Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final was full of major twists and turns.

The Carolina Hurricanes, down 2-0, appeared to be heading to a 2-0 series deficit. Instead, they became the first team since 1944 to rally for a victory after trailing by two goals with 10 minutes left in a Stanley Cup Final game.

The Vegas Golden Knights appeared to go ahead 3-2 with the puck clearly in the net. But it was ruled no-goal and a John Tortorella challenge was denied, giving the Hurricanes a power play. Carolina had struggled with the man advantage but scored for the lead.

But the Golden Knights would delay the Hurricanes' victory celebration, getting a late tying goal before Carolina won in overtime.

Here are the winners and losers of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final:

WINNERS

Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis

Jarvis and the Hurricanes' top line has taken its share of criticism for lack of production. He was replaced on the Sebastian Aho-Andrei Svechnikov line by Jordan Martinook during the game. But Jarvis ended up scoring in overtime on a one-timer. He told ABC that the best part was winning in front of the home fans. "It was the best feeling in the world," he said.

SETH JARVIS JUST SILENCED THE DOUBTERS WITH THE GAME 2 OT WINNER, THIS SERIES IS TIED!!!! 😱🚨 pic.twitter.com/UWqoHDzdwF

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 5, 2026

Golden Knights forward Brett Howden

He had 12 goals in the regular season and is up to 13 in the playoffs. He showed strength on both goals, breaking free from Sean Walker on the first goal and outmuscling Jaccob Slavin on the second.

Hurricanes' power play

The success rate was 12.5% coming into the series and didn't connect in Game 1 and the first two periods of Game 2. But it came through when it mattered. Shayne Gostisbehere's shot was tipped in by Jordan Staal after the Golden Knights' unsuccessful challenge. The defenseman fed Jarvis for the game-winner in overtime.

"That's his job as the quarterback to make those reads, and he made those reads," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said.

LOSERS

The no-goal controversy

Did the referees blow the call? Or was Tortorella wrong for challenging? Regardless, it was ruled a no-goal, was challenged unsuccessfully and the Hurricanes went ahead on the power play.

Here's what both coaches said:

"I saw a loose puck in front of Freddy (Andersen)," Tortorella said "Our player stabbed it, it didn't move the goalie and it goes through him to the other side. I'd challenge it 10 out of 10 times."

Said Brind'Amour, talking about his experience: "If you call no-call on the ice, you better be 100 percent if you challenge it."

Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl

He was the hero of Game 1 when he scored the winning goal. But he was in the penalty box for tripping when Jarvis scored in overtime.

Brayden McNabb injury

It was tough to see as he took a puck to the face and, according to ABC, went to the hospital. The Golden Knights played a long time with five defensemen. That could have been a factor as the Hurricanes rallied.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stanley Cup Final winners, losers: Carolina rallies, Vegas unravels

RALEIGH, N.C.– For the first 50 minutes of Game 2, the Carolina Hurricanes had something in common with a Waffle House hashbrown order– they were getting smothered. With less than 10 minutes remaining in the third period, the Vegas Golden Knights held a two-goal lead and appeared to be firmly in the driver’s seat.

And then, after over 50 minutes of complete and utter domination, the Golden Knights suffered their most dramatic collapse of the postseason at the worst possible time. The Hurricanes scored four goals on their final seven shots of the game, spread across 9:40 in the third period and 3:56 in overtime. 

“It was wild, a lot going on,” said Brett Howden of the final 14 minutes following the 4-3 overtime loss. “Yeah, just crazy. I mean, with the call there on the no-goal, and then the penalty, but then I thought we did a great job of fighting it and coming back with a goal there.”

1. Tarps Off?

During a whistle stoppage with 9:48 remaining in the third period, the Jumbotron at Lenovo Center featured a series of shirtless Hurricanes fans while sporting a graphic that read ‘Tarps off for the boys?’ What followed was 14 minutes of complete and utter mayhem.

Play resumed. William Karlsson won the defensive zone draw back to Rasmus Andersson. Logan Stankoven moved in on Andersson like a heat-seeking missile, pushed him off the puck, drifted out in front of the net and fired off a backhand that somehow found its way home.

The Hurricanes, who had seemed so lifeless and beaten just moments before, tied it just 2:26 later.

With exactly five minutes remaining in the third period, the Golden Knights thought they scored the go-ahead goal after a truly herculean effort from Ivan Barbashev. The on-ice officials immediately waved the goal off, but John Tortorella initiated a coach’s challenge.

Frederik Andersen comes up with a massive pair of saves to keep the game tied with five minutes to go! pic.twitter.com/JRkOsOYgYD

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) June 5, 2026

“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie,” said Tortorella postgame. “Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie, and it goes through them into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”

The Situation Room saw things differently.

The Hurricanes, who were 0-for-4 on the man advantage in the series, scored the go-ahead goal just 25 seconds into the power play.

The Golden Knights, who have never once gone ‘gentle into that good night,’ pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker with 1:35 remaining in regulation and scored the equalizer 14 seconds later.

Tomáš Hertl took a penalty 3:17 into overtime, and the Hurricanes evened the series on the ensuing power play.

2. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Jeremy Lauzon returned for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, meaning that for the first time in a very long time, the Golden Knights were fully healthy.

Naturally, that didn’t last very long.

Halfway through the first period, Brayden McNabb found himself on the receiving end of a Nikolaj Ehlers slapshot and went down in a heap. When he got up, dripping, he rushed down the tunnel and did not return to the game. ESPN reported that he left the arena and was taken to a local hospital. The Golden Knights played the remainder of the game with five defensemen.

John Tortorella had no update on McNabb’s status following the game. There is a media availability on Friday morning, but because this is the postseason, I doubt he’ll provide a timeline.

3. It’s Been 84 Years…

After winning Game 1 in dramatic fashion, the Golden Knights held a truly unbelievable stat: it had been 25 days since their last loss.

Yep. Their last loss was on May 10th against the Anaheim Ducks. The Golden Knights finished the second round with wins in Games 5 and 6; in the Western Conference Final, they swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

A stretch of 25 days between losses is impressive even during the regular season; in the postseason, it’s even more monumental.

Despite the less-than-ideal conditions of their loss, the Golden Knights aren’t worried in the slightest.

“We’re fine,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin following the 4-3 overtime loss. “We’ve got a positive group. We did a lot of good things tonight. We’ve just got to improve on those mistakes, but we’re all good. We’re excited to go back to Vegas and take control of this again.”

The Stanley Cup Final has turned into a Manitoba showcase.

From Oakbank’s Brett Howden continuing one of the most unlikely playoff scoring runs in NHL history, to Winnipeg’s Mark Stone delivering a game-tying goal and Winnipeg’s Seth Jarvis ending the night in overtime, Game 2 belonged to the middle province.

The Carolina Hurricanes ultimately walked away with a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, evening the series at 1-1, but there was no ignoring the Manitoba flavour throughout the contest.

Howden, who grew up just outside Winnipeg in Oakbank, continued his remarkable postseason with two more goals for Vegas, bringing his playoff total to 13. That number is especially eye-opening considering he found the back of the net just 12 times during the entire regular season.

In doing so, Howden established a new NHL benchmark, becoming the first player in league history to score more goals in a single postseason than he did during a regular season in which he reached double digits.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring in the first period before adding another in the second, giving the Golden Knights a 2-0 advantage and putting Vegas in position to take a commanding two-game series lead. Instead, Carolina stormed back.

The Hurricanes scored three unanswered goals in the third period to flip the game on its head, but another Manitoba product had something to say about that.

With the Golden Knights’ net empty and time winding down, Captain Stone came through.

The Winnipegger, who has built a career on clutch moments, buried the tying goal at 6-on-5 to force overtime and temporarily silence the Carolina crowd with just over a minute left to play. The Golden Knights' leader once again showed why he remains one of the game’s most reliable postseason performers.

But fittingly, the final word also belonged to Manitoba.

Just 3:56 into overtime, Jarvis stepped into the spotlight. The Winnipeg-born forward blasted home a power-play one-timer to complete Carolina’s comeback and send the Hurricanes home with the series tied heading back to Las Vegas.

Jarvis’ winner was another defining moment in what has become a spectacular postseason run for the 24-year-old, who continues to establish himself as one of the Hurricanes’ most important offensive weapons.

And while the three Manitoba goal scorers stole the spotlight in Game 2, another familiar name to Winnipeg hockey fans remains right in the middle of it all.

Former Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is chasing his first Stanley Cup in his first season away from Winnipeg. After years of postseason frustration with the Jets, the Danish winger has become a key piece of Carolina’s championship push.

Ehlers made his presence felt immediately in the series opener, scoring twice in Game 1, including one of the fastest goals to begin a Stanley Cup Final in league history.

The storyline remains bittersweet for Jets fans. After watching Ehlers depart, Winnipeg’s former first-round pick now sits three victories away from accomplishing what he spent nearly a decade attempting to achieve in Manitoba.

But even without the Jets involved, Manitoba’s fingerprints are all over the Stanley Cup Final.

Through two games, the series has featured clutch goals, historic performances and unforgettable moments from players who grew up within a short drive of what was then called the MTS Centre.

No matter which team eventually lifts the Stanley Cup, Manitoba will certainly have played a major role in making it happen.

The Carolina Hurricanes pulled a page out of the Vegas Golden Knights' playbook by overcoming a two-goal deficit and winning 4-3 in overtime in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday.

Seth Jarvis' power-play goal 3:56 into overtime gave the Hurricanes new life after they appeared headed to a 2-0 series deficit.

BIG TIME PLAYERS MAKE BIG TIME PLAYS pic.twitter.com/FDLpkMjXqP

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) June 5, 2026

Jarvis' game-winner put an exclamation point on an exhilarating game that included a thrilling third period that included four goals being scored and a potential fifth being negated because of goaltender interference.

The Golden Knights got goals from Brett Howden in the first and second period to take a 2-0 lead, but the Hurricanes woke up midway through the third period.

HOWIE CAN'T STOP SCORING #ForgedInGold | @CooperRoofSolarpic.twitter.com/UVBxWjWUst

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 5, 2026

Logan Stankoven got the 'Canes on the board at the 10:20 mark of the final period, and less than three minutes later it was Mark Jankowski tying the game.

The most poignant moment of the game came with five minutes left, and eventually provided the opportunity the 'Canes would need.

Carolina's Frederik Andersen went full extension to stop Ivan Barbashev's effort with the paddle of his stick. A scrum in the crease followed, and ended with the puck slipping into the net. Referee Jean Hebert waved it off immediately, saying Andersen was pushed into the net and ruled goaltender interference.

Vegas coach John Tortorella used his coach’s challenge, but after deliberation, the NHL’s situation room confirmed the call on the ice would stand. That meant the failed challenge would result in a 2-minute minor penalty, giving Carolina a power play.

Shortly thereafter, Jordan Staal deflected Shayne Gostisbehere's shot past Carter Hart and the 'Canes held a 3-2 lead.

John Tortorella spoke following the @GoldenKnights' Game 2 loss.

📺: #NHLTonight on NHL Network has postgame coverage of every game of the #StanleyCup Playoffs https://t.co/Lb5mgCNhWHpic.twitter.com/8Blt6KCAOL

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) June 5, 2026

Shortly after a missing their chance on a 6-on-4 power play, the Golden Knights still used their advantage with an empty net when captain Mark Stone stuffed a loose puck past Andersen to tie the game with 1:21 left in regulation.

Early in the game, Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb was knocked out of the game and taken to the hospital after being hit in the face with the puck. Tortorella didn't have an update.

Game 3 is slated for Saturday in Las Vegas, with Game 4 set for Tuesday. The series is guaranteed to return to Raleigh for Game 5.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights John Tortorella during the post game press conference after the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Seth Jarvis scored on a power play in overtime after Carolina erased a deficit in regulation only to gave up a late tying goal, and the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to tie the series.

Jarvis’ heroics 3:56 into OT came after a thrilling third period that included four goals being scored and another getting called off because of goaltender interference.

Carolina became the first team since 1994 to win a Cup final game when trailing by multiple goals in the final 10 minutes.

“It was lot,” said Jarvis, who scored for just the fourth time this playoffs. “We did a great job controlling our emotions. We never got too high, never got too low. Just kept responding, and that’s what I love about this group is we always bounce back.”

Game 3 is Saturday night in Las Vegas. There is now a guarantee the series will return to Raleigh for a Game 5 next week.

That did not look anything close to certain when Hurricanes had almost nothing going for the first 45 minutes, falling behind by two goals as the Golden Knights took advantage of a couple of scoring chances and locked down defensively. A couple of strong shifts in the offensive zone just before the midway point of the third brought the crowd back to life because the Hurricanes were buzzing.

“The building is a tough building to play in when it gets going,” captain Jordan Staal said. “Obviously, we just needed a spark.”

Logan Stankoven, one of the team’s best players this spring, provided he. Stankoven made a terrific individual effort to get them on the board, taking the puck away from Rasmus Andersson, going to the net and banking a shot off Jeremy Lauzon and in with 9:40 remaining in regulation.

Less than three minutes later, Mark Jankowski fired a shot past Carter Hart to tie it, flipping the script from Game 1, when Vegas erased a multigoal deficit and won. This is the first time each of the first two games of a Cup final featured a team falling behind by more than a goal and winning.

“Stanky did a great job getting it going and Janks with a great shot, and it just carried on from there,” Jarvis said.

A big decision by Vegas coach John Tortorella with five minutes left paved the way for it to happen.

Frederik Andersen initially went full extension to deny Ivan Barbashev with the paddle of his stick, and a scrum ensued in the crease that ended with the puck eventually in the net. Referee Jean Hebert waved it off immediately, saying Andersen was pushed into the net and ruling it was goaltender interference.

“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie,” Tortorella said. “Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”

Tortorella after some deliberation opted to use his coach’s challenge, and the on-ice officials in consultation with the NHL’s situation room confirmed the call on the ice stood.

“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference,” executive vice president and director of officiating Stephen Walkom told a pool reporter. “He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie, and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waived it off immediately.”

The punishment for a failed challenge is a 2-minute minor penalty. The Hurricanes went on the power play, where they had been so ineffective all night and most of the playoffs.

Not this time. Staal redirected Shayne Gostisbehere’s point shot in on the power play. with 4:35 left in regulation.

The Hurricanes killed off a penalty in the intervening time before allowing Stone to tie it with 1:21 left at 6 on 5 with Hart pulled for an extra skater. Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin actually knocked the puck into his own net on the play.

Eearly in overtime, Tomas Hertl tripped Staal to put Carolina back on the power play. That allowed Jarvis to score just Carolina’s ninth power play goal of the playoffs.

“That’s a step in the right direction,” Jarvis said. “Our power play found our groove tonight. It started with Jordo in the third, and there just making the right plays, playing smart and being aggressive and it worked out.”

Instead of Vegas going home looking to move to the verge of a second championship in nine years of existence, the series is all square, despite Hart making some big saves and Brett Howden scoring his playoff-leading 12th and 13th goals.

Asked what changed, a tight-lipped Tortorella said: “I have my thoughts. I’m not discussing it here.”

Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb had to leave Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final in a scary scene on Thursday.

Midway through the first period of Vegas’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes, McNabb was hit right in the face with an 87 mph slap shot from Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers.

Play immediately stopped once McNabb was struck, with players from both teams putting their hands up to alert the injury to the referees.

McNabb, 35, then rushed to the locker room with his hand over his mouth and nose and was later taken to the hospital, ESPN reported.

Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon shifted up to take McNabb’s spot alongside Shea Theodore on Las Vegas’ top pairing.

“It’s a scary play,’ forward Brett Howden said after the loss. ”You never want to see that. Just hope he’s doing all right. We haven’t seen him yet but hope he’s doing OK.”

McNabb did not return, and Vegas went the rest of the way with just five defensemen.

“You lose a guy like Nabber who logs heavy minutes, such a good teammate, plays the game so hard, it’s tough,” captain Mark Stone said. “They battled as hard as they could.”

Coach John Tortorella said “they played well” and had no update when asked about McNabb’s condition after the Hurricanes’ overtime victory that tied the series.

McNabb proved to be a difference maker during Game 1, having his first career three-assist effort to help the Golden Knights beat Carolina 5-4 on Tuesday.

He has 33 blocked shots in the playoffs after leading the Golden Knights with 142 blocks in 63 games during the regular season.

The veteran defenseman also ranks first in Golden Knights history in blocked shots (1,417) and hits (1,469).

With Las Vegas now just three wins away from a Stanley Cup, head coach John Tortorella said his team’s willingness to stick together was its greatest strength during the playoff run.

“I think that’s the biggest attribute I’ve seen with this team in the short time I’ve been with them is they stay together,” Tortorella said. “They don’t break apart and I think that gets you through some situations. We’re playing against a very good team.

“We’re going to have things happen to us tomorrow. But we’re going to have to stick together to try and find a way.”

— with AP

The late stages of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final had some drama, with Golden Knights coach John Tortorella smack dab in the middle.

In a 2-2 game with five minutes left, Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen made a diving save across the crease to stop a would-be goal from Vegas' Ivan Barbashev. A scuffle ensued in front of the net, with the puck eventually being poked out from under Andersen and into the Carolina net, seemingly giving the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead.

The goal was immediately waved off, with goalie interference (of the non-penalty variety) as the call. Furthermore, officials indicated they had already blown the play dead when the puck was under Andersen, bolstering Carolina's case as it being a non-goal.

The Golden Knights lose the challenge to overturn this no-goal call. pic.twitter.com/Xy2Z6NmKoM

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2026

Even with that two-tier cake, Tortorella wasn't satisfied. He elected to challenge the goalie interference, arguing it should have been a Golden Knights goal. But the no-goal call stood after review, giving the Hurricanes a power play, where Carolina had struggled through nearly two games.

The fates, of course, are cruel. Just 25 seconds into the penalty, Jordan Staal tipped in a shot from Shayne Gostisbehere, giving the 'Canes a 3-2 lead with 4:35 left in the game.

THE CAPTAIN COMES THROUGH 🫡

JORDAN STAAL GIVES THE CANES THE LATE LEAD ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Ag10faa119

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2026

Vegas would come back with the tying goal to tie it up at three and send the game to overtime, but the questions around the decision to challenge lingered.

Was John Tortorella correct to challenge no-goal?

While results-based reflection is an exercise in futility, Tortorella's challenge late in Game 2 certainly seemed like a miscalculation.

To start, the initial call was goaltender interference against Vegas, a famously difficult call to litigate. Furthermore, the NHL gives the whistle a lot of leeway. The goalie interference was removed from the play, but there was still an intent to blow the whistle from the official after line of sight to the puck was lost, something that wouldn't be overturned.

In short, the onus is on the official to stop play. And if the official says the play was dead, regardless of when the whistle is blown, then that is when the play is dead.

Explanation from the NHL on the no-goal call:

“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference. He waived it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck…

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) June 5, 2026

ESPN's panel postgame was confused by the call, but rules analyst Dave Jackson said the call was correct as it was called dead under Andersen's pads.

The Hurricanes would go on to win 4-3 in overtime on a goal from Seth Jarvis, knotting the series at 1-1 heading out West to Las Vegas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes score go-ahead goal off failed John Tortorella challenge

The countdown to July 1 is underway, and the Nashville Predators could be a team worth watching when it comes to Patrik Laine.

The 28-year-old confirmed during the Montreal Canadiens' locker cleanout that he'll be heading to free agency this summer. It brings an end to a frustrating stint in Montreal, where a core-muscle injury limited him to just five games. Even so, Laine made it clear he still believes he can get back to being the player who routinely scored 30 to 40 goals.

From Nashville's perspective, the fit makes some sense.

The Predators have spent the last few years trying to build a deeper, more competitive roster, but they still don't have many natural finishers on the wing. They play a structured game and have plenty of responsible forwards, but pure goal scorers are hard to find. When healthy, that's exactly what Laine has been throughout his NHL career.

There is risk involved, of course. Injuries have become a recurring issue, and that will likely impact both the term and value of his next contract. At the same time, that's what could make him attainable for a team looking for upside without committing long-term.

A shorter prove-it deal could work for both sides. Nashville would get a chance to add a high-end scoring threat, while Laine would get an opportunity to rebuild his value in a stable environment without being expected to carry the offence by himself.

If a deal gets done, the fit on the ice is pretty straightforward. Laine would slide into the top six and immediately become a focal point on the power play, giving the Predators another scoring weapon that the roster has lacked at times.

With free agency approaching, Nashville stands out as a team that could make a lot of sense if Laine is looking for the right place to reset and get his career back on track.

Chris MacFarland Addresses Media For First Time As Predators GMFollowing a comprehensive four-month search, Nashville’s new front office leader outlines his strategic vision to revitalize the franchise through foundational rebuilding and a winning Colorado pedigree.Predators Name Chris MacFarland President Of Hockey Operations & General ManagerFresh off a successful tenure in Colorado, the veteran executive takes the reins in Nashville to navigate a pivotal offseason defined by roster restructuring and bold personnel moves.REPORT: Nashville Predators Granted Permission To Speak To Avalanche GM Chris MacFarlandNashville seeks a swift conclusion to its front-office search as the Stanley Cup-winning executive meets with ownership, potentially shifting from Colorado to lead the Predators' new era.

The Philadelphia Flyers are keeping one of their forward prospects around.

According to PuckPedia, the Flyers have signed forward Jacob Gaucher to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. The 6-foot-3 forward will have an $850,000 cap hit at the NHL level.

Gaucher played most of the 2025-26 season down in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 69 games this campaign with the AHL club, he recorded 20 goals, 16 assists, 36 points, and 44 penalty minutes. This is after he had 20 goals and 38 points in 70 games with Lehigh Valley during the 2024-25 season.

Gaucher also played in four games for the Flyers this season, where he had zero points, three hits, and four blocks. 

The Flyers keep Gaucher around on this one-year deal is understandable. The 25-year-old forward has been a solid part of Lehigh Valley's roster over the last two seasons and has shown promise. 

Gaucher will now be looking to impress and get more opportunities on the Flyers' roster next season. In eight career NHL games over two seasons, he has recorded zero points, seven shots, and seven hits. 

Although the Calgary Flames haven't competed for a Stanley Cup for almost two decades, it doesn't mean the fans in the Stampede City haven't had local heroes, like Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar, to cheer for in the Final.

Currently, Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall, born in 1991 in Calgary, is looking to earn his first championship this year. Meanwhile, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart, born in 1998 in Sherwood Park, AB, is hoping to lead his team to their second Stanley Cup title in four seasons. 

Thanks to their performances, which some could consider career-defining, especially in Hart's case, Alberta is being prominently featured in this season's Final.

The Golden Knights netminder is in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, trailing only his teammate Mitch Marner, who leads all playoff scorers with 22 points. Right now, Hart has a .921 SV% and 2.33 GAA and is only three wins away from a Stanley Cup victory with a 13-4 record.

Meanwhile, his Alberta counterpart, Hall, is no stranger to being in the spotlight. His father is Steve Hall, a Canadian Football player and member of the Canadian national bobsleigh team.

As the 2010 first overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Hall is leading Carolina in scoring with 16 points in 14 games, helping the team reach the Final for the first time since 2006. After 16 seasons, highlighted by a Hart Trophy win in 2018, Hall is playing in hockey's fourth round for the first time in his career, picking up his only playoff overtime goal (May 4, 2026) along the way.

Regarding their respective journeys to the NHL, both players took distinct paths. Hall moved to Ontario as a teenager and played minor hockey in Kingston, and then led the Windsor Spitfires to back-to-back Memorial Cup victories in 2009 and 2010.

Hart started in Alberta, playing AAA hockey in Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park, winning an Alberta Cup Championship in 2012. In the WHL with the Everett Silvertips, he was named the CHL Goaltender of the Year in 2016 and 2018.

By the end of next week, one of these gifted hockey players will have raised the Stanley Cup above their head, further cementing their status as a top player in today's game. Moreover, there is a good chance the Silver Chalice will visit Alberta this summer, whether it's Calgary or Sherwood Park is up to the Hockey Gods to decide. 

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb left the ice in the first period after taking a shot up high.

Nikolaj Ehlers fired a shot from the point and it hit McNabb in the visor. He dropped to the ice and held his nose.

McNabb got up and skated immediately off the ice and to the dressing room.

Brayden McNabb took a puck to the visor blocking a Hurricanes shot. pic.twitter.com/BK561k3VZk

— ESPN (@espn) June 5, 2026

ABC reported that he went to the hospital for further evaluation.

The defenseman was one of the stars of Game 1 as he had three assists in the Golden Knights’ 5-4 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. He never had more than two assists in a playoff game before Tuesday's game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brayden McNabb injury update after defenseman is hit by puck

When a team continuously fails to get over the hump or meet expectations, there comes a time when its best players decide they've had enough. 

There are a handful of situations beginning to reach that threshold in the NHL. Toronto Maple Leafs star center Auston Matthews has been the subject of some trade chatter. The same goes with Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, who each have two seasons until becoming unrestricted free agents and whose teams have fallen short. 

But it appears one player in a similar situation may be primed for a breakup with his current team sooner rather than later. 

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Detroit Red Wings captain and top center Dylan Larkin has requested a trade. Larkin, 29, is an elite top-six center option and is signed at a cap hit of just $8.7 million through the 2030-31 season.

Up to this point, there has been no comment from Larkin, agent Pat Brisson, or Red Wings management. However, according to Friedman, it seems the apparent request stemmed from a rocky relationship between Larkin and Detroit management - more specifically, general manager Steve Yzerman - dating back to contract talks in 2023.  

Of course, if Larkin is available, every contender and every team aiming for contention will want his services. 

And if he is available, the Pittsburgh Penguins should be one of them. 

Top NHL Insider Reports Dylan Larkin Has Requested Trade From Red WingsAccording to an explosive report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Dylan Larkin has requested to be moved from the Red Wings.

It's been repeated countless times at this point, but Penguins' GM and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said in his season-ending press conference on May 12 that he wanted Pittsburgh to take a "big step toward sustainable contention" next season. He also reiterated - on several occasions - the need for the team to acquire high-end talent in their mid- to late-20s any way they can, which includes through the trade market. 

Larkin turns 30 this summer, so he isn't exactly the youngest option available. Someone like Robert Thomas is 26 and is also a legitimate top-six center signed long-term at a bargain cap hit, and someone like Matthews (28 years old) is, obviously, one of the best in the league but will come at a very steep price. 

In some ways, it could be argued that Larkin does not fit the long-term picture for what the Penguins are trying to do. However, if they are trying to contend "as urgently as possible," as Dubas has alluded to on several occasions, the team is going to be hard-pressed to find a better option - especially one who is locked up for the next several years - than Larkin.

3 Big Takeaways From Dubas's End-Of-Season Press ConferenceOn Tuesday, Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas met with the media to discuss the 2025-26 season and what's next for the organization this summer.

And make no mistake: Larkin is a legitimate difference-maker.

The 6-foot-1, 204-pound veteran center has put together five consecutive seasons of 30 or more goals, hovering just below the point-per-game mark. He has also represented Team USA for years, with his most recent representations being at 4 Nations and the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, where he helped lead Team USA to a gold medal. 

Again, he is going to come at a premium. First-line centers in the NHL don't grow on trees, and he is a good one. However, one thing working against the Red Wings in this scenario is that Larkin has a full no-movement clause, meaning he entirely controls where he goes. Because of this, they will lose a good bit of leverage in any negotiations, and a bidding war shouldn't ensue to a crazy extent because teams can't really bid for a player who gets to select exactly where he wants to go.

The return will still be substantial, though. Detroit does not own a first-round pick this summer, so that will be part of it. They also do not own a second-round pick in 2027, so that's almost a given, too. A player like Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, or Erik Karlsson going the other way is almost guaranteed.

Does Michael Kesselring Make Sense For The Penguins?Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins plan to take a big step next season, and it starts with improving the blue line - something Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Michael Kesselring might be able to help with.

And the Penguins can pretty much say goodbye to one or, more likely, two of Bill Zonnon, Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Harrison Brunicke, Will Horcoff, Tanner Howe, Avery Hayes, and Owen Pickering, too.

But that's the price you pay for an impact player like Larkin, who will probably play out the remainder of his current contract at a pretty high level. He's the type of late-20-something player that Dubas was referring to in his press conference, and the fact that he is a center makes paying a hefty price for him far more palatable. 

If Larkin is truly available, Dubas should be picking up the phone. Of course, Larkin would have to want to come to Pittsburgh, which is a whole other conversation. But, if a trade is possible, the Penguins should pull out almost all of the stops to get it across the finish line.

3 Under-The-Radar Penguins' Trade Candidates This SummerMuch of the talk around the Pittsburgh Penguins and the trade market involves Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson. But there are other rostered players who may make sense to move — and who could fetch a decent return.

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Fans of the Detroit Red Wings were stunned on Thursday when an explosive report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, indicating that captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade, was released. 

Larkin is the longest-tenured current member of the club, and is the only player who remains from the roster of Detroit's most recent Stanley Cup appearance in 2016.

The Red Wings have failed to play beyond the regular season for 10 straight years, which is now the longest active drought in the NHL, and the longest in team history. 

While speaking on TSN's OverDrive late Thursday afternoon, NHL Insider Darren Dreger offered further details behind what could be an eventual and highly public split between Larkin and the Red Wings. 

“When you think of bombshells, that's as big a bombshell as we're probably going to get leading into the offseason post-Stanley Cup,” Dreger said. “I think there's a need for an explanation here — this has been in the works for a while, I think that's pretty obvious.

“You don't just wake up one morning as a top player and go, ‘Okay, I've been here 11 years, whatever it is, it hasn't worked out, time for a fresh start.’”

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Larkin, who hails from Waterford and attended the University of Michigan, and the Red Wings seemed destined for each other. They selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, and he burst onto the scene by scoring in his first NHL game in October 2015 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

After a solid rookie campaign, Larkin and the Red Wings made their most recent postseason appearance against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a series in which Tampa won quickly in five games. 

From that point on, the Motor City has been bereft of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey and has endured several lean years on the ice, including the woeful 2019-20 campaign in which Detroit finished with the fewest points of any NHL team since the expansion Atlanta Thrashers two decades prior. 

Throughout this entire time, Larkin, who was named the 37th captain in team history in 2021, has been the face of the franchise and has largely borne the brunt of difficult questions from the media as the setbacks grew. 

Top NHL Insider Reports Dylan Larkin Has Requested Trade From Red WingsAccording to an explosive report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Dylan Larkin has requested to be moved from the Red Wings.

His disappointment following losses in recent years that have eliminated the team from playoff contention was extremely obvious, both in his body language and spoken words. Following Detroit’s loss in Game 80 of this season, which sealed their fate, Larkin admitted he was “down as could be.”

As Dreger put it, Larkin's reported trade request wasn't a knee-jerk reaction, but rather a process that feels as though it has been slowly building over the last few years. 

“You think of Dylan Larkin, it feels like he was born and raised to play for the Detroit Red Wings, right?” Dreger continued. “I mean, that's where he's from. So for Dylan to get to the place where he's requested a trade, that tells you that there's been a lot of thought, there's layering to all of this.....I don't think it's as cut and dry as him wanting an opportunity to win, and he doesn't see that opportunity in Detroit. 

“But there are multiple layers that go beyond that. How did he get to this point? Did management do enough to insulate him? To augment what they have? All of those things. And those are questions that I suppose Dylan is going to have to face, if and when a trade happens.

But the information is legit.”

Larkin, who ranks 10th all time in Red Wings total scoring, still has five years left on the deal with an $8.7M cap hit, and holds a full no-trade clause over the next two seasons; that turns into a 10-team list afterward.

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Mason Marchment is one of the Columbus Blue Jackets' top pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Given how well he played for the Blue Jackets after being acquired from the Seattle Kraken, it would not be surprising if Columbus works hard to keep him around. 

Yet, with Marchment being one of the top pending UFA forwards in the NHL heading into the summer, it would also be understandable if he decided to test the market. 

Because of this, let's look at four teams that could sign Marchment if he does not end up re-signing with the Blue Jackets.

Pittsburgh Penguins 

Recently, The Hockey News' Jason Newland brought up the possibility of the Pittsburgh Penguins landing Mason Marchment due to his past with Pens GM Kyle Dubas. Marchment would have the potential to be a good pickup for Pittsburgh as they look to continue to head in the right direction. He would also offer them a strong replacement for pending UFA Anthony Mantha if he signs elsewhere this summer. 

Boston Bruins 

The Boston Bruins could be a team to keep an eye on if Marchment ends up testing free agency. It is no secret that the Bruins' top six could use a boost, and Marchment would provide them with just that if acquired. The Bruins also value players who play with a physical edge, so it would not be shocking if Boston had interest in the 6-foot-5 Marchment this summer. 

Washington Capitals 

The Washington Capitals could use another impactful winger as they look to bounce back after missing the playoffs this season. With Marchment being one of the top pending UFAs who can hit the market on July 1, it would make sense if the Capitals had him on their radar this summer. He would give them another option for their top six and power play if successfully signed. 

San Jose Sharks 

The San Jose Sharks should also be watched when it comes to Marchment. He would be a very good power forward for them to bring in. This is because he would not only provide them with more offense but also another veteran forward to help mentor their younger players as they look to take that next step. 

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14. 

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