ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Dallas Stars captain, Jamie Benn, struck again in Game 3.

In Game 2, he slew-footed Matt Boldy, which went uncalled by the officials.

In Game 1, he took runs at Quinn Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov on multiple occasions, and in Game 3, with the Wild already without Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin, Benn injured Boldy.

And you guessed it. It went uncalled.

Wild head coach John Hynes called Gord Dwyer and Pierre Lambert over after the play and was clearly unhappy.

Boldy, before going down the tunnel, showed the officials a video of the cross-check he received from Benn and had some choice words for them.

Jamie Benn caught Matt Boldy up high and he was slow to get up 🤕 pic.twitter.com/HjKIwwVwLs

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 23, 2026

After getting hit, Boldy was face down on the ice for a bit. He got up and fell over again. Boldy got help to the bench and did not return for the rest of the period.

This isn't the first time Benn has gone after Boldy, that went uncalled.

In Game 2, as mentioned above, Benn slewfooted Boldy in the neutral zone for no reason.

Boldy didn't have the puck. It was nowhere near him. Yet, Benn thought it would be a good idea to come from behind, sweep his feet, and ram his face down.

What a durrrrty play by Jamie Benn last night in Game 2. One of the most dangerous plays there is. #MnWildpic.twitter.com/2iCVWrwNhf

— General Soreness (@_2244) April 21, 2026

Benn, 36, has one goal in his last 21 playoff games. It is clear the type of role he is set out to play in the playoffs. Get under the other team's star players skin and cause havoc.

I get that. But he has crossed the line in this series. A slewfoot is one of the most dangerous plays in the game. Luckily, Boldy wasn't injured on it. A cross-check to the back of the head is also extremely dangerous play.

What do these two plays have in common? None were called for a penalty. And nothing from the Department of Player Safety so far.

Boldy returned for the second and third period of Game 3 and said he’s fine, which is the best-case outcome for Minnesota. But that doesn’t change the pattern that’s developed through three games.

For comparison, Marcus Foligno was assessed a four-minute penalty in Game 2 for an incident involving Thomas Harley. Through three games, Jamie Benn has yet to be penalized for similar situations.

When the same player is involved in multiple dangerous, uncalled plays, it stops being a coincidence and starts becoming a league issue.

It isn’t just Benn. Wyatt Johnston, who scored the overtime winner in double overtime, speared Kaprizov in a spot you don't want to be speared in.

Sick https://t.co/tBf9srVtippic.twitter.com/2eI5AXV2KW

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) April 23, 2026

The call?

None.

Whether it’s the officials in real time or the Department of Player Safety after the fact, the NHL has to step in — because if it doesn’t, it’s setting a standard that this type of play is acceptable in the playoffs. Which will lead to actual injuries on both sides.

And whatever side you are on, we can all agree we don’t want that to take away from what could be the best series in the NHL.

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Recent Wild Stories

Wild's Mats Zuccarello, Yakov Trenin Out With Upper-Body Injuries For Game 3Key Wild forwards Zuccarello and Trenin sidelined for Game 3. Their absence significantly impacts Minnesota's offensive firepower and physical presence against Dallas.

- Stars' Top Center Remains Out Vs Wild For Next Two Games.

- Jesper Wallstedt Rewards Wild's Confidence In Game 1 Win.

- Wild's Vladimir Tarasenko Has Rediscovered His Scoring Prowess.

- Yakov Trenin Breaks Minnesota Wild Single-Season Hits Record.

Your child won’t have more fun on the ice this summer than at Matt Martin’s Hockey Camp, held Aug. 17–21 at Northwell Ice Center, the New York Islanders’ practice facility.

You also never know what other Islanders' players, past and present, will hit the ice alongside Martin and the best coaches on Long Island. 

There had been rumblings that rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer was bummed to not be at last season's camp after being drafted a mere two months prior.

Schaefer, 17 at the time, could have been a camper or a CIT. 

Toward the end of the season, The Hockey News asked Schaefer if he had plans on coming down this summer. 

"There might be a surprise visit coming," Schaefer said.  

Surprise. 

Schaefer will be one of many Islanders to come down throughout the week, creating lasting memories for your young Isles fan.  

So what does your child get for signing up? 

• 5 days of on-ice instruction from Matt Martin, surprise NHL players & Long Island's best hockey coaches (plus me)
• Official Matt Martin Hockey Academy Jersey
• Picture With Matt Martin & Surprise NHL Players
• Autograph From Matt Martin & Surprise NHL Players

Click below to register your child now!

REGISTER NOW – Matt Martin Hockey

In June of 2025, the Abbotsford Canucks won their first Calder Cup in franchise history. Nine of the players on this championship roster played for the Vancouver Canucks during the 2025–26 season, with three of them skating in more than 60 games. For many, if not all of these players, the jump from the AHL to the NHL has been in the making for much longer than just one calendar year. 

Linus Karlsson is one of these players. Acquired by the Canucks via trade in February 2019, the forward spent three seasons with Abbotsford before finding himself a full-time role at the NHL level this year. He finished the 2025–26 season tied for the fifth-most points on the team with 35 and the fourth-most goals with 15. On April 4 against the Utah Mammoth, Karlsson also played in his 100th career NHL game. 

While this season was undoubtedly a breakout year for Karlsson, the forward’s success extends past just the start of this season. 

“I’ve been here for four years now, and finally, I took the step to play in the NHL, something I worked hard for,” Karlsson said at the end of the season. “I’m really proud of that.” 

Aatu Räty first made his NHL debut with his former team, the New York Islanders, in December of 2022. The 2025–26 season was the first time that Räty did not play in a game with Abbotsford since joining the Canucks in 2022–23, with the forward putting up four goals and 10 assists in 66 games this season. While he has seen NHL time in three of his past four seasons since making his debut, heading into this season, making the full-time jump was a key goal of Räty’s. 

“I think going into the year, I really wanted to make myself an NHL player, and I feel like I did accomplish that, being up all year. But I think the next step is just to become a good player.” 

Still, Räty recognizes that there are parts of his game that he still wants to work on. Last off-season, the forward missed most of Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run due to a couple of injuries, resulting in him not being entirely healthy through the summer. This off-season, he’s hoping a full slate of time off will help him focus more on his plans for training. 

“I feel like the last couple off-seasons, I’ve had a good thing going. I feel like I’ve definitely gotten faster and made my skating better. But obviously now, even just to ramp it up, but going back home and [I’ll] have my skating coach there, and then might have something set up in Sweden hopefully to work out with the skating coach that the Sedins had too. So I think that’d be a good opportunity.” 

For some players, however, the jump from Abbotsford to Vancouver came about rather quickly. Changes in the Canucks’ goaltending department over the off-season and through regular season injuries resulted in Nikita Tolopilo going from Abbotsford’s primary starting goaltender to a 20-game player for Vancouver. The experience is important, but for Tolopilo, taking that step towards the NHL makes the biggest impression on confidence. 

“I think I showed people that I could play here. And, of course, there are some more steps to do, like some more progress in my game. But I’ve kind of given me confidence for myself too, that I’ve seen that I can play against top teams, against top players, and I can handle that. So just focus on the next steps, have a great summer, get better and become a full-time NHLer.” 

Karlsson, Räty, and Tolopilo are just three of nine other players who won the Calder Cup with Abbotsford and went on to skate in NHL games the season after. Max Sasson, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Arshdeep Bains, Ty Mueller, Victor Mancini, and Kirill Kudryavtsev also played for Vancouver this year, with many of them expected to push for bigger-minute NHL roles in 2026–27. Even players like Tom Willander and Liam Öhgren, who didn’t win the Calder Cup with Abbotsford but still spent a little time in the AHL, ended up in the NHL on a full-time basis this year.  

Given the fact that Vancouver is now officially rebuilding, more and more of these younger players will likely see more time in the NHL. Sawyer Mynio had himself a solid rookie season in the AHL, while Riley Patterson scored his first career AHL goal in the four games he spent with the team at the end of this season. The highway-one connection from Abbotsford to Vancouver was prominent this year, though with Vancouver’s emphasis on playing their youth and more young talent on the rise, it’s only bound to get more noticeable. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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The Anaheim Ducks picked up a big 6-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers in their Game 2 matchup on Wednesday. This was an important victory for the Ducks, as they have now tied the series up at 1-1. 

There were many reasons behind the Ducks' Game 2 win over the Oilers, and former Montreal Canadiens forward Ryan Poehling was one of them.

Poehling had a strong game for the Ducks in this one, as he scored two goals. He scored a short-handed goal at the 15:50 mark of the second period to give the Ducks a 4-2 lead. Then, he helped the Ducks secure their Game 2 win by scoring an empty-net goal late in the third period to give them a 6-4 lead over Edmonton. 

With this, there is no question that Poehling played a role in the Ducks getting this win over the Oilers. Now, they are in a good spot heading back home to Anaheim for Games 3 and 4. 

Poehling also had a strong regular season with the Ducks this season. In 75 games, he scored 11 goals and set new career highs with 25 assists and 36 points. With this, he has been a nice pickup for Anaheim this year. 

Poehling was selected by the Canadiens in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft with the 25th overall pick. In 85 games over three seasons with the Habs, he had 13 goals, nine assists, 22 points, and 79 hits. 

Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is currently playing in the postseason for the first time in his 13-year career. While it took the 31-year-old blueliner a long time to get into his playoff action, there is no question that he is off to a fantastic start to this year's postseason. 

Ristolainen has been on fire for the Philadelphia Flyers, who have won each of their first three games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In three games for the Flyers this postseason, the former Flyers defenseman has one goal, three points, and a plus-2 rating. 

Ristolainen's goal in Game 3 against the Penguins was a key one, too, as it gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead at the 9:06 mark of the second period. With this, he helped play a role in the Flyers gaining momentum during the contest and winning by a 5-2 final score. 

Ristolainen will now be looking to stay hot as the postseason carries on. The Flyers are in a great spot right now with their 3-0 series lead, and Ristolainen's strong play is one of the several reasons behind it. 

Ristolainen spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the Sabres. In 542 games with Buffalo over that span, the 2013 eighth-overall pick had 46 goals, 199 assists, 245 points, 848 blocks, and 1,355 hits.

The Philadelphia Flyers picked up an impressive 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3. With this, the Flyers now have a commanding 3-0 series lead over Pittsburgh and need just one more win to advance to the second round.

There were many reasons behind the Flyers' big Game 3 over the Penguins, and Trevor Zegras was certainly one of them. The skilled forward scored at the 5:18 mark of the second period to tie the game up at 1-1. He then recorded the primary assist on Noah Cates' third-period goal that gave the Flyers a 4-2 lead. With this, Zegras certainly stepped up for the Flyers in Game 3. 

This was just the latest strong game from Zegras in what has been a great year for him. The 25-year-old forward now has three points in three playoff games for Philadelphia. He also had an excellent regular season for the Flyers, setting new career highs with 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games. 

With how great Zegras has played for the Flyers since his arrival, it is clear that the Metropolitan Division club made a fantastic move acquiring him this offseason from the Anaheim Ducks. The change of scenery has benefited the 2019 ninth-overall pick in a major way, and he is performing like a star again. 

It’s been a rough start to the playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens’ top line formed by Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky. They went from scoring 110 goals in the regular season to being totally muzzled at even strength in the first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That’s not overly surprising, since the Canadiens failed to win home-ice advantage to start the series, Jon Cooper had the last change in the first two games. He was able to keep Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel glued to Suzuki’s line. Both are very efficient player defensively, and they’ve done their job admirably.

Canadiens Drop The Game In Overtime, Go Back To Montreal Tied 1-1
Time For A Big Change In The Canadiens’ Line Up
Canadiens' Nick Suzuki Predicted To Win Top Award

Speaking to the media after Tuesday night’s game, the Captain didn’t shy away from the facts:

Personally, and my line, we can definitely do a better job, help the guys out five-on-five a little more. We’ll be looking to do that in Game 3.

- Suzuki on his line's performance

That’s where Martin St-Louis comes in. At home, he will have the last change, and he’ll be able to keep Suzuki’s line away from Cirelli. If he manages to do that well, his top line should have more space to play in and end up with easier matchups. Once that’s done, though, it will be down to the players to do their part and deliver the goods.

The good news for the Canadiens is that even if the Lightning was able to neutralize the Canadiens’ top line at even strength, the Habs still won a game in Tampa and regained home-ice advantage. In fact, they came very close to winning both games in Florida, despite many believing they were a one-line team.

Montreal proved that it can still win without its top line being its best line, but now, with the series going back to the Bell Centre, it’s time for Caufield, Suzuki and Slafkovsky to show why they were one of the most dominant even-strength lines throughout the season. They have to step up and take control because the Habs won’t be able to win three more games against the Bolts without their contribution.

De son 1er à son 50e, regardez chaque but inscrit par Cole Caufield cette saison juste ici!

From his 1st to his 50th, watch every single Cole Caufield goal from this season right here!#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/2eYzIdKYDr

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 10, 2026

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a decent chance to select first or second in the 2026 NHL Draft. The lowest they can pick is 4th, and that can only happen if both lottery winners come from teams that finished in 30th place or better. The lottery will make this determination on May 5th. 

If the Blackhawks select first or stay put at second, Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the two best options. With the third or fourth pick, assuming McKenna and Stenberg go first and second, the possibilities are endless. 

If they want to go the route of a defenseman, Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoeff are exceptional prospects. They can each move the puck, skate, and develop their two-way play as they move into pro hockey. 

The Blackhawks already have a lot of young studs on the blue line, but they may want someone who shows more promise as a true number one. If one of Reid or Verhoeff turned out to be better than both Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov, it would make it a great selection. 

With all of that said, if they wanted to go with a forward 3rd or 4th overall, Caleb Malhotra would be an excellent pick. He is a true center and projects to be one at the NHL level. 

With Nick Lardis and Marek Vanacker already in the organization, the Blackhawks have had a great line between them and the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs. Malhotra would be a great person to extend that relationship. 

During the 2025-26 season, Malhotra was second in scoring on the Bulldogs with 84 points (29 goals). Only Jake O'Brien, who was drafted eighth overall by the Seattle Kraken in 2025, had more points (93). Vanacker, sharing the ice with Malhotra, led the OHL with 47 goals. 

Malhotra's father, former NHL player Manny Malhotra, is the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks. His son, Caleb, has a great chance to be the first center off the board in 2026. 

What makes Caleb Malhotra an elite prospect is his two-way ability. When he doesn't have the puck, you can expect him to make wise choices while defending and trying to get the puck back. On offense, he has an incredible hockey IQ, which allows him to make plays for himself and others. 

If the Blackhawks drafted him, it would become almost certain that one (or maybe both) of Frank Nazar or Anton Frondell will become a full-time wing. Having that level of forward depth and versatility would pay off down the road when they are dealing with playoff matchups. 

In his draft +1 year, Malhotra is committed to play for Jay Pandolfo and the Boston University Terriers. That squad is projected to be very good, which would make for a great developmental environment for a young star like Malhotra. 

The results of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will determine whether or not this is a possibility for Chicago. If they do end up taking Malhotra, you'll know they did their homework because they are in Brantford scouting quite a bit. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Just the facts

• When: Tonight, 7 PM
• Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
• How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub, TNT, TruTV, HBO Max
• Opposing perspective:Die by the Blade

Know your enemy

• 1-1-0, series tied 1-1
• Tage Thompson: 2G-1A-3PTS; Alex Tuch: 1G-2A-3PTS; Peyton Krebs: 1G-1A-2PTS
• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: 1-1-0, 4.19 GAA, .825 save percentage

Game notes

• After earning a hard-fought split in two games in Buffalo, this first round series shifts to Boston, where the Bruins will look to build on a strong effort in Game 2.
• The Bruins were the second-best road team in the NHL during the regular season, winning 29 of their 41 home games. Carolina also won 29 games, but had two OT losses to the Bruins one, so they had a one-point edge in overall performance on home ice.
• The shift to TD Garden will give Marco Sturm and the Bruins a chance to have the second change during all stoppages, which could allow Sturm to try to go for some more favorable match-ups. For example, he could try to deploy some line-matching on Tage Thompson’s line, or could elect to put his speedy third line out against more opportune opposition. It’s probably not something worth overthinking too much, but could be a slight advantage.
• At this point, it looks like a case of which team blinks first in terms of lineup changes. Barring injury, the Bruins aren’t likely to shake things up yet on the back of two (mostly) strong performances. On the Buffalo side, however, there’s some clamoring for a change in net, something Lindy Ruff wouldn’t comment on yesterday. Gaffe on Morgan Geekie aside, I don’t think Luukkonen has been terrible, and if you pull him now, you likely can’t go back to him in the series. Still, it’s a move Ruff will probably make tonight.
• Noah Ostlund may be available for Buffalo tonight. The forward has been out since the end of March and could rotate into the lineup to give Buffalo a bit of a boost. The rookie had 11G-16A-60PTS totals in the regular season.
• Game 2 was more physical than Game 1, a trend the Bruins would likely want to continue in Game 3. I’m not sure we’ll see Pittsburgh-Philly Game 3 levels of shenanigans, but you never know. The Sabres, as a team, are faster than the Bruins, so it benefits the B’s to make the game more of a grind instead of a track meet.
• However, Ruff is already delving into the Craig Berube School of Coaching manual, accusing the Bruins of “clutching and grabbing” to “slow things down.” If the Bruins get called for a holding penalty five minutes into the game, don’t be surprised.
• As another reminder, this game will start at 7 PM, not 7:30 PM, though that might be more of a “7ish” because the game is on TNT.

See ya tonight!

There is not any one player or person that is responsible for the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 series deficit. It has been a well-earned, collective group effort that everybody has to own. The Penguins have allowed themselves to get suckered into Philadelphia’s game, there is little discipline, they are not in any way adapting to what the Flyers are doing defensively, and Dan Muse has not exactly covered himself in glory in his first big moment on the big stage.

But of all the players that have come up small in this series so far, Anthony Mantha might be one of the most obvious.

It might also be making whatever decision the Penguins have to make with him this summer a lot easier for them.

Coming into the playoffs, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman made mention that Mantha might be one of the most watched players in these playoffs (and that almost certainly includes the Penguins), and it’s not hard to understand why there would be so much interest in him.

He led the team with 33 goals and put together a career year.

He is an unrestricted free agent this summer and is going to be one of the top players available, at least in terms of production this season, in a painfully shallow pool of players.

A big postseason showing, on the heels of that regular season performance, would have certainly opened some eyes across the league. It would have also opened checkbooks.

While you shouldn’t let small sample sizes drive your team-building decisions, the harsh reality is teams put a lot of weight on what you do in the playoffs. Or sometimes what you do not do in the playoffs.

And the latter point is what is going to be the problem for Mantha.

He entered this year’s postseason having scored 0 goals in 14 career playoff games.

He has now played 17 career playoff games and is still stuck on zero goals, while being a complete non-factor in the first three games of the series.

Making matters worse, he took one of the costliest — and most easily avoidable — penalties in recent Penguins playoff history when he inexplicably launched the puck from the defensive zone into the stands over the team’s bench. It was not only a bad penalty to take just because it is such an avoidable play, but also because of the timing. There were only eight minutes remaining in the game. The Penguins were still trailing by a goal, had just scored to make it a one-goal game, and were starting to tilt the ice a little bit. There was some momentum building.

And then it was gone.

And then Philadelphia responded with a power play goal to put the game, and maybe the series, back out of reach.

Given the context of the entire situation, it was just a brutal play.

Mantha was never meant to be a long-term answer for the Penguins when they signed him this past offseason. The plan was almost certainly for him to get put somewhere in the top-six, build up his value by chipping in some goals for a rebuilding team, and then get dealt at the trade deadline for a second-round pick. But both he and the Penguins threw a wrench into that plan. The Penguins by being better than expected and making the playoffs, and Mantha by being their top goal-scorer, with several of them coming in big moments.

As the Penguins inched closer to a playoff spot, and he kept producing, there was no chance they were going to move him in-season.

That eventually led to discussion of a possible extension, especially given the lack of quality free agents on the open market and the amount of salary cap space the Penguins have available to them.

But it’s hard to imagine this performance is making anybody in the Penguins front office excited about the idea of re-investing him, especially given the way this series has played out. It’s almost certainly hurting his standing in the eyes of fans.

Is that a valid response to a three game sample size?

Or is it an overreaction given how good the season as a whole went?

Maybe a little of both. But at some point the Penguins do need to find a way to get younger and faster, and a 32-year-old winger with an injury history that’s been a non-factor in the playoffs, and is probably unlikely to repeat his regular season performance, doesn’t seem to be the way to do that.

I don’t blame the Penguins for not trading him in March, and I am not going to criticize them for that decision. Given the way the season played out and the way expectations changed, it was the right move. The initial signing itself has also been an obvious win. But it might be best to just leave it at that. The tough decision they had this summer is not looking as tough as it did a couple of weeks ago.

Wednesday night was another fun one in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

• The Battle of Pennsylvania continued to inflict much-deserved pain on Pittsburgh, as the Penguins fell behind 3-0 in their series with the Flyers after a wild sequence where every skater on the ice was sent to the box early in the second period.
• The Battle for North Stars History continued between the 3rd-overall Dallas Stars and 7th-overall Minnesota Wild, extending deep into double overtime before the Stars converted on their second 2OT power play opportunity (this, after the Wild whiffed on two power plays in the first OT).
• Meanwhile, the Ducks got on the board to even their series with the Oilers after a 6-4 win over Edmonton where Connor McDavid was held pointless.

Thursday Night

Meanwhile, Thursday night the Bridgeport Islanders are in Hershey hoping to extend their mini-series after dropping Game 1 at home, 2-0.

• Here’s Andrew Gross’ piece on Long Island fans heading to Bridgeport to take them in one last time. [Newsday]
• Speaking of the Isles’ AHL affiliate, they’ve filed for some trademark options for the team in Hamilton. [THN]

And in the NHL, there are three games Thursday with the Bruins and Sabres knotted at 1-1, while the Hurricanes-Senators (2-0) and Avalanche-Kings (2-0) switch venues with the trailing teams at home hoping to stay in the series.

Needing a win to avoid going down 0-3 in the series, the Pittsburgh Penguins struck first on Wednesday night for their first lead of the series, but three second period goals from the Philadelphia Flyers erased that deficit and the Penguins subsequently came apart at the seams in what turned out to be a 5-2 loss in Game 3 and had the Penguins staring down a possible first round sweep at the hands of their cross-state rival. [Pensburgh]

If the Penguins hope to avoid an embarrassing sweep, they will need to win Game 4 which is scheduled for Saturday evening back in Philadelphia.

Pens Points…

It’s not a roster move that had any effect on Game 3 between the Penguins and Flyers last night, but goaltender Sergei Murashov was recalled from the AHL to serve as the third netminder on the roster with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins being off until their playoff series begins next week. [The Hockey News]

NHL News and Notes…

Roope Hintz remained out for the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of their first round series with the Minnesota Wild and all signs point to Hintz also being out for Game 4 on Saturday. Since sustaining a lower-body injury back on March 6th, Hintz has not played or even skated at practice for the Stars. [NHL]

Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division) vs. Utah Mammoth (43-33-6, in the Central Division)

Salt Lake City; Friday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Golden Knights -111, Mammoth -108; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Mammoth and the Vegas Golden Knights are in a 1-1 series tie in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. The teams meet Tuesday for the sixth time this season. The Mammoth won 3-2 in the last meeting.

Utah has a 43-33-6 record overall and a 22-16-3 record in home games. The Mammoth are 20-10-1 in games they convert at least one power play.

Vegas has a 39-26-17 record overall and a 19-14-8 record in road games. The Golden Knights have given up 242 goals while scoring 264 for a +22 scoring differential.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nick Schmaltz has 33 goals and 40 assists for the Mammoth. Logan Cooley has six goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

Jack Eichel has 27 goals and 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has scored seven goals and added four assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mammoth: 6-4-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.9 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 8-1-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.6 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.

INJURIES: Mammoth: Barrett Hayton: out (upper-body).

Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

A playoff series has turned into a full-on identity battle in Salt Lake City—and Utah is making its pitch loud and visible.

When the Utah Mammoth dropped the puck on their inaugural season in 2024, the Vegas Golden Knights already had a foothold in the region, having spent years cultivating a fanbase across Utah. Now, with the two clubs meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time, Utah isn’t just trying to win games—it’s trying to win people over.

On Friday, the Mammoth will stage their first-ever jersey exchange outside Delta Center, inviting fans to trade in Golden Knights sweaters for a clean, logo-only Mammoth home jersey. The offer is simple: first come, first served, no cost attached—just a symbolic reset of allegiance, while supplies last.

“It’s been incredible to see the way Utah has embraced this team from day one,” owners Ryan Smith and Ashley Smith said in a joint statement.

The timing isn’t accidental. The exchange begins at noon local time, just hours before Utah hosts its first-ever home playoff game. The series itself is already simmering, tied 1–1 after the Mammoth stole Game 2 in Vegas with a 3–2 win Tuesday night.

Utah Makes Its Move for the Market

Long before Utah had a franchise to call its own, Salt Lake City existed in a kind of hockey gray area—one the Golden Knights were quick to claim.

From their inception in 2017, Vegas—backed by owner Bill Foley—aggressively pursued a broader regional identity, branding themselves as a team not just for Nevada, but for the entire Mountain West. Broadcast reach through AT&T Sports Network helped extend that footprint, and Utah became a natural extension of their audience.

That strategy paid off. For years, Golden Knights jerseys dotted crowds in Salt Lake City, a visual reminder of a market without its own team.

A Subtle Shift in Allegiance

That dynamic began to change in 2024, when Smith Entertainment Group secured an NHL franchise in the wake of the Arizona Coyotes relocation. Suddenly, Utah wasn’t a secondary market—it was center stage.

Foley, for his part, downplayed the shift at the time.

“We give up Salt Lake City as a secondary territory, but we get Arizona, so we’re OK,” he told KLAS-TV. “We still have our sphere of influence. But we love Salt Lake. We have a lot of fans there.”

That may still be true—but the Mammoth are clearly intent on shrinking that number, one jersey at a time.

Friday’s exchange won’t officially change anyone’s loyalty. But visually, at least, it’s a bold attempt to redraw the map—and in the middle of a playoff series, it adds another layer to an already charged matchup.

ST. LOUIS -- Jim Montgomery has had three stops as a head coach in the NHL and there's been one common theme to all three.

In each stop, including those with the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins and now St. Louis Blues, assistant coaches were not selected by Montgomery himself, including some of the names that were in those stops included Rick Bowness, John Stevens, Jeff Reese and Stu Barnes in Dallas, and Joe Sacco, Chris Kelly, Jay Leach and Bob Essensa. 

And when he was hired by the Blues on Nov. 24, 2024, Steve Ott, Claude Julien, Mike Weber and David Alexander were in place.

Ott has since been moved to be the head coach of Springfield of the American Hockey League, and with the Blues not renewing the contracts of Julien and Weber, Montgomery will will get a chance to finally give his input on the kind of coaches he would like to work with. Alexander has worked out well as the Blues' goalie coach and will remain.

"I think the plan right now is to hire three," Montgomery said last Saturday at the exit meetings inside Enterprise Center. "It might just be two. It really depends on the makeup of the people that we’re able to bring into the fold. There’s certain people that have the capability of doing more than one task. That might mean we can so less than three coaches, but that all will depend on who we’re able to talk to and who’s available."

It's been said that Montgomery is really fond of Stevens, but the father of former Blues fifth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft Nolan Stevens, is currently an assistant with the Vegas Golden Knights and has been there the past four seasons. 

An ideal candidate would be David Carle, who was Montgomery's assistant coach when he was the head coach at the University of Denver, but there's no chance Carle, who replaced Montgomery when he was hired in Dallas in 2018, is leaving Denver for the NHL unless it was for a head coaching position, and he's turned down multiple opportunities to do that. 

So instead of guessing who Montgomery might have his eye on, he was asked what kind of coach he's interested in. After all, the Blues have finished in the bottom third of both ends of the special teams in each of the past three seasons.

"I think that with hiring a couple of assistant coaches, there’s going to be a blend of what we need," Montgomery said. "For sure we need someone that’s really good at PK, we need someone that has a history of doing well on the PP. Our special teams the last two years were not good enough. You’ve got to be at 100 (percent) combined PK, PP. It’s not the assistant coaches that are no longer (their) fault. It’s the players, myself and everyone’s plan together. That’s the way we look at it. It’s a “we” thing. That has to be significantly better, so that’s going to be really important.

"We’re going to need someone that has high energy, we’re going to need someone that’s a cerebral thinker, but the most important thing is that they’re intelligent and they teach, they know how to teach. You know how to teach defensemen how to pivot the right way, stick on puck. You look at Florida’s teams the last two years, they have a stick on every puck. How do we get someone to implement that? And that’s what I’m going to be looking for is some specialties in coaches that are going to be able to come in and make our players individually better and understand the team concept in those things that they do and why it’s important to get them to habitually do it."

Montgomery will sit down with general manager Doug Armstrong and incoming GM Alexander Steen and compile the best names available and work from there, according to Armstrong.

"My exercise in what I do, I put all the attributes on one side and I put all the names on the top and I just go down and whoever’s got the most check marks, we hire," Armstrong said. "What I want to do is I want to sit and I want to take what I believe is a good staff and then I want to sit with Alex and get his beliefs, and 'Monty' and then marinate that together and then we put the names up and then we go to work. 'Monty’s obviously going to have a ton of say in these hires, but it has to be vetted, and my decisions, my thought process, I need them to vet and I hope they respect me vetting theirs and we’ll come up with the criteria that’s needed before the names.

"What I don’t want to do is just start throwing out names. I want to find out what we want and then what names fit that more than just putting a guy in here just because he’s got a name and hope it works out."

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