Windsor Spitfires Forwards Liam Greentree, Ilya Protas, and AJ Spellacy Recalled To AHL

© Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Windsor Spitfires forwards Liam Greentree, AJ Spellacy, and Ilya Protas are headed to the AHL after the Spitfires were eliminated in the second round of the OHL playoffs.

Greentree will join the Ontario Reign, Spellacy the Rockford IceHogs, and Protas the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears.

Protas was second in OHL scoring and led the Spitfires in goals (50) and points (124) in 61 games this season before adding five goals and 20 assists in 12 playoff games. 

A third round selection of the Capitals in 2024, Ilya is the younger brother of Washington forward Alexei Protas.

Spellacy notched 18 goals and 37 points in 62 games this season and three points in five playoff games before suffering an injury. 

The 19-year-old was a third round selection of the Blackhawks in 2024. 

Greentree recorded 49 goals and 119 points in 64 games this season, finishing third in OHL scoring. He had 14 goals and 24 points in 11 playoff games. 

The captain of the Spitfires for the last two seasons, Greentree was selected 26th overall by the Kings in the 2024 draft. 

The Reign are down 1-0 and the IceHogs are up 1-0 in their respective best-of-three first round matchups while the Bears have a bye into the Atlantic Division Semifinals. 

It remains to be seen how much of an impact each player will have in the Calder Cup playoffs but given their great combination of size and skill it would not be surprising to see Greentree and Protas play meaningful minutes. Spellacy will be an interesting decision given the injury he dealt with throughout the OHL playoffs. 

Check out The Hockey News' Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, and Chicago Blackhawks sites for more insight on each team.  

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.  

NHL Nugget: How The New York Islanders Got Their Name And Logo

The four stripes on the hockey stick on the New York Islanders' logo weren't there at the beginning. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Weekend's Way Back When rewinds to 1972 when the New York Islanders franchise was born.

When it came to the name for the Long Island team, it was a no-brainer. But the Islanders' iconic logo keeps it all about hockey, home turf and Stanley Cup championships.

 Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.       

Blackhawks Prospect Drew Commesso Has An NHL Future

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Coming into 2024-25, the Chicago Blackhawks were expected to use a goalie tandem of Petr Mrazek and Laurent Brossoit. Well, Brossoit was hurt before the season even began and never returned to action. 

That opened the door for Arvid Soderblom to take the gig, and he did. It was an impressive year for him, as there were times he was the number one over Mrazek. 

The Hawks made a big-time move ahead of the trade deadline, however, that changed the present and future of the organization's plans in the net. 

In sending Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers, Spencer Knight came the other way. He is seen as the goalie of the future in Chicago. What that means for Soderblom and the other goalies in the system remains to be seen.

There is a long-term backup to Knight needs to be solidified. Chicago has options for that spot. 

One goalie who should have an NHL future is Drew Commesso, whether it's with Chicago or elsewhere. Commesso is currently playing for the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. 

Commesso was a second-round pick (46th overall) by the Blackhawks in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has since had success with Boston University, Team USA at different levels, and now with the Hogs down in Rockford. 

He made his NHL debut in 2024-25 but didn't get more than one start and two appearances. In 39 games with Rockford in 2024-25, Commesso had a 2.54 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. 

On Wednesday night, Rockford took a 1-0 series lead over the Chicago Wolves in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. It was a tight 2-1 win that came in overtime thanks to a sudden-death goal scored by Artyom Levshunov. 

Without Commesso's brilliance, Rockford would have never pulled off the win. He made some game-changing saves throughout, including on high-danger chances in the final minute of regulation. 

"Just a continuation of the way he's been the last month and a half, two months," interim head coach Mark Eaton said of Commesso after the big win. "He's been so solid, making the saves that you expect him to make, but then making the big ones when called upon."

In the second half of this AHL season, Commesso has seemed to turn a corner in his development, which has allowed the IceHogs to elevate their overall game in front of him. It was apparent in their first postseason victory of this potential run. 

"Drew's been huge." IceHogs captain Brett Seney said following the victory. "All year, he's been great. The second half, especially down the stretch, he's won us a lot of games. He made a couple of huge saves tonight that turned the tide for us. He lets our [defense & forwards ] play a little more free." 

When skaters know that they have a solid netminder back there, they can play to their strengths with a lot more confidence. That much was clear with Commesso in the net on Wednesday. 

Next up for the IceHogs is Game 2 of this series on Friday night. If Rockford wins, they will move on and play the Milwaukee Admirals in the second round. If the Wolves take this one, a decisive game three will take place on Sunday. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

NHL Rumor Roundup: Bruins Plan To Be Busy This Off-Season

Jeremy Swayman (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

Having missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the Boston Bruins' off-season plans have been the subject of recent media speculation.

On Wednesday, Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs expressed confidence in president Cam Neely and GM Don Sweeney getting the club back into playoff contention next season. During the hour-long press conference, Sweeney indicated he will use “every mechanism possible” to improve the roster during this off-season.

Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic reported Sweeney emphasized bolstering the Bruins' depth on the wings, indicating they only have two legitimate top-six wingers (David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie) under control. Geekie is an RFA with arbitration rights. Sweeney said contract talks are underway with the 26-year-old left winger.

Shinzawa believes the Bruins also need another top-six center. However, he thinks Sweeney will stand pat this summer due to the high cost of addressing that need.

Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston suggested Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets as the best potential free-agent targets for the Bruins. However, it's uncertain if they'll be available when the UFA market opens on July 1.

Goss felt Sweeney could attempt to bring in a winger or two through the trade market. He pointed out the Bruins have considerable draft capital to use as trade bait, with four first-round picks and five second-rounders over the next three drafts.

Meanwhile, Joe Haggerty of Boston Sports Journal wondered if the Bruins might make any surprising moves involving their veterans. He noted that Jeremy Swayman is their only high-priced veteran lacking no-trade protection for next season. 

Haggerty cited Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman musing whether Swayman could be a trade candidate, citing his struggles this season following his ugly contract extension negotiations last summer. However, Friedman believes the Bruins will remain patient with the 26-year-old goaltender, hoping he rebounds next season. 

Swayman's difficult season contributed to the Bruins' decline this season, but they won't part ways with him. They have no one within their system or in the trade and free-agent markets to replace him as their starter. Their odds of a bounce-back season are greater with Swayman manning their crease.

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Avalanche Big Guns Need To Start Firing

Martin Necas (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)

It’s hard to win hockey games when you don’t score goals.

After exploding for five in Game 1, the Colorado Avalanche were limited to four goals total in Games 2 and 3.

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This cannot continue.

For the Avalanche to advance past the Dallas Stars, things have to change. The players responsible for carrying the offensive load need to step up.

The big guns need to start firing.

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Valeri Nichushkin

Valeri Nichuskin scored the Avalanche’s only goal against the Stars in Game 2. That said, he has a lot more to give the team. 

He has only scored one goal on eight shots in three games. That shooting volume is fine, but fine shouldn’t be enough for Nichuskin, who is playing nearly 22 minutes a night.

Martin Necas

Martin Necas was a great addition to the Avalanche for the regular season. Now that it’s the playoffs, it’s time for him to prove if he is a big-game player or not.

In three games, he has one assist, and four shots in 22:43 of ice time per game. For someone who plays with Nathan MacKinnon as much as he does, Necas has to dig deep down and find more offense to give.

Brock Nelson 

Things aren’t rosy for Brock Nelson in the playoffs right now. He hasn’t had great success with faceoffs (44.2 percent) and isn’t producing offensively (zero points) despite playing in the Avalanche’s top-six forward group.

It’s probably no accident that both Nichushkin and Nelson are struggling (considering they are linemates). It may be up to Jared Bednar to mix up the top-six so that the players who aren’t having success on the scoresheet can get the boost that they need to begin producing.

Things aren’t dire yet, however, if the Avalanche can’t turn things around on home ice on Saturday, the players may be practicing their golf swings earlier than expected.

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NHL Playoffs: Surprise Scorers, Blues And Wild's Wins And More Storylines From April 24

Nate Schmidt (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Day 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs was full of surprising moments, good and bad. 

The Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning are heading into dangerous territory as both teams are yet to earn a victory in their respective series. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues comfortably won their first game at home.

Here are the storylines from all four contests from Thursday.

Florida Panthers Defeat Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 (FLA Leads Series 2-0)

After a 6-2 loss in Game 1, the Lightning went through another discouraging defeat. This time, the Panthers shut them out 2-0 and snatched both games in Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena.

While it’s not ideal to be down 2-0 in the series, the Bolts will play their next game on the road at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.

Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 19 shots the Lightning fired his way. Defenseman Nate Schmidt scored his third goal of the playoffs, which puts him tied for third in the NHL for goals with Pavel Buchnevich, Nathan MacKinnon and Adrian Kempe.

He had five goals in the regular season. Not even Schmidt can believe it, but he’ll take what he can get to help the team.

“I’m going to save my stick… make sure it doesn’t go anywhere,” Schmidt told reporters after the game.

Toronto Maple Leafs Defeat Ottawa Senators 3-2 OT (TOR Leads Series 3-0)

The Senators face elimination after the Maple Leafs defeated them in overtime for the second straight game. 

This contest had a similar feeling to Game 2, where Toronto also won 3-2 in overtime. Even defenseman Simon Benoit was involved in the game-winner, taking a slapshot that beat Sens netminder Linus Ullmark with the help of a screen.

Despite being down 3-0 in the series, Ottawa is not lacking in belief that they can make a comeback.

“We are not going to lay down and go away. We are going to be ready to play,” Sens coach Travis Green said after the game.

Added Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk: “It's been done before, and I have the belief that it can be done again."

The Leafs’ power play and star players stay hot, with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner recording two points each. Marner now has six points while Matthews has five in three games. 

Battle Of Ontario Has Turned Into The Battle Of The Big 4 — And So Far, The Senators' Stars Have Gone M.I.A.Battle Of Ontario Has Turned Into The Battle Of The Big 4 — And So Far, The Senators' Stars Have Gone M.I.A.A bottom-six forward scored the overtime winner in Game 2 and a stay-at-home defenseman matched his season goal total with the OT winner in Game 3. But the reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs have a 3-0 lead in their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators has less to do with depth scoring and unlikely heroes — and more to do with which team’s stars have shone the brightest.

Minnesota Wild Defeat Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 (MIN Leads Series 2-1)

The Wild took the lead in the series against the Vegas Golden Knights in a complete performance. The Wild won 5-2 for the second straight outing, and as the underdogs, they’re giving the Knights a run for their money.

Kirill Kaprizov continues to lead the team to glory with a two-goal night. He’s now the NHL’s joint leader in points with Kempe, recording seven in three games. 

This contest wasn’t a walk in the park against the 2023 Stanley Cup champions. Vegas made a valid push in the later stages of the match, drawing three power plays in the final frame. 

However, Filip Gustavsson was Minnesota’s best penalty-killer, finishing the game with 30 saves and a .938 save percentage. 

After the game, the Wild players credited the spirited crowd, who helped them push to their series lead. 

“You can’t hear anything,” Gustavsson said.

St. Louis Blues Defeat Winnipeg Jets 7-2 (WPG Leads Series 2-1)

The Blues destroyed the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3. St. Louis had two standout players in this performance in terms of production in D-man Cam Fowler and left winger Pavel Buchnevich.

Fowler seized his opportunity ever since he was traded to the Blues from the Anaheim Ducks earlier during the regular season. In this game, he scored one goal and a career-high five points. 

Buchnevich scored the first hat trick of these playoffs, with one tally on the power play. 

Toward the end of the game, the Jets became physical and undisciplined. The Blues took advantage and capitalized on three power plays out of eight attempts.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery approved of the team’s performance.

“What I liked was our fierce, competitive attitude,” he told reporters. “Our start was incredible."

St. Louis has one more game at home on Sunday before heading back to Winnipeg to continue the series.

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Report: NHL Investigating Senators Firing Pucks At Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz In Game 3 Warmups

Apr 24, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz (41) looks up the ice in game three of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

The NHL is reportedly investigating an incident between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs that occurred before Game 3.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, there were "allegations of pregame shenanigans" in warmups, and it's still undecided whether the NHL will discipline players for the incident.

Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch followed up on Dreger's tweet, confirming that Senators players were lobbing pucks into the Maple Leafs' end during warmups. "Found it odd and didn't think anything of it at the time," Garrioch added.

Dreger then said his source indicated that this was the incident in question, and that Senators players were shooting pucks at Stolarz during warmups. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman also reported that the NHL is reviewing an incident in which Nick Cousins fires a puck at Stolarz in warmup.

It's worth noting that Cousins and Stolarz were a part of the Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup-winning team last season.

The Senators lost to the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime on Friday and now enter a pivotal point in the series: trying to stave off a Toronto sweep. The last time the Maple Leafs swept a team in the playoffs was in 2001, against Ottawa.

Stolarz has been the better goalie of the series, winning all three games and sporting a .926 save percentage in that span. The 31-year-old hasn't lost a game since Mar. 15 against Ottawa, 12 games ago.

The Senators have been trying to get under Stolarz's skin throughout this series. It began with Ridly Greig sliding into the goaltender in Game 1 before the two got penalties in Game 2 after Stolarz chopped and got physical with Greig.

"It was just caught up in the heat of the battle. Just one of those things that, it didn’t matter. I didn’t even know who it was," Stolarz said after Game 2. "It’s just one of those, you’re in the heat of the moment, and it is what it is."

In the second period of Game 3, Stolarz and Shane Pinto got into it after Pinto nudged the puck away from the goaltender's stick after a whistle. The ref pulled Pinto away with Stolarz smiling on.

"Yeah, I mean, I just stay out of it. I kind of talked to the refs a little bit tonight and just said, 'Watch my back and I’ll behave.'" Stolarz said after Game 3 on Thursday. "Like I said, they’re going to try to come to the net. They got some big guys. It’s just up to me to just fight through traffic, find that puck and smother it."

After contributing to Toronto's Game 2 overtime-winner, Simon Benoit scored in overtime Thursday to send the Maple Leafs out of the Canadian Tire Centre with a 3-0 series lead.

'I Don't Score A Lot Of Goals': Leafs Take 3-0 Series Lead As Simon Benoit's Heroics Put Senators on the Ropes'I Don't Score A Lot Of Goals': Leafs Take 3-0 Series Lead As Simon Benoit's Heroics Put Senators on the RopesKANATA, Ont. — After scoring the Toronto Maple Leafs' game-winning overtime goal against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, Simon Benoit took the news conference podium and was asked if it was the biggest goal of his life?

Ottawa now has its back against the wall. And the Maple Leafs have their toughest task yet: ending the Senators' season.

"It’s the hardest thing in the NHL to end a team’s season. When it comes to overtime like that, critical moments, it just takes a bounce," Matthew Knies said.

"You knew it was going to be a rebound or a chaos in front of the net kind of goal. I think that’s what we got. We just figured it out and played simple and played hard and we came out with the win."


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Oilers' Draisaitl Can Join Messier, Gretzky

Leon Draisaitl (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

EDMONTON – Positivity can work wonders.

They may be down 0-2, but not all hope is lost.

The Edmonton Oilers will face the Los Angeles Kings for Game 3 of their opening series at Rogers Place on Friday night. It will be an intense game on many levels.

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The physicality and hostility between the two teams only grow by the minute. With the addition of Evander Kane before Game 2, that is bound only to increase the animosity.

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As far as positivity goes, the Oilers aren’t up you-know-what-creek without a paddle…yet. They need to turn things around Friday night, otherwise things might get ugly.

Leading the charge offensively has been Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. With tonight’s game, Draisaitl has the opportunity to do something very special.

He currently has a 16-game point streak against the Kings in the playoffs. On Friday night, he could end up having the third-longest playoff point streak against one franchise in NHL history.

Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Leon Draisaitl

Two former Oilers have the longest point streak in the playoffs against a single team. Wayne Gretzky scored in 19 consecutive games against the Calgary Flames and Mark Messier scored in 19 straight games against the Kings.

'Pure Genius': Oilers Legend Messier On What Made Gretzky Great'Pure Genius': Oilers Legend Messier On What Made Gretzky GreatEDMONTON – “I don’t think anybody’s ever played the game the way Wayne has.”

Right now, Draisaitl is tied with Gretzky and his 16-game point streak against the Philadelphia Flyers.

However, the Oilers are at the point where the wins matter more than the personal points. Draisaitl is doing what he can to drag his team into the fight. 

Unfortunately, he can’t do it all by himself.

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Pair of Former Ducks Defensemen Come up Big in Game 3

Apr 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler (17) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The list of former Ducks making an impact in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues to grow.

Cam Fowler had five points and Simon Benoit scored the overtime winner as both players aided their teams in Game 3 of their respective series.

Since being traded to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 14, Fowler has 36 points in 51 games. His nine goals put him just shy of his career-high (11) set in 2016-17. It’s fair to say he would have set new career-highs in scoring if he had spent the entire season with the Blues.

Playing in the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, Fowler is averaging over two points per game through three games and set a new Blues record for points in a postseason game with his five-point performance in Game 3.

Per NHL PR, Fowler became the ninth defenseman in NHL history to post at least seven points through their first three games of the postseason. He also became the eighth different defenseman to post five points in a single playoff game.

Courtesy of NHL Public Relations

Fowler has looked like a completely different player since leaving Anaheim. Playing in a system which suits his strengths alongside a steady presence in Colton Parayko has allowed him to flourish. There’s no question that his impact played a key part in the Blues’ journey to a playoff berth this season.

It’s been two seasons since Benoit was a Duck, becoming an unrestricted free agent after not being tendered a qualifying offer. 

After signing a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in Aug. 2023, Benoit’s physical nature and no-nonsense style of play endeared him to the Leafs and their fans.

Benoit was rewarded with a three-year contract extension in Mar. 2024 and has entrenched himself on the Leafs’ third defensive pair.

Apr 24, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit (2) speaks to the media following the team win in game three of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Not known very much for his offensive ability, Benoit was the Game 3 hero, scoring just 1:19 into overtime and giving the Leafs a 3-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators. He also provided the primary assist on Max Domi’s overtime winner in Game 2.

Benoit’s journey to the NHL is one of perseverance after he went undrafted and signed a one-year with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL in 2018 after attending Ducks development camp the previous summer. He earned an entry-level contract (ELC) with the Ducks in Mar. 2019 and played in 137 games over parts of three seasons.

His time with the Ducks was during some of the franchise’s worst seasons and it’s clear that a system change and playing for a much better team has benefited the 26-year-old Québécois greatly. 

With Anthony Stolarz and Frederik Andersen holding things down for their teams in net, there’s now almost enough player to make a pair of 3-on-3 teams up of former Ducks making an impact in this season’s playoffs.

Kings' Quinton Byfield Shows The Value Of NHL Teams Being Patient With A Slow-Burning Youngster

Quinton Byfield (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

Quinton Byfield has been a beast in the first two games of the Los Angeles Kings' first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers.

He has played large, made space for himself and been rewarded for his robust play with two crucial goals against Edmonton.

In doing so, he's rewarding the Kings for their patience in developing him into an NHL player that seems headed for stardom. It wasn't pretty at times, and it wasn't easy, but Byfield has figured it out with the help of the organization and is developing into the No. 1-caliber center the Kings envisioned when they took him second overall in 2020.

And it's a good reminder that a slow burn with a young NHL player can have some wonderful results.

Today's video column has more.

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On This Day In Penguins Playoff History: April 25

Paul Coffey and Mario Lemieux - Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins just wrapped up their 57th season, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. Despite their recent lack of success, the franchise has appeared in the playoffs 37 times and won five championships.

Our newest series will take a look back at how the Penguins performed on specific days leading up to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Today, April 25, Pittsburgh has compiled a 7-3 record in ten games on this date.

  • 1989 - Game 5 Win vs. Philadelphia Flyers (10-7)
  • 1991 - Game 5 Win vs. Washington Capitals (4-1)
  • 1992 - Game 4 Loss vs. Washington Capitals (7-2)
  • 1993 - Game 4 Loss vs. New Jersey Devils (4-1)
  • 1994 - Game 5 Win vs. Washington Capitals (3-2)
  • 1998 - Game 2 Win vs. Montreal Canadiens (4-1)
  • 1999 - Game 3 Win vs. New Jersey Devils (4-2)
  • 2008 - Game 1 Win vs. New York Rangers (5-4)
  • 2009 - Game 6 Win vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5-3)
  • 2011 - Game 6 Loss vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (4-2)

Notable Penguins Performances On This Day

April 25, 1989 - Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux establishes a franchise record with eight points, thanks to five goals and three assists, in a wild 10-7 win over the Flyers. Additionally, Paul Coffey had four assists with 11 Pittsburgh skaters collecting a point.

 

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Rod Buskas led the team with 17 penalty minutes, while Philadelphia netminders Ron Hextall (10) and Ken Wregget (14) combined for 24 of their team's 84 penalty minutes. 

April 25, 1993 - Jaromir Jagr establishes a career-high for penalty minutes in a playoff game, registering 15 minutes in a 4-1 loss to the Devils. 

April 25, 1998 - Stu Barnes, a 30-goal scorer with the Penguins, scores two goals in a Penguins 4-1 win over the Canadiens, his only two-goal playoff performance during his tenure with Pittsburgh. Overall, he finished his career with four playoff two-goal games. 

April 25, 1999 - Martin Straka records his only career playoff hat trick in a 4-2 win over the Devils. Interestingly, five of his seven hat tricks occurred while he was skating in Pittsburgh. 

Penguins' Crosby Continues To Pace NHL In Top 10 Scoring Finishes During Salary Cap EraPenguins' Crosby Continues To Pace NHL In Top 10 Scoring Finishes During Salary Cap EraPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby just finished his ninth 90-point campaign in the NHL, finishing as the league's 10th highest scorer, the 13th time he's accomplished that feat in 20 seasons. 

Meanwhile, Scott Niedermeyer had 12 penalty minutes in this game, the only time in his Hall of Fame career he'd get called for more than six minutes in 202 playoff games. 

April 25, 2009 - Sidney Crosby tallies two goals in a 5-3 win over the Flyers, marking only the third occasion (at the time) that the captain would have a multi-goal playoff game. As of 2025, Crosby has three playoff hat tricks and seven two-goal games. 

Wild Take A 2-1 Series Lead After A 5-2 Win Over Vegas

Apr 24, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) and teammates celebrate a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period in game three of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild walked away with a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. 

But so far, the Wild have stung together three very good games. Game 1 the Wild played great but lost after a great night fron Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill.

In Game 2 the Wild poured it on Hill and in Game 3 on Thursday night, the Wild chased Hill out of the crease after two periods.

Kirill Kaprizov got the Wild on the board first after he circled around the net on the power play before firing home a shot from the point. It was Zeev Buium's first NHL point and it came on the power play. 

Marco Rossi scored three minutes later to give the Wild a 2-0 lead. Rossi went to the slot after Justin Brazeau and Yakov Trenin got in on the forecheck and did some dirty work. 

"It was a good forecheck," Rossi said on the goal. "Our coach was saying for the game, how we have to forecheck to go with it. It was a great pass by Braz to Trenny and Trenny made a really good pass for me. My shot got deflected from the D."

One of the stories coming in the playoffs was how the Wild decided to put Rossi on the fourth line. The 23-year-old center played in all 82 games for the second straight year and was one of their most important players. 

Rossi doesn't seem to let the decision affect him. 

"Sure. You know, it's the playoffs. I couldn't care less about anything. We wanna win as a team, and it doesn't matter where the coach puts me, you wanna be the best out there and try to help a team to win."

Alex Pietrangelo got Vegas on the board not long after but Matt Boldy was able to hustle out an icing in the second period and make one heck of a play on Noah Hanifin to force a turnover. 

"Those guys bring it every night, whether the puck is going in or not. Their work ethic on the ice is - they’re the hardest workers and the most skilled players," Brock Faber said on Kaprizov and Boldy. "When you got two guys who have both of those traits, they’re hard to stop and we’re hard to beat. Definitely fun to watch those two."

Kaprizov and the Wild made it a 4-1 game with two seconds left in the second period after Ryan Hartman fired a shot on the net that hit Kaprizov and went in. 

Hartman got the puck on the boards before he looked up at the clock and fired a shot on the net. 

"Yeah, I mean, the fans were yelling ‘shoot’ as usual, and you could never really trust how much time is left because it seems they're yelling with 20 seconds left in the period," Hartman said. "Thought I'd give a check, because obviously I didn't want to shoot it after the whistle and I wasn't sure how much time was left. Just trying to throw it. Kirill made a good play there, standing off that far post."

Reilly Smith was able to score on a shorthanded 2-on-1 with William Karlsson to make it a 4-2 game. 

It got interesting after that because the Wild took two huge penalties to put Vegas on the power play in a two-goal game. 

The Wild were able to kill it off. 

"Well, number one, your goalie is your best penalty killer," Wild head coach John Hynes said. "And they did, our penalty kill, did a great job. They had some looks, and he came up with some big saves. I think the attention to detail is really strong. I think the guys that are out there are doing a good job. They're working as a four-man unit. And when you get good goaltending on the penalty kill, number one and number two, you have strong discipline and details of what you need to do and guys are on their assignments, that usually helps."

Filip Gustavsson finished with nine saves on the penalty kill and kept the Wild in the game without allowing Vegas to get back in. 

"Oh, he played great," Kaprizov said on Gustavsson. "He played all season, great. But, especially tonight at the end. So many huge saves."

With the win, the Wild are now out in front with a 2-1 series lead. Which is a norm as of late for Minnesota. 

In 2022 the Wild had a 2-1 series lead over the St. Louis Blues and in 2023, the Wild had a 2-1 series lead over the Dallas Stars. 

They lost both of those in six games. 

The hope is the Wild can put that behind them. Game 4 is Saturday at 3:00. 

Three Takeaways From Blues' 7-2 Win Against Jets In Game 3 Of Western Conference First Round

Oskar Sundqvist (second from right) and Pavel Buchnevich (back) of the St. Louis Blues got back into their best-of-7 Western Conference First Round series with a 7-2 win against Connor Hellebuyck (31), Josh Morrissey (44), Cole Perfetti (right) and the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)

ST. LOUIS – Judging by the thunderous, boisterous St. Louis Blues crowd in attendance for Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, one could hardly tell the home side was down two games in the series.

The Jets took Games 1 and 2 at home and held serve. The Blues knew they had to do the same.

Boy, did they ever get off to the start they wanted and did so in convincing fashion.

And they were led by their best players.

Pavel Buchnevich scored his first NHL playoff hat trick and had an assist, Cam Fowler set a Blues franchise record for most points by a defenseman with five (one goal, four assists) and Robert Thomas had four assists, who chased likely Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in a 7-2 romp over the Jets before 18,096 at Enterprise Center to get themselves back in the series, now trailing the best-of-7 series 2-1.

This was a juggernaut performance that the Blues needed and sent a message to the Presidents’ Trophy winners that they won’t go down without a fight and in fact, they have every intention of winning the series despite losing the first two games on the road.

Colton Parayko, Jordan Kyrou and Alexey Toropchenko all scored goals, and Jordan Binnington made 16 saves, including what amounted to be a 10-bell save on Cole Perfetti midway through the second period of a 3-0 game that needed video review.

The Blues, who will host Game 4 on Sunday at noon (FDSNMW, MAX, truTV, SN, TVAS, CBC, ESPN 101.1-FM) looking to even the series, scored three more power-play goals to give them six in the series, but they scored four times at even-strength, which netted them just one goal by Oskar Sundqvist in the first two games.

And on top of it, the Blues have now won 13 straight games on home ice dating back to the regular season. They’ve made this a place that visiting teams don’t want to play in.

Without wasting any more time, let’s get into Thursday’s Three Takeaways:

* A thunderous start – The Blues came into the game wanting and needing to implement a few adjustments to the game.

They wanted to get to the net more with purpose and make life difficult in front of Connor Hellebuyck (check); they wanted to play north hockey (check); they wanted to get sustained zone time (check); and they wanted to incorporate their defensemen into the offensive zone (check).

And in the first 10 minutes of that hockey game, the Blues fed off the emotion of the crowd and for the third straight game, they came out with with fire and played really well in the first period.

But this was different. This was put a hammerlock down on a game and not make it a chess match over the final 40 minutes, like it was at Canada Life Centre.

“I think it was just trying to get away from 1-and-done hockey,” Fowler said. “Hellebuyck was seeing a lot of shots there in Winnipeg, he can control the rebound and the way that they play, they have five guys in front of the net, they’re able to clear the rebounds and come out the other end there. We just wanted to make life a little bit harder with traffic and more pucks directed at the net and our guys did a great job of establishing the forecheck and letting us play a little more time in the offensive zone that helped us out quite a bit.”

Blues coach Jim Montgomery noticed this, Thursday, wasn’t just setting the tone for 20 minutes, but the way they did things, carried forward through the rest of the game, despite the Jets elevating their game in the second period and needing an incredible Binnington save on Cole Perfetti at the 10:05 mark of the period that preserved a 3-0 lead.

“I just thought that the attitude we had … we started the other two games really well, and what I liked was the fierce, competitive nature in our attitude for 60 minutes,” Montgomery said. “The start was incredible. We were aggressive, we did the things we wanted to do to make sure that we were going to get more scoring chances, and we did get more scoring chances.”

There was no East-West hockey, not against this team. This was a North mindset with a purpose.

“They've been playing well at 5-on-5 defense and not giving us much,” Thomas said of the Jets. “And we changed a couple things, and were able to find success early, and we just got to look to keep on going with that, as well as keep looking for adjustments to try and keep on finding success.”

* Blues best players rose to the occasion – In Games 1 and 2, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, Winnipeg’s best players, were the best players when it mattered most in helping their team win the first two games.

The Blues needed their top-end guys to be not only their best players, but the best players in the game itself.

They didn’t waste time when Buchnevich, who came into the game with one playoff goal in 22 career games, went to the net 48 seconds into the game and made it 1-0. He tried making a play with a puck through the slot area that Fowler corralled and in turn, he makes a quick play off the wall to the net where Jimmy Snuggerud is. He got a piece of it but Buchnevich collects the loose puck, kicks the puck to his stick before poking it past Hellebuyck in a sign of things to come.

“I know Faksy, Walks and Torpo [Radek Faksa, Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko] had a great (first) shift, physical, the crowd got going, really loud and we just followed them,” Buchnevich said. “On second shift we got (a) turnover, I shot, missed the net and you know, ‘CF’ hit the net and I got the rebound and the crowd got nuts and the emotions get even more and we keep going.”

They did keep going, and Buchnevich got going again, making it 2-0 at 3:11 when he scored the first of three power-play goals on the night, redirecting a high-slot pass by Thomas past Hellebuyck.

It’s another example of being at or near the net, something that was visibly absent in the first two games.

“I don’t really know how to describe it,” Buchnevich said. ‘Just a crazy, emotional start. We throw the puck at the net, we got the rebound and when you score the first goal the game opens up and we got the second one right away. It’s a little bit easier to play with the lead, so we’ve got to score first and it’ll be easier to play.”

Fowler made it 3-0 at 15:51 on a play that was a perfect example of what the defensemen were looking to do: filter into the offensive zone and be a force there.

Fowler was able to do that with the puck behind his whole net, starting the play moving it to the left to Colton Parayko, who found Buchnevich in the neutral zone. He in turn found Thomas, all the while Fowler was skating with a purpose in the middle of the ice down the slot before Thomas found him, and he quickly snapped a shot high glove (sound familiar?) on Hellebuyck.

“We had talked a little bit about our ‘D’ trying to use our skating ability to our advantage,” Fowler said. “The play kind of developed there and I kind of saw that we had full control on the wall and I just felt like I could jump in and try and contribute to the rush a little bit and ‘Tommer’ made a great play and I just tried to get it off as quick as I could and happy to see it go in. It was more about just the mindset of our ‘D’ trying to use our legs and skate. I saw the opportunity and just tried to jump in, but like I said, ‘Tommer’ made that whole thing possible. It was a heck of a play by him.

“It wasn’t a set play or anything, no. I wanted to try and be more of a factor with my legs and push them back a little bit. I just saw that we had full control and it was nothing more than just seeing a lane to the net and trying to jump through it as fast as I could.”

Leading 4-1, Jordan Kyrou, who scored in Game 1, got into the scoring again with his second power-play goal of the series, again using Brayden Schenn as a screen and beating Hellebuyck high glove at 7:56 of the third period and put the game out of reach – if it wasn’t already – at 5-1.

And then Toropchenko, following the blueprint of what the Blues wanted to go driving the net, did just that and redirecting a Jake Neighbours pass from the slot at 10:32 of the third to make it 6-1 that chased Hellebuyck from the game in favor of Eric Comrie.

And Parayko, getting some power-play time, bombed away a power-play goal at 16:17 for the 7-2 final.

So as far as best players being best players, the Blues received 15 points (six goals, nine assists) from Fowler, Thomas, Buchnevich, Kyrou and Parayko.

Fowler's five points set the franchise record for points by a defenseman, besting Brian Benning, who had four points (all assists) against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 11, 1987.

And Buchnevich's hat trick is the first in the playoffs since Vladimir Tarasenko in 2022 against the Minnesota Wild and first at home since Jaden Schwartz had one in 2019 in the clinching Game 6 of the first round against the Jets.

* Blues checked with purpose – The first 10 minutes was also a perfect example of not only playing North hockey but having a checking aspect.

The Blues had 63 hits in the game, a franchise record in a playoff game, and some might look at that and say they were chasing hits.

That’s farthest from the truth.

Jake Neighbours became the second Blue (Brayden Schenn in Game 1) with nine hits in a game, and Nathan Walker had seven.

There are those that say when you’re hitting, it means you don’t have the puck. The Blues were hitting and winning the puck, so they were timing their hits that helped them get the puck.

Take Buchnevich’s hat trick goal for example. When the puck is played behind the net, Thomas recognizes that there’s a goalie there that doesn’t handle the puck like theirs and there’s a chance to disrupt zone exits with a forecheck. Thomas was able to take advantage of a nonchalant Hellebuyck, stripping it from the goalie, and Buchnevich was the F2 in and took advantage of the pressure and curled to backhand the puck in the net at 5:24 of the third period that made it 4-1. It came 52 seconds after Winnipeg got some life on a David Gustafsson goal at 4:32 to make it 3-1.

“I thought ‘Buchy’ has been good in the first two games, especially defensively,” Montgomery said. “But offensively, I thought there was more in his game, and I thought he brought that tonight. Not only him, but that line and our power play.”

“It’s amazing,” Fowler said. “’Buchy’ is a heart-and-soul guy. He’s a huge part of our team, a huge part of our locker room, a huge part of why we were able to get a win tonight. A special night for him. It’s not something that comes around very often to get the chance to score three goals in a playoff game. I know he’ll tell you the team getting the win means more to him as well and that’s the mindset that we have to have, but it was a special night for him and he should enjoy it.”

Now the Blues have to carry this momentum into Sunday’s game. The Jets will make their adjustments, the Blues will have to counter. But if they can keep this blueprint moving forward, there will be more success throughout the series.

Wild Rookie Zeev Buium Gets First NHL Point On The Power Play

Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images.

ST. PAUL - It was just a matter of time before the highly touted defensive Wild prospect got his first NHL point. 

The Wild entered Game 3 with only two power play chances in the series. There was a thought that they may take Zeev Buium out of the lineup for Game 3 so they could have a more defensive guy in like Jon Merrill. 

But, Wild head coach John Hynes stuck with the same lineup and Buium produced. 

On the Wild's first power play chace in the opening period, Buium walked the line before dropping a pass off to Kirill Kaprizov.

Buium, 19, played 4:55 in the opening period and 1:47 of it was on the power play. His primary assist to Kaprizov was his first NHL point in his third NHL game. 

The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live: Reaction To Maple Leafs' Game 3 Win Over Senators

Nick Cousins and Simon Benoit (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.

After the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines, provide updates on the rest of the night's NHL slate and read your opinions.

On tonight's show, Emma Lingan and Michael Traikos react to the Toronto Maple Leafs taking a 3-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators after another overtime-winner.

Playoff Frenzy - April 24, 2025 | The Hockey NewsPlayoff Frenzy - April 24, 2025 | The Hockey NewsWelcome to Playoff Frenzy Live by The Hockey News presented by STIX.com, where we give our live reactions and break down the latest news to all the biggest g...

They also touch on the Florida Panthers beating the Tampa Bay Lightning again and the other NHL action on Thursday night.

Check out the show right now and share your opinions in the live chat and in our comment section.