Category: NHL

The Winnipeg Jets scored 229 goals during the regular season, finishing 26th in the NHL, and a closer look at how those goals were generated shows a team with defined strengths but also clear offensive gaps.

At even strength, Winnipeg produced 163 of its 229 goals, with 155 coming at five on five, a mark that ranked 22nd league wide. Special teams did little to elevate that output with the Jets scoring 42 power play goals, tying for 24th in the NHL alongside the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Forward Gabe Vilardi led the team with 13 goals on the man advantage, tying him with several players, including Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, for 12th most in the league.

The Jets added 24 goals in other situations, including 13 empty netters, five with the extra attacker, five while shorthanded at four on five, and one via a penalty shot.

A deeper dive into Winnipeg’s scoring methods highlights a mixed offensive identity. The team was fairly effective with wrist shots, scoring 103 goals in that category, ranking 15th in the NHL. That total placed them ahead of playoff contenders such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens. Star forward Kyle Connor led the way with 19 wrist shot goals.

In contrast, Winnipeg struggled to generate offense from snap shots as they finished with just 41 goals, the third lowest total in the league. Connor again led the team with nine, but the gap compared to top teams was significant. Montreal led the NHL with 133 snap shot goals, more than three times Winnipeg’s output.

Despite becoming less common across the league, the slap shot proved to be a strength. Winnipeg recorded 30 goals off slap shots, tying for the fifth-highest total in the NHL alongside the Presidents’ Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche. Defenseman Josh Morrissey led the Jets with seven goals coming off clappers.

Backhand scoring was also a bright spot for the Jets, as they totaled 26 backhand goals, ranking ninth in the league and again matching Colorado’s production. Surprisingly, depth forward Morgan Barron led the team with five backhand goals.

Elsewhere, Winnipeg’s production was closer to league average with tip in goals at 21 on the season, tying for 16th-most. However, deflections were an area of concern as Winnipeg managed just four deflection goals, tying for 25th in the NHL, well behind the league leaders, the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators, who each had 13.

The Jets also registered a rare wraparound goal this season, with Cole Koepke among a small group of players league wide to score in that fashion. Winnipeg did not score on a poke check, a batted puck, or a through the legs attempt.

As the organization looks ahead, improving offensive variety will be a key objective. Increasing production from snap shots and generating more opportunities around the crease could help the Jets become a more balanced scoring team and strengthen their chances of returning to the playoffs.

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For the fifth consecutive season, the Los Angeles Kings have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first round. While their past four matchups have all been against the Edmonton Oilers, this time around, it was the Colorado Avalanche who dealt the final blow to Los Angeles, eliminating former Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko. 

The Kings kept things tight towards the start of the series, playing their heavy-forecheck style well and keeping Game 1 and 2’s scores separated by only one goal. In Game 3, Colorado managed to break through Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg by putting four past him compared to Los Angeles’ two goals. Colorado got off to an early lead, doubling-up by the end of the second period and then scoring three in the third to put the game out of reach for Los Angeles. 

Kuzmenko missed the final couple of months of the regular season due to a knee injury, but made his 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff debut on April 23. In his previous post-season with the Kings, Kuzmenko scored three goals and three assists in six games for Los Angeles. 

While not a player, another former Canuck has seen his 2025–26 playoff campaign end with Los Angeles’ elimination. Once an Assistant Coach for the Canucks on two separate occasions — from 2010 to 2013 and 2017 to 2021 — Kings Assistant Coach Newell Brown has also lost in the first-round for his second-consecutive season. Brown has been with Los Angeles since the 2024–25 season but has also previously worked in the same role for the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Chicago Blackhawks. 

Having eliminated the Kings, Colorado will now advance to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they will face the winner of the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild’s series. Regardless of which team wins, the Avalanche will face yet another former Canuck, with Tyler Myers and Casey DeSmith on the Stars and Quinn Hughes on the Wild. 

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

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

Did it cross the line? We may never know — but what is certain is that the Oilers season is now on the brink.

The Ducks’ Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into overtime after his sharp-angle shot hit an Edmonton skate in front and reluctantly trickled under goalie Tristan Jarry for a 4-3 Anaheim victory.

The refs officials made no call on the ice before huddling and ruling it a goal. An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry’s skate.

The puck was partially blocked out on the overhead angle by the goaltender’s skate, making it impossible to tell if it had fully crossed the line.

Poehling celebrated immediately, even though he wasn’t totally sure the game was over.

“I thought I saw some white (between the puck and the goal line) when I was behind the net,” Poehling said. “Then everyone was celebrating. Did it go in? I’m like, ‘I think so?’ But yeah, I thought so right away.”

Not all would agree with the Poehiling.

Longtime NHL player Ryan Whitney fumed in a video on X about the controversy.

Warning: Graphic Language

Worst call I’ve ever seen. In the history of the NHL this is it. Trash pic.twitter.com/Yh0L15DIM1

— Ryan Whitney (@ryanwhitney6) April 27, 2026

“Bulls—t. This is bulls—t,” Whitney, who hosts the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast on Barstool. “This is a scam, you do not see the puck across the line… I don’t know how it was called a goal on the ice. Nobody can see anything and the replay doesn’t show the puck go over the line all the way.

“I feel like I’m taking crazy pills… This is a disgrace to the National Hockey League. This is the worst call I’ve ever seen in an NHL playoff game.”

Oiler coach Kris Knoblauch felt similarly, even if it didn’t quite use as strong as language as Whitney.

“I can’t see it going in,” Knoblauch said. “I can’t see the line. … The (initial) goal call on the ice was probably about 60 to 90 seconds after (the shot), maybe even more. They huddled when they got to center ice, and then they made the (initial) call that it was a good goal. I don’t know. Wasn’t very definitive.”

The Ducks now lead the first-round series 3-1 with Game 5 back in Edmonton on Tuesday night.

Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.

The Ducks completed their NHL-best 10th multi-goal comeback of the season when Poehling’s sharp-angled shot hit an Edmonton skate in front and reluctantly trickled under goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team.

Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals in the second period for the Ducks, who have scored 20 goals in four games to begin their team’s first Stanley Cup playoff series in eight years. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots and made a pair of spectacular saves on Connor McDavid in the final minutes.

“We’re just playing so connected right now, and we’re doing a good job of doing the right things,” said Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who leads the NHL in postseason scoring with eight points after recording two assists in Game 4. “We’re all just feeling great, and I think we’re all competing to the best of our ability, and it’s just paying off right now.”

Evan Bouchard scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jarry made 34 saves for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored first-period goals.

"The issue I have with this is I don't understand how you can say that puck is completely crossing the goal line. There's no official behind the net there."

The Hockey Central Panel discusses the Game 4 OT winner in Anaheim pic.twitter.com/SDWUZ9GlVL

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 27, 2026

Edmonton nearly won it late in regulation, but Dostal made a sprawling pad save to deny McDavid on a late breakaway — and Dostal added another big stuff of McDavid in the final minute. The Oilers’ superstar center, who is suspected to be dealing with an injury, had two assists in Game 4.

Jarry struggled for Edmonton right after arriving in a midseason trade with Pittsburgh, losing his job to Connor Ingram. But with the Oilers struggling mightily to stop the fast, exciting Ducks, Knoblauch made the switch for Game 4 and got a solid effort from Jarry, who hadn’t played since April 8.

The Oilers also improved their defensive structure after a shambolic Game 3 – and yet the energetic, hungry Ducks still pumped in four more goals despite never leading.

Kapanen silenced the raucous sellout crowd at Honda Center 38 seconds after the opening faceoff with his fourth goal in four games. Nugent-Hopkins then scored just Edmonton’s second power-play goal of the series.

The Ducks began yet another comeback with a vicious wrist shot from Gauthier, their 22-year-old top scorer. Anaheim’s once-awful power play has scored in eight consecutive games.

Granlund and Leo Carlsson then teamed up for a fluid give-and-go to tie it.

Bouchard ripped a wrist shot for a tiebreaking goal just 4 seconds into an Oilers power play, but the Ducks’ fourth line tied it again, with Viel punching home a rebound of John Carlson’s shot for his second career playoff goal.

— With AP

It is no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers' decision to trade for Trevor Zegras was a fantastic one. The 25-year-old forward had a strong first regular season with the Flyers in 2025-26, setting new career highs with 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games. He has also made a big impact for the Flyers so far this postseason, recording one goal and four points in four games. 

While the Flyers have benefited by bringing in Zegras, the Anaheim Ducks have also gotten good value from Ryan Poehling from the trade. In 75 regular-season games during his first season with the Ducks, he scored 11 goals and set new career highs with 25 assists and 36 points. With numbers like these, he has been a solid part of the Ducks' forward group since being traded by the Flyers. 

However, Poehling has been notably stepping up his game for the Ducks during the playoffs so far. 

In four playoff games this spring for the Ducks, Poehling has three goals and a plus-2 rating. This included him putting together a two-goal game against the Edmonton Oilers on April 22. He also scored the Ducks' overtime winner against Edmonton in Game 4, giving Anaheim a 3-1 series lead. 

With this, it is clear that Poehling is having a very good start to the playoffs for the Ducks. It will be interesting to see if the former Flyers forward can continue to be a difference-maker for Anaheim from here. 

In 145 games over two seasons with the Flyers, Poehling had 23 goals, 36 assists, and 59 points. 

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have assigned defenseman David Reinbacher to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. 

Reinbacher had been with the NHL club but did not make an appearance during their ongoing first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He did play in his first two NHL regular-season games to round off the campaign, though, where he had one assist. 

Down in the AHL this regular season, Reinbacher had five goals, 19 assists, 24 points, 56 penalty minutes, and a plus-18 rating. It was the most amount of games Reinbacher has played since starting his AHL career in 2023-24, which was certainly good to see. 

Reinbacher will now be looking to make a big impact for the Laval Rocket during their playoff run. The 2023 fifth-overall pick is a huge part of the Canadiens' prospect pool, and he should get more chances at the NHL level next season with the Habs. 

After a tightly played Game 3, where the Bruins could point to missed opportunities as the difference between a win and a loss, fans hoped to see a little more jump on offense and a little more finish in Game 4.

Instead, the Bruins turned in one of the more calamitous defensive performances in recent memory and got absolutely pummeled by Buffalo, losing Game 4 by a score of 6-1.

The Bruins were booed off the ice at the end of a first period that saw them allow four goals, including three within a span of less than five minutes.

It was, in a word, an embarrassing effort from just about everyone wearing a Bruins jersey or standing behind the Bruins bench.

The B’s ultimately trailed 6-0, only for Sean Kuraly to score the team’s only goal with 40 seconds left in the third period.

The Bruins melted down further down the stretch, with Nikita Zadorov getting five-and-a-game for cross-checking Rasmus Dahlin, potentially earning himself supplemental discipline in the process.

If you enjoy watching horror movies, here are your highlights:

The B’s will have to win in Buffalo on Tuesday night in order to extend their season, though fans could be forgiven for being hesitant to coming back out after Sunday’s debacle.

Bruins lose, 6-1.

Game notes

• This game was a horror show for the Bruins, just about from the opening face-off. They came out flat, with Buffalo outshooting them 3-0 in the first couple minutes of the game, then the wheels fell off. To me, the game was reminiscent of the B’s more recent playoff loss to Florida, where they spent the majority of the series looking like they were playing on half speed and ended up completely overwhelmed.
• Perhaps the most frustrating part is that the B’s first period meltdown was almost entirely self-inflicted. The first goal was a calamity of errors: Charlie McAvoy and Jonathan Aspirate couldn’t complete a 15-foot pass. Fraser Minten tried to carry the puck back into the defensive zone instead of just chipping it out. Buffalo scores ten seconds later. They compounded that by taking a too many men on the ice penalty a couple minutes later, then gave up a goal just after that power play expired when Hampus Lindholm failed to clear the zone. It was mistake after mistake after mistake.
• To compound matters, the Bruins showed pretty much no push-back the entire game. It wasn’t until just about the end of the second period, when the B’s were given a power play opportunity down 4-0, that they showed a little jump on offense; predictably, it didn’t lead to a goal.
• Jeremy Swayman was pulled after allowing six goals, the vast majority of which (if not all) can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the team in front of him. He could be seen barking at the bench on his way down the tunnel as frustration boiled over.
• You could make an argument that Swayman should have been mercy-pulled earlier than that, given the way the team was playing, but Marco Sturm failed to really pull any of the right levers yesterday.
• Viktor Arvidsson left the game with an upper-body injury after skating just over three minutes. He didn’t return, and his status for Tuesday is in doubt.
• I’d imagine Sturm makes another swap on the third line in Game 5, as Lukas Reichel wasn’t the solution. I don’t mean to call him out directly for any real reason, but he ended up with no shots, blocks, hits, etc., so we’ll likely see Mikey Eyssimont or Alex Steeves tomorrow.

Games like this certainly take the proverbial wind out of your sails, but hey, there’s still another game to enjoy!

Game 5 will be back in Buffalo on Tuesday night, with a 7:30 start.

Get stoked!

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight had a solid 2024-25 season. In 55 games on the year, he had a .902 save percentage, 2.82 goals-against average, and three shutouts. With numbers like these, he showed that he is capable of being a solid starting goaltender in the NHL.

Yet, with Knight still being only 25 years old, the possibility of him hitting a new level with the Blackhawks next season should not be ruled out. The Darien, Connecticut native has high potential, and he could take that next step now that he has gained more experience as a true No. 1 goaltender for the Blackhawks.

Goaltenders can take a longer to develop at the NHL level, so it would not be particularly surprising if we see Knight improve next season. He has already shown plenty of promise with Chicago, and if the Blackhawks' defense improves in front of him, he could have a big year in 2026-27. 

It will be interesting to see what kind of campaign Knight has for the Blackhawks next season, but there is plenty to be optimistic about when it comes to his game. 

Who: Philadelphia Flyers (3-1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1-3) in Game 5 of the best of seven series

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NBC Sports Philadelphia, nationally on ESPN, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are fighting to make sure they have a path ahead. That would be a Game 6, back in Philadelphia on Wednesday night if Pittsburgh wins today to extend the series.

Opponent Track: The Flyers are up 3-1 in the series and looking to close out and move onto next round against the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina wrapped up a sweep of Ottawa on Saturday and now sits back to await the PIT/PHI winner in the next round.

Hidden Stat: From Pens PR, Arturs Silovs (28 saves in Game 4) became the second goaltender in franchise history to make his Penguins playoff debut in an elimination contest and earn a win, following Frank Pietrangelo (Game 6 of 1991 division semifinals). 

Hidden Stat 2.0: By my count the Penguins are 11-13 in the Sidney Crosby era when facing elimination in the playoffs (11-12 in the games Crosby has played, 0-1 when he hasn’t in 2011 vs TB). The Pens have won two games in the same series when facing elimination on three occasions (2009 vs DET, 2012 vs PHI, 2016 vs TB).

Getting to know the Flyers

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone

Denver Barkey – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett

Alex Bump – Noah Cates – Tyson Foerster

Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

DEFENSEMEN

Travis Sanheim / Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York / Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler / Noah Juulsen

Goalies: Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson

Potential scratches: Matvei Michkov, Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundstrom, Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, David Jiricek, Oscar Eklind, Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald, Jacob Gaucher, Aleksei Kolosov, Carson Bjarnason

Injured Reserve: Rodrigo Abols (fractured ankle), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body)

• It looks like there is going to be a lineup change among forwards for the Flyers for the first time in this series. Michkov is going out and Alex Bump is headed in to make his NHL playoff debut, based on a practice the Flyers held yesterday before traveling to Pittsburgh.
• Michkov hasn’t done much of anything (no points, four shots on goal and barely averaging above 10 minutes per game) but was Philadelphia’s fourth highest scorer with 51 points in the regular season. Removing him would take some skill out of their lineup, even though he hasn’t been able to get much of anything going as it was.
• There was another change in the middle lines with Barkey and Foerster trading spots. Barkey scored a goal in Game 4 on a nice setup from Zegras, it looks like the Flyers will be wanting to see them play together.
• Updated the scratch list for the Flyers, with their AHL affiliate didn’t qualify for the playoffs they have quite the taxi squad of young players sticking around.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Anthony Mantha

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Ilya Solovyov

Goalies:  Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner

Potential Scratches: Connor Clifton, Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany, Sergei Murashov

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

• The Penguins did not have practice yesterday while traveling back home. That probably means there will be a well-attended gameday skate this morning for the club where we’ll see what, if any, changes happen from last game. Being as it was a win, the status quo sounds like the play at this point.
• We updated the Penguin scratch list as well, technically Murashov is up with the NHL roster right now to serve as an informal emergency third goalie. It’s expected he’ll be assigned back to the AHL by the time WBS’s series kicks off on Thursday against Hershey, assuming the NHL Penguins are still alive and kicking by that point.
• Crazy good stat about Letang being the first Penguin defenseman to register a playoff GWG in an elimination game since Darius Kasparaitis ‘sniped’ Dominik Hasek in the 2001 series against Buffalo. Wild last game was the first time since back then given all the playoff games played in the Crosby era, though from the hidden stat above there were ‘only’ 10 GWG’s when facing elimination prior to Letang’s goal on Saturday.

Multi-point monsters

Evgeni Malkin had a two-point night in Game 1 to tie Joe Sakic for seventh all-time in NHL playoff history multi-point games. Sidney Crosby still sits solidly in third place after his multi-point last outing in Game 3.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

“Given the importance of stacking undervalued players and making every dollar count in the cap world, there are a few guys on the Devils who stand out as bets Mehta will not want to make. Let’s take a closer look.” [Infernal Access ($)]

“Dougie Hamilton is still the New Jersey Devils’ best defenseman. They need to mend fences and get him back in the fold for 2026-27.” [Devils on the Rush]

“Sunny Mehta is the New Jersey Devils’ newest GM, a position he himself dreamed of as a kid. It’s a dream come true for many of us as well, with a data-driven, calculated individual at the helm who has a back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning pedigree to boot. Of course, there are certainly some lessons he likely learned or integrated with the Panthers during his five years there, and, as such, I certainly hope he brings those with him to his new organization.” [Devils’ Advocates]

Hockey Links

The Hurricanes and Avalanche advance:

CANES COMPLETE THE SWEEP 🧹

The @Canes advance to the Second Round of the #StanleyCup Playoffs!!!! 🌪️

Presented by @NavyFederalpic.twitter.com/gYokkkhmXV

— NHL (@NHL) April 25, 2026

AVALANCHE ADVANCE 🏔️

The @Avalanche are heading to the Second Round of the #StanleyCup Playoffs!!!

Presented by @NavyFederalpic.twitter.com/I18bnpkbeE

— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2026

Anze Kopitar heads to retirement:

ONE OF THE GREATEST TO EVER PLAY OUR GAME 🤴

What a legendary career it has been for Anze Kopitar!

Wishing you all the best in retirement, Kopi! pic.twitter.com/R1CK6BBkcH

— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2026

What does the future hold for Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa? “…He was a major disappointment this series. Tkachuk is now two years away from unrestricted free agency. His future and the chatter around him will hang over the team until he’s signed to an extension, is traded or walks away from the nation’s capital. Next season could even be a last dance of sorts for this core.” [Sportsnet]

A scary moment for Nils Lundkvist the other night:

Scary moment as Nils Lundkvist takes Michael McCarron's skate to the face 🤕

Lundkvist was cut and has gone to the room for repairs. pic.twitter.com/Y74rRMsWwV

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 25, 2026

PWHL expansion is coming:

Expansion is coming… to the #PWHL (as anticipated). Announcement is expected in the not-too-distant future. Told the current 8 teams were recently briefed on expansion rules. Seems like 4 new teams, but could be spread out with 2 next season and 2 the season after.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) April 26, 2026

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The Buffalo Sabres currently have a 3-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins in their first-round playoff series. The Sabres have won each of their last two games to take this commanding lead, and perhaps the biggest reason for it has been the play of former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Alex Lyon.

After Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started each of the first two games of the series, the Sabres switched to Lyon for Games 3 and 4. This decision has paid off big time, as Lyon has been outstanding for Buffalo since taking over the crease. 

In Game 3 against the Bruins, Lyon stopped 24 out of 25 Bruins shots he faced in Buffalo's win. Then, in Game 4, he made 23 saves on 24 shots against Boston.

With his excellent play, Lyon now has a 2-0 record, a .964 save percentage, and a 0.89 goals-against average this postseason. With numbers like these, he has helped the Sabres grab complete control of their series against the Bruins, and they now have a great chance of making it to the second round because of it. 

In 36 regular-season games this season with the Sabres, Lyon had a 20-10-4 record, a .907 save percentage, a 2.77 goals-against average, and three shutouts. With this, the former Flyers goalie has been a very good pickup for the Sabres. 

Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ilya Solovyov fulfilled a lifelong dream by making his Stanley Cup playoff debut in Game 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers, helping the team extend its season with a 4-2 win. [Trib Live]

Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs delivered in his first playoff start with the team on Saturday, but postseason pressure is nothing new for the 25-year-old netminder. Silovs previously starred for the Vancouver Canucks during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs and helped Latvia win a bronze medal at the 2023 world championships. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…

Things have gotten spicy in Edmonton, as head coach Kris Knoblauch made the decision to start Tristan Jarry in Game 4 of the Oilers’ first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. Jarry went 9-6-2 as an Oiler in the regular season with a 3.86 goals-against average and an .858 save percentage. [TSN]

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar’s 20-year NHL career ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, closing the book on one of the franchise’s greatest players. The two-time Stanley Cup champion leaves as the team’s all-time leader in points, assists, and games played. [ESPN]

Is former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka the right fit to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs? As the Maple Leafs look for a more data-driven front office, Chayka’s track record could help rebuild Toronto’s thin prospect pool and aging blue line, but his controversial 2020 exit from Arizona remains a major concern. [The Hockey News]

The NHL playoffs are just over a week old and two teams are already gone. In both cases, the conference winners knocked off the last seed/second wild card team, with Carolina sweeping the Ottawa Senators and the Colorado Avalanche sweeping the Los Angeles Kings.

Neither of those two are surprising, so thankfully the other series are living up to their billing. On Sunday:

• Tampa Bay rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Montreal late in regulation, tying the series at 2-2 and narrowly avoiding going to a fourth OT game.
• The Sabres stomped the Bruins in Game 4 in Boston, getting Jeremy Swayman pulled and fuming at his moribund team on his way off.
• The Ducks kept coming back on the Oilers — who put Tristan Jarry back in net — to force OT in their Game 4 in Anaheim. The Ducks then won it just a few minutes in on a wild play that required a long video review because the puck squeaked over the line but its final fraction was obscured by Jarry’s skate. Anaheim now leads the series 3-1.

Add to those two of the series that continue tonight:

• Utah tries to go up by two games on Vegas
• The Penguins, who dodged a sweep in Game 4 on Saturday, return home to try to extend the series and turn up the heat on the Flyers.

Not featured tonight is the Battle for North Stars Heritage, where Dallas and Minnesota are tied at 2-2.

Meanwhile:

• An Islanders note: Photos of season ticket holders painting the ice after the finale. [Isles]
• And Patrick Roy’s assistant Benoit Desrosiers will not return. [THN]
• For the Senators…another first-round exit in a long rebuild has people wondering how far away they are. [Athletic]
• Matt Boldy is becoming a superstar. [Sportsnet]

Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16, in the Metropolitan Division)

Pittsburgh; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Penguins -136, Flyers +115; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Flyers lead series 3-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers look to clinch the first round of the NHL Playoffs over the Pittsburgh Penguins in game five. The teams meet Saturday for the ninth time this season. The Penguins won the last meeting 4-2.

Pittsburgh has gone 41-25-16 overall with a 14-7-9 record in Metropolitan Division games. The Penguins rank third in NHL play with 290 total goals (averaging 3.5 per game).

Philadelphia has a 43-27-12 record overall and a 15-10-5 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Flyers rank seventh in league play with 322 total penalties (averaging 3.9 per game).

TOP PERFORMERS: Sidney Crosby has 29 goals and 45 assists for the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin has six goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Owen Tippett has 28 goals and 23 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has scored six goals with six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 4-6-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.5 assists, 4.7 penalties and 13.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.

Flyers: 8-2-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.8 assists, five penalties and 12.4 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.

INJURIES: Penguins: Filip Hallander: out (leg), Caleb Jones: out for season (shoulder).

Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body), Emil Andrae: day to day (upper-body).

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

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

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

LINE: Golden Knights -117, Mammoth -103; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Mammoth lead series 2-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Mammoth host the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Friday for the seventh time this season. The Mammoth won the previous matchup 4-2. Lawson Crouse scored two goals in the win.

Utah is 43-33-6 overall and 23-16-3 at home. The Mammoth have a 21-10-1 record in games they score at least one power-play goal.

Vegas is 39-26-17 overall and 19-15-8 in road games. The Golden Knights are 38-6-11 in games they score at least three goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Clayton Keller has scored 26 goals with 62 assists for the Mammoth. Crouse has six goals and three assists over the past 10 games.

Mark Stone has 28 goals and 44 assists for the Golden Knights. Mitchell Marner has four goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mammoth: 6-4-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.1 assists, 4.1 penalties and 8.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 7-2-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.3 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.

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

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

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

Boston Bruins (45-27-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Sabres -175, Bruins +146; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Sabres lead series 3-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the Boston Bruins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the ninth time this season. The Sabres won the previous matchup 6-1.

Buffalo has gone 50-23-9 overall with a 19-7-4 record in Atlantic Division games. The Sabres have given up 240 goals while scoring 283 for a +43 scoring differential.

Boston has gone 45-27-10 overall with a 12-15-3 record in Atlantic Division games. The Bruins serve 11.9 penalty minutes per game to rank second in the league.

TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Doan has scored 26 goals with 26 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has seven goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

David Pastrnak has 29 goals and 70 assists for the Bruins. Morgan Geekie has scored seven goals and added two assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 7-2-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.5 assists, 5.3 penalties and 13.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Bruins: 3-5-2, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.5 assists, five penalties and 13 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Josh Norris: day to day (undisclosed), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).

Bruins: Viktor Arvidsson: day to day (upper-body).

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