MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the playoffs and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in a dominant Game 3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Alex Newhook had two goals, including an empty-netter, and Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal.
Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes made 26 saves as the Canadiens won consecutive games for the first time in this season’s playoffs.
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, which dropped its first road game of the postseason. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots in his second straight loss.
The teams split the first two games in Buffalo. The Sabres handed the Canadiens a 4-2 loss in Game 1 before Montreal responded with a 5-1 victory in Game 2.
Lukas Dostal made 18 saves in a strong bounce-back effort after getting pulled from Game 3 for allowing three goals in his latest shaky first period, and his teammates provided more than enough offense to even the series.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas, with Game 6 back in Anaheim on Thursday night.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden scored for the Golden Knights, whose three-game road winning streak ended.
May 10, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier (61) skates with the puck against Vegas Golden Knights center Colton Sissons (10) during the second period in game four of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images
Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Alex Killorn and rookie Beckett Sennecke had a goal and an assist apiece, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 4 on Sunday night to even their second-round series at two games apiece.
Ian Moore got his first career playoff goal, Cutter Gauthier contributed three assists and Mikael Granlund also scored for the upstart Ducks, who responded to their 6-2 blowout loss in Game 3 with a mature two-way performance in their first playoff run since 2018.
Lukas Dostal made 18 saves in a strong bounce-back effort after getting pulled from Game 3 for allowing three goals in his latest shaky first period, and his teammates provided more than enough offense to even the series.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas, with Game 6 back in Anaheim on Thursday night.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden scored for the Golden Knights, whose three-game road winning streak ended.
Carter Hart stopped 19 shots despite some shaky moments, while Mitch Marner had three assists in Game 4 following his hat trick in Game 3, giving him an NHL-leading and career-best 16 points in the postseason.
Anaheim scored two power-play goals in Game 4, ending the unit’s 0-for-11 skid and finally denting a Vegas penalty kill that allowed just one power-play goal in its first nine postseason games.
After Killorn scored a tiebreaking power-play goal late in the second period, Moore added one early in the third with his first playoff point.
Tomas Hertl scored for Vegas with 1:04 left while Hart was pulled for an extra attacker, but Anaheim held on.
Sennecke, the Ducks’ 20-year-old Calder Trophy finalist, opened the scoring with just the second power-play goal allowed by the Golden Knights in the entire postseason, ending a streak of 21 straight kills and the Ducks’ 0-for-11 start to the series on the power play.
Sennecke scored a goal in his third consecutive game, joining Sidney Crosby (2007) as the only players under 21 with a three-game postseason goal streak in the 21st century.
Howden scored his seventh goal of the postseason early in the second period off a slick setup from former Ducks draft pick William Karlsson.
But Killorn put the Ducks back ahead when his shot trickled through Hart late in the second period for his fourth goal of the postseason.
Vegas played without captain Mark Stone, who incurred an undisclosed injury in Game 3.
Anaheim shook up its lineup, inserting puck-moving defenseman Olen Zellweger for his playoff debut and his first game action since April 7. Moore and forward Mason McTavish also returned after healthy scratches.
Ducks forward Alex Killorn, right, scores past Vegas goalie Carter Hart during the second period of the Ducks' 4-3 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals Sunday night at Honda Center. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Ducks’ second-round playoff showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights has become a best-of-three series.
With a 4-3 victory Sunday before a raucous sold-out crowd at the Honda Center, the Ducks evened the series 2-2 as it heads back to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday. But it wasn’t easy, with the Golden Knights twice rallying from one-goal deficits, only to see the Ducks answer each time.
And the Ducks’ power play, so lethal in the team’s first-round win over Edmonton and so ineffective in the first three games of this series, finally found a spark, scoring goals in each of the first two periods.
The Ducks were fast and physical in the early going, playing with an urgency they lacked in their Game 3 loss. They also did a better job protecting the puck and that paid off with the team’s first power-play goal of the series 8:43 into the first period.
Vegas had killed 11 penalties against the Ducks and 21 in a row dating back to Game 3 in their first-round series against Utah. But after Dylan Coghlan went off for interference, Sennecke teed up a slap shot from the top of the right circle for his fourth goal of the playoffs, putting the Ducks up 1-0.
The lead didn’t last long, however, with Dorofeyev evening things with a power-play goal of his own about a minute and half later. The goal, on a tip-in, was Dorofeyev’s fifth of the postseason.
Ducks defenseman Ian Moore celebrates with teammates after scoring in the third period of a 4-3 win over the Golden Knights in Game 4 on Sunday at Honda Center. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Granlund put the Ducks back on top less than five minutes before the first intermission, taking a pass from Jeffrey Viel along the left-side boards and getting off a shot as he battled Vegas forward Cole Smith. The puck appeared to strike the blade of Smith’s stick as Viel let it go and that proved fortunate for the Ducks since the deflection fooled defenseman Noah Hanifin and goalie Carter Hart, who both let the bouncing puck tumble through them and into the goal.
That lead didn’t last long, either, with Howden tying things again for Vegas 4:04 into the second period. The goal, on the Golden Knights’ ninth shot, was Howden’s seventh of the playoffs, giving him a share of the NHL lead. Mitch Marner assisted on the first two Vegas goals, giving him a league-best 15 points in 10 postseason games.
However, Killorn scored the Ducks’ second power-play less than two minutes before the second intermission, putting the Ducks in front to stay. Moore doubled the lead 3:43 into the third, lining in a slap shot from well above the right circle.
The two-goal lead matched the largest of the series for the Ducks. Hertl cut that in half with 64 seconds to play after Vegas pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. But the Golden Knights got no closer.
Both teams have split their two games at home. The Golden Knights will have the home-ice advantage — if there is one — over the last three games since two are scheduled in Las Vegas.
Sunday’s win marked the sixth consecutive time the Ducks evened a playoff series it trailed 2-1 after three games.
Vegas played without winger Mark Stone, whose 28 goals were second-most on the team during the regular season. Stone, who had a goal and an assist in the first three games against the Ducks, is the team’s all-time playoff scoring leader with 79 points (39 goals, 40 assists) in 94 games. He sustained an undisclosed injury in the first period of Game 3 and his status for the rest of the series is unclear.
It's no secret that there were some Pittsburgh Penguins fans who wanted goaltender Sergei Murashov to come up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He got a taste of the NHL during a two-week stretch in November and also played in one game in December before he was sent back to WBS. During that time, he recorded his first win (a shutout over Nashville in Sweden), but also endured some growing pains.
Fast forward to the end of the regular season, and the Penguins' goaltending was inconsistent, leading some fans to think that Murashov was the best option heading into the playoffs.
The Penguins didn't feel that way, opting to keep him in the American Hockey League for the rest of the regular season and into the Calder Cup Playoffs. He finished the regular season with a 24-9-4 record, a 2.20 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
Murashov was the 1A goaltender with Joel Blomqvist serving as the 1B behind him. WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald rewarded Murashov for his excellent regular season with the starting job in the Atlantic Division Semifinals against the Hershey Bears and he didn't disappoint.
Murashov won three of the four games in the series, compiling a 1.99 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. He also stepped up in a big way in Game 4, finishing with 37 saves on 38 shots.
As the series went on, Murashov got better. One save that really stood out was in Game 2 when WBS was down 2-1 in the third period. WBS gave up a 3-on-1 rush, but it didn't matter for Murashov as he stayed with the play and was able to make a sprawling save after it looked like he had lost the net.
WBS may have lost that game, but he gave them a chance throughout the third period with big, timely saves like that one.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (1) warms up before playing against the Nashville Predators in a Global Series ice hockey game at Avicii Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
Fast forward to Game 4 (his 37-save performance), he was stepping up when he was needed, especially when Hershey was firing everything at him in the third period. He was cool, calm, and collected in the crease and didn't seem phased by the moment. His rebound control was also very good, and he continued to look more confident.
He'll have to bring all of those traits into the Atlantic Division Final series against Springfield, which is set to start in WBS on Tuesday. It's WBS's first trip to the Atlantic Division Final since 2016. A series win against Springfield would send WBS to the Eastern Conference Final, where it would await the winner of the Cleveland-Toronto series, which is the North Division Final.
If Murashov keeps this up, Penguins general manager/president Kyle Dubas would likely have no choice but to put him on the NHL roster for the start of the 2026-27 season. He's already in a good spot since it's unlikely that Stuart Skinner returns as one of the goaltenders, but this would be the icing on the cake, unless he somehow has a poor training camp or preseason.
Game 1 between WBS and Springfield is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Game 2 will be on Thursday at the same time before the series shifts to Springfield for Games 3 and 4 on May. 19 and May. 21. The start time for those latter two games will also be at 7 p.m. ET.
A potential Game 5 would be back in WBS on May. 23 at 6 p.m. ET.
May 10, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon (34) stops Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
MONTREAL — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the playoffs and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in a dominant Game 3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Alex Newhook had two goals, including an empty-netter, and Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal.
Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes made 26 saves as the Canadiens won consecutive games for the first time in this season’s playoffs.
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, which dropped its first road game of the postseason. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots in his second straight loss.
The teams split the first two games in Buffalo. The Sabres handed the Canadiens a 4-2 loss in Game 1 before Montreal responded with a 5-1 victory in Game 2.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the playoffs and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in a dominant Game 3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Alex Newhook had two goals, including an empty-netter, and Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal.
Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes made 26 saves as the Canadiens won consecutive games for the first time in this season's playoffs.
The Montreal crowd broke into chants of “Do-by! Do-by!” — one of several ovations the rookie goalie received Sunday night — as Dobes burst into laughter from his crease.
“It warms your heart, and I’m really proud to be a Canadien and play for this franchise,” Dobes said. “After the Tampa series, I couldn’t believe some of the things that happened in the city, but it’s so much fun. I’m just happy that the fans are having fun with this as much as we do.”
It is quickly becoming the spring of Dobes in Montreal, though the candid netminder insists he’s still his same old self.
“I’m not a hero, I’m just me. I’m just a goofy goalie who tries to stop pucks,” Dobes said. “I will pretty much go home, eat, watch Game of Thrones and go to bed. I don’t think that’s anything heroic.
“And when it’s time to do my job I will do anything to win and make this franchise happy, make these fans happy.”
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, which dropped its first road game of the postseason. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots in his second straight loss.
The teams split the first two games in Buffalo. The Sabres handed the Canadiens a 4-2 loss in Game 1 before Montreal responded with a 5-1 victory in Game 2.
Game 4 is Tuesday night in Montreal.
“Everyone in the room has better. We still haven’t gotten to what I think is our best game,” Thompson said. “It starts with me, it starts with Dahlin, (Alex) Tuch. There’s more in the tank.”
Minutes after missing an open net, Caufield scored on the power play for his first goal in six games to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead 6:05 into the second and kick off a wild, four-goal period.
Hutson deked around a stick-less Jordan Greenway and dropped a pass to Caufield, who scored into the gaping net as the crowd erupted.
The Canadiens appeared to gain a 3-1 lead one minute later when Josh Anderson’s backhand trickled through Lyon as Phillip Danault crashed the crease. The officials, however, ruled no goal.
Bolduc ultimately gave the Canadiens a two-goal advantage at 10:43 in the second after Joe Veleno chased down a puck behind Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley and set him up.
Chaos ensued two minutes later when Beck Malenstyn ran over Dobes, setting off a massive scrum and sending the Canadiens on a power play. Slafkovsky made it 4-1 with a deflection on Hutson’s point shot as Montreal went 2 for 5 with the man advantage.
Dahlin cut into the deficit with 5:14 left in the second period, sending a shot off the far post.
But Dach restored the three-goal lead at 8:46 in the third when he pulled a loose puck out from under Lyon and fired a shot into the open net.
The goal followed multiple key saves from Dobes, twice denying Zach Benson, as the Canadiens fended off a Sabres pushback that included a nervy penalty kill early in the period.
Newhook, who also scored twice in Game 2, added his second when he was hooked with a clear path to the empty net with 4:46 left in the third.
Large crowds packed the surrounding streets hours ahead of the game. Kirk Muller carried the ceremonial torch before puck drop of the Canadiens’ first second-round playoff game before a full Bell Centre since 2015.
Thompson wasted little time to — temporarily — quiet the crowd, opening the scoring 53 seconds in after Dahlin’s point shot deflected off the end boards and onto his stick. He ended a seven-game drought after going minus-4 with a costly turnover in Game 2.
“We started off really good,” Thompson said. “There were spurts throughout the game where I thought we got to our game and played to our standard, but just not consistent enough, and we gave them life.
“The building is pretty rocking, so it’s a little deflating.”
Newhook sparked a run of four unanswered goals by the Canadiens.
The core of the Kings over the last 2 years has included Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, and Mikey Andersen. Over the last 2 years, the Kings have made trades that saw players traded away or sign elsewhere in free agency, and now, looking back, understanding whether the Kings are better with or without those players.
2025-26 Departures
While the biggest trade of the 2025-26 season for the Kings was the Artemi Panarin deal, there were a couple of players traded away this season. The first being Phillip Danault, who was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in December, and the Kings received a 2026 Second-round pick. Danault played for the Canadiens from 2015-16 to 2020-21.
This season, Danault played 30 games for the Kings before being traded, during which he recorded 5 assists and 5 points. While he is a defensive-minded player, Danault requested a trade, which the Kings granted. Phillip Danault played 45 games for the Canadiens in the regular season, recording 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points. The Canadiens are also currently in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and Danault has played 9 games and has 2 assists.
While the Danault trade was the first departure for the Kings, they would wait until the night of the trade deadline to make their next move. That move was trading away Warren Foegele to the Ottawa Senators, in return for a 2026 2nd-round pick and a conditional 2026 3rd-round pick.
Warren Foegele played in 47 games for the Kings this past season, registering 7 goals and 2 assists for 9 points. After being traded to the Senators, Foegele played in 21 regular-season games, recording 6 goals and 2 assists for 8 points, and in all 4 playoff games with the Senators, but did not register any points.
The last departure from the 2025-26 season occurred at the NHL Trade Deadline, when the Kings traded Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2028 2nd-round pick. While on the Kings, Perry played in 50 games, scoring 11 goals and having 17 assists for 28 points. Then, after being traded to Tampa, Perry would play in 22 regular-season games, scoring 6 goals and recording 3 assists for 9 points. Perry would play in all 7 games between the Canadiens and the Lightning but would not register any points.
While the Kings traded away 3 roster players in the 2025-26 season, it is too early to tell whether those trades will benefit the Kings or come back to haunt them later.
2024-25 Departures
Now, going back to the 2024-25 season, which was one of the most successful recent seasons for the Kings. With that season now complete, we can see whether the trades/transactions the Kings made either did or did not pan out in the 2025-26 season.
The first player to depart from the Kings was Jordan Spence. The 24-year-old defenseman was traded to the Ottawa Senators on June 28th, 2025, and in return, the Kings received the 67th overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft and a 2026 6th-round pick. In the 2024-25 season, Spence played in 79 games with the Kings, recording 4 goals, 24 assists for 28 points, and 1 goal in 5 playoff games.
Since being traded, Jordan Spence played in 73 games with Ottawa, scoring 7 goals and tallying 24 assists for 31 points. Spence, now 25, took a major step forward for the Senators and has become a reliable starting defenseman. In Game 2 between Ottawa and Carolina, Spence clocked 39:01 total minutes on ice, showing that his game is only going to get better.
The other 2 players who left the Kings did so during free agency. Vladislav Gavrikov signed a 7 Year $7 Million AAV Dollar deal with the Rangers, and Tanner Jeannot signed a 5-year $3.4 Million AAV deal with the Bruins.
Gavrikov registered 5 goals, 25 assists, for 30 points in 82 games, and he added 2 assists in the postseason for the Kings. In his first season with the Rangers, he played 82 games, scoring 14 goals and tallying 21 assists for 35 points. While the Rangers missed the postseason, Gavrikov showed his true value, scoring a career-high 12 goals in his first season.
Tanner Jeannot, in his one season with the Kings, played in 67 games, scoring 7 goals and registering 6 assists for 13 points. He would not play for the Kings in the postseason. During the 2025-26 season with the Bruins, Jeannot played 77 games, scoring 6 goals, recording 16 assists for 22 points, and adding a postseason goal.
While the Kings had their best season in 2024-25, the loss of Jordan Spence may prove critical, as he is only 25 and playing serious minutes for the Senators. While Gavrikov had a career-high in goals, the Kings during the 2025 free agency period were not able to afford him. The Kings during the 2025-26 season would replace Spence and Gavrikov with Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin.
2023-24 Departures
The 2023-24 season saw quite a few Kings players traded or sign with another team in the offseason, and with 2 seasons played since then, the stats can show whether the Kings are better with or without them.
The first player is Viktor Arvidsson, who left the Kings and signed a 2-year, $4 million AAV deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Arvidsson's last season with the Kings was cut short by injuries, as he played only 18 games and recorded 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points.
Viktor Arvidsson has played for the Oilers over the last 2 seasons and is now with the Bruins. During his time with the Oilers, he played 67 games, scoring 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points. He would also have 7 points in 15 postseason games with the Oilers. Arvidsson was then traded from the Oilers to the Bruins, and in his first season with the Bruins, he registered 25 goals, 29 assists for 54 points in 69 games, and 2 goals in the playoffs.
The next player to leave the Kings in 2023-24 is Pierre-Luc Dubois, who, in the 2023-24 season with the Kings, scored 16 goals, tallied 24 assists for 40 points, and added 1 goal in the playoffs. Dubois was then traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for current goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Since the trade, Dubois has played in 111 games, scoring 25 goals, 60 assists, and 85 points in the last 2 seasons with the Capitals.
A player who left the Kings during the offseason of the 2023-24 season and joined Dubois in Washington. That player is Matt Roy. Roy was a Kings draft pick and was there from 2018 to 2023. In his final season with the Kings, Roy had 5 goals, 20 assists for 25 points. Roy would sign a 6-year, $5.7 Million AAV deal with the Capitals, and in the last 2 seasons, Roy has played 148 games, scoring 5 goals and tallying 28 assists for 43 points.
Another player who left the Kings in the 2024 offseason was Blake Lizotte, who played on the Kings' bottom 6. Lizotte left the Kings and signed a 2-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and earlier in the 2025-26 season, he signed a 3-year extension with the Penguins. While Lizotte was not a goalscorer for the Kings, he played a meaningful role on the penalty kill and in other defensive situations.
The remaining players are Cam Talbot, who left the Kings in free agency to join the Detroit Red Wings; Arthur Kaliyev, who was claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers; and Carl Grundstrom, who was in the deal that saw the Kings receive Kyle Burroughs from the San Jose Sharks.
Who Do The Kings Miss The Most?
While all of these former players made an impact on the Kings during their time, some of the moves that were made benefited the Kings and their future. The Dubois trade was crucial for the team today, as Kuemper is still with the Kings. But there are a couple of players the Kings may already regret trading or losing in free agency.
The first is Jordan Spence, a young defenseman who is slowly gaining more minutes and who the Kings would benefit from having on the team today. The Kings may also regret losing Vladislav Gavrikov. While he put up career-best numbers for the Rangers, if the Kings had kept and signed both defensemen, they would be in the lineup instead of Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci.
Another player the Kings may regret losing is Blake Lizotte, and his penalty-killing ability, especially after the 2025-26 season, when the Kings' penalty kill ranked 30th and the Penguins' penalty kill, on which Lizotte started, ranked 6th.
Overall, none of these moves or trades could have been predicted, and in the future, more of these free agency losses and trades will likely result in some regret for the Kings, but they also prompt the question of what the Kings would look like today had they not lost these players.
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OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Ottawa Charge are returning to the Walter Cup Final for a second straight season.
Michela Cava scored at 1:12 of the second overtime to lead Ottawa to a 4-3 win over the Boston Fleet, winning the best-of-five semifinal series in four games.
Ottawa lost last year’s final to the Minnesota Frost.
The Charge will meet the winner of the Montreal Victoire-Frost series, which will be decided with Monday’s Game 5.
Sarah Wozniewicz, Rebecca Leslie and Brooke Hobson also scored for Ottawa. Goaltender Gwyneth Philips made 43 saves.
Shay Maloney, Megan Keller and Sophie Shirley scored for the Fleet. Aerin Frankel made 29 saves.
After losing the first game, Ottawa went on to win the next three. Boston had not lost three straight games all season.
Cava redirected a Katerina Mrazova shot for the winning goal.
The two teams combined for five goals in the second to tie the game 3-3 after 40 minutes.
Ottawa took a 2-0 lead early in the period. Jenner fired a sharp-angle shot from below the goal-line that deflected off Leslie’s skate as she battled to the crease. The play was reviewed, but the goal stood.
The Fleet then scored three straight in a span of 1:33 to take a 3-2 lead.
On Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Anaheim Ducks for Game 4 of their Second Round series. They will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over their postseason opponent.
Puck drop is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. PST.
The teams last clashed on Friday for Game 3. The Golden Knights came out fast, scored just 66 seconds into the first period, and didn’t let the Ducks off the mat until the game was out of reach. Anaheim pushed in the third, but it was too little too late, and the Golden Knights won 6-2.
Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 6-3 and an average save percentage of .915 in nine games this postseason.
Lukáš Dostál starts in goal for the Ducks. Dostál has a record of 5-4 and an average save percentage of .876 in nine games this postseason.
Mark Stone exited Game 3 with a lower-body injury after playing just 4:24, and has been officially ruled OUT ahead of Sunday’s game against the Ducks. Brandon Saad, who last played on April 11th against the Colorado Avalanche, will draw in and make his 2026 postseason debut.
Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomáš Hertl — Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Colton Sissons
Defense
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Ducks Lines
Chris Kreider — Leo Carlsson — Troy Terry
Alex Killorn — Mikael Granlund — Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish — Ryan Poehling — Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston — Tim Washe — Jeffrey Viel
Defense
Jackson LaCombe — Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov — John CarlsonTyson Hinds — Radko Gudas
Goaltenders: Lukáš Dostál / Ville Husso
Special Teams
VGK power play: 20.7%, 5th
VGK penalty kill: 96.3%, 1st
Ducks power play: 29.6%, 2nd
Ducks penalty kill: 73.9%, 14th
Game Notes
The Golden Knights are 11-8 in Game 2s in their franchise history.
Historically, teams that take a 3-1 series lead go on to win 91.1% of the time.
Mitch Marner is on an absolute tear right now. He has six goals and nine points in his last four games, and registered his first postseason hat trick in Game 3. When asked what he’s doing differently, he said he’s just ‘trying to bring the passion.’
Jack Eichel is tied for the league lead in postseason assists with 10.
The Golden Knights’ penalty kill has allowed just one goal on their last 27 kills.
Daniil Miromanov’s NHL chapter appears to be closing not with a dramatic farewell, but with the quiet reality so many fringe players eventually face — the dream never fully becoming permanent.
After bouncing between the NHL and AHL for much of the last five seasons, the Calgary Flames defenseman is heading back to familiar territory. According to Sport-Express reporter Fyodor Nosov, Miromanov has agreed to a deal with SKA St. Petersburg for the 2026-27 KHL season, officially leaving North America behind for now.
For a player once viewed as an intriguing late bloomer with offensive upside and size on the blue line, the move feels less like a surprise and more like the inevitable conclusion to a difficult year.
A Career That Never Fully Took Hold
The 28-year-old spent the overwhelming majority of the 2025-26 campaign with the Calgary Wranglers, where he quietly pieced together one of the better offensive seasons among AHL defensemen. Miromanov produced 11 goals and 38 points across 66 games, showcasing the puck-moving instincts that once made him an intriguing project for NHL organizations.
But opportunity at the highest level never truly materialized.
Miromanov appeared in just one game for the Flames this season after skating in 44 contests the year prior, where he managed nine points while rotating in and out of Calgary’s lineup. Despite flashes of mobility and offensive touch, he struggled to cement himself as a reliable everyday option on a team beginning to pivot toward a younger core.
His path to the NHL was unconventional from the beginning.
Undrafted and overlooked for years, Miromanov worked his way through the KHL before eventually earning an opportunity with the Vegas Golden Knights organization. He debuted during the 2021-22 season and spent the next several years shuttling between the NHL and AHL, unable to fully secure a long-term role at either stop.
The talent was always visible in stretches. So were the limitations.
At 6-foot-4 with a right-handed shot, Miromanov likely still could have generated interest on the open market as a depth defenseman or seventh option. But timing, roster construction and salary all work against players fighting for the margins of NHL rosters. After clearing waivers earlier in the year carrying a $1.25 million cap hit, the market around him never appeared particularly strong.
Back in Russia, the equation changes entirely.
With SKA St. Petersburg, Miromanov will have a legitimate chance to play meaningful minutes again instead of waiting for injuries or roster openings. He returns closer to home, to a league where his offensive instincts and puck-moving ability may be better suited for a larger role.
For Calgary, the departure also reflects the organization’s evolving direction. The Flames continue leaning heavily into youth movement and long-term development, leaving little room for veterans caught between prospect status and established NHL certainty.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Miromanov’s North American career is over forever.
A strong season in the KHL has revived NHL opportunities for plenty of players before him. But for now, this move feels like something more human than transactional — a player choosing stability, opportunity and a fresh start after years spent trying to carve out permanence in the toughest league in the world.
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) skates against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will miss Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against Anaheim on Sunday night with an undisclosed injury.
Coach John Tortorella said veteran Brandon Saad will draw in for Stone, who got hurt in the first period of Game 3 on Friday.
Stone attempted to return to the game, but couldn’t do it after apparently injuring some part of his lower body while chasing down a puck in the first period of the Knights’ 6-2 victory. Vegas leads the series 2-1.
Stone had picked up a first-period assist on Shea Theodore’s opening goal in the rout, giving him three goals and four assists in nine playoff games this season.
The 33-year-old Stone scored 73 points in 60 games for Vegas during the regular season. The two-way forward has been a mainstay for the Golden Knights since late in the 2018-19 season, becoming the first captain in club history before leading Vegas to the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with a hat trick in the clinching victory.
Saad scored nine points in 49 games for Vegas during the regular season. Game 4 will be his first appearance in this postseason, but the well-traveled forward played in eight postseason games for the Golden Knights last spring.
“Playoff hockey is the best time of the year, so I’m excited to get in and help the team win,” Saad told reporters at the pregame skate.
Tortorella chose Saad over Reilly Smith, who played all six games of Vegas’ first-round series victory over Utah before being scratched for every game against Anaheim.
The Montreal Canadiens are set to face off against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of the second round. The Canadiens will be looking to build on their momentum after defeating the Sabres by a 5-1 final score in Game 2.
It is no secret that the Canadiens have a big opportunity in front of them in Game 3. A victory in Game 3 would give the Canadiens a 2-1 series lead over the Sabres. A loss, on the other hand, would make the Habs be down 2-1 in the series, which would be far less than ideal.
The Canadiens are also playing Games 3 and 4 at home, so this is a major opportunity for them. Home-ice advantage during the playoffs is big, and it will be intriguing to see if the Canadiens can seize the opportunity in front of them.
It will now be interesting to see if the Canadiens can pick up a victory in Game 3. If they do, it would put them in an excellent spot for Game 4 at home. However, after how Game 2 went, there is no question that the Sabres will be looking for revenge in Game 3.
The Pittsburgh Penguins took a nice step in the right direction during the 2025-26 season by making the playoffs. A big reason for it was general manager Kyle Dubas' smart roster moves.
Many of the players that Dubas has taken chances on lately have benefited in Pittsburgh big time. Among them this season were Egor Chinakhov, Justin Brazeau, Parker Wotherspoon, and Anthony Mantha.
With this, it would not be surprising if Dubas looks to add to the Penguins' roster again this off-season. When looking at the NHL's trade candidates heading into the summer, Winnipeg Jets prospect Brad Lambert stands out as an interesting potential option for the Penguins to consider.
Lambert was given permission to seek a trade from the Jets during this season. While a trade did not come to fruition during the season, it would not be surprising if he is available again this summer. If he is, the Penguins should strongly consider taking a chance on him.
Lambert is a former first-round pick who has yet to break out in the NHL. Yet, with Lambert being just 22 years old, he is still plenty young enough to change that. Perhaps a fresh start with the Penguins could help him hit a new level.
Lambert appeared in 25 games this season with the Jets, where he had three goals and six points. He also had six goals and 13 points in 34 games in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose this season. While these numbers do not necessarily stand out, he also had 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games with the Moose during the 2023-24 campaign. With this, he has shown offensive promise at the AHL level in the past.
Overall, Lambert is a young player who desperately needs a change of scenery. With the Penguins being a team focused on the future, they should consider taking a flier on him in a low-risk move.
2026 Top 100 Prospects - Feb. 27 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 8 - Brian Costello
IT’S ONLY THROUGH THE assistance of NHL head scouts, directors of player personnel and GMs that The Hockey News is able to provide readers a comprehensive list of the top 10 prospects within each organization and a ranking of the top 100 from that large collection of 320 prospects.
Team scouts offer us guidance on NHL-affiliated prospects who have the highest forecasted ceilings five to 10 years out. We then ask a panel of these scouts to rank the top 60 from a list of the 32 top 10s. The scouts’ rankings are added up to form the overall top 100, and, in some cases, a team’s top-10 list is adjusted based on the data from the top 100.
As you would expect, rebuilding teams often have far more than the average 3.13 prospects per team within the top 100, and current contenders typically only have one or two – or even none.
We start this project in mid-January after the World Junior Championship while NHL teams are in the midst of their winter scouting meetings. At that point, we draw a line in the sand about who’s a prospect and who’s an NHLer. In some cases, those scenarios change. That’s why names such as Sam Rinzel, Isaac Howard, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Gabe Perreault, Nick Lardis and Hunter Brzustewicz are listed as prospects, even though they’ve broken through as NHLers over the past month or two. Meanwhile, Michael Misa (San Jose) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary) haven’t played in the junior ranks all season (other than the WJC), but we decided early on that they should be listed as prospects since injuries kept them from establishing themselves as NHLers the first few months of the season.
Each player’s top-100 rank from last year is in parentheses, while unranked players are denoted as “NR.” Prospects drafted in 2025 are denoted as “NEW.”
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.
The Countdown - Apr. 17 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 10 - Jared Clinton
JUST AS TIME MAKES fools of us all, so, too, has Macklin Celebrini.
When the now-San Jose Sharks star was in his pre-draft season, the skinny on the then-Boston University center was that he was a talented player with an exceptional, but not elite, ceiling. Comparisons were drawn to top-line, team-leading pivots rather than true superstars. No one, truly, was using the ‘G’ word – generational – when it came to Celebrini. In The Hockey News’ 2024 Draft Preview, for instance, the comparison used was Elias Pettersson.
Yes, yes. Yuck it up. But the fact of the matter is, there is perhaps no player who has flipped any perceived notion of his upside on its head quite as quickly as Celebrini, who has gone from being mentioned as a franchise centerpiece to an MVP-caliber talent. That his name is floating around the Hart Trophy debate this very season is proof positive of his impact.
What makes Celebrini’s surge to stardom all the more incredible, though, is that he’s done it before he’s even old enough to order an adult beverage. In fact, his 19-year-old season ranks up there with the best ever.
Where does Celebrini’s output rank among the NHL’s greatest baby-faced sensations? In this edition of Countdown, we flip through the history books to find the greatest teen scorers in each NHL franchise’s history.
*All ages are as of Jan. 31 in the corresponding season, as per Hockey-Reference.
1 EDMONTON OILERS
WAYNE GRETZKY, 19 – 137 PTS (1979-80)
Who else? Gretzky’s output is double that of the closest Oilers teen, Jason Arnott, who had 68 points in 1993-94.
2 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
SIDNEY CROSBY, 19 – 120 PTS (2006-07)
Shockingly, both of Crosby’s teen seasons exceed Mario Lemieux’s 100-point best. At 19, ‘Sid the Kid’ won the Hart.
3 LOS ANGELES KINGS
JIMMY CARSON, 19 – 107 PTS (1987-88)
Carson’s great year made him the centerpiece of the infamous Gretzky trade. Sadly, he was out of the NHL by 27.
4 SAN JOSE SHARKS
MACKLIN CELEBRINI, 19 – 115 PTS (2025-26)
Celebrini is smashing a record that he already held. He surpassed Pat Falloon’s 59-point teen total as a rookie.
5 NEW YORK ISLANDERS
BRYAN TROTTIER, 19 – 95 PTS (1975-76)
OK, Trottier has the team record. But Matthew Schaefer is the fifth-highest-scoring teenage blueliner in NHL history.
6 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
STEVEN STAMKOS, 19 – 95 PTS (2009-10)
In 2008, then-Bolts coach Barry Melrose said rookie Stamkos wasn’t ready. The next year, ‘Stammer’ potted 51 goals.
7 CAROLINA HURRICANES
RON FRANCIS, 19 – 90 PTS (1982-83)
Francis has the team’s teen point record, but Sylvain Turgeon set the standard for young-gun goals (40) the following year.
8 DETROIT RED WINGS
STEVE YZERMAN, 19 – 89 PTS (1984-85)
After debuting with a 39-goal, 87-point campaign, ‘Stevie Y’ staked claim as the Wings’ future with sophomore year.
9 BUFFALO SABRES
PIERRE TURGEON, 19 – 88 PTS (1988-89)
Sure, Turgeon takes the cake, but 19-year-old Phil Housley’s 77-point 1983-84 campaign was an all-timer.
10 DALLAS STARS
BRIAN BELLOWS, 19 – 83 PTS (1983-84)
Bellows’ 41 goals are the same as Wyatt Johnston’s rookie point total, which was most by a Stars teenager since 1990.
11 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
EDDIE OLCZYK, 19 – 79 PTS (1985-86)
A dream for hometown hero ‘Eddie O,’ surpassing both 28-goal and 75-point bests by Denis Savard in 1980-81.
12 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
ERIC LINDROS, 19 – 75 PTS (1992-93)
Since Lindros’ 41-goal season as a 19-year-old, only four other teens have managed to reach the 40-goal plateau.
13 COLORADO AVALANCHE
OWEN NOLAN, 19 – 73 PTS (1991-92)
The 1990 draft’s No. 1 pick had just three goals and 13 points as a rookie before exploding for 42 goals as a sophomore.
14 WINNIPEG JETS
PATRIK LAINE, 19 – 70 PTS (2017-18)
Laine’s 44 goals are fifth most by a teen. Coincidentally, Jets 1.0 icon Dale Hawerchuk netted 45 at 18 in 1981-82.
15 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
AUSTON MATTHEWS, 19 – 69 PTS (2016-17)
Prior to Matthews’ brilliant season, Ted Kennedy’s 49-game Original Six Era 54-point mark had stood for 72 years.
An asterisk for Carpenter? The lockout delayed Alex Ovechkin’s NHL debut. At 20, he posted 106 points as a rookie.
17 MINNESOTA WILD
MARIAN GABORIK, 19 – 67 PTS (2001-02)
Gaborik set the benchmark at 18 and surpassed it the next campaign. No teen has scored for Wild since 2013.
18 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
KIRK MULLER, 19 – 66 PTS (1985-86)
Muller was a star upon his NHL arrival. He spent seven years as a Devil but remains franchise’s fourth-highest scorer.
19 BOSTON BRUINS
RAY BOURQUE, 19 – 65 PTS (1979-80)
Bourque won Calder and finished fourth in Norris voting after brilliant debut. He’d go on to win the Norris five times.
20 NEW YORK RANGERS
MIKE ALLISON, 19 – 64 PTS (1980-81)
Only teens to score 30 points for Rangers since Allison: Alex Kovalev (1992-93) and Michael Del Zotto (2009-10).
21 ST. LOUIS BLUES
ROD BRIND’AMOUR, 19 – 61 PTS (1989-90)
Best known as a Cane, Brind’Amour has high-water mark in St. Louis and third-best Blues rookie year ever.
22 VANCOUVER CANUCKS
TREVOR LINDEN, 18 – 59 PTS (1988-89)
Ultimately, Linden’s 30-goal, 59-point rookie year wound up as the sixth-highest-scoring season of his NHL career.
23 CALGARY FLAMES
DAN QUINN, 19 – 58 PTS (1984-85)
Thanks to Quinn and Sean Monahan, Flames legend Jarome Iginla has neither the team’s teen goal nor point record.
24 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
RICK NASH, 19 – 57 PTS (2003-04)
Most lopsided production ever? Nash was first player since 1918 with more than 40 goals and fewer than 20 assists.
25 OTTAWA SENATORS
ALEXANDRE DAIGLE, 18 – 51 PTS (1993-94)
Make your jokes, but Daigle was a threat for Ottawa. He was second in Sens scoring behind Alexei Yashin in 1993-94.
26 MONTREAL CANADIENS
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY, 19 – 50 PTS (2023-24)
When he netted point No. 41 in 2023-24, Slafkovsky surpassed a total set by Henri Richard nearly 70 years earlier.
27 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
SCOTT HARTNELL, 19 – 41 PTS (2001-02)
Forget chasing Hartnell. The Preds have had just one teenager with a double-digit point total in the 23 seasons since.
28 ANAHEIM DUCKS
CAM FOWLER, 19 – 40 PTS (2010-11)
Of the five best seasons by Ducks teens, three have been by defensemen: Fowler, Jamie Drysdale and Oleg Tverdovsky.
29 FLORIDA PANTHERS
RADEK DVORAK, 19 – 39 PTS (1996-97)
Dvorak gets the nod on points per game and goals, but an 18-year-old Aaron Ekblad also posted 39 points in 2014-15.
30 SEATTLE KRAKEN
MATTY BENIERS, 19 – 9 PTS (2021-22)
Post-college, Beniers burst onto the scene. But his offense has peaked with Calder-winning 57 points in 2022-23.
31 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
N/A – 0 PTS
The youngest Golden Knight to collect a point is Peyton Krebs – 20 years, three months and seven days. Just missed it.
32 UTAH MAMMOTH
N/A – 0 PTS
Logan Cooley’s 44-point season at 19 is in purgatory after the NHL quarantined Arizona’s statistical history.
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