Golden Knights forward William Karlsson left the Thursday, June 11 game in the second period after absorbing a check from Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker along the boards.
A trainer looked at Karlsson's arm on the bench and Karlsson skated to the dressing room. He didn't return and ABC reported that Karlsson left Lenovo Center to undergo further examination.
Golden Knights coach John Tortorella looked discouraged when the trainer came out to talk to him. He gave a discouraging postgame report on Karlsson's status for the rest of the series.
Tortorella said he had no update on Karlsson but didn't sound positive about the player's status.
"He's not going to be with us probably," he said. "We've got to find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy but as a team."
Karlsson had two goals and two assists in the Final. He was limited to 14 games in the regular season, but his return late in the regular season was one of several factors that helped the Golden Knights clinch a playoff berth.
"He's an important piece for us," Tortorella said. "Penalty killer. Power play guy. He's a winner."
The Hurricanes lead the series 3-2 after the 4-2 victory and can clinch their first Stanley Cup title since 2006 on Sunday, June 14 in Game 6 at Las Vegas.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes had spent the NHL playoffs waiting for their power play to get going, along with top-line performers Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho.
And they had spent the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final being outplayed in critical second-period sequences.
On Thursday night, it all came together, aligning to bring the Hurricanes within a victory of winning the Cup.
Andrei Svechnikov (37), Sebastian Aho (20), Sean Walker (26), and K’Andre Miller (19) celebrate after a Carolina goal in the second period of the Hurricanes’ 4-2 win over the Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 11, 2026 in Raleigh, N.C.. AP Photo/Ben McKeown
Svechnikov scored twice and Aho added a second-period goal in a breakout offensive game for both, helping the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“I liked our effort for sure, and I hope we’re getting better,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I think there’s certain areas of our game that are starting to look a lot like we need it to look. But I do think there’s still another level that we’re going to need to get to find that next one.”
Captain Jordan Staal found the net again for the fifth straight game in this series after Vegas had taken a 1-0 first-period lead, while Brandon Bussi finished with 23 saves in his second career postseason start.
Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas, with the Hurricanes playing for the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since Brind’Amour captained them to the title in 2006.
Aho’s goal in the second period marked his first of the series, coming when Sean Walker found him cutting to the left side after Jordan Martinook — swapped with Seth Jarvis to work alongside Aho and Svechnikov on the top line — won a puck battle behind the net on the forecheck.
Then there was Svechnikov, who entered Thursday with four postseason goals before striking twice on the power play. On the first, he whipped the puck past Carter Hart on the right side for a 2-1 lead in the second period.
On the second, he had a short putaway at the post off a sharp feed from Nikolaj Ehlers for a 4-1 lead, one of three assist for Ehlers on the night that included him having two delay-of-game penalties for putting a puck over the glass.
Before those second-period scores, Vegas had outscored Carolina 9-1 in the second period during the series.
Alexander Nikishin checks Vegas’ Colton Sissons (10) during the third period of the Hurricanes’ Game 5 win over the Golden Knights. AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker
And unlike most multi-goal leads in what has been a wild and thrilling series, this one held up with Bussi doing enough to stave off Vegas’ late push to climb back in it.
“It required everything we have,” Staal said on the ESPN broadcast.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for Vegas, finding the net for the first time since Game 1 of the Western Conference Final sweep of Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado.
“I thought we were still doing some good things,” Vegas’ Jack Eichel said. “We had chances.”
Vegas goalie Carter Hart and right wing Mark Stone react dejectedly after the Golden Knights’ Game 5 loss to the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh, N.C. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Hart entered this one as the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games, then did it again to continue a difficult series while finishing with 20 saves.
Asked if he considered swapping to backup Adin Hill, coach John Tortorella responded: “That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”
Vegas had twice before been in a 2-2 series in these playoffs, in the first round against Utah and the second round against Anaheim. Both times, the Golden Knights won Game 5 and closed out the series in Game 6.
This time, they’ll have to win on home ice to force the series back to Carolina for a Game 7 on Wednesday night. And they’ll have to take two in a row against a Hurricanes team that hasn’t suffered consecutive losses since mid-January.
Not that Tortorella was fazed.
“We’ll be back here,” he said confidently, saying he would leave his clothes behind at the team’s hotel in expectation of returning to North Carolina.
Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury. Karlsson skated to the tunnel midway through the second period and didn’t return. Tortorella said the center was “not going to be with us, probably” in the coming games.
Jun 11, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) scores against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) and defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) during the third period in game five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nathan Ray Seebeck/Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Andrei Svechnikov scored twice and Sebastian Aho added a second-period goal in a breakout game for Carolina’s top-line performers, helping the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Thursday night to move within a victory of winning the Stanley Cup.
Captain Jordan Staal added his fifth goal in the series on a night when Carolina overcame multiple hiccups from these playoffs, from a shaky power play to being outplayed in the second period of this series.
And there had been the waiting game for Aho and Svechnikov — two roster mainstays in an eight-year postseason run — to find a better offensive groove.
It all came together in Game 5, with Svechnikov’s short putaway at the post on the power play giving Carolina a 4-1 lead midway through the third period. And unlike most multi-goal leads in what has been a wild and thrilling series, this one held up, with Brandon Bussi finishing with 22 saves in his second career postseason start.
That gave the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas, with the Hurricanes playing for the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since coach Rod Brind’Amour captained them to the title in 2006.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for Vegas, finding the net for the first time since Game 1 of the Western Conference Final sweep of Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado. Carter Hart entered this one as the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games, then did it again to continue a difficult series while finishing with 20 saves.
Vegas had twice before been in a 2-2 series in these playoffs, in the first round against Utah and the second round against Anahaim. Both times, the Golden Knights won Game 5 and then closed out the series in Game 6.
This time, they’ll have to win on home ice to force the series back to Carolina for a Game 7 on Wednesday night. And they’ll have to take two in a row against a Hurricanes team that hasn’t suffered consecutive losses since mid-January.
Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury. Karlsson skated to the tunnel midway through the second period and didn’t return.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 11: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 11, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes dominated the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, 4-2, to take a 3-2 series lead and come within one game of lifting the Stanley Cup.
After struggling for the majority of the postseason, both the power play and two of Carolina’s top three regular season scorers — Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho — carried the Canes to a big win on Thursday night. Svechnikov scored two power play goals while Aho found the back of the net for the first time in the Stanley Cup.
Nikolaj Ehlers gave the Knights a power play a little less than seven minutes into the first period on a delay of game penalty.
The Knights, after being just 1-for-12 on the power play in the first four games, capitalized courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev, who found the back of the net on a cross ice pass from Jack Eichel.
It didn’t take long for Carolina to respond, though. And who else but Jordan Staal. After getting the penalty, Ehlers redeemed himself with a great shot-pass to the front of the net that was tipped in by Staal for his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup so far.
After the first, the score was knotted at 1-1. Uncharacteristically, the Canes were outshot, 8-5, by the Knights.
There wasn’t much offensive action for either side in the first 10 minutes of the second period, but two straight Vegas penalties changed that.
The Golden Knights killed the first, but it was Svechnikov who went five-hole on the second power play, giving the Canes a 2-1 lead in the second period. In the first four games, Carolina was outscored 9-1 in the second, but it was a different story tonight.
That was all that was needed to get the top line for the Canes going it seemed. With a little over two minutes in the second, a great forecheck from Jordan Martinook led to a goal from Aho, who went high over Carter Hart. It marked Aho’s first goal of the series, giving the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead in the second.
For the first time in the Stanley Cup, Carolina outplayed Vegas in the second period, entering the third with a 3-1 advantage and just 20 minutes away from their first series lead.
Carolina picked up right where they left off in the third period. After Mark Stone was called for a double minor for high sticking Jalen Chatfield, Svechnikov scored his second power play goal of the night on a great pass from Ehlers.
Dorofeyev added his second of the game with a little over six minutes left in the game to cut Carolina’s lead to two goals.
The Canes were able to hold the Knights off and secure the big win, with Bussi saving 22 of 24 shots.
The Stanley Cup will be in the building as the Hurricanes have a chance to lift it for the first time since 2006 on the road Sunday at 8 PM.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — William Karlsson left the ice, and the Vegas Golden Knights' night went south. He may not be back to help them recover.
With Karlsson knocked out of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final because of injury, the Golden Knights took four penalties that turned into two power-play goals against. Carter Hart allowed four goals for a fifth consecutive game in the series, and now his team is on the brink of elimination after losing 4-2 to Carolina on Thursday night.
“When we lose Bill, it kind of screws things up," coach John Tortorella said. “We lost momentum when we went back to back in penalties. It was about the same time that we lost Bill. We’ve got to find a way.”
Karlsson appeared to injure his left arm or shoulder after getting knocked into the boards by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker a little over eight minutes into the second period. He got medical attention on the bench briefly, skated off and never returned and Tortorella foreshadowed that being the end of Karlsson's series.
“He’s not going to be with us, probably,” Tortorella said. "We’ve got to find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy but as a team.”
But the void left by Karlsson’s departure was all too clear, especially on the penalty kill. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov scored the first of his two power-play goals less than four minutes after Karlsson left, then added another in the third.
“He’s an important piece to us: up the middle of the ice, a penalty killer, power play guy," Tortorella said. “He’s a winner."
Fourth-liner Nick Dowd called Karlsson one of the team's best players. Defenseman Brayden McNabb, who along with Karlsson and Shea Theodore are the only players who have been around for Vegas’ entire nine-year existence, said Karlsson was a big leader in the locker room.
Karlsson is also nearly impossible to replace.
“He means so much," fellow center Jack Eichel said. "He’s a world class player. He plays in all situations. He’s extremely reliable in our own zone, and he creates a lot of offense. ... It's tough. You lose someone like Karl who’s so valuable to our team and playing so well. But it just means everyone else has to step up.”
Tortorella expects that to happen, promising there will be a Game 7 in Raleigh on Tuesday night.
“We’ll be back here. We’re just going to do it in a different order," Tortorella said. "I’m going to leave my clothes here, that’s for sure. They’ll be in the hotel.”
To do that, they'll have to win Game 6 back home in Las Vegas on Sunday. Hart is expected to be in net again despite a save percentage of .856 in the final.
Asked if he considered going to backup Adin Hill — who backstopped Vegas to the Cup in 2023 — in the third period, Tortorella scoffed and said, "That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”
If the Philadelphia Flyers really do decide to trade with the Edmonton Oilers and acquire Darnell Nurse, any realistic scenario ends in a win for them, no matter what.
Social media tells a different story, but Nurse, 31, is a very serviceable and solid NHL defenseman.
Typecast as a No. 1 for the Oilers for a longtime, and given an annual $9.25 million albatross cap hit, Nurse does some things well, and other things not so well.
A fluid athlete and a nephew of Eagles legend Donovan McNabb, Nurse thrives using his legs, toughness, physicality, and skill, though his decision-making and hockey IQ have consistently held him back throughout his career.
That's a fine gamble for the Flyers, though.
In recent years, smaller defenders like Cam York and Emil Andrae have established themselves as NHL defenders, while Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen underwent career renaissances with the Flyers after some bleak years.
Plus, Jamie Drysdale and Nick Seeler, who each looked like a lost cause at this level for different reasons, found homes with the Flyers and leveled up drastically year over year.
With the amount of talent Nurse has, and with a better supporting cast at his position, there is no reason to believe he can't do the same in Philadelphia, even at his age.
The trade cost for Nurse is obviously going to be the main sticking point, both for the Flyers and for the Oilers.
On one hand, the Oilers are hoping to rid themselves of as much as Nurse's $9.25 million cap hit as they possibly can without paying an egregious price to do it.
The Flyers, too, hope to avoid paying an egregious price, whether that's monetary with the salary, or in terms of assets when it comes to paying for salary retention.
Regardless of the outcome, though, the Flyers win.
If they decide to take on Nurse's full cap hit, it will be because they received a sweetener from the Oilers that they simply could not turn down.
Something of that magnitude would assuredly come via players like Isaac Howard, Beau Akey, and Matthew Savoie, and/or a first-round pick.
And if the Flyers can convince the Oilers to retain money on Nurse's salary, they have plenty of spare assets to make it worthwhile.
Andrae, a pending RFA, would be a cheap, solid addition to Edmonton's blue line, and the Oilers may also see this as an opportunity to add mid-round draft picks to replenish their future draft capital.
The Flyers do not have fourth- or fifth-round picks this year, but they do have two third-round picks in 2027, as well as their fourth and fifth that year.
And, maybe the Oilers consider picking up the signing rights to a goalie, such as Flyers pending RFA Sam Ersson, too?
Each side has lots to offer to the other, though it, of course, comes down to finding a palatable middle ground that benefits both sides to an acceptable degree.
On paper, for the Flyers, adding a skilled, experienced veteran like Nurse comes with few downsides. It just comes down to business, at the end of the day.
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal scored again Thursday night in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, extending his goals streak that has put the 37-year-old center among some of the best players in NHL history.
“It’s a good time to get hot," Staal said. "I want to contribute any way I can. The puck’s been going in for me lately, and it’s good timing and (I try) to still contribute in all the other aspects that I can do.”
A look at Staal's series:
6,202
Days between goals in the final from 2009 with Pittsburgh until Staal scored in Game 1, breaking brother Eric's record of 6,198 from ‘06 to ’23.
6
Goals by Staal in the series, one shy of tying the modern-day record for the most by a player in the final.
3
Captains to score six or more goals in a final before Staal: Wayne Gretzky for Edmonton in 1985, Frank Foyston for Seattle in 1920 and Newsy Lalonde for Montreal in 1919.
2
Players in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise history to score a goal in the final at age 37 or older before Staal: 39-year-old Ron Francis in 2002 and 38-year-old Mark Recchi in '06.
1
Player older than Staal to score in each of the first two games of the final: Larry Robinson with Montreal in 1989.
0
Players older than Staal to score in each of the first three games of the final. Brad Marchand last year with Florida was the only one to do so after turning 37.
1992
Was the last time a player scored five-plus goals in the first four games of a final before Staal: Mario Lemieux when Pittsburgh went back to back.
1982
Was the last time a player scored in each of the first four games of the final before Staal: Mike Bossy when the New York Islanders won the third of four championships in a row. Only two others did before that: Minnesota's Steve Payne in 1981 and Boston's Johnny Buczyk in 1970.
1973
Was the last time a player scored in five consecutive games in the final before Staal: Yvan Cournoyer in 1973 with Montreal.
1956
Was the last time a player scored in the first five games of the final before Staal: Jean Beliveau in 1956 with Montreal. Canadiens teammate Maurice Richard in 1951 and Cyclone Taylor of the Vancouver Millionaires in 1918 are the only other players to score in Games 1-5.
After months, and maybe even years of speculation, the inevitable has finally come. The Edmonton Oilers will be trading Darnell Nurse after the 31-year-old asked the team for a trade, proving that he agrees a change is best for both parties.
Like all players with a no-trade clause do, Nurse gave the Oilers a short list of three to five teams that he would prefer to be dealt to.
When hockey fans hear the name Darnell Nurse, the immediate thought is his controversial $9.25 million cap hit. This number is the more than likely the sole reason for his imminent departure from Edmonton.
Let's not get it twisted, Nurse is a very solid top four caliber defenseman in the National Hockey League, but his questionable contract has given fans and media across the league a conflicting impression of the 6'4" blue-liner.
The 31-year-old veteran has been on the receiving end of some harsh but also sometimes warranted criticism. When you're being payed top dollar to play for a household franchise, the expectation is that you live up to that contract, and unfortunately for Nurse, he was never going to do that.
The former seventh overall pick has always been a reliable shutdown defender that will provide anywhere from 25-40 points in a full season, nothing more, nothing less. He should have never been given such a large contract in the first place.
With that being said, Nurse is still a good hockey player and his services on the ice would be a great help for a large number of teams across the league.
In 2022, the Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse reached an agreement on a massive eight-year contract extension, worth $9.25 million annually.
The General Manager that handed over the contract? None other than current Kings GM Ken Holland. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that there is a very clear connection here.
It's clear that Holland is a big fan of Nurse's game, and could even be willing to reunite with him in Los Angeles, as it seems Nurse would be interested in making the move to California.
If the Kings decided to pursue him, Nurse would fit in quite well in the top four of the team's d-core alongside Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty, and Brandt Clarke. While also providing as an upgrade over guys like Brian Dumoulin, Cody Ceci, and Joel Edmundson.
There are still so many questions to be answered. Will the Kings pursue Nurse? What does a deal even look like? Will the Oilers retain any salary?
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It did seem as though Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider had firmly placed himself in the conversation for the Norris Trophy, given annually to the top defenseman in the NHL during regular-season play.
However, Seider found himself snubbed for the award, which once again went to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar; Seider ultimately finished fifth overall in voting.
Meanwhile, it was announced on Thursday that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who was selected by current Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman in the second round (58th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft, won the Hart Trophy for the second time in his career.
Kucherov seemed like a natural choice for the award, finishing second overall in total NHL scoring with 130 points ((44 Goals, 86 Assists) behind Connor McDavid.
Seider would finish 11th overall in voting for the Hart Trophy:
Seider, who did take home the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, stands a good chance of being selected as the 38th captain in Red Wings history if his teammate Dylan Larkin ultimately gets his reported wish of being dealt to a new club.
Seider wore the "A" on his jersey this season along with Lucas Raymond as alternate captains.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, the second such honor of his career after also winning the Hart in 2019.
The league announced the news Thursday prior to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Kucherov led all players with 1.71 points a game on 44 goals and 86 assists. With 130 points, he ranked second to only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who had 138.
McDavid was a close second by 10 points in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was third and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini fourth.
Kucherov had 42 more points than his next-closest teammate, Jake Guentzel. He was third in Hart Trophy voting a year ago and second in 2023-24.
Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for the second time, adding to his team's awards haul.
Kucherov finished second in the NHL with 130 points in 76 games - a league-best 1.71 points per game - as the Lightning clinched their ninth consecutive playoff berth and finished second in the Atlantic Division. He had 42 more points than his closest teammate, the second-largest gap between a team’s top two scorers in 2025-26 after the San Jose Sharks' Macklin Celebrini.
He edged fellow finalists Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) and Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) in a vote by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He beat McDavid by 10 points.
Kucherov led the league in scoring the past two seasons and was a finalist both times. He won the award in 2018-19.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (Vezina Trophy) and coach Jon Cooper (Jack Adams Award) also received NHL honors this season.
Other NHL awards winners
Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player): Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid
Vezina Trophy (goaltender): Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy
Andrei Svechnikov scored twice and Sebastian Aho added a second-period goal in a breakout game for Carolina’s top-line performers, helping the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Thursday night to move within a victory of winning the Stanley Cup.
Captain Jordan Staal added his fifth goal in the series on a night when Carolina overcame multiple hiccups from these playoffs, from a shaky power play to being outplayed in the second period of this series. And there had been the waiting game for Aho and Svechnikov — two roster mainstays in an eight-year postseason run — to find a better offensive groove.
And there had been the waiting game for Aho and Svechnikov — two roster mainstays in an eight-year postseason run — to find a better offensive groove.
It all came together in Game 5, with Svechnikov’s short putaway at the post on the power play giving Carolina a 4-1 lead midway through the third period. And unlike most multi-goal leads in what has been a wild and thrilling series, this one held up, with Brandon Bussi finishing with 22 saves in his second career postseason start.
That gave the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas, with the Hurricanes playing for the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since coach Rod Brind’Amour captained them to the title in 2006.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for Vegas, finding the net for the first time since Game 1 of the Western Conference Final sweep of Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado. Carter Hart entered this one as the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games, then did it again to continue a difficult series while finishing with 20 saves.
Vegas had twice before been in a 2-2 series in these playoffs, in the first round against Utah and the second round against Anahaim. Both times, the Golden Knights won Game 5 and then closed out the series in Game 6.
This time, they’ll have to win on home ice to force the series back to Carolina for a Game 7 on Wednesday night. And they’ll have to take two in a row against a Hurricanes team that hasn’t suffered consecutive losses since mid-January.
Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury. Karlsson skated to the tunnel midway through the second period and didn’t return.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 09: Logan Stankoven #22 celebrates a first period goal with Jaccob Slavin #74 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Now with the series tied 2-2, this Stanley Cup Final series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes can go anywhere. Will Carolina have the upper hand with momentum coming home or will Vegas continue to score goals at will?
In another game of back and forth action, Carolina lost the lead and then completed the comeback in a 5-3 Game 4 victory. Jordan Staal scored two goals including the game winner. Vegas got their team leading 14th goal from Brett Howden but it wasn’t enough as Carolina squeezed out the win in the third period.
We're all tied up heading into Game 5… Who's taking the series lead? 👀
Mitch Marner continues to lap the field in production with 29 points, nine more than his closest teammate. Are we seeing another Conn Smythe resume built regardless if the team ultimately wins or loses?
Projected Lineup
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Tomas Hertl — Colton Sissons — Mark Stone
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Dylan Coghlan — Jeremy Lauzon
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Carolina Hurricanes
The storyline for the home team is their move to Brandon Bussi in net. He started Game 4 and that is expected to continue tonight in Game 5. Another wild turn of events is that Frederik Andersen hasn’t been on the ice and isn’t dressing as a backup. The assumption is he’s nursing an injury now and Pyotr Kochetkov is next in line should anything happen to Bussi.
While the ongoing drama between Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings regarding his future with the club continues to sort itself out, another question on the minds of Red Wings fans is regarding the status of prospect goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
Cossa, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (15th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, still has only a single game of NHL experience under his belt, which came in December 2024.
He had a tremendous regular season for the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2025-26, but found himself outplayed by Michal Postava down the stretch, and watching from the bench in the Calder Cup Playoffs as Postava started every game.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, whom they selected five picks after Cossa, helped lead his club to a first-round Stanley Cup Playoff upset of the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Quarterfinal.
Additionally, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, whom the club selected in the fifth round (136th overall) in 2020, has now been the club's starter two straight seasons in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the latter of which resulted in a berth in the Eastern Conference Final.
While making an appearance on the "Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer" podcast, Cossa's agent Gerry Johannson, who works with The Sports Corporation player agency, was asked when he believes his client will finally get his breakthrough.
"Is Sebastian Cossa chomping at the bit to see what he could do and get an opportunity like Wallsted and like Dobes did?" asked Stauffer.
"That's really when in our business, that's where the rubber hits the road," Johansson responded. "We know Sebastian Cossa is a very, very good goalie. He's certainly on par with Wallstedt and Dobes, and (St. Louis Blues goaltender) Joel Hofer is another one of our guys; he's developed really nicely.
"But in our business, nothing is equal," he continued. "Everybody has a different opportunity and different challenges, and the timing is different. You have to stay patient, but there's no question in our mind that Cossa is top shelf. He's as good as any of these young guys out there.
Yeah, something is going to happen, and he will get his opportunity. Not sure how exactly, but we'll worry about that later. But it's going to happen."
Stauffer then asked Johansson if he's in regular contact with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman regarding his client, who is a pending restricted free agent, and he answered in the affirmative.
"Yep, talked to Steve," he said. "He's a restricted free agent too, so there's no huge rush. But we've had regular contact with Steve.....we've definitely had good chats with Steve, and we'll continue to.
But on a separate note, the kid's a good goalie, a really good player, and a great kid. He's going to get his opportunities; it's just a matter of when, and it's going to be soon."
This season with the Griffins, Cossa went 26-8-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
He is no longer waiver exempt, and would almost certainly be claimed by another club if he were to be made available.
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