Category: Ice Hockey

Who gets the Cup first? NHL insiders pick likely Stanley Cup handoff heroes for each contender.

The moment every kid dreams of is the one where they hoist the Stanley Cup. Some of the most memorable moments from Stanley Cup wins is when the team captain makes the first handoff to a player who worked long and hard to finally lift up the greatest trophy in sports. 

Who could forget when Ray Bourque finally won his first Stanley Cup in year 22 of his legendary career? Or when Scott Niedermayer passed the Cup to his brother Rob in 2007? 

These iconic moments endure through time, creating unforgettable memories as fans witness the players who’ve represented them for generations finally achieve the ultimate glory in the sport.

With that in mind we look at all the eight current Stanley Cup Contenders and spoke with team insiders as to which player would most likely get the first handoff. 

All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

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Winnipeg Jets - Mark Schefiele (+10000)

We spoke to both of The Hockey News' Winnipeg Jets insiders in Carter Brooks and Julian Gaudio with the two coming to the consensus that captain Adam Lowry’s first handoff would go to Mark Scheifele, the first-ever draft pick of this era of the Jets franchise.

The 32-year-old Kitchener native has been with the team for 14 seasons and has totaled 804 points through 879 career games. Scheifele is the longest active tenured Jet and makes the most sense for the honor of getting the Cup first. 

Dallas Stars - Tyler Seguin (+800)

Mikko Rantanen is putting together a solid resume for the Conn Smythe trophy if the Stars were to win the cup but would that mean he gets the Cup first? Team insider Taylor Newby believes it would be longtime Star Tyler Seguin being the first handoff. 

After spending the first three years of his career in Boston, Seguin has solidified himself as a Dallas Stars legend with 688 points through 786 games over 12 seasons with the team.

He and captain Jamie Benn have been known to have a very close relationship and they are the team's two longest tenured players and would make the most sense for them to celebrate the moment together.

Edmonton Oilers - Adam Henrique (+10000)

The Devils run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012 was headlined by several big goals by a young Henrique, who put his name on the map. Unfortunately the Devils fell just short but the now 35-year-old centre is still on the hunt for his first cup and could get a chance with the red hot Oilers. 

People expect McDavid to pass it to his star teammate in Draisaitl but history shows the veterans get it first. When Sidney Crosby won all three of his Stanley Cups, none of his first handoffs were to superstar teammate Evgeni Malkin. 

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Vegas Golden Knights - Tomas Hertl (+3000)

The 31-year-old forward came close to lifting lord Stanley when reaching the Finals in 2016 with the San Jose Sharks. Gaudio also covers the Golden Knights and spoke to Hertl's character of being a positive guy and that the team would be more than happy to give him to Cup first. 

Toronto Maple Leafs - John Tavares (+750)

The hometown hero has been a difference maker to Toronto’s success this season, racking up 74 points—including 38 goals, matching the second-highest total of his career. After being the Leafs captain over the last five seasons, Tavares stepped down to allow superstar Auston Matthews to take over as the leader and face of the franchise they drafted him to be. 

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Johnny Toronto getting the Cup first makes as he is the third-oldest player on the team but an honorable mention is veteran Max Pacioretty, who is the oldest on the team at 36 years old. 

Florida Panthers - Nate Schmidt (+1500)

The runaway favourite for the defending Stanley Cup Champions is newcomer Nate Schmidt, who has come close before when reaching the Finals in 2018 with the Vegas Golden Knights.

At age 33, Schmidt has played nearly 750 games and has accrued a dominant +106 rating, which is 48th-best in the NHL since joining the league back in the 2013-14 season. 

Carolina Hurricanes - Brent Burns (+490)

Hurricanes insider Ryan Henkel agrees with sportsbooks that have Burns as the overall favourite to be the first handoff for the cup.

The sure-fire Hall-of-Fame defenceman has never won before despite ranking ninth all-time in goals and 12th in points. He currently holds the fourth longest iron man streak in the NHL and is three games short of 1,500 games played. 

Washington Capitals - Nic Dowd (+10000)

Washington's pick is easy as the 34-year-old winger joined the Caps shortly after they won the Stanley Cup in 2018 and has become such an integral part of the team that many may not know, he hasn't won yet. 

Team captain Alex Ovechkin will surely spot that their second-oldest player on the roster after himself hasn't won yet and deserves the respect of getting the first handoff. 

After a 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 2, the Carolina Hurricanes bounced back in a big way in Game 3. The Hurricanes put together a strong effort in Game 3, defeating the Capitals by a 4-0 final score.

Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen was undoubtedly a significant reason for the victory, as he recorded a 21-save shutout. Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic also stepped up for the Metropolitan Division club, scoring a goal and adding an assist. Jackson Blake, Eric Robinson, and Andrei Svechnikov all scored for the Hurricanes as well.

With their strong team effort, the Hurricanes now sport a 2-1 series lead over the Capitals. With this, they now have a major opportunity in front of them heading into Game 4. If the Hurricanes can win at home again, they will take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Capitals. This would be massive for the Hurricanes, as it is always incredibly challenging for teams to overcome 3-1 deficits. 

A loss to the Capitals, on the other hand, would certainly be a tough blow for the Hurricanes. If the Hurricanes are defeated in Game 4, the series will be tied back up at 2-2, and the Capitals would regain their home-ice advantage. Thus, this matchup carries great weight for both teams.

Nevertheless, it will be very interesting to see if the Hurricanes can stay hot and pick up a win in Game 4 from here.

Recent Hurricanes News 

Hurricanes Provide Positive Update On Injured PlayersCarolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour delivered some positive news on the injury front Sunday afternoon. 'That Was Textbook Hurricanes Hockey': Rod Brind'Amour, Andrei Svechnikov, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic, Frederik Andersen On Game 3 WinThe Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-0 in Game 3 at Lenovo Center Saturday night to take a 2-1 series. Carolina Hurricanes Defend Home Ice, Shutout Capitals In Game 3The Carolina Hurricanes defended home ice in Game 3, smashing the Washington Capitals 4-0 at Lenovo Center Saturday night.

The Winnipeg Jets continue their road woes, dropping Game 3 to the Dallas Stars 5-2.

The Stars broke the ice in Game 3 and went into the first intermission with a one-goal lead. Roope Hintz recorded his fifth goal of the playoffs on the power play. Mikko Rantanen was once again involved in the scoring, picking up an assist on the goal. Kyle Connor added his fifth of the playoffs to tie the game, but Thomas Harley, who continues to evolve, scored his third of the postseason to regain the lead. 

Harley's goal was the first Stars goal that Rantanen had not picked a point on since Apr. 28. Rantanen had picked up points on 14 consecutive Stars goals.

The Jets were able to tie the game in the second period after Josh Morrissey danced around the blue line before setting up Nino Niederreiter for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

In the third period, a lengthy review determined that Alexander Petrovic did not kick the puck, but also that Connor Hellebuyck knocked it into his net, giving the Stars the 3-2 advantage. Rantanen added to the lead less than a minute later, scoring his ninth goal of the playoffs and fourth of the series. Wyatt Johnston gave the Stars a three-goal lead with his fourth of the playoffs.

Lulls in focus have hampered the Jets at home, giving up consecutive goals in periods for the fourth straight game. Hellebuyck has now allowed five or more goals in all four road games, and Mark Scheifele has not recorded a point on the road.

The Jets will attempt to tie the series at two games apiece on Tuesday when the teams play Game 4.

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Sometimes, an NHL player more or less owns a particular opponent. Whether it’s happenstance or deliberate dominance, there are unquestionably powerful performances made by certain NHLers against certain teams. And there’s probably no better example of a player laying the boots to one franchise than Florida Panthers left winger Brad Marchand’s amazing play against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Whether it’s been in his time as a member of the Boston Bruins or his current stint with the Panthers, Marchand has been as prickly a thorn in the side of the Maple Leafs as they come. And after Marchand’s game-winning overtime goal in Game 3 of Toronto’s second-round series against Florida, Marchand now has 33 points in 31 career playoff games against the Leafs. 

That’s the third-highest career total of any opponent in Maple Leafs history – only Detroit Red Wings legends Gordie Howe (53 points) and Alex Delvecchio (35) have more post-season points against Toronto. And those players put up those points at a time when there were far fewer teams in the league, making it all the more remarkable that Marchand has been so devastating to the Leafs’ aspirations in a 30-plus-team NHL.

But the 37-year-old Marchand has been a not-so-silent assassin since he began his NHL days in 2009. Marchand’s Game 3-winner against Toronto was his 14th career game-winning goal in the post-season – the most among active NHL players. And Marchand’s game-winner against the Maple Leafs was his fifth career post-season game-winner against Toronto. That ties him with Montreal Canadiens icon Jean Beliveau for the most game-winning playoff goals against the Buds.

In some respects, you could’ve forgiven Leafs GM Brad Treliving if he went out at this year’s trade deadline and acquired Marchand. Of course, the best way you can contain Marchand is to have him on your team. But Marchand wanted to be dealt to the Panthers, and that’s the best stroke of good fortune Florida could’ve asked for.

The Panthers didn’t trade for Marchand strictly because they envisioned a playoff showdown against the Leafs, but you’d be fooling yourself if you believed that Marchand’s success against Toronto didn’t cross the mind of Florida GM Bill Zito when he decided to acquire Marchand.

There’s still lots of the Leafs/Panthers series to be played, and let’s not forget, Toronto did win the first two games of the series with Marchand being on the losing end of things. But the Maple Leafs have been haunted by Marchand for a very long time now, and the prospect of Marchand continuing to thrive against Toronto has to be driving Leafs fans crazy.

The Leafs were within one goal of going up three games to none in the series against Florida, but Marchand stopped that from happening with his latest timely goal. Time will tell if Toronto can shake off the Marchand-related demons of the past and get to the Eastern Conference final this spring, but one thing is for certain – Marchand will go down in history as one of the Maple Leafs’ toughest opponents.

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Two days after Pittsburgh Penguins' forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were named to the NHL Quarter-Century Team, another longtime former teammate will be joining them.

Future Hall-of-Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury - who officially announced his retirement from the NHL following the first-round conclusion to the Minnesota Wild's season - was named as one of five goaltenders to the Quarter-Century Team, which is a media and fan-voted list in recognition of the top-25 NHL players from the last 25 years. 

Fleury, 40, was drafted by the Penguins first overall in the 2003 NHL Draft, and he remained with the Penguins until 2017, when he was selected in the expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights. He won three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017) with Pittsburgh and is the all-time franchise leader in wins with 375.

He won a Vezina Trophy with the Golden Knights in 2020-21 and is second all-time in goaltending wins with 575, behind only Martin Brodeur's 691. He has suited up for the Penguins, Golden Knights, Chicago Blackhawks, and Wild.

Despite his retirement from the NHL, Fleury is currenty representing Team Canada at the IIHF Men's World Championship in Sweden and Denmark, and he earned his first World Championship win on Sunday in a 7-1 victory over Team Latvia.

Crosby, Malkin Named To NHL Quarter-Century TeamThe votes for the NHL Quarter-Century Team are finally in. 

The other goaltenders named to the Quarter-Century Team were Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, and Roberto Luongo.

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Four Colorado Avalanche all-time great superstars and three Pittsburgh Penguins icons led the way as the NHL’s final Quarter-Century Team was revealed this week.

The Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames also had two players each named to the Quarter-Century team, which was selected via a fan vote from Feb. 12 to April 1.

The four Avalanche players named to the team are no surprise. Goalie Patrick Roy, centers Joe Sakic and Nathan MacKinnon, and defenseman Cale Makar made the cut, while Penguins legends Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury also made the team. In addition, Oilers star centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were honored by being named to the team, as were Bruins stars Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. Finally, Red Wings stars Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom made the team, as did Flames stars Jarome Iginla and the late Johnny Gaudreau.

Otherwise, ten other franchises had one player named to the team, including Washington (Alex Ovechkin), Tampa Bay (Steven Stamkos), Toronto (Auston Matthews), Anaheim (Teemu Selanne), San Jose (Joe Thornton), Montreal (Carey Price), New Jersey (Martin Brodeur), Florida/Vancouver (Roberto Luongo), the New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist) and Chicago (Patrick Kane). And really, there’s no arguing any of the choices.

Winning a Stanley Cup made it easier to make this list, as 16 of the 25 players had won a Cup at some point in their career. But approximately one-third of the list included players who either didn’t win a Cup in their on-ice days or who are still competing for one today.

In total, the 25 players who made the Quarter-Century team combined to win 35 Stanley Cups, 14 Hart Trophies as the league MVP, nine Conn Smythe Trophies as the playoff MVP, 14 Art Ross Trophies as the top point-producer in the game, 19 Rocket Richard Trophies as the top goal-scorer, nine Norris Trophies as the best defenseman, and 10 Vezina Trophies as the top netminder. In short, if you were an NHL star who had their name engraved on one of the NHL’s trophies, you had a good chance to make the Quarter-Century squad.

Twenty-five years from now, when the NHL compiles this kind of list again, you’ll be seeing some of the same names that we saw from this Quarter-Century list. For instance, MacKinnon and Makar are both young enough and successful enough to make the next Quarter-Century team, as are Matthews, McDavid, and Draisaitl. But there will be other youngsters who step up and impose their will on games when they matter most, and for that reason, there will be a new batch of honorees to celebrate in 2050.

For now, though, there’s plenty to appreciate about this Quarter-Century team. You’d want to have any of the 25 players on your side, for good reason. They could (and can) do it all, and they’re all proven winners in their own right. 

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Maple Leafs aim for commanding 3-1 lead while Panthers look to even up the series

The Maple Leafs stunned the Cats in the first two games of their second round series but Florida responded with a hard-fought overtime victory in game three. The game was another battle with both sides looking to inflict as much pain as possible. 

Game three will make for an exciting showcase as the Panthers will look to even up the series while the Maple Leafs aim to put Florida on the ropes with a 3-1 series lead headed back to Toronto for game five. 

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 33-25 record on our last 58 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series. 

More NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Best Bets:

• Panthers ML (-190)
• Under 6.5 goals (-134)
• Anton Lundell Over 0.5 points (+142)
• Maple Leafs Under 2.5 goals (-108) 

The Panthers have life once again and it's mainly because of their red hot third line. Headlined by Brad Marchand, the offensive unit has combined for four goals including the game winner in game three. Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen have worked well with the former Bruins captain and Lundell works as the best value option as he also mans the second power play unit with Marchand.

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Florida's Finnish centre played a significant role in their run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season with 17 points in 24 games. He's been red hot with three goals and five assists for eight points over his last five games and should get back on the board after failing to do so in game three. 

The game may once again be high-scoring as every game of the series has gone over but I expect that we will finally get a big Sergei Bobrovsky game. The Russian netminder has experienced his career-worst stretch versus the Maple Leafs over the last three games with 13 goals allowed.

He should bounce back when the team needs him and keep the Panthers in this game. I expect Joseph Woll to do the same for the Buds as his career playoff numbers show he is far better than his 11 goals allowed over three appearances this postseason.

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It never fails. Never.

Every single day one reporter or another -- not to mention endless numbers of fans -- beef about officiating.

And, if the Rangers were in the playoffs right this minute, you'd be hearing about this play or that infraction being missed or called incorrectly.

What The Maven has tried to do is find an impartial, rational critic who can simply explain this vexing situation.

My choice is Vic Morren, co-host with Neil Smith, on the insightful NHL Wraparound, The Maven's favorite podcast above all.

Exhibit A took place last night after his favorite Alberta team was beaten.  Edmonton columnist David Staples began ranting about the officiating in the Oilers-Vegas series. (Of course, it was sinful that the Knights won.

Which brings me to the question and Vic to the answer: So what does Morren think? Listen up.

"Everything is so magnified at this point," Vic explains.  "The default for many teams is officiating and Vegas may have a point regarding the Arvidsson/McNab play in overtime on Thursday.

"In reality, teams have so many self-inflicted wounds that officiating is a convenient outlet. 

"The game is lightning fast, everything is split second and officials can’t outskate the puck or players so stuff gets missed. I'll give you another example:

"In the case of the Ekblad hit on Hagel, Marchand and Glendening skated in the referee’s field of vision for the entire sequence of that incident.  He’d turned to look back and was blocked.

"They miss stuff? Sure do.  As long as humans are playing and officiating, it comes with the territory.

"And when robots start calling games, people will have problems with that too."

The Maven adds: There's no question but that the NHL works overtime trying to make the officiating as accurate as possible and will continue to do so. The following example might clarify the discussion just a bit:

One day, while I was having lunch with Commissioner Bettman, I lodged a complaint about officiating in a game I had recently worked.  Upon hearing that, the league's boss pulled a letter out of an envelope and read what was a tough-tough rip on NHL officiating, but without telling me who wrote the critique.

"Take a guess who wrote this and when," the Commissioner said. 

At the time outspoken Brian Burke was g.m. at Hartford. "It was written by Brian Burke," I snapped. "Last week."

Bettman smiled and said; "Wrong guy; wrong team, wrong time."

He handed me the missive and at the bottom I realized how wrong I had been. The letter was written in 1932 by Lester Patrick, manager and coach of the New York Rangers!

When it comes to whistle-blowers, nothing changes!

On Sunday, the NHL announced the six goaltenders who were voted by fans to the Quarter-Century Team. Among the six was former Vancouver Canucks goaltender and Hockey Hall of Fame member Roberto Luongo. The other five who were voted to the list are Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury, Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Patrick Roy.

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Luongo arrived in Vancouver via trade back in 2006. Over his eight-year career with the organization, he recorded 252 wins and 38 shutouts, which are both franchise records. Luongo is also the only goaltender to serve as captain for the Canucks and, along with Cory Schneider, picked up the franchises only William M. Jennings Trophy.

During his time in Vancouver, Luongo was able to produce memories that Canucks fans will never forget. He led the team to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and helped capture Gold at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Luongo also finished top five in Vezina voting three times during his Canucks career and was the runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2007.

On December 14, 2023, the organization elected to induct Luongo into the Ring of Honour. This decision is still debated among the fan base, as many believe Vancouver should have retired his jersey. Regardless, Luongo's legacy with the Canucks is now on full display as his name and face are etched into the walls at Rogers Arena. 

Based on his career stats, it is hard to argue that Luongo isn't a top 10 goaltender of all time. He sits fourth in wins with 489 and ninth in shutouts with 77. Luongo also finally has his name on the Stanley Cup, as he is a Special Advisor to the General Manager for the Florida Panthers.

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner got a chance to play again this post-season.

Skinner got the start in Game 3 since backup-turned-starter Calvin Pickard is out day-to-day. It was a chance at redeeming himself after going 0-2 to start the playoffs and watching from the bench as the Oilers won four straight games against the Los Angeles Kings and two straight against the Vegas Golden Knights.

But despite making some big saves at times, he lost again.

In what may have been one of the more improbable sequences of the playoffs so far, a last-minute centering attempt by William Karlsson ended up on Reilly Smith’s stick. He got a shot toward the net that deflected off Leon Draisaitl and into the Oilers' net as Skinner tried to cut down the angle.

“Karlsson, he just threw it out there, which you knew he was going to do, and I thought (Smith) was going to shoot it right away,” Skinner said. “I thought he didn’t have that much time so I kind of just sprawled, went out there, stayed with him for another half second, and then he catches us with 0.4 seconds left. Devastating.”

Game 3’s loss can’t be hung entirely on Skinner. He did make several solid stops to keep Edmonton in Game 3, including a diving save on Tomas Hertl in the second period and a glove grab on a Grade-A chance from Nicolas Roy in the third.

But at the end of the game, Skinner allowed four goals on 24 shots for a .833 save percentage and a minus-1.69 goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com.

While Pickard has a 2.84 goals-against average and .888 save percentage for a 6-0 record this post-season, Skinner is 0-3 with a 5.36 GAA and .817 SP.

“That’s a goalie’s job to give your team a chance to win every night, right?” Skinner said. “I thought I did, but again, it was just a couple of tough bounces here and there. We had a great bounce that kind of went off a skate and went in (McDavid’s game-tying goal) – those types of things happen. I was happy to make a couple of big saves when we needed but again wasn’t able to finish it out.”

For The Edmonton Oilers, Corey Perry’s Not Getting Older, He’s Getting BetterWhen Corey Perry advanced the puck to Connor McDavid to set up Leon Draisaitl’s overtime winner in Vegas on Thursday, that marked the first time in NHL history that three Hart Trophy winners had ever combined for an overtime goal — in the regular season or the playoffs.

If Pickard can return from injury ahead of Game 4, it seems certain he’ll get a chance to go to 7-0 this post-season. If not, Stuart Skinner will have yet another shot at redemption.

“No matter what’s going to be happening in the future, I’m going to stay ready,” Skinner said. “Whenever they call my name, I’ll be ready to go in and just do my best out there.”

Avry Lewis-McDougall has more in his latest video column.

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Who are the top 25 NHL players for the past 25 years?

Experts around the league selected them, but fans have had the final say in the second phase of voting for the Quarter-Century team over the past couple of weeks -- and we now have the final results. 

Two local legends were selected to between the pipes -- first ball Hall of Famers Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur. 

Lundqvist was a seventh-round pick of the Rangers back in the 2000 Draft -- he took over between the pipes five years later and never looked back, serving as the backbone of numerous deep playoff runs during his 15-year career. 

He was named to the NHL’s First All-Rookie Team after recording 30 wins and a .922 save percentage during his first year in the league. He went on to top that win total in 10 of his 15 seasons with the Blueshirts. 

Nicknamed ‘The King,’ he currently ranks sixth in NHL history in wins and is the all-time leader in that category among Swedish-born goaltenders. He’s a five-time Vezina Trophy finalist and took home the award once (2011-12).

“I am humbled to be a member a this team alongside so many great players,” Lundqvist said in a statement. “Throughout my career I was fortunate enough to have the support of so many people — family, friends, teammates, coaches, and of course Rangers fans.

“Their love and support helped me play my best and allowed our teams to have the success that we did. I cannot thank them enough for the impact they had, and I share this amazing honor with all of them.”

Brodeur spent all but one of his 22 seasons with the Devils. He helped lead them to the Stanley Cup three times, is a seven-time All-Star, five-time Jennings Trophy award winner, and four-time Vezina award winner. 

The former first-round pick is the NHL’s all-time leader in games (1,266), wins (691) and shutouts (125). He also still owns the second-most playoff wins (113) and most playoff shutouts (24) since the turn of the century. 

Islanders coach Patrick Roy also landed a spot for his domination in net with Colorado.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone exited Saturday's Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers with an upper-body injury and has been announced day-to-day.

The 32-year-old will find out more about his injury today, said HC Bruce Cassidy, and has not been ruled out for Game 4. 

When Stone sustained the injury is still unknown, but he fell to the ice and collided with Corey Perry's knee in the first period. According to Jesse Granger, he played three shifts following the collision but did not play the final 6:20 of the opening frame.

"When (the captain) goes down, everybody’s going to elevate their game and step up," Noah Hanifin said. "We’ve always kind of had that in us. No matter what happens, super high or super low moments, I think we do a good job just staying even-keeled and knowing that we’re never out of it."

Despite their leader's injury, the Golden Knights mounted a comeback and responded when they gave up the lead. Reilly Smith scored the third latest regulation game-winning goal in playoff history with 0.4 seconds remaining. 

The Golden Knights will attempt to tie the series at two games apiece on Monday when Game 4 commences, where the organization hopes to be accompanied by their four-goal and eight-point leader. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

3 Takeaways: Reilly Smith's Goal With 0.4 Seconds Left Lifts Golden Knights To 4-3 Victory Over Edmonton In Game 3Forward Reilly Smith's goal with 0.4 seconds remaining in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal against the Edmonton Oilers did more than break a 3-3 tie, it breathed life into the Golden Knights.

My grandma Etel Friedman liked to say "There are three sides to every story: Your side; My side; and the truth."

When it comes to the latest Rangers coach hire, there are about 23 sides to the Mike Sullivan saga. Start with the fact that Sullivan and GM Chris Drury are bosom buddies. So there.

Friendship, friendship; that's the perfect blendship!

Can Mike Sullivan Do For The Rangers What Craig Berube Did For The Maple Leafs?Could Mike Sullivan do for the Rangers what Craig Berube is doing for the Maple Leafs? It's possible. 

Add the fact that Drury – despite all the outside guessing – had nobody else in mind for the job but Michael. You gotta believe that the hire was  conceived the very moment that Sullivan's Penguins were eliminated from playoff contention. 

But that matters a lot less than what Sullivan can do to rehab the ruined Rangers for 2025-26.

Some savvy fans who I know are tickled that Sully is in charge now. Lloyd MacKay from the West Side of Manhattan puts it this way:

"It's a good hire," MacKay explains, "because Sullivan knows the structure of the Rangers organization. Plus, he's had a long-term stable relationship with the Penguins without dramatics.

"Once you're in 'The Stanley Cup Winners Club' you've proven that you are capable of winning the whole thing."

Former Islanders goalie – current Devils radio analyst – Chico Resch is more equivocal with his Sullivan X-Ray:

"The Rangers got their guy," says Resch. "But it will be the same players, so it will only help for a while."

Another Manhattanite and longtime Rangers fan, Mark Linde, chimes in with doubts similar to Resch's.

"I'm not so sure that Sullivan is the right man," Linde argues. "It seems to me that he'll have the same core issues in New York that he had in Pittsburgh – players who feel they have reached a point in their careers where they are above coaching and benching.

"And Sullivan's reluctance to give young players a fair crack at playing time seems like 'Peter Laviolette 2.0.' Sullivan has to give the kids a real shot at finding their NHL game; and not a few games for a few minutes here or there."

THE MAVEN'S VIEW: Since the logical assumption is that – going forward – Drury is going to shake up the roster and add a free agent, it's too soon to make any judgement about next season's lineup until the end of training camp.

Really, it's time for Rangers fans to have amnesia about what Sullivan did and focus on the present and his moves as they develop ahead!

In the end, whether you like the coaching change or not, it's time to look beyond the blue horizon and hope for a playoff-bound season .

Let Sully show the Gloom Dodgers that there are still plenty of W's in his bag of tricks!  (OK, readers, so what's the PunchLine?)

Correct:  TIME WILL TELL!

There is no question that Roberto Luongo is one of the best goaltenders of his generation.

The longtime Florida Panthers netminder and first ballot Pro Hockey Hall of Famer enjoyed a spectacular NHL career that spanned 19 seasons and 1,044 games.

On Sunday, the NHL announced the goaltenders named to its NHL Quarter-Century Team, comprised of those who played from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2024.

You better believe Luongo was among the group.

Now a member of the Panthers front office, with which he won the Stanley Cup in 2024, Luongo’s accolades during his playing career are quite impressive.

Here are some of the statistics shared by the team:

His 1,035 career regular season games and 486 wins were the second-most among goaltenders in that span behind only Marc-Andre Fleury (1,036 appearances, 567 wins).

• Luongo’s 28,114 saves were 1,274 more than the next-closest netminder (Fleury, 26,840).
• He led all goaltenders with at least 600 games played with a .919 save percentage.
• His .928 save percentage at even strength (21,999 saves on 23,715 shot attempts) tied for the best mark among goaltenders with at least 600 games played with Tomas Vokoun.
• His 76 shutouts ranked behind only Martin Brodeur (87) for the league lead.

Joining Luongo on the NHL Quarter-Century team are Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury, Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price.

Read more about the team and the goaltenders selected here.

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The Buffalo Sabres are looking to make more changes to their management structure in addition to the hiring of Eric Staal as a special assistant last week, and reportedly have contacted some big names who are in the mix for other open positions. 

According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, Buffalo has approached former Detroit and Edmonton GM Ken Holland and former New Jersey, Toronto, and New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello to gauge interest in the senior advisor role that the club is looking to fill. Holland is reportedly in the mix for both the LA Kings and Islanders GM positions, and Lamoriello has in the past baulked at positions that did not have him in day-to-day control. 

Two factors that make the senior advisor with the Sabres questionable are the tenuous position of GM Kevyn Adams and what kind of say this advisor would have in hockey decisions. Adams is entering the final year of his contract, and if he is fired during or after next season, it would likely be a clean sweep of the club’s management structure. 

Other names mentioned, like former NHL GM and ex-Sabres head coach Rick Dudley, have a similar position with the Florida Panthers, and might hesitate to leave an organization where his opinion is respected for a position in Buffalo more ceremonial.    

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In Team USA’s 6-0 win over Hungary in Herning, Denmark on Sunday, Sabres forward Tage Thompson was +1 and had four shots on goal in 16:09 of ice time. 

Here is how some former Sabres performed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday:

Carolina - 4, Washington - 0, Hurricanes lead 2-1

William Carrier(CAR) 12:51 TOI, 3 SOG, 7 Hits

Eric Robinson(CAR) 1G, +1, 13:14 TOI, 2 SOG, 3 Hits

Taylor Hall(CAR) 1A, 14:42 TOI, 3 SOG, 3 Hits

Mark Jankowski(CAR) Did Not Play

Vegas - 4, Edmonton - 3, Oilers lead 2-1

Evander Kane (EDM) 14:06 TOI, 2 Hits

Jeff Skinner(EDM) Did Not Play

Jack Eichel(VEG) 1A, -1, 22:12 TOI, 1 SOG

Victor Olofsson(VEG) 13:05 TOI, 2 SOG, 2 Hits

Brayden McNabb(VEG) 1A, 19:39 TOI, 3 Hits 

 

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