A former Vancouver Canucks prospect has been named AHL MVP for the 2025-26 season. That former prospect is Michael DiPietro, who became the ninth goaltender to win the now-named Les Cunningham Award. DiPietro currently plays for the Providence Bruins, who are the AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins.
The Canucks drafted DiPietro 64th overall in 2017. The now 26-year-old was a star in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires and Ottawa 67's, with his junior career including a Memorial Cup championship in 2017. DiPietro also represented Canada multiple times during his junior career and would later win a Gold Medal at the 2021 World Championship.
DiPietro's time with Vancouver was short as he was traded to the Bruins in 2022. He played three NHL games with the Canucks and spent most of his time in the AHL. In return for DiPietro as well as defensive prospect Jonathan Myrenberg, Vancouver received Jack Studnicka, who would play 52 NHL games for the Canucks.
Since leaving Vancouver, DiPietro has become one of the best goaltenders in the AHL. This includes winning the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award, which is given out to the AHL's best goaltender in back-to-back consecutive season. Over his AHL career, DiPietro has a record of 118-50-16 along with 12 shutouts.
Jan 23, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Michael Dipietro (65) in action against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
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Travis Konecny was a force to be reckoned with vs. weaker defensive teams all season, and that trend has carried over into the playoffs.
My Penguins vs. Flyers predictions see him finding the scoresheet again in what could be a series-clinching Game 4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Saturday, April 25, and don't miss puck drop at 8:00 p.m. ET on TBS.
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Penguins vs Flyers Game 4 prediction
Who will win Penguins vs Flyers Game 4?
Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Flyers have sucked the life out of the Pittsburgh Penguins in this series. They’ve also been pretty darn good on offense themselves, with Porter Martone’s emergence giving the Flyers three legitimate scoring lines. Look for them to close out the series on home ice.
Penguins vs Flyers best bet: Travis Konecny Over 0.5 points (-155)
Travis Konecny feasted on Bottom-10 defenses in the regular season, picking up a point in 16 of 22 games (76%).
That hit rate soared even higher on home soil as Konecny hit the scoresheet in 11 of 12 games (92%).
Given that the Pittsburgh Penguins ranked 24th in goals against during the regular season, it should be no surprise that Konecny has continued to produce consistently in the playoffs for the Philadelphia Flyers.
He has points in two of three games and posted a team-leading 84 xGF% in the only game he didn’t.
Look for him to make his mark again in Game 4.
Penguins vs Flyers Game 4 same-game parlay
Christian Dvorak skates alongside Konecny at 5-on-5 as well as on the power play. The two are highly correlated, making it no coincidence they both found the scoresheet in the first two games of the series before being blanked last time out.
Travis Sanheim blocked multiple shots in three of his last four games against Pittsburgh. He’s routinely clearing 25 minutes of ice in this series, and the Penguins will desperately throw as many pucks towards the net as they can in this do-or-die game. That sets up well for Sanheim.
Penguins vs Flyers SGP
Travis Konecny Over 0.5 points
Christian Dvorak Over 0.5 points
Travis Sanheim Over 1.5 blocked shots
Penguins vs Flyers Game 4 goal scorer pick
Christian Dvorak (+300)
Dvorak is tied for the series lead in high-danger chances with six through three games. Despite piling up quality looks around the paint, he has the 10th-shortest odds to score a goal. I think he’s undervalued here, especially considering his defensive utility and the fact that he’s a strong candidate to play in empty-net situations if the Penguins aggressively pull the goalie to try and save their season.
Travis Konecny has points in five of his last seven games against Pittsburgh. Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Flyers.
How to watch Penguins vs Flyers Game 4
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
TBS, Sportsnet
Penguins vs Flyers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Rick Tocchet has firsthand experience with the Penguins’ big names.
He was an assistant coach for Pittsburgh when it won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. He coached Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, four players on the current Penguins team that’s staring down a 3-0 series deficit against the Flyers.
Tocchet isn’t expecting Pittsburgh to be an easy bunch to eliminate.
“They’ve been down before,” the Flyers’ head coach said Thursday. “It’s a group that you’re going to have to stick a fork in them. I’m sure they’re reading clippings of teams that have come back from 3-0. I’d be doing the same thing. It can happen.”
In the history of the NHL playoffs, it has happened four times. The most recent team to do it was the Kings in the 2014 first round. Before that, it was the Flyers in the 2010 second round.
Tocchet’s club has reeled off three wins by a combined score of 11-4 to take a stranglehold of this first-round matchup with the Penguins. The Flyers will have a chance to sweep the series Saturday when they host Game 4 (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
“We believe in our group, we’ve believed in our group all year long,” Sean Couturier said after the Flyers’ 5-2 win in Game 3. “A lot of people counted us out all year. We stuck to the way we want to play. It’s just the belief in that room, we play for one another. We’ve come out pretty strong, but the job’s not done. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
The last time the Flyers swept a playoff series was 1995, when they took out the Rangers in the second round.
The Flyers were off the ice Friday. On Thursday, Tocchet liked his team’s focus.
“Trust me, we had a good practice today, we had a good meeting today,” Tocchet said. “I don’t see a lot of guys celebrating, going down Broad Street for any reason. We’re not even close to that. We know we’ve got a huge game coming up Saturday.”
Despite his team shutting out Pittsburgh, 3-0, in Game 2, Tocchet felt the Flyers had to play without the puck a lot. Essentially, he wanted them to hold onto it more so they would play less defense.
He thought the Flyers had stronger possession in Game 3. The Penguins’ two goals were on the power play.
“I think analytically, you can see it did improve,” Tocchet said Friday. “I still think there’s improvement on that again. You have the puck to skate and try to find options. And the time when you don’t have time, you have to make a smart play. We were better at it, it’s something that we always talk about. We’ve got to stay out of the box, you can’t give that team five power plays. We want to play 5-on-5 hockey and see where the game goes.”
Flyers’ introduction and starters as playoff hockey returns to Philly for first time since 2018. pic.twitter.com/cpABa7UsMG
“I think, for the most part, we’ve done a good job discipline-wise and we’ve talked about that throughout this month,” Tocchet said. “I think the guys have done a nice job. Listen, I’m not a big scrum guy. That narrative that we’re trying to slow the game and all these scrums, I’m not sure I see it that way.
“You want to hold your ground, but for me, when it’s over, get out of there. The scrums and stuff like that, to me, there’s a time and place for it. But we have to control our emotions, want the puck to be dropped and play the game the right way.”
The Chicago Blackhawks finished in 31st place, but they had a great start to the season. The promising year fell apart in early December when Connor Bedard went down with an injury. He missed some time, and the Blackhawks floundered after that.
Despite missing a portion of the season, Bedard finished with 30 goals and 45 assists for 75 points in 69 games. That is a pace of 89 points and 35 goals over an 82-game schedule. He hit somewhat of a wall in the final ten games, which kept his numbers from being even more prolific.
Part of his development will be finding ways to be healthy for the entire season and not hitting that wall towards the end. The latter is less likely to happen if the team is good and competing for the postseason. Bedard must be one of the catalysts in that quest.
Despite having his first 30-goal and point-per-game season in the NHL, Bedard is far from satisfied. He had a great year, but he doesn't see it that way.
"There's ups and downs," Bedard said. "I don't think I was good enough. I think there is a lot of room for me to grow. I haven't scored in 10, and we kind of struggled in the last bit, so maybe [I'm] a little more negative in the moment. Once [I] break things down, there were positives for myself and the team. [I] want to get better."
Last summer, Bedard skipped going to the World Championships in order to stay home and work on his skating and skills with the puck. It was noticeable right away that he put the work in, and the results speak for themselves.
If he doesn't hurt his shoulder on a freak play in St. Louis, he probably has an even more productive season. At the time of his injury, he was a top-five NHL scorer.
Bedard believes that there is room for him to improve, which is a good thing. No elite players are ever satiated by their current results. They always want better. The organization has a responsibility to keep providing him with the necessary resources to continue the upward trend.
"I thought Connor had an excellent year, to be honest with you," said head coach Jeff Blashill. "If you look at when he got hurt, he was one of the very best players in the league. My biggest thing with Connor isn't about points. It's about what his mindset was. His mindset is 100% on playing winning hockey and building this thing into a winning team more than anything else. Once I realized that, I was really pleased with his approach on a daily basis."
Between Bedard's reputation coming into his NHL career as a "hockey-obsessed" player, the work he put in last summer, and his praise from the coach, it is clear that he will continue to work towards greater heights.
"Has he been perfect? No," Blashill said. "Is he learning like every elite scorer that comes into the league, and how to do things and play that type of winning hockey every shift? Yes. He's committed to it. As long as his mindset is in that place, which it is, he'll continue to skyrocket as a player".
Bedard is already a top-20 center in the National Hockey League, and he isn't even 21 years old yet. Before long, he will reach a level of play that has him in that next tier. He may never be satisfied until they win the Stanley Cup, but they have a long way to go. The work is being put in for him to be the type of player who can lead that kind of team.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild (1-2) was back on the ice for practice on the eve of Game 4 against the Dallas Stars (2-1).
Mats Zuccarello has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury and was not on the ice on Friday for practice with the team. He did skate before Minnesota practiced.
Forward Yakov Trenin missed Game 3 with an upper-body injury as well and was not on the ice for practice on Friday.
Wild head coach John Hynes said after the practice that Zuccarello will be a game-time decision and Trenin will not play.
"That means he's questionable for tomorrow," Hynes said on Zuccarello skating on his own. "He's making good strides. Trenin will not be available tomorrow. Zuccy is going to be game time."
Trenin, 29, led the NHL in hits with 413 hits in his first-ever 82-game season. He also set the Wild franchise record for most hits in a single season.
The 6-foot-2 forward was the only Wild player to have played in 82 games. Trenin set a Wild franchise record for most hits in a single game with 13 in Game 1.
He has 1,359 career hits in 457 NHL games. In 28 career playoff games, Trenin has 115 hits. Including 50 hits in eight career playoff games with Minnesota.
Tough not to have him in the linup for sure.
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With the Bridgeport Islanders' season over, an era ends, with a new one beginning in Hamilton, Ontario.
Rocky Thompson, whom Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche hired ahead of this season, is expected to remain as head coach. Thompson led the team back to the Calder Cup Playoffs after back-to-back last-place finishes in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
We'll see about his assistant coaches, who, I'm sure, will get some attention from other teams, especially with the move up north.
Rosters from one season to the next are never the same. Here are the players under contract for at least 2026-27: those who finished the season with Bridgeport or are likely to be with Bridgeport next season.
RFA contracts must be tendered by 5 PM ET on June 30 or the Monday after the NHL Draft, whichever is later.
Unrestricted Free Agent:
A player whose contract has expired and who is completely free to sign with any team, with no restrictions and no compensation owed to their previous team.
Forward: Matthew Highmore, Matt Luff
Defensemen: Ethan Bear
Goaltender: Marcus Hogberg
Group Six Unrestricted Free Agent:
A player who is 25 or older, has played three or more professional seasons, and has played less than 80 NHL games.
The Colorado Avalanche picked up a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings in their Game 3 matchup. With this, the Avalanche now have a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Kings and have increased their odds of advancing to the second round significantly.
Former Montreal Canadiens forward Artturri Lehkonen certainly played a role in the Avalanche winning Game 3, as he put together a strong performance for the Central Division club.
First, Lehkonen recorded an assist on Cale Makar's second-period goal that gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead. Then, the former Canadiens winger scored the Avalanche's game-winning goal at the 7:39 mark of the third period.
After a game like this, it is clear that Lehkonen was the Avalanche's hero for Game 3. The former Canadiens forward now has two goals and three points in three playoff games for Colorado this spring. This is after he had 21 goals, 27 assists, 48 points, and a plus-32 rating in 70 games this regular season.
It will now be interesting to see if the former Canadiens forward can stay hot for the Avalanche from here. He is having a great start to the playoffs.
The Buffalo Sabres were in a precarious position trailing 1-0 in the second period and facing a penaltyshot attempt from Viktor Arvidsson, who scored a pair of goals in the Boston Bruins 4-2 victory in Game 2 earlier this week. After a loss where Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen dropped the ball by allowing a center-ice dump-in to get past him and change the momentum of the series, Lyon stopped Arvidsson and gave the Sabres the boost they needed in a 3-1 victory in Game 3 at TD Garden on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
"(The Lyon save was) definitely a turning point,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. “I mean really bad luck, (Rasmus Dahlin) breaks a stick and can't do anything with the puck, and (Alex) came up with a huge save for us, at a crucial time of the game."
Bowen Byram tied the game soon after, and Alex Tuch scored the game winner early in the third period, with Noah Ostlund adding the empty-net insurance goal. The rookie center had a two-point night (1 goal, 1 assist) in his first NHL playoff game in relief of the injured Josh Norris.
“He's got experience, he's been in the (AHL) playoffs. Everybody's a little nervous going into a game like that, I totally understand that," Ruff said. "I thought (Noah) played a really solid game for us, a little disjointed with all the penalties, I'd like to see them play a little bit more because he was going so good. But for a first playoff game with us, you could say, gets an A plus."
The power play continues to be a sore spot for the Sabres, as they went 0 for 5 in Game 3, and are 0 for 14 in the playoffs, but unlike the first two games in Buffalo, where Boston scored with the man advantage in each game, the Sabres killed off four penalties, including a pair of minors in the final 10 minutes of regulation with the Bruins pressing for the tying goal.
"We weren't really happy with our first couple kills. We lost a little bit of our positioning, and gave him a couple big opportunities. We went through through some of those after the first period. And I thought those last two kills were, were excellent," Ruff said "I thought we got a couple great blocks. I thought especially those top four guys up front they were killing and the (Conor)Timmins block, I thought (Mattias) Samuelsson was really solid around net front and didn't really give him that second opportunity."
The Sabres have an extra day of rest in before Game 4 on Sunday afternoon, and Ruff is conveying the message to his club not to get overconfident and flush the results of the win, just as he instructed them to get past the loss in Game 2.
"You've got to get through the emotion of losing a tough game. You lose at home, and you had all this emotion after Game 1. That's the battle of the playoffs is you've got to be ready to put put away a big win, like we have to be ready to put this game away and get ready for a really desperate team on Sunday in their building, Ruff said. "Just the same way they have to put the game away and and know that they got a battle to bounce back. It's something that our guys, some of them, haven't been through, but they've got a little bit of a taste of it."
Leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was a big name in the rumor mill. However, the Flyers decided to hold on to him past the deadline.
Now, the Flyers' decision to not trade Ristolainen is paying off for them.
Ristolainen has had a strong start to the postseason for the Flyers, as he has three points and a plus-2 rating in three games. This included him scoring in the Flyers' Game 3 win over the Penguins. He also had two assists for the Flyers in Game 1, which was the first playoff game of his 13-year NHL career.
With this, there is no question that he has been making a positive impact for the Flyers this postseason. Had the Flyers decided to trade him, they very well might not have had their strong finish to the regular season that got them into the playoffs.
Ristolainen is exactly the kind of big right-shot defenseman that teams need during the playoffs, and he is showing that with the Flyers right now. It will be interesting to see how he performs as the playoffs continue from here.
The rhythm of this playoff series for the Philadelphia Flyers has been built on repetition. Same lines and pairings, same opponent, same patterns sharpened and re-sharpened until something gives.
But every so often, in the throes of postseason hockey, something small can come in and disrupt that rhythm. Not enough to cause panic, not enough to demand overhaul, but just enough to force a recalibration.
For the Flyers, that recalibration may come in the crease.
Dan Vladar has been, in many ways, one of the crucial constants behind their early series control against the Pittsburgh Penguins. A stabilizer and a leading voice in the locker room, his game has been defined by both spectacle and sequence—save selection, rebound control, emotional presence. It’s the kind of goaltending that pulls focus for all the right reasons.
But Vladar has been asked to backstop three consecutive high-intensity, physical games against Pittsburgh, rarely getting a day off with travel and practices in between. He's stepped up to the challenge (and then some), but he's not immune from joining the banged-up brigade that makes up so many playoff hockey teams.
Head coach Rick Tocchet isn't sweating it, though, should he have to sit Vladar to avoid risking injury. He has full confidence in the other half of the Flyers' goalie tandem, Sam Ersson, to take care of business if he's called upon.
The Wear Beneath the Workload
Vladar took a knock to the hand in Game 3 on April 22. It wasn't dramatic or immediately consequential, but it was cause for a bit of worry.
He followed with a pre-planned maintenance day on April 23. Then another on April 24.
Maintenance days for Tippett, York, and Vladař. Rick Tocchet said Vladař is feeling better today after taking a knock to the hand last night, clarifying that he probably would have a maintenance day today regardless.
Rick Tocchet’s framing was careful, but not dismissive of the question of Vladar's fitness for Game 4 on April 25.
“It’s more of a maintenance thing," he said after practice on Thursday. "He was gonna probably be off [today] anyway, but he’s a little banged up. He feels better today.”
The name of the game for playoffs—especially a series as physical as this one has been—is maintenance, management, and precaution. The Flyers have admitted that they came out of the regular season banged up, but as many NHL players do, have refused to sit out games like these—especially since for most of this Philadelphia team, this is their first playoffs.
But goaltending, more than any other position, lives in the margins of physical precision. A fraction of a second in tracking, a slight hesitation in sealing the post, a rebound that travels a few inches farther than intended—small disruptions like those can compound quickly.
And Vladar has played a lot. Not just in volume, but in intensity. These have not been passive minutes. They’ve been layered, high-attention performances in games where structure has held, but still required finishing touches. The Flyers have not needed him to steal games, but they have needed him to complete them.
The Value of Readiness Over Reaction
If there is a potential shift coming for Game 4, it doesn't feel like one born of urgency. It feels like one born of preparedness.
Sam Ersson has not been an afterthought in this series. He’s been, in Tocchet’s words and actions, a parallel track—developing quietly, staying engaged, maintaining a rhythm that isn’t always visible from the outside.
Tocchet didn’t hedge when asked about the possibility of turning to him for what could be the final game of the series (Flyers currently hold a 3-0 series lead over the Penguins).
“His mental and physical game since the Olympics—I don’t think he’s had a bad start," Tocchet said on Thursday. "I’ll tell you, the Montreal game [on April 14], going in there, we have half [Lehigh Valley Phantoms call-ups], people are saying we’re throwing him to the wolves, and he was really good. So I’m not really worried if he had to play. He’s locked in, even in practice. If his number is called, he’ll be ready to go.”
Tocchet's viewpoint is clear: Should Ersson be put in net for Game 4, they have full confidence that he could slam the door on the Flyers' western Pennsylvania counterparts.
Ersson’s trajectory since the Olympic break has been defined by correction—refinement rather than total reinvention. His game has tightened in predictable ways: cleaner reads through traffic, more controlled rebounds, a steadier presence in moments where games begin to stretch.
“I think that a good finish was well needed," Ersson told media on Thursday. "I had to take a step up from how I was playing and just trying to do my best and contribute. We knew that every point during that stretch mattered. It was very important… I feel like I’m in a good spot with my game. Obviously it helps stringing wins together, makes you feel better about your game.”
The Psychological Balance of a Possible Change
Switching goaltenders in a playoff series—especially with a dominant lead—could be framed as a risk. But it can also be insulation.
The Flyers are not reacting to a breakdown. Vladar has been extremely effective, composed, and aligned with the structure in front of him. The question isn’t whether he can continue. It’s whether he should, right now, in this moment of the series.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 22, 2026. (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
Rest, in this context, is not retreat. It’s preservation.
And if Ersson starts Game 4, the responsibility doesn’t change. The environment will.
Philadelphia will still have the advantage of home ice in this game, with a chance to sweep, yes, but also with the expectation of a response from Pittsburgh. The Penguins will push—harder, earlier, with greater urgency. The Flyers know this.
So does Ersson.
“I try to work very hard throughout the year and build day by day and just be ready at all times," he said. "I think that’s something you work on to just keep your game in a good spot so that when your name is called upon, you’re ready to go.”
Continuity, Even in Change
The most important detail in all of this is not who starts Game 4, because at the moment, we just don't know yet. It's that, structurally, very little changes regardless.
The Flyers have built their early series success on predictability—not in the sense of being easy to read, but in the sense of being internally consistent. For a goaltender, that matters.
It defines sightlines, dictates shot quality, reduces the number of situations that require improvisation. And whether it’s Vladar or Ersson, or even AHL call-ups Aleksei Kolosov or Carson Bjarnason, the expectation is not that the goaltender will redefine the game. It’s that he will fit into its existing shape.
If Vladar plays, it will be a continuation with the understanding that he’s managing more than just the opponent.
If Ersson plays, it will be an opportunity—not as a deviation, but as an extension of the same identity.
Either way, the Flyers are not approaching Game 4 as a pivot point. They are approaching it as part of a sequence they believe they control. The crease, for now, is simply the most visible place where that control might be tested.
And the most telling thing about this moment is that it doesn’t feel like this team is uncertain or panicking at a possible point of adversity. Every reaction feels considered. They trust their lineup enough to handle whatever the chaos of the postseason throws at them. Which, in a playoff series defined by structure, discipline, and emotional balance, may be the clearest sign yet of where the Flyers are—and how prepared they are for whatever comes next.
ST. LOUIS -- In a season that was blatantly obvious, at least prior to the Olympic break, that the St. Louis Blues were not a playoff team and looking more and more like a shoe-in for a lottery pick, the fan faction became divided.
On one side, you had the 'Embrace the Tank' faction, that was clamoring for a lottery pick, getting one for the first time since 2008 when the organization took defenseman Alex Pietrangelo with the fourth pick, and on the other hand, you had the loyal diehards that wanted to see the team turn things around and play competitive hockey.
And with each Blues win, when they went 17-5-3 in the final 25 games to go from second-worst in the NHL standings only to the Vancouver Canucks to now jumping all the way up to 11th from the bottom and having just a slim three percent chance (3.5 percent if it includes the first-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings the Blues acquired in the Justin Faulk trade) of winning the draft lottery and moving up, the tanksters continued to get louder and louder.
Why in the world would you double down and not only mess the season up but also mess up the chance at a lottery pick, they screamed? And when the Blues were putting together a stretch of three four-game winning streaks among their 17 wins in the final 25 games, the other side could be heard from with a collective, "finally."
So how should this be viewed? Did the Blues mess up their chance at drafting the next star in the organization or is this a steppingstone to finding a blueprint for playing the way that this group can have success moving forward and let the chips fall where they may when it comes to draft prospects?
Of course, there will be more clarity on this when the draft lottery takes place on May 5, but from the Blues' perspective, they've prepared for either scenario. But in the process, there was never a question of playing poorly just to play poorly and lose compared to playing the right way.
"Once
the season’s over, you wish you had the high pick," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "It’s the pain
of going through that to get it. I did talk to the players after the
trade deadline and I told them, our mandate (was) we’re going to
bring up younger players and we’re going to put them in positions
that reflect what we want to see them. Theo [Lindstein] came up, he never played
an NHL game and he was a top four defenseman. It’s not like we hid
him as a seven. [Dalibor] Dvorsky against the other teams’ top players a lot
of nights with Robert [Thomas]. [Otto] Stenberg came up, [Logan] Mailloux, what was his ice
time pre- and post-Olympics? I said to the players, ‘We have a plan.
Your job is to disrupt the plan. You’re professionals. This is how
you make your living. I expect you to disrupt our plan, and they did
and I give them full marks. Could we have picked (No.) 2 or 3 this
year? It would have ... I think there would be less belief in our group.
In the players that you have asked about, that you have talked about,
there would be a lot less belief in that if we just had rolled over
and just got door-matted for the last seven weeks of the season."
As it sits now, the Blues have the Nos. 11, 15 and 32 picks in the first round; they have the New York Islanders' second first-round pick from the Brayden Schenn trade, which belongs to the Colorado Avalanche, and Armstrong was asked if those picks, depending on where they align after the draft lottery and playoffs are concluded, could be part of a trade or move up.
Everything is in play.
"We’re
all going to have our amateur scouting meetings," Armstrong said. "We’re all going to
go to the U-18s, Alex [Steen] and I and the decision-makers on the amateur
side. That’s (today), we leave. We’ll be in Slovakia for 10
days. We’ll come back, we’ll go to the combine, we’ll interview
the players. After that we’ll go to amateur scout retreat with part
time, full time (scouts). We’ll get our list together and the way that I’ve
done it in the past is OK, give me lines, blocks of players. Where’s
a block? So if there’s a block of four guys and we want to get into
that block, then yeah. Yes we would, I guess that’s the long
answer. We would move up if we can. We’ll also move back if we
don’t like what we see. We can use the picks, we can use prospects,
we can use players, but every team is the same in that fashion. If
there’s somebody there that we believe is in a block outside of our
pick and we can acquire him, we’ll give it our best chance. You
also have to have someone that wants to move out of that pick too."
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Top Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone has impressed his teammates, the organization, and fans with how well he's played so far, but he's quickly earning the respect of his peers, too.
Ironically, one of those peers is an NHL star who was often the comparison for the 19-year-old forward.
Florida Panthers standout Matthew Tkachuk, on his "Wingmen with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk" podcast, had nothing but good things to say about Martone in the early goings of his NHL career.
"Yeah, Martone, he looks unreal. He had that snipe that ended up being the game-winner. But he looks so confident. Some of these younger players in Philly are making that team fun to watch," Tkachuk said.
"If you look at some of those forwards, man, like, they just buzz around. . . That Martone, he's solid. I haven't played against him--it's hard to say how good these guys are or what type of player they are, because I haven't played agains them yet--but watching them, this team might be for real. They might be for real. They might just be a sneaky, sneaky wagon."
Between the regular season and playoffs, Martone has scored 13 points in 12 total games, registering a point in each of the three Stanley Cup playoff games the Flyers have played against the Pittsburgh Penguins here in Round 1.
The 2025 No. 6 overall pick delivered a key assist against the Carolina Hurricanes, too, to help the Flyers clinch their playoff berth.
The big moments aren't too big for Martone despite his age and relative inexperience, and it has obviously manifested on the scoresheet as well.
For someone like Tkachuk, a player who Martone plays very similarly to despite not having quite the same level of nastiness and physicality, is a huge compliment and a testament to Martone's work ethic and talent.
Apr 20, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) stops the penalty shot by Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) during the first overtime in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
James Guillory/James Guillory-Imagn Images
No game in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs ever has ended with a goal on a penalty shot in overtime and Carolina’s Jordan Martinook was not eager to make history.
He and the Hurricanes thought they’d won Game 2 of their first-round series against Ottawa when teammate Mark Jankowski scored, but a league-initiated challenge ruled the play to be offside, took the goal off the board and rewound the clock. The very next shift, Martinook was hooked by Senators forward Warren Foegele on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot.
“I was trying to tell (the referee) we needed the power play, not the penalty shot,” Martinook said. He got turned aside by Linus Ullmark, then scored the winner in double overtime.
There have been four penalty shots already in these playoffs — more through 21 games than the previous three years’ worth combined, including zero in 2025 — and the goaltenders have saved all four.
Two more penalty shots would tie the record for the most in a single postseason. There doesn’t seem to be a reason for the uptick in refs calling for penalty shots over power plays, but there is no doubt it has added rare and must-see entertainment to a compelling first round.
“Everything’s very circumstantial,” Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon said after denying Boston’s Viktor Arvidsson in Game 3. He’s not sure if he’d rather face the 1-on-1 matchup or endure a 2-minute penalty kill.
“To be honest with you, every player in this league has the ability to score on penalty shots,” Lyon said. “So yeah, I guess it’s just more circumstantial, but I don’t really have a definitive answer one way or the other.”
Lyon stopped Arvidsson, Ullmark stopped Martinook, Philadelphia’s Owen Tippett missed the net against Pittsburgh’s Stuart Skinner, and Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood made such a highlight-reel save on Los Angeles’ Quinton Byfield that jubilant fans in Denver broke the glass behind the Kings’ bench.
“Never really seen the glass shatter behind the bench,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said following a repair process that delayed the game more than 15 minutes. “That’s a different one. Stuff happens. Fans get excited. Our guys were excited.”
Is more grabbing going on during play? More breakaways in a league that has increased the emphasis on offense in recent years? Both could be true.
The NHL’s rule 24.1 says “a penalty shot is designed to restore a scoring opportunity which was lost as a result of an infraction being committed by the offending team, based on the parameters set out in these rules.” That does provide some latitude for officials to determine what constitutes a penalty shot if a player is unimpeded by an opponent with no one between him and the net.
Still, four penalty shots before the end of the first round is unusual. The only playoffs with more penalty shots 2019 (five) and 2008 (six).
These are potentially game-changing moments and add even more pressure to a playoff game. Martinook described his experience as being the big guy on one end of a teeter-totter, acknowledging he didn’t feel good about himself after not scoring on his opportunity. The 33-year-old grinder made good on his next one to keep from being perceived as the goat.
“It was going to be a long night if that penalty shot came back to bite me,” Martinook said. “Hockey’s crazy, sports are crazy and being able to score after that, I’ll tell my grandkids about that one, that’s for sure.”
After last night’s AHL results, there is officially nothing Islanders playoff-related to discuss anymore except the past and perhaps hopes for the future.
The end of Bridgeport’s 25-year run as the Islanders’ AHL affiliate came with a frustratingly familiar, quick playoff exit. The Bridgeport Islanders (nee Sound Tigers) were swept in their best-of-three opener against Hershey, losing Game 2 Thursday night.
Their previous postseason appearance, in 2021-22, included a qualifying mini-round 2-0 sweep of Providence before quickly exiting at the hands of Charlotte, 3-1.
Prior to that, in their Sound Tigers era, they’d make the playoffs about once every three seasons with first-round exits — often to Hershey or Wilkes-Barrie — each time other than their first two appearances. The first season, when they made it to the finals under Steve Stirling, was and remains the high point.
Raise a glass to Mike Fornabaio, Alan Fuehring, Brent Thompson, Steve Stirling, Jason Shaya and so many others https://t.co/aiTk5ltGn3
By the way, Cory Schneider has been doing some unofficial goalie coaching with the Baby Islanders. [THN]
Meanwhile, in the NHL playoffs, there are some good series…and some laughers.
The Stanley Cup favorite Avalanche have the Kings on the brink at 3-0, which is no surprise to anyone — honestly, the Kings have done well with their vaunted defense to keep each game close.
The Hurricanes likewise have the Senators’ backs against the wall after winning Game 3 in Ottawa. That included an amazing sequence where the Senators couldn’t get the puck out of their half of the ice with a sixth attacker. It was a remarkable display of incompetence for a playoff team, and great work by the Canes.
The other 3-0 series is the Battle of Pennsylvania, but the Penguins get an extra day to complain about officiating and stew over their doomed fate in Philadelphia, as that series resumes on Saturday.
Friday night’s games span the time zones, with three 1-1 series shifting venues: The Lightning in Montreal, the Knights in Utah and the Oilers in Anaheim.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, the man who has been in charge of getting players for the Wings for most of their decade-long playoff drought says they need to get better players. [TSN]
Apr 23, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson (11) and center Parker Kelly (17) celebrate an empty net goal during the third period of game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
LOS ANGELES — Cale Makar scored the tiebreaking goal, Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche moved to the brink of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen scored on fortunate deflections for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche, who went up 3-0 in the series with another narrow win over the persistent Kings.
With Wedgewood backstopping the defense in his first playoff series, Colorado has allowed just four goals in three games by defense-minded Los Angeles, which has held superstar Nathan MacKinnon without a goal so far.
“It’s been tough sledding to create offense, but we have different guys stepping up on different nights and scoring in different situations,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “That’s been able to make the difference.”
Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe scored and Anton Forsberg stopped 19 shots, but the Kings are a loss away from being eliminated in the first round for the fifth consecutive season.
Game 4 is in Los Angeles. A loss would end the 20-year career of Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who is retiring after the season.
Los Angeles scored two goals for the first time in the series, but couldn’t find a tying goal after Kempe scored on a power play with 4:03 to play. Instead, Brock Nelson scored into LA’s empty net with 2:18 left.
“We’ve just got to continue to find ways to break them down,” Makar said. “I feel like tonight, we got a lot of chances and capitalized on a few. Still, I feel like there’s areas for improvement, for sure.”
Los Angeles hasn’t won a playoff round in six previous tries since raising the Stanley Cup in 2014, and this loss was the Kings’ seventh straight postseason defeat dating to last spring.
After grinding out a pair of 2-1 victories in Denver, the Avalanche again took care of business in LA with fundamentally sound hockey — and a good bit of luck this time.
Landeskog put the Avs ahead in the opening minutes with a fluke goal when his wrist shot hit the end boards and caromed back perfectly to deflect in off Forsberg’s skate.
Colorado then got another fortunate bounce during a Kings power play in the third period. When Lehkonen and Logan O’Connor broke out on an odd-man rush, Lehkonen’s pass deflected off the back of Kempe’s skate and ricocheted through Forsberg’s legs with 12:21 to play.
Offense remains the fatal flaw of the Kings, who were the only team in the bottom third of the NHL in scoring to make the playoffs. Los Angeles has four goals on 76 shots against Colorado.
“We’ve got to find ways to score,” Kings interim coach D.J. Smith said. “I mean, we had looks. You can give them credit, but we missed the net 13 times leading into the third period.”
Makar put Colorado ahead in the second, dangling just inside the blue line and firing a brilliant wrist shot through traffic. The perennial Norris Trophy candidate has 23 playoff goals — second-most among active defensemen — in 82 career games, memorably scoring eight in his Conn Smythe Trophy-winning performance during the Avs’ championship run in 2022.
Colorado defenseman Josh Manson left Game 3 early with an upper-body injury. He’ll be re-evaluated before Game 4, Bednar said.
