Flyers finish off Penguins with thrilling OT win, head to second round in playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

There will be no Game 7.

The Flyers’ playoff run is headed to the second round.

Rick Tocchet’s club finished off the Penguins in six games with an eke-it-out, 1-0 overtime win Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. In this best-of-seven first-round matchup, the Flyers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead and then fended off Pittsburgh after dropping Games 4 and 5.

Cam York scored the Game 6 winner. It came with 2:30 minutes left in overtime.

Tocchet said the Flyers would have to “stick a fork” in these experienced Penguins. They eventually did.

Dan Vladar played a significant role in that. He was magnificent in closing out Pittsburgh.

The Flyers face the Hurricanes next. The last time the Flyers made the second round was 2020, their previous playoff berth. They lost to the Islanders in seven games.

• After the Game 4 loss, Vladar was adamant that the Flyers would be OK.

The 28-year-old backed up his words with 42 saves Wednesday night.

He turned away Anthony Mantha at the doorstep around the midway mark of overtime. He made a superb stop on Bryan Rust with under four minutes to go in regulation.

Vladar was excellent in the series, allowing just 10 goals and delivering two shutouts.

“He has been our backbone all year,” York said Monday. “When he’s that confident, that poised, it just bleeds through the room. He has been our MVP this year.”

Arturs Silovs, making his third straight start for the Penguins, stopped 31 shots.

The Flyers opened the third period with a power play after Travis Konecny drew a roughing penalty on Kris Letang at the end of the middle stanza. But the Flyers came up empty.

Their last-ranked power play went 2 for 17 in the series. It didn’t cost them.

Christian Dvorak and Travis Sanheim nearly connected for a shorthanded goal in the second period. Silovs, though, turned away Dvorak in close to keep the game scoreless.

Early during the third period, Dvorak made a clutch defensive play in the slot to help prevent a goal.

After being healthy scratched in Game 5, Matvei Michkov had a couple of good looks during the second period. In a span of 29 seconds, he was denied on a semi breakaway and then at the post when he tried to tuck one past Silovs.

Michkov had an assist on York’s winner.

• Give the Flyers credit for tightening things up defensively and really grinding out a win.

Their stinginess is what pushed them into the playoffs.

They needed to get back to that and did. They found a way to close out Pittsburgh despite scoring just five goals over the final three games.

• Sean Couturier oozed with experience in Game 6. He played a true brand of playoff hockey.

The 33-year-old captain led by example all series.

• The Flyers now have a second-round date with the Eastern Conference’s top seed.

Carolina swept the Senators in the first round and finished the regular season with 113 points at 53-22-7.

Every matchup between the Flyers and Hurricanes in the regular season went past regulation. The Flyers lost three of the four games.

The schedule for the series has not yet been announced.

The Chicago Blackhawks may have a gem in Anton Frondell, whom they selected third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He came to the NHL in the final few weeks of the season after a wonderful teenage season in Sweden. 

Offensively speaking, Frondell had one of the best rookie years the SHL has ever seen. He was also a catalyst for Team Sweden en route to a Gold Medal at the World Junior Championships. 

In the NHL, he showed no signs of a slow start in that regard either. He had 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points in 12 games played. For being 18 years old, it's an incredible start to his NHL tenure. The sky is the limit for his point total in his true rookie season, which will be 2026-27. 

When Frondell was first drafted, he made it clear that he emphasized being a two-way forward. He compared his play to that of Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov, who is one of the best two-way forwards in NHL history. 

It's a lofty goal for Frondell, but not one that he can't strive for. Being a multi-time Stanley Cup-winning future Hall of Famer is not easy, but the Blackhawks would certainly like to see him become some fraction of that. 

Frondell's play without the puck was equally impressive in his first 12 NHL games. For most forwards, that is the hardest part in development. For Frondell, he showed signs of greatness in that regard. There will be walls, but if this is his floor, his ceiling is something for the organization to build around. 

"He's strong on his stick, smart, moves well, there's a lot there," head coach Jeff Blashill said of his young forward. "He's going to be a good player." 

It's one thing to be a great hockey player on your own in the NHL; it's another to make others around you better. In his short stint, the latter was the reality for Anton Frondell. 

Part of playing center, which Frondell did for most of the games to end the year after not playing it at all in Sweden, is being strong in all three zones. That is something that he is committed to working on during his summer training. 

"I always want to improve my game, work hard, and get better," Frondell said. "It's the same feeling every year. But of course, now, I feel like I got a couple of games here to know what it feels like and what to work on. I would say playing as a center for a couple of games was new for me, because I didn't play center for the whole year. I feel like if I want to play center next year or whenever, [I have to] keep working on that game."

The Blackhawks have a lot of young, highly skilled forwards on the team and in the pipeline, but none of them are quite like Frondell in this aspect.

Connor Bedard's offensive ceiling is higher than Frondell's, but nobody will ever mistake him for a Selke Trophy candidate. Frondell may be one of those guys based on his current development path. 

"[Frondell] looked great," Bedard said of his newest teammate. "Just how he stepped in, obviously the skill’s there and stuff, but just how strong he is. He was playing pro in Sweden, but he’s beaten most NHL players in battles, winning pucks, just the little things, as well as how talented he is. I think he was almost a point per game, and I think he hit 100 posts as well. Just to see him next year after getting a taste of it and getting a summer to get ready, it’s going to be fun." 

When training camp begins in the fall, a lot of hype will surround Frondell's rookie year as one of the Calder Trophy candidates. Before then, however, there is another chance to watch him play in meaningful games as he is headed to Switzerland to play for Team Sweden in the IIHF World Championships.

There, he will have another opportunity to play against pro hockey players (including NHL players), where he will work on his skills as an offensive and defensive forward. 

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

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In continuation of looking at possible goaltenders who could replace Sergei Bobrovsky if he decides to leave in free agency, we take a look at the evolving situation in the Minnesota Wild.

The Minnesota Wild took an important 3-2 series lead over the Dallas Stars last night, so they won’t be worrying about a trade at the moment, but when the off-season comes around, they could be looking to move a goaltender. Teams may be surprised to learn which of the two is available. 

Throughout the regular season, Filip Gustavsson was the starting netminder, set to guide the Wild through the playoffs. But when Game 1 came around, coach John Hynes turned to the 23-year-old Jesper Wallstedt, the netminder the Wild were considering moving at the trade deadline.

Wallstedt finished his rookie season playing 35 games, recording a .916 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average. In the playoffs, those numbers are up to .926 and 2.05 after five games. 

Gustavsson, on the other hand, played in 50 games, recording a .904 SP and 2.69 GAA, solid numbers. With his 219 games of NHL experience, as well as his experience playing in the post-season on two separate occasions, the expectation was that he would take the crease against the Stars. 

Now that he doesn’t have the starting job, Gustavsson appears upset by the decision, as The Athletic reported that they attempted to interview the 27-year-old, who told them to “speak to the players playing.”

While this doesn’t guarantee that Gustavsson will be made available during the off-season, it raises the question, as the Wild have been very keen on adding another top-six center to improve their roster.

Gustavsson could be a great fit for the Florida Panthers. He’s accumulated a fair bit of NHL experience, participated in the Olympics, and fits the timeline of the players the Panthers currently have on the roster. 

Should The Panthers Target Blues' Jordan Binnington If Sergei Bobrovsky Walks In Free Agency?The Florida Panthers may have a new No. 1 goaltender for the first time since 2019 if Sergei Bobrovsky leaves in free agency. Could St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington be the answer for the Panthers?

The issue that lies with Gustavsson and the Wild that the Panthers wouldn’t run into when attempting to trade with the St. Louis Blues and Jordan Binnington, or even the Winnipeg Jets and Connor Hellebuyck, is that the Wild want NHL players, preferably a top-six center, compared to the Blues and Jets, who want prospects and picks. 

Aleksander Barkov is off the table, Sam Bennett, following his eight-year extension, is likely off the table as well, so the only options are Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues. The Panthers think very highly of Lundell, and they are unlikely to move him. Rodrigues probably doesn’t move the needle enough for the Wild. 

They could look to move a winger such as Carter Verhaeghe, Eetu Luostarinen, or Mackie Samoskevich, but the Wild may not be interested.

It will be interesting to see how things play out for the Wild, and if the Panthers are in the market for a goaltender, will they approach GM Bill Guerin?

Time will tell. 

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New York Islanders pending unrestricted free agent netminder Marcus Hogberg has signed a three-year deal with Linköping HC of the SHL. 

Working on confirming but it sounds like #Isles pending UFA G Marcus Hogberg is heading back to the SHL, rejoining Linkopings HC.

He started his career with them and spent another three seasons there (2021-2024) before getting another crack at the NHL with NYI.

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 29, 2026

This marks his third stint with Linkopings. Hogberg had played a majority of his two seasons with Bridgeport after serving as Ilya Sorokin's backup in 2024-25 when Semyon Varlamov went down.

Hogberg played 31 regular-season games with BRI (12-13-6, 2.92 GAA, .898 SV%) this past season.

Started both playoff games (2 losses), stopping 32 of 35. #Isleshttps://t.co/3XOLTMWZph

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 29, 2026

Here's a touching story from last season on why Hogberg left the NHL to begin with: 

It was a bit of a shock when the New York Islanders announced on May 7 that they had signed goaltender Marcus Hogberg to a two-year deal.

The Islanders needed goaltending depth, but Hogberg had not played in the NHL since the 2020-21 season.

His stats over a three-year period with Linkopings HC in the Swedish Elite League were solid, but the NHL is a different animal. 

What was likely intriguing to the Islanders was that Hogberg did have NHL experience, which does make a difference, playing three seasons with the Ottawa Senators (2018-2021), who drafted him in the third round (No. 78) in the 2013 NHL Draft. 

In 42 games and 35 starts for Ottawa, Hogberg owned a 3.39 GAA with an .894 SV%. 

Hogberg did not make the Islanders out of camp, and behind a shaky Bridgeport Islanders team, his numbers weren't stellar, posting a 3.26 GAA with an .898 SV% in 11 games. 

But at the NHL level this season, Hogberg, the question mark, has turned into Hogberg, the answer, as he's done a magnificent job when called up in the absence of Semyon Varlamov.

Through four appearances this season and two starts, he's turned aside 76 of 80 shots he's faced for a .950 SV% and a 1.56 GAA. 

Per #Isles statistician @ehornick in his latest Skinny:

Hogberg has now played 153 minutes for the Isles, allowing 4 goals on 80 shots for a 1.57 GAA & a .950 SV%. Both the GAA and save percentage are the best in Islander history for any goalie who played multiple games.

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) January 12, 2025

It makes you wonder. Why did Hogberg, at age 26, decide to return home to Sweden?

“I think it's everything, how I played in Ottawa and everything with my dad," Hogberg told The Hockey News.

Hogberg's father, Peter, had a brain tumor. Despite having surgery to remove it, his father sadly passed away shortly after. 

 "His surgery was right before COVID hit," Hogberg recalled. "I played a game -- I think it was like Detroit at home -- and then the day after, I flew back to Sweden to see my dad before surgery. And then he said, like, a day or two before surgery, ‘go back and play again. I want that'. So, that was nice that he chose what I should do.

"The surgery went well, but they said that it was like a really, really aggressive brain tumor. After that, we knew that my dad was not gonna live, and then Coronavirus came, and, of course, I got sick, so I didn't have time to go back."

After Hogberg left quarantine, he got on the first flight back to Sweden. 

"He passed away the same day I traveled back to Sweden. So, that was tough," Hogberg shared. 

As one can expect, losing his father made playing hockey ultra difficult. 

"To lose my dad was really, really hard, and I was not myself," Hogberg said. "I didn't really talk about the feelings and how everything went. So, I think that's maybe why I didn't play like myself my last year in Ottawa. 

"So we decided as a family to go back home, and I just tried to find myself again, not just on the ice but off the ice. So, I felt like being closer to my friends and my family and building myself up as a goalie again was the right decision. I'm really happy that we made that decision."

One can only imagine how proud his dad would be, seeing him not only get back to the NHL and continue to live his childhood dream but get back in the win column after he turned aside 21 of 22 shots in a spot start against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night with Ilya Sorokin sick.

"I'm happy that he's always with me," Hogberg said. "I have his name on my helmet."

Hogberg's journey back to the NHL actually wasn't really up to him. 

"I'm really happy that the Islanders reached out to me," Hogberg said. "Because it's just a good organization up here and also in Bridgeport. We get treated well and all that stuff. So, I'm really happy to be here.”

Hogberg also shared that the Islanders were the only team that reached out to him.

On Tuesday night, Hogberg will have a full circle moment. 

With Sorokin still not feeling 100%, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy is turning to the 30-year-old against the team that drafted him.

"It's fun. I'm just going to try to enjoy the moment, be ready, and just have some fun," Hogberg said. "I was there for a couple of years, and I know some guys on that side still on the team, so it should be fun."

The Buffalo Sabres were all set to win a playoff series for the first time in 19 years, leading 3-1 over the Boston Bruins after a 6-1 thrashing in Game 4, but after taking the lead on a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, the Sabres were unable to add on and allowed Boston to settle into a more defensive duel that suits their style of play. Elias Lindholm tied the game in the second period, and after a scoreless third with a number of scoring chances  thwarted by Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, David Pastrnak scored past Alex Lyon midway through the first overtime period to force Game 6 in Boston on Wednesday. 

The win is the fourth of the five games in the series that the visiting team came out on top, and puts the Bruins in position to force a seventh game with a victory on home ice on Friday. The injury bug hit the Sabres up the middle for the second time in the series, as center Noah Ostlund left the game in the first period with a lower body injury. The rookie scored a goal and assist in his playoff debut in Game 3, but according to head coach Lindy Ruff, the injury is expected to keep Ostlund out for the foreseeable future.

"He's gonna miss a period of time," Ruff said to the media on Wednesday. "(The) news wasn't good, don't exactly know how much right now, but he's gonna miss some time."

It is expected that Josh Norris, who sat out the last three games with an undisclosed injury but skated on Tuesday, will be ready to go for Game 6.

 Other Sabres Stories

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Other questions asked of Ruff:

How do you prepare the club for an elimination game?

The same way we're trying to prepare for for last night's game. We knew there's going to be a desperation level inside the game, and I thought the start to the game,. (with) the power play goal, we got off to a good start. I just sensed the little bit of nerves with our guys. Our puck play wasn't as good as it was in Boston, so just get them to relax, play our game and be ready to go.

What was it about the atmosphere that made the club a bit nervous?

I think you kind of sense we've got this lead, and we, at times, were just a little bit safe with our play, where we needed just to stay on our toes and stay aggressive and (have) more puck pressure that we kind of deferred to playing a safer game in my eyes.

You haven’t had many losing skids since early December, you’ve always bounced back. What do you credit that towards?

Really just focusing on our game. We'll go through parts of the game, and there's two or three areas we can improve for next game that we weren't good enough at. And we'll show two or three areas that we thought we can take advantage of the other team. I just feel now, the pressure kind of reverts back to them, and their building and they haven't played well in their building, and we get to go there and play in a building where we've won two games.

The Sabres were held off the ice on Wednesday, but will practice on Thursday in Buffalo before departing for Boston. 

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Ilya Sorokin continues to make Islanders goalie history.

Named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the second time in his six-year NHL career Wednesday, Sorokin became the first Isles netminder to receive multiple nominations for the NHL’s annual award for the best goaltender.

He was announced alongside Boston’s Jeremy Swayman and Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy.

After finishing as a runner-up following the 2022-23 season, Sorokin has a legitimate chance at winning this year’s award.

This marks the sixth time in franchise history that an Islanders goaltender has been named a finalist for the Vezina, which is selected by the 32 NHL general managers. Sorokin, the Isles’ 78th overall pick in the 2014 draft, was already among Billy Smith (1982), Roland Melanson (1983), Kelly Hrudey (1988) and Robin Lehner (2019) on the list of the Isles goalies to be up for the honor.

Only Smith has actually won.

The 30-year-old Sorokin led the NHL with seven shutouts this season, which also tied a franchise record for the most in a single campaign.

In a 9-0 win over the Devils on Jan. 6, the 44 saves he posted counted as the most by any NHL goalie in a shutout this season and marked his 26th career shutout, breaking an Islanders record that had stood for nearly 50 years.

Among all NHL goaltenders, Sorokin led in road wins (18), ranked eighth in saves (1,386), tied for ninth in wins (29) and games played (55), and finished 10th in total minutes (3,226).

While the Islanders collapsed in the final three-and-a-half weeks of the season to miss the playoffs, the Russian netminder registered a 29-24-2 record, a .906 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against average.

He went 15-5-0 when facing more than 30 shots this season, including a franchise record streak of 13-0-0 in such games to start the 2025-26 season. From March 17-April 12, Sorokin backstopped the Islanders in 14 consecutive games, including nine straight starts and four back-to-back slates.

This season was the second of Sorokin’s eight-year, $66 million deal he signed with the Islanders in July 2023.

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The Battle of Pennsylvania continues tonight, and the Philadelphia Flyers could win its first playoff series in six years.

The Flyers are currently up three games to two in the best-of-seven series against its intrastate rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers won three straight to open the series, but the Penguins came back with wins in games four and five, where the Flyers erased a 2-0 deficit to tie things up, but a fluke bounce led to a bizarre Penguins goal that put them ahead, 3-2.

If the Flyers win tonights game, they’ll advance into the second round of the NHL Playoffs to face the Carolina Hurricanes. A Penguins win would force a winner-takes-all Game 7 in Pittsburgh.

Penguins vs. Flyers Game 6 start time

Tonight’s (April 29) Penguins vs. Flyers game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Penguins vs. Flyers for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Penguins vs. Flyers game for free.

DIRECTV is our top pick for watching hockey live for free — the five-day free trial of its MySports genre pack has TNT, plus all of the other channels you’ll need for the NHL playoffs. When the trial is over, you’ll pay $44.99/month for your first two months and gain access to 20+ live sports channels.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription, you can try a Sling Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including TNT. Sling also offers weekend and week-long passes for its Orange plan, which offer between three and seven days of access.

Penguins vs. Flyers playoff schedule

• Game 1: Flyers 3, Penguins 2
• Game 2: Flyers 3, Penguins 0
• Game 3: Flyers 5, Penguins 2
• Game 4: Penguins 4, Flyers 2
• Game 5: Penguins 3, Flyers 2
• Game 6: Penguins at Flyers | April 29, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
• Game 7: Flyers at Penguins | TBD

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

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While the first two months in the Detroit Red Wings tenure of John Gibson weren't what he or the club were looking for, he rebounded in emphatic fashion.

Gibson became arguably one of the NHL's top goaltenders from that point on, putting together several multi-game winning streaks and enjoying a dominant stretch of 16 wins in 18 games while posting an impressive .929 save percentage. 

However, Gibson was ultimately overlooked in the recent voting for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's top goaltender. This season's nominees were announced on Wednesday, and two of them play in the Atlantic Division.

Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins, and Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders are this season's Vezina nominees. 

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

According to NHL.com, Gibson wasn't even mentioned in the voting totals. 

"Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, 75 points (14 first-place votes); Ilya Sorokin, Islanders 49 (2); Jeremy Swayman, Bruins, 35; Scott Wedgewood, Colorado Avalanche, 33; Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals, 21; Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars, 13; Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers, 10; Brandon Bussi, Carolina Hurricanes, 3; Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild, 1" 

"I Try And Keep It Simple": John Gibson Reflects On First Season With Red Wings Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson reflected on his first campaign with the club during Friday's locker room clean-out day.

By January 22, Gibson's 13.47 goals saved above expected at 5-on-5 since the start of December was only behind Sorokin. His strong play was also a major reason why the Red Wings, who ultimately missed the postseason, were tied for first overall in the Eastern Conference in late January. 

Gibson's numbers did come back down to earth during the final 19 games that he started, during which he accumulated a 6-10-2 record with a 3.20 goals-against average. 

Overall, he finished his first campaign with the Red Wings, having posted a 29-22-4 record, a 2.72 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage, and four shutouts. 

Gibson, who was acquired last offseason from the Anaheim Ducks, is under contract for one more season. 

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DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was fined Wednesday by the NHL for cross-checking Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman after a heated exchange between the players during Game 5 of the first-round playoff series.

Benn and Hartman came together with 5:15 left in the Wild's 4-2 win on Tuesday night that gave them a 3-2 series lead.

The fine of $2,604.17 against Benn was the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

After Hartman's high shove on Benn near the Minnesota net, the Stars forward gathered himself and responded with cross-checks to the back and then high around the neck/shoulder area. Benn was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking, and Hartman got a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, creating a 4-on-4 situation.

The Wild host Game 6 on Thursday night, when they have to a chance to clinch their first playoff series victory since 2015.

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Vancouver Canucks are officially less than a week out from what could become one of the most impactful days in franchise history. The NHL Draft Lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 5, with the confirmed start time revealed to be 4:00 pm PT. 

Vancouver heads into this year's draft lottery with the highest odds to select first-overall with 18.5%. After them are the Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%), New York Rangers (11.5%), and Calgary Flames (9.5%). Only 11 teams will get the chance to potentially select first-overall, as teams can only move up a maximum of 10 spots from their seeding position. 

If the Canucks successfully win the lottery and claim the first-overall selection, it will be the first time in franchise history they'll do-so. Vancouver has selected within the top-three eight different times, but have yet to claim a first-overall pick. Their PWHL counterpart, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, were awarded the first-overall pick on Saturday due to the league's Gold Play policy. 

As it stands, there are no Stanley Cup Playoff games officially scheduled for May 5, though this could change in the coming days. Three games could potentially be played a couple of days before, however, as the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, Montréal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, and Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights will all have their Game 7s scheduled for Sunday, May 3. The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will likely begin shortly after that. 

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery can be viewed on Sportsnet. 

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.

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There have been a lot of factors that have contributed to the Pittsburgh Penguins finding themselves back in their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers.

After going down 3-0 to start the series, the Penguins won-back-to-back in Games 4 and 5 to force a Game 6. Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs has been a big part of that, as he has stopped 46 of 50 shots across the two wins to amount to a .920 save percentage. Sidney Crosby has also been a big part of it, as he leads the team with five points in five games - including four in the last two - and his line has found another gear.

But another huge factor in the last two games has been 20-year veteran blueliner Kris Letang.

Letang, 39, has had a long, successful career across two decades with the Penguins, registering 178 goals and 806 points in 1,235 career regular season games and 25 goals and 92 points in 152 playoff games. Unfortunately, he struggled to find consistency for much of the regular season, and the carousel of defense partners didn't help.

First, he was paired with Ryan Shea on the second pairing, which didn't go over very well for Letang. Then, he played about two months alongside defenseman Brett Kulak, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, along with Stuart Skinner, for netminder Tristan Jarry in mid-December. He and Kulak paired well together, as Kulak's shutdown style tandemed with Letang's offensive prowess and ability in transition.

Then came Sam Girard, who was part of a swap with the Colorado Avalanche that involved Kulak going the other way. Girard, 27, is a lot like Letang in many ways, as they are generally smaller blueliners who like to carry the puck on their stick and use their skating to their advantage.

It didn't start off well for the two, as both were getting used to each other and trying to play a similar style, which often resulted in odd-man breaks against, turnovers, and lapses in defensive coverage. It was like that for the first part of their regular season together - starting in February after the Olympic break - and that's how things went in the first three games of the series against Philadelphia, too.

But just like they were able to reach another level nearing the end of the regular season, they have turned it up several notches in the last two playoff games. 

Penguins' Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs Showing Big-Game Prowess In Series Against FlyersAfter going down 3-0 in their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins turned to rookie goaltender Artūrs Šilovs, who has some big-game experience under his belt - and he has delivered.

According to Natural Stat Trick, among the 40 defense pairings in the playoffs that have seen at least 30 minutes on the ice together, Girard and Letang have the second-highest on-ice shot attempts-for share (CF%) at 67.52, second only to Montreal Canadiens pairing Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj (70.69). The Penguins have had 79 chances for and 38 against with them on the ice. 

And the next-closest Penguins' pairing? Parker Wotherspoon and Erik Karlsson at a 51.97 chances for share with 66 chances for and 61 against. 

The pairing also ranks 12th out of 40 in expected goals share (GF%) at 56.26.

These numbers account for the entirety of the playoffs, too, not just the last two games, where their numbers were elevated a bit from the first three. The fact of the matter is that the Girard-Letang pair is beginning to step up again, as they did in the final few weeks of the regular season, and the Penguins are a much better team for it. 

Of course, credit goes to both guys as individuals and as a pairing. Girard has been a monster in transition and in the offensive zone, which has helped the Penguins' attack a whole lot. But Letang has managed to lock in and play, arguably, his best hockey of the year in the last two games - and that has been in all facets.

Not only did he score back-to-back game-winning goals for the Penguins in Games 4 and 5, he was also able to get back to the best version of himself in all zones: A player who defends well one-on-one, can get back in plays on the backcheck, has elite puck possession and protection skills, and is strong on the breakout and - like Girard - in transition.

3 Takeaways: Behind Strong Defensive Effort, Penguins Take Game 5 Against Flyers And Climb Back Into SeriesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have climbed back into their best-of-seven first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers after a huge Game 5 win.

Like Crosby and the other veterans in the room, Letang has been in this league for a long time, and he has a ton of playoff experience under his belt that includes three Stanley Cup Championships. So, his ability to elevate his game when the stakes have been the highest in the playoffs is nothing new - and it's helping the Penguins stay alive in this grueling series. 

"Obviously, this is a guy who's been doing it for a long time and at a high level," head coach Dan Muse said Tuesday. "He's been in a lot of these big moments. I think he's got the experience of understanding, too, when it's time to elevate and how to get to another level. I think we've seen that, not just in terms of the goal-scoring, but just overall play, and I think you've seen that from a lot of our group and, definitely, a lot of our veterans leading the way. I think the experience they've had of being in these big moments, being in a lot of different situations in the playoffs, that could factor in.

"I think it's also... he's just a big-time competitor, and what you don't see behind the scenes, just the way he prepares, the way he takes care of himself, his day-to-day, gets you this time of year. And it comes as no surprise that he's put himself in a position to elevate his game."

If Letang can produce repeat performances of Games 4 and 5 - or, even, manage to turn it up a notch more - that will be very good news for the Penguins in Game 6.

Pittsburgh Penguins At Philadelphia Flyers Game 6 Preview: Penguins Will Try To Force Game 7 On SaturdayThe Pittsburgh Penguins will try to stave off elimination again on Wednesday.

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

Alexander Nikishin looks to be ahead of schedule in terms of a potential return to game action.

After suffering a concussion on Saturday in Game 4 of the Hurricanes' first round series, the Russian blueliner was back on the ice for practice on Wednesday. 

Nikishin was sporting a yellow, non-contact jersey, but according to Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour, the rookie defenseman seems to be doing well.

"They said right away that he didn't really have a lot of symptoms, so I think he's feeling good," Brind'Amour said. "Whatever he's gotta do, it's going along in the right direction."

Alexander Nikishin skating this morning in a yellow, non-contact jersey pic.twitter.com/64ELpQyaok

— Ryan Henkel (@RyanHenkel_) April 29, 2026

The Hurricanes have had plenty of time off since their series sweep of the Senators and they might just continue enjoying this extended recovery time with the way the first round has been going.

While some worry about the rust factor, the benefit for injured players like Nikishin certainly outweighs those fears.

"Scary moment, but thank God he's fine," said teammate Andrei Svechnikov. "He's skating with us now and I think he's gonna be good."

And while the team has depth that they can rely on, having all of their main guys available is obviously preferred. 

Nikishin has been a steady presence on Carolina's blueline this year, as the rookie finished the year not only third in defensive scoring, but also set a team record for points by a first-year defenseman.

His game has come a long way throughout the course of the season, and he's developed pretty well overall into being a consistent and trusted part of the defensive corps too.

"His game has been progressing all year," Brind'Amour said. "Playoff hockey, the only thing that changes is the intensity and the physicality, and that's something that he should be able to adapt too really well. His game is good, but I still think there's another level and I think he knows that too. But a lot of positives too with where he's come and where we think he can get to."

"He had a really good second half of the year," Svechnikov said. "I think first half, he was trying to figure out and get used to the NHL speed and physicality and all that stuff. He's been really good. It's exciting to see him and I think he's only gonna get better from this point."

I asked Svechnikov today on his response to Kleven's hit on Nikishin: "Scary hit. When I saw Niki laying on the ice, I just tried to jump the guy because when you play the physical game and you try to hurt someone, that's what's gonna happen." https://t.co/ZPZKLDSKaP

— Ryan Henkel (@RyanHenkel_) April 29, 2026

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In game two of the Colorado Avalanche's opening round series against the Los Angeles Kings on April 21, defenseman Cale Makar reached a maximum speed of 23.92 mph. 

That speed is the fastest ever recorded by a defenseman in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the NHL started tracking the stat in the 2021-22 season. It’s also the fastest overall speed in this year’s playoffs, regardless of position. 

Makar’s top speed is over 1 mph faster than this year’s next fastest defenseman of the playoffs, Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins (22.78 mph). Previously, the highest max speed mark for a defenseman in the playoffs was set last year by Noah Hanifin for the Vegas Golden Knights (23.66 mph).

The next fastest skater after Makar this year is Los Angeles’ Trevor Moore. The left winger has topped out at 23.48 mph this postseason. 

Makar’s previous top speed in the playoffs was 23.28 mph, which he hit last year. During the 2021-22 regular season, he reached a max speed of 23.74 mph, which — until this April— was his highest ever recorded. 

DIG DEEPER: NHL playoff bracket breakdown with betting odds, matchups, schedule

During the 2025-26 regular season, Makar was the fifth-fastest defenseman, as he trailed Ottawa's Jake Sanderson, Utah's Mikhail Sergachev, Boston's Nikita Zadorov, and Karlsson. His new 23.92 mph mark lags only Sanderson’s top speed of 24.37 mph among defensemen. 

Makar’s Colorado teammate Nathan McKinnon has the all-time playoff speed record of 24.54 mph, set during the 2022 playoffs. 

Makar and the Western Conference’s top-seeded Avalanche swept the Kings in round one and await the winner of Dallas-Minnesota in round two. 

Methodology note: Data from NHL EDGE.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cale Makar NFL playoffs speed chart: How he compares to everyone else

In a first-round playoff sweep by the Colorado Avalanche, the Los Angeles Kings weren't able to record one win after fighting all season to get into the post-season. The Avalanche were able to handle anything the Kings threw at them, and in the end, Los Angeles wasn't very threatening.

The reasons the Kings weren't able to get a lead for most of this series, or even win a game, are glaring. And these issues may hold the Kings back from even seeing the Stanley Cup playoffs next year.

So, what were the alarming dark spots that held Los Angeles back in the post-season?

General Offense

It's no secret that the Kings have struggled to score goals, not only in the playoffs but throughout the regular season, too.

Across the 82-game campaign, Los Angeles scored 220 goals, which was the fourth fewest in the NHL. Only the lottery teams, the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames had weaker offenses.

In the post-season, that weak offense was on full display for the Kings, especially at 5-on-5. In total, Los Angeles tied the Ottawa Senators with the fewest goals scored in the playoffs, with five in four games.

Bright Spots The Kings Could Build On From A Disappointing First-Round Playoff SeriesThough it was a disappointing ending to the campaign, here are a couple of positives that the Los Angeles Kings can take with them into next season.

In terms of 5-on-5, the Kings had the fewest goals with just a pair. The rest of the team's tallies were on the power play, which is surprising considering that they had the fifth-worst power-play percentage in the regular season.

But at 5-on-5, Los Angeles really couldn't generate many threatening chances. 

Understandably, the Kings would be a little more conservative against the Presidents' Trophy winners and heavy favorites Avalanche. But Los Angeles didn't give themselves a chance to force Colorado on its heels, and ultimately, it was an ugly series for them offensively.

Lack Of Star Power

Los Angeles' top line was pretty much invisible when it came to getting on the scoresheet, which is another reference to the team's inability to score. However, the Kings' top players are responsible for leading the way offensively, and they weren't close to that.

Artemi Panarin and Anze Kopitar didn't register a single even-strength point, and Adrian Kempe finally got his first in the lone goal of Game 4. Top defensemen Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke can be added to the list of notable Kings to not earned an even-strength point in the series.

Anze Kopitar: Five Career Defining Moments From being the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NHL draft, Anze Kopitar has defined what it is to be a LA King.

The way the Kings prioritized defensive hockey over a more balanced game was evident, and that's what leads to a dry spell offensively. Even in the regular season, it's not often that the Kings have a player reach 80 points in a season.

Panarin finished the campaign with 84 points, but most of his year was spent with the New York Rangers. The last time Los Angeles had an 80-point scorer was in 2017-18 when Kopitar scored 92 points.

If the Kings want to be a serious team when it matters most, the stars must shine under the bright lights, and that starts with exceptional production in the regular season, which hasn't been the case over the years.

Possibly, with a new head coach, that could change.

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