Long before Tyler Toffoli signed with the San Jose Sharks during the summer of 2024, he began his career in Southern California and spent eight seasons alongside Jonathan Quick and Anze Kopitar, both of whom are calling it quits after the 2025-26 season.
Kopitar's career could come to an end at any moment now, as the Los Angeles Kings are on the verge of being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche. Toffoli had nothing but praise for the current Kings captain.
"He's the best," Toffoli said of Kopitar. "He's a guy that I definitely looked up to when I came in the league, and he definitely took care of me. I'm excited to watch him. To see the respect and everything that he got from everybody this year was something pretty special. He's one of the best teammates I've ever had and [I have] nothing but great things to say about him and and his family."
While Kopitar was a life-long member of the Kings, Quick had a different journey. Like Toffoli, Quick moved around a bit after departing Los Angeles. He had a stint with the Vegas Golden Knights, spent a couple of hours as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, and finished his career with the New York Rangers.
"I had the inside scoop," Toffoli joked when asked if he was surprised to hear that Quick was retiring. "You never would have expected him to keep going and do what he was doing in New York . He's also one of the best teammates I've ever had. The way that he plays and competes, no offense to any of the other goalies I played with, but that would be the goalie that I pick in any Game 7."
The NHL is a never-ending revolving door of players coming and going. Long-time Sharks fans will always remember the hard-fought battles between the Sharks and Kings during the 2010s, many of which focused around Kopitar and Quick.
As for Toffoli, he's can use the knowledge he gained as a member of those Kings teams to help the next generation of Sharks to make the next iteration of the rivalry even more unforgettable.
Down 2-1 in their series against the Utah Mammoth, the Vegas Golden Knights’ offense has once again dried up. Thus, they have changed the one thing that remained constant throughout the season: the power play.
Barring a few games with injuries, the Golden Knights trotted a five-man forward group out for every 5-on-4 power play opportunity. Mitch Marner ran the point; Jack Eichel ran the half wall. Mark Stone worked his magic below the goal line, Tomáš Hertl was parked in the bumper, and Pavel Dorofeyev was set up in the right circle for a one-time opportunity.
In the regular season, this unit was money. Despite Stone missing 22 games, they finished the year as the 6th-ranked power play with a 24.6% success rate.
But now, in the postseason, they’ve hit a wall. After going 2-for-5 through the first two games of the series, the Golden Knights are 0-fer their last five opportunities. Three of those opportunities would have gotten them back into the fight in Game 3, which was ultimately a 4-2 loss.
So, the Golden Knights are changing things up.
On the first unit, Eichel, Stone, and Dorofeyev remain in their usual spots. But Ivan Barbashev replaced Hertl in the bumper, and Shea Theodore slots into Marner’s position at the point.
The second unit is a bit more interesting. Rasmus Andersson joins Marner at the point, and Noah Hanifin is on the half wall. Brett Howden is netfront, and Hertl is in the bumper.
Head coach John Tortorella simply said, “We changed it. We’re gonna see how it works.”
After starting all three postseason games with the same lineup, the Golden Knights are changing things up. They shuffled the top three lines and kept the fourth line intact:
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
Reilly Smith – Mitch Marner – Mark Stone
Brett Howden – Tomáš Hertl – Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Colton Sissons
The defensive pairs remained unchanged. Carter Hart will remain the starting goaltender.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Scott Wedgewood #41 of the Colorado Avalanche, Anze Kopitar #11 of the Los Angeles Kings and Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche battle for position during the first period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche have battled through three tightly contested games thus far in their first-round series, emerging victorious despite, among other things, the stifling defensive tactics employed by the Los Angeles Kings.
With a victory today, the Avalanche can be the first team in the Western Conference to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche (3-0)
The Opponent: Los Angeles Kings (0-3)
Time: 2:30 P.M. MDT/4:30 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT + (Avalanche Broadcast Area), FDSNSC (Kings Broadcast Area), HBO Max, TNT, truTV (US National Broadcast), SN360, SNP, SNW, SN+, TVAS2, TVAS+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
Scoring had been hard to come by for the Avalanche in the first two games against Los Angeles, with their first goals not coming until the second and third periods, respectively. Game Three was a different story, as a shot from Gabe Landeskog ricocheted off the end boards before bouncing off the skate of goaltender Anton Forsberg early in the first period to give the Avs the lead. Los Angeles would tie the game with a bounce of their own off Trevor Moore in the second period, but Cale Makar’s first goal of the playoffs restored the lead. A shorthanded goal from Artturi Lehkonen would give the Avs some breathing room in the third, but a power-play goal for Los Angeles would make things interesting late. Brock Nelson would cap off the night with an empty net goal to secure a 3-0 series lead to wrap up a game that featured more end-to-end action for both teams. Scott Wedgewood stopped twenty-four of twenty-six shots for his third consecutive playoff win.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Parker Kelly – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Gabe Landeskog – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Cale Makar – Devon Toews Brett Kulak – Sam Malinksi Nick Blankenburg – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Los Angeles Kings
What do you do if you’re the Los Angeles Kings coming into today’s game? The League’s most potent offense, featuring the current Rocket Richard winner in Nathan MacKinnon—who hasn’t scored a goal during this postseason—has been held to eight total goals. The power play has found success in three straight games. The penalty kill has been flawless. Anton Forsberg has been solid. Artemi Panarin has been the primary driver on offense, which is what General Manager Ken Holland was banking on when he made the trade for him.
The ingredients for playoff success are there, and what’s been the end result? An elimination game scenario on your own ice after three consecutive losses to start the postseason.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs giveth, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs taketh away.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artemi Panarin – Anže Kopitar – Adrian Kempe Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright Mathieu Joseph – Samuel Helenius – Jeff Malott
Defense: Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
BOSTON — The Bruins had a great chance to bounce back from their Game 3 loss against the Buffalo Sabres three days ago and even their first-round playoff series with a Game 4 win Sunday afternoon at TD Garden.
The Sabres became the first team since the Hartford Whalers in 1991 to score four goals against the Bruins in the first period of a playoff game. Buffalo dominated from start to finish in a 6-1 victory to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Now the series shifts back to Buffalo for Game 5 on Tuesday night, and the Bruins must win that matchup (and the next two) to stave off elimination.
Here are four quick takeaways from the Bruins’ historic defeat.
1. David Pastrnak is really struggling
David Pastrnak led the playoffs in scoring with five points (one goal, four assists) through the first two games of the series. Was he dominating in those matchups? No, but he was making an impact at even strength and the power play.
He hasn’t given the B’s much of anything offensively the last two games, though, and it’s one of the primary reasons why Boston faces a 3-1 series deficit.
Pastrnak tallied zero points in Games 3 and 4 in Boston. He was especially ineffective Sunday with zero shots on net through two periods and one shot through 60 minutes. Nearly every time Pastrnak tried to make a move past a Sabres player, he lost the puck and the rush up ice was halted.
Pastrnak was asked postgame if he’s healthy and replied, “Yes.”
Even if he’s not 100 percent, the Bruins need him to play like a top 10 offensive player (which he is) to have any chance at mounting a series comeback. The Bruins badly need goals — they’ve scored only one in each of the last two games — and as a five-time 40-goal scorer, he has to lead the way in that department.
2. Turnovers prove costly
The Bruins were very sloppy with the puck, especially in the first period. Three of the Sabres’ first four goals were the direct result of a B’s turnover in their own zone.
Buffalo’s 10 goals scored within 10 seconds of forcing a turnover lead the playoffs.
“They did a good job getting on us quick. They had a lot of speed tonight,” Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “They came out on us quick. It’s something we have to look at to try to be a little stronger on pucks and kill their speed a little bit and not play into their game.”
3. Marco Sturm’s lineup changes don’t work
Taking top prospect James Hagens out of the lineup and putting Lukas Reichel in at third-line left wing did not have the intended impact. Reichel had a golden look at the net in the second period but he couldn’t get off a shot and failed to score. He didn’t make much of an impact the rest of the game.
Hagens is 19 years old and has very limited playoff experience. He didn’t play amazing in Game 3. But his speed and high-end offensive skill set are really needed for the Bruins right now. Putting him back into the lineup for Game 5 should be a no-brainer.
Jordan Harris also replaced Mason Lohrei on the right side of the second defense pairing next to Hampus Lindholm. It was a tough night for Harris in his playoff debut. He turned the puck over in the first period and the Sabres immediately capitalized with a goal that increased their lead to 3-0. Harris had enough time and space to clear the zone but didn’t execute.
ZACH BENSON BURIES HIS FIRST #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFF GOAL 😤
Harris was on the ice for two goals against, he had two turnovers and played the fewest minutes (13:37) by far of any Bruins defenseman. The Sabres had a 12-3 edge in scoring chances during Harris’ 12:18 of even-strength ice time.
In fairness, the whole team was bad, not just Harris. Now Sturm has to decide what to do with the blue line entering Game 5. Will the Bruins go back to Lohrei? Could Henri Jokiharju draw in? There aren’t many good options.
4. No home-ice advantage
The Bruins played awesome at home this season. Their 29 wins at TD Garden were tied for the second-most home wins of any Eastern Conference team in the regular season.
Finding that same success in the playoffs has proven very difficult. But it’s not just a 2026 problem.
The Bruins lost the last two games of this series at home, extending their losing streak in home playoff games to five. Boston’s last home playoff victory was Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 first round.
The B’s have lost 10 of their last 13 playoff games at the Garden dating back to the 2023 first-round series versus the Florida Panthers.
“Very disappointing,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said when asked about the team’s home struggles in this series. “I don’t know if we maybe thought it would just be easy here. I don’t know what happened, but we can’t do anything about it now except look forward and realize this is still a series.”
Home-ice advantage isn’t as powerful in the NHL as it used to be, but there’s still no reason for the Bruins to play so poorly in their own building, especially when it’s not an issue the first six months of the season.
In BC, all eyes are on the Vancouver Canucks heading into the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5. The Canucks, who finished 32nd overall in the NHL, will enter the lottery with the highest odds of drafting first-overall. Earning the first-overall selection would make them the second professional hockey team in Vancouver to earn a first-overall pick in their respective 2026 Entry Drafts, as the Vancouver Goldeneyes clinched this feat on Saturday night.
The Goldeneyes finished their inaugural PWHL season with a record of 9–3–4–14, ultimately being eliminated from playoff contention on April 18. This activated their race for the Gold Plan, which is a system that helps decide which of the eliminated teams will be awarded the first-overall pick. From after a team is eliminated until the end of the regular season, they will continue to collect points in the standings; however, these points will instead go towards a potential draft order, with the team that collects the most points being awarded the first-overall selection in the upcoming draft.
After taking a 4–3 overtime win against the Minnesota Frost on Saturday, and having the Seattle Torrent lose in a shootout, the Goldeneyes were able to secure the rights to the first-overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft.
The Canucks have yet to pick first-overall throughout franchise history, though their current odds should set them up well to do-so. They have made four selections at second-overall (Daniel Sedin, 1999; Petr Nedvěd, 1990; Trevor Linden, 1988; and Dale Tallon, 1970) and four at third-overall (Henrik Sedin, 1999; Dennis Ververgaert, 1973; Don Lever, 1972; and Jocelyn Guevremont, 1971).
Photo Credit: @Canucks - X
Interestingly, this would not be the first time a city’s (or overall demographic) NHL and PWHL team were both awarded the first-overall draft pick. This honour belongs to New York, as the Islanders and the Sirens both selected first-overall in the 2025 Draft, with the Islanders picking defenceman Matthew Schaefer and the Sirens selecting forward Kristýna Kaltounková.
The options at first-overall are bountiful for both the NHL and PWHL. For the NHL, forward Gavin McKenna appears to be the favourite to go first, though Ivar Stenberg has made a strong case for himself. From a PWHL standpoint, all signs point towards defender Caroline Harvey going first-overall; however, defender Laila Edwards, forward Abbey Murphy, and centre Tessa Janecke have all made notable impressions in their respective seasons.
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The Charlotte Checkers have been eliminated in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs following a Game 3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Game 1 of the best-of-three series started perfectly for the Checkers. They defeated the Thunderbirds 8-1 in Game 1, thanks to dominant performances from several players who gained NHL experience with the Florida Panthers late in the season.
In Game 2, the Thunderbirds bounced back, picking up a 5-2 win. It was another strong start, as the Checkers jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first period, but the Thunderbirds responded in the middle frame. The Thunderbirds went into the final stanza with a 3-2 lead and added another two goals to win Game 2.
The first two matchups were fairly high-scoring affairs, but Game 3 was a defensive showdown. The Checkers once again opened the scoring thanks to a tally from Tobias Bjornfot.
The Checkers held onto their lead until late in the third period when veteran defender Calle Rosen tied the game at 1-1.
In the overtime frame, former 2016 first-round pick Julien Gauthier scored the winner, eliminating the Checkers and sending the Thunderbirds into a second-round matchup with the Providence Bruins.
Although the Checkers fell short of replicating their post-season success from last year, they still introduced several rookies to their lineup. They also saw several players, highlighted by Sandis Vilmanis, Alex Benning, and Mikulas Hovorka, play impactful minutes in the NHL.
The Savanah Ghost Pirates, the Panthers’ ECHL affiliate, are the final remaining team in the Panthers organization still alive in the playoffs. However, they are down 2-0 in their first-round series against the Blues’ ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades.
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After leading the Philadelphia Flyers in scoring after the Olympic break, Matvei Michkov has fallen flat against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Michkov, 21, has yet to record a point for the Flyers this postseason, joining Tyson Foerster as the only two forwards (who have played) in that category.
The problem, though, is that the Russian phenom isn't as physical or versatile as Foerster, and it's forced head coach Rick Tocchet to use center Noah Cates as a rogue player at times due to the line's overall ineffectiveness.
Things came to a head in a 4-2 Game 4 loss to the Penguins, when Michkov was out-attempted 14-1--yes, 14-1--at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The former No. 7 overall pick needs opportunities and possession in the offensive zone to contribute, and those opportunities have been far and few between.
Hypothetically, Tocchet's idea of having Cates and Denver Barkey fetch the puck for Michkov on the forecheck should have worked, but it hasn't. Now it's time to adjust.
At Sunday's practice at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J., Michkov was observed to be taking line rushes with projected scratches Garrett Wilson and Carl Grundstrom, while rookie Alex Bump skated with Foerster and Cates.
The Flyers are up 3-1 in the series because they've gotten scoring from the first and fourth lines (Christian Dvorak and Sean Couturier units) that were meant to be handling matchup duties against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
On the other hand, the Trevor Zegras and Cates lines that were set up to have easier matchups have done very little of that, though Zegras and Travis Konecny drove the bus for the Flyers in Game 4, specifically.
So, why is Tocchet making the expected move now, with the Flyers needing some offense and with Michkov producing in key moments as recently as a week ago?
"I just think he's part of the young group. Barks went through it a little bit, Bump a little bit. You hit, not the wall, but you kind of plateau. There's a lot of pace in the playoffs," Tocchet was quoted as saying of Michkov by PHLY's Charlie O'Connor.
"I think it's OK to evaluate them every once in a while, give them a rest and stuff. Whether it's Matvei, whether it's Bumper, it doesn't really matter. I think that's the way you develop them as players."
By default, the new-look Bump, Cates, and Foerster trio should look better and more cohesive. They're better suited for the responsibilities they'll have than Barkey and Michkov were together.
What the immediate future holds for Michkov is currently unclear, but each game he went without scoring or improving made this moment increasingly likely.
Now, we'll have to wait and see how the 21-year-old responds to yet another challenging moment in his young career.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist avoided having to go to the hospital after taking a skate to his face, though coach Glen Gulutzan had no further update Sunday.
Lundkvist suffered a deep laceration after taking an inadvertent skate to the left side of his face during the second period of Dallas' 3-2 overtime loss at Minnesota on Saturday that tied the best-of-seven first-round series at 2-2.
Stars players had the day off Sunday, when Gulutzan spoke to reporters on a Zoom call and said he was waiting for an update after a further examination of Lundkvist. But the coach said Lundkvist never had to to go the hospital for the cut.
On the play where he go hurt, Lundkvist was called for a tripping penalty. As Michael McCarron tumbled over, his skate inadvertently caught the face of the Stars defenseman, who was bleeding when he immediately went to the Dallas bench and then down the tunnel.
Lundkvist signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract that was announced just before the start of the playoffs and goes through the 2027-28 season.
The Colorado Avalanche have a chance to end their first-round series Sunday afternoon, while a loss for Los Angeles could also bring the curtain down on the legendary 20-year career of Anze Kopitar.
The Avalanche carry a 3-0 series lead into Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena after grinding out victories in all three matchups, including a 4-2 win in Game 3. Colorado has not overwhelmed Los Angeles offensively, but it has been the steadier, more composed club in the moments that have mattered most.
Colorado in Control
Each game in the series has featured narrow margins, yet the Avalanche have consistently found answers. They opened with a 2-1 win, followed with a 2-1 overtime triumph in Game 2, then created separation late in Game 3 to move within one win of advancing.
Colorado’s structure, depth, and poise have allowed it to dictate the tone even when the Kings have clogged the neutral zone and turned games into trench warfare. The Avalanche now have an opportunity to become the first Western Conference team to punch its ticket to the next round.
Kings Facing Elimination
For Los Angeles, the challenge is clear: generate more offense before the season disappears. The Kings have defended competitively throughout the series, but too often their attack has stalled before it could truly pressure Colorado.
Now back on home ice, Los Angeles will try to summon the urgency and emotion that often accompanies elimination games. Anything short of a win sends the Kings into the offseason.
Puck drop is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MT. Broadcast coverage will be available on Altitude, TNT, TruTV, and HBO Max, with radio coverage on Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.
But most importantly, how are you, the fans feeling? Will the Avalanche pull off the sweep? Don't miss all the action as The Hockey News will cover every facet of the game!
BOSTON — The site of Sunday afternoon’s Game 4 between the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres was technically TD Garden. But for large stretches, it sure felt a lot like a Sabres home game.
Many Sabres fans made the trip to Boston. They took up a lot of seats in the Garden and they were very loud. And they had plenty to cheer for.
The Bruins gave their worst performance of the season in their most important game. There have been some lackluster playoff efforts from the B’s throughout the last 15 or so years, and this one ranks near the top.
“Man-to-man in here, if we’re not f—ing embarrassed with what just happened, then I don’t know what to say,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said postgame. “It’s not over after three (wins for Buffalo). We have everything to play for here. We know we’re such a better team than what we did today.”
When the final horn mercifully sounded and the scoreboard read 6-1, the Bruins had officially been pushed to the brink of elimination trailing 3-1 in the series.
“I am embarrassed. We all should be,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said.
This might sound hyperbolic, but when you consider the score, the stats and the glaring lack of execution and concentration, the first period might have been the worst 20 minutes of Bruins playoff hockey in a very long time. Sure, there have been periods of bad playoff hockey from the B’s in games that carried far more significance than a Game 4 of Round 1, but the opening 20 minutes Sunday were laughably lopsided.
“To show up like that as a team in the first period is unacceptable,” Bruins forward David Pastrnak said. “We’re much better than that.”
Here are some numbers (all situations) from the first period, via Natural Stat Trick:
Shot attempts: 34-13 Sabres
Shots: 19-5 Sabres
Scoring chances: 19-7 Sabres
High-danger chances: 8-4 Sabres
Goals: 4-0 Sabres
It didn’t take long for the Sabres to take over this game.
They scored the opening goal at 4:17 after a turnover by Fraser Minten. Alex Tuch fed Peyton Krebs on a 2-on-1 and he fired the puck past Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
Sloppy play with the puck was the Bruins’ biggest issue in the first period (and for most of the game). Three of the Sabres’ four goals in the opening 20 minutes were the direct result of Bruins giveaways. All of those turnovers were forced in the Bruins’ own zone. The B’s were credited with 10 giveaways in the first period, and that honestly felt too low of a number.
Buffalo’s relentless forecheck has bothered Boston all series. The Sabres’ 10 goals scored within 10 seconds of forcing a turnover are the most of any team in the playoffs.
Too fast, too furious. Sabres up 4-0 after the 1st period after scoring 3 goals via offensive zone takeaways. No team has scored more goals by forcing turnovers in the playoffs. Bruins with 2 goals against today on controlled breakouts – can't happen. pic.twitter.com/q0oBBLCJQy
In total, the Bruins had 17 giveaways Sunday. Similar to Game 1, breaking out of the defensive zone was a huge challenge. The Sabres are executing the 2023 Panthers playbook very well. They pressure and forecheck aggressively, force a turnover and capitalize on the ensuing scoring chance.
“They did a good job getting on us quick. They had a lot of speed tonight,” Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “They came out on us quick. It’s something we have to look at to try to be a little stronger on pucks and kill their speed a little bit and not play into their game.”
It wasn’t until about five minutes left in the second period that the Bruins finally put together several consecutive shifts with a high compete level, physicality and extended offensive zone time. Why did it take so long for that to happen?
The Bruins were trailing 2-1 in the series. The margin for error was very slim. They were on home ice, where they won an Eastern Conference-leading 29 games in the regular season. There was no excuse not to be ready to go right from the start in the most important game of the year.
There were zero positives to take from this game — nothing to build on going into Game 5. It was a disaster of a performance at the worst possible time.
The Bruins, in fairness, have shown resilience throughout the season. The Game 2 win in Buffalo after a brutal collapse in Game 1 was one recent example.
It wouldn’t be shocking if they went into KeyBank Center and came out with a win. But accomplishing that objective is going to require massive improvement in literally every facet of their game.
“We’ve been through a lot this year as a group,” Pastrnak said. “We believe in this group. We have to do it together.”
The Los Angeles Kings are down 3-0 to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs and will look to avoid a sweep and extend the series to Game 5.
Los Angeles has been in this series for the most part in all three games; the game has been decided by one possession. With the first two games being played in Denver, the Kings lost by just one goal, and Game 3 at LA was a one-goal game until the Avs scored an empty-net goal to seal the deal.
Other than that, the opportunities have been there for the silver and black, but they just haven't been able to capitalize on offense, despite playing great defense led by goaltender Anton Forsberg.
Not only will a win Sunday afternoon extend LA's season, but it will also help extend Anze Kopitar's career, who will likely play his final game if the Avs bring in the brooms.
Start Time and TV Schedule
Who: Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche
When: 1:30 p.m. PT
Where: Crypto.com Arena
Watch: TNT, FanDuel Sports Network West
Kings Projected Lines
Artemi Panarin - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore - Quinton Byfield - Alex Laferriere
Alex Turcotte - Scott Laughton - Jared Wright
Jeff Malott - Samuel Helenius - Taylor Ward
Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci
Anton Forsberg
Darcy Kuemper
Avalanche Projected Lines
Artturi Lehkonen - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
Ross Colton- Brock Nelson - Valeri Nichushkin
Gabriel Landeskog - Nazem Kadri - Nicolas Roy
Parker Kelly - Jack Drury - Logan O'Connor
Devon Toews - Cale Makar
Brett Kulak - Sam Malinski
Nick Blankenburg - Brent Burns
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
Key Factors
For LA to win this game and force another game in Denver, they need to come out aggressively, as they did in Game 3 at home, and put pressure on the Avs' defense. The Kings have done a good job defending Colorado's power play, holding them to 0-for-9 in all three games of this series, but LA, meanwhile, is 2-for-12, barely capitalizing on its stops.
Everything has come so tough for the Kings, especially scoring against Avs goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who has been a monster under the crease for Colorado with a .923 SV%, saving nearly every shot that Los Angeles throws at him.
Will Anton Forsberg stay hot? The Swedish goaltender had a solid Game 3, but took a bit of a drop off compared to the first two games at Denver, and still made several key saves.
And what kind of changes will we see from the top line for Los Angeles? The top line of Kopitar, Artemi Panarin, and Adrian Kempe takes most of the blame, as they were pretty much nonexistent offensively in Game 3. Panarin does have two goals and two points through three games, but Kempe, who ended the season on a hot streak, hasn't lived up to expectations
With Kopitar likely playing his last NHL game on Sunday afternoon, the motivation should be there for the veteran and the rest of the team to try to extend their season.
Notes and Updates
For the Kings injury report Kevin Fiala (fractured leg) remains out and for the Avs Josh Manson (upper-body) is unlikely to play.
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It certainly wasn't perfect for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 on Saturday as they faced a first-round sweep against the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers.
But it was enough to keep them alive.
In a hard-earned effort, the Penguins beat the Flyers, 4-2, to avoid elimination and force a Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Monday. Goaltender Arturs Silovs - starting in place of Stuart Skinner, who got the nod for the first three games of the series - was brilliant, stopping 28 of 30 Flyers' shots on goal and coming up with some huge saves in key moments of the game.
The Penguins still gave up a bit more than they would have liked to, and their power play is still somewhat dysfunctional. They looked much more like the Penguins' team that clinched a playoff spot in the regular season, though, and they live to fight another day on Monday in Game 5.
"I think that looked more like our game," said Sidney Crosby, who registered a goal and an assist. "It's probably taken us three games to look like ourselves a bit. So, I think that's something we can definitely build on."
Despite getting outshot by a small margin, the Penguins generally carried the play in the first period, and they had an opportunity on the power play with under six to go after a Denver Barkey high-stick on Sam Girard. Crosby won the first faceoff back to Erik Karlsson, who recognized an opportunity and slipped a soft-serve dish back to Crosby from behind. With the puck sliding toward the net, Crosby timed it perfectly on a one-timer and snuck it past Dan Vladar to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead five seconds into the power play opportunity.
Then, early in the second period, Vladar went to play a puck behind the net, and he hesitated to make a decision. Meanwhile, Penguins' forward Rickard Rakell closed in on him, forcing the puck away as it squirted out above the goal line. Rakell dove to curl his stick and guide the puck into the net before the Flyers' defense could close in, and it was 2-0 in favor of Pittsburgh.
Late in the second, the Flyers did begin to push a little bit and get back to their game. They were rewarded when Barkey redirected a Trevor Zegras shot-pass behind Silovs to make it a one-goal game.
The third period began with a grind, as both teams jockeyed for the upper hand. About four minutes in, Erik Karlsson and Garnet Hathaway were tangled up in a board battle, and Hathaway took the opportunity to elbow Karlsson in the face, which he took exception to. Both went to the box, and the teams played four-on-four.
And that's when Kris Letang - having himself a pretty good night already with a few key defensive plays earlier in the game - took a soccer-style feed from Crosby into the slot, where he wound up for a one-time blast and restored the Penguins' two-goal lead.
Less than three minutes later, Travis Konecny was lost in coverage and left all alone in the right circle, finding the back of the net and bringing the Flyers back to within one. But, after that, the Penguins shut things down, not giving Philadelphia much with the extra attacker.
Eventually, Blake Lizotte made a nice play to break the puck out of the zone and give the puck just the right amount of English to allow Connor Dewar's speed to catch up to it and put it in the empty net, securing the 4-2 win for the Penguins.
And, with that, the Penguins have taken the first step in getting themselves back in this series.
"Obviously, going home, it doesn't get any easier," Crosby said. "With every game in the series, it's more difficult. But, we've got some life, and we've got to take advantage of the opportunity of going back home now."
Game 5 between the Penguins and Flyers will be at 7:00 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
- Even though the Penguins won this game, there are a ton of things they still have to clean up. The Flyers' second goal was a direct result of a defensive breakdown, and the Penguins, at times, still had issues containing the Flyers' active defensemen throughout the game.
But the biggest issue is still the power play.
Yes, Crosby scored a power play goal, but it was five seconds in and right off the faceoff, which didn't require the Penguins to set up and generate the goal. Other than that, on Pittsburgh's two other opportunities, it was a mess.
The Flyers - once again - had several odd-man breaks, all of which Silovs, like Skinner earlier in the series, was able to stop. This included a breakaway opportunity in the second period by Christian Dvorak, even if he was pressured on the backcheck by Kris Letang and forced to make a quick move.
The Penguins aren't even trying to get pucks to the net on the man advantage. They aren't moving their feet enough. They aren't throwing the Flyers' pedestrian penalty kill unit out-of-structure. They need to shoot the puck, and they need more traffic in front.
At this point, swap out Evgeni Malkin for Egor Chinakhov up high, and swap out Bryan Rust for someone like Elmer Soderblom or, even, Ben Kindel, down low. Soderblom has good hands and can create havoc at the net-front with his size, Kindel is a good distributor and isn't afraid to get in around the net-front, and Chinakhov is a shoot-first player with a dangerous shot.
- Speaking of Chinakhov, this guy has got to start hitting the net.
Contrary to some other talking heads, I don't think Chinakhov has been "invisible" in this series. He's actually had several opportunities to put the puck in the back of the net, and he's generated some of them himself. He just can't - for the life of him - hit the target.
In fact, he's had 27 shot attempts in four games - the second-highest mark on the team to Karlsson - and he's had six shots hit the net, 10 shots blocked, and 11 unblocked shots just miss the net altogether. And some of these are golden looks from the slot that he would have buried during the regular season.
I think he's just gripping the stick a bit too tight and showing some nerves right now. But, once one goes in, the floodgates will open.
As for players who have been a bit invisible? The Penguins need much, much more from their third line, especially. Kindel played a much better game on Saturday and is, by far, the best player on his line. Soderblom has had his moments. But Mantha has not been doing much of anything to help generate opportunities, and he's spent a whole lot of time in the box during this series, too.
Pittsburgh needs far more from its middle six in general, but the third line really needs to step up if the Penguins are to stay in this series.
- It's worth mentioning again how brilliant Silovs was in this game.
When it was announced that he would start over Skinner in Game 4, many folks were left scratching their heads. Skinner had not been the problem at all in the first three games, and Silovs struggled after the Olympic break during the regular season. In a must-win elimination game, it was definitely a bold choice by head coach Dan Muse.
But the thing to remember about Silovs is that he has a track record of playing his best hockey when the stakes are the absolute highest. He tended goal for the Vancouver Canucks against the Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 playoffs after some injury misfortune, and - against an Oilers' team as dangerous as they were and one that made the Cup Final that season - he gave his team a chance to win. And he had a 28-save shutout in the clinching game against the Preds in round one.
Yep. And don't forget that he was also phenomenal in Abbotsford's Calder Cup run last season.
Sure, it's the AHL. But he went 16-7 with a .931 SV% and won tournament MVP. Also a good international resume.
His track record suggests he shows up when the stage is the biggest. https://t.co/3eQwHYly8E
Then, he led the Abbotsford Canucks to the 2025 Calder Cup Championship with a 16-7 record and a .931 save percentage, earning playoff MVP honors. He also has an impressive international resume, with his 2023 and 2024 World Championship save percentages for Team Latvia - who faced off against elite competition - standing out at .952 and .921, respectively.
He came up big when it mattered in this one, just as he usually does. I mentioned the breakaway save earlier, but he had another big one on a two-on-one near the end of the second after the Penguins took a too many men penalty (which was Ilya Solovyov's - playing in his first game this series - only real mistake on the night). And, right now, that move by Muse to go with Silovs - probably, one to light a fire under his team - is looking like a pretty good one.
I don't think there's any question that he's the starter for Game 5. I think the leash should be short for either guy, but the fact of the matter is that the Penguins have been getting more than competent goaltending in this series.
If their offense can finally find that next gear it had in the regular season again, they might just have a chance to pull off something pretty special.
The Detroit Red Wings’ offense produced 239 goals this season, finishing 22nd in the NHL, but a deeper breakdown of how those goals were scored reveals a team with clear strengths and equally clear areas for improvement.
Detroit generated 142 of its 239 goals at five-on-five, the third-fewest total in the league, highlighting a heavy reliance on special teams.
On the power play, however, the Red Wings were far more effective, tying for seventh in the NHL with 56 goals alongside the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. That unit was led by Alex DeBrincat, who scored 15 power-play goals, followed closely by captain Dylan Larkin with 14.
When examining shot types, the wrist shot proved to be Detroit’s most common scoring method. The Red Wings scored 90 goals via the wrist shot, ranking 25th in the NHL, with Larkin leading the team with 17 such goals.
The snap shot, however, was a more productive weapon with Detroit scoring 84 snap-shot goals, ranking ninth league-wide, with DeBrincat pacing the team at 16, making it one of the club’s most effective offensive tools.
The Red Wings were also above average in finishing plays around the net as they scored 25 tip-in goals, tied for 11th in the league alongside the Washington Capitals.
Contributions in this area were spread out, with six players tied for the team lead at three tip-ins each, including known net-front presence James van Riemsdyk.
Detroit produced 22 backhand goals, ranking 13th in the NHL, with DeBrincat again leading the way with five. However, the team struggled significantly in generating offense from the blue line in traditional ways.
The Red Wings scored just eight goals via the slap shot, tied for the fewest in the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Defenseman Moritz Seider led the team with only two slap-shot goals, underscoring a clear gap in point-shot production.
At the league level, Carolina set the standard in that category with 38 slap-shot goals, powered by six each from Andrei Svechnikov and Alexander Nikishin.
Detroit also lagged in other finishing categories as the Red Wings scored just four deflection goals, tying for 25th in the NHL, while the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators led the league with 13.
They added only three goals via batting pucks in, two off poke checks, and one highlight-reel through-the-legs goal from van Riemsdyk, one of just eight such goals scored across the entire league this season.
Overall, the breakdown shows a team that leaned heavily on snap and backhand shots and power-play execution, while lacking consistent production from point and wrist shots.
As Detroit looks ahead to next season, improving offensive diversity, particularly from the blue line and in front of the net, will be a key focus if the Red Wings want to climb the standings and become a more complete scoring unit.
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Over the past several seasons, the Florida Panthers have provided some pretty magical playoff moments during the postseason months of April, May and June.
While the Cats may not be participating in the playoffs this year, they should be back competing for the Stanley Cup in short order.
Still, it can sting a little knowing what a healthy Panthers squad is capable of.
In hopes of taking some of the edge off of that sting, THN Florida is going to provide some fun ‘On this day’ memories as the Panther-less postseason chugs along.
Today, we’re looking back at a big game in Boston that occurred on April 26, 2023.
Florida was on the brink of elimination that day, entering the playoffs as the eighth seed and facing the historically-good Boston Bruins, who set a record for most points during the regular season that year.
Down 3-1 in the series and playing inside the TD Garden in Boston, Florida came up with an incredible effort that sparked arguably the best playoff run in franchise history.
After dropping back-to-back games on home ice and heading back to Boston with their backs against the wall, the Panthers were locked in for Game 5.
Florida never trailed, leading 1-0 after the first period on a goal by Anthony Duclair and then taking a 2-1 lead into the second intermission when Sam Bennett scored to answer a tally by Brad Marchand earlier in the middle frame.
A Sam Reinhart power play goal came less than a minute after Patrice Bergeron tied the game early in the third period, but Taylor Hall tied the game at three and that’s how the score would remain until overtime.
Many of you probably remember that the game nearly didn’t reach overtime after Marchand was unleashed on a breakaway against Sergei Bobrovsky quite literally as time expired.
Marchand’s potential series-winning shot was stopped by a Bobrovsky kick save, keeping Florida’s season alive and pushing the game past regulation.
The overtime session didn’t last very long though.
A turnover by Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark behind the net led to the puck on the stick of Matthew Tkachuk at the top of the crease, and his backhand shot found the back of the yawning cage, sending the series back to South Florida.
You can check out the full game highlights in the video below:
After claiming victory in Game 5, the Panthers went on to win 10 of their next 11 games, steamrolling their way through the Eastern Conference and into the Stanley Cup Final.
Little did we know, this was just the beginning of what has proven to be a hell of a run by Florida, winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025.
Considering the Cats’ championship roster will remain intact for the next several seasons, with opportunities to add impact players thanks to Florida’s players signing team-friendly deals and a rising salary cap, there may be a few more banners hanging above the ice at Amerant Bank Arena when all is said and done.
What are some of your favorite memories from that 2023 first round series against Boston? Let us know in the comments below!
Photo caption: Apr 26, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) reacts after scoring the winning goal during overtime in game five of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 23: Casey Mittelstadt #11 of the Boston Bruins prepares to take a shot against Alex Lyon #34 of the Buffalo Sabres during the third period Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Sabres defeat the Bruins 3-1. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to another edition of the Public Skate, folks!
The Bruins and Sabres are back at it this afternoon, fresh off of enjoying two days off after Game 3 on Thursday.
The B’s should be playing with a level of desperation facing the prospect of going back to Buffalo in a 3-1 hole, but there’s also no real need to panic when you’re only down 2-1 in the series.
The optimist: the B’s lost Game 1 and bounced back to win Game 2!
The pessimist: the B’s looked inept on offense in Game 3 and this could be the last game at TD Garden this season.
