Multiple Czech media outlets reported on Monday that David Pastrňák has finally agreed to play for his home country in this year’s IIHF World Championship. Czech national team GM Jiří Šlégr confirmed the news after the team’s practise.

“I spoke with David today before practise and his final decision is positive for all of us,” said Šlégr. “He decided to participate in the World Championship, which we are all very happy about.”

It was previously confirmed that the Boston Bruins had medically cleared Pastrňák to play, and many had interpreted that as confirmation that he would. However, the player himself had not committed until now.

https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/no-gudas-kubalik-or-tomasek-for-czechs-at-this-years-worlds-but-what-about-pastrnak

Šlégr was also asked about Calgary Flames winger Adam Klapka, who became available when the Calgary Wranglers were eliminated from the AHL playoffs.

“We are in communication,” Šlégr said about Klapka. “On the way here, I communicated with the Calgary general manager and we are negotiating.”

Adam Klapka: “I knew deep down that I would play in the NHL one day”At 6-foot-8 and 236 pounds, Adam Klapka is a hard guy to miss. But the Czech winger managed to fly under the radar for much of his amateur career and even in his early years as a pro. He never played in the U18 Worlds or the World Juniors, was never drafted by an NHL team and at age 21, split the season between the Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga and HC Benátky nad Jizerou of the tier-two Chance Liga.

The final leg of the 2024-25 Euro Hockey Tour will be played this weekend, Thursday through Sunday, in Brno, Czechia. This leg of the tour, which is almost always hosted by the Czechs, is used by the four teams as a final tune-up for the World Championship. It is generally the only part of the tour that includes any NHL players. Here is the lineup that the Czechs will take:

Goaltenders: Daniel Vladař (Calgary, NHL), Karel Vejmelka (Utah HC, NHL), Josef Kořenář (HC Sparta Prague).

Defensemen: Filip Pyrochta (BK Mladá Boleslav), Jan Košťálek (HC Vítkovice Ridera), Jiří Ticháček (Kladno Knights), Tomáš Kundrátek (HC Oceláři Třinec), Radek Kučeřík (Ässät Pori, Finland), Michal Kempný, Jakub Krejčík (both HC Sparta Praha), David Špaček (Iowa Wild, AHL), Filip Hronek (Vancouver Canucks, NHL), Daniel Gazda (Ilves Tampere, Finland).

Forwards: Jiří Černoch, Ondřej Beránek (both HC Energie Karlovy Vary), Petr Kodýtek (IFK Helsinki, Finland), Radan Lenc (HV 71, Sweden), Michal Kovařčík (Kärpät Oulu, Finland), Ondřej Kovařčík (HC Oceláři Třinec), Daniel Voženílek (EV Zug, Switzerland), Kristian Reichel (Adler Mannheim, Germany), Matěj Stránský, Filip Zadina (both HC Davos), Michael Špaček, Filip Chlapík, Pavel Kousal (all HC Sparta Praha), Kevin Klíma (Mountfield HK), Jakub Lauko (Boston, NHL).

Team Staff

General Manager: Jiří Šlégr, Manager: Milan Hnilička, Head Coach: Radim Rulík, Assistant Coaches: Marek Židlický, Jiří Kalous, Tomáš Plekanec, Goaltending Coach: Ondřej Pavelec.

Karel Vejmelka & Filip Hronek To Play For Czechs In World Championship; Pastrnak Maybe Goaltender Karel Vejmelka of Utah HC and defenseman Filip Hronek of the Vancouver Canucks will play for Czechia at this year’s IIHF World Championship in Herning, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden, according multiple media sources.

The NHL revealed the final three goaltenders who can win the Vezina Trophy. 

The finalists for the award, going “to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position,” are the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Los Angeles Kings’ Darcy Kuemper. The three netminders are all competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

GMs of all 32 NHL teams vote for this award.

Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy won the award before. Hellebuyck earned the honor in 2020 and 2024, meaning he could win the Vezina in back-to-back years for the first time since Martin Brodeur did so in 2007 and 2008. Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy in 2019.

Kuemper has never won the award, but he did finish fifth in voting in 2018-19 and seventh in 2019-20 when he played for the now-inactive Arizona Coyotes.

Hellebuyck is the favorite to win this award, leading in nearly every goaltending stat throughout the regular season. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with the best goals-against average (2.00) and the most shutouts (eight) among goalies who played at least 25 games. 

He finished second in the league in save percentage with a .925 SP, just behind Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz, who recorded a .926 SP.

Hellebuyck also won his second straight William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltender who allowed the fewest goals against among goaltenders with at least 25 appearances.

Bruce Boudreau Believes The Jets Are The Real Deal, Rooting For Them To Win The Stanley CupThe Winnipeg Jets entered the playoffs with the best regular-season record (56-22-4), winning the Presidents’ Trophy and looking utterly dominant in front of Hart Trophy Candidate, Connor Hellebuyck. Despite that, many fans and analysts still do not believe the Jets can win the Stanley Cup.

Vasilevskiy drastically improved from last season, when he posted a .900 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average. This season, he recorded a .921 SP with a 2.18 GAA while playing 11 more games.

Early last season, he required surgery to address a lumbar disk herniation, and it affected his performance for the Lightning. However, he’s now a Vezina Trophy finalist for the fifth time in his 11-year career.

As for Kuemper, the Kings have never had a Vezina Trophy winner in franchise history. They were close in 2011-12 and 2015-16 when Jonathan Quick was the runner-up for the award.

Kuemper has the opportunity to be the first King to claim the Vezina, while having one of the best seasons of his career at 34 years old. 

The Kings’ netminder finished the regular season with a 31-11-7 record and was a key component for the team earning a second-place spot in the Pacific Division. He recorded the most wins in a season for Los Angeles since Quick’s 33 in 2017-18.

He was steady all year for his team, posting a 2.02 GAA and a .922 SP. Last season, with the Washington Capitals, Kuemper recorded a 3.31 GAA and a .890 SP, so the former Stanley Cup champion really bounced back this year.

The winner of the award will be announced during the Stanley Cup final.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

When John Tavares was pulled off the ice by the NHL's concussion spotters in overtime Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators, he had no idea that the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to the power play.

The 34-year-old was removed from the game in overtime after Artem Zub hit Tavares in the head in front of Ottawa's net. Tavares was out for the entire power play, returning to Toronto's bench just under 11 minutes into overtime.

"I don’t think I really need to explain it. I think pretty obvious what happened on the play. Puck’s nowhere near me," Tavares said of his hit Monday. 

The forward had the Maple Leafs' first goal in Game 4 in Ottawa, deflecting William Nylander's pass into the net for his third goal of the series. Tavares has five points in the series, the fourth-most on the team behind Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner.

"I feel good," Tavares said. "A little bit of soreness in my jaw and cheek area, but felt good on the ice today."

alright, standard set pic.twitter.com/xRKrSqtnHA

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 27, 2025

There was no penalty or supplemental discipline from the NHL on the play, which head coach Craig Berube seemed displeased with. "I don’t like the hit. Puck’s nowhere near him. Looked like a headshot to me," he said Monday.

"You're interested to see why nothing gets called on that, but that's sometimes how the play goes," added Mitch Marner. "Lucky enough, Johnny's fine and good to go. That's all that matters."

Toronto had several chances, but didn't score on their four-minute power play in overtime. Tavares got three shifts after returning to Toronto's bench and was on the ice for Ottawa's overtime-winner.

'Just Keep Going': How The Maple Leafs Will Combat The Seed Of Doubt In Game 5 Against SenatorsAs the Toronto Maple Leafs walked into the dressing room following their 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators, they could have thought either of two ways: it was only one loss, or their sky was beginning to fall.

When Chris Tanev was with the Calgary Flames last season, the NHL's concussion spotter pulled him during a game. He looks back on that moment, remembering he wasn't happy to be taken off the ice.

What would it be like for Tanev if he were in Tavares' position on Saturday?

"Yeah, I'm probably not happy. I mean, yeah, they're doing their job," the defenseman said. "It's obviously a good thing that the league's done now for a long time to try to prevent head injuries, keep concussions to a minimum. I mean, you can't comment on that too much, but I'm sure he wasn't very thrilled."

'That's An Easy Decision For Me': Maple Leafs Miss 4-Minute Overtime Power Play, Squander Chance to Sweep SenatorsKANATA, Ont. — The Toronto Maple Leafs were afforded a golden opportunity to complete a four-game sweep of the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. 

Tavares detailed the protocol process, which took 10 minutes of game time and around 15 real-time minutes to complete. He added on Monday that he's gone through the process before.

"Just a series of tests and evaluation of where you’re at, and making sure that you’re OK," he said. "Obviously, it’s there for safety reasons, so you just go through it and determine how you’re feeling, along with medical and the checkpoints that have to be hit for you to return."

It appears all systems are a go for him to play in Game 5 at home in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs have another chance to close the series. He skated in his usual spot on the second line, between Pontus Holmberg and Nylander at practice on Monday.

If the Maple Leafs win on Tuesday, it'll be the first time they've closed out a series at home since the 2004 Battle of Ontario.

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

We reported on Sunday that the NHL had warned the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals to be very careful about how they handled themselves during warmups, TV ad breaks, and the intermission periods.

Canadiens: About That Devastating Hit
Canadiens: Tough Loss In Hard Hitting Battle
Canadiens: About Laine's Injury

On Monday morning, both teams were fined $25,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct in the warmup. Canadiens’ defenseman Arber Xhekaj also received a $3,385.42 fine, and Capitals’ healthy scratch blueliner Dylan McIlrath a $2,018.23 one by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

There was nothing much to the incident, and one can wonder if the Department is aptly named. The players weren’t unsafe in warmup on Sunday night. Since the start of the series, actions have gone unpunished on the ice and could easily have been reviewed had the NHL not been wary of admitting its referees had missed some calls.

Those fines are unlikely to diffuse to a situation that is currently brewing between the two sides, and the physicality is likely to go up, not down, when the two sides meet again on Wednesday night for game five.

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

On April 28, 2024, the Vancouver Canucks clawed back from a 3–1 deficit in game 4 to put the Nashville Predators on the brink of playoff elimination. They ultimately won the game 4–3 in overtime, taking a 3–1 series lead. Keep reading to reflect on some of this game’s milestones. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Canucks Prospect Anthony Romani Extends 2025 OHL Playoffs Point Streak To 14 Games

Every Time The Canucks Were Shut Out In 2024–25

What Went Wrong For The 2024-25 Vancouver Canucks: No Movement At The Trade Deadline

For starters, Vancouver’s goaltending situation was up in the air. Earlier on in the series, Thatcher Demko had been ruled out for an indefinite amount of time (he later returned in December 2024). Casey DeSmith, who started games 2 and 3 against Nashville, was dealing with an ailment that forced young goaltender Artūs Šilovs into the crease for game 4. This was Šilovs’ first NHL playoff start. He made 27 saves on 30 shots against to help his team along to a win. 

Game 4 was notable for more than just the start of Šilovs’ surprising playoff run. After he opened the scoring 2:55 into the first period, Canucks forward Brock Boeser added two more goals in the third period to record his first NHL playoff hat trick. His third goal came with less than a minute left in the third period, sending the game into overtime. 

The game-winning goal was scored by mid-season acquisition Elias Lindholm, who ended the game slightly over a minute into the extra frame. This was his second goal of the 2024 playoffs, with his first being scored in game 1. With this win, Vancouver became the eighth team in NHL history to score twice in the final three minutes of the game and ultimately win in overtime. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Montreal Canadiens have had some terrific battles this season, but there are no moral victories as they face elimination against the Washington Capitals.

The Canadiens had a 2-1 lead in Game 4 Sunday night, thanks to Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield, before the Capitals scored four unanswered goals in the third period and won 5-2. This game showed the Habs’ issue with their offense arising more often than not in this series.

This game was there for the taking, but the Canadiens ultimately failed on offense. They managed only 18 shots on net, half of which came in the first two periods combined. It was a far cry from the 35 shots they had in Game 1, the 26 in Game 2 and 40 in Game 3, so their lack of just getting pucks on net killed much of the momentum from Friday’s 6-3 win.

That said, no matter how many shots on net they’ve had, their goal-scoring is a bigger problem. Outside of that Game 3 win, the Canadiens have only scored five goals in the other three contests combined. Even when looking at expected goals on naturalstattrick.com, which evaluates the quality of the chances they’re creating, they’re below average during the playoffs, and that includes their Game 3 win.

The Canadiens have only been shorthanded 10 times in the first round, which is tied for the second-fewest in the NHL, but five of them came in Game 4. Even though they killed all of them, it’s much tougher to produce any sort of offense when they’re playing short, and it came at a brutal time when Montreal could have tied this series.

All these issues leave a lot of pressure on goaltending to hold the fort. Sam Montembeault is effective at that when he’s at the top of his game, helping the Canadiens force overtime in Game 1 and stay close in a 3-1 loss in Game 2. He’s not a top-tier goalie like Jake Oettinger or Connor Hellebuyck, and consistency is part of that reason, but he has shown his value when he’s hot.

That value became clearer when he couldn’t play Game 4, and Jakub Dobes had a .875 save percentage and minus-0.9 goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com.

Canadiens: About That Devastating HitThere was a before and an after the Tom Wilson hit on Alexandre Carrier in Sunday night’s Montreal Canadiens—Washington Capitals game. By obliterating Carrier, Wilson seemed to energize his team, directly resulting in the Caps’ game-tying goal and eventual win.

It is encouraging to see the Canadiens battle hard in this series, just like they did in the regular season to clinch a playoff spot when many expected them to miss again as part of the rebuild. But Montreal doesn’t have the experience to make a comeback all that likely, and Game 3 is starting to look like an outlier in a series where nothing can make up for their lack of goal-scoring.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

For a lot of Detroit Red Wings fans, winger Filip Zadina is the face of the failure of the late stages of Ken Holland's tenure as general manager, a measure of the mess Steve Yzerman inherited when he took over.  Two summers ago, Yzerman finally cut bait on Holland's failed project, and Zadina signed with the San Jose Sharks.  Zadina didn't stick in San Jose either, heading for Davos of the Swiss National League, where he spent the 2024-25 season.  Now, after a reasonably with Davos, Zadina appears to have his eye on an NHL return.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Holland selected Zadina with the sixth pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.  Zadina—whom most pundits tapped as a top two or three overall selection—falling to Detroit was considered a draft night coup for the Red Wings at the time, only for reality to prove otherwise.  Zadina totaled just 68 points in five seasons in Detroit.  To make matters worse, Quinn Hughes (whom the Vancouver Canucks selected one pick after Zadina and who finished his amateur career just a few miles down the road from the Red Wings at the University of Michigan) was in the process of blossoming into a Norris caliber defenseman.  His lone season with the Sharks did little to change Zadina's reputation: 23 points in 72 games.  In 2024-25, Zadina registered 34 points in 43 games for Davos in the regular season, before scoring six goals and giving three assists in 10 playoff games.

Trending Red Wings Stories

Edvinsson to Join Sweden for World Championships

Report: McLellan Intends to Shake Up Coaching Staff

Pistons Success a Reminder of Red Wings Long Road

Three Questions for the Red Wings to Answer This Summer

Larkin Expresses Frustration with Red Wings Trade Deadline Approach

Kane Suggests Mutual Interest in Red Wings Return

In a recent interview with the Czech publication Sport Ceskatelevize, Zadina offered a window into his headspace following his first pro season outside of the NHL.  "We'll see. I think I did the best I could during the season. And if it comes, it comes. If not, of course I won't hang my head. I was there for a few years, I tried it, it was great, but in Davos I felt that they took me as a valid player, they gave me a role and I filled it," the 25-year-old winger said of his time in North America and transition back to Europe.

"If something like that could come from America, I would take it 100 percent. But on the other hand, I want to look to the future, I want to be a good player who helps the team decide games. And I didn't have that role in America. For me, that move was a smarter move for my development. I believe I was better now than last year," Zadina added.

While it was a reasonably successful year for Zadina, his numbers don't exactly leap off the stat sheet to an extent that you'd expect to see NHL clubs come calling to inquire about his services for '25-26. 

As a reference point, two former Red Wings finished in the top five in National League scoring for '24-25.  Austin Czarnik actually topped the league in scoring with 56 points in 49 games, while Dominik Kubalik finished fourth with 49 in 52.  When you consider that context, it seems unlikely Zadina's 34 points would be enough to attract NHL attention.

Do you think Zadina has played his last NHL game?  Let us know in the comments.

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites. 

After nearly 10 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have a new voice behind the bench for the 2025-26 season.

The Penguins and Mike Sullivan have mutually agreed to part ways, it was announced Monday by president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas. Sullivan was under contract with the Penguins through the end of the 2026-27 season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Head Coach Mike Sullivan have agreed to part ways.

Details: https://t.co/9AB8bPOijIpic.twitter.com/lPeZXj3HC1

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 28, 2025

“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” Dubas said. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”

Sullivan has been the coach of the Penguins since Dec. 12, 2015, when he replaced Mike Johnston mid-season after starting the season as head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins, Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate. He coached Pittsburgh for parts of 10 NHL seasons and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.

Between Pittsburgh and the Boston Bruins, Sullivan is 32nd on the NHL's all-time wins list for head coaches, and he is the Penguins' all-time leader in wins. During his 835-game tenure with Pittsburgh - including the regular season and the playoffs - Sullivan was 453-293-89 (.543 win percentage), which is good for 15th all-time for wins with a single franchise.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have a new coach next season.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan and the team agreed to part ways, GM-president Kyle Dubas announced Monday. The team has missed the playoffs for the past three seasons.

“This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved,” Dubas said in a news release.

A thorough search for the next coach begins immediately, the team said.

Sullivan joined the team partway through the 2015-16 season after the team started 15-10-3 and fired Mike Johnston. Under Sullivan, the Penguins went 33-16-5 afterward to finish second in the Metropolitan Division and go all the way to win the Stanley Cup. Sullivan's Penguins then won it all again in 2016-17 to become the first team since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 to win back-to-back Cup championships.

 The 57-year-old from Marshfield, Mass., coached 753 regular-season games for the Penguins, going 409-255-89. In 82 playoff games, he went 44-38. He became the 15th coach in NHL history to win 400 games with a single franchise this season.

“Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness,” Dubas said. “I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization.”

Sullivan also coached Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, falling one goal short of winning the tournament against Canada.

On top of the Penguins, NHL teams currently without a permanent coach include the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Sullivan, Penguins part ways; is the two-time champion coach a fit for Flyers? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

As the Flyers search for a new head coach, we’ll look at potential candidates to fill the vacancy.

“Communication and teaching are probably two things that will be at the forefront of our next coach,” general manager Danny Briere said April 19 at his end-of-the-season press conference. “When you have a young team in place, I really think those two attributes are extremely important.”

We start our series with Mike Sullivan, whose tenure in Pittsburgh ended Monday as the coach and Penguins agreed to part ways.

Why Sullivan would be a fit

There’s a lot to like with Sullivan.

He led Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. He’s the franchise’s all-time wins leader (409) and had the Penguins in the playoffs for seven of his 10 seasons.

In his 12 seasons as an NHL head coach, eight of them have featured a .610 points percentage or better. For context, since 2012-13, the Flyers have had just one season with over a .600 points percentage: 2019-20 when they posted a .645 mark.

Sullivan’s pedigree would elicit instant respect from a rebuilding team that is starving for the next step. The Flyers have gone five consecutive seasons without a playoff berth, matching the franchise’s longest drought.

The 57-year-old would also check off the box of teacher. He has a Stanley Cup ring with the 2014-15 Blackhawks as a player development coach.

There’s a connection to Briere, as well. The two were teammates with the Coyotes for four seasons.

Why Sullivan would not be a fit

There’s always a concern about a team’s new hire being too similar to its previous coach.

That’s a possibility here. Sullivan was an assistant coach under John Tortorella with the Lightning, Rangers and Canucks. The Flyers fired Tortorella a little over a month ago. Sullivan has a sternness to him like Tortorella, a demanding style of playing the game the right way.

Briere appreciated how the old-school Tortorella laid a foundation of accountability. However, the GM did express the desire for the next coach to strike a balance between hard and lenient.

“Now it’s finding a coach that can take it to another level,” Briere said, “but at the same time, maybe give a little bit more freedom to the players to try things and to let their talent come out.”

While Sullivan wants structure, he does seem to allow for leash. Star players have succeeded under him because of it.

It’s also fair to wonder if Sullivan benefited greatly from Pittsburgh’s established stars, a talent level the Flyers simply don’t have right now. But it would be difficult to argue that Sullivan got the most out of his players and made them better.

He should have options for picking his next stop. Seven clubs are currently looking for a new head coach.

Cam Fowler and Corey Perry have a lot in common. Both were drafted by the Ducks in the first round, they played together for the Ducks and they were both part of one of the most historic moments in Ducks playoff history, the Comeback on Katella.

Both also had unceremonious ends to their Duck careers, as Perry was bought out in June 2019 and Fowler was dealt to the St. Louis Blues last December. Both players were just shy of 1,000 games played for the Ducks, a mark that has only been reached by their former teammate and captain, Ryan Getzlaf.

But Perry and Fowler have both been able to find success outside of Anaheim. Perry made it to four consecutive Stanley Cup Finals with the Montréal Canadiens, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning and Edmonton Oilers. 33-year-old Fowler has fit like a glove into Jim Montgomery's system in St. Louis.

On Sunday, both of those players helped their teams even their playoff series at two apiece. In the early game, Fowler contributed an assist in the Blues' 5-1 win to bring his points total to eight for this playoff run. Per NHL PR, he became the fourth defenseman in franchise history with at least eight points in a single series. He also joined Cale Makar (10 in 2022 & 8 in 2024), Paul Martin (8 in 2014) and Al MacInnis (8 in 1999) as the fourth defenseman in the past 30 years to record at least eight points through a team’s first four games of a postseason.

"He's been remarkable," Montgomery told reporters after the Blues' Game 3 win on Apr. 24. "I told him after the game, 'Thank god you're not in Anaheim anymore.' I thought our d-core was really good tonight and I thought (Fowler and Colton Parayko) led us tonight with their skating, their willingness to shoot. That goal by Cam Fowler, that's what our d-core can do and we have a lot of guys who can skate back there (on the blue line)."

Perry is no stranger to the playoffs with his laundry list of postseason experience. It can't get much more painful in striving for success than four consecutive Cup Final losses. As he nears age 40, he knows time is running out not only to hoist Lord Stanley again, but continue his playing career.

"The Worm," as he is fondly known to many, scored the Oilers' first goal in Game 4 as they worked to even not only the series, but the score as well, being down 2-0 at the time. Perry deftly batted the puck down before sweeping it past Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper on the power play. With 56 career playoff goals, Perry is tied with Denis Potvin, Steve Larmer and Brad Marchand for 44th on the all-time playoff goals leaderboard.

"He's just elite," Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl told reporters after their 4-3 overtime win. "He's nearly 40 years old and he has an impact on every single game. It's incredible. He's one of the smartest hockey players I've ever seen. He's so unique in the way he thinks and plays the game that I honestly feel like he could play till he's 50 just because of his brain."

Once down by two in their respective series, Fowler and Perry have found new life for their postseason hopes thanks to strong performances from themselves and their teammates.

Report: Anaheim Ducks Interview Joel Quenneville for Head Coaching Vacancy

Carlsson, Lundeström to Represent Sweden at 2025 Betano Hockey Games, World Championship

Anaheim Ducks Prospect Spotlight: Three Prospects Advance to CHL Semi Finals

As a pending restricted free agent, Helge Grans has done about as much as he possibly can to force his name onto the Philadelphia Flyers roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Grans, 22, made his NHL debut for the Flyers in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 18, filling in for the then-injured Jamie Drysdale for six games.

Next season, Grans will have an opportunity to reprise his role as the injury understudy with Rasmus Ristolainen set to miss roughly six months following his surgery to repair a ruptured triceps tendon in his right arm.

The first step for Grans, of course, is earning a new contract with the Flyers, who concluded the season with just six healthy defensemen on their roster.

Cam York and Travis Sanheim, two left-shots, played most of the season together on the Flyers' top defense pair. Youngsters Emil Andrae and Egor Zamula ended the season on a pair together. As a result of Ristolainen's latest injury, the Flyers have had a difficult time striking some balance on the back end.

The same was true last season, too. Ristolainen was limited to just 31 games and Sean Walker was traded to Colorado, leaving Philadelphia with Erik Johnson and Drysdale as their only two right-shot options.

At the time, Grans was not even being considered for a role in the NHL and was even benched by Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs a few weeks later.

The 22-year-old Swede managed just one goal, seven assists, and eight points in 56 games with the Phantoms last year, but the difference a year makes is front and center.

On top of making his NHL debut and scoring his first NHL point for the Flyers, Grans exploded for eight goals, 15 assists, and 23 points in 66 games. He's showing the potential he flashed in the 2021-22 season, when he scored seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points in 56 games with the Ontario Reign in his first full season in North America.

It's been a long road for the 6-foot-3 blueliner, who needed to become meaner, more assertive, and more reliable in his own end of the ice. Grans is finally doing that, and he proved to himself that he didn't have to sacrifice his offensive gifts to do it.

Grans scored his first career Calder Cup playoffs goal on Friday, just under a year after watching the Phantoms' last two games of the year from the press box.

Grans used his elite skating to enter the zone, dropping the puck off to Jett Luchanko at the blueline before stick-checking a defender and rotating to set a screen in front of the net.

HELGE GRANS SERIES WINNER WITH 2 MINUTES LEFT FROM HIS KNEES!!! LUCHANKO 2ND ASSIST OF THE GAME!!! PHANTOMS MOVE ON!#LetsGoFlyerspic.twitter.com/HzA7mK4nT1

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) April 26, 2025

While Luchanko's pass to Anthony Richard was rebuffed by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' goaltender, Grans was in the right place at the right time to swat the rebound into the goal from the ground, scoring the game-winning goal and powering the Phantoms to a 3-2 Game 2 win to sweep the Penguins in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

"He’s a young guy still, but he’s played a number of years because L.A. put him in the American League as a young player. Over the years, from L.A.’s program to now, he’s steadily getting better,” Flyers assistant GM Brent Flahr said of Grans in September. “Now he has to find a niche for himself. He’s a tall, rangy guy. He can skate. He can move the puck. He just has to find a way to beat out another player.”

With Ristolainen set to miss all of training camp, Grans might not have to beat out another player to make the Flyers. Keeping his spot from there will be up to him and his play, especially if the Flyers continue to evaluate trade packages for Ristolainen as they have in the past.

Grans's sustained elevated level of performance indicates a motivated player who knows he doesn't have a contract next year and wants to take his talents to the NHL. The ball is now in the Flyers' court.

The Bell Centre was just as loud for game 4 as it was for game 3 of the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round series against the Washington Capitals, when poor Michel Lacroix tried to announce the anthems, he was drowned out by a very loud “Ole, ole, ole” chant, and you could feel the electricity in the air. To everyone’s surprise, goaltender Logan Thompson was back in the net, while Jakub Dobes was defending the Habs’ cage.

League Issues Stern Warning to Canadiens and Capitals
Canadiens: About Laine's Injury
Canadiens: Anderson Is Leading His Team Into Battle

Asked about what happened in game three, Thompson explained:

I kind of got my bell rung a bit there. It was scary; it definitely could have been a lot worse, but coming back from injury and doing some protocol, I lost my balance getting up. Luckily, things were ok, and I was able to play.

- Thompson on Friday night's injury.

There was no mention of what looked like a knee injury on the play, whether that’s just playoff secrecy or if it was just a big scare, we’ll never know.

After the NHL warned both teams to watch themselves with the extracurricular activities, the referees seemed to want to play a bigger part in the game and establish limits early, calling three penalties in the first frame alone. They added another five in the second, including three against the Canadiens that did not go down well in the Bell Center.

Defending Ovechkin On The Power Play

The Canadiens had a new way to defend against Alexander Ovechkin tonight on the power play. Often, they isolated the Caps’ captain. The Russian sniper stands around waiting for the puck, making it easy to stand right before him to cut off any potential pass.

Montreal decided to do it very closely, almost forcing him out of the play. They sacrificed a player and had to defend four-on-three on the rest of the ice, but it worked well. It would have been a different story had it not been for Dobes’ heroics; the young netminder stole at least three goals on the penalty kill.

Twice, his side-to-side displacement was perfect to stop one-timers, and once, he made a glove save low nearside that looked like a definite goal. The Habs had three penalties in the second frame, but they still came out of the period with two goals on four shots.

The Future Is Now

With Patrik Laine still out of action, the newly formed first power play unit got more ice time, and it became evident that Ivan Demidov could be a key cog of the Canadiens’ man advantage.

The first unit scored the Canadiens two goals tonight, and Demidov shone brightly on each. The youngster has excellent hands and repeatedly dazzled the Bell Centre crowd. On the first goal, he evaded his coverage with a couple of nifty moves, got behind the net, saw Juraj Slafkovsky on the doorstep, and just like that, the puck was behind Tompson.

WHAT A MOVE BY DEMIDOV TO FEED SLAFKOVSKY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZZtchuuJZB

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 28, 2025

On the second goal, he got the secondary assist, but it was his puck possession skills that allowed the Canadiens to keep possession and set up properly, allowing Cole Caufield to give Montreal a 2-1 lead.

Hitting The Wall

The Canadiens were less than 17 minutes away from tying the series at two a piece when Tom Wilson rocked Alex Carrier with a big hit and gained puck possession for the Caps. Seconds later, after the puck went up in the air and dropped in front of Dobes, Brandon Duhaime tapped it to tie up the score.

The headshot that puts the #AllCaps in the second round? https://t.co/xIKnaGgMg4

— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) April 28, 2025

Asked if the Canadiens tried to talk to him after his hit on Carrier and if he just skated away, Wilson explained:

It’s a loud building, there’s a lot of emotion, the last game was really chaotic, and speaking to the coaches and a lot of people that I trust over the last couple of days, it’s good for me to be on the ice. I can’t be sitting in the box for 14 minutes. In the first game, I get coincidental, and I’m in the box for eight to nine minutes, so I want to be on the ice and control my emotions. It’s a tough building to do that, it’s one of the best building in the NHL for a reason, it’s loud, the fans are passionate, it’s one of those buildings you love to play in as a player, it’s stuff you’ll remember when your career is done, but you want to keep your emotions in check.

- Tom Wilson on why he skated away.

From then on, it was a different game. The Canadiens looked somewhat shaken up, and with under four minutes to go, Andrew Mangiapane unleashed a heavy wrister from the high slot that beat Dobes glove side.

Martin St-Louis pulled his goalie early on an offensive zone faceoff, and the Canadiens lost possession. This led to Duhaime getting his second in an empty net. Wilson added another one later, still in an empty cage, to give the Caps a 3-1 series lead.

The coach looked somewhat dejected after the game:

I feel bad for the group a bit; I don’t really know what to tell them. If you have some answers for me, let me know.

-

St-Louis looked more like a player than a coach for the first time this season when providing that answer. Asked why he didn’t know what to say to his players, he answered:

I don’t know…It’s hard…I’ll be careful with my words but, it’s hard to watch some of these calls. Tonight, the mandate was about embellishing.

-

Every morning, the GM meets with the person in charge of the referees and is told what the zebras will be trying to crack down on during the game. On Sunday morning, Kent Hughes was told the zebras would be trying to eradicate embellishment. Listening to the coach, he clearly felt like that wasn’t accomplished. One can imagine he was referring to the high-sticking call on Christian Dvorak, which infuriated the Bell Centre.

The Canadiens now have a few days to lick off their wounds before heading to Washington for game five which will be held on Wednesday night. 

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

Denver, Colo. - The Colorado Avalanche stamped their mark on Game 4 with a resounding 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars to tie the series at 2. Samuel Girard put on one of his best performances of the season, capped off with the fourth goal of the game in the third period. Mackenzie Blackwood earned his first ever postseason shutout in just his fourth ever postseason performance.

And who wasn't a little emotional when Captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal since June 20th, 2022? In just his second NHL game since returning from an injury that kept him away from professional hockey for three seasons, he worked with his teammates on the second line to score the game's third goal.

First goal since June 20th, 2022. #GoAvsGohttps://t.co/ipb2XluNTl

— Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) April 27, 2025

I've envisioned scoring again for a long time. and then there were obviously days where I didn't know if I was ever going to get the score again. So obviously feels good. It's a tight playoff series and a big game here at home, get to do it in front of our fans. Obviously means a lot. So super exciting. Hopefully more to come."

- Landeskog on scoring his first NHL goal since returning.

How the Game Shook Out

The Avalanche played a dominant game after dropping Wednesday's home match 2-1 in overtime. 

The first period saw Logan O'Connor rise to the occasion while his team was on the penalty kill, creating a turnover at the Avalanche blue line and carrying it up the ice. He found himself one-on-one with Jake Oettinger and snapped the puck over Oettinger's blocker on the near side and scored, putting Colorado up 1-0.

SHEEEEEEEESSH 😮‍💨#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferentpic.twitter.com/Odli9PMcmP

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 27, 2025

Nathan MacKinnon didn't want to miss out on the fun, though, showing that both special teams came to dominate. He finds himself all alone in the left faceoff circle, receives a pass from Jonathan Drouin, and his shot, somehow, sneaks through Oettinger's pad and into the net. The period ended shortly after that, making it 2-0 heading into the second period.

While the scoring may not show it, the game only became more dangerous thanks to the Avalanche.

While the first period statistics seemed a little even with shots at 12-11 and high-danger chances 3-2, both in favor of the Avalanche, the second period saw Colorado keep Dallas at just 5 shots-for while they nailed 8 high-danger chances on Oettinger. 

Among those high-danger chances, surprisingly, was not Landeskog's one-timer from the slot to make it 3-0. The pass from linemate Brock Nelson was swift and clean, and Landeskog found himself open in the slot to slap it past Oettinger in his first goal in 1,041 days.

OUR CAPTAIN IS BUILT DIFFERENT‼️#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferentpic.twitter.com/q7S97ApUKR

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 27, 2025

Going into the third period, the Stars decided to sit Oettinger in favor of getting some game time in for backup goaltender Casey DeSmith.

The Avalanche played half a period before Girard found the team's fourth goal. Landeskog battled in front of the net with Stars' Lian Bichsel, a 6-foot-7 defenseman, creating a bit of turmoil in front of DeSmith, making it a little easier for Girard's shot from the blue line to make it through. 

The night ended 4-0 in favor of Colorado, who also led shots 48-23 and high-danger chances 17-6.

A Lot to Be Happy With, A Lot to Improve

Saturday's win forces a Game 6, which will bring the series back to Denver on May 1st. This gives Colorado an opportunity to win on home ice to bring the team into round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Head Coach Jared Bednar was pleased with the game, going as far as to say, "I can't find a player on our roster I didn't like tonight."

We were just on our toes. It was highly competitive. Puck decisions were all good. Guys were willing to skate with the puck and force them to defend -- some of the things we've been talking about for a few games now, and it came together there for a while tonight, which was good to see. I thought it continued in the third period a little bit too.

- Coach Bednar on the team's performance on Saturday

Earlier in the series, Bednar talked about not getting enough out of his top guys, which included the second line, and when asked, seemed like the second line he reworked for Wednesday's game also worked in their favor on Saturday, too.

That's two good home games from those guys. [Nichushkin], [Nelson], [Landeskog] on there, that's been a good line for us, in the last two home games, and on both sides of the puck. It's not just about production. Certainly, we need production spread out through our lineup. You got to come up with enough chances to be able to put some by these guys. And we did that tonight. The other night we had a little bit of a tough time. But on the defensive side of it, they've been really good too.

- Coach Bednar on the second line.

Dallas Head Coach Pete DeBoer also seemed a little disappointed following Saturday's game, but during media availability before their flight back to Dallas, seems to have a good view on the series so far: 

If you had told me at Christmas we were going to go into the first round of the playoffs against Colorado, and we were going to be without [Miro] Heiskanen and [Jason] Robertson, and we'd be 2-2 coming home with home ice advantage, I think I would have been pretty happy. Sometimes you have to have that perspective that this group has battled pretty hard under some serious adversity, and we're in a pretty good spot.

- Coach DeBoer on surprises during the series so far.

What's Next?

Game 5 will be played in Dallas on Monday, 4/28, at 7:30 pm MT/8:30 pm CT.

Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, May 1st, at Ball Arena in Denver. A start time has not been released yet.

If necessary, Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd, at American Airlines Center in Dallas. No start time will be released until the game becomes necessary.

What started as a best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff is now a best-of-three series after the Edmonton Oilers rallied from a two-goal third-period deficit to beat the Kings 4-3 in overtime Sunday, evening the series at two wins apiece.

The winning goal came from Leon Draisaitl, who beat Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper on the power play with 1:42 left in the extra period. Kuemper deserved a better fate on a night he stopped 44 shots.

The teams will meet again Tuesday for Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena, where the Kings have won a league-leading 33 times, including the playoffs. Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday in Edmonton. Game 7, if needed, would be Saturday in Los Angeles.

None of that appeared necessary after the Kings, who won the first two games, took a 3-1 lead into the final 13 minutes of regulation. They were 28 seconds away from winning when Evan Bouchard blasted a slap shot by Kuemper from just inside the blue line, capping a wild third-period rally. It was Bouchard’s second goal of the period and his fourth of the playoffs.

It was also the third goal the Oilers have scored after pulling their goalie for an extra attacker, and it marked the third time in four games the Kings have blown a lead in the final 13 minutes.

The Oilers have outscored the Kings 12-5 in the third period and overtime in the series.

Read more:Kings must overcome power of rabid Edmonton Oilers fans after faltering in Game 3

The Kings’ goals came from Trevor Moore, Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala, and Phillip Danault had two assists. Corey Perry had the other Oilers goal; Draisaitl assisted on Edmonton's first three goals.

The Kings haven’t beaten Edmonton in a postseason series since 1989 — and haven’t eliminated anyone in the playoffs since 2014, when they won their second Stanley Cup.

The Kings set the tone early, peppering Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard with 10 shots in the first 10 minutes before Moore beat him from the center of the right circle on the 11th shot. The goal, 10:35 into the first period, marked the third time in four games the Kings had scored first.

Read more:Kings rally to take lead, only to collapse in third period of Game 3 loss to Oilers

Foegele, a former Oiler, doubled the lead 91 seconds into the second, spinning into the crease to collect a pass from Danault, then shoving the puck under Pickard.

The Oilers’ pulled that goal back on a power play less than three minutes later when Perry took three whacks at the puck before getting it by Kuemper. Fiala restored the two-goal lead later in the period, reaching up to bat down a high pass from Alex Laferriere, then deflecting the puck into the net off the Pickard's stick side.

But the Oilers wouldn’t quit, cutting the deficit with 12:09 to play on the first of Bouchard’s two goals. That set the stage for a desperate push from the Oilers, who put 15 shots on net in the final period, the last Bouchard’s tying goal that sent the game to overtime.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.