Colorado, habits are fleeting and must be nurtured even when the going is good. Or else.
The Golden Knights have done very well at getting and keeping momentum when it matters most. The first goal hasn’t mattered as much as the last goal in this series because Vegas doesn’t come out of their game when behind.
The Los Angeles Kings are still enduring the long process of searching for their 29th Head Coach in franchise history. As time goes on we hear more rumors and speculation about who they may end up hiring.
There are certainly plenty of solid options in this year's coaching carousel, including Bruce Cassidy, Manny Malhotra, Craig Berube, among others.
Now, according to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, the Kings are one of a handful of teams to have had talks with a coach who has seen a large amount of success, including a Stanley Cup Championship.
Now entering the mix is Peter Laviolette, a longtime NHL Head Coach who has been behind the bench for over 1,700 combined regular season and Stanley Cup playoff games.
Per Pierre, the Kings have spoken with Peter Laviolette in their interview process.
Also notes that LAK remains interested in talking with Bruce Cassidy should that opportunity arise. https://t.co/EhAj6JvgdN
In his regular season career, Laviolette has won 846 of his 1,594 games, giving him a respectable .589 winning percentage. The now 61-year-old has also had success when it matters, in the postseason.
Laviolette has coached three different franchise to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and won one with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He fell just short with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and with the Nashville Predators in 2017, running into dynasties in both instances.
Laviolette is more than qualified to be the next head coach of the Kings, however both he and the LA front office will have to do their due diligence to see if he is the correct fit moving forward.
The Kings aren't just focused on Laviolette. They have also reportedly expressed interest in Manny Malhotra, and while unlikely, interim coach DJ Smith has also been included in the process. Bruce Cassidy is perhaps the biggest name and the Kings have interest in talking with him, but have not yet had the opportunity to do so.
Finding a coach to begin the era of no Anze Kopitar in a Kings sweater is an important process and must be correctly, but it's also a task that shouldn't take up the entire offseason as the NHL Draft and free agency are quickly approaching.
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The idea of the Montreal Canadiens signing forward Evgeni Malkin this summer can officially be forgotten.
This is because the Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have signed Malkin to a one-year, $5.5 million contract extension.
Malkin was the best pending unrestricted free agent center who could have hit the market on July 1. Due to this, some wondered if the Canadiens could consider making a push for him if he tested the market this summer. Yet, with this news, Malkin will be staying put with the Penguins and playing his 21st season in Pittsburgh.
Malkin would have had the potential to be a nice addition to the Canadiens' forward group. The veteran forward showed this season that he can still produce like a star, as he posted 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games with the Penguins. With numbers like these, he could have been a good pickup for Montreal's top six.
Yet, at the same time, the Canadiens bringing in Malkin would have come with some real risk. Malkin will be turning 40 in July and has a long history of injury trouble. Due to this, if the Canadiens should have far better options to consider on the trade market if they want to add a top-six center during the off-season.
