After an unlikely reunion on the Vegas Golden Knights, former Philadelphia Flyers Carter Hart and John Tortorella find themselves just four more wins from the Stanley Cup Final.

On Thursday night, Hart, Tortorella, and the Golden Knights eliminated fellow former Flyers Ryan Poehling, Cutter Gauthier, and the Anaheim Ducks with a dominant 5-1 win, claiming the series 4-2.

They await the vaunted Colorado Avalanche, who have run into goaltending issues of late but have more or less breezed their way to the Western Conference Final with little difficulty.

Quinn Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and the Minnesota Wild were brushed aside by the Stanley Cup favorites in just five games.

Interestingly enough, Hart's last game for the Flyers, which he played under Tortorella, was against the Avalanche over two years ago on Jan. 20, 2024.

Flyers Hope Playoff Environment Will Benefit Prospects That Didn't PlayThe Philadelphia Flyers made sure all of their top prospects got to experience the NHL playoffs for what they are.

The 27-year-old was stunned for five goals on just 15 shots in the 7-4 loss and was replaced by Sam Ersson.

Three days later, Hart took a personal leave from the Flyers, and was then charged with sexual assault stemming from the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case on Feb. 5.

Having sat out the entire 2024-25 season, Hart was found not guilty of the sexual assault charge levied against him on July 24. The Golden Knights officially signed the goalie on Oct. 24.

Hart showed plenty of signs of rust after the long layoff this season, stumbling to a career-worst .891 save percentage despite a 11-3-3 regular season record with the Golden Knights.

In the playoffs, though, the former Flyers goalie is 8-4-0 with a 2.47 GAA and .917 save percentage, coming back to life with a .935 save percentage across these past six games against the Ducks.

Flyers Playoff Rooting Guide: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend?Which former member of the Philadelphia Flyers will go on to win the Stanley Cup this year?

As for Tortorella, who was fired by the Flyers on March 27, 2025, he took over for an elite coach in Bruce Cassidy in a shock switch from Vegas back on March 29, bookending almost exactly a full year away from the bench.

The Golden Knights quickly ripped off a sizzling 7-0-1 finish under their new coach, which has, obviously, carried over into the playoffs.

Notably, Mitch Marner, of all players, leads the entire NHL playoffs in scoring with his seven goals, 11 assists, and 18 points in 12 games under Tortorella, which speaks volumes about the job the ex-Flyers bench boss is doing.

Where things go from here is dubious at best with Colorado looming, but the Flyers have certainly been well represented this postseason, especially with a respectable run of their own.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

“Šimon Nemec is something of an enigma and could be one player affected by the changes. Sometimes, he shows flashes of being a second overall pick. Other times, he looks like a fish out of water. Nemec will become a restricted free agent on July 1. You don’t want to give up on a 22-year-old defenseman second overall pick, but it might be time for the Devils to move on.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

“Tom Fitzgerald leaned too heavy on size and defense when building the blueline, and that has held the team back over the last couple of years. Sunny Mehta will surely look to add more mobility and offense to balance things out. There are a couple of intriguing ‘buy low’ candidates who could help him do just that.” [Infernal Access ($)]

So about that Quinn Hughes trade. Is it a move Sunny Mehta could pull off? [New Jersey Hockey Now]

Hockey Links

A jaw-dropping goal:

MITCHELL MARNER ARE YOU KIDDING?!

Undisputed GOAL OF THE PLAYOFFS 😵😮‍💨 https://t.co/aS9VEBjXZjpic.twitter.com/PmYo8ikEat

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 15, 2026

The Golden Knights are through to the Western Conference Final:

THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS ARE HEADED TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL!! ⚔️ #StanleyCup

Presented by @NavyFederalpic.twitter.com/TQGpUiWBN7

— NHL (@NHL) May 15, 2026

Brayden McNabb gets a one-game suspension:

Vegas’ Brayden McNabb has been suspended for one playoff game for interference against Anaheim’s Ryan Poehling. https://t.co/gSW0ADnpak

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 13, 2026

Matthew Schaefer is this season’s top rookie:

MAT-THEW SCHAE-FER 👏👏👏👏👏 #NHLAwards

The @NYIslanders’ 2025 No. 1 #NHLDraft pick, Matthew Schaefer, is this year’s Calder Memorial Trophy winner — an award presented to the player who was the most proficient in his first year in the League. pic.twitter.com/X79uom6mAn

— NHL (@NHL) May 13, 2026

Full voting table for the Calder Trophy for best rookie, won UNANIMOUSLY by #Isles defender Matthew Schaefer. pic.twitter.com/mlxsfErw9v

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) May 13, 2026

The Oilers send Kris Knoblauch packing:

The #Oilers have relieved head coach Kris Knoblauch & assistant coach Mark Stuart of their duties. https://t.co/K3GQq5GshP

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 14, 2026

And the Leafs part ways with Craig Berube:

General Manager John Chayka announced today that the club has parted ways with head coach Craig Berube pic.twitter.com/PJo8e9ATLW

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 13, 2026

“The Vancouver Canucks are turning to two franchise icons to hopefully lead them back to glory. Daniel and Henrik Sedin were named co-presidents of hockey operations on Thursday, and the identical twins’ first act was to hire former teammate Ryan Johnson as general manager.” [NHL.com]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres were battling it out on Thursday night in the fifth game of their series, with both teams having won two games. The Habs had slow starts in the two previous games, and coach Martin St-Louis had been asked about them during his morning media availability. He explained what having a good start entailed:

It’s not just one thing. It’s to play with the right intentions, in the right place, early on. It might mean you have to defend, it might mean you have to forecheck, it might mean you go on the power play. It’s about having the right intentions and being dialed in early on.

One had to wonder if he had mentioned that to his player as they had yet another sloppy start, and this time, so did goaltender Jakub Dobes. As a result, he gave up three goals on the first four shots he faced. Thankfully, the Canadiens didn’t let the Sabres distance themselves, coming back from behind twice, but by the end of the first frame, it was 3-2 Buffalo.

Two Canadiens Rookies Top 4 In Calder Trophy Voting
Former Canadiens Player Sends Avalanche Through To Third Round
Canadiens’ Power Play Could Have Made The Difference

A Momentum Shift

Montreal didn’t look much better to start the second frame. The top line got caught in the defensive zone for extended shifts twice, and as they were changing, Tage Thompson got a breakaway. Dobes stood his ground, followed him and made a spectacular pad save to keep Montreal within one.

Dobes save on Thompson breakaway #LetsGoBuffalo#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/vBQ9mJ5X2K

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) May 15, 2026

That save seemed to steady the Canadiens, who finally shook off their rough start and proceeded to score four unanswered goals. Josh Anderson scored the big equalizer, and Ivan Demidov almost scored the go-ahead goal. He got the puck through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Jake Evans, who’s not known for his finish, had to give it a light tap to push it in.

St-Louis can pat himself on the back for not pulling Dobes after he let in three goals on four shots, not that he was to blame for all of them, but he could have wanted to wake his team up with a goalie change. Instead, he stuck with his goalie and let him wake up the players with a big save. In the end, Dobes stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced on the night for a .917 save percentage. In the post-game media availability, the coach explained that he consulted his goalie coach to decide whether to pull Dobes, and Marco Marciano told him to leave him in, a good call. 

Bad Decisions

On top of being the victim of the momentum shift save, Thompson took a very bad penalty when he cross-checked Jake Evans high up while the Canadiens’ center was nowhere near the puck. Even if the refs had been pretty quiet to that point, they couldn’t let that one go, and the big forward was sent to the penalty box for two minutes.

He ended up getting out of there in just 10 seconds, after Nick Suzuki scored a quick power play goal to give the Habs a 5-3 lead. This is the second game in a row that Thompson takes an awful penalty, but this time around, the Canadiens made him pay.

Thompson wasn’t the only one with a questionable decision on the night; Rasmus Dahlin cross-checked Demidov as he was going to beat him to the net and got himself a trip to the box. On the penalty he drew himself, the Russian rookie finally scored his first playoff goal to make the score 6-3.

A DEMIDOV DAGGER ☄️

The rookie's first career Stanley Cup playoffs goal couldn't have come at a better time 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Y6u9SjPDwP

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 15, 2026

St-Louis has often spoken about his team shooting itself in the foot this season, and how good teams made them pay when they did. Tonight, the Canadiens were the good team, and they made the Sabres pay when they stabbed themselves in the foot.

The Top Players Turned Up

For the first time this postseason, Caufield and Slafkovsky registered points at even strength while Suzuki registered three points, and the Canadiens’ best players were their best players. There’s a lot to be said for and to like about depth scoring, but the chances of making a deep run in the playoffs are far greater when your top guns are firing on all cylinders. After a tough Game 4, Slafkovsky ended his night with three points. 

Granted, this is only one game, but it may just be the start of something not only for the first line but for Demidov as well, who looked hell-bent on finally finding the back of the net. Lane Hutson also had two assists on the night, which gives him 12 points in 12 games in the postseason. He leads the team in points, but he has some way to go for the league leader, as Mitch Marner had 18 points at the time of writing.

The Canadiens will now have a chance to put an end to the series on Saturday night at the Bell Centre. Puck drop is set for 8:00 PM for what will be the first Saturday night playoff hockey game in a packed Bell Centre in 11 years.

Marty 🫂 Demi#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/vnKr8YXAvl

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) May 15, 2026

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. 

The United States is bringing back two players this month as it defends its rare gold medal at the IIHF men's hockey world championship.

The International Ice Hockey Federation's marquee tournament is often a tough sell because it falls in May during the NHL playoffs. Golden goal scorer Tage Thompson is still playing for the Buffalo Sabres and captain Clayton Keller and goalie Jeremy Swayman played in the NHL first round. Swayman also has a child on the way.

Some players need to recover from injuries after grueling seasons and there's no Olympics on the horizon as a carrot to attend.

But that doesn't mean there are no intriguing players at this year's hockey worlds. The Florida Panthers missing the playoffs after back-to-back titles opened some unexpected options for their players' countries.

Here are eight players to watch at the IIHF world championships:

USA's Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

He's usually unavailable because of deep NHL playoff runs. But he'll be the USA's marquee player and the lone Olympic gold medal winner on the team. If he helps the USA repeat, he'll be the first American on the triple gold club with Olympic, world championships and NHL titles. He's scheduled to arrive on May 19. Boston's Mason Lohrei and Edmonton prospect Isaac Howard are the returnees. Washington's Ryan Leonard and Boston's James Hagens have chemistry from Boston College and the world junior championships.

Canada's Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

He had a spectacular sophomore season. He set a Sharks team record with 115 points, was a standout for Team Canada at the Olympics and is a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player. He'll be Canada's captain.

Canada's Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

He joined after the Penguins were eliminated by the Flyers. He's a triple gold club member already and played in last year's tournament. That super team featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Crosby, Celebrini and others was stunned by Denmark in the quarterfinals. Crosby will be an alternate captain.

Finland's Aleksander Barkov, Panthers

He missed the 2025-26 NHL season after injuring his ACL during his first day in training camp. This will give him an opportunity to suit up for his country after he missed the Olympics. His NHL teammate, Anton Lundell, will also play for Finland.

Sweden's Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

He finished third in Olympic scoring with nine points and is coming off his third consecutive 70-point season with the Red Wings.

Switzerland's Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

Switzerland lost to the USA in the 2025 championship game and is the host country this season. It has its share of NHL players, including Predators captain Josi, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Nino Niederreiter, Pius Suter and J.J. Moser.

Sweden's Ivar Stenberg

He's projected to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. He helped Sweden win the world junior championships. Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick, isn't playing in this tournament

Latvia's Alberts Smits

He's another top prospect for the NHL draft. He already has represented his country at the world juniors and Olympics this season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World championships hockey stars to watch as tournament gets underway

With two series Thursday night and one of them concluding, there is sadly no playoff hockey Friday nor Sunday either. It really is that time of year.

Islanders News

• Matthew Schaefer: “I’m just happy I’m able to be a part of it to help these kids.” [NHL]
• Some teammates raving about the Calder winner. [Isles]
• Here’s a brief Q&A with him before he knew he won the Calder. [Isles on Twitter]
• About draft prospect Ryan Lin, a defenseman some of you have targeted at 13th overall. [THN]
• R.I.P. Paul Boutilier, an Isles (among other teams) defenseman in the ‘80s. [Post]

Elsewhere

• Mitch Marner scored a pretty incredible breakaway goal as Vegas clinched their series over the Ducks. [NHL]
• The Canadiens are also one win away from the conference final after winning Game 5 in Buffalo. [NHL]
• The Sabres switched their goalies yet again. [Sportsnet]
• Awaiting them are the Hurricanes, whose GM Eric Tulsky is enjoying their 8-0 ride. [NHL]
• Officially now (after word leaked they asked Vegas for permission to speak to Bruce Cassidy), the Oilers have fired Kris Knoblauch, who never could recover from the yips that kept him from accurately throwing to first base. [NHL]
• They’ll hope the new coach can somehow convince Connor McDavid to stay. [NHL | Sportsnet]
• The Sedins are back to run the Canucks, with Ryan Johnson as GM. [Sportsnet | NHL]
• Seven potential candidates for the Leafs coaching job. [Sportsnet]

Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division)

Montreal, Quebec; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Canadiens -159, Sabres +134; over/under is 6.5

NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Canadiens lead series 3-2

BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-2 lead in the series. The teams meet Thursday for the 10th time this season. The Canadiens won the previous meeting 6-3.

Montreal has a 23-12-3 record in Atlantic Division games and a 48-24-10 record overall. The Canadiens have committed 350 total penalties (4.3 per game) to rank fourth in the league.

Buffalo is 50-23-9 overall with a 22-10-5 record in Atlantic Division games. The Sabres have committed 316 total penalties (3.9 per game) to rank ninth in league play.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nicholas Suzuki has scored 29 goals with 72 assists for the Canadiens. Lane Hutson has one goal and nine assists over the last 10 games.

Rasmus Dahlin has 19 goals and 55 assists for the Sabres. Zachary Benson has scored four goals and added three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 6-3-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.4 assists, 5.7 penalties and 14.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.

Sabres: 5-4-1, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.8 assists, 5.9 penalties and 16.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen).

Sabres: Noah Ostlund: out (lower body), Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ANAHEIM, May 14th, 2026– In California, Duck Season typically runs from October through January. But tonight, for one night and one night only, it was reopened at the Honda Center. 

According to California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Vegas Golden Knights could have scored two more goals tonight. But, as it turned out, they didn’t need to hit the daily bag limit to defeat the Anaheim Ducks. 

The puck dropped at 6:50 p.m. PST. They made their way through the handshake line at 9:36, and because media availability was so short, I imagine that the team was wheels up for a flight back to Las Vegas by 10:15. Head coach John Tortorella also declined to speak to the media following the series win.

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST on Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver. 

1. Birds of Prey? No– Birds *Are* Prey

The Ducks were moving targets for the Golden Knights tonight– and it had nothing to do with wearing orange. They made costly mistake after costly mistake, and the Golden Knights capitalized on nearly every single one. There is no better example than their shorthanded goal, which came after the Ducks cheated for offense. Mitch Marner took advantage of this.

“As soon as I saw that he had the puck with some time and space, I just tried to build up speed,” said forward Brett Howden following the 5-1 win. “I thought he was going to kick it out to me, and then he didn’t– he just stayed patient, stayed patient. When he has the puck on his stick, I just try to get to the net… Luckily enough, I found some space, and he made the play.”

Howden became just the eighth player in NHL history to score three short-handed goals in the same postseason.

“It’s funny,” said Howden postgame. “I was just telling Mitch that I don’t know if I’ve ever had a shorthanded goal before. He’s made some unbelievable plays to set me up for some of those.”

2. Next Man Up

It’s important to note that the most impressive part of the Golden Knights’ blowout win is that they did it without Brayden McNabb. The defenseman received a one-game suspension from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety following a hit on Ryan Poehling in Game 5 that knocked the Ducks forward out of the game, and out of Game 6 as well.

“Losing Nabber [is tough],” said defenseman Rasmus Andersson following Game 5. “He’s one of the leaders, if not the leader, on the back end. It’s time for other players to step up.”

And step up they did.

Andersson, Shea Theodore, and Noah Hanifin all played over 24 minutes tonight. Kaedan Korczak returned to the lineup and performed admirably in a limited role. Ben Hutton, too, has given the Golden Knights solid minutes ever since returning to the lineup six games ago. Dylan Coghlan, who played just three games with the NHL club during the regular season, has played in each of the last three games. He logged nearly 20 minutes tonight, recorded four hits, and was a +3.

3. That’s Me in the Spotlight, Losing My Religion

Brayden McNabb has served as alternate captain this season, and Mitch Marner wore the ‘A’ in his absence. And, boy, did he ever fill that role. He scored just 62 seconds into the first period, and made Brett Howden’s shorthanded game-winning goal happen. Marner continues to lead the postseason in scoring with seven goals and 18 points in 11 games.

“He’s a game-breaker, right? You saw it in that series– he was the best player in the series,” said Jack Eichel following the 5-1 win. “He comes out here at the beginning of the first period, makes two incredible plays, and all of a sudden we’re playing with the lead.

“Mitch has been incredible,” continued Eichel. “From day one in training camp, his personality has gelled really well with the team. Obviously, his play is incredible. He’s on a pretty special run right now, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch.

“I feel like he’s had a lot of critics,” Eichel finished. “He’s shutting a lot of people up right now. I’m super happy for him.”

The Anaheim Ducks returned home, facing elimination for the first time this postseason after falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime in Game 5.

Pavel Dorofeyev was the star of the show, scoring two goals––including the overtime winner––to give the Golden Knights a pivotal 3-2 series lead heading back to Honda Center. The Ducks lost forward Ryan Poehling to injury in the first period after a late hit from Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. McNabb had a hearing with NHL Player Safety on Wednesday and was suspended for Game 6. Kaeden Korczak drew back into the lineup in his absence.

Takeaways from the Ducks' 3-2 Overtime Loss to the Golden Knights, Vegas Leads Series 3-2

2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 2, Game 6 - Ducks vs. Golden Knights Gameday Preview (05/14/26)

With Poehling out, Jansen Harkins drew back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch in Games 3 and 4. Mason McTavish slid into the middle to center the third line with Jeff Viel and Cutter Gauthier. No other lineup changes were made.

Here's how the Ducks lined up to start Game 5:

Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
McTavish-Poehling-Gauthier
Johnston-Washe-Viel

LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Zellweger-Moore

Lukáš Dostál and Carter Hart faced one another once again, with Dostál stopping 16 of 21 shots and Hart stopping 31 of 32 shots.

Game Notes

Game 6 was almost reminiscent of Game 3 from the jump, with the Ducks conceding a goal on the first shot against and then giving up a shorthanded goal. Mitch Marner was at the forefront of the action once again, as he was in Game 3. He scored the first Vegas goal and had the primary assist on Brett Howden's shorthanded tally. Shea Theodore's power play tally saw the Ducks facing a three-goal deficit at the end of the first period.

Joel Quenneville swapped Troy Terry and Beckett Sennecke after the second period, which gave Leo Carlsson's line a bit more speed. The Golden Knights showed why they have been a playoff contender almost every season of their existence, refusing to play a safe game and continuing to push back against Anaheim's attempts to erase their deficit. Their plethora of playoff experience was evident in this one. Anaheim made a push in the second and third, but the early 3-0 hole was too much to overcome.

Power Play-The power play was a very sore spot for the Ducks in this series, as the Golden Knights killed off all but four of the 21 opportunities that the Ducks had. The Ducks also gave up two shorthanded goals.

Anaheim's power play success against the Oilers wasn't going to be replicated, but there were times when they were unable to even generate momentum on the man advantage. Though they did get a power play goal in this game courtesy of Mikael Granlund, the power play did not shift the tide nearly enough overall.

Olen Zellweger-Zellweger continues to give the Ducks a dynamic option on the blue line, capable of creating offense with both his skating and shot. Where Jackson LaCombe has taken a bit of a backseat offensively in the past few games, Zellweger has grabbed that opportunity by the horns. It led to more ice time for the second consecutive game as he was paired with John Carlson down the stretch.

John Carlson-Carlson was a non-factor in this game and most of the series, quite frankly. He registered just one point and was a minus-4. He was walked several times in Game 4 and his attempt to go off the wall in the defensive zone led directly to a goal against in Game 5. The savvy, veteran plays he was pulling off in the Oilers series were few and far between in the Vegas series, with his lack of foot speed unable to cover up some of his mistakes.

Ryan Poehling-The Ducks really missed Poehling in this game, as they didn't have a bridge to cover the gap between Carlsson/Granlund and Washe. While McTavish and Gauthier drove play well in Game 4 without Poehling, they couldn't quite replicate that in Game 5. Some of that may have been due to the absence of Poehling, who also holds a big role on the penalty kill.

The Ducks' season comes to an end after securing a playoff berth for the first time in eight seasons. They also won their first playoff series in nine seasons. While their season is over, their young core gained plenty of experience, which they can pull from heading into next season.

Goaltending-While Lukáš Dostál isn't solely to blame for this loss, he was outplayed by Carter Hart in this one. The dreaded "first shot, first goal" trend which has followed Dostál into the playoffs reared its head once again. He did play well in Game 5, which makes that overtime loss sting a bit more. This is the most games Dostál has ever started in his pro career, including a stint at the Winter Olympics in February. It's also important to remember that next season will be just his second as the full-time starter.

When the Vegas Golden Knights took the ice on Thursday night, they did so with one mission: beat the Anaheim Ducks and advance to the Western Conference Finals. They certainly rose to the occasion– they struck 62 seconds into the first period and never let up en route to a 5-1 victory.

Less than a minute into the first period, William Karlsson sprung Mitch Marner on a breakaway. What followed was one of the most impressive goals in Golden Knights history. 

Marner moved in on Lukáš Dostál, shielding the puck from a pursuing Jackson LaCombe. When Dostál moved to cut off Marner’s angle, the forward pulled up, stopping on a dime. Marner went forehand-backhand-forehand-backhand, and finished the play off forehand, between-the-legs, while skating backward.

Mr. Game Six. Stretch pass from William Karlsson, and Money Mitch is in on a breakaway. Dostál closes him off, no problem. Money Mitch with the pull up, tucks it home, and puts his team up early.

1-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/YyiDFZLnxY

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 15, 2026

“I didn’t really have a good look at it, being behind the play. But from the glimpse I saw, it was just so sick,” said defenseman Shea Theodore postgame. “That’s him, though. [Marner] is so good on his edges, and he’s so good at finding different ways to get things done.”

The Golden Knights doubled their lead at 8:30 in the first. Mitch Marner took the puck up ice, carried it into the zone, and surveyed the ice as Brett Howden drove the net. Marner threaded a pass between Jackson LaCombe and Alex Killorn to set Howden up for a one-timer.

It’s the shorthanded specialist. Marner made it happen, and Howden finished it off. Have you heard that one before?

2-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/JEnnXDTug9

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 15, 2026

The Golden Knights added to their lead on the power play at 17:19 in the first. Tomáš Hertl won the draw clean back to Shea Theodore, who moved into the high slot and fired a wrister through traffic that found its way home. 

That took all of four seconds. Snipe city, population Shea Theodore. Rips one from the point.

3-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/nfm5yi1PqE

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 15, 2026

Anaheim came out flying to start the second period and recorded five shots in the first four minutes. Eventually, they broke through on the power play.

The Ducks broke through on the power play at 12:46 in the second. Troy Terry entered the zone with speed, danced between Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore, and fired a cross-ice pass to Mikael Granlund. Granlund picked his spot and ripped a wrister past Carter Hart far-side.

Mikael Granlund. Wow. What a shot. Let’s one rip from the top of the left circle and beats Hart far-side.

3-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/KIZyxEN3tP

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 15, 2026

Granlund’s goal rejuvenated a frustrated group, but to no avail. Despite outshooting the Golden Knights 28-12 in the final two periods, the Ducks simply weren’t able to capitalize. 

The Golden Knights restored their three-goal lead just 2:52 into the third. John Carlson tried to rim the puck around the boards, but it never made it to Alex Killorn at the half wall. Ivan Barbashev read the play, intercepted the pass, and threaded a backhand through Mikael Granlund to find Pavel Dorofeyev with time and space. Dorofeyev stepped into the slot and beat Lukáš Dostál far-side with a wicked wrister.

The kid is on fire! Ducks turnover, Ivan Barbashev with a backhand feed, and Pavel Dorofeyev finishes it off with a laser from the slot.

4-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/DHLXIxWHCq

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 15, 2026

The Golden Knights tacked on another at 12:32 in the third. Rasmus Andersson fired the puck deep into the zone, and Lukáš Dostál left his crease to play the puck behind the net. Pavel Dorofeyev got to it first, protected the puck from Jacob Trouba, rolled out to below the right circle, and beat Lukáš Dostál over the shoulder short-side.

Pavel Dorofeyev. Ew. Drifts out from behind the net and rips one over Dostál’s shoulder.

5-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/5hENZoCUCE

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 15, 2026

The Ducks pulled Lukáš Dostál for the extra attacker with over five minutes remaining in regulation. But a four-goal deficit is a mountain to climb; despite recording eight shots, they couldn’t solve Carter Hart, and the Golden Knights held on for a commanding 5-1 victory.

Handshakes in Anaheim. pic.twitter.com/io0QQ7bmlo

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 15, 2026

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST on Wednesday at Ball Arena.

Duck Hunters: 3 Takeaways as Golden Knights Win Game 6, Advance to Western Conference Final

The Vegas Golden Knights hired former Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella on March 29, only eight games before the end of the 2025–26 regular season. 

Now, with only five games lost in both the regular season and playoffs since being hired, Tortorella and the Golden Knights are heading to the Western Conference Final. 

After taking down the Utah Mammoth in six games during the first-round of the 2026 post-season, Vegas has knocked out an up-and-coming Anaheim Ducks team that defeated the Edmonton Oilers and brought the Golden Knights to six games. 

This is the fifth time in their nine-season franchise history that the Golden Knights have made it to the Conference Finals. Vegas has made it to the Stanley Cup Final twice in their club history, losing to the Washington Capitals in their inaugural season (2018) and winning in 2023. They have only missed the post-season once, in 2022. 

Tortorella has made the post-season 13 times in his coaching career, winning the Stanley Cup once with the Tampa Bay Lighting in 2003–04. He has made it to the Conference Finals only one other time throughout his career — with the New York Rangers in 2012. In his lone season as the Canucks’ head coach, Vancouver went 36–35–11 during the regular season and did not make the playoffs. 

Also an ex-Canuck heading to the Western Conference Final with Vegas is Nic Dowd, who played with Vancouver for 40 games before heading to Washington for the better-half of eight seasons. While he didn’t end up getting on the scoresheet during the Golden Knights’ second-round series against the Ducks, Dowd played an important role against the Mammoth, scoring the game-winning goal in Game 1 and finding the back of the net in Game 3. 

Hutton, the ex-Canuck and current Golden Knight who spent the most time with Vancouver, did not play in Vegas’ first-round series but found himself back in the lineup against Anaheim. The defenceman has served as a solid depth defender for the Golden Knights since joining the organization in 2021–22, steadily averaging 14 to 16 minutes per game. 

Vegas will now move on to face the Colorado Avalache in the Western Conference Final. The Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild in five games while also sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the first-round. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

'We're Going To Do Everything It Takes To Do This Job Well': Henrik & Daniel Sedin Are Ready For Their New Roles With The Vancouver Canucks

New Canucks GM Ryan Johnson Is Making Team Environment A Priority

Ryan Johnson Named Canucks' New General Manager, Sedins Co-Presidents Of Hockey Operations

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

Fresh off their series victory over the Manitoba Moose, the Grand Rapids Griffins were back on the ice in the friendly confines of Van Andel Arena for their Central Division finals series against the Chicago Wolves on Thursday evening.

Unfortunately, the Wolves proved to be rude guests. 

A goal from Josiah Slavin, who is a 2018 NHL Draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, broke a 1-1 tie in the third period and proved to ultimately stand up as the game-winner.

The Wolves, who picked up a 2-1 regulation victory, lead the series one game to none. 

final. pic.twitter.com/U7DhMo7Eud

— y-Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) May 15, 2026

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Eduards Tralmaks, who is playing in his first season in the Red Wings organization and scored 26 goals in 64 regular season games with the Griffins, opened the scoring late in the second period, only to have the Wolves respond courtesy of a tally from Justin Robidas. 

Griffins goaltender Michal Postava, another first-year player in the organization and who has been playing nearly lights out hockey, made 30 stops in a losing effort. Meanwhile, Wolves goaltender Cayden Primeau made 23 saves. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mitch Marner scored a tremendous goal 62 seconds after the opening faceoff, Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in the third period and the Vegas Golden Knights cruised into the Western Conference finals with a 5-1 victory over Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the second round Thursday night.

Brett Howden scored his third short-handed goal of the playoffs and Shea Theodore got a power-play goal during a 3-0 first period for the Golden Knights, who reached the third round of the NHL postseason for the first time since they won their lone Stanley Cup championship in 2023 — and for the fifth time in this charmed expansion franchise’s nine seasons of existence.

Marner played a role in all three of Vegas’ first-period goals while raising his NHL-leading playoff point total to 18, and Game 5 overtime goal-scorer Dorofeyev put the game away with a huge third period. Carter Hart made 31 saves as the veteran-laden Golden Knights ended the upstart Ducks’ first playoff appearance since 2018.

Vegas will face an exponentially bigger challenge in the Colorado Avalanche, who won the Presidents’ Trophy and then improved to 8-1 in the postseason on Wednesday by ousting Minnesota in five games.

Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal for the Ducks, whose return from a seven-year playoff drought ended when their young roster was unable to match the veteran Knights’ playoff poise in three losses over the past four games.

Lukas Dostal stopped 16 shots for Anaheim, which couldn’t overcome another poor first period in Game 6, ending their encouraging first season under coach Joel Quenneville.

The Knights are 15-4-1 since John Tortorella replaced Cup-winning coach Bruce Cassidy on March 29, surging past the Ducks to claim the Pacific Division title before beating Utah and Anaheim in the first two playoff rounds.

CANADIENS 6, SABRES 3

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Captain Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans scored 68 seconds apart late in the second period, and Montreal defeated Buffalo to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Montreal surged with a three-goal second period, and never led until Evans swept a loose puck over the goal line behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to put the Canadiens up 4-3 with 3:45 remaining. Suzuki then scored 10 seconds into a power-play opportunity by converting Juraj Slafkovsky’s one-handed pass from the end boards and beating Luukkonen through the legs with a shot from the lower right circle.

Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson, Ivan Demidov and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, which will host Game 6 on Saturday night. Jakub Dobes allowed three goals on the first four shots he faced before finishing with 33 saves.

Josh Doan, Jason Zucker and rookie Konsta Helenius, appearing in his second career playoff game, scored for Buffalo.

Luukkonen allowed five goals on 23 shots, and was pulled after two periods -- the second time he’s been yanked this postseason. Alex Lyon mopped up in allowing a goal on three shots. Lyon is potentially in line to regain the starting duties after losing the job following a 6-2 loss in Game 3.

The Sabres have dropped two of three at home in the series, and were coming off a 3-2 win at Montreal on Tuesday.

The carriage has turned back into a pumpkin, the ballgown is once again just tattered clothing and all the horses have gone back to being mice.

The Ducks’ Cinderella run through the NHL playoffs came to an end Thursday in a 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series. And the end came well before midnight, with goals by Mitch Marner and Brett Howden in the first 8½ minutes giving Vegas a commanding lead before many in the late-arriving weeknight crowd had made it to their seats at the Honda Center.

The Golden Knights will move on to the Western Conference finals with the Colorado Avalanche next week while the Ducks will move on to summer. But it’s the team’s latest start on the offseason since 2017, the last time the Ducks made it to the second round of the playoffs. So even if the glass slipper didn’t fit this time, the Ducks have reason to celebrate.

This team, after all, wasn’t supposed to be at the ball this long. Fourteen players on its roster had never been to the postseason before; most of them had never even played for a winning team in the NHL before. But the team’s youth and inexperience proved to be a strength, not a weakness.

They didn’t know they weren’t supposed to win in the playoffs, so they did, dispatching the Edmonton Oilers — who made the last two Stanley Cup finals — in the first round and outplaying the veteran Golden Knights, a playoff team in eight of the franchise’s nine seasons, throughout much of the second round.

Rookie Beckett Sennecke, just 20, had four goals and an assist in the six games with Vegas. Winger Cutter Gauthier, just 22, led the team with 12 points in his first trip to the playoffs. Defenseman Olen Zellwenger, also 22, had a goal and assist in his first two playoff games and Olympic gold medalist Jackson LaCombe, 25, led the team in ice time — and was third in points with 10 — in his first postseason.

That’s the core of the team going forward and the playoff experience they got this spring will be invaluable. But the fairy godmother’s spell wore off early in Game 6, which was just 62 seconds old when Vegas went ahead to stay.

Marner opened the scoring with a spectacular breakaway goal, skating on to William Karlssson’s two-line pass as he entered the offensive zone and beating LaCombe up the center of the ice to the crease. When he got there, he pulled up, turned his back to goalie Lukas Dostal, then shoved the puck just inside the right post for his seventh goal of the playoffs.

Howden doubled the lead with a shorthanded goal 7½ minutes later, finding miles of space just to the right of the goal and banging in a pass from Marner that split LaCombe and Alex Killorn. The goal was Howden’s eighth of the playoffs, temporarily giving him the NHL postseason lead, while the assist gave Marner 18 postseason points, also best in the league.

When Shea Theodore scored off a faceoff seconds into a power play late in the period, it gave the Golden Knights a 3-0 lead at the intermission with the goals coming on a power play, the penalty kill and with the teams at even strength.

The Ducks led the NHL with 26 comeback wins during the regular season, but against the poised and patient Golden Knights the deficit was too big. The Ducks left the ice to a chorus of boos after the period, though they came back to dominate the second period, getting the only score at 12:46 when Mikael Granlund notched his fifth goal of the playoffs on a power play, lining a snap shot into the side netting from the middle the left circle.

But the Ducks would get no closer, with Vegas icing the game on two third-period goals from Pavel Dorofeyev, who had four goals in the final two games. The first came off a turnover from the Ducks’ John Carlson deep in his defensive end 2:52 into the final period and the second on a shot from a difficult angle to the right of the goal that ricocheted in off Dostal with 6:28 left in the Ducks’ season.

The two scores gave Dorofeyev nine for the playoffs, passing Howden for the league lead.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Nashville Predators will be adding a second round pick to their draft stock in 2027. 

Following the Vegas Golden Knights' 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 to win the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals, the Predators have upgraded a 2027 third-round pick to a second-round pick. 

Vegas will face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals. 

Nashville received a conditional pick from the Golden Knights in a trade in June 2025, sending Colton Sissions and Jeremy Lauzon to Vegas for Nic Hague and a conditional 2027 third-round pick.

If the Golden Knights won at least two rounds in the 2026 playoffs, which they have, the pick upgrades to the second round selection. 

Nashville now has 12 picks in the 2027 NHL Draft: one first round, two second round, three third round, two fourth round, two fifth round, one sixth round and one seventh round pick. 

The Predators have 12 picks in the upcoming 2026 draft, including the 10th overall pick. 

the past two years, beginning with Vegas star forward and 2023 Conn Smyth winner, Jonathan Marchessault, signing with Nashville in the 2024 offseason.

Along with the Hague trade, Nashville sent Cole Smith to the Golden Knights at the 2026 trade deadline for a 2028 third-round pick and defenseman Christoffer Sedoff. 

Nashville saw consistent production from Hague in his first season, totaling 15 points in 62 games. On the other hand, Marchessault's play has steadily declined, posting a career-low 31 points in 62 games. 

The Predators latest acquisition, Sedoff, has no points in 12 games this season with the Milwaukee Admirals and played in just one of the Admirals three playoff games. 

Throughout the last several months, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) has been counting down the top-50 players of the last 50 years who have played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). 

On Thursday, they finally reached No. 1 - and it is none other than the greatest Pittsburgh Penguin of all time.

Franchise legend Mario Lemieux, a QMJHL alumnus from the Laval Voisins, was given top honors as the greatest CHL player of the last 50 years, eclipsing current Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL) at No. 2 and Wayne Gretzky (Peterborough Petes and Soo Greyhounds, OHL) at No. 3.

“I'm honored to be chosen among this group of great players," Lemieux said. "My time at Laval and in the QMJHL played a big role in preparing me for an NHL career. We all appreciate what the CHL has meant to Canadian hockey and the development of our players through the years.”

CHL President Dan MacKenzie had some high praise for Lemieux in an official press release from the CHL. 

“Mario Lemieux’s dominance with the Laval Voisins remains one of the defining achievements in CHL history,” MacKenzie said. “His 1983-84 season set a standard that has stood for more than 40 years, and the career that followed only strengthened his place among the greatest players our game has ever seen."

Team Canada Keeps Celebrini Captain Over CrosbyMacklin Celebrini will remain Team Canada's captain for the World Championships.

The 1983-84 season that MacKenzie referenced was the greatest season in CHL history. Lemieux registered an astounding, unbeatable 282 points (133 goals, 149 assists) in only 70 games. In three QMJHL seasons with Laval, Lemieux registered a total of 247 goals and 562 points in 200 career games.

This preceded his all-time great NHL career that was, unfortunately, hampered by injuries, but in which he still managed to put up 690 goals and 1,723 points in only 915 NHL games. 

Crosby - who, at No. 2, gave the Penguins the top-two spots on the list - spent only two seasons with Rimouski, amassing 120 goals and 303 points in 121 games. He beat out Gretzky and Erie Otters (OHL) alumnus Connor McDavid at No. 4 on the list. 

Opinion: The Kyle Dubas GM Of The Year Snub Is InsaneIt's crazy that Kyle Dubas is not a finalist for the GM of the Year award after how well he did this past year.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!