Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will study extensively before the second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and part of that session includes getting intel from his brother, Brady, who just played Toronto in the first round.

After the Panthers eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games and the Maple Leafs eliminated the Ottawa Senators in six, Matthew joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss how he'll approach the series against Toronto.

"We don't know when our first game is, but definitely before that, I'll give [Brady] a call and ask him what he saw throughout the series, little things," Matthew said.

"I'll ask a lot about individuals, like, what you can exploit with some guys, what guys maybe get a little too riled up, guys you can get off their game, what guys are looking like they're playing through stuff or look a little injured.

"It's all the little stuff I'll ask him. It's playoffs. Every advantage you can get, and it's nice having my brother that just played them, so he'll give me the honest truth."

'I Thought I Was Done Playing A Number Of Times': How Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty Persevered To Score Series-Clinching Goal Against SenatorsIt was 225 days ago, on Sept. 19, when Max Pacioretty, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie with the number 67 stamped on, first stepped in front of the camera to explain why he joined the organization.

The Maple Leafs held an optional practice on Saturday, two days before their series against Florida gets underway. Toronto faced the Panthers in the second round back in 2023 and were eliminated in five games.

It was the first time the Maple Leafs got out of the first round since 2004.

While Tkachuk might have intel on the Maple Leafs, a few players on Toronto who were on Florida's Stanley Cup-winning team last spring, will have the same: Steven Lorentz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Anthony Stolarz.

"I've had discussions with them," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said Saturday.

"There is things that you might not know; more mindset stuff for me with those guys, being in a locker room, and being around the organization and the team."

Maple Leafs’ ‘Business-Like’ Mindset Overcomes Potential Playoff Disaster to Advance to Second RoundKANATA, Ont. — When the final horn sounded at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrated their 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators, pushing them through to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tkachuk is a player who likes to get under his opponent's skin. Could having intel from his brother on the Maple Leafs help him in that sense throughout the series? 

"Well, if you allow people to push your buttons, then maybe. You don't allow them to push your buttons. That's the way I look at it," Berube said.

"You can control what you want to control. Again, emotion plays a big part of the game. We all know that. Discipline and composure. We got through one round, and it's got to be more elevated now."

Lorentz played 16 playoff games last year with the Panthers, scoring two goals and one assist. He's appeared in all six games for the Maple Leafs this postseason, but has yet to register a point.

His line, however, with Calle Jarnkrok and Scott Laughton, was very successful in round one against Ottawa. What did he make of Tkachuk saying he was gathering information on which Toronto players appear to be playing through things?

‘That’s How You Win A Series’: Craig Berube Praises Scott Laughton’s Shot-Blocking Heroics, Maple Leafs' Bottom-Six Delivers Against SenatorsWith 25 seconds left on the clock in a one-goal game, it wasn’t a member of the ‘Core Four’ who made the defining play of the Toronto Maple Leafs' series-clinching win – it was Scott Laughton, throwing himself in front of a Jake Sanderson slap shot to preserve the lead.

"I mean, everyone's banged up in the playoffs, so it doesn't matter," said Lorentz.

"I've seen guys play through this and that, and there's a laundry list every single year, but it doesn't really matter what the advantage is. I think if a guy's able to play skates and put the jersey on it and stand up there and start the game, then you're going to expect his best, whether he's hurt or not."

Toronto lost its first two home games to Florida, and they are looking to change that this time around. Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand play within the Panthers' top nine, so that alone won't make it an easy series.

It won't just be those three that make it difficult, though. Florida has a two-time Selke Trophy-winner in Aleksander Barkov, a strong defense, and a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, as the backstop.

Why The Maple Leafs' Confidence In Anthony Stolarz Hasn't Faltered After Back-To-Back Losses To SenatorsAs Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot fired a shot from the point in the second period of Game 5, Anthony Stolarz did his best to track the puck. But he couldn't see anything until it was too late.

"They have different people over there. We have different people in here," Morgan Rielly said, highlighting the differences between the series in 2023 and now.

"I think the playoff mindset in general remains the same, but I think there's differences with both teams and with structure and systems and whatnot. But the focus here over the next few days is going to be on us and doing what we need to do to get ready to play."

The Maple Leafs will use Sunday to practice before gearing up for Game 1 against the Panthers on Monday. It'll be a later start time at 8:00 p.m. ET, due to the NHL's Draft Lottery beginning an hour earlier.

Maple Leafs vs Panthers: Game 1 Start Time and Date RevealedThe Toronto Maple Leafs are set to open the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday.

But either way, it's going to be a long and gruelling series between the Maple Leafs and Panthers.

"I'm very comfortable. I don't feel worried about it at all," Berube said about the physicality of the upcoming series.

"Our team, they're ready for it. They understand it. Listen, that's playoffs. It's going to be hard, and there's going to be hits, and you've got to get up and play. And you've got to be disciplined."

---

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Shaw's sample size enough to win Flyers' coaching job? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

As the Flyers search for a new head coach, we’re looking 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’ve profiled Mike Sullivan (hired by the Rangers), Rick Tocchet and Pat Ferschweiler. Next up in our series is Brad Shaw, who went 5-3-1 as the Flyers’ interim head coach.

Why Shaw would be a fit

The 61-year-old already has great continuity with the Flyers’ roster. Players have spoken highly of Shaw and he has done good work in his three seasons on the team’s staff.

Under former head coach John Tortorella, Shaw was in charge of the back end and penalty kill. A number of the Flyers’ defensemen have grown through Shaw’s time here, while the team’s penalty kill was a top-five unit in 2023-24 and scored a league-leading 16 shorthanded goals.

“He has meant so much to my game personally,” Travis Sanheim said a little over two weeks ago. “I think a lot of guys on the D core could probably say the same thing. We don’t know what’s going to happen, time will tell. In saying that, I’m just super thankful for where he has taken my game and I really enjoyed my time working with him, so it would obviously be a disappointment if I didn’t get to continue that.

“I think we built a really good relationship, us two. I feel like we can talk to each other about anything and kind of go over certain things — how I see it, how he sees it, have disagreements. I might see something differently than he sees it and that’s kind of what makes him a better coach and me a better player.”

In Shaw’s nine games as the interim head coach, the Flyers definitely played freer. Part of that could have been because of the standings, but the Flyers scored 3.89 goals per game under Shaw. They scored six or more three times with Shaw. In the 73 games prior, the Flyers had scored six or more four times.

Shaw has over 20 seasons of NHL experience as an assistant coach. He checks off the box of teacher and it doesn’t hurt that he knows what it’s like to coach in Philadelphia.

“It has only been three years, but I love my time here,” Shaw said last month. “It’s a unique city. I love the inherent pressure the fans put on you. I’ve never been booed more in three years in my life, but I think it’s good. I think it’s an extra indicator of what the fans think.”

Why Shaw would not be a fit

The obvious knock on Shaw’s candidacy is that he has never been a full-time head coach at the NHL level. His other interim role was with the Islanders for 40 games in 2005-06.

He’s such a good players’ coach, but will he have enough of that demanding style? It’s often the biggest question for assistants trying to make the transition to a head coaching job.

While the Flyers put up goals under Shaw, they did allow them, too. They surrendered 3.56 per game and were outshot five times. With the circumstances, it was a tough spot for Shaw to implement any significant changes.

Shaw was Tortorella’s right-hand man for five seasons with the Blue Jackets and three in Philadelphia. Making their first head coaching hire, it’s possible Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones will want to put an imprint on things by bringing in their own guy.

If Shaw doesn’t get the job, he said he’d be interested in returning with his assistant role. The interest could be mutual from the Flyers’ side, but that ultimately might be up to the next head coach.

On May 3, 2024, the Vancouver Canucks stunned the Nashville Predators with a late third period goal to advance to the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This was the only tally of the game, as Vancouver ultimately won the game 1–0. 

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The series-clinching effort came as a result of multiple stellar performances. Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left in the third period to silence the crowd at Bridgestone Arena. Meanwhile, back in Vancouver, Rogers Arena came to life with the cheers of thousands of fans who attended the team’s watch party. Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson helped set up Suter’s series-winning tally. 

Despite scoring with less than two minutes left, the Canucks’ final stretch while up 1–0 was possibly the toughest hockey they had to play. With a little more than 30 seconds left in the game, Elias Lindholm was called for cross-checking, forcing Vancouver onto the penalty kill to finish the match. Even so, the team pulled off an impressive slew of blocks, scrambles, and saves in order to take home the win. 

While the rest of the league had likely heard of Vancouver’s issues with goaltender injuries, after this game, all they would have remembered is the name of Artūrs Šilovs. The Latvian goaltending prospect, who was 23 at the time, stopped all 28 of Nashville’s shots to post his first NHL shutout. This included having to face three different Predators power play opportunities. With this win, Šilovs became the youngest goalie in Canucks history to record a playoff shutout. 

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.

By Zoe Pierce, The Hockey News intern

In a game of inches, getting video reviews correct has always been important in the NHL.

Allowing or disallowing a goal can change an entire period, game, or even a playoff series. 

For some reviews, such as the referee deciding whether or not a major penalty called on the ice should stand, things can be more subjective.

What makes a five-minute boarding penalty called on the ice get modified to a two-minute boarding call? The referees make this decision on the ice, in consultation with the other on-ice officials, at their discretion based on the degree of violence and recklessness of the hit into the boards.

However, discretion can only go so far in a game where the position of a three-inch puck on the ice can make all the difference.

No matter how many camera angles or eyes watch a certain play, sometimes it's almost impossible to conclusively determine what happened.

Either the puck fully crossed the line, or it didn't. Either the player's skate was onside, or it wasn't. But can the human eye figure this out all the time?

Other sports, such as soccer, tennis and, most recently, football, have decided it's not.

Over a decade ago, in 2013, the Premier League announced it would implement Hawk-Eye technology across all its soccer matches.

Hawk-Eye, which has been around since 2001, is a computer vision system that uses cameras to track a ball's trajectory during play. Officials can use it to determine whether the ball has completely crossed the goal line. In soccer, this information is sent to the referee's watch within a second to assist in making the correct call.

In tennis, Hawk-Eye has been used since 2002, also known as Electronic Line Calling.

The system uses six or more computer-linked television cameras positioned around the court to create 3D representations of the ball's path. Chair umpires rely on this system to make accurate calls and only intervene if the technology malfunctions.

Should The NHL Allow Video Review For Uncalled Headshots During A Game?Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended for elbowing Brandon Hagel in the head, but he wasn't penalized when he did it.

The NHL does not use goal-line puck-tracking technology, but implementing it can save time and make the game smoother and more accurate.

For Cole Perfetti and the Winnipeg Jets, relying on the NHL's current video-review system left a recent play up for debate, even after the NHL Situation Room in Toronto made the final decision. 

In Game 3 of the first-round series between the Jets and the St. Louis Blues, Perfetti's one-timer in the second period was caught by Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in what appeared to be an impressive glove save. However, Binnington's glove was partially in the net when he made the catch, making it difficult to tell whether or not the puck had crossed the goal line.

The NHL Situation Room ruled that there was no conclusive evidence to overturn what was originally called a no-goal.

Jordan Binnington robs Perfetti with the glove... but did the puck cross the line? 👀

(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/DIygtBThoX

— BarDown (@BarDown) April 25, 2025

Jets winger David Gustafsson scored later in the third, leaving fans to wonder how the game might have shifted if Perfetti's goal had counted, as Gustafsson's goal would have made it 3-2 with momentum instead of 3-1 in what ultimately ended as a 7-2 loss for the Jets.

Another issue is the amount of time it can take for reviews to be conducted. 

In the Jets game, it took over five minutes to make the decision on the Perfetti no-goal.

Swings of momentum are important in hockey. One moment, you're buzzing on the power play. The next, your legs get stiff while you wait for the referees to decide the future of the game based on plays that come down to less than inches.

In January 2024, Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid voiced his frustration after an offside review that took nearly 15 minutes to determine whether a Zach Hyman goal was offside or not.

The play was eventually overturned, and although the Oilers came away with a 2-1 win, it highlighted a problem with the length of reviews and the difficulty of ensuring they're correct.

In April 2025, the NFL announced it would adopt Sony's Hawk-Eye virtual measurement technology, using 8K cameras positioned around the stadium to determine whether the football has crossed the line to gain. On-field officials, who traditionally make these calls while running up and down the field, will be used as backup.

While the NHL has implemented new technology over the years – such as NHL Edge, which provides new advanced statistics on things such as skating speed, skating distance, shot speed, shot location and zone time based on puck and player tracking – the league's lack of goal-line and offside technology sticks out. It continues to be exposed on bigger stages come playoff time and will likely keep causing problems if the NHL doesn't get with the times like other leagues have.

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The second round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs starts Monday, so it’s time to predict them.

Your humble correspondent is riding high, as we went 4-0 in our first-round Eastern Conference predictions, including the Toronto Maple Leafs winning in six games over Ottawa, and the Carolina Hurricanes needing five games to beat New Jersey. 

We’ll have to wait a couple of days to see how our Western Conference picks turned out, but it’s time to make some educated guesses for who wins the second-round matchups in the East between the Washington Capitals and Hurricanes and between the Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.

Game 1 between the Leafs and Panthers is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET, while the Hurricanes and Capitals kick off their series on Tuesday.

As always – and before you skewer us in the comment section – remember that what follows are educated guesses. With that said, let’s get down to business:

Washington Capitals (M1) Vs. Carolina Hurricanes (M2)

Season series: 2-2 tie

Why Washington will win:The Capitals got a good test from the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, but they weathered the storm to eliminate the Habs in five games. 

Washington’s high-octane offense was better than the Canadiens’ offense, but it ultimately was the Caps’ defense that was the deciding factor, as they allowed only six goals in their four victories.

Against the Hurricanes, Washington has the edge in goal. Logan Thompson has delivered as advertised, while his counterpart in Carolina, veteran Frederik Andersen, always seems to be an injury risk.

With the Capitals’ speed, coaching and depth, a series win for Washington is definitely within the realm of possibility. They were the best team in the East for good reason, and they can get to the Eastern final for the fourth time in franchise history.

Washington Capitals To Renew Bad Blood With Carolina Hurricanes In Round 2As the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday, the first second-round matchup of the Stanley Cup playoffs is set. 

Why Carolina will win: Playing against an injury-depleted New Jersey team in the opening round, the Hurricanes could’ve taken their foot off the gas and given the Devils a chance to get a couple of wins under their belt.

Instead, Carolina kept its foot on New Jersey’s neck, limiting the Devils to only four goals in their first three wins.

The Hurricanes also showed they could run-and-gun, beating New Jersey 5-4 in double overtime in the deciding fifth game. So Carolina can beat you any way you want.

The Hurricanes’ best players met expectations in Round 1, with Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov combining for 10 goals and 19 points. With a solid defense corps that is superior to Washington’s, Carolina has what it takes to get back to the Eastern final for the second time in the past three seasons and the third time since 2018-19. 

Prediction: Hurricanes in six games

The Capitals and Hurricanes are two well-above-average teams with very few flaws, but the latter looked slightly more dominant against New Jersey than Washington was against Montreal. So long as Andersen stays healthy, the goaltending picture between the two teams is more or less even.

Washington won’t be swept in this showdown, as it has too much talent and is too well-coached to be sent home in shame. 

But the Hurricanes’ power play and penalty kill were better than Washington’s in the first round. Carolina also had the NHL's top penalty kill in the regular season. If that success continues, that could be the difference in the Hurricanes’ favor, so we’re going with them in what will almost assuredly be a ferociously contested series.

Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) Vs. Florida Panthers (A3)

Season series: 3-1 Florida

Why Toronto will win:The Maple Leafs were playing to save their jobs in the first round against the Ottawa Senators.

Although there were some hiccups for Toronto in eliminating the Sens, coach Craig Berube pushed all the right buttons – for example, sticking with veteran left winger Max Pacioretty in Game 6, when some were calling for him to be scratched and replaced with youngster Nick Robertson.

Pacioretty came through with the game-winning goal, and the Buds lived to fight another day, getting out of the first round for the second consecutive year.

Beating the Panthers will take everything the Leafs have, but this year’s Toronto defense is far and away a better unit than last year’s ‘D’ corps.

Meanwhile, Florida’s elite collection of agitators will find they can’t goad the Maple Leafs into taking dumb penalties. And Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz is a Grade-A battler who will be helped out immensely by his defensemen who constantly limit opponents’ shots to the outside fringe.

It all adds up to a drastically different Buds team, and Florida has its flaws like any group, so Toronto has a golden opportunity to shock the Panthers and get to the third round for the first time since 2001-02.

This is the best Maple Leafs team in ages, and they may finally have the right recipe to going far for the first time in a generation.

Five Of The NHL's Best Defensive Defensemen In 2024-25 The three finalists for the NHL’s Norris Trophy are more than capable in their own end.

Why Florida will win: When you’re the defending Cup champions, you should never be counted out, and we’re certainly not going to do so at this juncture.

The Panthers made quick work of a very good Tampa Bay Lightning team in Round 1, beating them in five games, while scoring 18 goals in their wins. Toronto will quickly find Florida is significantly better than Ottawa right now.

The Panthers’ trade deadline acquisitions of defenseman Seth Jones and Brad Marchand make an already-talented squad all the more dangerous. The return to action of star left winger Matthew Tkachuk had an obvious boost for Florida in the opening round, with five points in five games.

There isn’t a more tenacious team than the Panthers, and they’ve had the Leafs’ number in the regular season, so they’re going to be favored until Toronto proves it can beat them.

With goalie Sergei Bobrovsky looking solid as ever, posting a 2.21 GAA and one shutout in the first round, the Panthers will give the Maple Leafs all they can handle.

Prediction: Maple Leafs in seven games.

The Panthers have played a lot of playoff hockey in recent years, with a combined 60 games in the past four post-seasons.

At some point, the toll on their core has to turn into fatigue.

We’re not saying that was true of Florida against the Lightning, but the Leafs are a well-coached, very deep, resilient team that has all the motivation in the world to pull off a win in this series. They will constantly challenge the Panthers by pushing into their defensive zone and grinding them into submission.

If the Maple Leafs get rolled in four or five games against the Panthers, their win over Ottawa will recede quickly into the minds of Leafs fans and ownership. Toronto’s players are still playing to keep the team and its management together.

Regardless of who wins this series, we see it going to seven games. And this is where Toronto’s home-ice advantage may play out in their favor. This year’s Maple Leafs are as dynamic and determined as any Leafs team in recent memory, and we expect them to outlast the Panthers.

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It’s only natural to see several coaches lose their jobs following the end of the season. With only 16 available playoff spots, the other half of the NHL is feeling disappointed and possibly seeking change. 

One of the easiest ways to search for change is by parting with a coach and hiring a new one. 

Seven coach vacancies exist after the New York Rangers took advantage of a Cup-winning coach hitting the open market, Mike Sullivan, and hired him to replace Peter Laviolette on Friday. If Sullivan can come into New York and get the best out of Alexis Lafreniere, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, there’s no reason they can’t compete for a playoff spot next season.

There’s still a strong market of available coaches, ranging from veterans to AHL or NCAA coaches looking for an opportunity. Let’s see which coaches whose names surfaced in speculation would be a good fit for each NHL team with a vacancy.

Philadelphia Flyers: Pat Ferschweiler

Ferschweiler recently coached Western Michigan University to a national men’s hockey championship in the NCAA, shocking Boston University in the final. Without many highly drafted NHL prospects, Ferschweiler needed his players to play a fast and structured game.

Despite playing a structured style, Ferschweiler embraced flexibility, which should bode well for the Flyers. With youngsters Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York and more, a structured game will help them on the defensive side of the puck, but the flexibility will allow their offensive creativity to flow. 

Top prospect Alex Bump thrived under Ferschweiler with the Broncos and should be able to transform his game at the next level. 

Chicago Blackhawks: Jay Woodcroft

The Blackhawks looked like the ideal team to sign University of Denver coach David Carle, but the 35-year-old recently pulled his name out of the running for the vacant coaching job, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. 

With Carle no longer an option, the Blackhawks must look elsewhere, and Woodcroft would be a great addition to their coaching staff.

Connor McDavid had the most productive season of his career under Woodcroft's guidance, and he might be the best-equipped coach to get the same out of Connor Bedard. 

Bedard has been held back by the lack of talent on the Blackhawks, but the end of the 2024-25 season saw the franchise introduce several of its top prospects. Possibly adding a top-two pick would bolster the roster further, and Woodcroft’s offensive play style could get the best out of those young players.  

Pittsburgh Penguins: Rick Tocchet

The Penguins are refusing to surrender to a rebuild, and it’s understandable, considering Sidney Crosby scored 33 goals and 91 points this season and ranked in the top 10 in points.

Finding a coach who can instill a play style so strong that it can mask some of the issues a team faces is what the Penguins need, and Tocchet’s defensive style might be able to do so. 

With deep roots in Pittsburgh, Tocchet is likely the favorite to land in the Steel City.

Three Paths The Pittsburgh Penguins Can Take In Their Coaching SearchThe Pittsburgh Penguins opened up a particularly appealing job after parting with coach Mike Sullivan on Monday. 

Anaheim Ducks: Joel Quenneville

Quenneville hasn’t coached in the NHL since 2021, when he resigned from the Florida Panthers.

That came after a report that revealed he was aware of sexual assault allegations surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks’ video coach in the 2010 playoffs but was part of an overall lack of response by the team. He was ruled ineligible to work in the NHL until July 2024, when the NHL reinstated him, Stan Bowman and Al MacIssac.

Quenneville’s teams won the Stanley Cup three times. Although the Ducks might not be at that contender level yet, they certainly aren’t short on young NHL-proven players and prospects. 

Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov and Lukas Dostal all had excellent seasons and are barely a few years into their NHL career.

With established players like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras still under the age of 28, the Ducks are ready to compete once again, and a veteran coach like Quenneville will help them get there. 

Boston Bruins: Jay Leach

Whether coaching the AHL’s Providence Bruins or working as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken or the Boston Bruins, Leach has done an admirable job in developing talent. He’s been patiently waiting and looks to deserve a chance as an NHL head coach. 

The decision the Bruins make depends on what the organization wants to do moving forward. They may look to hire a veteran coach and try to be competitive again next season, but with the major roster turnover, that might be a difficult feat.

Vancouver Canucks: Manny Malhotra

The Canucks are trying to get younger, looking to incorporate more players from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Aatu Raty and defenseman Elias Pettersson have slowly been integrated into the NHL lineup, and their familiarity with Malhotra will help them when they become full-time NHLers.

Vancouver Canucks' Six Potential Replacements For Coach Rick TocchetIn the end, it came down to more than just money for Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet.

Tom Willander is one of the Canucks’ top prospects whose future with the team is uncertain. Hiring a coach with experience in developing players might help sway Willander to commit his future to the Canucks. Similarly to the Rangers, the Canucks are in a peculiar spot but have a deeper prospect pool, which should allow them to hire a younger coach. 

Seattle Kraken: Todd Nelson

Nelson and the Kraken organization have a history. The Hershey Bears, the team Nelson coaches, defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, in the Calder Cup final in back-to-back seasons. 

Under Nelson’s tutelage, the Bears have been the most dominant AHL team, limiting the goals they allow and scoring a lot themselves.

The Kraken have been clear about what they want from their next coach, which is to develop their young players, such as Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans. A coach with vast experience in the AHL seems like the perfect candidate to help a team with loads of talent in its prospect pool.

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.

After exceeding the goal the Montreal Canadiens’ brass set for this season, the Habs will look to improve again in the 2025-26 campaign. They’ll need significant contributions from at least one rookie to do that, but a couple more could also make an impact.

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In this year’s edition of The Hockey News’ Future Watch, five Canadiens prospects are ranked in the league’s top 100 prospects. This is the exact total as in last year’s edition, but their identity and ranking differ.

In 2024, THN had David Reinbacher as Montreal’s top entry in its ranking, 13th place. Lane Hutson was the second entry, 49th place (in hindsight, that should have been much higher). Owen Beck was 60th, Joshua Roy 83rd, and Filip Mesar 89th.

Of the lot, only Reinbacher remains. Hutson is now an established NHLer and no longer available, while Beck, Roy, and Mesar have all been overtaken by other prospects. Without further ado, here are the five Canadiens’ prospects who have made the rankings for this year's edition.

Ivan Demidov

Coming in hot at number one is Ivan Demidov; he’s a new entry since he hadn’t yet been drafted when the list was compiled in 2024, but judging by how many scouts turned up at the Bell Centre to witness his debut, many wish he were theirs. The young Russian made an immediate impact with the Canadiens when he played the last two regular-season games and the five playoff tilts against the Washington Capitals.

His puck handling, hockey IQ, and compete level are through the roof. If this season was Hutson’s year in Montreal, the next campaign promises to be Demidov’s. His insertion on the first power play from the third game of the playoffs was a game-changer. Two incredibly creative players on the man-advantage unit immediately rejuvenated the Habs' power play. It became less predictable and a real threat.

What a setup by Ivan Demidov 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/VXOvoz5Sj1

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2025

David Reinbacher

In 17th place, we find the only name returning from last year’s edition: David Reinbacher. He only lost four spots, even though he was sidelined for most of the season with a knee injury, a true testament to how highly regarded he is by GMs, scouts, and directors of player personnel.

The Canadiens did their best to ensure Reinbacher didn’t waste any development opportunities, keeping him around the team until he was ready to return to action with the Laval Rocket. The organization is being very careful with the right-shot defenseman, not letting him skate more than once a day, no morning skate for the youngster, and no extra stress put on that surgically repaired knee—until Friday morning, that is. It looks like he’s turned a corner.

With David Savard hanging up his skates, the Canadiens will have a vacancy on the right side of defense, but will Reinbacher be ready to step into that role? Not yet. I think he could do with a full season in Laval just so the Habs can evaluate what they have in him. He played professional hockey in Switzerland, but the jump to the NHL is big.

Michael Hage

Another new entry for this edition, Michael Hage is 42nd on the THN’s list. He has plenty of potential and was impressive in his first season in the NCAA, scoring 34 points in 33 games. He was even named freshman of the year in the Big 10. He was fourth in points-per-game amongst all rookies in the NCAA with 1.03.

We already know that he’s going back to Michigan for a sophomore season, and he needs it. The 19-year-old is six feet one inch but only 190 pounds. He needs to add some muscle to his frame to be effective in the NHL.

The Canadiens drafted him 21st overall in the last draft, and the organization will have to be patient with him. Don’t expect him to make the jump to the NHL right away.

Logan Mailloux

Another new entry, Logan Mailloux, lands at number 58. His first season with the Laval Rocket was great; he scored 47 points in 72 games, but things were a lot harder in his sophomore campaign. In 63 games, he scored 33 points, which works out to 0.52 points per game, down from 0.65 in his rookie season.

The organization had hoped he could have been ready to make the jump to the NHL this season, but it was apparent at camp that he wasn’t quite there yet. This prompted Kent Hughes to turn to the trade market to replace Jonathan Kovacevic, whom he had thought expendable. Still, he managed to flip Justin Barron for Alex Carrier with the Nashville Predators, and it worked out well for the team.

Mailloux played seven games with the Canadiens this season, scoring four points, but he did not look like a finished product. He was still vulnerable defensively and could probably use more time in Laval.

Jacob Fowler

The fifth and final Canadiens on the list is newly signed goaltender Jacob Fowler. Hughes did well in signing him to an ELC, which only starts next season, and added an amateur tryout for the end of this year.

It has allowed a 20-year-old, 6-foot-4, 214-pound supersize goalie to play his first few professional games. He got three games in the regular season with the Rocket, going 2-1-0 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

Jacob Fowler made his AHL debut last night. Here were his saves. He was outstanding. pic.twitter.com/nkAzTM8vEp

— Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) April 13, 2025

Samuel Montembeault’s tearing his groin also meant that he was tasked with starting the playoffs with the Rocket since Cayden Primeau was acting as backup to Jakub Dobes. With the Canadiens now eliminated, one would have thought Primeau would have taken the reins back, but Fowler was in the starter’s net on Friday morning, with game two being played in the evening.

In his sophomore season with Boston College, he was a dominant force winning the Mike Richter award as the top goaltender in the NCAA. He finished his season with a 25-7-2 record, a 1.63 GAA and a .940 SP.

It remains to be seen if that dominance will translate well at the professional level, but what his showed so far definitively has Canadiens' fans excited. 

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

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Finland lost its first game of the final leg of the 2024-25 Euro Hockey Tour on Thursday night in Brno, Czechia 4-2 to the host Czechs. Finland’s goals were scored by Lenni Hämeenaho of Ässät Pori and defenseman Veli-Matti Vittasmäki of German club Kölner Haie – the latter was a late addition to the roster.

“The guy came on hard, maybe we weren’t quite ready and the game started off a little badly, but we were able to improve as the game progressed,” Hämeenaho said after the game. “Today’s game was tougher and more physical than the (previous exhibition) games against Sweden. I noticed that the level has risen.”

Juuse Saros stopped 30 of 33 shots in the Finnish goal – Jakub Lauko beat him in the third minute of the game and also scored a late goal into the empty net.

Pastrnak Will Play For Czechs In Worlds, But Not This Weekend In Euro Hockey Tour 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.

Finland’s roster currently includes five NHLers, including Saros and Nashville Predators backup goalie Justus Annunen. Also on the team are forwards Joona Koppanen of the Pittburgh Penguins, Juuso Pärssinen of the New York Rangers and Eeli Tolvanen of the Seattle Kraken.

Under previous coach Jukka Jalonen, Finland often relied on European-based players who were familiar with the team’s system ahead of NHLers, but it will be interesting to see if new coach Antti Pennanen decides to add any players who are eliminated from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Report: NHL Teams Interested In Finnish D-Man Valtteri Pulli According to Finnish media outlet MTV, multiple NHL teams are interested in the services of 23-year-old Finnish defenseman Valtteri Pulli, who currently plays in Switzerland for HC Lugano.

Goaltenders: Justus Annunen, Juuse Saros (both Nashville, NHL), Emil Larmi (Växjö Lakers, SWE).

Defensemen: Robin Salo, Lassi Thomson (both Malmö Redhawks, SWE), Atro Leppänen (Sport Vaasa), Tony Sund (IFK Helsinki), Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC Lions, SUI), Valtteri Pulli (HC Lugano, SUI), Rasmus Rissanen (Linköping HC, SWE), Vili Saarijärvi (SCL Tigers, SUI), Mikael Seppälä (HV 71, SWE), Jesse Virtanen (HC Ambri-Piotta, SUI), Veli-Matti Vittasmäki (Kölner Haie, GER).

Forwards: Eemil Erholtz, Lenni Hämeenaho, Jan-Mikael Järvinen (all Ässät Pori), Hannes Björninen, Patrik Puistola (Örebro HK, SWE), Jesse Kiiskinen (HPK Hämeenlinna), Petteri Puhakka (Tappara Tampere), Joona Ikonen (Malmö Redhawks, SWE), Waltteri Merelä (SC Bern, SUI), Joona Koppanen (Pittsburgh, NHL), Juho Lammikko (ZSC Lions, SUI), Ahti Oksanen (Lausanne HC, SUI), Juuso Pärssinen (New York Rangers, NHL), Harri Pesonen (SCL Tigers, SUI), Mikael Ruohomaa (Frölunda HC, SWE), Tommi Tikka (HV 71, SWE), Eeli Tolvanen (Seattle, NHL).

11 NHLers On Swedish Roster At Last Pre-Worlds Tourney The NHL contingent on the Swedish national team has now risen to 11 as the team approaches its last tune-up before the IIHF World Championship, and that’s the Czech Hockey Games this weekend – the final leg of the 2024-25 Euro Hockey Tour.

ST. LOUIS – Honestly, this is so hard to decipher.

The discrepancy between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets in this Western Conference First round series is quite home-dominated.

For the sixth straight game in this series, the home team held serve and there will be a Game 7 in this series after the Blues took control of Game 6 on Friday in the second period when they scored four times in a 5-2 win before another boisterous crowd at Enterprise Center.

Philip Broberg and Alexey Toropchenko each had a goal and an assist, Brayden Schenn, Cam Fowler and Nathan Walker each scored and Jordan Binnington once again bested Connor Hellebuyck with 21 saves.

The Blues have outscored the Jets 17-5 in the three games at home after a 7-2 win in Game 3 and 5-1 in Game 4.

The likely Vezina Trophy winner was chased in each of the games in St. Louis, and the Blues chased Hellebuyck again, this time after two periods when he allowed five goals on 23 shots.

It was second period blitzkrieg that saw the Blues seize control of the game and force a Game 7 on Sunday at 6 p.m. in Winnipeg.

So without further ado, let’s go straight to Friday’s Three Takeaways:

* Four goals in 5:23 was an onslaught – There were some nervy moments there when the Jets tied the game early in the second period on a Cole Perfetti power-play goal, but just like the two previous home games, the Blues hit the Jets in the mouth.

One goal, two goals, three goals, four goals.

Game over.

Walker at 11:34. Schenn at 12:27. Fowler at 13:40. Toropchenko at 16:57.

And that was that.

It happened fast, it happened furious, it happened with precision.

Hellebuyck was staggered (again), and the crowd was electric, and as Schenn said, “It felt like when Fowler scored it almost popped the roof right off. It’s an unreal place to play, I’ve always said that about St. Louis. The fans are electric, full building every night, and they come to cheer with their Blues jersey on and pretty special city. We definitely embrace their energy.”

Walker got the lead back when he was positioned at the top of the crease when Broberg put on a skating clinic down the left hand side and around the net, before slipping a little cheeky pass that Walker tucked away for his third goal in two games.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Nathan Walker with 08:26 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Philip Broberg and Justin Faulk.

St. Louis: 2
Winnipeg: 1#WPGvsSTL#stlblues#GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/WErqg5cRQg

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) May 3, 2025

“Whenever you can contribute and get the win, that’s obviously better than not,” Walker said. “’Broby’ made a great play there and I was just in the right spot at the right time.”

Schenn’s goal came off a breakout play when Ryan Suter hit Jake Neighbours, whose precision little touch pass off the boards sprung Schenn in stride, and like a crafty veteran, he used Jets defenseman Neal Pionk as a screen to snap a shot by Hellebuyck on the glove side.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Brayden Schenn with 07:33 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Jake Neighbours and Ryan Suter.

St. Louis: 3
Winnipeg: 1#WPGvsSTL#stlblues#GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/IvVhjXG8NG

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) May 3, 2025

Fowler’s goal was also a momentum play and he took advantage of the kind of traffic that makes Hellebuyck uncomfortable, and it was Walker there setting the screen that Hellebuyck never saw.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Cam Fowler with 06:20 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Colton Parayko and Alexey Toropchenko.

St. Louis: 4
Winnipeg: 1#WPGvsSTL#stlblues#GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/DJWd8n1rpv

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) May 3, 2025

And Toropchenko finished off the onslaught when Faksa hit him in stride and he potted a shot from the slot, this time to the blocker side.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Alexey Toropchenko with 03:03 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Radek Faksa.

St. Louis: 5
Winnipeg: 1#WPGvsSTL#stlblues#GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/NUtiOkukao

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) May 3, 2025

“We utilized our speed and our physicality,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “I thought we were able to be physical down low, we were able to skate with some speed through the neutral zone and we were really committed to getting to the net front again. Those first couple of goals, they’re really good screen goals. That Faksa line was dominant tonight.”

* Faksa line sets tempo again, but is also now scoring – And that leads into the Faksa line.

Montgomery starts them seemingly every game, just like Craig Berube used to do with the Ivan Barbashev-Oskar Sundqvist-Alexander Steen fourth line of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2019, and with good reason.

They do all the little things that make a line go and sets the tone for the rest of their linemates, but after collectively putting up four points in Game 5, the line had two goals and three assists in Game 6 and have 11 points in the series.

Faksa also had two assists to go with the contributions of Toropchenko and Walker.

“In a series, there’s the game within the game of a series,” Montgomery said. “They’re a load to handle. it doesn’t matter. They’ve scored goals against every D-pairing, so they’re hard to handle down low. Over and over it gets hard and they’re creating that identity that we look for that allows us to get to net fronts, to win races and get screened goals.”

It’s why teammates trust them in all situations.

“They’ve been the most consistent line all year with the way they play, pretty much right from Game 1,” Schenn said. “They don’t really get broken up that much and it’s almost like they play robotic because they’re so on the same page, they play on the goal line, they wear other teams down. They’re big, they can skate and they hold on to pucks and get to the net. Obviously good chemistry and guys that get along off the ice that’s translating on to the ice.”

Broberg added, "I think they've been great all year.  They work so hard and they play physical and they score goals, important goals, for us. And all three guys are great guys as well off the ice so you love to have them on your team, and they've been huge for us."

Oh, and hey Logan Stanley, 6-foot-7, 231-pound Logan Stanley ... 5-9, 187-pound Nathan Walker doesn't move that easily:

Can't knock Nathan Walker down no matter how hard you try pic.twitter.com/qhxJk8cNkG

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 3, 2025

* Broberg’s goal timely – As for Broberg, his goal was so crucial.

There was a sense in the building that the Blues were somewhat tentative.

The Jets came out with a purpose, and the first five minutes or so, even though they didn’t get a high volume number of shots, they had an advantage with territorial possession of the puck.

But there was some footing with the Blues on that shift, and it was on a puck that got played by Justin Faulk behind the net while being challenged near the O-zone blue line, Jimmy Snuggerud found Robert Thomas, who in turn found Broberg in the high slot. And Broberg’s fluttering knuckle puck got through Hellebuyck as Pavel Buchnevich was doing a fly-by at the top of the crease that saw defenseman Dylan Samberg push Buchnevich into some contact.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Philip Broberg with 13:55 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud.

St. Louis: 1
Winnipeg: 0#WPGvsSTL#stlblues#GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/kD2eSGQlbb

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) May 3, 2025

“Yeah, I think they came out hard, for sure, and I think we responded well,” Broberg said. “After that, I think we played better and played to our strengths.”

It seemed to give the Blues some life and slowly but surely turn the tides in which they began to play more in the offensive zone and not allow Winnipeg, which was playing without Mark Scheifele due to his undisclosed injury in the first period of Game 5, to get to its forecheck and disrupt the Blues from transitional play.

“It was really important,” Montgomery said. “I thought it was a great play by Faulk to drive wide and that’s that speed we’re talking about and then we had people drive through and were able to go low to high and pound that puck. It was really important because I did not like the start of our first 8-10 minutes, then we started to come after that goal.”

* Bonus takeaway: Binnington made some precise saves – While a lot of the focus has been on Hellebuyck, Binnington was once again, with back against a wall, making timely saves.

It started with pushing from right to left on Nikolaj Ehlers 1:14 into the game. If the Jets score there, what kind of game are we talking about?

And there was another unbelievable save on Kyle Connor off a low-slot one-timer that he pushes left to right outstretched to keep a puck out.

JORDAN BINNINGTON WHAT A SAVE 😱 pic.twitter.com/fKMY1fRgkh

— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) May 3, 2025

“He’s the total package,” Fowler said. “He’s a huge reason why we are where we are and we’ll continue to lean on him because he’s shown everybody time and time again that he’s world class.”

We now have a date to circle on our calendars.

The NHL announced an official start date for the second-round series between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

It’s not happening this weekend.

Florida eliminated Tampa Bay on Wednesday and Toronto finished off Ottawa Thursday night, so both have had plenty of time to, as Sergei Bobrovsky would say, rest, reset and refocus.

They’ll have a couple more days to recharge the batteries, because Game 1 between the Panthers and Maple Leafs will take place Monday night, with an 8 p.m. puck drop.

We’ll have to wait and see when the league drops the full series schedule.

There are still two Game 7s coming up this weekend – Saturday with Colorado in Dallas and Sunday between the Blues and Jets – but both are including Western Conference teams.

Once the full schedule is announced we’ll make sure to post it here on THN Florida.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to open the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday.

Following the end of the St. Louis Blues' 5-2 victory against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 of their first-round series, Sportsnet revealed that the Leafs will open their second-round series against the Florida Panthers on Monday with a start time of 8 p.m. ET.

‘That’s How You Win A Series’: Craig Berube Praises Scott Laughton’s Shot-Blocking Heroics, Maple Leafs' Bottom-Six Delivers Against SenatorsWith 25 seconds left on the clock in a one-goal game, it wasn’t a member of the ‘Core Four’ who made the defining play of the Toronto Maple Leafs' series-clinching win – it was Scott Laughton, throwing himself in front of a Jake Sanderson slap shot to preserve the lead.

The Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Thursday and advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three seasons. As they did back in 2023, they meet the Panthers, who knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. 

Maple Leafs’ ‘Business-Like’ Mindset Overcomes Potential Playoff Disaster to Advance to Second RoundKANATA, Ont. — When the final horn sounded at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrated their 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators, pushing them through to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Panthers are defending Stanley Cup Champions and are repeat Stanley Cup Finalists. The 8 p.m. ET start time will be the latest start for the Leafs during the postseason. They had one 7:30 p.m. ET start in round one, with the other five games starting shortly after 7 p.m. EDT.

It should be noted that the NHL Draft Lottery is also set for Monday at 7 p.m. ET and it's more than likely that the league did not want to have a playoff game going running against it. Even still, that lottery broadcast is expected to be finished by 7:30 p.m, allowing rightholders to have the full 30-minute pre-game prior to the 8 p.m. start.

'I Thought I Was Done Playing A Number Of Times': How Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty Persevered To Score Series-Clinching Goal Against SenatorsIt was 225 days ago, on Sept. 19, when Max Pacioretty, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie with the number 67 stamped on, first stepped in front of the camera to explain why he joined the organization.

The Leafs took Friday off after their big win and are scheduled to be back on the ice on Saturday. The remaining first-round schedule has yet to be released.

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Connor Hellebuyck was pulled from the Winnipeg Jets' crease for the third time in four games as the St. Louis Blues won Game 6, 5-2.

The first period came to an end with the Blues leading 1-0, thanks to Phillip Broberg's first goal of the playoffs. The Jets were heavily outplayed in the opening frame, throwing just two shots at Jordan Binnington. 

Morgan Barron had thought he tied the game, but an offside challenge reversed the call. The Jets did, however, tie the game with Cole Perfetti's first of the playoffs. But just like Games 3 and 4, the Jets imploded the Blues took over, scoring four unanswered goals. Nathan Walker got it started before, Brayden Schenn, Cam Fowler and Alexey Toropchenko added to the lead. 

As the third period began, it was Eric Comrie who took over the Jets' net, replacing Hellebuyck for the third consecutive road game. Nino Niederreiter scored his second goal of the playoffs to cut the Blues' lead to 5-2, but the thoughts of a comeback were short-lived, as the Blues shut down every attempt the Jets made. 

Hellebuyck allowed five goals on 23 shots, and his replacement, Comrie, stopped all four shots he faced. While he wasn't challenged too often, when called upon, Binnington delivered, turning away 21 of the 23 shots he saw. 

The Jets and Blues will return to Winnipeg for a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday.

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

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the summer is starting early for the Kings after a first-round playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

This one is a little different, though, because this was a season that had inspired rare promise before it ended Thursday in the same painful monotony as the last three, with the Oilers going on and the Kings going home.

And that’s particularly disappointing since the Kings tied franchise records for wins (48) and points (105) and set one for home victories (31) this season. Yet it ended with the team breaking another record: it has now gone 11 seasons without winning a playoff series, the longest drought in team history.

A postseason in which the Kings seemed primed for a long run lasted just six games, the last a 6-4 loss to the Oilers at Rogers Place that leaves the organization once again shuffling off into the offseason plagued by doubt, frustration and one big question.

What happened?

“Having the season that we had, the group of guys in this locker room, and know, to come up short again? It sucks,” said captain Anze Kopitar, who scored the team’s final goal of the season. “It's frustrating. This one hurts a little more.”

Hurts a little more because the Kings lost more than a game and a series Thursday. They lost a golden opportunity. Rarely has a postseason set up so favorably for the team.

After acquiring Andrei Kuzmenko at the trade deadline, the Kings went on a tear, winning 17 of their final 22 games, averaging better than 3.7 goals a game. The once-punchless power play became potent; goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper went 15 games allowing two or fewer goals, the second-longest streak in the NHL’s expansion era; and the team sprinted past the Oilers to place second in the Pacific Division, its best finish in nine seasons.

No team finished the season hotter nor healthier than the Kings.

Read more:Kings' season ends in another playoff loss to Oilers: 'This one hurts a little more'

That also meant the Kings, who had the best home record in the NHL in the regular season, would have the home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. And if they finally got past an Edmonton team that limped into the postseason wounded, they would have faced Las Vegas in the second round and a team from a quartet of Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado or St. Louis in the Western Conference final.

The Kings were a combined 8-4-1 against those teams in the regular season. It wasn’t outlandish to think the Kings had a shot at the Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s all going according to plan,” one team executive whispered early in the playoffs. And then it wasn’t, with the Kings once again tripping over a familiar hurdle.

“One hundred percent it’s a missed opportunity,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “We had great buy-in from our players. We believe we could have won the series. We believe we should have won the series. We didn't.

“So that's the bottom line.”

The Oilers have proven to be the kryptonite to even the most Superman-ish of Kings teams, with Edmonton the place the Kings postseasons go to die.

The teams have met in the playoffs 11 times since 1982 with the Oilers winning nine of those series, including the last four in a row. The last time the Kings beat Edmonton in the playoffs, in 1989, Wayne Gretzky led the team in points, current general manager Luc Robitaille was in his third season as a player while Kopitar, the only player on this year’s team who was even alive then, was still in diapers.

This year’s loss may be the most painful of the lot though.

The Kings had the home-ice advantage, one of the league’s top three goaltenders in Darcy Kuemper and the top power play in the playoffs. They led in every game.

Yet they still lost in six.

The turning point in the series came in late in Game 3. After dominating the first two games at home, the Kings were leading the first game in Edmonton with about seven minutes to play when disaster struck. After the Oilers’ Evander Kane tied the game on a controversial goal, Hiller challenged the call, claiming goalie interference. He lost, Edmonton was awarded a power play, and 10 seconds later the Oilers went in front to stay.

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

In Game 4 the Kings led with less than 35 seconds to play when Quinton Byfield failed to make a simple clearance out of the Kings’ zone. The Oilers pounced on the mistake to tie the game, then won it in overtime. They never lost again.

“You can pinpoint Game 3, we didn’t close out,” Kopitar said. “Definitely Game 4. It's a completely different series if we go home up 3-1 versus 2-2. But could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.”

The Kings simply wore down, especially on the blue line. That’s why they gave up a playoff-worst 15 goals in the third period and overtime in the series. The Oilers scored just 12 times in the first and second periods combined.

Yet asked in his postgame news conference if he regretted how he used his defensemen, Hiller was curt.

“No,” he said.

And with that he walked away from the podium for the final time this season.

Then there’s the offense. Kopitar and Adrian Kempe combined for 19 points in the series, but had just one goal and two assists combined after Kane’s tying goal in Game 3.

“The chances were there. We just couldn’t convert,” Kopitar said. “Credit to their goalie, he made some good stops. Credit to their team. The last couple of games they played a solid checking game and made it harder on us to generate stuff.

“We fought and came up short.”

That’s beginning to sound redundant.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Week 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Event is now live in NHL 25 Hockey Ultimate Team. 

The five new 94 overall master set players are Andrei Vasilevskiy, Larry Murphy, Ryan McDonagh, Bryan Trottier, and Jarome Iginla. 

16 additional Stanley Cup base cards were added, led by 93 overall Thomas Steen, Olaf Kolzig, Deryk Engelland, and Borje Salming and 92 overall Sergei Zubov, Cory Sarich, and Bernie Nicholls. 

Six new Wildcard players were added and are playable, all are 94 overall. The players are David Pastrnak, Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid, Jacob Markstrom, Zdeno Chara, and Cale Makar. 

Four new Game Day players, two 91 overall players from the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are also available, Evgenni Dadonov and Cody Ceci for the Stars and Josh Manson and Jonathan Drouin for the Avalanche. 

Each master set Playoff player costs three 91+ Playoff cards and any two 91+ cards.

Players can trade any three 89+ Playoff cards for a 91 Playoff card or any three 87+ cards for an 89 overall Playoff card. 

There are Collectible sets where players can trade in Stanley Cup Collectibles for player packs. Players can trade in 30 Stanley Cup Playoff Collectibles for a 91 overall untradeable or 93 overall BND card. 

Check out Week 1 of the Playoff Event here. 

Check out the recent Team Builder release and roster update. 

For more NHL 25 news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed. For gaming discussion check out our forum.  

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is wrapping up, and there has been no shortage of entertaining highlights and storylines for hockey fans to enjoy.

This week on The Hockey Show, co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork discussed much of the happenings that have occurred so far during an exciting start to the postseason.

Several of the opening round series’ are complete, and we already know our second round matchups in the Eastern Conferene.

The Metro-winning Washington Capitals will host the Carolina Hurricanes while the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Atlantic Division champs, will face last season’s Stanley Cup winners, the Florida Panthers.

To discuss the postseason and current NHL news, including the New York Rangers hiring Mike Sullivan and the amazing season from rookie Macklin Celebrini, Roy and Dave welcomed San Jose Sharks host and reporter for NBC Sports California Tara Sloan to the show.

As many of you know, Roy and Dave have been closely following the journey of the team they cover, the Panthers.

Last week, Florida advanced past the opening round of the playoffs when they eliminated their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in five games for the second consecutive postseason.

Joining this week’s show to discuss Florida’s mission to repeat, their opening round win, becoming a new dad and lots more was Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen!

You can check out both interviews and the full show in the video below:

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Florida Panthers local Scripps Sports crew to offer full pregame coverage throughout Stanley Cup Playoffs

Three takeaways: Bobrovsky, Panthers shut down Tampa Bay when it counts to close out contentious series

Big night by Marchand line helps Panthers eliminate Lightning with 6-3 win in Game 5