Once upon a time, Owen Tippett was the most popular Philadelphia Flyers player mired in the NHL trade rumors, but now, especially after his legendary play in Game 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, those days are over.

Tippett, 27, may always be a polarizing player with offensive production that isn't quite in line with his overall skills and athleticism, but, as he enters his prime years, has found what makes him an effective NHLer.

Expectations were always, fairly or unfairly, high for the former No. 10 overall pick after being the centerpiece of the Claude Giroux trade, and while Tippett has not replaced Giroux, he has established himself as a core player for the Flyers.

In his four full seasons in Philadelphia, Tippett has reached 20 goals four times, including a career-high 28 goals in 2023-24 and this year in 2025-26. Those two seasons, by extension, saw Tippett break the 50-point threshold.

Heading into this year, one of the perpetuated knocks on Tippett was his decision-making, often choosing to shoot from poor angles or pass when an option wasn't open.

Porter Martone Has Already Delivered His Signature Moment for the FlyersIt has become clear that the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> would not be where they are right now without Porter Martone, and they certainly would not have won their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2020 without him, either.

This year, Tippett finished the season with 220 shots on goal--the second-fewest of his tenure in Philadelphia--but a career-high 12.7% shooting percentage. It was one of many ways Tippett continued to work at and round out his game.

That maturity manifested in the form of an assist in Game 2 against the Penguins, when Tippett played the puck to himself around a Penguins forward along the wall before carrying forward and dishing to Garnet Hathaway for an easy tap-in shorthanded.

This time last year, that never seemed like it would ever be a possibility.

After a dismal 2024-25 season, the buccaneering winger was primarily involved in trade talks because of his inconsistency, aforementioned decision-making, and lack of versatility, as well as the Flyers' glut of cheaper alternatives at the position.

tbh can't stop won't stop thinking about this Owen Tippett shift pic.twitter.com/6KevfXrbCe

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 21, 2026

Then, Tippett went on to establish himself as a penalty-killer for Rick Tocchet's club, primarily due to the injuries Tyson Foerster dealt with before and after the start of the season, while also racking up a career-high 166 hits, according to Hockey-Reference.

A player who was once an all-offense daredevil volume shooter is now a dual-threat power forward that can contribute on both special teams.

Former Flyers head coach John Tortorella deserves some credit for getting the ball rolling on Tippett, but it has really been Tocchet and Co. who have finished the job developing the speedster.

And Tippett isn't the only one. Teammates Noah Cates and Christian Dvorak have also looked like brand-new players this season, even if they aren't as naturally gifted as Tippett in terms of talent and athleticism.

Flyers' Black Aces Could Have Strong Impact vs. PenguinsThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> proved in a 3-2 Game 1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins that experience in the Stanley Cup playoffs can sometimes be overrated.

But, as the Flyers continue their playoff run and head into the offseason, they can say with certainty that Tippett's $49.6 million contract ($6.2 million AAV) is a steal for a play-driver that now contributes as much as he does at both ends of the ice.

The Anaheim Ducks lost their first playoff game in eight years in somewhat devastating fashion. As has been typical, they fell behind by a couple of goals in the first period and battled back to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.

Like the veteran, unflappable team that the Edmonton Oilers are, they adjusted and stormed back with a goal halfway through the third, followed by another one with two minutes left when it seemed like the game was heading to overtime.

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Game 1 Loss to the Oilers, Oilers Lead Series 1-0

Three Key Matchups for the Ducks Heading into First Round Against the Oilers

The Oilers took game 1of the series by a score of 4-3, but there were several aspects Anaheim could build upon, along with areas that’ll need some fine-tuning if they’re to make a series out of this.

Here are some adjustments they will need to make in game 2 and moving forward:

Stick to Your Identity

For the majority of the season, the Ducks have been one of the most unpredictable, volatile, yet fun teams in recent memory. Their ability to score goals at will came attached to a willingness to pressure and activate for offense in all three zones.

That priority to possess pucks through heavy pressure came at a cost this season, however. In learning a new system and playing to their offensive strengths, they sacrificed on the defensive end of the spectrum and were forced to outscore their problems or rely on their goaltenders significantly to win hockey games this season.

As the playoffs drew nearer, the significant mistakes were minimized to a degree, but were still present. Playoff hockey is notoriously tighter, and details become more influential. In an attempt to eliminate said costly mistakes in game 1, the Ducks’ first period was a clear effort to play a safer brand of hockey.

In that first period of game 1, Anaheim made smart advancements with pucks, were conservative with their pressures, and defensemen were hesitant to activate, a sizable feature to their offense generation this season.

“I feel like we kind of dipped our toe in and were just kind of waiting to see what was going to happen,” Killorn said. “It’s kind of been the case with our team all year. Once we go down, I think we feel a little bit more comfortable, which is weird. Once we went down, I felt like we were just a little bit looser and felt like we could make some plays.”

Following the first intermission and after giving up the first two goals of the hockey game, Anaheim reverted to the brand of hockey that made them so successful. They pressured puck carriers into turnovers, flew weak-side teammates, and were aggressive with their pinches on outlets.

The first ten to fifteen minutes of the game, where the Ducks played over-cautiously, proved costly, as they couldn’t weather Edmonton’s offensive storm playing that way. They’ll need to make a more concerted effort to dictate game flow from the opening puck drop in Game 2.

Heavier F1

An aspect of the Ducks game in 2025-26 that’s been spotty has been the effectiveness of their forecheck. They prefer to maintain possession as they advance pucks up ice rather than settle for stretch passes, high flips, tip-ins, or dump-ins deep into the opponent’s end in order to establish a forecheck.

Though it’s not their preferred brand, when they are forced to play that way, the Ducks can mount steady and efficient forechecks where they cause turnovers deep in the offensive zone or disrupt breakout attempts before counterattacking after a change of possession.

The Oilers’ forward group is as deep, diligent, and dangerous as it gets in the NHL. However, their defense corps, when pressured properly, can be forced into turnovers in precarious situations on the ice.

With questionable puck-retrievers on the blueline and a goaltender not known for playing pucks proficiently behind his net, that could provide the Ducks an exploitable facet within their opponent in Game 2 and beyond.

Draw Opposing F1 Low

Early in Game 1, it was clear that part of the Oilers’ game plan involved laying a hit on Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe every time he touched the puck. As the game progressed, LaCombe and the defensemen adjusted to Edmonton’s mandate for a high-pressure F1.

LaCombe would draw said forechecker, either using his momentum against him or drawing him out of position so he could move pucks to his open outlets, slip an incoming hit, or join a rush.

For the Ducks to best utilize their top defenseman, it would benefit them to continue using Edmonton’s desire to be physical with LaCombe against them.

If the Ducks can build on the aspects of their game that were successful in Game 1, while making some slight tweaks to their approach and deficiencies, they would have a good chance of heading back to Anaheim with this series tied at one game apiece.

Can Ducks Beat Oilers? Yes, If They Keep Things Simple

Five Storylines for the Anaheim Ducks' First Round Series vs the Edmonton Oilers

Ducks to Face Oilers in Round One of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Buffalo Sabres brought in the most popular athlete in the city to fire up the crowd before Game 2 of their playoff series against the Boston Bruins.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, wearing Alex Tuch's No. 89, had the honor of banging the drum for the Sabres on Tuesday night, leading the chant of "Let's go Buffalo!" After his final hit, Allen tossed the drumstick aside and pulled out what appeared to be a beer from his back pocket. He proceeded to chug the drink (most of it anyway), to roars of approval from the crowd.

The Sabres, who last made the playoffs in 2011, entered Tuesday's game with a 1-0 lead in the series after a dramatic comeback victory in Game 1.

Watch: Josh Allen chugs beer, fires up crowd

JOSH ALLEN ON THE DRUM 💥

BUFFALO IS ALIVE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/ElCRchT1rE

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 21, 2026

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Allen chugs beer, fires up crowd before Buffalo Sabres game

Bruins-Sabres Game 2 takeaways: Second line, Swayman power B's to win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins bounced back in impressive fashion with a Game 2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night at KeyBank Center to even their first-round playoff series 1-1.

Just like in Game 1, the Sabres made a strong comeback in the third period. This time, they trimmed the Bruins’ lead from 4-0 to 4-2 with five minutes left in regulation. But the B’s didn’t let the momentum carry the Sabres any further.

They tightened up defensively and goaltender Jeremy Swayman rose to the occasion with a bunch of important saves.

What were the key factors in the Bruins’ win? Let’s look at four key takeaways from Game 2.

1. Second line bounces back

Game 1 was ugly for the Bruins’ second line of Viktor Arvidsson, Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt. This trio tallied zero points, four total shots, and had only 0.28 expected goals at 5-on-5. It was a rare bad outing for one of the league’s most productive lines post-Olympic break.

Bruins head coach Marco Sturm admitted the team needed more from this line after Game 1.

“I think the Zacha line, they can be better, they really can,” he told reporters Monday. They were just OK, but I know they have another gear, like they’ve been all year. So I think that’s, that’s one line that needs to get better.”

These guys bounced back in a major way in Game 2, and it was the difference in the outcome.

Viktor Arvidsson was the catalyst for Boston. After failing to score on a first-period breakaway, he cashed in on another breakaway attempt in the second period to beat Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with a backhand shot.

ARVIDSSON CASHES ON THE BREAKAWAY, B'S STRIKE FIRST AGAIN 👀 pic.twitter.com/devaTAQD70

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2026

Arvidsson also put the B’s up 4-0 just 16 seconds into the third period with another excellent shot that resulted in the Sabres pulling Luukkonen.

Arvi adds another one. pic.twitter.com/Wj73ZFYwux

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 22, 2026

Zacha also scored on a second-period power play. Mittelstadt picked up assists on both of Arvidsson’s goals. Overall, this line had three goals, two assists and nine total shots.

It is ALL Bruins in Game 2… make it 3-0 👀 pic.twitter.com/drhjszvoog

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2026

The Bruins need scoring depth to win this series. They can’t rely too much on the top line. The rest of the lineup stepped up to the challenge in Game 2.

2. Jeremy Swayman giving B’s clear advantage in net

Swayman played really well in Game 1 despite the loss, and he was even better in Game 2. He made 34 saves on 36 shots for a .944 save percentage. He also saved 1.67 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, and he made eight saves on nine high-danger scoring chances for the Sabres.

Swayman was especially reliable late in the third period after the Sabres scored twice to cut the lead in half. He didn’t relent, tracked the puck well and prevented the score from getting too close for comfort. He made 18 saves in the third period. It was a pivotal stretch in the series.

Sturm praised Swayman’s leadership postgame.

“He’s a big part of it. If you have a goalie like that, he doesn’t have to have a ‘C’ or an ‘A’ on him,” Sturm told reporters at his press conference. “We know he’s a big part of our team, he’s a big leader. He’s been through it, those ups and downs. He’s been very quiet but when he speaks we all listen.”

Swayman has a .931 save percentage in the series, which is outstanding. As expected, he has given the B’s a huge advantage in net. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen didn’t play great in the series opener and gave an awful performance in Game 2 with four goals against, including a shocking goal from center ice on a simple dump in by Morgan Geekie.

The Sabres now need to figure out whether to go back to Luukkonen for Game 3 or go with backup Alex Lyon. There’s no such controversy with the Bruins. Swayman is the most trustworthy player in the series right now.

Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

3. Bruins’ penalty kill surprisingly excellent so far

The Bruins didn’t have an effective penalty kill in the regular season. This unit ranked 24th in the league with a 77 percent success rate. The B’s have shown tremendous improvement shorthanded in this series, though.

Boston went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill in Game 2 and this group is a perfect 9-for-9 in the series. Swayman is a huge part of that success. He has stopped all 18 shots the Sabres have generated on the power play.

It hasn’t all been Swayman, though. The B’s are consistently breaking up passes, winning puck battles and preventing zone entries while shorthanded.

The Sabres are in a power play slump. They’ve failed to score on 31 straight opportunities with the man advantage going back to the regular season. Will the Sabres’ power play break through in Boston?

4. David Pastrnak making strong impact offensively

Superstar players have to deliver in the playoffs, and Pastrnak has stepped up for the Bruins through two games.

After scoring one goal with two assists in Game 1, he added two more assists in Game 2, moving him into a tie with Hall of Fame defenseman Bobby Orr for eighth place on the Bruins’ all-time playoff scoring leaderboard with 92 career points.

David Pastrnak (0-2—2) recorded his 24th career multi-assist playoff game and moved into eighth place on the @NHLBruins’ all-time list. #StanleyCup

Tune in 🇺🇸 (@ESPN), 🇨🇦 (@Sportsnet, @TVASports), 🌎: https://t.co/dT34F4MhkCpic.twitter.com/KDxVFMe5VV

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) April 22, 2026

Pastrnak isn’t just making a difference at even strength. He has factored into both of Boston’s power play goals (one goal, one assist) in the series, too.

Pastrnak could maybe be a little more aggressive looking for his shot on the power play, but the numbers don’t lie: The B’s have produced 19 scoring chances and 11 high-danger chances when he’s been on the ice through two games.

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The Detroit Red Wings entered the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, and matched up against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for the second time in the last three seasons. 

The Red Wings had suffered through inconsistency for much of the 1998-99 NHL campaign, but loaded up at the 1999 Trade Deadline thanks to the acquisitions of multiple high-profile veterans, including Chris Chelios, Bill Ranford, Wendel Clark, and Ulf Samuelsson. 

After accumulating 93 points, the Red Wings earned the top spot in the Central Division and home ice advantage over the Ducks, whom they'd defeated two years prior in a four-game sweep.

Ultimately, the 1999 Western Conference Quarterfinal would prove no contest, as the Red Wings once again advanced with a four-game sweep of the Ducks. 

On April 21, Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman registered the fourth playoff hat trick of his career as part of Detroit's 5-3 win at Joe Louis Arena. 

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

Detroit followed that win with a 5-1 triumph in Game 2 thanks to a pair of goals from Brendan Shanahan.

As the series shifted to Southern California, the Red Wings maintained their dominance over the Ducks with 4-2 and 3-0 wins in Games 3 and 4, completing the sweep. 

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The Buffalo Sabres are set to face off against the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of the first round on Tuesday night. The Sabres are certainly entering this contest with momentum on their side, as they beat the Bruins in Game 1 with a great third-period comeback win. 

Now, the Sabres have a golden opportunity for Game 2 that they absolutely must seize. 

If the Sabres defeat the Bruins in Game 2, they would have a commanding 2-0 series lead before they head to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4. This would put them in a fantastic spot and put them in complete control of the series. 

However, if the Sabres end up losing Game 2 on home ice, it would put them in a tougher situation, as they would be tied in the series 1-1 before heading to Boston. This would not be ideal, as the Bruins had far more success at home this season. Their 29-11-1 home record this campaign effectively demonstrates this.

It will now be interesting to see if the Sabres can win Game 2 over the Bruins from here. If the Sabres play like how they did in Game 1 vs. the Original Six club, they will undoubtedly have a good shot at winning Game 2. 

It appears the Vancouver Canucks’ search for a new General Manager is unfolding. A report from Matthew Fairburn and Thomas Drance of The Athletic notes that the Canucks have requested permission to interview former Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams for their open role. Vancouver parted ways with former General Manager Patrik Allvin on Friday morning. 

Adams previously served as the Sabres’ General Manager from the 2020–21 season to December of 2025. He had been with the Sabres organization since the 2009–10 season, acting as a Development Coach, Assistant Coach, Director, and Vice President before being named GM. In his time as the Sabres’ GM, Adams manned the organization’s helm for moves like trading Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights for Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a 2022 first-round pick that turned into Noah Östlund, and a 2023 second-round pick that Buffalo partially flipped for Jordan Greenway. 

Since Adams’ firing, Buffalo has clinched the Atlantic Division and is currently up 1–0 in their first-round series against the Boston Bruins. This is the first time the Sabres have made the post-season since the 2010–11 season. 

Adams and Rutherford are connected via the Carolina Hurricanes, who the former played for from 2001-02 to 2006-07 (excluding the 2004-05 lockout). Rutherford served as Carolina's President and GM for all of these seasons. 

During his year-end media availability on Friday, Rutherford explained that the search for a new GM would begin at the start of this week. Abbotsford Canucks General Manager and Canucks Assistant General Manager Ryan Johnson has been a popular name mentioned in the discussion for Vancouver's new GM. 

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: 

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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.

The Ottawa Senators have signed another of their top prospects to an entry level contract. They announced on Tuesday that Chicoutimi Saguenéens starting goalie Lucas Beckman has agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The 18-year-old is currently making hay in the QMJHL playoffs, posting a smooth 8-0 record with an outrageous .962 save percentage and a 0.75 goals against. He allowed just one goal in each of his first six games, then two shutouts in the last two outings as the Saguenéens polished off the Québec Remparts in a sweep.

To say that his December trade from Baie-Comeau to Chicoutimi has served Beckman well would be a ridiculous understatement. Since the trade, the Montreal native has lost just one game, going 21-1 in regular season and playoffs combined. Meanwhile, the Drakkar, the team he spent parts of three seasons with, finished dead last in the league.

Beckman was selected in the 4th round (97th overall) by the Senators in the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles. He's likely to get some attention from Hockey Canada's radar for the World Juniors this Christmas.

At the Sens development camp last summer, Beckman was excited to experience the higher level, which he expected would help him this season.

"The shots here are coming a lot quicker, the speed is better, and I think it means that when I go back to junior, it's going to feel a bit more slow motion (by comparison), and I'm going to be able to kind of be ahead of the play more," Beckman said.

Beckman also told The Hockey News that he had a specific goal for this season.

"My personal goal would be to be the best goalie in the Q," Beckman said. "That might sound a little overconfident, but I think I'm able to. We'll see."

So far, so good. 

Beckman is the fifth Sens prospect in the past month to sign his ELC. The others are Blake Montgomery (F, Wisconsin), Hoyt Stanley (D, Cornell), Kevin Reidler (G, Penn State, and Gabriel Eliasson (D, Barrie).

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:  

First Blood: Senators Fall To Carolina 2-0 In Stanley Cup Playoff Opener
The Farm System Everyone Doubted Helped Save The Senators Season
Rick Bowness Clarifies That Only Some Of His Players "Don't Care"
Rod Brind'Amour Describes Senators As 'A Huge Challenge' In Round One
Through All The Noise, The Playoff-Bound Senators Held Their Ground
Brady Tkachuk Describes Brief Vision Loss During Game As 'Weird And Scary'

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars are still without injured top-line center Roope Hintz, who stayed home Tuesday when the team traveled to Minnesota for Game 3 of its Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Hintz hasn't played since sustaining a lower-body injury on March 6 in a game against Colorado and experiencing an unspecified setback in his recovery.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan previously said Hintz was unlikely to play in Game 3 on Wednesday night, and it now appears the center's earliest possible return could be Game 5 when the series switches back to Dallas next week.

“He's not traveling. Like I said, Game 3, won't be there. Game 4 (on Saturday), I would say is very doubtful,” Gulutzan said before boarding the team flight. “Hopefully by the time we get back, we're in a good spot, and he's in a good spot.”

The series is tied 1-1 after Dallas won 4-2 on Monday night. Minnesota opened the series with a 6-1 win.

Gulutzan had said between Games 1 and 2 that Hintz hadn't even returned to skating on his own.

The 29-year-old Hintz, in his eighth NHL season, played for bronze medal-winning Finland and then missed the Stars' first four games after the Olympic break because of an illness. He got hurt in his only game since, 6 1/2 weeks ago against the Avalanche.

Hintz remained down and reached at the back of his left leg after being engaged with Nathan MacKinnon along the boards in the second period. Hintz put no weight on his leg while being helped off the ice.

___

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

The first few days of the NHL playoffs have been outstanding, which will only provide Gary Bettman another bullet for his “best first round in sports” talking point he uses when people complain about the current division-focused playoff structure.

Thus far, we’ve had a double overtime, several one-goal games that went down to the wire, a couple big late comebacks and Pittsburgh losing both opening games at home — each a totally fun thing in its own way!

Tonight there are four games on the schedule AND an Islanders playoff game…AHL Bridgeport Islanders, of course.

Here’s a thread for all the action, including if you’re following along for Bridgeport’s Last Ride. So many years where Hershey was dominant, it’s nice to have Bridgeport with home advantage and a decent chance to win a mini-round in their finale season.

For a read on Bridgeport, here’s a piece on how Rocky Thompson has affected the culture in his first year there.

Faceoff in Bridgeport is 7 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, the NHL slate is:

• 7:00 – Canadiens at Lightning, Game 2
• 7:30 – Bruins at Sabres, Game 2
• 9:30 – Mammoth at Golden Knights, Game 2
• 10:30 – Kings at Avalanche, Game 2

This is our playoff game thread. Let the player hate run through you.

On Tuesday morning, it was announced that former NHL sniper Ilya Kovalchuk was named President of the Shang Hai Dragons of the KHL. Joining him as General Manager of the club is another former NHLer Evgeny Artyukhin.

The Dragons, formerly known as the Kunlun Red Star have entered a new era in their franchise as they look to improve off of a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.

In the most recent season, the Dragon went 21-35-6-6 finishing 9th place in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs by 15 points. Former Los Angeles King Ilya Kovalchuk looks to build a team that can compete with the powerhouses of the Kontinental Hockey League. 

Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers with the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft, Kovalchuk was one of the most entertaining players to watch during his time in the league. He also has the title of one of the most interesting NHL careers in recent history.

After eight and a half years with the Thrashers, Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils in a massive deal that shook the hockey world in 2010. The former Rocket Richard leader then signed an egregious 17-year deal worth $102M. The deal was rejected by the NHL and Kovalchuk and the Devils agreed on a new 15-year deal worth $100M.

Just four years into the contract that was supposed to last for a decade and a half, Kovalchuk shockingly retired from the NHL, walking away from the remaining 12 years and $77M on his contract. He would go on to play in the KHL where he was one of the faces of the league until 2018 when he would make a major decision.

Three Unsung Heroes For The Kings Playoff RunThe All-Stars are the motor that drive a team to a series win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it's the unsung heroes who fuel the team for a long run. Who will step up for the Los Angeles Kings this spring?

In the summer of 2018, the Kings made a major splashing by signing Kovalchuk to a three-year contract worth $18.75M ($6.25 AAV). Although he was 35 at the time, the Kings were hoping he could provide a major offensive spark to a team that hadn't won a playoff series since they won the Stanley Cup in 2014.

Unfortunately, his time as a King didn't go as planned. After a season and a half, the Kings placed Kovalchuk on unconditional waivers. The Montréal Canadiens then claimed the veteran winger, ending Kovalchuk's time in Los Angeles at just 81 total games played. In those 81 games, he scored 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points.

After just 22 games in Montreal, the Canadiens traded Kovalchuk to the Washington Capitals where he would play his last game in 2020 before returning to the KHL once again where he would finish out his playing career.

In 2025, the former first overall pick officially announced his retirement from professional hockey and he now finds himself in charge of turning around a lacklustre KHL franchise.

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.

Happy Tuesday, folks!

If you ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, hopefully you’re feeling relatively normal today. My brother beat Zdeno Chara’s time, which means now my family must challenge him for the hardest shot title as well.

If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be working on shooting a puck, say, 30 MPH first.

Anyways, the Bruins and Sabres will renew acquaintances tonight. Buffalo will be looking to capitalize on its Game 1 momentum, while the B’s will be hoping to return to Boston with something to show for their efforts.

You’re not in trouble in a series until you lose on home ice, right? Maybe the Bruins can cause a little trouble tonight.

Bears! Swords! IN THE PLAYOFFS!

Discuss.

The Penguins haven’t given the home fans at PPG Paints Arena a lot to cheer about over the last several years.

With losses to the Flyers in Games and 2 of the team’s playoff series, there’s no guarantee that the fans will get to see another home hockey game in Pittsburgh this season unless the Penguins can earn a split on the road in Philadelphia, at minimum.

Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, when the Penguins boasted an impressive home playoff record of 19-7 across two long playoff runs, the Penguins have won just five home playoff games.

Over the past nine seasons, the Penguins have a home record of just 5-11 across six playoff series. A seventh series was played at a neutral location in the COVID-19 pandemic “bubble.”

Only three of the Penguins’ home playoff wins have come since May of 2021.

The Penguins have a tall task ahead of themselves now, trailing 2-0 to the Flyers.

Game 3 is set for 7 p.m. tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

BRIDGEPORT, CT -- During his end-of-the-season press conference, New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche announced that the team had signed forward prospect Quinn Finley (2022, Rd. 3) to his two-year entry-level contract. 

"We signed Quinn Finley to a contract starting next year," Darche said on Apr. 15. "We'll try to send him to Bridgeport. We just have some medical things to go over, but we agreed on a contract this morning with Quinn Finley."

The Hockey News has learned that Finley will ultimately not be joining the Bridgeport Islanders, the club's AHL affiliate for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

A specific reason was not confirmed. 

The 21-year-old, now-former Wisconsin forward, elected to turn pro following his junior season, during which he recorded 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists) in 36 games. Because his contract kicks in for the 2026-27 season, he would have had to sign an ATO with Bridgeport to join them.

Finley will play for Hamilton, the Islanders' soon-to-be AHL affiliate, beginning in 2026-27 and is likley to attend development camp after the 2026 NHL Draft in late June, before returning to Long Island for rookie camp in mid-September.

While Finley won't be joining Bridgeport for their playoff run, the AHL affiliate did get some additional help. 

Forwards Cal Ritchie and Victor Eklund, along with defenseman Isaiah George, who ended the season on the Islanders' roster, were optioned to Bridgeport, and all three will play in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Hershey Bears.

Puck drop is at 7 PM ET. You can watch the game on FloHockey.