Goaltender Jakub Dobes was a big reason why the Montreal Canadiens survived a pair of Game 7s to earn a spot against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals.
My Canadiens vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks expect Dobes to be thrown into the fire, facing all kinds of rubber from Carolina on Thursday, May 21.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 1 prediction
Canadiens vs Hurricanes best bet: Jakub Dobes Over 28.5 saves (-105)
Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes sports a solid .910 save percentage with 12.17 goals saved above expected across his 14 postseason starts, and he’s about to be busier than ever in Game 1.
The Carolina Hurricanes have recorded a playoff-high 30.9 shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 while ranking second in Corsi For percentage, and they also finished the regular season with the second-most shots per game (32.2) and highest CF% at 5-on-5.
So, with Montreal finishing 23rd in CF% at 5-on-5 during the regular season and now sitting 13th in the metric among the 16 postseason teams, Dobes is set to face more than enough rubber to record 29 or more saves in the series opener.
Montreal linemates Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook tilted the ice in their favor in Round 2 with a 58.2% shot rate at 5-on-5 while combining for 37 shots. Additionally, Demidov recorded two or more in four of seven games, and Newhook had at least two shots six times.
The Carolina Hurricanes have won 20 of their last 25 games (+14.40 Units / 37% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Hurricanes.
How to watch Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 1
Location
Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Date
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, Sportsnet
Canadiens vs Hurricanes latest injuries
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The Buffalo Sabres are entering the off-season with multiple pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Logan Stanley is among them.
With the Sabres having several left-shot defensemen and Stanley being scratched multiple times during the playoffs, there is a chance that he won't be brought back by Buffalo.
Due to this, let's look at three teams that could target Stanley if he ends up hitting the free-agent market on July 1.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks could be a team to watch when it comes to Stanley this summer. It is no secret that San Jose needs to boost their blueline, and they are entering the off-season with several pending UFA defensemen. Because of this, it would not be surprising if they tried to sign Stanley this off-season. They need more toughness on their blueline.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins should be looking to improve the left side of their defense this off-season. If they signed Stanley, he would have the potential to be a nice addition to both their bottom pairing and penalty kill. Furthermore, at 27 years old, Stanley would be a good fit on a Penguins club that is focused on the future.
Winnipeg Jets
Could the Jets look to reunite with Stanley this off-season? The possibility should not be ruled out. The 6-foot-7 defenseman thrived this season with Winnipeg before being traded to Buffalo, as he posted nine goals and 21 points in 59 games. With this, it would be understandable if the Jets tried to lure their 2016 first-round pick back to Winnipeg if he hits the market.
There are difficult, dubious contract negotiations, and then there are contract negotiations where the hardest part is figuring out how long you want the partnership to last.
For the Philadelphia Flyers and Trevor Zegras, this offseason feels much closer to the latter.
A year ago, the trade that brought Zegras to Philadelphia carried more intrigue than certainty. The talent was obvious, but so was the inconsistency. Around the league, many voices debated whether he was a misunderstood offensive creator trapped in a stagnant environment or a player whose flashy skill set would always outweigh his overall impact. The Flyers believed they could unlock something more complete.
What they ended up discovering was not only a highly productive offensive player, but someone who fit the emotional identity of the organization far better than many expected.
Now, after a season in which Zegras became one of the defining personalities of the Flyers’ resurgence, the organization arrives at a critical but relatively straightforward piece of business: giving him a contract that will solidify his place in Philadelphia in the years to come.
Trevor Zegras on his #Flyers contract extension: “I love playing here, I love the fans, I love our group. I want to be here for a long time, so hopefully that can get worked out over the next couple of months.”
That number might have once felt aggressive to some outside observers who viewed Zegras primarily through the lens of inconsistency or highlight-reel reputation, but the 25-year-old has proven that he is so much more than the injuries and flashiness that defined his early NHL years. When evaluating what he became for the Flyers this season, and what he projects to become entering his prime, it starts to look not only reasonable, but smart.
Because this was not simply a “good statistical season.”
This was the season where Zegras matured into an undeniable foundational piece.
He finished the year as one of the Flyers’ most dynamic offensive drivers, producing in all situations while becoming increasingly trusted in difficult minutes. More importantly, his game evolved far beyond the perception that has followed him since entering the NHL.
The offense is still the headline. It always will be.
Few players in hockey manipulate space the way Zegras does. He changes defensive posture simply by touching the puck. Defenders back off half a stride because they are worried about being embarrassed. Penalty killers hesitate because they know he can thread passes through seams that most players do not even recognize. That hesitation matters at the NHL level. It creates openings that are invisible in the box score but fundamental to offense.
What made Zegras especially valuable to the Flyers, though, was how his creativity complemented the team’s overall structure instead of disrupting it.
Under Rick Tocchet, the Flyers built an identity around pace, layered pressure, and relentless support. Zegras could have been an awkward stylistic fit in theory—a high-risk offensive player on a team obsessed with detail. Instead, he became proof that skill and structure are not mutually exclusive.
His transition play was essential to Philadelphia’s offense all season. The Flyers are not a team loaded with pure one-on-one offensive creators. They generate much of their attack through pressure, retrievals, and layered movement. Zegras gave them something different: controlled entries with possession, east-west playmaking, and the ability to manufacture offense when structure alone was not enough.
That matters enormously in playoff hockey, where systems tighten and teams eventually need players capable of creating something out of nothing. And with the Flyers establishing that playoffs are no longer a lofty, just-out-of-reach goal, that is a key piece of Zegras' value.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras (46). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
Even during stretches where the offense cooled, Zegras remained impactful because of how much defensive attention he demanded. Opponents tracked him differently, and matchups shifted around him. That is star gravity, even when the scoring totals fluctuate.
And importantly for the Flyers, his growth away from the puck was real.
He competed harder along walls. He tracked with more consistency through the neutral zone. He became more engaged physically than he was earlier in his career. Tocchet’s staff pushed him relentlessly on details, a coaching style that Zegras welcomed with open arms.
The Flyers are building a culture that values coachability almost as much as talent. Zegras could have bristled under that environment. Instead, he leaned into it, even asked for it. Tocchet has repeatedly emphasized how much communication exists between coaches and players, and Zegras himself became one of the clearest examples of that relationship working. He sought out video sessions, asked questions, wanted to understand the “why” behind adjustments instead of simply being told what to do.
In Flyers exit interviews, Zegras highlighted how much he worked at becoming a more engaged player to shed the misconceptions of him being an "Instagram hockey player."
"I think that was definitely something that me and Tocc had talked about before the year," he said. "My goal and mindset was just to come in and be coachable wherever they wanted me to play. I did the best of my ability, whether it was the wing or center, whatever it was."
Why the Flyers Should Want Long-Term Security
The salary cap is rising. Young top-six forwards are becoming more expensive every year. Waiting rarely makes elite offensive talent cheaper.
If the Flyers bridge Zegras again—something in the three- or four-year range—they would essentially be betting against their own development process. They would be acknowledging uncertainty about a player who increasingly looks central to everything they are becoming offensively.
A long-term extension now allows them to buy prime years before the market fully explodes.
And make no mistake: if Zegras continues progressing under Tocchet while playing meaningful playoff hockey in Philadelphia, his value is only going up.
There is also the broader organizational picture. The Flyers are no longer simply trying to accumulate young talent for later down the line. They're putting the league on notice now, which also means that they are transitioning into the far more complicated phase of a rebuild: determining which players are pillars and which players are complementary.
Zegras looks like a pillar. Not necessarily because he is arguably the best player on the roster today, but because of the dimensions he adds that are difficult to replicate.
He brings skill, pace, and offensive unpredictability. He is a power play asset, and is growing into a versatile player that can handle the responsibilities of being a winger or a center (a position Danny Briere acknowledged the Flyers still need bodies to fill).
Away from the ice, Zegras also brings personality, marketability, and energy. In the age of social media and for an organization like the Flyers who are building back a great relationship with their fanbase, those qualities are vital.
Philadelphia fell back in love with hockey this season, and Zegras became one of the faces of that emotional reconnection, in part because being a Flyer helped him fall back in love with the game too.
During Flyers exit interviews, he said of the change of scenery from Anaheim to Philadelphia, "It was big for me. Having that excitement about the game was great. Having a passion for winning and success as a team was big, and I think a lost a little bit of that [with Anaheim]. The drive and passion to win, being a really good team—in my opinion, we definitely had a great, successful season."
Fans do not merely appreciate him; they engage with him. Xfinity Mobile Arena is crawling with jerseys emblazoned with 46 on the back on any given game day. Clips of his plays circulate constantly online. National broadcasts gravitate toward him. He is charismatic without feeling manufactured, confident without feeling detached.
Eagles Super Bowl champion Fletcher Cox is in the building! He's repping the #Flyers in a Trevor Zegras jersey. Naturally, Eagles chants follow.
Some stars feel marketed into relevance, but Zegras feels naturally magnetic. For a franchise trying to fully reestablish itself nationally after years of inconsistency, that matters commercially and culturally, and the Flyers know it.
Why the Number Works for Both Sides
An $8 million cap hit positions Zegras appropriately within both his current value and future projection.
It acknowledges that he is not yet a perennial 100-point superstar, but it also recognizes that high-end offensive centers and play-driving forwards entering their prime years simply cost money now.
From Zegras’ perspective, the deal offers life-changing security while still allowing him to cash in significantly before the end of his career. From the Flyers’ perspective, it provides cost certainty through what should be the most productive stretch of his NHL life.
And stylistically, there is reason to believe his game will age well.
Players built entirely around speed can decline abruptly. Players built entirely around finesse can disappear physically in playoff environments. Zegras’ value increasingly comes from processing speed, spatial manipulation, and creativity under pressure. Those traits tend to sustain themselves longer.
Most importantly, though, the Flyers finally look like a place where Zegras can become the best version of himself. That was not always guaranteed.
Some players need structure. Some need freedom. The challenge for organizations is identifying which balance unlocks growth. Philadelphia appears to have found it with Zegras. Tocchet has demanded accountability without suffocating creativity. Veterans like Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim have helped stabilize the room around younger personalities. And Zegras, for perhaps the first time in his NHL career, genuinely looked settled.
Philadelphia Flyers forwards Trevor Zegras (46) and Owen Tippett (74) celebrate the Flyers clinching a playoff spot. (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
Comfortable players usually become better players, which is why this negotiation should not drag unnecessarily.
The Flyers spent years searching for players capable of changing the emotional temperature of games and seasons. Trevor Zegras became one of those players this year—not without flaws, but undeniably. You do not spend years rebuilding only to hesitate when you finally identify a cornerstone worth building around.
"I would love that," Zegras said of contract talks. "I would love to be here for a long time... I love playing here. I love the fans. I love the group that we have. I hope that that happens over the next couple of months."
Bill Zonnon extended his goal-streak to three games, matching the number of games he has suited up in the AHL to help the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins win the pivotal Game 3 in their best-of-five series against Springfield last night. Here was the Pens’ lineup
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 19, 2026
Rutger McGroarty opened the scoring, notching his second goal of the playoffs in the final minute of the first period. McGroarty jumped out on a shorthanded breakaway and made it count to give WBS the lead.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 19, 2026
The score would remain that way until the third period until Boko Imama (!!) made a beautiful pass over for Zonnon to finish and extend WBS’s lead to 2-0 with 14 minutes to go.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 20, 2026
For a while this game looked similar to Game 2 in this series, where WBS took a multi-goal lead and Springfield then made a desperate late comeback effort. The Thunderbirds scored with 3:39 remaining to drop the score to 2-1. They kept pushing as time wound down but in Game 3 there would be no overtime, Wilkes hangs on for a 2-1 win. Sergei Murashov stops 27 of 28 with another strong performance, especially down the stretch in the final segment.
WBS will have the opportunity to close the series out and move onto the winner of Toronto/Cleveland by winning Game 4 tomorrow night.
Up at the NHL level, the Penguins have to be excited to see another strong night from so many important players. Murashov is showing mastery of the AHL level (1.82 GAA, .942 save% in the playoffs) to suggest he’s ready for NHL action. McGroarty scoring while shorthanded gives a reminder that he should be in the conversation for a spot next season. Zonnon is still playing AHL fourth line in his very first taste of pro hockey, but it’s becoming harder to remember the more green aspects of where he’s at in his journey when he scores a goal every game he plays – especially since the AHL is known to be lower scoring hockey than the NHL and goals in the playoffs come at a huge premium. Good run so far for Wilkes, Pittsburgh has to be extremely encouraged to see a lot of the important names for the NHL radar continually show up and stand out in this playoff run.
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche are four wins away from a Stanley Cup Final berth.
After winning eight of their first nine playoff games, the Avalanche now turn their attention toward the Vegas Golden Knights in a series that feels less like a conference final and more like an inevitable collision between two modern Western Conference powers.
Game 1 is set for Wednesday night at Ball Arena, where Colorado will attempt to protect home ice against a Vegas team built around depth, pressure and postseason experience. The Avalanche, meanwhile, enter the series looking every bit like the most explosive offensive team remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Colorado finished the regular season with a 2-0-1 record against Vegas, narrowly outscoring the Golden Knights 11-10 across the three meetings.
Colorado’s Offense Has Become a Playoff Avalanche
No team has generated offense more consistently this postseason than Colorado. p
The Avalanche lead the NHL with 4.11 goals per game through nine playoff contests while allowing just 2.56 goals against per night. At five-on-five, Colorado has been even more dominant, producing 2.56 goals per game while surrendering only 1.44.
The puck possession numbers paint an equally commanding picture.
Colorado is averaging 32.6 shots on goal per game while limiting opponents to just 26.1 shots against. Even against a structured Vegas team, the Avalanche held a significant territorial advantage during the regular season series, averaging 32.3 shots per game compared to the Golden Knights’ 25.7.
Special teams could become one of the defining storylines of the series.
Colorado’s power play is operating at 25 percent during the postseason, nearly identical to Vegas’ 25.7 percent mark. The Golden Knights, however, have owned the edge on the penalty kill, entering the conference final at 86.8 percent compared to Colorado’s 79.3 percent.
Vegas has still been one of the NHL’s most complete playoff teams.
The Golden Knights arrive in Denver with an 8-4 postseason record while averaging 3.67 goals per game and allowing 2.58 goals against. Their .915 team save percentage also ranks ahead of Colorado’s .902 mark entering the series.
MacKinnon Continues to Set the Standard
Nathan MacKinnon once again sits at the center of everything Colorado does offensively.
The Avalanche superstar enters the Western Conference Final tied for third in the NHL with seven playoff goals while ranking tied for eighth with 13 points. His ability to dictate pace through the neutral zone has repeatedly overwhelmed opponents throughout the postseason.
MacKinnon has also consistently produced against Vegas throughout his career, recording seven points in seven playoff games against the Golden Knights along with 30 points — including eight goals and 22 assists — in 31 regular-season meetings.
Martin Necas has become one of Colorado’s most important secondary playmakers during the playoff run.
Necas is tied for sixth in the NHL with 10 assists while carrying a plus-10 even-strength goal differential, tied for the second-best mark among all playoff skaters remaining.
Devon Toews continues to provide offensive production from the blue line, ranking seventh among NHL defensemen with eight playoff points. He is tied for fifth among defensemen in assists with six and tied for eighth in goals with two.
Veteran defenseman Brent Burns brings another layer of playoff experience into the matchup. Burns has totaled nine points in 13 postseason games against Vegas during his career, in addition to 16 points in 32 regular-season contests.
Colorado’s Comeback Win Became a Defining Moment
Even dominant playoff runs usually require one game that galvanizes a team.
For Colorado, that moment arrived in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild.
The Avalanche fell behind 3-0 midway through the first period before mounting one of the most dramatic comebacks of the postseason. Parker Kelly finally broke through in the second period before Jack Drury redirected a Devon Toews point shot late in regulation to cut the deficit to one.
With the net empty and Colorado’s season briefly hanging in the balance, MacKinnon delivered again, scoring with 1:23 remaining to tie the game.
Then came the finish.
At 3:52 of overtime, Brett Kulak blasted home a one-timer off a Martin Necas feed, completing the comeback and sending Ball Arena into chaos as the Avalanche clinched the series in five games.
Instead of becoming a warning sign, the early deficit only reinforced Colorado’s confidence and offensive firepower.
Vegas Brings Its Own Wave of Firepower
The Golden Knights arrive with enough depth to make this a true heavyweight matchup.
Mitch Marner has led Vegas offensively with 18 playoff points while ranking second on the team with 11 assists and third with seven goals. Pavel Dorofeyev enters the series leading the Golden Knights with nine postseason goals, while Jack Eichel has orchestrated much of the attack with a team-leading 14 assists and 15 total points.
Vegas secured its trip to the conference final with a commanding 5-1 victory over Anaheim in Game 6 of the second round.
Marner opened the scoring just 1:02 into the game before Brett Howden added a shorthanded goal and Shea Theodore capitalized on the power play later in the first period. Dorofeyev eventually buried two third-period goals to put the game away.
Now the Golden Knights head into Denver facing the NHL’s highest-scoring playoff team in a series that carries no shortage of history, animosity or championship implications.
For Colorado, the opportunity is obvious.
The Avalanche have looked fast, deep and overwhelming through two rounds.
Vegas may be the first team capable of matching them shift for shift.
San Jose entered the draft lottery with a 5.0 percent chance at winning the No. 1 overall pick and ended up with the No. 2 selection for the second consecutive year, moving up from No. 9 on the second draw of the ping pong balls.
With each team’s positions now set, many hockey experts have released their mock drafts, revealing which players the Sharks could take with the No. 2 overall pick.
“In drafting Reid, San Jose gets a right-handed defenseman whose closest draft-year comparable is Evan Bouchard. Reid is a wonderful skater who will almost certainly become a power-play quarterback and drive offense from the blue line.
“The Sharks have a lot less in the pipeline on the right side, with only Eric Pohlkamp projected to play in the NHL. Reid gives the Sharks a tremendous skater and puck mover on the right side who can partner with Sam Dickinson or drive a pair on his own.”
“Smits (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) stands out in a crowded field of high-end defensemen because of how he’s already proven himself against the highest level of competition. That includes two assists and an average ice time of 18:44 in four games for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, despite the 18-year-old being the youngest player at the tournament.
“He’s a strong skater, has a high-end offensive game, and his maturity on and off the ice — he lived on his own at age 13 when he left his native Latvia to play in Finland — makes him a possibility to play in the NHL as soon as next season.”
– Adam Kimelman
Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frolunda (SWE)
“Though it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Sharks trade down and choose one of the elite defensemen available in this draft, Stenberg (5-foot-11, 183 pounds) is the next-best player here and would fill a need for an elite complementary wing who can keep pace with Celebrini, the face of the franchise. The 18-year-old has been exceptional at every level he’s played this season.”
“The Sharks get a foundational defense piece they’ve needed throughout their rebuild, as Reid projects to run a power play and log a lot of minutes in the NHL. Ivar Stenberg is tempting here, but the stars feel like they would align too well for the Sharks and Reid, given how close the two players are in talent.”
“In our recent scouting report of defenseman Chase Reid, we said he is the best defenseman in this draft. The San Jose Sharks will likely agree. And given they’ve had ample opportunity to build up their forward corps over the last few drafts, they will look to the blue line this year.
“Take a moment and imagine Reid on the ice with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith and whatever other members of the Sharks’ stable of talented young prospects happen to be around. It’s a nice vision, right? He’s incredibly offensively gifted, agile and intelligent, and he dictates the flow of the game any time he’s on the ice. He’s going to be extremely good, and the Sharks are going to be fun.”
“This is quite the consolation prize, especially for a team that didn’t expect to pick this high. The Sharks could really use a defender – but picking the best player available should be the No. 1 goal. They could take Chase Reid here, but passing on Stenberg would come back to bite them. Stenberg is strong with the puck, has a fantastic shot, and might have the second-best hockey sense of anyone in the draft behind McKenna.
“Stenberg’s production fell as the season wore on, but he still had one of the best seasons by a U-19 player in recent SHL history. Stenberg’s ceiling might not be as high as McKenna’s from an offensive production standpoint. But if you’re looking for someone who excels in more facets of the game, Stenberg is the best choice. Keep a close eye on Stenberg at the upcoming World Championship, assuming he does indeed make Sweden’s roster.”
“With the second-overall pick, Button has the San Jose Sharks, who won the draft lottery to move up from No. 9 to No. 2, taking Soo Greyhounds defenceman Chase Reid. Reid averaged over a point per game last season with the Greyhounds, scoring 18 goals with 48 points in 45 games. He also represented Team USA at the World Juniors, scoring two goals with two assists in five games.
“This will be the fourth year in a row the Sharks will draft in the top five after taking forward Will Smith at No. 4 in 2023, centre Macklin Celebrini first overall in 2024 and forward Michael Misa with the second-overall selection last year.”
The Montreal Victoire are one win away from being crowned the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup champions, but not if the Ottawa Charge have anything to say about it.
The Charge scored a game-winning goal with only 55.5 seconds remaining in the third period to defeat the Victoire 2-1 in Game 3 to force Game 4 on Wednesday in Ottawa. Montreal has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-5 championship series, so Ottawa will have to muster another win to avoid losing back-to-back Finals.
Rebecca Leslie's playoff game winner in the final minute of regulation marked the first of her career. She leads Ottawa, which doubles as her hometown, in both points (6) and goals (4) this postseason.
"I'm at a loss for words. It's so special. It's just an honor to play for my hometown... Nothing compares to how I felt in that moment," Leslie said after the win. "Our group throughout the whole season has been resilient. We have a no quit attitude and we've been battling the ups and downs all season. We believe in our group."
USA TODAY Sports is providing live updates of Game 4 of the PWHL Walter Cup Finals:
Montreal has a lead over Ottawa heading into the third period following Abby Roque's goal. Montreal had six shots on goal, while Ottawa had five during the period.
Montreal's Abby Roque opened the scoring in the second period to give the Victoire a 1-0 lead over Ottawa just 3:49 into the second period. The shot was assisted by Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey. It marks Roque's third goal of the postseason, Poulin's sixth assist and Stacey's four assist.
We're still scoreless after the first period. Montreal had six shots on goal, while Ottawa had five but neither team was able to find the back of the net. The first period hasn't yielded high offense in the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Finals. In fact, only one goal has been scored in the first period during this championship series.
— xz - Victoire de Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) May 20, 2026
How to watch Game 4 of the PWHL Finals?
Game 4 of the PWHL Finals between the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. The matchup will be broadcast on ION and available for streaming on PWHL's Youtube channel.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 22: Head Coach of the New Jersey Devils Sheldon Keefe looks on from his bench during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 22, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Coaching news:
Devils also confirm that Sheldon Keefe will be returning as HC. He has two years left on his contract. New GM Sunny Mehta had evaluated the HC position and has decided to bring Keefe back. https://t.co/W8aTCWYV5w
“Jordan Kyrou’s name has been a constant in trade rumors over the past year and change. If the St. Louis Blues put him back on the market this summer, the New Jersey Devils should make him a priority target. Let’s get into some of the many reasons why.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“The Vegas Golden Knights appealed their NHL-imposed sanctions in New York on Tuesday morning and it was determined shortly afterward that the punishment will remain as assessed, sources told ESPN. The league fined coach John Tortorella $100,000 and stripped the team of its 2026 second-round draft pick for ‘flagrant violations’ of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoff media regulations.” [ESPN]
More Golden Knights drama:
Following the Golden Knights reportedly denying the Edmonton Oilers an opportunity to speak to Bruce Cassidy, the NHLCA releases a statement. pic.twitter.com/7XG2Kjjhhc
General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that Head Coach Adam Foote and Assistant Coaches Scott Young, Kevin Dean and Brett McLean have been relieved of their duties.
Almost as soon as the playoffs started, there was some chatter around the Montreal Canadiens about Jakub Dobes being the second coming of Jaroslav Halak. Not because they have a similar style or build, but rather because neither was seen as the team’s number one goaltender before being catapulted into the NHL playoffs in the starting role.
While Halak started the 2010 playoffs for the Canadiens, he didn’t play all the games. In the first round against the Washington Capitals, he had to make way for Carey Price for a game-and-change before coming back with a vengeance and eliminating both the Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins in consecutive Game 7s. Just like Dobes, he was spectacular in big games, making phenomenal saves. Meanwhile, Price, who was already tagged as the Habs’ goaltender of the future, was riding the pine.
Fast forward 16 years, and Dobes finds himself right where Halak was. He has eliminated two great teams in two series that went the distance, with the organization’s goaltender of the future, Jacob Fowler, riding the pine. Even Zachary Bolduc did his best to take everyone back to 2010 on Monday night, scoring a goal as Mike Cammalleri did during that special run with one knee on the ice.
Fans, however, will hope this marks the end of the striking resemblance between the two playoff campaigns. Back in 2010, the Canadiens bowed out in the third round, losing the Conference Final to the Philadelphia Flyers in just five games after Halak ran out of gas.
After eliminating the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night, Dobes dismissed the idea that he could be tired after playing 14 intense playoff games, stating he could play another 40 games. However, those are only words, and we’ll see in the third round if he still has some gas left in the tank.
Those who lived through the Halak spring will also remember that not long after the Canadiens’ elimination, the netminder, who was just about to become an unrestricted free agent, was unceremoniously traded to the St. Louis Blues as the organization elected to stick with Price, who had been the organization’s fifth overall pick at the 2005 draft.
Unlike Halak, Dobes still has a year left on his contract before becoming a UFA, meaning the Canadiens won’t be in a rush to decide when it comes to their goaltenders, at least not for a while. Unless, of course, the team is tempted to sacrifice a goaltender to fill another organizational need (such as a second-line center), but I’d be surprised if that were the case. The Habs still have other exciting prospects coming up through the ranks who could potentially help them complete their top six.
In Dobes and Fowler, the Canadiens have a great goaltending tandem at a very low cost, and neither of them should be on their way out of town anytime soon. Kent Hughes will tread carefully before moving on from one of the two keepers. Besides, he has shown in the past that he can be very persuasive when it’s time to sign players to a team-friendly contract. Who’s to say he couldn’t do just that with Dobes and Fowler? There seems to be something special brewing in Montreal, and who’s to say the duo won’t be interested in sticking around?
It’s becoming increasingly frequent that teams really rely on a tandem of goaltenders around the league these days, and would it be such a terrible thing if the Canadiens found themselves in the same situation as the Boston Bruins were with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark? For now, the only goaltender the Canadiens should be looking to move is Samuel Montembeault. It’s a shame for the Becancour native, but at this stage, it does look like he would benefit from a new start somewhere else.
There have been a lot of names reported as candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ head coaching position. So it’s no surprise to learn that at least one internal candidate will be considered for the position of Toronto bench boss.
Sources tell The Hockey News that Maple Leafs assistant coach Derek Lalonde will interview for the job.
Lalonde joined the Maple Leafs last summer after associate coach Lane Lambert departed Toronto to become the new head coach of the Seattle Kraken. While Lalonde led the club’s penalty kill, Toronto finished eighth in the NHL with an 81.2 percent efficiency. But defensively, the Leafs struggled all season long, and defense fell under his purview as well.
Lalonde had a successful first stint in the NHL as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning under Jon Cooper. There he won Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, while going to the Stanley Cup Final again in 2022. From there, Lalonde earned his first NHL head coaching position, becoming bench boss of the Detroit Red Wings at the beginning of the 2022-23 season. In his second season, the Red Wings narrowly missed the playoffs despite a 41-32-9 record. He was fired midway through the 2024-25 season and replaced by veteran head coach Todd McLellan.
It’s not a real surprise that the Leafs would talk to Lalonde, as Chayka mentioned the process to find a new bench boss would be extensive. The Leafs talked to well over 20 people for the role Chayka occupies now, so this could take some time.
From a public standpoint, Lalonde has proven to be quite insightful. Who could ever forget his time on the panel during Hockey Night In Canada back in 2023, when he was working during the intermission of the Maple Leafs and Lightning first-round series? It was there where he mentioned that the Lightning had done an internal study showing that goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was one of the lower-percentage goalies in finding the puck from the point.
Lalonde’s future is up in the air along with the rest of the Maple Leafs assistants, as a new head coach will likely want to bring a new staff. But he could be a good candidate to stick around in any kind of coaching capacity.
How do the teams rank heading into what are sure to be intriguing series? USA TODAY Sports offers power rankings of the four conference finals teams, plus two Conn Smythe candidates per team in the race for playoff MVP.
4. Vegas Golden Knights
Mitch Marner is leading the playoffs in scoring, Pavel Dorofeyev is leading in goals and coach John Tortorella has Vegas playing the right way. But the Golden Knights' next opponent, the Avalanche, is formidable and it will be hard to advance, especially with Mark Stone out.
Conn Smythe candidates: Marner, Dorofeyev
3. Montreal Canadiens
They're more than an upstart team. They're a 100-point team that beat two other 100-point teams. Top players Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov are getting going and Alex Newhook has seven goals, including two Game 7 winners.
Conn Smythe candidates: Newhook, Jakub Dobes
2. Carolina Hurricanes
They have won eight in a row, the first team to sweep the first two series since the first round went to best of seven in 1987. Goalie Frederik Andersen has rediscovered his game and the line of Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake has been dangerous. The Hurricanes haven't made it to the Stanley Cup Final under coach Rod Brind'Amour. Is this the year?
Conn Smythe candidates: Andersen, Stankoven
1. Colorado Avalanche
They were the best team in the regular season and get the nod in the playoffs because they beat the high-powered Minnesota Wild in five games. Colorado was the best offensive and defensive team in the regular season and is averaging 4.11 goals per game in the playoffs. Cale Makar appears to be favoring his shoulder, which could hurt the Avalanche in the long run.
Conn Smythe candidates: Nathan MacKinnon, Scott Wedgewood
The No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche will start the Western Conference finals on Wednesday, May 20, against the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
There are four possibilities for the Stanley Cup Final matchup. Which one would be the most appealing championship series? USA TODAY Sports ranks the potential matchups:
4. Carolina Hurricanes vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Plenty of talent on both sides, but the season series was a mismatch with the Golden Knights winning 4-1 and 6-3. Pavel Dorofeyev, who's leading the playoffs with nine goals, had three against Carolina during the regular season.
3. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Montreal Canadiens
Martin St. Louis, a relative newcomer as an NHL coach, hasn't won a Stanley Cup while behind the bench. But he did win one as a player with the Lightning in 2004. His coach then: John Tortorella, the coach on the other bench in this series. St. Louis was league MVP that season. Montreal beat the Golden Knights in the COVID-shortened 2021 season playoffs and Vegas fans remember that.
2. Colorado Avalanche vs. Montreal Canadiens
The 1993 Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win a Stanley Cup. Could the franchise end the country's drought? Alex Newhook is the lone Canadiens player with a Stanley Cup ring. He did it with the 2022 Avalanche, and Montreal gave up a first-round pick to land him. That has paid off with Newhook scoring the Game 7 winning goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres.
1. Colorado Avalanche vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The league powerhouses have combined for one loss (Colorado's) in the first two rounds and would be fun hockey to watch, provided they don't wear their World Hockey Association jerseys. It will be strength against strength. The Avalanche are averaging a league-best 4.11 goals per game and the Hurricanes lead with a 1.25 goals-against average. During the regular season, the Avalanche led in both categories, and the Hurricanes ranked second in offense.
It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes' relentless pressure can disrupt the Avalanche's attack of Nathan MacKinnon, former Hurricane Martin Necas and Cale Makar. Brent Burns also had played for Carolina. The two-game season series was high scoring with the winner getting five goals.
Also to be answered: Will the Avalanche become the first Presidents' Trophy winner to win the Stanley Cup since 2013 or will the Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour get to lift the Stanley Cup as a coach 20 years after he did as Carolina's captain?
DENVER — Chris MacFarland doesn't overcomplicate the mission.
"We're trying to win, right?" the Colorado Avalanche general manager said Tuesday at a news conference previewing their Western Conference finals matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Simple enough — but the way he's gone about building this team is anything but.
A Roster Built on Trades, Not Tradition
Of the players on Colorado's active roster, only three — Gabe Landeskog, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon — were drafted by the organization. Everyone else arrived via trade or free agency, which makes the Avalanche's sustained success a quiet testament to MacFarland's eye for talent and his willingness to spend organizational capital to get it. It's also a big reason he's one of three finalists for the NHL's GM of the year award.
"We're sacrificing some of that youth. Some of those picks and prospects. So, you've got to delve into (free agency)," MacFarland said. "Our scouts have done a great job supplementing the moving out of the (draft) picks. We've got high, high-end drafted players that are still with us. … But the cycle that it's kind of been building on over the last 7-8 years — that's just part of the beast."
A Masterclass in Roster Construction
MacFarland got to work last offseason, signing Brent Burns and retaining Brock Nelson. He kept building as the season progressed, adding Nazem Kadri, Brett Kulak, Nicolas Roy, and Nick Blankenburg through trades. The moves paid off — Colorado led the overall NHL standings from early November through year's end, finishing with a franchise-record 121 points.
Brent Burns was another signing that was initially criticized, but it's turned out to be another CMac masterpiece. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing - Imagn Images
Head coach Jared Bednar didn't mince words about his GM's recognition. "I think it's probably a couple of years coming. But oftentimes with the work you put in — and the blood, sweat, and tears — there's a delayed reaction," Bednar said. "This team for me wasn't just built in this year. It was built over the last couple of years with the guys that have remained, with some of the new guys we got last year. … I've known and worked with (MacFarland) for a long time. No one's going to outwork him and no one's going to watch more games."
MacFarland, never one to let a moment pass without a little levity, cut in: "Easy. Easy."
Bednar pressed on: "I shouldn't say nobody. … A lot of the tough (decisions) that we've made over the years, especially in the last couple of years, they all seem to be turning out and working out pretty well for us again this year."
From the Hot Seat to the Conference Finals
Not everyone was ready to give MacFarland that kind of credit — not after January 2025. When he dealt star winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, the backlash was swift and loud. Rantanen was subsequently traded again, this time to the Dallas Stars, and the Stars made Colorado pay for it — eliminating the Avalanche in a bruising seven-game first-round series. Calls for MacFarland's head, and even Bednar's, weren't hard to find in the aftermath.
I'm guilty of it too. I wrote a piece for Mile High Hockey calling for both of them to be fired. I was wrong — and to my credit, I admitted it well before many others did. We're all human. As for Bednar specifically, losing to Pete DeBoer again just left a sour taste. But sometimes that's exactly the point. Defeat, when it stings badly enough, has a way of forging something stronger on the other side.
Bednar knows this better than most — and DeBoer has been the recurring source of that education. Colorado blew a 2-0 series lead to DeBoer's Vegas Golden Knights in 2021, eventually falling in six games. It was a gut punch, the kind that ends coaching careers in other markets. Bednar has now lost three playoff series to DeBoer alone. And yet, the very next season, the Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup. The losses didn't break the program. They sharpened it.
Floyd Mayweather weighs-in for his May 2007 bout against Oscar De La Hoya. Credit: Ed Mulholland - Imagn Images
Sports history is full of those moments, and since Colorado is once again staring across the ice at a Vegas team, it's only fitting to reach for another Vegas example. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought the defining bouts of his boxing career in that city — and the fuel for all of it traces back to a single, devastating loss. When Mayweather dropped the gold medal final at the 1996 Olympics, he was inconsolable. No words, just tears. Pain and embarrassment, raw and public. He made himself a promise that night: it would never happen again. It didn't. That Olympic bout stands as the last defeat of his competitive career — an unblemished professional record built entirely on the back of one crushing setback.
His financial record, on the other hand — the IRS disputes, the curious loan arrangements overseas — that's a separate conversation entirely. The man can box. Budgeting is a different discipline.
But back to hockey — because that's where Bednar and MacFarland have always let their work do the talking. The firings that never came. The rebuild that wasn't really a rebuild. The trade that looked like a disaster and may yet prove to be the final piece. Colorado has been counted out before, and they've responded by winning a championship. Now they're back in the conference finals, one round from another shot at the Cup, with the same coach, the same GM, and a roster assembled with the kind of quiet confidence that doesn't need to announce itself.
MacFarland said it best at the top: they're trying to win. Turns out, they're pretty good at it.
It's a painful thing to watch a city hold its breath, believe for just a split second that the moment has finally arrived, and then have it snatched away before the celebration even starts.
That's exactly what happened to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, and for a fanbase that has been waiting longer than most for something to cheer about, it landed like a gut punch.
Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens. Everything on the line. And a puck that crossed the goal line — that genuinely, physically crossed the goal line — that didn't count.
The Sabres THOUGHT they scored the go-ahead goal but Wes McCauley's whistle was blown a SPLIT second before it went in 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/DoORVtzlqu
The Sabres had dug themselves out of a 2-0 hole to tie the game in the third period and were pressing hard, playing some of their best hockey of the series when defenseman Bowen Byram unleashed a shot from the point on Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobeš. The save was made, but the puck didn't stay buried. Buffalo players swarmed the crease, jabbing at it relentlessly until it squeaked free and slid across the goal line. The Sabres erupted. The building erupted. And then the referee's hand went up, the goal was waved off, and the noise turned into something much harder to describe.
What Actually Happened — and Why the Call Stands
Here's the part that stings most: the officials weren't wrong.
A referee had already blown the whistle before the puck crossed the line, killing the play dead in real time. It was audible on ESPN's broadcast — clearly, unambiguously audible — and it came just ahead of the puck crossing. Infuriating as it was to witness, the call had a rulebook to lean on.
NHL Rule 31.2 exists precisely for moments like this one, and it reads in a way that gives referees significant cover:
"As there is a human factor involved in blowing the whistle to stop play, the Referee may deem the play to be stopped slightly prior to the whistle actually being blown. The fact that the puck may come loose or cross the goal line prior to the sound of the whistle has no bearing if the Referee has ruled that the play had been stopped prior to this happening."
In plain terms, the rulebook acknowledges that referees are human, that their reaction time isn't perfect, and that the moment they decide in their mind to stop play — not the moment the whistle sounds — is when the play is officially over. It's a rule that has cost teams goals before, and it cost Buffalo one on Monday night.
A Tough Break in the Worst Possible Moment
Was it a quick whistle? Sure. The kind that makes you wince regardless of which team you're rooting for, because there's something instinctively wrong about a puck crossing a goal line and nothing counting for it. Sabres fans have every right to be furious, and that frustration isn't irrational — it's a completely human response to watching something that looked like a goal not be treated as one. However, it wasn't an egregious call.
The bottom line is that the letter of the law was followed. The referee made a judgment call in a fraction of a second, blew the whistle with intent, and the rulebook backed him up. Buffalo wasn't robbed by a bad call. They were burned by a fast one — and in a Game 7, in the third period, with a season hanging on every shift, fast is sometimes all it takes.
But Sabres fans should be proud one way or another. This team fought valiantly and they'll certainly be back next season stronger than ever.
Forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, the first round (15th overall) pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2024 NHL Draft, demonstrated a flair for the dramatic on Tuesday evening.
Brandsegg-Nygård came through for the Griffins in a do-or-die Game 3 against the Chicago Wolves, scoring the overtime game-winning goal in dramatic fashion.
He took the puck in the neutral zone, skated over the blue line and then dangled around Wolves defenseman Ronan Steely before beating goaltender Cayden Primeau with a backhand shot, giving Grand Rapids the 4-3 win.
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) May 20, 2026
It was his fourth tally of the playoffs.
The Griffins are now 1/3 of the way toward winning the series, and they have no choice but to win two more consecutive games to remain alive in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Brandsegg-Nygård was one of three rookies to make the Red Wings' roster out of Training Camp and the pre-season in 2025-26, along with Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Emmitt Finnie; he played in 12 games and registered an assist before being returned to the Griffins.
Both Carter Mazur and John Leonard, both of whom played multiple games this season with the Red Wings, gave Grand Rapids a 2-0 lead in the first period. However, Chicago would knot the score courtesy of goals from Domenick Fensore and Justin Robidas before taking the lead in the second period after a tally from Felix Unger Sorum.
But Tyler Angle responded less than two minutes later with his first goal of the postseason, re-tying the game.
Picking up the win in net was Michal Postava, who made 17 saves and also picked up a secondary assist on Mazur's goal. Meanwhile, Primeau was strong for Chicago, making 42 saves.
Game 4 between the Griffins and Wolves is scheduled for Thursday evening at Allstate Arena.
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