The Avalanche looked like they were going to make a big statement after going up 3-0 on Vegas after the first period, but Vegas flushed the bad period.
They went on to score five unanswered goals to move within one win from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in five years.
VIVA LAS FREAKING VEGAS ✨
THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS HAVE A 3-0 SERIES LEAD IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/HpNDKX3MYV
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
Nelson played 19:02 in the loss, recording no shots on goal, winning 57 percent of his draws. Toews, who got his defense partner Cale Makar back after a two-game absence, recorded two assists with two shots on goal in 23:14.
Nelson, who inked a three-year deal worth $7.5 million annually on June 4, 2025, has struggled in these playoffs with just two goals and one assist in 12 games.
On the flip side, Toews has had a fantastic postseason, with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 12 games.
Game 4 of these Western Conference Finals comes your way on Tuesday night at 9 PM ET on ESPN.
Following Friday’s Game 2 win, head coach John Tortorella took the podium and guaranteed that his Vegas Golden Knights would be ready for Game 3. He spoke with a steady confidence, swearing that his team wouldn’t get caught up in having a 2-0 lead over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
“I guarantee you, we won’t,” said Tortorella following the 3-1 win. “I don’t have to say anything to them. They just understand the situation.”
It sure didn’t look that way at first. But, as it turned out, Tortorella was right.
The Avalanche broke the ice at 3:21 in the first period. Nathan MacKinnon chipped the puck out, taking advantage of a pinching Rasmus Andersson. Devon Toews won the footrace, blew around Noah Hanifin, and drove the net. The puck rolled off his stick, but Gabriel Landeskog crashed the net and got it to go on the second attempt.
Devon Toews hops up on the rush and blows past Noah Hanifin. Hart makes the save, but Gabe Landeskog gets it to go.
The Avalanche doubled their lead at 7:03 in the first. Josh Manson sent a stretch-pass up the middle of the ice, springing Martin Nečas on a breakaway. Nečas pulled off, curled up, and found Nazem Kadri in the high slot. Without breaking his stride, Kadri fired off a wrister that beat Carter Hart blocker-side.
Nazem Kadri doubles the lead for the @Avalanche!!!
The Avalanche extended their lead while shorthanded at 13:15 in the first. Parker Kelly flipped the puck out, and it got free to Jack Drury in the neutral zone. Drury sped in, drove the net, and finished off a nifty move in close.
And just like that, it’s a three-goal deficit instead of one. Jack Drury on a shorthanded breakaway.
The Golden Knights got on the board on the power play just 19 seconds into the second period. Mitch Marner found Mark Stone driving the net, and the Captain chipped it past Scott Wedgewood’s glove in his return to the lineup.
The Captain is back. Redirects Marner’s shot from the point and the Golden Knights are on the board!
When down 3-0, the Golden Knights showed no panic. The same cannot be said of the Avalanche when their three-goal lead began to evaporate. From that point on, it was all Vegas. The Avalanche were on their heels, and the Golden Knights kept them there.
The Golden Knights pulled to within one at 4:05 in the second. Scott Wedgewood made the save on Mitch Marner’s shot from the point, but Parker Kelly couldn’t get the clear. The puck bounced over to William Karlsson, who ripped it home for his first goal since October 26th.
Don’t look now— they’re alive! William Karlsson gets Mitch Marner’s rebound and this is a one goal game.
The Golden Knights tied the game at 12:46 in the second. Keegan Kolesar batted down Dylan Coghlan’s fluttering shot from the point and poked the puck home after it hit the post.
When they get going, this fourth line is just nails. Keegan Kolesar bats down and pokes Coghlan’s shot past Wedgewood, and we are tied!
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night at 12:46 in the third. Mark Stone chipped Kaden Korczak’s stretch-pass over to Tomáš Hertl, who entered the zone with speed. Hertl danced around Sam Malinski and beat Scott Wedgewood with a heavy backhand.
They. Are. Inevitable. Tomáš Hertl dances around Sam Malinski and beats Wedgewood with a backhand that would make Sidney Crosby proud.
The crowd inside T-Mobile Arena resembled a morgue when Jack Drury scored to give the Avalanche a three-goal lead. The volume level increased every time the Golden Knights cut into that lead; after Hertl’s goal, that building was close to the loudest it’s ever been.
They grew even louder when Brett Howden hit the empty net to seal a 5-3 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
“It’s a find-a-way league,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 5-3 win. “We found a way.”
The Golden Knights celebrate a goal during their May 24 win against the Avalanche.
LAS VEGAS — There are a number of adjectives that could be applied to how the Golden Knights have found various ways to win in the regular season and playoffs.
Vegas coach John Tortorella had his own description.
“This is a game where we showed some balls,” the man known as Torts said after the Golden Knights’ latest Houdini act.
Tomas Hertl weaved his way toward the slot and broke a tie at 8:21 of the third period as the Golden Knights overcame a three-goal deficit Sunday night to beat Colorado 5-3 and move within a victory of their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in nine years.
“It obviously feels really good right now, but we’re playing a hell of a hockey team,” Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner said. “We know that the next game is going to be even tougher now. Enjoy this for the next 10 minutes, 30 minutes, go home and then try to take care of yourself, and do what you got to do to be ready tomorrow.”
The Golden Knights celebrate a goal during their May 24 win against the Avalanche. AP Photo
The Golden Knights go for what would be a stunning sweep over the Presidents’ Trophy winners on Tuesday night. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Colorado will try to become just the fifth team to win a series after falling behind 3-0. Los Angeles in 2014 was the most recent team to accomplish that in eliminating San Jose in their first-round series.
Vegas, which trailed 3-0 after the first period, was 0-19 in the playoffs when behind that many goals. The Avalanche were 74-1 when holding such a lead.
“As low as it can get,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of the team’s emotions. “It’s a big hill to climb. The next 24-to-36 hours is for … you’ve got to find a way to get over it, regroup and go again.”
Colorado has other concerns because front-line center Nathan MacKinnon might not be fully healthy going forward. MacKinnon, who has 15 points this postseason and led the league in the regular season with 53 goals, took a puck to his right knee in the second period and played through the injury.
That comes just as the Avalanche got back star defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the first two games this series because of an upper-body injury.
Tomas Hertl celebrates a goal during the Golden Knights’ May 24 win. Imagn Images
Vegas keeps finding aways, going this deep into the postseason despite being outshot in 11 of 15 games, including now nine in a row. The Golden Knights erased deficits the past two games against Colorado, though Game 2 was just 1-0.
“We’ve been all season long many times down,” Hertl said. “We’ve come back so many times. Even after the first when we were down 3-0 we knew we could do it.”
Hertl, Mark Stone and William Karlsson each had a goal and assist. Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden scored the other Golden Knights goals, and Mitch Marner and Kaedan Korczak each tallied two assists. Carter Hart made 32 saves.
Cale Makar looks to move the puck during the Avalanche’s May 24 loss to the Golden Knights. AP Photo
Stone’s goal came on his first appearance since suffering a lower-body injury in Game 3 of the second-round series against Anaheim. Kolesar, who had gone 37 playoff games without a goal, picked up his first point of the postseason.
Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Jack Drury scored for the Avalanche, and Devon Toews had two assists. Scott Wedgewood stopped 18 shots.
The Avalanche dominated the first period by taking a 3-0 lead, but the Golden Knights thought they had cut the deficit to 2-1 when Pavel Dorofeyev appeared to score a power-play goal with 7:26 left. Officials immediately waved it off and the decision was upheld on video review.
Colorado then made the Golden Knights pay when Drury found himself alone on a breakaway, deking Vegas goalie Hart to score the short-handed goal with 6:45 left for the three-goal lead.
But the Golden Knights didn’t let the two-goal swing trouble them too much, with Stone’s power-play goal 19 seconds into the second period sparking a three-goal answer to tie the game heading into the final period of regulation.
Then Hertl broke the deadlock — and now the Golden Knights just need to win one of four games.
“I want them to feel it for a little bit, as far as what they just did against a really good hockey club,” Tortorella said, “but then we get back to work tomorrow.”
There was a moment of silence before the game for two-time NASCAR champion driver and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch. He died Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia developed into sepsis, according to a statement from Busch’s family.
It was the perfect start for the Avalanche heading into Game 3. Cale Makar is returning, and they set the tone early by going up 3-0 in the first period. Though things turned for the worse, as we might have seen the Avalanche's worst meltdown this season, as they crumbled, blew a lead, and fell 5-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights, now facing the prospect of being swept heading into Game 4.
Period 1:
The Avalanche start strong, just three minutes into the period as Devon Toews makes a strong move to the net to draw a penalty, but it's captain Gabriel Landeskog who follows up right behind him to clean up the loose puck rebound and in to make it 1-0.
Avalanche keep their foot on the gas pedal as Josh Manson sends a great stretch pass to Martin Necas entering the offensive zone, who makes a pretty behind-the-back pass to Nazem Kadri and rifles it in to make it 2-0. Cole Smith takes the first penalty of the game as he is called for tripping, but the Avalanche can’t convert on their first power play.
Nazem Kadri is called for high-sticking Jack Eichel; it's only a minor. The Knights would convert on the play as Pavel Dorofeyev would track down his round and bat it in, but the referees immediately called the play dead as they motioned that the puck was pushed in with his glove.
The Golden Knights have a goal called back after the officials determine the puck deflected off Pavel Dorofeyev’s glove. pic.twitter.com/7eM1fQ7Wis
The Avalanche continue on the penalty kill but manage to capitalize short-handed. Parker Kelly clears the puck, and it goes over the heads of the Knights players, leading to a Jack Drury short-handed breakaway, and he converts with a nifty backhanded shot to make it 3-0. Brock Nelson would take a tripping penalty just under a minute left in the period, giving the Knights a power play heading into the second.
Period 2
It takes just 19 seconds into the period as Mark Stone taps in Mitch Marner's pass to quickly get the Knights on the board to make it 3-1. The Knights, early in this period, start as the more aggressive team, and it doesn’t help that the Avalanche are making a bunch of errors and giving the Knights more chances to get back into the game.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
The Knights' continued pressure is rewarded as William Karlsson finds a bobbling puck and rifles it past Wedgewood to make it 3-2 just four minutes after Stone got them on the board. Brent Burns is called for cross-checking, but the Avalanche penalty kill continues to stand strong and kills it off.
Then disaster strikes, MacKinnon takes a shot from the blueline right to his knee and is down in pain, badly. He does need some help to get up and skate off the ice, but nothing too serious. He doesn’t head off into the dressing room immediately and tries to get some shifts in, but seeing him on the ice, he doesn't look good, no explosiveness, one bit.
The Avalanche get another chance on the power play when Cole Smith is called for high-sticking, but come up short. The Knights' pressure and the Avalanche's continued strong lead lead to more chances, and it continues to hurt them. Keegan Kolesar bats down Dylan Coghlan's shot from the point and pokes it past Wedgewood to tie the game with seven minutes left in the period.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
The period ends, and it might go down as the Avalanche’s worst period in the playoffs, if not the season entirely. Defensive breakdowns, errors in their own zone, and just not putting more pressure when being up 3-0 entering the period in a series down 2-0.
Period 3:
Stone is called for slashing Wedgewood, but Ross Colton is called for roughing Stone, so both are sent off, and it's two minutes of 4-on-4 that go scoreless. On a Knights rush, Tomas Hertl dekes out Sam Malinski, who has been having a bad game, and sends a backhand shot past Wedgwood to give the Knights the lead at 4-3.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 25, 2026
The Avalanche gets another chance to tie the game when Marner is called for tripping Necas, but the Avalanche's power play continues to fall flat. MacKinnon tries his best with a bad knee with the Avalanche to mount a comeback, with Wedgewood pulled with two minutes left in the period, but a Brett Howden goal seals the deal, and the Avalanche fall 5-3.
Despite the Avalanche getting Cale Makar back and going up 3-0 in the first period, disaster after mistake after error follows suit, and the Avalanche collapse, now trailing 3-0. History doesn't help them either, as the last time there was a reverse sweep in the playoffs was 2014, when the San Jose Sharks blew a 3-0 lead to the Los Angeles Kings.
Next Game
Game 4 falls on Tuesday, May 26th, which could either see the Knights sweep the Avalanche and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals or force a Game 5 back in Ball Arena.
LAS VEGAS , NV - MAY 24: Josh Manson (42) of the Colorado Avalanche defends Tomas Hertl (48) of the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Denver Post via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — Tomas Hertl weaved his way toward the slot and scored the winner at 8:21 of the third period to rally the Golden Knights from a three-goal deficit Sunday night and defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 and move to within one game of their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in nine years.
The Golden Knights go for what would be a stunning sweep over the President’s Trophy winners on Tuesday night. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to win the President’s Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Colorado will try to become just the fifth team to win a series after falling behind 3-0. Los Angeles in 2014 was the most recent team to accomplish that in eliminating San Jose in their first-round series.
Vegas, which trailed 3-0 after the first period, was 0-19 in the playoffs when behind that many goals. The Avalanche were 74-1 when holding such a lead.
Colorado has other concerns because front-line center Nathan MacKinnon might not be fully healthy going forward. MacKinnon, who has 15 points this postseason and led the league in the regular season with 53 goals, took a puck to his right knee in the second period and played through the injury.
That comes just as the Avalanche got back star defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the first two games this series because of an upper-body injury.
Hertl, Mark Stone and William Karlsson each had a goal and assist. Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden scored the other Golden Knights goals, and Mitch Marner and Kaedan Korczak each tallied two assists. Carter Hart made 32 saves.
Stone’s goal came on his first appearance since suffering a lower-body injury in Game 3 of the second-round series against Anaheim. Kolesar, who had gone 37 playoff games without a goal, picked up his first point of the postseason.
Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Jack Drury scored for the Avalanche, and Devon Toews had two assists. Scott Wedgewood stopped 18 shots.
The Avalanche dominated the first period by taking a 3-0 lead, but the Golden Knights thought they had cut the deficit to 2-1 when Pavel Dorofeyev appeared to score a power-play goal with 7:26 left. Officials immediately waved it off and the decision was upheld on video review.
Colorado then made the Golden Knights pay when Drury found himself alone on a breakaway, deking Vegas goalie Hart to score the short-handed goal with 6:45 left for the three-goal lead.
But the Golden Knights didn’t let the two-goal swing trouble them too much, with Stone’s power-play goal 19 seconds into the second period sparking a three-goal answer to tie the game heading into the final period of regulation.
Then Hertl broke the deadlock — and now the Golden Knights just need to win one of four games.
There was a moment of silence before the game for two-time NASCAR champion driver and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch. He died Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia developed into sepsis, according to a statement from Busch’s family.
The Detroit Red Wings entered the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals as the favorites over the young Pittsburgh Penguins, who were only three years into the Sidney Crosby era.
The Red Wings had defeated the Nashville Predators in six games in the Western Conference Final, swept the rival Colorado Avalanche in four games in round two, and held off a rally by the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, winning in six games.
Following a special ceremonial puck drop at center ice featuring Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux, the game was on.
While it appeared that the Red Wings had taken a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal from Nicklas Lidstrom, it was called back thanks to Tomas Holmstrom's reputation of being a net-front presence.
However, their fellow Swede Mikael Samuelsson would eventually break the ice in the second period, beating Marc-Andre Fleury with a backhanded wraparound shot. Samuelsson struck again early in the third period, doubling Detroit's lead with his second goal of the evening.
Detroit's Dan Cleary tallied a shorthanded goal later in the period, followed by a late power-play goal from eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zetterberg in the waning seconds.
Goaltender Chris Osgood stopped all 19 shots that he faced for the shutout.
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The Senators don’t have a lot of blue-chip prospects knocking on the NHL door right now. But one that will command plenty of attention at training camp this fall is former first-round pick Carter Yakemchuk.
After spending this past season with the Belleville Senators, the 20-year-old right-shot defenceman appears to be tracking exactly the way Ottawa hoped when they selected him seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The question now is whether Yakemchuk has done enough to seriously challenge for an NHL roster spot next season.
Sens Nation with THN's Steve Warne discusses the recent report that the Sens may be interested in G Devon Levi.
The short answer is... maybe.
Yakemchuk’s first pro season was productive and encouraging, and he certainly has a penchant for good first impressions. In his first AHL season, he had 40 points in 54 games. In his first regular season and first Stanley Cup Playoff games, he had 2 points in each contest.
But his ability to create offense from the back end has never been in question. It was about learning the defensive side of the game and improving his skating.
“I thought it was definitely a big learning year for myself, but I thought overall improved throughout the year, so I was pretty happy with it,” Yakemchuk told broadcaster David Foote in an interview posted this week on B-Sens YouTube channel.
One of the biggest moments of his season came when he earned his first NHL recall and got the opportunity to make his NHL debut with Ottawa.
“I think I’d go with that for sure,” Yakemchuk said. “It was awesome. I mean to have my family there, and (for them) to be able to watch that game was awesome. Because obviously, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So just to share that moment with them, it was awesome.”
But making the awesome jump from first-year AHL player to full-time NHL player is never easy for young defencemen, especially on a Senators team that’s now in a legitimate playoff window, way past development mode.
After a 2-8 record in the past two playoffs, it won’t be enough to just make the playoffs next season, and head coach Travis Green will want more reliability and structure on the back end, not less.
That’s where Yakemchuk’s camp battle gets interesting.
His challenge will be proving he can defend consistently enough to earn Green’s trust. Yakemchuk acknowledged that his goal is to improve in all areas this summer, particularly his skating.
“I think skating for me is the biggest thing I want to improve on. Obviously to play in this league or in the NHL, you’ve got to be a good skater, so that’s something I’ll be working on in the summer.”
After Yakemchuk tore up the preseason in the fall of 2024 (7 points in 4 games), the Sens had to be tempted to keep him around. But for his own good, they didn’t want to rush him unnecessarily. If they made that decision again this fall, it might be partially for the team’s good as well.
At the same time, the right side of Ottawa’s blue line isn’t exactly locked down at the moment. If it stays that way, and Yakemchuk arrives at camp a little quicker and more polished defensively, there’s absolutely an opportunity there to win a job.
By Steve WarneThe Hockey News
This story was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Click on the latest headlines below to read the latest stories there:
One of the San Jose Sharks' pending unrestricted free agents has already gotten his plans for the 2026-27 season sorted out.
Defenseman Lucas Carlsson has signed with Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League. His newly-signed contract with Djurgårdens runs for four seasons and upon expiration, he'll be 32 years old.
Carlsson spent the majority of his time in the Sharks organization with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, but he did play a few games at the NHL level as well.
During his two seasons as a member of the Sharks organization, Carlsson played 103 games for the Barracuda. From the blue line, he scored 22 goals and 49 points during that time.
Carlsson also played in 13 games at the NHL level for the Sharks, all of which came during the 2024-25 season. He scored a goal and had four points during his limited opportunities with the Sharks.
Prior to his NHL career, Carlsson played in the SHL for Brynäs IF. In his SHL career, he's appeared in 136 games, scored 14 goals, and tallied a total of 38 points. Given the nature of his contract, it's likely we've seen the last of Carlsson in North America.
Avalanche vs Golden Knights goal scorer predictions for Game 3
Player to score a goal
Odds
Nathan MacKinnon
+105
Brock Nelson
+335
Tomas Hertl
+350
💲Goal scorer parlay: Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Tomas Hertl
+2000
Goal scorer pick: Nathan MacKinnon (+105)
I'm backing Nathan MacKinnon to have a strong volume game, and his shot output correlates strongly with his goal scoring. MacKinnon found the back of the net in 62% of his games when attempting seven shots or more this season, and he has attempted at least seven shots in five of his last six.
Focusing specifically on this matchup, MacKinnon has generated 45 shot attempts over five games against the Vegas Golden Knights this year — including 11- and nine-attempt performances while John Tortorella was behind the bench.
The Colorado Avalanche desperately need a win and will rely heavily on MacKinnon to lead the charge. That means a ton of offensive zone starts and extra ice time for the Rocket Richard winner. Bet him to find the net up to -111.
Goal scorer pick: Brock Nelson (+335)
Brock Nelson has scored just twice in the playoffs despite creating 24 scoring chances and 4.03 expected goals.
That is highly abnormal, as Nelson has scored more goals than expected in 11 consecutive years.
He is a consistently excellent finisher, and I want to buy the dip. Even with this cold stretch, Nelson has found the back of the net in 32% of all games this year. A +335 price tag implies a 23% chance of scoring.
I think the fair price is somewhere in the middle, and would back Nelson up to +270.
Goal scorer pick: Tomas Hertl (+350)
Tomas Hertl is not playing a lot at 5-on-5, but he's getting a steady dose of offensive zone starts, which helps him maximize his minutes.
Nobody on the Golden Knights has recorded more shot attempts, scoring chances, high-danger chances, or created more rebounds than Hertl in this series.
He is also skating on a talented top power-play unit, playing a net-front role and looking to pounce on loose pucks sprayed to the net.
Hertl's a big threat to an Avalanche team that hasn't gotten high-danger saves consistently since the first round. I'd back him to +310.
Avalanche vs Golden Knights anytime goal scorer parlay (+2000)
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Four former members of the San Jose Sharks organization will compete in the American Hockey League's Western Conference Final, three currently play for the Colorado Eagles while there's one former Shark on the Chicago Wolves.
Starting with Colorado, Jacob MacDonald, Keaton Middleton, and Daniil Gushchin are all set to suit up in the Western Conference Final.
MacDonald originally joined the Sharks organization in the middle of the 2022-23 season as a part of the deal that sent Ryan Merkley and Matt Nieto to the Colorado Avalanche. Known for his ability to play both on the wing and on defense, MacDonald played 59 games for the Sharks across two seasons. He scored eight goals and had 15 points during his time with the team in teal. When his contract with the Sharks expired, he returned to the Avalanche organization, signing a two-year contract.
Middleton never suited up for the Sharks at the NHL level, spending his entire time as a member of the organization playing for the San Jose Barracuda, often alongside his older brother, Jacob Middleton. The younger Middleton spent two seasons with the Barracuda, playing 102 games with the Sharks' farm team. He scored 10 goals and has 26 total points during his time with the Barracuda before moving to the Colorado Avalanche organization for the 2020-21 season.
Last but not least, Gushchin, the Sharks' third round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, spent parts of four seasons bouncing between the Barracuda and the Sharks. At the NHL level, he appeared in 18 games for the Sharks. During that time, he scored two goals and had five points. He was much more effective at the AHL level though, scoring 70 goals and 150 points in 182 games.
The Sharks traded Gushchin to the Avalanche this past summer, getting Oskar Olausson in return.
In the other locker room, there's just a single Sharks alumnus on the Chicago Wolves, Givani Smith. After spending parts of two seasons in the Bay Area, Smith was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Mackenzie Blackwood ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
During his time with the Sharks, Smith played in 42 games, registering a single goal and four points during that time. He also recorded 50 penalty minutes with the Sharks.
The AHL's Western Conference Final will kick off this Thursday as the Chicago Wolves visit the Eagles in Loveland, Colorado.
May 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nicolas Roy (10) and Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) wait for a face-off from linesman Devin Berg (87) during the first period of game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Having lost both games on home ice to start the Western Conference Final against Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche find now face a daunting task as the series shifts to T-Mobile Arena.
A lot is riding on tonight’s game. Win, and set yourselves up to even up the series on Tuesday. Lose, and everything is in jeopardy.
Colorado Avalanche (8-3)
The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (10-4)
Time: 6:00 P.M. MDT/8:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ESPN (US National Broadcast), CBC, SN, SN+, TVAS, TVAS+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The dominance of the Avalanche on home ice was well known ahead of this series. They didn’t allow a single victory at Ball Arena to Los Angeles or Minnesota in the first two rounds, but that’s all changed against Vegas. A hot start in Game One quickly cooled off as the Avs failed to generate much offense through most of game, resulting in a 4-2 loss. Game Two saw the Avs score the first goal early and had great success defensively, but they couldn’t build on their lead. That opened the door for Vegas, who scored three times in the third to defeat the Avs 3-1.
Having played a defensively committed team in Los Angeles, and having a full week to prepare for Vegas ahead of the Western Conference Final, one would not expect that this series to unfold this way. While the Avs have outshot Vegas through both games in this series, Vegas’ defensive zone play has also led to many broken plays and limited sustained pressure. Far too often, the normally high-powered Avs offense has been distilled to the following outcomes:
Puck battles along the boards are lost, leading to the puck going the other way
Offensive zone passes are broken up, leading to the puck going the other way
Pucks are shot directly into Carter Hart, or shot wide of the goal
Not shooting at all(!)
When you have Nathan MacKinnon on your roster (who has ONE assist in this series) and he’s not shooting the puck more than he has (three shots in Game One, and one in Game Two), that is a very big problem. He isn’t the only one that’s struggling to produce: aside from Gabe Landeskog’s power play goal (the only power play goal in five attempts for the Avs, but that’s a whole other issue), not one of the top-six forwards has produced any offense.
Brock Nelson and Martin Nečas have no points in the series. Both have had their opportunities to create, and neither have finished on their chances. Meanwhile, both Pavel Dorofeyev and Jack Eichel have a goal and two assists for Vegas. Brett Howden scored the game-wining goal in Game One. Ivan Barbashev has two goals, including the game-winning goal in Game Two, and an assist on Eichel’s goal. While getting goals from Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton has been nice, it simply isn’t enough: top-end talent cannot be held off the scoresheet.
Defenseman Cale Makar missed the first two games due to injury, and the Avs certainly miss him on both ends of the ice. When addressing the media on Saturday regarding Makar’s availability for Game Three, head coach Jared Bednar said that it would be Makar’s decision on when he’s ready to play. “No one can go into Cale’s body and feel what he’s feeling, so when he feels like he can do all the things he needs to be able to do out on the ice to play, then he’s going to make the decision to play.”
Having Makar miss Game Three isn’t ideal, especially with Vegas now having the home ice ability to control on-ice match-ups. The Avs need every advantage they can get, with word that Vegas captain Mark Stone is returning to the lineup, getting Makar back in any capacity would go a long way.
Bednar did make a defensive adjustment in Game Two, reinserting Nick Blankenburg in place of Jack Achan. Blankenburg fared well in his limited time on ice, and if Makar is unavailable tonight, expect Blankenburg to get the call.
Bednar didn’t (and won’t) tip his hand regarding his goaltending, but Wedgewood is likely to start between the pipes for Game Three. Wedgewood played well through most of Game Two, providing his teammates with a chance to win early. While some criticism of his play on the Eichel goal might be warranted, that criticism can also be levied at the rest of the lineup for failing to give him more offensive support in return.
The Avs will have to be better throughout their entire lineup, and for the entirety of Game Three, in order to get back into this series.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Devon Toews – Sam Malinski Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Nick Blankenburg
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is heating up at the right time. With two wins on the road, they’re in the best position they’ve had throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A win today puts them in position to push the League’s best regular season team closer to elimination, and get one step closer to their third Stanley Cup Final.
Despite falling behind early in Game Two, Vegas was able to overcome Colorado’s tight play in the second period in addition to losing the services of defenseman Brayden McNabb for a large stretch of the game. Head Coach John Tortorella highlighted McNabb’s importance in media yesterday, “I thought our team played better, you know? It was a different team. As I said after the game [Friday] night, the second period, it was tilted, and we got out of there unscathed, very fortunately, and I thought that was the most important part of the game, was just being down by a goal after two periods. ‘Nabber’ comes back in, and I think it settled us down.”
Much has been made of Colorado’s ability to apply pressure late in games, but Vegas has proven that they are no slouch in third period play. In both games of this series, Vegas has bested Colorado in third period offense, outscoring Colorado 5-2 in the final frame, with two of those goals coming with an empty net late in regulation.
Tortorella also highlighted his roster’s ability to remain patient despite trailing in Game Two. “Team’s down one-nothing going into the third period, you don’t want to open yourself up and start doing crazy stuff and opening yourself up, because that team will make you pay, the team we’re playing right now,” He said.
“Just take each shift at a time, see if we can get a big play,” Tortorella continued, “We end up getting a big play. […] It’s a big play by a big player, and that’s what you hope for.
Given the production from his lineup, Tortorella doesn’t have to look far for more big plays from his big players coming into Game Three.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev Mark Stone – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner Brandon Saad – Tomáš Hertl – Brett Howden Colton Sissons – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
Trades between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils have historically been far and few between, but the Metropolitan Division rivals can lend each other a hand by exchanging their first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Devils, on the heels of another disappointing, injury-riddled season, ended up landing the 12th overall pick in the 2026 draft, but they need more NHL-ready talent to compete for a Stanley Cup rather than a 17- or 18-year-old prospect who might not meaningfully contribute for at least two or more years.
On the other hand, the Flyers seemed destined for a disappointing campaign of their own before some post-Olympic magic buoyed their playoff chances and vaulted them into the postseason after Game 81.
But, because the Flyers made the playoffs and won a round, knocking off the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, their first-round pick is going to be a lot lower than they'd like with respect to landing a top-six center or top-four defenseman.
So, they'll have to get creative to make it happen.
Or, they could do none of those things, leverage their winger logjam, and hedge their late first on draft day.
The Flyers have enough wingers at their disposal to feel comfortable flipping one at the draft, and the Devils are one of a few teams that have no real incentive to hang onto their pick if they don't have to.
According to MoneyPuck, the Devils finished 2025-26 with 35.2 goals fewer than expected at all strengths, last in the NHL by a comfortable seven-goal margin.
They need finishing talent, and the Flyers might feel that the opportunity to flip someone like Tyson Foerster, who struggled badly in the postseason, was demoted to the fourth line in the playoffs, and dealt with injuries throughout the regular season, and the 21st pick for the 12th pick is too good to pass up.
Depending on who is available at the time, the Flyers could put themselves in a position to draft a center like Viggo Bjorck or Tynan Lawrence, a hot riser like Wyatt Cullen, or top-tier defenders like Malte Gustafsson and Daxon Rudolph.
The Flyers should have no motivation to make such an aggressive trade until that situation becomes clear to them on draft day, but landing Bjorck or Gustafsson, specifically, would be an instant home-run for a franchise that badly needs young talent at center and left defense.
Bjorck's 5-foot-10 size has proven to be a major detractor for his draft stock, but Bjorck was once considered one of the favorites to go in the top three of this draft.
The 18-year-old didn't do anything to hurt his stock with 15 points in 42 SHL games and, from the Flyers' point of view, it might help that Bjorck is a right-shot center.
They added Luke Glendening from the Devils on waivers earlier this season for that specific reason, but instead of a career fourth-liner, the Flyers can draft one of the smartest, most skilled players in the whole 2026 draft class.
Trading someone like Foerster, Alex Bump, or Owen Tippett to an established rival like the Devils will always carry massive risk, but the Flyers have put themselves in a position where risk is necessary--even more necessary than what is typical--to take the next step.
The Flyers have always been adamant about building a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup year after year, and this is one of a few ways they can secure their future with a shrewd, low-cost transaction.
The Carolina Hurricanes were flat in their series opener against the Montreal Canadiens after a 12-day layoff, but the Canes called upon some former Buffalo Sabres to pull out Game 2 and even the series with a 3-2 overtime win in Raleigh on Saturday. The Hurricanes fourth line, which consisted of all ex-Sabres Eric Robinson, Mark Jankowski, and William Carrier, combined for Carolina’s opening goal 2:33 into the first period.
Robinson played seven seasons under GM Jarmo Kekalainen in Columbus and 40 games for Buffalo in 2023-24, scored his second goal of the playoffs, after being set up by Carrier, who played three seasons with Rochester and the Sabres before being claimed by Vegas in the expansion draft in 2017 and winning a Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023. Jankowski, who played 19 games for Buffalo in 2021-22, had two helpers on the night, including setting up Nikolaj Ehlers for the game-winner at 3:29 of overtime.
Lindy Ruff gets a two-year contract extension from the Sabres
Former Sabres team captain Jack Eichel is having another excellent post-season with the Vegas Golden Knights. Eichel is second in the NHL in playoff scoring with 18 points, and scored the tying goal and set up Ivan Barbashev’s game-winner in a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
Some current and former Sabres are playing in the IIHF World Championships in Switzerland. Ryan O’Reilly is second to Macklin Celebrini in scoring for Team Canada with seven points (5 goals, 2 assists). Henri Jokiharju has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) with Finland, while Dylan Cozens has four goals for Canada in six games.
Konsta Helenius, who scored two goals in four games against Montreal after replacing the injured Sam Carrick, has played two games for Finland and has an assist.
The Golden Knights will have captain Mark Stone back on the ice for Game 3, coach John Tortorella confirmed before Sunday's game.
Stone hasn't played since suffering a lower-body injury on May 8 during Game 3 in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 34-year-old missed the last three games of the conference semifinal and the first two of the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Golden Knights won Games 1 and 2 in Denver to take a 2-0 series lead. They're now two wins away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2023, when they defeated the Florida Panthers to win the title in five games.
Stone had seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in the first nine playoff games. Vegas is 6-3 with Stone on the ice.
"No one wants to be out there more than Mark," defenseman Noah Hanifin said. "He's one of the most competitive guys I've ever played with in my career. How much he loves the game, how passionate he is about the game.
"He did all the work he can, just to make sure he's back, so we're excited for tonight."
In 94 career playoff games with the Knights, the veteran forward has 79 points (39 goals and 40 assists).
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) skates against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 20: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche faces off against William Karlsson #71 of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game One of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on May 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Having lost both games on home ice to start the Western Conference Final against Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche find now face a daunting task as the series shifts to T-Mobile Arena.
A lot is riding on tonight’s game. Win, and set yourselves up to even up the series on Tuesday. Lose, and everything is in jeopardy.
Colorado Avalanche (8-3)
The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (10-4)
Time: 6:00 P.M. MDT/8:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ESPN (US National Broadcast), CBC, SN, SN+, TVAS, TVAS+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The dominance of the Avalanche on home ice was well known ahead of this series. They didn’t allow a single victory at Ball Arena to Los Angeles or Minnesota in the first two rounds, but that’s all changed against Vegas. A hot start in Game One quickly cooled off as the Avs failed to generate much offense through most of game, resulting in a 4-2 loss. Game Two saw the Avs score the first goal early and had great success defensively, but they couldn’t build on their lead. That opened the door for Vegas, who scored three times in the third to defeat the Avs 3-1.
Having played a defensively committed team in Los Angeles, and having a full week to prepare for Vegas ahead of the Western Conference Final, one would not expect that this series to unfold this way. While the Avs have outshot Vegas through both games in this series, Vegas’ defensive zone play has also led to many broken plays and limited sustained pressure. Far too often, the normally high-powered Avs offense has been distilled to the following outcomes:
Puck battles along the boards are lost, leading to the puck going the other way
Offensive zone passes are broken up, leading to the puck going the other way
Pucks are shot directly into Carter Hart, or shot wide of the goal
Not shooting at all(!)
When you have Nathan MacKinnon on your roster (who has ONE assist in this series) and he’s not shooting the puck more than he has (three shots in Game One, and one in Game Two), that is a very big problem. He isn’t the only one that’s struggling to produce: aside from Gabe Landeskog’s power play goal (the only power play goal in five attempts for the Avs, but that’s a whole other issue), not one of the top-six forwards has produced any offense.
Brock Nelson and Martin Nečas have no points in the series. Both have had their opportunities to create, and neither have finished on their chances. Meanwhile, both Pavel Dorofeyev and Jack Eichel have a goal and two assists for Vegas. Brett Howden scored the game-wining goal in Game One. Ivan Barbashev has two goals, including the game-winning goal in Game Two, and an assist on Eichel’s goal. While getting goals from Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton has been nice, it simply isn’t enough: top-end talent cannot be held off the scoresheet.
Defenseman Cale Makar missed the first two games due to injury, and the Avs certainly miss him on both ends of the ice. When addressing the media on Saturday regarding Makar’s availability for Game Three, head coach Jared Bednar said that it would be Makar’s decision on when he’s ready to play. “No one can go into Cale’s body and feel what he’s feeling, so when he feels like he can do all the things he needs to be able to do out on the ice to play, then he’s going to make the decision to play.”
Having Makar miss Game Three isn’t ideal, especially with Vegas now having the home ice ability to control on-ice match-ups. The Avs need every advantage they can get, and if Vegas will continue to be without captain Mark Stone, getting Makar back in any capacity would go a long way.
Bednar did make a defensive adjustment in Game Two, reinserting Nick Blankenburg in place of Jack Achan. Blankenburg fared well in his limited time on ice, and if Makar is unavailable tonight, expect Blankenburg to get the call.
Bednar didn’t (and won’t) tip his hand regarding his goaltending, but Wedgewood is likely to start between the pipes for Game Three. Wedgewood played well through most of Game Two, providing his teammates with a chance to win early. While some criticism of his play on the Eichel goal might be warranted, that criticism can also be levied at the rest of the lineup for failing to give him more offensive support in return.
The Avs will have to be better throughout their entire lineup, and for the entirety of Game Three, in order to get back into this series.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Devon Toews – Sam Malinski Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Nick Blankenburg
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is heating up at the right time. With two wins on the road, they’re in the best position they’ve had throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A win today puts them in position to push the League’s best regular season team closer to elimination, and get one step closer to their third Stanley Cup Final.
Despite falling behind early in Game Two, Vegas was able to overcome Colorado’s tight play in the second period in addition to losing the services of defenseman Brayden McNabb for a large stretch of the game. Head Coach John Tortorella highlighted McNabb’s importance in media yesterday, “I thought our team played better, you know? It was a different team. As I said after the game [Friday] night, the second period, it was tilted, and we got out of there unscathed, very fortunately, and I thought that was the most important part of the game, was just being down by a goal after two periods. ‘Nabber’ comes back in, and I think it settled us down.”
Much has been made of Colorado’s ability to apply pressure late in games, but Vegas has proven that they are no slouch in third period play. In both games of this series, Vegas has bested Colorado in third period offense, outscoring Colorado 5-2 in the final frame, with two of those goals coming with an empty net late in regulation.
Tortorella also highlighted his roster’s ability to remain patient despite trailing in Game Two. “Team’s down one-nothing going into the third period, you don’t want to open yourself up and start doing crazy stuff and opening yourself up, because that team will make you pay, the team we’re playing right now,” He said.
“Just take each shift at a time, see if we can get a big play,” Tortorella continued, “We end up getting a big play. […] It’s a big play by a big player, and that’s what you hope for.
Given the production from his lineup, Tortorella doesn’t have to look far for more big plays from his big players coming into Game Three.
There is no word on Stone’s availabilty ahead of tonight’s contest.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner Brandon Saad – Tomáš Hertl – Colton Sissons Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
Nathan MacKinnon
Tomas Hertl
