The Las Vegas Golden Knights are moving on to the Western Conference Finals where they run head-first into the Colorado Avalanche blender. Still, we shouldn’t let the future distract us from the fact that Mitch Marner didn’t just have the best goal of these Stanley Cup Playoffs, but one of the greatest goals of all time.

MITCHELL MARNER ARE YOU KIDDING?!

Undisputed GOAL OF THE PLAYOFFS 😵😮‍💨 https://t.co/aS9VEBjXZjpic.twitter.com/PmYo8ikEat

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 15, 2026

This is simply anotherworldly level of skill with the puck work. Not only does Marner have Lacombe draped all over him while he’s on the way to the net, but he has the wherewithal to skate backwards, get low in his stance — and then, well, he becomes a magician. Marner fakes stick side, takes the puck between his legs to go glove side, and dekes between his friggin’ legs to avoid Lacombe and slot the puck in behind the goalie’s legs.

It’s an incredible representation of hockey’s duality. One second you’ll have the bruising, the fights, the angst of it all — then the next one of the prettiest things you’ll see in any sport.

Manon Rhéaume has been hired as general manager of the PWHL’s new expansion franchise in Detroit, the league announced on Friday.

The 54-year-old former Canadian national team goaltender is a two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist and one of the most influential figures in women’s hockey history.

Rhéaume is the only woman to have ever played in the NHL, suiting up in preseason exhibition games in 1992 and 1993 for the Tampa Bay Lightning. She also became the first woman to have her own hockey card in 1992.

Her role in the PWHL marks a new chapter, and Rhéaume’s first in women’s pro hockey.

“Manon is a pioneer whose impact on the game extends far beyond the ice,” said Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice president of hockey operations. “She brings an unmatched hockey resume, a championship mindset, and a lifelong commitment to growing the women’s game.

“Her experience at every level of hockey, combined with her leadership and vision, makes her the perfect person to lead PWHL Detroit into its inaugural season.”

Rhéaume spent the last four seasons in hockey operations with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and has worked with the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club for 11 years, providing mentorship, development and leadership for girl hockey players in the Detroit area.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to join the PWHL and help build something special in Detroit,” Rhéaume said. “This city has such a deep hockey tradition, and the passion for hockey here is truly special.

“The growth of women’s hockey has been incredible to watch, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help shape the future of the sport alongside the PWHL. I can’t wait to get started and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud of.”

The PWHL announced last week that it would expand to Detroit for the 2026-27 season, with additional expansion teams in Las Vegas and Hamilton revealed Wednesday. PWHL Detroit will play at Little Caesars Arena, home of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.

Rhéaume will assemble PWHL Detroit’s inaugural 2026-27 roster through the league’s expansion roster-building process and via the 2026 PWHL Draft, which will be hosted at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on June 17.

The PWHL Players Association sent its members a guide to the expansion roster-building process that included multiple signing windows and no traditional expansion draft. In Friday’s news release, the league said: “All phases of the comprehensive roster building process will be finalized and announced by the league in the coming weeks.”

The expansion process, laid out by the PWHLPA document, is tentatively set to begin May 28.

Following the league’s announcement of Rhéaume, Dominique DiDia of CAA Sports was also named general manager for PWHL Las Vegas.

“Dominique brings a unique combination of experience as a player, hockey executive, and advocate for the women’s game,” said Hefford. “She understands the evolving landscape of women’s hockey and has a strong vision for building a team and culture that reflects both the ambition of the PWHL and the energy of the Las Vegas market. We’re excited to have her leading this next chapter for our league.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Toronto Sceptres, Minnesota Frost, Vancouver Goldeneyes, New York Sirens, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, Seattle Torrent, Boston Fleet, NHL, Women's Hockey

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With the Toronto Maple Leafs officially moving on from coach Craig Berube on Wednesday, GM John Chayka and the rest of the organization's brass will search for a new bench boss.

Former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy has been regarded as the No. 1 candidate available to coach next season.

However, on Friday's episode of Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman shared that he doesn't believe Cassidy will be the most likely candidate to be named the Maple Leafs' 42nd head coach in franchise history.

"I do think (Toronto will) reach out to talk to Cassidy," Friedman said. "But… I'd say it's extremely unlikely he's going to end up being the guy in Toronto."

The NHL insider continued to describe what the Maple Leafs organization may be looking into in terms of who their next bench boss will be.

"I do think they are prepared to go fresh," he said.

TSN's Darren Dreger made the same report on Thursday evening on OverDrive. Dreger said that Toronto's next hire could be in the realm of someone who is "young and relatively inexperienced from a professional perspective."

Report: Maple Leafs 'Have Some Interest' In Rangers Center Vincent TrocheckThe Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck, according to a report from Darren Dreger on Thursday.

One candidate that fits the criteria of a young, inexperienced, fresh face is AHL Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra. Along with Malhotra, Friedman listed a couple of other new faces who could be considered.

"I think Malhotra, very legitimate candidate," he said. "I think Woodcroft, potentially a candidate. I do think, if David Carle wanted to talk to them, I think he would be a candidate, and there's going to be others."

He also mentioned Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden as someone who is having success, leading his team to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs and winning Game 1 against the Cleveland Monsters.

But as for Cassidy, and what seems like any well-known veteran bench boss, reports indicate that won't be the path the Maple Leafs go down in this off-season.

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While there haven’t been many surprises in the NHL Trophy finalists announced over the course of the last 10 days, I was shocked to see that Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes wasn’t a finalist for the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award. Not that Bill Guerin, Pat Verbeek and Chris MacFarland are not worthy finalists, but it’s hard to imagine what the Montreal Canadiens GM could have done better in the 2025-26 season.

The executive started his summer with a slam dunk, finally acquiring a top-pairing right-shot defenseman at the draft in a deal with the New York Islanders. He had to sacrifice his two first-round picks in the process, but he made another trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to move up in the second round and get the 34th overall pick. With that pick, he drafted Alexander Zharovsky, the player Montreal wanted in the first round.

Canadiens Must Start As They Mean To Go On
Former Canadiens Player Sends Avalanche Through To Third Round
Is It Time For A Few Lineup Changes For The Canadiens?

Then, on July 1st, he sent right-shot defenseman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues in return for Zachary Bolduc, a good young player to bring some much-needed depth up front and make some room on the blueline for other prospects.

A few days into the regular season, he signed star blueliner Lane Hutson to an eight-year contract with an $8,850,000 team-friendly cap hit, especially considering how the cap is set to go up in the coming years. That contract will soon become a steal for the Canadiens.

Five weeks later, he smelt a good opportunity when Alexandre Texier’s contract with the Blues was terminated, roughly 10 days after the Canadiens had lost Alex Newhook to an injury. Pleased with the early return on his $1 million investment, the GM signed him to a two-year contract extension on January 14, with a $2.5 million cap hit. The Frenchman finished the season with 20 points in 43 games and has proven more than capable of providing depth scoring in the playoffs.

Just before the Christmas trade freeze, Hughes went out and acquired veteran center Phillip Danault in return for a second-round pick. The Quebecer was struggling with the Los Angeles Kings, but Hughes figured he could use a fresh start at home. He finished the season with 12 points in 45 games, but he has proven invaluable to the Canadiens at the faceoff dot with a 56.2 winning percentage in the regular season. During the playoffs, he has recorded 3 assists in 11 games and maintained a 59.9% success rate on draws.

With those two acquisitions, the GM bolstered his roster and gave it some much-needed depth, even causing respected veteran Brendan Gallagher to be a healthy scratch at the tail end of the season and in the playoffs. A tough decision, but one Martin St-Louis had to make.

Perhaps Hughes’ candidacy was weakened by the fact that he didn’t get any reinforcements at the trade deadline, but the truth of the matter is that he had already gotten some earlier in the season.

Finally, the fact that the young Habs are in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs just four years into their rebuild speaks to how well this team has been put together. Voting for this award was conducted among the NHL general managers and a panel of League executives and media at the conclusion of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is why the playoff run should have had an impact. However, the three finalists’ teams have also made it to the second round, which might have helped their own candidacy. I’m looking forward to the winner’s announcement to see how the voting went.

---

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Good morning, hockey folks! So, the Ducks got cooked, the Habs are one “W” from rounding out our 2026 NHL final four, and the PWHL finals opened with some OT heroics. The 100th edition of Red Light 🚨 is here.

Let’s go.

Conference Finals Loom

We’re getting awfully close to knowing what Round 3 will look like now, so much so that the schedule has already been released. Let’s get you caught up on what you might have missed last night.

Golden Knights 5, Ducks 1

Vegas wins series 4-2

My goodness, Mitch Marner. I know the plucky young Ducks have been playing with some newfound swagger all season, but did you really need to end their fun while stealing their soul, Shang Tsung style, with a move this crushing?

Marner was dancing around the Honda Center ice all night, putting up a goal and an assist early in what unfortunately became a bit of a laugher. The former Maple Leaf extended his NHL postseason scoring lead to three points with 18 in 12 games, and he’s now through to the conference final for the first time in his career. But the champions of the Pacific Division Pillow Fight will have their hands full with the powerhouse Avalanche.

Hey, full marks to the Golden Marners for making it look relatively easy so far, but forgive the rest of the hockey world for some skepticism that they can give Colorado a real push after the unevenness of 13th-place Vegas’ season. (Counterpoint: All three meetings between them were very tight during the regular season, with two going to overtime. So … maybe?)

That series begins Wednesday in Denver. It could be the first game of Round 3, depending on what happens in Game 6 over in the East.

More:

The Golden Knights have reached the NHL’s final four for the fifth time in nine seasons, the most of any team since 2017.

Vegas’ “swagger” is definitely back.

Despite the loss, the Ducks made remarkable progress this season.

Canadiens 6, Sabres 3

Montreal leads series 3-2

We need at least one Game 7 in this round, don’t we? This feels like the series to deliver it. (Especially given how, you know, all the other series are already over. Plus, we already had series end in a sweep, five games and six games, so seven completes the set.)

Buffalo jumped to a 3-2 lead 10 minutes into Game 5, getting the Sabres’ home crowd and its beer sabres, uh, jumping. But the Habs responded with four unanswered goals, including rookie Ivan “The Demigod” Demidov’s first-ever playoff tally to close the scoring on the power play.

Now, all the pressure is on the Sabres, who will have to find a way to win in the Bell Centre madhouse in a do-or-die Game 6 tomorrow. They’ve got a big question in net, too, after a rough night for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was pulled for Alex Lyon.

That said, the Sabres have proven people wrong all year; now’s the time to show what they’re made of after a special season.

So much to learn from this one:

Habs coach Martin St. Louis was rewarded for sticking with Jakub Dobeš, who allowed goals on three straight shots but stopped all 32 after that.

Electric young talents Lane Hutson and Demidov are the center of Canadiens’ present (and future) success.

St. Louis and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff have differing approaches to NHL playoff mind games. Fascinating.

Alex Tuch and Buffalo’s other top players let the Sabres down.

PWHL Finals

Victoire 3, Charge 2 (OT)

Montreal leads series 1-0

Montreal hockey fans certainly have a lot to cheer about right now.

Their Abby Roque was the hero in Game 1 of the Walter Cup Finals, scoring her second of the night in overtime to cap a dramatic comeback after the Victoire tied the score with 2.1 seconds left in regulation.

Poor Ottawa needs to memory-wipe this one as quickly as it can — this series is only best-of-five.

Hailey Salvian was in Laval last night with the scoop as Game 2 goes tomorrow. The good news is that it’s an afternoon game, so fans can make it a PWHL-NHL doubleheader.

Newsplosion

Firings, hirings, endings

As more teams are eliminated, the headlines only grow outside the playoffs.

Yesterday, there was the second bloodletting for a Canadian team in two days, with the reeling Oilers firing coach Kris Knoblauch. (ICYMI: The Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube on Wednesday.)

Awkwardly, the Knoblauch news came after it was reported the Oilers had inquired about the availability of former Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, which sources say is never a great sign for someone’s job security. But who should they hire?

Elsewhere, the last-place and third-pick-owning Canucks unveiled their new brain trust: Club legends and twin brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin as, I’m guessing, the first-ever co-presidents of hockey ops (which I’m told the kids are calling CoPoHos), and Ryan Johnson as GM.

The vibes seemed remarkably good coming out of that presser — even the Sad Club Commish was impressed — so we’ll allow Vancouver a rare win to celebrate, even if that’s a crew fairly low on front-office experience.

Meanwhile, the postmortems keep rolling in for teams that have been wiped out of the playoffs … and one that didn’t even make them.

Mike Russo and Joe Smith break down what will be a tough summer for the Wild as they try to join the ranks of true contenders after a five-game humbling at the hands of the Avs. I often feel like one of the hardest things to do in the NHL is to go from good to great; that’s the real challenge facing GM Bill Guerin with his club because good doesn’t win Cups.

Speaking of which: Do the Flyers need to make a big swing now to take the next step? Or should Danny Brière keep preaching patience?

In other tough calls in Pennsylvania news: Penguins GM Kyle Dubas likely has to make a few and break some old-guy hearts.

Reading this, I’m not sure any fanbase is angrier than the Rangers’ right now. Can you blame them?

💡 MirTrivia Question

What a run for Jakub Dobeš this postseason. After last night, the Habs netminder is now up to seven wins, tied for fifth-most for a rookie goalie in a single playoffs in the salary-cap era.

Can you name the four rookie goalies ahead of him?

(Hint: Three won the Stanley Cup. And the fourth was eliminated in the conference finals by one of those rookies who won it all.)

Answers at the bottom.

Coast to Coast

🏒 Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who has played just two NHL seasons, will remain captain of Team Canada at the worlds, even with 38-year-old Sidney Crosby, who has played 21 NHL seasons, on hand. I wonder if he’ll make Crosby pick up pucks.

👏 Good stuff here from other NHL legends on Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer’s historic season. What a lovely story he was all year; check out his appearance on “GMA” earlier this week to see what I’m talking about. Here’s hoping he gets to show what he can do in the playoffs next season.

💸 The Blackhawks signed the KHL’s leading goal scorer to an entry-level deal. Can Roman Kantserov, the first 21-year-old to lead the league in goals since Kirill Kaprizov in 2018-19, make an immediate impact in the NHL?

✅ Our latest Stanley Cup contender checklist focuses on the Flames, who need just about everything except a goalie right now.

😱 I wrote a thingy that includes this shocking stat: Just one goalie in the top 19 in salary this season started a game in Round 2. So, is this success of cheaper, tandem goalies a trend or a blip?

📰 Missing Sean McIndoe’s whimsy? Read this.

🎤 In the latest “The Athletic Hockey Show,” our crew was joined by Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky, who hasn’t had anything to do for a while as his team awaits an opponent. Plus, the Oilers coaching carousel, PWHL final talk and the inevitable Avs. Watch/listen here.

MirTrivia Answer

So, who are the four rookies with more than Dobeš’ seven wins in a cap-era postseason? The three goalies who won the Cup as freshmen are:

Cam Ward, Carolina, 2005-06: 15 wins

Matt Murray, Pittsburgh, 2015-16: 15 wins

Jordan Binnington, St. Louis, 2018-19: 16 wins

(Yes, somehow Binnington was a rookie seven years ago. Now he’s old. NHL timelines are unforgiving.)

The fourth goalie, who lost to one of the above? It was Ryan Miller with the Sabres, who faced Ward in a very memorable matchup. At the time, it was the first conference final between rookie goalies since 1981.

Miller ended his run with 11 wins, the most he would ever get in a postseason.

How are we doing? We’d love to hear from you. Email your feedback, questions or comments to redlight@theathletic.com.

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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

NHL, Women's Hockey, NHL Highlights, Red Light, Women's hockey

2026 The Athletic Media Company

Along with Lighthouse Hockey’s Jenny Berman, we remember Kieffer Bellows, whose moments of fun in with the Islanders were few and far between.

Kieffer Bellows had everything you’d want in an NHL prospect: a famous name and family lineage in hockey, high praise from prospect watchers, a tantalizing shot and a history of showing up in big moments. But as the years stretched on, from college teams to junior teams to the minors to cups of coffee with the Islanders, it seemed less and less likely that Bellows would turn into what fans hoped he would be. Despite an AHL hot streak and couple of cool goals in the big league, he was eventually lost on waivers without much of a peep. We’re not mad, just disappointed that he turned from a can’t-miss-prospect into a winger who couldn’t skate (especially since the Islanders already had a few on the roster…).

Jenny takes us through her history with Bellows, including some very insightful observations about this entire era of Islanders hockey and how she felt a connection with the player over, of all things, Pokémon. We remember his strange and really unfortunate career that continues in Europe, make the Hall of Fame case for his dad Brian, and lament how we all have those prospects we want to see work out, even as it gets more and more evident that they won’t.

Thanks again to Jenny for joining us twice this season. Due to various factors, this has been waiting a long time to come out but it’s always treat to remember this time period and she was the perfect guest to walk us through it.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL

• Kieffer’s father, of course, was former All Star Brian Bellows, who was, according to some, the best.
• After a very good year with the US National Development Program, the Islanders took Bellows 19th overall in the 2016 Entry Draft. He was called by Bob McKenzie the, “best pure goal scorer in the draft outside of Patrik Laine.”
• He certainly made that pick seem like a good one when he played a heroic role in Team USA’s gold medal-winning World Junior Tournament..
• Later, Bellows left BU for Portland of the WHL, where he had a 41-goal, 74-point season.
• In 2019-20, Bellows went on a scoring tear in the AHL and earned his first call up.
• His first NHL goal, scored at Barclays Center, was a thing of beauty. He scored twice in that win over LA.

• He was also capable of doing stuff like this. And this. Too bad he didn’t do it often enough.
• Despite some fun, scattered moments, Bellows was never able to crack Barry Trotz’s veteran-packed lineup. That doesn’t mean the coach wasn’t a fan, even after he violated the AHL’s performance enhancing substances policy.
• All the ups and downs finally came to a head in October of 2022, when Bellows was picked up off waivers by the Flyers.
• After short stints in Philly and in Nashville, Bellows signed with Brynas of the SHL last summer.

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What makes a “Weird Islander?”

We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:

• Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
• Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.

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• Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).
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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have signed goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to a one-year, $850,000 contract extension.

Kolosov appeared in four games this season with the Flyers, where he had a 0-2-0 record, an .830 save percentage, and a 4.00 goals-against average.

The 24-year-old goaltender also played in 38 games this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he posted a 15-21-2 record, a 2.98 goals-against average, and an .895 save percentage.

Kolosov was selected by the Flyers with the 78th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In 21 career NHL games over two seasons with the Flyers, he has recorded a 5-11-1 record, an .863 save percentage, and a 3.64 goals-against average. 

Kolosov will now be looking to compete for a spot on the Flyers' NHL roster next season after earning this new contract. 

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The superlatives used to describe Jaromir Jagr's unfathomable pro hockey career will run out one day – but not soon.

How do you put into context Jagr's incredible body of work? The man has appeared in at least four professional games every season since 1988; he was a Stanley Cup teammate of a guy (Gordie Roberts) who was once teammates with Gordie Howe.  

And atop the list of incredible facts and stats, there's this: Per SB Nation, this year's Western Conference Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights guarantees that a former Jagr teammate will appear in a Stanley Cup final for a 46th consecutive season.

Don't believe us? Here's the proof:

Jaromir Jagr Stanley Cup finals teammate streak (1980-2026)

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Need a few other crazy Jagr facts? We have your fix:

• Jagr is the second-highest scorer in NHL history – and that doesn't include the 463 professional points he has amassed outside the NHL.
• Jagr's 1990 draft class is one of the most impressive in history, with 15 of the 21 first-round picks spending at least 12 seasons in the NHL.
• Jagr's first NHL goal came October 7, 1990 – four days before the start of Season 2 of "The Simpsons"
• Martin Brodeur was the last active player from Jagr's 1990 draft class aside from Jagr; Brodeur retired in 2015.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

After the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs began with an infusion of new teams that hadn't experienced postseason hockey in a long time, with some even winning a series, the third round is here with some of the usual suspects left standing.

Carolina is back in the Eastern Conference final for a third time in four years and fifth time during the Hurricanes' streak of eight consecutive playoff appearances under coach Rod Brind'Amour. Next up is Buffalo or Montreal.

Vegas is back in the West final for a fourth time in the franchise’s not-even-decade-long existence. Starting Wednesday, the Golden Knights face Colorado, with the Avalanche getting this far for the first time since their Cup run in 2022.

There will be a new champion and no three-peat after the Florida Panthers were derailed by injuries following three consecutive trips to the final. Both finalists will be new after Edmonton got knocked out by the Ducks.

What’s happened so far

WESTERN CONFERENCE: The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche swept Los Angeles and beat Minnesota in five games, while Vegas got through by beating Utah and Anaheim in six.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:Carolina swept Ottawa and Philadelphia and is the only undefeated team left. Buffalo beat Boston and Montreal defeated Tampa Bay, with the Sabres and Canadiens then putting on a fun second-round series.

The matchups

The top three teams in each of the four divisions make the playoffs. The other four spots go to the next two highest-placed teams in each conference, regardless of division.

The teams with the best record in each conference open against the wild-card team with the worst record; the other wild card plays the other division winner. Teams that finish second and third in their division play each other in the bracket headed by their respective division winner, so the first-round matchups had some rivalry-style games. The second round thus carries an even higher prospect of division opponents matching up ahead of the conference finals.

All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven; the first team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.

East

— Carolina vs. Buffalo or Montreal, Game 1 Tuesday or Thursday night

West

— Colorado vs. Vegas, Game 1 Wednesday night

The favorites

Colorado is the favorite at a little over even money, followed by Carolina.

How to watch

Every playoff game will be nationally televised in the U.S on an ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT’s coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup Final, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.

After three rounds of best-of-seven series, the final starts in early June. If the final goes the distance, Game 7 could go as late as June 21.

What to know

WEST: The Colorado Avalanche look like a wagon, after being the league's best team since October. Nathan MacKinnon has been a man on a mission, especially after missing a wide-open net in the Olympic gold-medal game when he and Canada lost to the U.S. in overtime. He's surrounded by talent, including all-world defenseman Cale Makar, and in net, career backup Scott Wedgewood has been a revelation.

Grizzled, old-school, no-nonsense John Tortorella took over coaching the Vegas Golden Knights in late March, and they've been rolling since. Mitch Marner, who was maligned for a lack of playoff success during his lengthy time in Toronto, has been arguably the best player around.

EAST: The Carolina Hurricanes are 8-0, getting dominant goaltending from 36-year-old Frederik Andersen and do-it-all play from 2018 league MVP Taylor Hall. They now hope to break through after so many disappointing playoff exits.

After snapping the NHL’s longest postseason drought at 14 years in style, the Sabres handled the Bruins in a back-and-forth series to set up a matchup with Montreal. The Canadiens are Canada's last hope to end the nation's 33-year Cup drought dating to them winning it in 1993.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

In the Montreal Canadiens’ 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, there were many heroes. Jakub Dobes bounced back after a shaky start, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky put up three points each, Cole Caufield found the back of the net at even-strength, and Ivan Demidov finally scored. Another performance was largely undetected: Phillipe Danault’s.

Some might have noticed that he missed a golden opportunity to score a big goal when the puck got to him in the slot, but he largely made up for it. Not only did he provide two assists on two of the first three goals, but he had a fantastic night at the faceoff dot.

Nobody took more faceoffs for the Habs in that game than Danault. The Quebecer took a total of 18 draws and won 14 of them for a 77.8% success rate. When Kent Hughes decided to acquire the struggling center from the Los Angeles Kings before the Christmas roster freeze, he didn’t do it to increase offensive production; he did it because he was fully aware of how important winning draws can be.

In the Canadiens two other wins over the Sabres, the centerman had a 66.7% success rate in the faceoff department. He took 15 draws in Montreal’s 5-1 win in Game 2 and nine in the Habs 6-2 win in Game 3.

To add: Danault Faceoffs: 13-2 (87%) so far.

ALSO - coming into tonight no line has been matched against Thompson/Tuch/Krebs more than Danault’s at 5on5

Shots 10-3 MTL
Goals 1-0 MTL
xGF 83.8% for Habs

He’s lookin like the star shutdown machine he was in 2021.

Been… https://t.co/OLTzrPw1UJ

— Jackie Redmond (@Jackie_Redmond) May 15, 2026

The Victoriaville native has played a key role for the Canadiens all through the first two rounds, not only because of how good he is in the faceoff department, but also because of his responsible two-way play. After 12 games, he averages 16:13, has won 61.9% of his faceoffs, has five points (all assists), and a plus-six rating, on top of playing big minutes on the penalty kill.

Phillip Danault saves a sure goal! Wow.

#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/zV6ExgEoJq

— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) May 2, 2026

When the Canadiens are protecting a lead, Martin St-Louis often sends the 33-year-old veteran center onto the ice with Nick Suzuki, giving him two centers to take draws. If the linemen kick one out, the other one can take charge. Whichever way you look at it, Danault’s acquisition by Kent Hughes was a masterstroke; he has been more than worth the second-round pick he cost.

Phil Danault pushing pucks back on Faceoffs while making key plays, going to the net creating chaos. Two assists on Montreal goals tonight. #MultiPointGame#Unsung#HeartAndSoulpic.twitter.com/W9OcHG8Jpk

— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) May 15, 2026

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After an unlikely reunion on the Vegas Golden Knights, former Philadelphia Flyers Carter Hart and John Tortorella find themselves just four more wins from the Stanley Cup Final.

On Thursday night, Hart, Tortorella, and the Golden Knights eliminated fellow former Flyers Ryan Poehling, Cutter Gauthier, and the Anaheim Ducks with a dominant 5-1 win, claiming the series 4-2.

They await the vaunted Colorado Avalanche, who have run into goaltending issues of late but have more or less breezed their way to the Western Conference Final with little difficulty.

Quinn Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and the Minnesota Wild were brushed aside by the Stanley Cup favorites in just five games.

Interestingly enough, Hart's last game for the Flyers, which he played under Tortorella, was against the Avalanche over two years ago on Jan. 20, 2024.

Flyers Hope Playoff Environment Will Benefit Prospects That Didn't PlayThe Philadelphia Flyers made sure all of their top prospects got to experience the NHL playoffs for what they are.

The 27-year-old was stunned for five goals on just 15 shots in the 7-4 loss and was replaced by Sam Ersson.

Three days later, Hart took a personal leave from the Flyers, and was then charged with sexual assault stemming from the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case on Feb. 5.

Having sat out the entire 2024-25 season, Hart was found not guilty of the sexual assault charge levied against him on July 24. The Golden Knights officially signed the goalie on Oct. 24.

Hart showed plenty of signs of rust after the long layoff this season, stumbling to a career-worst .891 save percentage despite a 11-3-3 regular season record with the Golden Knights.

In the playoffs, though, the former Flyers goalie is 8-4-0 with a 2.47 GAA and .917 save percentage, coming back to life with a .935 save percentage across these past six games against the Ducks.

Flyers Playoff Rooting Guide: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend?Which former member of the Philadelphia Flyers will go on to win the Stanley Cup this year?

As for Tortorella, who was fired by the Flyers on March 27, 2025, he took over for an elite coach in Bruce Cassidy in a shock switch from Vegas back on March 29, bookending almost exactly a full year away from the bench.

The Golden Knights quickly ripped off a sizzling 7-0-1 finish under their new coach, which has, obviously, carried over into the playoffs.

Notably, Mitch Marner, of all players, leads the entire NHL playoffs in scoring with his seven goals, 11 assists, and 18 points in 12 games under Tortorella, which speaks volumes about the job the ex-Flyers bench boss is doing.

Where things go from here is dubious at best with Colorado looming, but the Flyers have certainly been well represented this postseason, especially with a respectable run of their own.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

“Šimon Nemec is something of an enigma and could be one player affected by the changes. Sometimes, he shows flashes of being a second overall pick. Other times, he looks like a fish out of water. Nemec will become a restricted free agent on July 1. You don’t want to give up on a 22-year-old defenseman second overall pick, but it might be time for the Devils to move on.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

“Tom Fitzgerald leaned too heavy on size and defense when building the blueline, and that has held the team back over the last couple of years. Sunny Mehta will surely look to add more mobility and offense to balance things out. There are a couple of intriguing ‘buy low’ candidates who could help him do just that.” [Infernal Access ($)]

So about that Quinn Hughes trade. Is it a move Sunny Mehta could pull off? [New Jersey Hockey Now]

Hockey Links

A jaw-dropping goal:

MITCHELL MARNER ARE YOU KIDDING?!

Undisputed GOAL OF THE PLAYOFFS 😵😮‍💨 https://t.co/aS9VEBjXZjpic.twitter.com/PmYo8ikEat

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 15, 2026

The Golden Knights are through to the Western Conference Final:

THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS ARE HEADED TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL!! ⚔️ #StanleyCup

Presented by @NavyFederalpic.twitter.com/TQGpUiWBN7

— NHL (@NHL) May 15, 2026

Brayden McNabb gets a one-game suspension:

Vegas’ Brayden McNabb has been suspended for one playoff game for interference against Anaheim’s Ryan Poehling. https://t.co/gSW0ADnpak

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 13, 2026

Matthew Schaefer is this season’s top rookie:

MAT-THEW SCHAE-FER 👏👏👏👏👏 #NHLAwards

The @NYIslanders’ 2025 No. 1 #NHLDraft pick, Matthew Schaefer, is this year’s Calder Memorial Trophy winner — an award presented to the player who was the most proficient in his first year in the League. pic.twitter.com/X79uom6mAn

— NHL (@NHL) May 13, 2026

Full voting table for the Calder Trophy for best rookie, won UNANIMOUSLY by #Isles defender Matthew Schaefer. pic.twitter.com/mlxsfErw9v

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) May 13, 2026

The Oilers send Kris Knoblauch packing:

The #Oilers have relieved head coach Kris Knoblauch & assistant coach Mark Stuart of their duties. https://t.co/K3GQq5GshP

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 14, 2026

And the Leafs part ways with Craig Berube:

General Manager John Chayka announced today that the club has parted ways with head coach Craig Berube pic.twitter.com/PJo8e9ATLW

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 13, 2026

“The Vancouver Canucks are turning to two franchise icons to hopefully lead them back to glory. Daniel and Henrik Sedin were named co-presidents of hockey operations on Thursday, and the identical twins’ first act was to hire former teammate Ryan Johnson as general manager.” [NHL.com]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres were battling it out on Thursday night in the fifth game of their series, with both teams having won two games. The Habs had slow starts in the two previous games, and coach Martin St-Louis had been asked about them during his morning media availability. He explained what having a good start entailed:

It’s not just one thing. It’s to play with the right intentions, in the right place, early on. It might mean you have to defend, it might mean you have to forecheck, it might mean you go on the power play. It’s about having the right intentions and being dialed in early on.

One had to wonder if he had mentioned that to his player as they had yet another sloppy start, and this time, so did goaltender Jakub Dobes. As a result, he gave up three goals on the first four shots he faced. Thankfully, the Canadiens didn’t let the Sabres distance themselves, coming back from behind twice, but by the end of the first frame, it was 3-2 Buffalo.

Two Canadiens Rookies Top 4 In Calder Trophy Voting
Former Canadiens Player Sends Avalanche Through To Third Round
Canadiens’ Power Play Could Have Made The Difference

A Momentum Shift

Montreal didn’t look much better to start the second frame. The top line got caught in the defensive zone for extended shifts twice, and as they were changing, Tage Thompson got a breakaway. Dobes stood his ground, followed him and made a spectacular pad save to keep Montreal within one.

Dobes save on Thompson breakaway #LetsGoBuffalo#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/vBQ9mJ5X2K

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) May 15, 2026

That save seemed to steady the Canadiens, who finally shook off their rough start and proceeded to score four unanswered goals. Josh Anderson scored the big equalizer, and Ivan Demidov almost scored the go-ahead goal. He got the puck through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Jake Evans, who’s not known for his finish, had to give it a light tap to push it in.

St-Louis can pat himself on the back for not pulling Dobes after he let in three goals on four shots, not that he was to blame for all of them, but he could have wanted to wake his team up with a goalie change. Instead, he stuck with his goalie and let him wake up the players with a big save. In the end, Dobes stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced on the night for a .917 save percentage. In the post-game media availability, the coach explained that he consulted his goalie coach to decide whether to pull Dobes, and Marco Marciano told him to leave him in, a good call. 

Bad Decisions

On top of being the victim of the momentum shift save, Thompson took a very bad penalty when he cross-checked Jake Evans high up while the Canadiens’ center was nowhere near the puck. Even if the refs had been pretty quiet to that point, they couldn’t let that one go, and the big forward was sent to the penalty box for two minutes.

He ended up getting out of there in just 10 seconds, after Nick Suzuki scored a quick power play goal to give the Habs a 5-3 lead. This is the second game in a row that Thompson takes an awful penalty, but this time around, the Canadiens made him pay.

Thompson wasn’t the only one with a questionable decision on the night; Rasmus Dahlin cross-checked Demidov as he was going to beat him to the net and got himself a trip to the box. On the penalty he drew himself, the Russian rookie finally scored his first playoff goal to make the score 6-3.

A DEMIDOV DAGGER ☄️

The rookie's first career Stanley Cup playoffs goal couldn't have come at a better time 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Y6u9SjPDwP

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 15, 2026

St-Louis has often spoken about his team shooting itself in the foot this season, and how good teams made them pay when they did. Tonight, the Canadiens were the good team, and they made the Sabres pay when they stabbed themselves in the foot.

The Top Players Turned Up

For the first time this postseason, Caufield and Slafkovsky registered points at even strength while Suzuki registered three points, and the Canadiens’ best players were their best players. There’s a lot to be said for and to like about depth scoring, but the chances of making a deep run in the playoffs are far greater when your top guns are firing on all cylinders. After a tough Game 4, Slafkovsky ended his night with three points. 

Granted, this is only one game, but it may just be the start of something not only for the first line but for Demidov as well, who looked hell-bent on finally finding the back of the net. Lane Hutson also had two assists on the night, which gives him 12 points in 12 games in the postseason. He leads the team in points, but he has some way to go for the league leader, as Mitch Marner had 18 points at the time of writing.

The Canadiens will now have a chance to put an end to the series on Saturday night at the Bell Centre. Puck drop is set for 8:00 PM for what will be the first Saturday night playoff hockey game in a packed Bell Centre in 11 years.

Marty 🫂 Demi#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/vnKr8YXAvl

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) May 15, 2026

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The United States is bringing back two players this month as it defends its rare gold medal at the IIHF men's hockey world championship.

The International Ice Hockey Federation's marquee tournament is often a tough sell because it falls in May during the NHL playoffs. Golden goal scorer Tage Thompson is still playing for the Buffalo Sabres and captain Clayton Keller and goalie Jeremy Swayman played in the NHL first round. Swayman also has a child on the way.

Some players need to recover from injuries after grueling seasons and there's no Olympics on the horizon as a carrot to attend.

But that doesn't mean there are no intriguing players at this year's hockey worlds. The Florida Panthers missing the playoffs after back-to-back titles opened some unexpected options for their players' countries.

Here are eight players to watch at the IIHF world championships:

USA's Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

He's usually unavailable because of deep NHL playoff runs. But he'll be the USA's marquee player and the lone Olympic gold medal winner on the team. If he helps the USA repeat, he'll be the first American on the triple gold club with Olympic, world championships and NHL titles. He's scheduled to arrive on May 19. Boston's Mason Lohrei and Edmonton prospect Isaac Howard are the returnees. Washington's Ryan Leonard and Boston's James Hagens have chemistry from Boston College and the world junior championships.

Canada's Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

He had a spectacular sophomore season. He set a Sharks team record with 115 points, was a standout for Team Canada at the Olympics and is a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player. He'll be Canada's captain.

Canada's Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

He joined after the Penguins were eliminated by the Flyers. He's a triple gold club member already and played in last year's tournament. That super team featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Crosby, Celebrini and others was stunned by Denmark in the quarterfinals. Crosby will be an alternate captain.

Finland's Aleksander Barkov, Panthers

He missed the 2025-26 NHL season after injuring his ACL during his first day in training camp. This will give him an opportunity to suit up for his country after he missed the Olympics. His NHL teammate, Anton Lundell, will also play for Finland.

Sweden's Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

He finished third in Olympic scoring with nine points and is coming off his third consecutive 70-point season with the Red Wings.

Switzerland's Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

Switzerland lost to the USA in the 2025 championship game and is the host country this season. It has its share of NHL players, including Predators captain Josi, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Nino Niederreiter, Pius Suter and J.J. Moser.

Sweden's Ivar Stenberg

He's projected to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. He helped Sweden win the world junior championships. Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick, isn't playing in this tournament

Latvia's Alberts Smits

He's another top prospect for the NHL draft. He already has represented his country at the world juniors and Olympics this season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World championships hockey stars to watch as tournament gets underway

With two series Thursday night and one of them concluding, there is sadly no playoff hockey Friday nor Sunday either. It really is that time of year.

Islanders News

• Matthew Schaefer: “I’m just happy I’m able to be a part of it to help these kids.” [NHL]
• Some teammates raving about the Calder winner. [Isles]
• Here’s a brief Q&A with him before he knew he won the Calder. [Isles on Twitter]
• About draft prospect Ryan Lin, a defenseman some of you have targeted at 13th overall. [THN]
• R.I.P. Paul Boutilier, an Isles (among other teams) defenseman in the ‘80s. [Post]

Elsewhere

• Mitch Marner scored a pretty incredible breakaway goal as Vegas clinched their series over the Ducks. [NHL]
• The Canadiens are also one win away from the conference final after winning Game 5 in Buffalo. [NHL]
• The Sabres switched their goalies yet again. [Sportsnet]
• Awaiting them are the Hurricanes, whose GM Eric Tulsky is enjoying their 8-0 ride. [NHL]
• Officially now (after word leaked they asked Vegas for permission to speak to Bruce Cassidy), the Oilers have fired Kris Knoblauch, who never could recover from the yips that kept him from accurately throwing to first base. [NHL]
• They’ll hope the new coach can somehow convince Connor McDavid to stay. [NHL | Sportsnet]
• The Sedins are back to run the Canucks, with Ryan Johnson as GM. [Sportsnet | NHL]
• Seven potential candidates for the Leafs coaching job. [Sportsnet]