The Battle of Pennsylvania is a battle again, with the Pittsburgh Penguins heading to Xfinity Mobile Arena to face the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of their opening-round series Wednesday, April 29.
My top Penguins vs. Flyers predictions and NHL picks are calling for another low-scoring bout between the division rivals.
Penguins vs Flyers best bet: First period Under 1.5 goals (+100)
Goals have been at a particular premium during the first period of this low-scoring series.
So, while I initially leaned to the Under 5.5 (+100), I think this first-period Under is the better play because there’s always potential for an early goalie pull in an elimination game.
I also value the Pittsburgh goalie switch to Arturs Silovs. He’s sporting a rock-solid .920 save percentage with 1.75 goals saved above expected across his two starts.
Penguins vs Flyers Game 6 same-game parlay
While I do think Silovs will play well in Game 6, his body of work suggests maintaining a .920 SV% and 0.702 GSAx per 60 minutes is asking too much. He finished the regular season with respective .887% and -0.318 marks across 39 games, after all.
Additionally, while difficult to quantify, the go-to Penguins are far older than the best players jumping the boards for the Flyers. So, I expect the physical toll of the series to catch up to Pittsburgh in its third consecutive elimination game.
Turning to the final leg of this same-game parlay, Philly defenseman Jamie Drysdale has quietly had a strong postseason and recorded two or more shots in each of the past three games while averaging a respectable 20:15 per night for the series.
The Philadelphia Flyers have won 17 of their last 25 games (+12.95 Units / 47% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Flyers.
How to watch Penguins vs Flyers Game 6
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Puck drop
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
TNT
Penguins vs Flyers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Pavel Dorofeyev was promoted to the top line in Game 4 and responded with his best performance of the series.
My Mammoth vs. Golden Knights predictions expect another productive outing from Vegas’ leading goal scorer.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Wednesday, April 29.
Mammoth vs Golden Knights Game 5 prediction
Mammoth vs Golden Knights best bet: Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 shots (-150)
Pavel Dorofeyev’s shot volume has risen throughout the series. He attempted only three shots in Game 1, but has responded by clearing his line in three consecutive games.
His highest output came in Game 4, with Dorofeyev generating seven attempts, four shots, and scoring a goal. That spike coincided with a promotion to the Vegas Golden Knights' top line, riding shotgun with Jack Eichel.
He should have confidence after finding the back of the net, and the circumstances are favorable as well.
Dorofeyev has cleared 2.5 shots in 74% of his home games following one day of rest this season.
Mammoth vs Golden Knights Game 5 same-game parlay
Lawson Crouse is playing big minutes on the Utah Mammoth's top line, logging at least 17 minutes in all four games. He cleared 1.5 shots in eight of the past 10 games in which he logged 17+ minutes, and had a healthy five shot attempts in one of the exceptions.
Sticking with the Mammoth, Dylan Guenther has shot the lights out in his first taste of playoff action. He's attempted at least nine shots in all four games, averaging five on target and 11 attempts.
The Mammoth will lean heavily on their sniper in a pivotal swing game.
Mammoth vs Golden Knights SGP
Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 shots
Lawson Crouse Over 1.5 shots
Dylan Guenther Over 3.5 shots
Mammoth vs Golden Knights odds for Game 5
Moneyline: Mammoth +135 | Golden Knights -155
Puck Line: Mammoth +1.5 (-180) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+155)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 (+115)
Mammoth vs Golden Knights trend
Pavel Dorofeyev recorded three or more shots in 13 of his last 16 home games after one day of rest. Find more NHL betting trends for Mammoth vs. Golden Knights.
How to watch Mammoth vs Golden Knights Game 5
Location
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Date
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, truTV
Mammoth vs Golden Knights latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
With the series suddenly reduced to a best-of-three, the Utah Mammoth are turning Salt Lake City into playoff central for a pivotal Game 5 showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Utah Mammoth announced they will host a free public watch party Wednesday night outside Delta Center as fans gather to watch Game 5 live from Las Vegas on a massive outdoor screen. With the first-round series tied 2-2, the atmosphere in downtown Salt Lake City is expected to mirror the urgency of the moment.
The event begins at 7:30 p.m. on SeatGeek Plaza and will feature a live DJ, food and drink options, a beer garden, the team’s hype crew, and access to the Team Store throughout the night. No tickets or advance reservations are required.
Utah enters Game 5 after a crushing overtime loss Monday night, when Vegas Golden Knights evened the series at two wins apiece. Now the Mammoth head back to T-Mobile Arena looking to reclaim momentum in what has quickly become one of the tighter matchups of the opening round.
While Vegas Golden Knights bring a resume built on deep postseason runs, Utah’s veteran core has helped steady a franchise navigating its first playoff appearance under the Mammoth identity.
Puck drop for Game 5 is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday in Las Vegas.
But in these NHL playoffs, has it all caught up to him? Through five games of the Flyers’ best-of-seven first-round matchup with the Penguins, Foerster hasn’t recorded a point. Despite playing 17:22 minutes per game, he has just seven shots.
With the series heading into a Game 6, the Flyers could use Foerster’s goal-scoring punch.
“He’s a really good hockey player, we’re trying to stick with him,” Rick Tocchet said Tuesday. “It’s [not just] him; we’ve got some other guys there that we need a little bit more from. But it is tough, hitting the wall, to be able to play at that pace and all that sort of stuff, maybe he has hit the wall a little bit.
“But 24 hours or 36 hours off, reset your brain, can do wonders for a guy. And usually guys like that, they find their way. We’re not giving up on Tyson, he’s too good of a hockey player.”
It’s true that the Flyers need others to answer the bell, too. Their top four goal scorers from the regular season — Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov — have combined for three goals and 21 shots. One of the goals was an empty-netter and another was on the power play.
The Flyers will have to decide if they want to get Michkov back in the lineup Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP). The 21-year-old winger was a healthy scratch in Game 5 after going scoreless through the first four games of the series.
With Foerster, the Flyers feel they can still rely on him as one of their better defensive forwards. In the series, he has been on the ice for only one even-strength goal against and has played 1:40 minutes per game on the penalty kill.
“I think goal scorers get streaky,” Sean Couturier said. “At the same time, I think he has been a pretty big part of our PK, so he’s killing some penalties, he has been a part of that success. So he’s contributing in other ways.
“Obviously I’m sure he’d like to score. Not just him; myself, a couple of guys, I’m sure we want to find the puck in the back of the net a little bit more. I think the key, really, is sticking to our game, the way we want to play and not start forcing things and opening up because that could get ugly.”
The Flyers were not a high-end goal-scoring team in the regular season. Instead, down the stretch, they were one of the stingiest clubs. After giving up seven goals over Games 4 and 5, both losses, the Flyers will try to dictate play more in Game 6.
They’re back home with a 3-2 series lead and another opportunity to eliminate Pittsburgh.
“I think we still just have a great opportunity ahead of us here tomorrow,” Christian Dvorak said. “We’re still in a good spot, still up in the series and have a chance to close out at home.”
And Foerster has a chance to put his mark on the series.
A former Buffalo Sabres forward is officially hanging up the skates.
The NHL Alumni's official X account shared that former Sabres forward Linus Omark has announced his retirement from professional hockey.
Omark finished off his NHL career during the 2013-14 season with the Sabres. In 13 games with the Sabres that season, he posted two assists, three hits, and six penalty minutes.
Following his time with the Sabres, Omark had a long career overseas, where he spent time in leagues like SHL, KHL, and Switzerland's National League. The 39-year-old forward was still solid this campaign overseas, too. In 15 games with HC Lugano of the NL, he had four goals and 11 points. He also had five goals and 16 points in 29 games for Lulea HF of the SHL this campaign.
Omark was selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the 97th overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In 79 career games over three NHL seasons split between the Oilers and Sabres, he had eight goals, 24 assists, and 32 points.
Apr 25, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) is escorted off the ice after being checked in the second period against the Ottawa Senators in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn
Marc DesRosiers/Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
RALEIGH, N.C. — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour is hopeful that winger Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Alexander Nikishin will be ready for Round 2 of the NHL playoffs with extra time off to recover from injuries.
The Eastern Conference’s top seed closed out a first-round sweep of Ottawa, though Ehlers was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. Nikishin was knocked from the second period with a concussion on a jarring hit from Tyler Kleven, leaving Nikishin prone on the ice and struggling to get back to his feet.
The Hurricanes were the first team to advance to Round 2 and next face the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh winner. The Flyers won the first three games, but the Penguins have extended the series to Game 6.
Neither Ehlers nor Nikishin skated with the team returning to practice, though there’s clearly no need to rush them back. Afterward, Brind’Amour said “everything’s trending in the right direction” on Nikishin.
Veteran forward William Carrier took Ehlers’ spot on the third line in Game 4, while Nicolas Deslauriers got his first playoff action since 2022 in taking Carrier’s spot in a testy Game 4 with multiple scrums.
As for the blue liners, veteran Mike Reilly played 42 regular-season games to help the Hurricanes play through the absence of top defenseman Jaccob Slavin for much of the schedule, and is the team’s seventh defenseman.
Additionally, Carolina called up defenseman prospect Charles Alexis Legault — a 22-year-old fifth-round draft pick from the 2023 draft — from the American Hockey League to work with the team.
Edmonton, AB - The Ducks are in a position that they haven't been in for nine years––the opportunity to close out a playoff series. After taking a 3-1 series lead off the back of a controversial call in overtime, Game 5 gives them an opportunity to eliminate the defending Western Conference champions from the past two seasons.
"I think we've had a real good approach going into the playoffs," Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. "I know it was something we were striving for at the beginning of the year. The first game (of the series) was a terrible loss. It was very disappointing, and then I thought we felt we had to get better every game.
"I thought last (game), our start wasn't on the pace of the expectations of what we left Game 3 with, but I still thought we got going there later in the first (period) to get ourselves back to get on that pace where we're consistently playing at a high level and looking to improve off of the prior games. We're able to get ourselves back in the game, which was a big chore. (The Oilers) played well last (game). We give ourselves a chance to do what we wanted to do at the start, win four (games), but that's a whole different challenge for us. We're looking forward to seeing how we meet it."
Apr 26, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish (23) faces off against Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images
"I think we've been consistent with our effort and just trying to play a full game," Ducks forward Jeff Viel said. "Just focusing shift after shift and game after game and kind of just living in the moment and in the present. Just focusing on our game plan, I think that's been the big thing."
"I think throughout the season with this group, throughout the regular season, that we don't ever feel we're out of a game," Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba said. "Obviously, you don't want to get down. We don't want to play from behind, but I think there's a belief in the group that we have the ability to score. You want to defend better, but I think that it's a good thing to have when you get down a couple, your team still believes you can come back and win a game. I think we've shown that and built that belief throughout the season."
"Our team has the ability to score goals," Ducks goaltender Lukáš Dostál said. "I think we've shown it throughout the year that we have that ability. We have great players on our team that can really score. Even the depth guys, they score the goals. So I think that's kind of how we present ourselves throughout the season. I'm just so glad that we can keep doing it in the playoffs.
"For me, (I) don't want to get scored on early on, but when it happens, I know I've been in that situation many times. Mentally, you've just got to stay ready and you have to make sure that you keep the puck out of the net and the guys score some goals. The momentum kind of shifts at that point to our way."
Apr 26, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) with a shot on goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images
Having their backs up against the wall isn't something the Oilers are unfamiliar with. They erased a 2-0 series deficit last season against the Los Angeles Kings, rattling off five consecutive come-from-behind victories after that. They are 19-5 under head Kris Knoblauch in Games 4-7 during the playoffs. Connor McDavid has 23 points in 15 games when facing elimination. Leon Draisaitl has 19 points in 15 games when faced with the same circumstances.
Speaking of McDavid, he did not participate in Tuesday's morning skate, with Knoblauch calling him a game-time decision during his post-morning skate media availability. Jason Dickinson, who missed Games 2 and 3 with a lower-body injury, also did not participate in the Oilers' morning skate. He too will be a game-time decision.
On the Anaheim side of things, Troy Terry continues to be an absentee from morning skate for maintenance reasons, though the expectation is that he will once again be playing. Captain Radko Gudas, who has not played since Game 1 of this series due to a lower-body injury, has not practiced with the team since then.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville speaks to the media after their morning skate at Rogers Place.
Ducks Projected Lines
Troy Terry - Leo Carlsson - Cutter Gauthier Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke Chris Kreider - Ryan Poehling - Mason McTavish Jeff Viel - Tim Washe - Ian Moore
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Pavel Mintyukov - John Carlson Tyson Hinds - Drew Helleson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Oilers Projected Lines
Matt Savoie - Connor McDavid - Zach Hyman Vasily Podkolzin - Leon Draisaitl - Kasperi Kapanen Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Josh Samanski - Jack Roslovic Colton Dach -Curtis Lazar -Trent Frederic
The Montreal Canadiens were back on the ice of the CN Sports Complex in Brossard ahead of their flight to Tampa Bay this afternoon, and that meant yet another media availability for coach Martin St-Louis. This time, it was kept rather short as the bench boss spent less than six minutes on the podium.
It was towards the end of the availability that Herb Zurkowsky from the Montreal Gazette asked him a rather good question. The veteran writer put it to St-Louis that Max Crozier’s hit on Juraj Slafkovsky was the defining moment of the Habs’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The coach replied:
If you let that moment define the series, you’re putting yourself in a bad spot. Don’t let moments like that define it; rewrite it.
That came out of his mouth pretty quickly, almost as if he had already said those very words not so long ago. If I were a betting woman, I’d put good money on the possibility that St-Louis recently used those words with his players.
No one can argue that the bone-crushing hit that sent Slafkovsky down to the ice didn’t have an impact on the game. The 21,000-plus fans in attendance all gasped. Nick Suzuki looked at his teammate on the ice with worry plastered all over his face, and shortly after that, the Bolts scored their first goal of the game. That was, without a doubt, the turning point of the game.
The good news is for the Canadiens though that the series is not over, it’s all tied at 2-2, which means that someone else can step up and write a brand new story in which the Canadiens benefit from the turning point of a game and if they finish the job, be it in six of seven games, it could then become the defining moment of the series.
When the Canadiens jump on the ice of the International Benchmark Arena on Wednesday night, they’ll be on a mission to rewrite the script and show that the Crozier hit wasn’t the defining moment of the series. It’s up to them to find a way, but watching St-Louis this morning, it’s clear that he expects them to do it.
The New York Rangers’ backup goaltending position is vacant heading into the offseason.
After playing three seasons with the Rangers, Jonathan Quick officially retired from the NHL, leaving Chris Drury with a decision about how to move forward at the backup spot.
Called up late in the season, Dylan Garand has positioned himself as the clear frontrunner to replace Quick.
After multiple years playing in the American Hockey League, the Rangers finally gave Garand a look toward the latter half of the 2025-26 campaign, as he started in three games, recording a 2-0-1 record, 1.62 goals against average, and .948 save percentage.
“It was great, such a good experience,” Garand said of his time with the Rangers to close out the season. “Obviously, waited my whole life for an opportunity like this, and yeah, it was everything I dreamed of.”
It remained a question whether or not Garand would ever get a chance to play in the NHL for the Rangers, but he certainly took full advantage of the opportunity once it was presented to him and put himself in a strong position to earn the backup goaltending position come training camp starting in September.
Will Drury bring in a veteran goalie to compete with the 23-year-old netminder?
While praising Garand’s game, Drury emphasized that all options are still on the table, insinuating that he hasn’t necessarily secured the job just yet.
“As far as Dylan, I couldn’t be happier for him, coming up and playing as solid as he did,” Drury said. “I was excited about what we saw, and we're certainly looking at him and among other options as to see who could be backup.”
Since being selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Garand has played in 165 AHL games.
Through all of that experience, Garand feels he’s now prepared to take on a full-time NHL role, and the small taste of action he got with the Rangers in the final weeks of the season motivates him even further.
“A lot,” Garand said when asked how much this taste will push him moving forward. “I never want to go back to the American League, honestly. I'm so hungry to be here. I want to be in this league and a part of this organization. There's nothing else like it. It's the best league in the world, so yeah, it's been a great taste. I’m definitely going in the summer very motivated to be back here.”
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a tough grind and its one that wears down teams the deeper they go.
For the Carolina Hurricanes, who are headed into the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after sweeping the Ottawa Senators, they're already feeling the effects.
Carolina has seen two players miss time so far this postseason due to injury in both Nikolaj Ehlers and Alexander Nikishin.
Ehlers was ruled out before Game 4 with a lower-body injury and Nikishin left early in the second period of Game 4 after suffering a concussion following a hit.
Neither player was on the ice with the team when they returned to practice on Tuesday, but Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour is hopeful that they'll soon be back.
"I'm hopeful that both guys will be ready by the looks of it," Brind'Amour said. "With the concussion, everything is trending in the right direction, it just kind of depends on how long we're off for. So it could work in our favor if it is a little longer."
The Hurricanes are currently awaiting their next round opponent, who will be one of either the Philadelphia Flyers or Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Flyers had a 3-0 series lead, but the Penguins have won two straight to force Game 6 on Wednesday.
So while some may worry about potential rust settling in for the idle Canes, that time will hopefully allow them to recover some key bodies.
They Said It
"It was good, exciting, but I just stay ready," said Nicolas Deslauriers, who drew in for Ehlers in Game 4. "I'm not here to take a spot, so I hope that Fly can come back because he's such a big key for us."
"Definitely scary just seeing the hit," said Seth Jarvis on seeing Nikishin knocked out of the game. "I thought the guys that went over there did a great job at sticking up for him. You obviously never want to see that happen to anyone. Just hoping he recovers fast — he seemed in good spirits today — so hopefully he'll be back for next series."
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The Los Angeles Kings are just a couple of days removed from a disappointing 4-0 first-round series defeat to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it's a good time to reflect on what transpired in the Kings' post-season, and what they can build from.
Though they lost every game, there are some bright spots to take from this series, even if it was the team's fifth-straight exit in the opening round of the playoffs.
So, now that the Kings' off-season is officially underway, let's look back at the positives from these playoffs.
Anton Forsberg
Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg was a revelation for the team, not only in the post-season, but in the final stretch of the regular season and ultimately helped push Los Angeles into the playoffs.
The recent play of Forsberg tells the organization that they have another veteran netminder who can be relied on. Los Angeles' tandem plans changed alongside Darcy Kuemper, who has been the starter for most of his Kings career before this Forsberg streak.
The Swede gave the Kings a chance to win in the playoffs, especially in Game 1 and 2. In the playoff opener, Forsberg stopped 30 of 32 shots, recording a .938 save percentage. He was even better the next game when he posted a .944 SP with 34 saves on 36 shots on goal.
In what was his first-ever experience of the post-season, Forsberg put up a total .909 SP - a number that was damaged late in Game 4 when Los Angeles needed to take chances offensively. Though without a win, he was certainly a bright spot for the Kings in the playoffs.
The Kings brought in the 33-year-old netminder through 2025 free agency. They signed the veteran to a two-year contract following four years with the Ottawa Senators as a perennial backup, besides a remarkable 2021-22 campaign.
Now, he's more than a backup goalie for the Kings and will have a much bigger role next season with the way he closed out 2025-26.
Anton Forsberg and Drew Doughty (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
Ability To Shutdown Superstars
Los Angeles has been known for their ability to play defensively and sometimes uneventful hockey. But in a series against the Presidents' Trophy winners, it needed to be on full display, and they executed for the most part.
Furthermore, despite the Avalanche having three players end the regular season with an average of over a point per game and six players who registered at least 20 goals, no one on Colorado ended the series with more than a point-per-game average.
They can take pride in what they accomplished defensively, and going into the 2026-27 campaign, they'll be confident in their ability to silence the NHL's top stars, even with Anze Kopitar out of the picture.
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Apr 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (27) take a third period face-off in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Charles LeClaire/Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins are halfway to history.
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are aiming to become just the fifth team in NHL history to win a series after trailing 3-0. They’ve won two straight games to force Game 6 in Philadelphia.
“It’s quite clear the situation for us is win or go home,” said Crosby, who had two assists in a 3-2 win in Game 5. “I think that urgency, that desperation, whatever you want to call it, I think has brought (out) some of our best hockey because of it. So, we just gotta keep going here.”
The Flyers are among the four teams that have rallied to win a series after losing the first three games. They did it against Boston in the second round in 2010. Philadelphia ended up reaching the Stanley Cup Final that season, losing to Chicago.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Flyers forward Owen Tippett said. “We knew we weren’t going to win every game. Reset and get back at it.”
While Philadelphia aims to advance to the second round for the first time since 2020, there are two Game 5s featuring series locked in a 2-2 tie.
The Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Canadiens 3-2 in Montreal in Game 4, tying the series and regaining home-ice advantage.
The Vegas Golden Knights squandered a three-goal lead but came back to defeat the Utah Mammoth 5-4 on Shea Theodore’s goal with 51.5 seconds left in overtime to even their series.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers
When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (TNT).
Series: Flyers lead 3-2.
Philadelphia’s seemingly comfortable 3-0 series lead doesn’t feel quite so comfortable anymore, not after consecutive victories by the Penguins in which Pittsburgh captain Crosby has been at his brilliant best.
Crosby had a goal and an assist in Game 4, then backed it up with perhaps an even better performance in Game 5, dishing out a pair of helpers, the second of which set up Kris Letang’s game-winning goal just moments after Crosby took a slapshot to his left knee and limped to the training room.
While the Flyers still are in a solid position to do what all but four teams in NHL history have done — winning a series after taking the first three games — for a youth-laden club in its first playoff series in six years, the fourth win is proving to be the hardest.
“Even though 3-0 sounded nice, we knew it wasn’t going to be over,” Philadelphia goaltender Dan Vladar said.
It’s not. The Penguins steadily have regained the form that made them one of the league’s biggest surprises during the regular season. They received secondary scoring in Game 5— third-liner Elmer Soderblom scored his first of the playoffs and fourth-liner Connor Dewar notched his second — and then clamped down during the third period to extend their season.
A chance to shift all of the pressure on the Flyers awaits if Pittsburgh can find a way to force a Game 7.
“I think the last couple games we found our stride a bit,” said Crosby, who now has 100 wins in the playoffs. “We should feel good about that. ... We’re playing good hockey and we’ve got to go in there and find a way to win again.”
Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN).
Series: Tied 2-2.
After three overtime games, one finally was decided in regulation when Brandon Hagel scored two goals to lift the Lightning to a 3-2 win. Hagel has six goals in the series.
“He’s definitely become the straw that stirs our drink,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Even when we went down 2-0, he stood up and looked both ways and, literally I think, captivated the bench with what he was saying and the message he was delivering.”
Hagel’s words motivated his teammates and Max Crozier inspired them with his actions.
The Lightning were down 2-0 in the second period when Crozier flattened Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky with a hard hit in the middle of the ice. The legal check energized Tampa Bay and changed the momentum of the game.
“The hit obviously got our bench out of their seats,” Cooper said. “But you still have to take advantage of that. We score in the last minute of the second, and in the first minute of the third, and all of a sudden the game’s completely changed. It helped take the crowd out of it.”
The Canadiens have to rebound after wasting a two-goal lead at home and missing an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. They can’t dwell on Game 4.
“That’s a veteran team. They’re very good at drawing penalties. They got talented players,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “They’re a tough team and we knew it was going to be a tough series. We’re right in it. We’re in a battle. It’s a fine line between winning and losing in these games, but we’re battling.”
Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights
When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Wednesday, 10 p.m. EDT (TNT, truTV HBO Max).
Series: Tied 2-2.
This opening-round series has a sense of deja vu for the Golden Knights, and Vegas hopes that’s a good sign of what’s to come.
The Golden Knights opened last year’s playoffs by prevailing in six games over the Wild. Vegas split the first two games at home, was blown out in Game 3 at Minnesota and won in overtime in Game 4 before going on to take the next two games and the series.
And the series with the Mammoth?
The almost exact beginning.
But financial advisers often warn that past performances aren’t necessarily indicative of future results, and the Golden Knights know they have a fight on their hands if they are to advance to the second round.
“I really like our squad,” coach John Tortorella said. “The most important thing for our team is to know who we are, know who you are as a club, and we are a really good hockey club. No matter what happens, we move forward with the highs and lows of a series.”
There was plenty of both for both teams in a 5-4 Vegas overtime victory at Salt Lake City.
The Golden Knights went up 3-0, Utah roared back with four unanswered goals and Vegas forced overtime in the third period. Then the Golden Knights thought they won in OT before an offside review wiped out Pavel Dorofeyev’s goal, and then actually won it on Jack Eichel’s sensational pass to Shea Theodore in the high slot for the winner with less than a minute left in overtime.
“There is plenty of hockey left in this series; a tied series going back,” Mammoth defenseman Ian Cole said. “It’s a three-game series. (We’re) focusing on what we can control and where we stand right now. I think that will do us well.”
San Jose Sharks forward Pavol Regenda is not going to Switzerland to represent Slovakia at this year's IIHF World Championship, according to local reports.
The 26-year-old forward struggled to find a spot in the Sharks lineup for much of the season despite scoring at a high rate and having very favorable analytics. In 24 games at the NHL level, he scored nine goals and recorded a single assist.
Regenda's goal-scoring likely wasn't sustainable over the course of a full season considering, according to MoneyPuck.com, he had a higher goals per sixty minutes rate than Macklin Celebrini and his shooting percentage was 21.7%, but it was still impressive given his limited opportunities in the NHL.
Regenda has been a mainstay for the Slovak National Team over the past half-decade, but this year, it appears he's opting to focus on his dream of remaining in the NHL.
"Pavol and I talked on the phone a few times, there were some health issues, but first and foremost he feels he has one last chance to stay in America and fight for the NHL," Slovak head coach Vladimír Országh said to Slovakia's SME Sportsnet.
As an unrestricted free agent, Regenda has no guarantees regarding his NHL future. Given his usage late in the season, it seems likely that his future won't be in San Jose though.
Regenda has previously talked about the importance of international tournaments to Slovakia and its people, meaning this probably wasn't a decision he made lightly.
"He needs a good summer preparation [to try to stay in the NHL]," Országh added. "Since he has been regularly going to the World Championships in recent years, he feels that the time has come when he needs to rest and prepare for the next season"
While Regenda's NHL future is up in the air, it seems he's going to do whatever it takes to try to keep it going.
There’s a point in every playoff series where conviction meets friction.
For the Philadelphia Flyers, friction is a very kind way to describe what this series against the Pittsburgh Penguins has brought them. Through the first three games against the Penguins, their lineup had been untouchable—not out of pure stubbornness, but simply because there was no evidence to justify change. The structure held. The results followed.
Game 4 didn’t dismantle that belief, but it reminded the Flyers that, as much as it may have seemed like it in the first three outings, their lineup wasn't bulletproof.
Rick Tocchet’s first significant move came in Game 5, inserting Alex Bump for Matvei Michkov. This was a decision that invited debate the moment it was made. The rationale was clear, even if the optics were complicated: a shift toward directness, toward immediacy, toward a player who would simplify decisions and engage the game early.
Whether or not Michkov should have been the player to make room is a story for another day, but the result of the swap was undeniable. Bump delivered.
The 22-year-old scored an important goal, yes—but more importantly, a series of shifts that aligned with what the Flyers needed. He brought quick releases and purposeful routes. He made plays that didn’t linger longer than they should. It didn’t settle the debate around Michkov, nor should it, but it validated Tocchet’s willingness to adjust. And now, as the series moves to Game 6, that willingness appears to be expanding—this time, on the back end.
The door has opened, however slightly, for Oliver Bonk.
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Oliver Bonk (59). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
Why Now?
Defensive pairings, perhaps more than any other part of a lineup, are built on trust. Not just in ability, but in predictability—knowing where your partner will be, how a sequence will unfold, how a retrieval will turn into an exit.
That’s why coaches resist change there unless they have to.
But Game 4 revealed something subtle in the Flyers’ defensive game. The Flyers have admitted that figuring out their defensive pairings has been a bit of a challenge—finding pairs that complement the varying sizes and offensive vs. defensive propensities of their blue line is a puzzle they're still figuring out. Pittsburgh’s ability to stretch the ice and sustain pressure didn’t overwhelm Philadelphia’s structure as much as it tested its elasticity. It forced longer defensive sequences, more second touches, more decisions under pressure.
That’s where fresh variables begin to matter. And that’s where Bonk becomes relevant.
What Bonk Actually Brings
At a glance, the case for Bonk starts with the obvious: size, reach, and a calmness with the puck that doesn’t feel rushed. But reducing him to those traits misses the more important layer: He processes the game efficiently.
Coaches have lauded Bonk's intelligence and maturity since he was first drafted to the Flyers in 2023, and there has always been the utmost confidence in the young defenseman that he has all the tools to seamlessly adapt to the NHL.
“For defensemen, it’s a big jump,” Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach John Snowden said of Bonk back during the Flyers' 2025 rookie camp. “The strength, the skill, the speed, the gaps you have to have…He knows what he has to do. I think he’s putting himself in a really good spot. I like where his body’s at right now. I like his mindset.”
For a defenseman, especially a 21-year-old one stepping into a playoff environment, that’s everything. It’s not about making spectacular plays, but about making the correct play, quickly enough that pressure doesn’t have time to develop.
Bonk’s offensive instincts also offer something the Flyers could use more of right now: controlled activation. Not reckless pinches or forced shots, but the ability to extend possession—walking the line, shifting angles, getting pucks through traffic without overhandling.
But perhaps Bonk's biggest contribution to the lineup could come in the form of his potential power play usage. If there is a single, clean argument for inserting Bonk into Game 6, it lives there.
Philadelphia’s power play has had moments in this series, but it hasn’t consistently dictated terms. Entries have been uneven. Zone time has been there, but not always converted into high-quality looks. A defenseman who can hold the line, manipulate lanes, and deliver pucks with purpose changes the geometry of those sequences.
Bonk can do that. Maybe not as a finished product, but as a player whose instincts align with what the Flyers are trying to create.
The Risk And the Reality of It
For all of his fantastic qualities, there’s no avoiding the obvious.
Bonk has one NHL game. (And two NHL points—a goal and an assist.)
Game 6 of a playoff series—potentially a closeout game—is not a gentle introduction. It’s a compressed, high-stakes environment where every mistake is amplified and every hesitation is exposed, especially against a team like Pittsburgh that is mounting a dangerous comeback attempt and is desperate to complete it.
But that risk has to be contextualized. The Flyers have already shown a willingness to trust young players in meaningful roles. They have not insulated them from pressure; they’ve integrated them into it. The expectation isn’t that they will be flawless. It’s that they will be aligned.
Bonk won't be expected to completely transform the outcome of Game 6. They just need him to fit into its existing structure. That means clean first passes, controlled retrievals, smart decisions at the offensive blue line. If he does those things, the rest of his game—his size, his shot, his ability to extend plays—becomes additive rather than essential.
There is a through line between Bump’s insertion in Game 5 and the possibility of Bonk in Game 6, and that is that Tocchet is not chasing change for its own sake. He is recognizing and targeting specific gaps.
Interesting for Rick Tocchet to say in his media availability today that “it’s in the discussion to maybe put [Oliver Bonk] in” tomorrow. #Flyers had largely stuck with the same lineup before Game 5, but after Alex Bump’s standout game, looks like they’re open to more changes.
With Bump, it was about early engagement—simplifying the Flyers’ offensive rhythm, ensuring that their first touches carried intent. With Bonk, it would be about sustaining possession from the back end, adding a layer of composure and offensive threat that can turn defensive stability into attacking continuity.
Different positions. Same philosophy to adjust where the game has shifted.
What This Says About the Flyers
More than anything, this moment reflects a team that understands where it is.
The Flyers are not searching for identity. They’ve established it. They know how they want to and how they now have to play to control games, and how they want to respond to pressure.
What they’re doing now is refining that identity under playoff conditions—Game 4 showed them where the edges were, Game 5 showed that they’re willing to act on it, and Game 6 may extend that further.
The Decision Ahead
Tocchet hasn’t committed publicly. He rarely does, especially with lineup decisions now that playoffs are in full swing. But the fact that Bonk is explicitly part of the conversation matters. It signals that no position is immune to evaluation—not even one as structurally sensitive as defense.
It also reinforces something the Flyers have quietly demonstrated throughout this series: Continuity is a strength, but adaptability is what sustains it. If Bonk plays, it won’t be because the Flyers are scrambling for solutions. It will be because they’ve identified something specific and believe he can provide it.
Both Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin took the ice on Monday at practice and Tuesday at morning skate.
“I think it’s a good sign," Wild head coach John Hynes said on Monday about Zuccarello practicing. "We’ll see how he felt and what his response is from that. But it is definitely a step in the right direction.”
Hynes said that the two will be questionable to play in Game 5 on Monday and now they are game-time decisions.
He also said they were in Game 3 and both missed. Hynes also said Zuccarello would be a game-time decision in Game 4 and he did not play either.
Zuccarello, 38, had three assists in Game 1 and plays a huge factor on the Wild's top line with Ryan Hartman and Kirill Kaprizov.
He has two goals and eight points in seven career playoff games against the Stars. In 103 career playoff games, Zuccarello has 19 goals, 42 assists and 61 points in 103 career playoff games.
Trenin, 29, has 1,359 career hits in 457 NHL games. In 28 career playoff games, Trenin has 115 hits, including 50 hits in eight career playoff games with Minnesota.
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