The Carolina Hurricanes have taken a 2-1 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final after a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday.

But before they won the game, they nearly lost it as it looked initially like they had fallen into a 3-2 hole midway through the third period.

After some extended zone time by the Canadiens, Noah Dobson tried to thread a pass across the slot and a diving Nikolaj Ehlers accidently deflected it into his own net.

DOBSON SCORES IT AND BLOWS THE ROOF OFF THIS PLACE 🔥🚨

Being reviewed for offsides tho.... pic.twitter.com/NIbRoGyW5J

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 26, 2026

It looked like the Hurricanes were going to let a game in which they controlled slip away, but Carolina challenged the play for offside.

After review, it was determined that Cole Caufield had just barely entered the zone ahead of the puck, bringing the goal back and setting the stage for the Hurricanes to eventually win the game.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour credited his staff and their prior experience after the game for getting the call right.

"All teams, they're on it," Brind'Amour said. "As soon as an entry goes in, they're already buzzing you if it's close, but I give credit to [Video Coach Chris Huffine] because that's a bit of a tricky one because are you dragging it in and all that. We obviously went through that with Jordo already, which helped us be real confident that that was going to be offside. They did a great job there. Obviously that's a huge point in the game."

Goal was overturned due to Jordan Staal having possession but NOT control of the puck before he crosses the line.

Looking at this, I'm not sure how you can say that he did not have control of the puck.#OTTvsCAR#SoundTheSiren#GoSensGo#NHLPlayoffspic.twitter.com/b0SWF4k4yT

— Jason Drolet 🔴⚫️ (@jason_drolet) April 21, 2026

In Game 2 of the first round series against the Ottawa Senators, the Hurricanes themselves had a goal called back for offside as Jordan Staal was deemed to have not had control of the puck on a close play entering the zone.

It was seeing how that play was ruled by the league that gave the Canes the confidence they needed to make the call to challenge the play in Game 3.

"That was an interesting point in the game," said Taylor Hall "In the end, it's offside, so shouldn't have really even turned into a play. It's nice that they got it right and that was a nice break for us. We felt like we had control of the game and you have to make sure that we win those ones and we ended up doing that."

Is Carolina's Top Line Finally Heating Up?After a quiet postseason, the Canes' top line finally ignited in Game 3, delivering an overtime winner that could signal a shift for Carolina best players.

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Former San Jose Sharks forward Scott Sabourin is staying in Tampa Bay for at least one more season. 

Earlier this week, Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois announced that the team had reached an agreement with Sabourin on a one-year, two-way contract extension. 

Sabourin previously spent two seasons as a member of the San Jose Sharks organization, signing with the team during the summer of 2023 and departing as a free agent during the summer of 2025. The gritty winger appeared in just four games at the NHL level for the Sharks, failing to record a point and picking up nine penalty minutes during that span. 

The majority of his time in the Sharks organization was spent with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League. With the Barracuda, he played 127 games, scoring 28 goals and 52 points while racking up a whopping 303 penalty minutes. 

In his first season with the Lightning, the 33-year-old earned an opportunity to fill in at the NHL level when the team was struck by the injury bug. In 26 games for the Bolts, he scored a goal and had four assists along with his 89 penalty minutes. He also played 24 games for their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. 

Sabourin earned a bit of a pay raise with his new contract, as his NHL salary increased from $775k to $850k for the 2026-27 season. He'll once again be a pending unrestricted free agent next summer.

Another former member of the San Jose Sharks organization could be heading overseas. 

Defenseman Calen Addison spent part of one season in the Bay Area, playing in 60 games for the Sharks and now he could be going to the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.

Mike Grier brought Addison into the mix early in the 2023-24 season in an attempt to get more offense from the Sharks' defense, and while he did do that to an extent, there were some glaring holes in his game that ultimately resulted in the Sharks opting not to submit a qualifying offer in order to retain his rights at the end of the season. 

Considering the Sharks only gave up a fifth round draft pick and Adam Raska, who has also gone overseas to continue his career at this stage, there was very little lasting impact to making the trade with the Minnesota Wild.

During his 60 games wearing teal, Addison scored a single goal and registered 12 points. Since leaving the Sharks, he's been a journeyman at the American Hockey League level and has played for three teams in two seasons. 

Reports from Russia's Sport-Express state that Dynamo Moskva has shown interest in signing the 26-year-old defenseman, but nothing is official at this point in time. Over the course of his NHL career, Addison scored six goals and tallied a total of 50 points in 152 games spread across four seasons. 

If Addison signs with Dynamo, he will join current Sharks prospect Yegor Rimashevsky who the organization drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

If the Colorado Avalanche season were a boat at sea, the vessel would be taking on water with the feeling of impending doom as the choppy waters of a series sweep loom over the horizon. A journey that started in the waters of Los Angeles could come to a sinking halt in the desert of Las Vegas, as the Golden Knights have a 3-0 series lead with a chance to advance to the cup final tonight.

Colorado seems battered and bruised from the quest, as Cale Makar is clearly not healthy, and Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin were hobbled in game three.

The team from the Mile High City also appears morally drained after blowing their first third-period lead to lose game two and a 3-0 first-period lead in game three. In fact, in game three, Colorado failed to register a shot in the last 12+ minutes of the final frame despite getting a power play at one point.

Vegas has been sippin’ pina coladas like a prize fighter as their (hard-earned) luxury yacht rolls into port for another night of dominance. The Avalanche have had zero answers to what Las Vegas has brought to the table, and so for the Golden Knights, the focus will be more of the same.

Will the Avalanche end the suffering and go quietly, or will they put up a fight?

Colorado Avalanche

What can I really say about where the Avalanche stand today ahead of game four? A lot.

For starters, it feels like Nathan MacKinnon either got some incredible treatment over the last 36 hours or he will, at a minimum, be hobbled this evening after he took a puck to the outside of his right knee in game three. The impact was substantial enough to bench MacKinnon for most of the third period outside of one pointless power play appearance.

I don’t say pointless because MacKinnon shouldn’t be out on the power play, but he was clearly unable to make any explosive movements and was basically ineffective.

This leads me to an adjustment I hope to see from Bednar. I don’t think riding your clearly wounded top guys into the ground is going to do anything but accelerate losing.

The approach we saw in game three just came off desperate as the top group waved off a timeout just to inevitably be too gassed to stave off an open net attempt.

Moreover, it explains why the end of game three was so lifeless.

Only one team in NHL history has come back from down 3-0 beyond the quarterfinals, and that was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Saying things have changed since then is incredibly reductive, but back then, Leafs head coach Hap Day chose to bench the team’s leading scorer and a veteran defender to make his lineup younger, faster, and better equipped to play 60 minutes of playoff hockey.

Here are three keys to victory for the Colorado Avalanche:

1. Effort every second of every shift.
2. A commitment to sacrifice and teamwork
3. Patience and pride.

It’s desperation time for the Avalanche (although I’d argue it has been for at least two games), and they will have to lean into that to avoid the sweep. That means controlling what they can control, and that starts with effort.

Speaking of effort, you clearly aren’t going to skill it up to a victory against this Vegas team, so to win, Colorado will have to buy into sacrificing offense for defense, grinding in the corners and below the goal-line, and crashing the net.

The approach that’s required right now isn’t a pretty one. It’s not gonna land anyone on ESPN’s top ten or make an end-of-year highlight reel. The Avalanche will have to trust themselves, prepare for battle, and play for the logo on the front of their jerseys.

Projected Lineup:

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Gabriel Landeskog
Nazem Kadri — Brock Nelson — Martin Necas
Ross Colton — Nicolas Roy — Valeri Nichushkin
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski
Josh Manson — Brent Burns

MacKenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Note: I have italicized the individuals who are a bit questionable tonight. We haven’t gotten the real word on either Nichushkin or MacKinnon’s status, and Cale has dealt with stuff all postseason.

Nothing has been reported, but it feels like the right time to give MacKenzie Blackwood a chance in game four.

Vegas Golden Knights

When John Tortorella took the reins in Vegas, he talked a lot about just getting out of the way with this Vegas group, which has an established cup-winning core and a cupboard full of talent. It’s apparently exactly what was needed to right the ship in Vegas.

Good goaltending has also helped, as Carter Hart is on a Jordan Binnington-like run here in the 2026 playoffs. His success has been largely instrumental in Vegas’ commitment to the counterstrike approach, as he’s backstopped the group well when Colorado has earned the seldom-seen high-danger look.

Vegas is in comfortable territory right now, but won’t just take the foot off the gas this close to getting back to a cup final.

Here are three keys to victory for the Golden Knights:

1. Stick to the plan.
2. Play to win.
3. Ride momentum.

Vegas’ approach is undefeated against the team that many (along with Carolina) viewed as a shoo-in for the Cup Final. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

With this sort of series lead, it’s human nature to let up a little bit, seeing as only four teams have ever come back from being down 3-0 in the NHL’s 109 seasons. That gives the Avalanche ~ a 3.7% chance of realizing a reverse sweep.

That’s the sort of unlikelyhood that can seep into the little habits, but as we know in Colorado, habits are fleeting and must be nurtured even when the going is good. Or else.

The Golden Knights have done very well at getting and keeping momentum when it matters most. The first goal hasn’t mattered as much as the last goal in this series because Vegas doesn’t come out of their game when behind.

Projected Lineup:

Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomas Hertl — Colton Sissons
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart
Adin Hill

Let us know what you think in the comments, Avs fans! Is this the end or the beginning? Are the Avalanche losing or winning tonight?

The past 48 hours for the Colorado Avalanche haven’t been the best. You're down 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals with Cale Makar coming back from an upper-body injury, only to have Nathan MacKinnon go down with a knee injury. Now, the media and fans are all considering whether, if the team loses Game 4 or the series, management should make a coaching change.

Is It Time For The Avalanche To Make A Coaching Change This Summer?The Colorado Avalanche are down 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals. If/When they are eliminated from the playoffs, does a change behind the bench need to be made, and could the replacement be closer than they think?

The pressure and rumors only continue; now, not only is there speculation about shaking up your head coach and coaching staff, but your General Manager could be leaving for a rival organization to take on a larger role this offseason.

Chris MacFarland To Music City?

On May 23, Jonah Sigel, writer for the Toronto Star, put out a post on X/Twitter that stated that he is hearing that the Nashville Predators will name Avalanche General Manager, Chris MacFarland, as their new Vice-President of Hockey Operations this summer, an upgrade over his current position with the Avalanche.

If true, won't go over well in Toronto, lots of buzzing out there the @PredsNHL will name @Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland as their new VP hockey operations, a promotion over GM role he currently has... Could be interesting

— Jonah Sigel | Sports media + streaming (@yyzsportsmedia) May 23, 2026

It's a serious upgrade and change of role considering where the Predators are right now with the state of their team. With a lot of expiring contracts, veterans who still have term on their deals, and nine combined picks from rounds 1 and 2 over the next three seasons, it's a team that needs clarity on where its franchise is going, and it needs to start this summer.

It does line up with the plans the Predators tend to make this summer, as current GM and President of Hockey Operations Barry Trotz announced earlier this season that he would step down from both roles to retire.

This past season, the Predators began the process of finding the right candidate to replace Trotz. A plethora of names have been reported as those they want to talk with, including former New Jersey Devils GM and President Tom Fitzgerald, Florida Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson, Dallas Stars assistant GM Scott White, Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Darren Yorke, and Edmonton Oilers assistant GM Bill Scott.

So the Predators are willing to talk to anyone and everyone they can get an accepted request from, but is the initial report true? Do the Predators tend to take MacFarland from the Avalanche? Is there any other source that can back it up?

Avalanche Are Safe, For Now

It didn’t take long for Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman to report 32 Thoughts: The Podcast to help break down the situation and elaborate further. The main point Friedman raised is that, right now, the Predators are not permitted to talk to MacFarland, and no deal is in place for him to sign when the season is over and jump ship immediately.

As much as the Predators have him as a key figure in their job search, nothing is set in stone, even with Friedman saying that a “done deal” is “way, way, way, premature”.

As of right now, aside from the two reports for Friedman and Sigel, there have been no other reports from insiders or announcements by the two organizations that have made it publicly clear that an interview request has occurred. Nothing is set in stone, and until a report or announcement is made, MacFarland’s position with the team is safe, though there isn’t much the team can do to stop him from leaving.

Management can block anyone from requesting access to speak to him for any managerial positions. When someone is under contract with the team, the team can hold them to their contractual obligations. Just look at what the Golden Knights are doing with Bruce Cassidy. Denying teams like the Edmonton Oilers and other teams in the conference from requesting to talk to him to hire him as their next coach.

Avalanche Doesn’t Really Have Full Control Of The Situation.

Make what you want of the reports; it all comes down to whether Nashville really wants MacFarland and whether he feels the same about an upgrade in position. If he does, the Avalanche can’t really do anything about it.

If the team really values MacFarland, there isn’t a higher title to give him. That would mean firing Sakic as President of Hockey Operations and giving MacFarland that title, but I doubt they will do that. They already made that move to keep both members after they won the Stanley Cup in 2022, bumping Sakic to President of Hockey Operations and moving MacFarland from Assistant GM to GM.

Chris MacFarland Bet Everything on Winning — and the Avalanche Are Cashing InAfter a season-defining trade sparked outrage across the hockey world, Chris MacFarland and Jared Bednar ignored the noise, doubled down on their vision, and somehow built the Colorado Avalanche into an even more dangerous Stanley Cup contender.

The only other factor is MacFarland's loyalty to the franchise. Whether he would really leave a contending championship team he helped build for a rival franchise in the division that's on the brink of a complete rebuild. It would obviously be a great opportunity and a promotion many might take if put in that situation, but would he be so quick to leave after just getting promoted a couple of years ago?

Obviously, every Avalanche fan would love to see him and the team issue a statement thanking the Predators for their interest while committing to the Avalanche for the future. Only time will tell whether the reports prove true and whether more changes will come to the Colorado Avalanche this summer.

Avalanche Need To Flip The Script If They Want To Come Back Against Golden KnightsColorado’s trademark third-period dominance has vanished against Vegas. After falling into a 0-2 hole, the Avalanche must change the way they play if they want to tie this series up.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing free agent targets for the Philadelphia Flyers will return to the NHL for another season rather than retiring, according to a new report.

Flyers legend Claude Giroux, who was traded away for Owen Tippett and draft picks back in 2022, has decided on playing in 2026-27 after spending some time considering his future, according to The Athletic NHL insider Pierre LeBrun.

"Claude Giroux needed some time after the season to mull over his future, as far as whether he wanted to continue playing," LeBrun wrote.

"I was told Monday that the 38-year-old forward, an unrestricted free agent on July 1, has decided he wants to come back and play another season."

Giroux, now 38, is still an effective player, even if that is one or two steps behind the player he was during his Flyers heyday.

The ex-Flyers captain has spent the last four seasons playing for his hometown Ottawa Senators, scoring 85 goals, 157 assists, and 242 points in 327 regular season games.

Giroux did not record any points in the Senators' sweep and exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes this postseason, but posted a goal and four assists in six playoff games last year.

Remember When the Flyers Were Favorites to Sign Mitch Marner?The Philadelphia Flyers should have been all-in for Vegas Golden Knights superstar Mitch Marner when they had the chance.

Many have wondered if the longtime Flyers talisman could return to Philadelphia for one last farewell tour, and while that is still unlikely, putting off retirement at least preserves that meager possibility.

The Flyers advanced further in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs than the Senators did, and old teammates like Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, Danny Briere, and Travis Sanheim can play a role in convincing Giroux to ending his NHL career where it began.

In need of center depth, experience, and versatility, Giroux would check all of the boxes for the Flyers in a free agency class that is otherwise barren at the forward position.

Undoubtedly, Giroux can still win faceoffs and help aid an abominable power play that way, too.

It's unclear if a reunion was ever considered or even on the table, but one way or another, Giroux will play in the NHL next season, keeping a dream for some Flyers fans alive for another few months.

MONTREAL (AP) — After receiving their first wake-up call of the playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes have responded like the beasts of the East they have been all season.

Following a loss to open the Eastern Conference Final, the Hurricanes have won back-to-back games in overtime to take a 2-1 lead against Montreal in the best-of-seven series. They look like their old selves again, and it has them two games from reaching to the Stanley Cup Final.

“We’re feeling good about playing hockey again,” said winger Taylor Hall, who scored his fourth goal this postseason in Game 3 on Monday night. “Now the game is starting to slow down, and you’re making reads without even having to think about it.”

That spells trouble for the Canadiens, who registered just two shots on goal combined over the third period and OT. Carolina has outshot Montreal 64-26 over the past two games.

“They throw a lot to the net, so they’re going to outshoot you,” said Montreal's Cole Caufield, who scored 51 goals during the regular season. “I think everybody that plays them knows that, and you can’t look at it that way — that they kind of tilt the ice that much.”

Shot volume is something the Hurricanes have done consistently in the eight years since coach Rod Brind'Amour took over. What has changed in this series is preventing the young, skilled Canadiens from generating offense.

“You need everything working against a team like that,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “I don’t think you can just rely on the power play.”

Caufield chalked up his team's struggles to Carolina's pace and aggressive play. That the brand of hockey Brind'Amour wants to play.

“It’s putting the stress on them,” defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. “It’s a hard system for us to play sometimes because you’ve got to be on your toes. You’re always skating. But you can see it’s pretty effective, and it’s probably not the best to play against.”

It did not look at all right in Game 1 last week, which the Canadiens won 6-2 after getting off to a hot start, finding long breakout passes and staying patient in solving Carolina's relentless forecheck to hand the Hurricanes their first loss of the playoffs.

“It’s definitely a turning point for us: a little adversity,” Gostisbehere said. “Having two sweeps the first two rounds — not a lot of adversity in that sense. For us, it was a good kick in the teeth.”

The Hurricanes are now as close to the final as they've been during this run of success under Brind'Amour, which included getting swept twice and losing in five games in their three previous trips to the East final. This spring, they are 5-0 on the road and 5-0 in overtime thanks to a consistent approach.

“We try to play our game home and away,” first-line center Sebastian Aho said. “The game’s the same, I feel like. Obviously the environment is a little bit different, whether you’re home or away. But I feel like the game stays the same.”

Game 4 at Bell Centre in Montreal on Wednesday night is Carolina's first chance to move to the verge of making the final. The Canadiens feel like they have another level to get to, and they need to find it quickly.

"We didn’t expect this to be easy, and we’re OK with that," St. Louis said. “There’s not one thing. We have to put it all together. You’re at this stage right now, you have to put it all together. Execution’s part of that. Jam is part of that. There’s not one thing. We’ve just got to put it all together, and I know we can.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

2026 Bruins offseason: Key dates for NHL draft, free agency and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins had a successful 2025-26 NHL season during which they earned 100 points (45-27-10) and made it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Unfortunately for the B’s, that postseason run was short lived as the Original Six franchise lost to the Buffalo Sabres in a six-game first-round series.

Now it’s time for general manager Don Sweeney to make the necessary roster improvements over the offseason to ensure the team takes another step forward in its development in the 2026-27 campaign.

Sweeney has a pretty good war chest of assets to use in pursuit of roster upgrades. The Bruins have a decent amount of salary cap space, five first-round picks in the next three drafts and an improved prospect pool.

Here’s a quick recap of the key offseason dates that fans should circle on their calendars:

May 31: 2026 NHL Scouting Combine

Every team will get an up-close look at the top prospects in the 2026 draft class at the scouting combine in Buffalo. The event wraps up June 6.

June 26-27: 2026 NHL Draft

The first round of the 2026 NHL Draft will take place Friday, June 26 beginning at 7 p.m. ET at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Rounds two through seven are scheduled for Saturday, June 27 starting at 11 a.m. ET.

The Bruins have the No. 23 overall pick in the first round.

June 29: Bruins Development Camp

The Bruins’ annual development camp showcases the team’s best prospects. It’s also a good opportunity to watch the team’s new draft picks compete against their peers throughout the organization.

July 1: NHL free agency begins

The free agent market opens at noon ET.

The Bruins have about $15.4 million in salary cap space right now, per PuckPedia. This year’s class of unrestricted free agents is pretty weak, but there are a couple good players who could be available, including top-six forward Alex Tuch and defenseman Darryn Raddysh.

September 11: Rookie Camp

Bruins Rookie Camp begins on Friday, Sept. 11. It’s an opportunity for these young players to begin building their case to be considered for an Opening Night roster spot.

September 16: Bruins training camp begins

Training camp kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Mass. It will be the Bruins’ second training camp under head coach Marco Sturm.

The New York Islanders continue to have questions surrounding their goaltending situation as the calendar grows closer to June.

The Islanders ran with the tandem of Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich for the 2025-26 season, with Semyon Varlamov continuing to rehab from double knee replacements.

Obviously, the questions don't have anything to do with Sorokin. He's the starting goaltender, coming off a Vezina-worthy season in which Sorokin was named a finalist.

The question remains who will be the Islanders' backup goalie next year, and whether pending free agent Rittich will return.

According to Stefen Rosner, the door hasn't been closed on a reunion with Rittich, despite Varlamov's progress:

Re pending UFA G David Rittich:

The sense I get is that #Isles haven’t completely shut the door on bringing him back.

It sounds like they'll continue monitoring Semyon Varlamov's rehab process before making a decision.

Rittich is coming off a 1-year deal worth $1 million.

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) May 26, 2026

Rittich, 33, started 28 games for the Islanders, posting an .894 save percentage (SV%) along with a 2.76 goals against average (GAA).

The Czech netminder started the year on fire, having an elite front half of the season, but as the year wore on into late January, Rittich's form dipped, as did the Islanders in front of him.

Rittich signed a one-year, $1 million contract on July 1, 2025, with the Islanders.

Varlamov has not appeared in an NHL game since late November 2024, having undergone double knee replacement surgery, and rehabbing ever since.

Th grizzled veteran ended up starting two rehab games for the Bridgeport Islanders, in which Varlamov had a .939 SV% and a 1.50 GAA.

Varlamov's journey has easily become one of the most inspiring stories in all of hockey, now he's one strong summer of healing and recovering away from a surreal NHL return.

“We have so much respect for him. Not just me. From every single guy in this room. Even through the tough times, still trying to get back. Nothing but respect to Varly.” — David Rittich #Isles@TheElmontershttps://t.co/LQu7UcjJXr

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 16, 2026

If the Islanders feel comfortable with where Varlamov's at come the end of June, it's likely Rittich walks and the Islanders sign a veteran third-stringer as the backup plan for Varlamov:

A look at the pending UFA goalie market for the #Isles — options for a No. 2 behind Sorokin, plus veteran names who could fill the No. 3 role @TheElmonters ⤵️https://t.co/NOG7TobuAJ

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 30, 2026

The good news is the Islanders have clear options either way in net, and are well-prepared for however things may shake out between now and July 1.

One of the Senators' biggest goals, as a business, is to try to build a bigger fan base on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. But the recent shutdown of a Habs fan watch party in Gatineau isn't earning them much goodwill at the moment.

Local Montreal Canadiens fans were invited to a viewing party on Saturday to watch Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Final at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, where 400 of the 4000 seats had been sold at $13 apiece.

Organizers got the okay from TVA Sports, whose TV feed they would be using, but they didn't run it by the NHL or the Senators. So, shortly after tickets went on sale, the league intervened, telling the organizers that holding a Montreal Canadiens-based event of this scale in Gatineau is in violation of the Senators' exclusive territorial marketing rights.

Now, according to the Globe and Mail, there's a petition making the rounds to push back against the league's decision to shut the event down. The paper says the petition has nearly 6,500 signatures so far.

Naturally, organizers were disappointed by the decision, as was the charity involved. The Globe and Mail reported that the money from the event, after costs, was slated for Le Boulev’Art de la Valle, a local mental health organization, which could have received as much as $20,000 from the event.

The plan is to eventually present the petition to the league and the Senators, presumably with hopes of approval for events like this, if not this year, then in the future. The Canadiens are still alive this spring, trailing the NHL Eastern Final 2-1 after dropping back-to-back overtime games to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Senators are in a tricky spot.

They'd like to build a bigger fan base in Gatineau, and it obviously doesn't serve them well to allow another NHL franchise, one of their heated rivals, to be celebrated by thousands at a big event right in their backyard. It literally helps to get Ottawa-area hockey fans super excited about an NHL product that isn't theirs.

Critics have suggested that the Sens are being petty, and what's more, if they had allowed the watch party to go ahead, there probably wouldn't be this much talk about the event, nor would there be negative Globe and Mail headlines about hockey fan petitions being shoved in their face, or charities missing out.

In the short term, I would agree that this probably set back their goal of building support in Quebec more than allowing the party would have. 

But this is a long-term decision that comes with short-term pain, and like ripping off a bandaid or yanking out a tooth, the Sens will soon be glad they did it.

If the Senators had played nice and looked the other way on this event, then there's another one just around the corner. And another, and another, and another.

Without a hint of hyperbole, it could evolve into a Gatineau tradition; NHL customers gathering by the thousands in Senators' territory to celebrate an NHL product that isn't Ottawa's. Local TV stations will then beam the images of the Habs fan party into every Ottawa-Gatineau living room and social media account.

If territory doesn't matter, maybe the Branchaud-Brière complex will want to host a Montreal Canadiens fan fest this summer. Maybe the new rink at Lansdowne will one day be a good spot for some Habs preseason games. Let's beam Habs-Bruins games into the Ottawa market at the same time as a Sens-Penguins game.

With apologies to charity groups, who receive millions from the Sens Community Foundation every year, but allowing major promotion of the Montreal Canadiens in the Ottawa market won't help the Senators with their long-term goal of flipping Gatineau.

Admittedly, it's an extremely tall order hat that probably requires a downtown rink and a championship, but why make it harder than it has to be?

The NHL wisely and fairly set up territorial rights to protect its 32 member teams and help each of them have success in the geographical market directly around them.

The question shouldn't be 'Why didn't the Senators allow this?' It should be 'Why would they?'

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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After splitting the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final on the road, the Montreal Canadiens were hoping to get back to their winning ways at the Bell Centre, but the Carolina Hurricanes had other plans. For a second game in a row, the Canes dominated the game from start to finish, and while the Canadiens did push the game to overtime, it felt like Montreal was only delaying the inevitable.

Throughout the game, the Sainte-Flanelle committed 21 turnovers, including one in overtime through Lane Hutson. The sophomore defenseman didn’t shy away at the end of the game and took the blame for the loss when he was asked about Jakub Dobes’ performance:

Yeah, I mean, he was great all playoffs, so I’m not surprised. He battled so hard. It sucks that I just blew it for him, but it is what it is. […] It would be nice to be up 2-11, but we’re not, and it's because of me. It’s frustrating, but we just have to battle to the end.

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While there’s no denying that Hutson did make the final turnover, the goal didn’t come straight after; the Canadiens had time to reset and defend as the Hurricanes set up the game-winning play. Hutson has always been his own harshest critic, and that’s not about to change.

If Svech, Lane Hutson would get a secondary assist as it was Hutson- Svech - Jarvis - Svech.

If Aho, Hutson gets booted off the Apple train :( https://t.co/klifvAfY8I

— Caniac Brainiac (@AtTheBlueLine) May 26, 2026

However, his game cannot be summed up by the one single mistake; if the Habs didn’t have Hutson last night, they likely wouldn’t even have made it to overtime. Not just because he scored the game-tying goal and drew the penalty that allowed him to do so, but also because he blocked five shots and was once again all over the ice, skating for almost 29 minutes.

Just like on Saturday night, though, it was obvious that the Hurricanes planned on making Hutson’s night difficult with their relentless forecheck. On top of having to absorb the hits, the Illinois native had very little time to make plays in his own zone while bracing for impact. This is part of the reason why the Canadiens struggled even to exit their own zone at times, and when they did, they couldn’t get past the red line before losing the puck again.

Hutson has not been hit that often since he started his pro career. The 22-year-old is a smooth skater, and often, he manages to evade hits, but not in this series. At one stage, he was even hit by two Hurricanes at once.

If the Canadiens are to extend this series past the five-game mark, they will need to find an answer to the Canes’ suffocating brand of hockey. If they fail to do so, the Habs' great run could soon be over.

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Gabriel Landeskog has been a shooting machine against the Vegas Golden Knights, generating looks at a highly efficient clip.

Colorado's captain headlines my Avalanche vs. Golden Knights props and NHL picks for Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Be sure to read our full Avalanche vs. Golden Knights predictions.

Best Avalanche vs Golden Knights props for Game 4

Player	Pick
Gabriel Landeskog	Over 2.5 shots on goal	-105
Nazem Kadri	Over 2.5 shots on goal	-120
Noah Hanifin	Over 1.5 blocked shots	-160

Game 4 Prop #1: Gabriel Landeskog Over 2.5 shots on goal (-105)

Gabriel Landeskog has tested Carter Hart more than anybody in this series, leading the Colorado Avalanche in shot attempts, shots on goal, and scoring chances.

He has played at least 20 minutes in all three games, and logged 24 minutes of ice last time out as the Avs desperately attempted to avoid falling into a 0-3 hole.

The captain will see a healthy dose of ice with their season on the line, especially with key Avalanche players banged up and missing today’s morning skate. Landeskog averaged 3.7 shots on 6.9 attempts when logging 20+ minutes this season. Play up to -130.

Game 4 Prop #2: Nazem Kadri Over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)

Landeskog is the only player on the Avalanche with more shots or scoring chances in the third round. Nazem Kadri has been all around the net, and he has done a better job of tilting the ice in Colorado's favor than anybody.

Shot attempts are 53-30 Colorado at 5-on-5 during Kadri's minutes. That's a nearly 64% share of the shot attempts, which is tops among all Avalanche players.

Kadri had three shots and eight attempts in more than 19 minutes last time out, and could be heading for an even bigger workload with Nathan MacKinnon fighting injury. Playable to -130.

Game 4 Prop #3: Noah Hanifin Over 1.5 blocked shots (-160)

The Noah Hanifin pairing is starting more shifts in the defensive zone than anybody on the Vegas Golden Knights.

That's one reason he's been on the ice for 106 shot attempts against in just three games. There are a ton of opportunities to jump in the shooting lanes, and Hanifin's done a great job in that regard.

He has blocked nine shots in the series, including a five-block performance in Game 3. Hanifin registered at least two blocks in five of the last six, and I'm backing him to do it again up to -175.

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