Former Red Wings Prospect Finally Getting Pro Chance With Capitals

A prospect Detroit left behind has found a new home in the nation's capital as the Washington Capitals announced on Thursday that they have signed Swedish center Theodor Niederbach to a one-year, two-way $1.025 million contract, general manager Chris Patrick announced. The 24-year-old will be getting an opportunity that the Detroit Red Wings chose not to offer him.

Detroit selected Niederbach 51st overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, a second-round swing on a playmaking center out of Sweden with a promising junior pedigree. He represented his country at the World Junior Championship in both 2021 and 2022 and was considered one of the organization's more intriguing prospects at the time. But the Red Wings never extended an entry-level contract, and his draft rights were eventually allowed to expire.

He returned to Sweden and quietly built one of the more consistent records among North American-drafted prospects playing in the SHL, a defensively structured league where 30 points in a season is considered a genuine benchmark.

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Niederbach has cleared it in back-to-back campaigns, posting a career-high 32 points on 13 goals and 19 assists in 52 games with Frölunda this past season. Over 238 career SHL games with Swedish clubs MoDo, Rögle BK and Frölunda, he has accumulated 100 points.

Washington is betting that production translates as Niederbach may begin his North American pro career with the Hershey Bears, Washington's AHL affiliate, who are currently in the division semifinals against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

If he sticks, Detroit fans may eventually find themselves watching a familiar name flourish elsewhere, a reminder of a draft night decision that didn't go the way the organization planned.

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3 Flyers Who Have Most to Prove vs. Hurricanes in Crunch Time

The Philadelphia Flyers have managed to score just three goals over the course of their last three playoff games, and if they continue to struggle, they will suffer a swift exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Already down 2-0 in the series and dealing with multiple injuries, the Flyers need a group of their stragglers to both up their game and account for their fallen teammates.

Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen leads the Flyers in playoff points so far with five in eight games, while his fellow blueliners, Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale, are two of the team's three total players with multiple goals this postseason.

That might have worked against a mediocre team like the Pittsburgh Penguins, but it certainly won't fly against a Stanley Cup contender like the Hurricanes.

The obvious place to start with these struggles is at wing, where Tyson Foerster, despite playing in all eight playoff games for the Flyers thus far, is stuck in second gear with zero points.

Defenseman Emil Andrae is the only other Flyer without a point, and he's played in just three games averaging 11:06 of ice time. Foerster averages a whopping 18:31.

The reason Foerster has so much to prove, especially right now, is because of how many other options the Flyers have at his position.

Owen Tippett In or Out? Flyers Face Important Lineup DecisionsOwen Tippett In or Out? Flyers Face Important Lineup DecisionsThe Philadelphia Flyers offered injury updates on Owen Tippett and Christian Dvorak.

Alex Bump always looks like such a dynamo with the puck on his stick, and Denver Barkey is quickly becoming a coach's favorite due to his competitiveness, mobility, and positional versatility.

Foerster has one year remaining on his contract at a $3.75 million cap hit and has yet to develop his playmaking and skating, and he has to compete with the likes of Owen Tippett, Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, Bump, Nikita Grebenkin, Jack Berglund, and more for a spot in the lineup, both now and in the future.

The hallmark of the 24-year-old's game is his shot; Foerster scored 13 times in just 29 games this season and tallied 45 goals over the previous two years.

The playoffs, though, are exposing Foerster's one-dimensionality, and as a young player, he will need to evolve and show the Flyers something before the end of the postseason to re-solidify his future in Philadelphia.

Continuing at the winger position, we have to put Travis Konecny in the spotlight.

The Flyers' highest-paid player with an $8.75 million cap hit, Konecny has just one goal and four points in eight games this playoff run, and notably came up short on a breakaway in overtime in Game 2 that would have otherwise sent the Flyers back to Philadelphia with a series tied at 1-1.

Konecny, 29, has always been in the crosshairs of fans due to his historic playoff struggles, producing just two goals and 12 points in his 30 career postseason games to date.

It's a bit odd, too, considering that Konecny has scored 30 goals twice in his career and has recorded no fewer than 60 points in each of the last four seasons.

Flyers Mock Draft 1.0: Looking for another Lane Hutson?Flyers Mock Draft 1.0: Looking for another Lane Hutson?If they're lucky, the Philadelphia Flyers can get their own Lane Hutson by selecting Xavier Villeneuve in the 2026 NHL Draft.

He, more than anyone, should be a player the Flyers can rely on in crunch time, but he is not the one driving the bus for the team.

Last but certainly not least is Matvei Michkov, whose struggles have been well-documented at this point.

The 21-year-old looked great in overtime in Game 2 and helped produce the game-winning moment in Game 6 against the Penguins, but one point in seven games is objectively not strong enough for a player with his talents.

Noah Cates, Michkov's center for most of the season, is out for the rest of this series against the Hurricanes, so the odds favor Michkov playing on a more offensively-oriented line for the last few games.

The Russian phenom will probably never be a player who creates offense with his own legs, but he always know where to be and when in the offensive zone and constantly seeks open ice and advantageous scoring positions.

With the Flyers dying for offense, now is the time for Michkov to arrive and prove himself.

Red Wings Defenseman Moritz Seider Snubbed For Norris Trophy

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Fans of the Detroit Red Wings who were used to watching Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom regularly win the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman will have to wait at least another year for a Red Wings player to capture the award.

The NHL announced on Thursday afternoon that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin are this season's finalists for the Norris.

Conspicuously absent from the finalists was Moritz Seider, who not only enjoyed the best season of his NHL career but also posted numbers that were more than worthy of Norris consideration. 

Seider reached career highs in goals (10) and assists (50), along with plus/minus (+15). Additionally, he led all Red Wings skaters in average ice time per game with 25:39, routinely playing in all situations against the opposition's top players. 

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Red Wings' Lucas Raymond Heading To 2026 World Championship Red Wings' Lucas Raymond Heading To 2026 World Championship For the fourth straight year, Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond will represent Sweden in the World Championship.

Seider finished the season as one of the NHL’s leaders in goals against (2.22) per 60 minutes, while the numbers also highlighted just how much the Detroit Red Wings struggled defensively whenever he was off the ice.

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Canadiens' Second-Round Foe Named Finalist For Norris Trophy

The NHL has announced its three finalists for this year's Norris Trophy. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson did not make the cut, even after posting 12 goals, 66 assists, 78 points, and a plus-36 rating in 82 games.

While Hutson is not in the running for the Norris Trophy this season, one of the Canadiens' foes in the second round is: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

Dahlin, Cale Makar, and Zach Werenski are this year's finalists for the Norris. 

Dahlin being a Norris Trophy finalist comes after he had 19 goals, 55 assists, 74 points, and a plus-18 rating in 77 games this season with the Sabres. With this, he was a big reason why the Sabres took such a significant step forward this season and finished with a 50-23-9 record. 

The Canadiens will now be looking to shut down Dahlin and the Sabres as they continue their second round series. Game 1 was a tough one for the Habs, as they lost to Buffalo by a 4-2 final score. Thankfully, the series is still young, and the Canadiens have a golden opportunity to get things back on track in Game 2. 

Golden Knights vs Ducks Prediction, Picks & Odds for Friday's NHL Playoffs Game 3

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Business is picking up between the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, with their series tied 1-1 and heading to the Honda Center on Friday, May 8.

My top Golden Knights vs. Ducks predictions and NHL picks are calling for Anaheim to take the series lead in a higher-scoring Game 3.

Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3 prediction

Golden Knights vs Ducks best bet: Over 5.5 (-135)

The offensive floodgates will open for the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks in Game 3.

They’ve combined to score just eight times in the series despite piling up 12.38 expected goals and 49 high-danger scoring chances, and both goalies have been unsustainably solid.

Vegas No. 1 Carter Hart has a .951 save percentage with 3.57 goals saved above expected, and Anaheim starter Lukas Dostal sports respective .930 and 2.11 marks.

The window for positive regression is particularly wide open at 5-on-5, with the Golden Knights posting a 6.0 team shooting percentage and the Ducks at 6.7. 

So, considering they respectively posted 9.72 and 9.1 marks in Round 1, the uptick in scoring is coming.

Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3 same-game parlay

Anaheim has caved Vegas in at 5-on-5 with a 57.1 Corsi For percentage and 56.1 expected goals percentage through two games, and now the Ducks have the last-change advantage on home ice for Game 3. 

In addition to Hart's highlighted unsustainable numbers, the Vegas netminder also posted an .864 SV% on the highway in the opening round.

Turning to the final leg of this same-game parlay, Ducks star Cutter Gauthier has been held without a point despite posting an elite 67.2 CF% and 84.2 xGF% at 5-on-5 and pacing Anaheim with 1.22 individual expected goals and 12 scoring chances. After recording seven points in Round 1, he's positioned to leave his mark on the scoresheet in Game 3.

Golden Knights vs Ducks SGP

  • Ducks moneyline
  • Over 5.5
  • Cutter Gauthier Over 0.5 points

Golden Knights vs Ducks odds for Game 3

  • Moneyline: Golden Knights -110 | Ducks -110
  • Puck Line: Golden Knights -1.5 (+210) | Ducks +1.5 (-270)
  • Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 (+115)

Golden Knights vs Ducks trend

The Anaheim Ducks have hit the Over in six of their last 10 home games (+4.75 Units / 39% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Ducks.

How to watch Golden Knights vs Ducks Game 3

LocationHonda Center, Anaheim, CA
DateFriday, May 8, 2026
Puck drop9:30 p.m. ET
TVTNT, Sportsnet

Golden Knights vs Ducks latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Round 2, Game 3 – Hurricanes @ Flyers: Preview and Game Thread

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 04: Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 04, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes take their undefeated postseason record on the road as they visit the Philadelphia Flyers for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semi-finals on Thursday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Game time is 8 P.M.

According to reports from the morning skate the Canes will have their full complement of players available, including Alexander Nikishin, who has missed the last two games while he recovered from a concussion.

After switching things up a bit at the end of the last game, the lines have returned to normal at the morning skate.

Andersen is back in the starter’s crease. He has been nothing less than spectacular in these playoffs.

The injury bug has bit the Flyers. Not only is Owen Tippett out (confirmed) but Noah Cates is out for the rest of the series. Officially, he has a lower body injury, (he was seen walking on crutches with a boot after Monday night’s game.)

From NHL.com

https://www.nhl.com/news/noah-cates-injury-status-update-may-6-2026

“He’s Mr. Consistency,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “He does a lot of things for us, but it’s no different than other teams. Next man up.

“You’ll see (Denver) Barkey getting more time at center; thought he did a nice job (in Game 2). Trevor (Zegras) is going to have to go back to center again. We’ll try to get him going. And obviously ‘Coots’ (Couturier) is playing really well, and you got ‘Devo’ (Christian Dvorak). We’re good there. We’ll be OK.”

It should be another good one tonight.

The game will be nationally televised and broadcast on TNT/truTV starting at 8 P.M. The normal characters will be on 99.9 The Fan starting at 7 P.M. with the local perspective.

Props: Carolina -165 Philadelphia +140

Jets' Kyle Connor Lands At No. 57 On The Hockey News Top 100 Players List

The Hockey News has opened its full archive to subscribers, giving fans access to 76 years of hockey history, feature stories, and unforgettable moments. In the latest issue, we rank the NHL’s top 100 players, with Winnipeg Jets lethal scoring winger Kyle Connor coming in No. 57th overall. Here is a free preview featuring players ranked 51 through 57.

Subscribe today to see where other standout Winnipeg players, including Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck and Josh Morrissey landed on the list, explore the complete top 100 rankings, and dive into the full THN Archives

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Top 100 NHL Players: 51-57 - Apr. 17 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 10

51 JAKE OETTINGER

POS: G | AGE: 27 | LY: 51

‘Otter’ has helped the Stars author three consecutive trips to the conference final, but his success has halted there – often in shocking fashion. In fact, entering the 2026 playoffs, Oettinger had an .881 save percentage across 18 conference-final outings. No goaltender with more than five games had fared worse.

52 JAKOB CHYCHRUN

POS: D | AGE: 28 | LY: 95

Should he have been on Canada’s Olympic team? You won’t find any dissenters in Washington. Big, athletic and talented, Chychrun led the Capitals in ice time while also providing a nice helping of offense. And on a team featuring Alex Ovechkin, it was Chychrun with the most game-winning goals this year.

53 WYATT JOHNSTON

POS: C | AGE: 22 | LY: 63

Buoyed by a career-best shooting percentage and league-leading 26 power-play goals, three-time 30-goal scorer Johnston hit the 40-goal plateau for the first time. That offensive outburst is just another tool in his arsenal. The most respected aspects of his game, though, are his two-way acumen and high hockey IQ.

54 JAKE SANDERSON

POS: D | AGE: 23 | LY: 88

Sanderson is easily the best Senators defenseman since Erik Karlsson. Sanderson resembles Karlsson in many respects, namely skating, puckhandling, hockey IQ and a penchant for being a one-man breakout. Even when Ottawa was struggling early in the season, Sanderson was one of the bright spots.

55 SAM REINHART

POS: C | AGE: 30 | LY: 25

He’ll probably never score 57 goals again – as he did two seasons ago – but you can pretty much put Reinhart down for 30 a year in indelible marker. He can also be counted on to be a Selke-level player in the defensive zone. There are really no deficiencies in his game, and he’s one of the NHL’s most cerebral on-ice performers.

56 DYLAN LARKIN

POS: C | AGE: 29 | LY: 53

If there’s a modern-day player who was destined to play for the Red Wings, Larkin is the guy. His 200-foot game is almost without peer, and he’s developed a surprising sneaky-dirty facet to his overall game. Larkin is a possession beast, and when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick, he’s very good at getting it back.

57 KYLE CONNOR

POS: LW | AGE: 29 | LY: 38

Connor’s consistency is remarkable. He’s eclipsed 30 goals in each of his full seasons, barring the shortened 2020-21 campaign. He’s also an all-strengths asset in Winnipeg. Over the past five seasons, Connor ranks second in even-strength, first in power-play and sixth in shorthanded ice time among Jets forwards.

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Owen Tippett In or Out? Flyers Face Important Lineup Decisions

As they fight to keep their series with the Carolina Hurricanes competitive, the Philadelphia Flyers are walking a fine line managing a myriad of untimely injuries.

Most notable of all is that of Owen Tippett, who has not played for the Flyers since their 1-0 Game 6 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 29.

After morning skate, head coach Rick Tocchet told attending media that Tippett will again be unavailable for the Flyers ahead of Game 3 against the Hurricanes on Thursday night.

But, Tippett isn't the only important Flyers forward dealing with some issues.

Top-six center Christian Dvorak is a game-time decision, according to Tocchet, but the general expectation is that the 30-year-old will be available for the Flyers.

Dvorak is one of many forwards who could benefit from a greasy goal at some point; he has zero goals in eight playoff games despite his 15 shots on goal and three assists.

Dvorak had four goals in his previous 14 playoff games with Arizona and Montreal, so he's due for some positive regression in front of goal.

As we now know, the Flyers are going to be without center Noah Cates for the remainder of this series, so now is as good a time as any for Dvorak to step up with some offensive production.

David vs. Goliath: Flyers May Need Jiricek to Defeat Mighty HurricanesDavid vs. Goliath: Flyers May Need Jiricek to Defeat Mighty HurricanesThe Philadelphia Flyers desperately need David Jiricek to infuse some skill into an uninspiring defense corps in order to outlast the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Flyers could also turn to top prospect Jett Luchanko, but inserting him into the lineup fresh off the end of his OHL season would be a tall task. Perhaps he is called on to gain some experience if the team loses Game 3 and falls into a 3-0 series hole.

On the other side of the ice, the Hurricanes are getting rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin is likely to return after a two-game absence of his own.

At the Hurricanes' morning skate, it was reported that Nikishin skated on a defense pair with former Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, with his replacement, Mike Reilly, getting bumped down to a makeshift fourth pair with forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

The 24-year-old Russian sat out the previous two games after absorbing a massive hit from Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven in Game 4 of Round 1 of the playoffs.

On paper, the Flyers are getting weaker, while the Hurricanes are getting stronger and healthier. Philadelphia sorely misses Tippett's speed and physicality, but it was clear even before his absence that he was not particularly close to 100%.

That kind of speed helps to create chances against an aggressive Carolina forecheck, but the Flyers will have to come up with some other solutions to keep the series alive on Thursday night.

Sabres rediscover their power play in 2nd-round series-opening win over Montreal

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sabres forward Ryan McLeod didn’t mind fielding questions about Buffalo’s power-play production.

A unit that converted just 1 of 24 opportunities in its six-game first-round playoff series against Boston went from being anemic to prolific in a 4-2 second-round series-opening win against Montreal.

Buffalo finished 2 of 3 with the man advantage against the Canadiens. McLeod scored on the Sabres’ second opportunity before setting up Bowen Byram’s goal on the next one to build a 4-1 lead.

“Maybe keep asking, if we’re going to keep scoring now,” McLeod said with a laugh to reporters. “Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. But it’s a process of building it and getting your look. So I think, we got them tonight.”

The Sabres host Game 2 of the series.

Buffalo’s power play was so bad in the first round, the Sabres’ 4.2% conversion rate was tied for 865th out of 897 teams that had 20 or more opportunities in a playoff series since 1978. The struggles actually carried over from the final seven regular-season games during which the team went 0 for 22.

“It was hit or miss throughout the last couple of games there, and tonight was one of those nights where we had to get more pucks back in retrievals,” Josh Doan said.

Though Buffalo’s top unit, featuring Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, had difficulty generating offensive-zone pressure against Montreal, the second unit delivered.

Doan played a key role in setting up McLeod’s power-play goal to put Buffalo ahead 2-0 with a power-play goal 13:26 into the first period.

Doan won a puck battle in front of the Canadiens’ net by pushing the puck into an open spot to the left, where teammate Zach Benson immediately fed a pass through the crease to set up McLeod.

Then it was McLeod’s turn, setting up Byram’s goal 9:01 into the second period. After batting down Mike Matheson’s clearing attempt, McLeod chased down the puck and fed Byram, who scored from between the circles.

“Just trying to keep it in the zone any way I could,” McLeod said. “I just kind of get a little lucky sometimes, but it was nice to get that one.”

A change in opponent may have benefited the Sabres.

Montreal finished the regular season ranked 18th with a 78.2% penalty-killing rate. And the Canadiens were coming off a seven-game, first-round series win over Tampa Bay in which the Lightning converted 5 of 29 power-play opportunities.

Montreal coach Martin St. Louis chalked up Buffalo’s power-play success to fortunate bounces.

“I felt like we killed pretty well on entries and stuff, and didn’t feel like they beat us with some of the looks that they like, so that’s a positive,” St. Louis said.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff liked what he saw.

“We took advantage of some good breaks, made a couple of good plays,” Ruff said, noting Dahlin hit the crossbar on one opportunity.

Where to watch Carolina Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers Game 3 NHL playoffs: Live stream, start time, odds, TV channel for Thursday, May 7

The Philadelphia Flyers enter their second-round NHL playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes needing a victory to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole. The Hurricanes won the first two games of the best-of-seven series, including a 3-2 victory in Game 2. The Hurricanes are favored by 1.5 goals with an over/under for the matchup set at 5.5 goals.

  • Date: Thursday, May 7

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

  • Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA

  • TV Channels: TNT, truT, HBO, CBC

  • Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports

  • Spread: Philadelphia Flyers +1.5

  • Moneyline: Philadelphia Flyers +138 (40.2%) / Carolina Hurricanes -166 (59.8%)

  • Over/Under: 5.5

Panthers' Sandis Vilmanis Scores Twice In Pre-Tournament Game; Set To Represent Latvia At World Championship

The 2025-26 season has been nothing but positive for Florida Panthers winger Sandis Vilmanis.

The 22-year-old earned his first call-up to the NHL and locked down a role on the fourth line for 19 games while other Panthers forwards dealt with injuries. In his NHL stint, he notched three goals and five points, showing potential promise as a bottom-six winger. 

Outside of the NHL, Vilmanis followed up his successful AHL rookie season in 2024-25 with a solid showing in his sophomore campaign. He finished with 17 goals and 38 points in 48 games.

The youngster also earned a spot on Latvia's Olympic team, but was unable to record any points in the four games he skated in.

Now, the former fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft will represent Latvia at the 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship.

In a pre-tournament game, Vilmanis won player of the game, scoring two goals in a 3-2 win over Norway. 

In his international career, Vilmanis has played for Latvia at the U-18s, World Junior Championship, and the Olympics. He is now set to add the World Championships to an already impressive resume. 


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Avalanche depth turns into 14-goal statement as they take 2-0 lead in second-round series over Wild

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche are both deep and dynamic, and that unusual combination has the Minnesota Wild searching for answers to their opponent’s offensive onslaught.

“It’s one game at a time,” Wild forward Matt Boldy said after the Avalanche’s 5-2 win put Minnesota in a 2-0 hole in this second-round series. “It’s coming into the next game ready to go. Make our adjustments and be better. You don’t win a series with two wins. That’s our mind-set. You go in, we’re going to make adjustments.”

Not much has worked for the Wild so far as the Avalanche have pummeled both of their goaltenders, Jesper Wallstedt for eight goals in a 9-6 Game 1 and Filip Gustavsson for four more in Colorado’s Game 2 dominance.

The Avalanche’s 14 goals are the most in the first two games of a playoff series since the Calgary Flames scored 15 against the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.

Twelve Colorado players have scored so far, an NHL record for the first two games of a series, and 10 Avalanche players have multiple points in the series that resumes in St. Paul.

“It’s great. I mean, right now, that’s what you need,” defenseman Cale Makar said. “You need everybody contributing and we’re finding ways to do that. There’s a lot of jelling minds right now.”

Colorado coach Jared Bednar was asked if he realized he had this much firepower and depth.

“I was hoping we did,” Bednar said. “We’re getting it now, right, and it doesn’t mean we’re always going to get the depth scoring. But I think all of our lines and players are capable of producing. Players are going to go through hot streaks, cold streaks, but I also feel like playoff time when everything’s on the line, that could drag the best out of your group at times, and sometimes it can drag the worst out in your group.

“So it’s a consistency thing for me, but it’s all up in between the ears for me.”

After sweeping the Los Angeles Kings, who slowed things down and turned the high-flying Avs into defensive-minded stalwarts, Colorado has flashed its goal-scoring prowess against the Wild.

Scott Wedgewood set the tone for the rebound after allowing a half dozen goals in Game 1. He made 29 saves as he improved to 6-0 in his inaugural playoff run as a starter.

“Means we’re winning hockey games,” Wedgewood said. “I think, statistically, like I said, if we win 9-6, as long as we win, that’s all that matters this time of the year. It’s not always going to be pretty, like the other night, but just keep winning games, putting pucks on our board and go after the main thing.”

Great goaltending. Prolific scoring. Speed. Finesse. Physicality. It’s all working for Colorado.

“They’re a great team,” Boldy said. “They play super-fast, super-dynamic. Obviously they have some incredible players. The biggest thing is just staying above them and not giving them those odd-man rushes because obviously their pretty special players make special plays.”

Especially Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog and forward Nathan MacKinnon.

Landeskog is looking like his old, pre-injury self of 2022 before a right knee injury robbed him of three seasons. He had a goal and and assist in Game 2. MacKinnon scored a goal and assisted on two others.

MacKinnon joined some exclusive company with his third straight three-point playoff game. The only players to accomplish that feat over the last 40 years are Mikko Rantanen (2025), Leon Draisaitl (2022), Joe Pavelski (2010), Joe Sakic (1997) and Dennis Maruk (1986), according to NHL Stats.

“Just excited to play playoff hockey,” said MacKinnon, whose team has scored five or more goals in three straight postseason games for the fifth time in franchise history. “Obviously, the best time of year.”

Landeskog knows that feeling.

What brings out the best in him this time of year? That’s easy.

“It’s playoff hockey. It’s what you play for,” Landeskog said. “It’s what you think about through the dog days of the season. It’s what you think about when you’re training in the offseason. This is what it comes down to, so I think it’s about just leaving it all out there, really.”

Penguins Sign Defenseman To One-Year Extension

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced two new contract extensions on Thursday morning. 

They first announced that they had re-signed forward Connor Dewar to a two-year extension before announcing that they had brought back defenseman Ilya Solovyov on a one-year extension. 

Solovyov's deal will run through the 2026-27 season and has an average annual value of $850K. 

Solovyov started the 2025-26 season with the Colorado Avalanche and played in 16 games with them before he was traded to the Penguins. He played in 30 total games this season, compiling one goal and eight points. 

He also played in three Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Penguins and skated on the third pair. 

At the very least, Solovyov is a solid seventh defenseman and will have an opportunity to push for more playing time when the 2026-27 NHL season starts in October. 


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Canadiens’ Dobes Not To Blame

Game 1 of their second-round series didn’t go how the Montreal Canadiens hoped, as they lost the first game by a score of 3-2, despite only allowing 16 shots on net. Those who didn’t see the game and only checked the scoreline would be forgiven for thinking that Jakub Dobes had an off night, but that wasn’t the case.

The truth of the matter is, there wasn’t much the Czech goalie could have done on any of those goals. The first goal came on a three-on-one, and he certainly wasn’t to blame for that play. The second goal came on the power play after the Habs had broken the Buffalo Sabres' play, but the puck still got to Zach Benson’s stick, who easily found Ryan McLeod by the side of the net for an easy goal.

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In the second frame, the Sabres scored early after fourth liner Jordan Greenway found himself with a golden opportunity when Alex Carrier failed to close him down and effectively screened his goaltender, just like Mike Matheson and Tyler Kozak, who were tangled in front of the net. Dobes couldn’t see a thing as the puck literally went through Carrier. If you’re going to take your goalie’s line of sight away, you need to block that puck. The final goal came on the power play from a great shot by Bowen Byram after Mike Matheson attempted to clear the puck through the middle of the ice.

Despite surrendering four goals on just 16 shots, Dobes battled all night to get a visual on the puck, and he wasn’t panicking. There’s a reason why Martin St-Louis didn’t replace him with Jacob Fowler. It wasn’t the time to do that; pulling him would only have messed with his confidence. Since claiming the number one job, Dobes hasn’t faltered, and the coach not pulling him was his way of showing him that he is their top guy and that he’s behind him. Asked about Dobes after the game, the coach said:

If you look at the first two goals, those are two goals he can’t do anything about. Dobes competed as he always does.
- St-Louis on Dobes

That’s a fair assessment. The goaltender was one of the most combative players for the Canadiens on Wednesday night, even if the scoreline suggests otherwise.


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Sabres Take Advantage Of Canadiens’ Sluggishness In Game 1 Victory

The Buffalo Sabres did not repeat the same mistakes they displayed in the opener of their first-round series against Boston late last month, struggling to find their energy until late in the third period, before scoring four goals in the final 10 minutes. The Sabres were energetic from the drop of the puck, put the Montreal Canadiens on their heels for the entire game, took an early 2-0 lead and remained in control in a 4-2 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Final on Wednesday. 

Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Jordan Greenway, and Bowen Byram scored for Buffalo, Zach Benson had assists on both first-period markers. Alex Lyon made 26 saves in his fourth win of the postseason.  

"I think we wanted to emphasize on getting to their D early and trying to force turnovers, (Zach Benson) does an unbelievable job of that throughout every game," Doan said after the game. "(It was a) great start by him and it got the building on their feet."

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Another trait from the first round that Buffalo did not repeat was their struggles with the man advantage. Although their top unit was still ineffective after going 1 for 24 against Boston, the Sabres second unit cashed in twice on three opportunities. 

"It was one of those nights where we had to get more pucks back in retrievals. We were losing too many battles and too many easy one and dones," Doan said. "One series is over, off to the next, and we have two in this series already. So it's going well."

The pace of the series and the difference between the tight checking Bruins and the Canadiens seemed to be to Buffalo’s benefit in Game 1. Montreal never seemed to gather their equilibrium at any point during the game, even after Nick Suzuki cut the margin in half at the end of the first. The most glaring difference from their series victory over Tampa Bay was the mere mortality of Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes, who had a .923 save percentage and 2.03 GAA in seven games against the Lightning. 

In Game 1, the Habs netminder allowed four goals on just 16 shots. Montreal’s top line of Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slavkovsky did combine for a power play marker, but did not have much of an impact at five-on-five, which might prompt Montreal coach Martin St. Louis to shake up his lines for Game 2 on Friday. 

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff indicated after the game that team captain Rasmus Dahlin, who was injured blocking a shot late in the third period, was fine after the game. 

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