The Florida Panthers just completed a pretty successful business trip.

Florida picked up their third straight win, taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 of their second-round series by a final score of 6-1.

Now the Panthers head back to South Florida with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to eliminate Toronto on Friday night in Sunrise.

There were no shots on goal and only one whistle in the game’s first five minutes as the teams appeared to be trying to feel one another out.

Both goaltenders would be called upon to make big saves in the shifts that followed, though.

First it was Sergei Bobrovsky stopping William Nylander on a breakaway that Gus Forsling may have helped with on the backcheck, then Joseph Woll made a snappy glove save on Sam Reinhart about a minute later.

Florida picked up the first goal of the game on a great shift by their top line.

After Woll made a couple strong saves on Jesper Boqvist and Sam Reinhart, the puck found its way to the stick of Aaron Ekblad.

He fired a shot over Woll’s blocker and into the top corner of the net, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead with just over five minutes left in the period.

It was six minutes into the middle frame that Florida doubled their lead.

After killing off a Maple Leafs power play, the Panthers slowly began to take control of the pace again.

A point shot from Dmitry Kulikov hit Leafs’ forward Scott Laughton as it bounded past Woll at the 6:08 mark of the second period.

Less than four minutes later, Jesper Boqvist finished off a perfect cross-ice pass from Sam Reinhart to expand Florida’s lead to three.

Another Panthers defenseman picked up his first goal of the playoffs about four minutes after that, as this time it was Niko Mikkola blasting a shot under Woll’s glove.

With just under six minutes left in the second period, Florida was suddenly up by four.

Joining the mix of players picking up their first goal of the playoffs was A.J. Greer.

He found a loose puck at the top of the goal crease and slammed it past a sprawling Woll, pushing Florida’s lead to 5-0 and sending Woll to the showers early.

He was replaced by veteran goaltender Matt Murray for the remainder of the night.

A Sam Bennett power play goal with 10:50 to go gave Florida a 6-0 lead, leading to an even louder chorus of boos than we heard after the Greer goal.

Nick Robertson runed Bobrovsky's shutout with just over a minute to go, not that it's going to bother Bob at all. 

The Cats clearly have all the momentum on their side, and now head home with a chance to advance to their third straight conference final if they can pick up a victory on Friday.

On to Game 6.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Bobrovsky's shutout streak lasted 1:47:58, stretching from the end of Game 3 to the end of Game 5.

Ekblad is riding a five-game point streak, with two goals and four assists during the run.

Reinhart’s pair of assists gave him ten points in 10 playoff games.

Filling in for an injured Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist picked up his first point of the postseason on Ekblad’s goal. Then he scored his first goal of the playoffs about an hour later.

Kulikov has two points over his past three games.

Matthew Takchuk has assists in three straight games after dishing out a helper on Kulikov’s goal.

Picking up an assist on Greer’s goal, Nate Schmidt has three points over his past five games.

Bennett has four goals and five points over his past six outings.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Pat Maroon Says This Matthew Tkachuk Chirp Is Best He Ever Got

Panthers Key Forward Out For Game 5 vs. Maple Leafs

Panthers look to keep grinding Maple Leafs down as series shifts back to Toronto

NHL suspends Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu over social media posts

Panthers' Sam Bennett Reacts To Max Domi's Cheap Shot

The London Knights won game four of the OHL Final in dominant fashion, defeating the Oshawa Generals 6-2. A pair of San Jose Sharks prospects factored heavily into the Knights' victory. 

They say heavy is the head that wears the crown, and yet the reigning J. Ross Robertson Cup champions are cruising through the OHL Final.

After losing game one of the series to Oshawa, London has responded with three emphatic wins. In all three games, they've scored 5-plus goals while averaging 32 shots on goal. 

"We played about as close to a perfect 60 as we could," said Sam Dickinson about game four. " We're happy to get the win."

While game three featured an intense pushback from the Generals in the third period, game four was an entirely different story.

London came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. They ended up outshooting the Generals 17-6 in the opening frame, though they were unable to register a goal.  

The game went completely off the rails for the Generals in the second period as London scored five goals. The majority of the damage was done by San Jose Sharks prospects Dickinson and Kasper Halttunen, who each recorded a pair of goals during the period. 

Halttunen picked up a third goal midway through the third period, giving hattricks in back-to-back games, and seven goals in the series. 

"He [Halttunen] has got the best shot in the OHL, he's probably the best goal scorer in the OHL," said Dickinson. "It's a lot easier giving the puck to him knowing he's almost always going to have a  good chance of putting it in the net."

Dickinson added a pair of assists to the goals he scored, giving him four points at the end of the night. In doing so, he set a franchise record for most playoff points scored by a defenseman with 50. He surpassed Dennis Wideman, who previously held the record with 46. 

What's wild is this isn't even the first franchise record he set this year. By finishing the regular season with 91 points, he also set a franchise record for most points scored by a defender in a single season, beating out the previous record (87) held by Edmonton Oilers blue liner Evan Bouchard.

Between Dickinson and Halttunen, San Jose Sharks fans are sure to be the envy of many NHL franchises in the near future, and that doesn't even get into other prospects like Quentin Musty, who also spent the year in the OHL. 

By winning games three and four in Oshawa, the Knights have taken a stranglehold on the series and put the Generals in a very awkward position. For Oshawa to mount a comeback, they would need to beat London three times in a row while winning a pair of games on the road. 

For reference, London only lost back-to-back games once during the regular season and never dropped three games in a row. While this is junior hockey and anything can happen, it seems nearly impossible that Oshawa will beat this London team three times in a row. 

In an interesting turn of events, London has the opportunity to win the championship on home ice. Last year, they swept the Generals and won the final game of the series on the road, something that has been a bit of a pattern for the Knights. 

Game five will take place tomorrow evening with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Generals will be looking to force a game six back in Oshawa on Saturday.

---

The NHL head coaching carousel is beginning to pick up some steam across the league, as the Vancouver Canucks hired Adam Foote, the Anaheim Ducks brought on Joel Quenneville, and the Philadelphia Flyers landed on Rick Tocchet.

And it looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins' search is getting more active as well.

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Penguins have spoken to Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and Los Angeles Kings assistant coach D.J. Smith.

Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh & Seattle remain on the hunt for a new Head Coach.

Per sources, the Penguins have spoken with DJ Smith about their HC vacancy.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) May 14, 2025

Mitch Love is also on Pittsburgh’s radar.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) May 14, 2025

Love, 40, is currently the defensive coach for the Capitals. He was hired prior to the 2024-25 season and helped lead Washington to the best finish in the Eastern Conference at 51-22-9.

He has spent most of his coaching career in developmental leagues, beginning as an assistant in 2011 with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 2018, he was named head coach of the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, leading them to the playoffs in his first season and putting three strong seasons together. 

And in his next gig - which came with the Stockton Heat/Calgary Wranglers of the AHL - he won coach of the year in back-to-back seasons right before being brought onto Washington's staff.

Smith, 48, was drafted by the New York Islanders in 1995 and later appeared in NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche. Following his playing career, he was hired by the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL as an assistant coach and remained there until 2012, when he was hired as a head coach by the Oshawa Generals. 

In his third season there, he led the team to an OHL championship as well as a Memorial Cup, which earned him an assistant coaching gig with the Leafs, where he remained through the end of the 2018-19 season before becoming the head coach of the Ottawa Senators.

Smith was in Ottawa for parts of five seasons before getting fired during the early part of the 2023-24 season. In 317 total games with Ottawa, Smith was 131-154-32 with a .464 win percentage.

Coaching Conclaves: Who Should Be Annointed Next Penguins' Head Coach?The Vatican conclave to elect a new Pope has officially concluded, but there are other conclaves generating buzz around the National Hockey League.

Although the Penguins are casting a "wide net" in their search for a new bench boss, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas has expressed a desire to make experience in developmental leagues a focus. The Penguins rolled with former head coach Mike Sullivan - now head coach of the New York Rangers - for 10 seasons, and given that they find themselves in a rebuild, someone who works well with young talent will likely be paramount.

Following Sullivan's departure, Dubas said he expects the Penguins to hire a new coach by early June in advance of the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27-28.

'I Started To Think That It May Just Be Time': Takeaways From Kyle Dubas's Press Conference Regarding Departure Of Mike SullivanOn Monday, Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas shook the hockey world when he announced that head coach Mike Sullivan would not be returning to coach the Penguins in 2025-26.

---

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

After several days of intense speculation, the LA Kings confirmed today that there was indeed some fire in all that smoke by announcing that Ken Holland will be the franchise's 10th General Manager. 

Welcome to LA! 🌟

We've named Ken Holland the 10th General Manager in franchise history.

📲 https://t.co/hzLeQdCZnG#GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/mDzBrRxlP6

— LA Kings (@LAKings) May 14, 2025

The former NHL goalie will immediately be called upon to make some big saves. The NHL Draft is just over a month away and the status of unrestricted free agents Vladislav Gavrikov, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Tanner Jeannot, as well as restricted free agent Alex Laferriere, will need to be gloved down.

Despite assurances from Team President Luc Robitaille on retaining the services of head coach Jim Hiller next season, Holland could very well decide to make a change behind the bench. Holland fired Jay Woodcroft in Edmonton after a 3-9-1 start to the season in 2023, replacing him the relatively unknown Kris Knoblauch. That move turned the Oilers' season around, leading Edmonton to their first Stanley Cup Finals since 2006.

With LA, Holland will inherit a solid team that regularly underperforms in the playoffs. Thus, much like his tenure with Edmonton, the Kings' new GM will be tasked with getting a team to the next level. Unlike Edmonton, however, he won't have superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to work with. 

Instead, he will have promising youngsters like Quinton Byfield and Brandon Clarke, as well as the aging duo of Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar and a rejuvenated Darcy Kuemper between the pipes. 

Will Holland feel that this team's current roster is good enough to compete for the Stanley Cup or will he shake things up with an off-season trade? Holland is often described as a "win now" type of executive so a move or moves wouldn't be completely out of character. His 2001 trade for Dominik "The Dominator" Hasek was a huge factor in Detroit's 2002 Stanley Cup win. In 2008, Holland flipped two draft picks to the Kings for defenseman Brad Stuart to line up with Niklas Kronwall on a top-four pairing and guess what? Detroit won another Cup that year. 

Team President Luc Robitaille believes that if you are looking to add on July 1st your team is in a good spot. It will be quite interesting to see where Ken Holland thinks the Kings are this summer and how he intends on getting LA past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

As the Buffalo Sabres' off-season continues to unfold, there are many voices arguing the team should be doing what many NHL teams are doing -- namely, augmenting their front office with a veteran voice who has many years as a successful GM in hockey's top league. And the Los Angeles Kings are the latest organization to do exactly that, hiring former Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland Wednesday as the Kings' new GM. 

To be sure, Holland's incredible experience as a Stanley Cup winner and team-builder was behind L.A.'s decision to insert him as replacement for longtime GM Rob Blake. The Kings have been a solid regular-season team for many years, but Los Angeles' inability to win a playoff round in Blake's tenure led to the decision to replace him with Holland. It was time for a change for the Kings, and L.A. went with a proven winner in Holland.

And while there are no guarantees Holland will guide the Kings to playoff success, the Sabres need to heed the example set by L.A. and figure out which experienced and available management member will at the very least help current Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams, and at the very most serve as Adams' replacement if and when Sabres ownership chooses to pink-slip Adams.

Does that addition have to be Lou Lamoriello? No, not at all -- although the Sabres could do far worse than the former New Jersey, Toronto and New York Islanders GM. But certainly, bringing in someone who doesn't have any experience as an NHL GM -- we're looking at you, new Sabres management hire Eric Staal -- doesn't mean Buffalo should stop hiring management members to assist Adams.

Indeed, there's no salary cap limit on front office members, so Sabres ownership can hire as many experienced hands as they can get. And while there is such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen, adding someone who knows the terrain of the NHL leadership landscape can only help Buffalo.

The Sabres are going to be under incredible pressure just to make the playoffs next sesaon, let alone win a round or two. So having someone on board who's handled that kind of pressure and thrived in spite of it is exactly what the doctor ordered for this franchise at this point in Buffalo's history. The Sabres need someone whose temperature won't be in fever territory when things get difficult, and that almost assuredly means they need someone who's seen just about everything there is to see as they try to construct a year-in, year-out winner. 

Staal Hired By Sabres As Special Assistant To Adams The Buffalo Sabres were expected to make some changes to their coaching and management staff in the wake of their 14th straight season missing the playoffs, and on Wednesday, the club announced the hiring of former Sabre Eric Staal as a special assistant to GM Kevyn Adams. 

You can argue that Adams deserves another kick at the can as Sabres GM -- and while we don't necessarily agree with that perspective, you can't convince us that Adams should be charting a course for Buffalo without the assistance and feedback of someone who's achieved something as an executive that Adams hasn't yet achieved.

Time will tell how the Sabres flesh out the rest of their management team, but one thing is for certain -- if all they do in this off-season is hire Staal to help Adams out, they haven't done nearly enough to give themselves a bona fide opportunity to finally break their now-14-year playoff drought. And the blame for that will fall squarely at the feet of Buffalo ownership.

There should be no expense too rich for the Sabres to turn things around at the management level, and hiring someone like Holland to help reverse the team's fortunes is the very least they can do. Holland's hiring in L.A. is the latest instance of an NHL team hedging their bets with a GM who's seen and done it all, and Buffalo needs someone very similar to him in order to end the playoff-free streak and get the Sabres back on the winning track.

J.T. Miller has a hobby outside of playing hockey and that is golf. 

With the New York Rangers not making the playoffs, Miller decided to attempt to qualify for the 2025 U.S. Open Golf Championship. 

J.T. Miller Knows Mike Sullivan Can be ‘Straightforward’ With HimJ.T. Miller and Mike Sullivan might be a match made in heaven. 

Unfortunately for Miller, he did not make the cut after he finished a 4-over-par 76 in the initial round of local qualifying, falling four strokes back of the cut line in the one-day, 18-hole event at Quicksilver Golf Club.

“It was hard,” Miller said via NHL.com. “It got windy. I thought it would be harder with the rain. ... I had a month to practice. So, I felt good coming in here. Typically, it always comes down to making putts. That’s what those guys are a lot better at doing.”

Regardless of the result, Miller is still happy he at least attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open and he has no regrets.

“I had an opportunity to play for one day,” said Miller. “I know who I’m playing against out there. I’m a competitive guy, so I just kept the expectations realistic. I’m happy with myself.”

It’s safe to say Miller hopes to be competing for a Stanley Cup with the Rangers next year as opposed to playing golf. 

“The goal is not to be available to play in this,” Miller said. “Unfortunately, that’s what happens.”

Coaching is an essential part of hockey, especially in the NHL. Every successful team has a head coach who puts his players in the best position to succeed. Right now, the Chicago Blackhawks have a vacancy in that role. 

After Anders Sorensen completed his interim head coaching stint, replacing the fired Luke Richardson, it became obvious that Kyle Davidson and his staff would conduct a widespread search for the next bench boss. 

A few high-end candidates have come and gone. David Carle, who was at the top of Chicago’s list, will remain the head coach of Denver in the college ranks. Mike Sullivan was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and hired by the New York Rangers just a few days later. 

On Wednesday, two more coaching vacancies filled up. Rick Tocchet, who left the Vancouver Canucks on April 29th, was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers. There had been speculation for weeks that Tocchet would go to Philly, and it finally came to fruition. 

A few hours later, the Vancouver Canucks announced that Adam Foote, their assistant coach, would take over as the bench boss in place of Tocchet. This move will be met with mixed reviews, but another team is off the market for a new coach. 

The Blackhawks are left with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Seattle Kraken as the only teams with a hole to fill behind the bench. Of the four, the Blackhawks have the best situation in terms of prospects and draft picks to build around. 

The Bruins, Kraken, and Penguins have also all had their rumors and speculation. The Blackhawks, outside of Carle, have not. Kyle Davidson, outside of saying that Anders Sorensen is in the mix for the job, has not let anything leak. Nobody knows who he likes, who has interviewed, or has a sense of where they are in the process.

It won't be long before something happens. The dominoes are falling around the league now, and the options for candidates are dwindling. If a young team with a bright future is what an incoming coach wants, Chicago is their best bet of the four remaining. 

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

The Vegas Golden Knights are preparing for a must-win Game 5 with the possibility that their captain, Mark Stone, won't be with them, according to Sin Bin Vegas.

The 33-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in Game 3 and was immediately announced day-to-day. He was a full participant in practice before Game 4 and played 21:42 of ice time. The injury has seemingly gotten worse and will force him to be out for a must-win Game 5. 

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that VGK are proceeding forward with the expectation that Mark Stone will NOT play tonight.

Both McNabb and Pietrangelo are expected to go.

Brandon Saad is not expected back in this series.

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 14, 2025

With Stone out, Cole Schwindt will likely check into the lineup as he did not stay after practice with the expected healthy scratches. If he does play, it'll be Schwindt's playoff debut. 

Brandon Saad has been nursing a lower-body injury, which has kept him out of the lineup since Game 2. 

Fortunately for the Golden Knights, Kaedan Korczak and Ben Hutton remained on the ice after practice, indicating that although Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb did not skate, they should be in line to play. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

"Show up and put your best foot forward"; Golden Knights Head Into A Must Win Game 5 With A Clear MindsetIt's been a poor display by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs, and now they find themselves on the brink of elimination, trailing the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in the series.

Injuries to Artem Zub and Nick Jensen highlighted the Ottawa Senators' need for greater quality of depth on the right side throughout the 2024-25 season.

Their absences created opportunity, and to his credit, Nik Matinpalo parlayed his emergence as a credible depth option into a two-year, one-way extension carrying an average annual value of $875,000.

Despite the 26-year-old Finn's arrival, the reluctance of the coaching staff to move Matinpalo off the third pairing when faced with injuries underscores the necessity of finding better quality of depth. It is essential with the uncertainty of Jensen's recovery and timetable from his undisclosed lower-body injury and the impact it may have on his offseason.

Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. 

General manager Steve Staios discussed Jensen's injury at his end-of-the-season media availability before acknowledging that it could influence his decision to address the right defence position this offseason.

"I can tell you that just about every one of our players was dealing with something when you play as hard as they did," the general manager stated. "The commitment they've shown, they played through a lot, including Nick. He's an absolute warrior to continue to perform at a level with what he was dealing with.

"It's the character of the individual Nick, but all of them. I'm not going to come out with any list and speak specifically to injuries. But, he will get re-evaluated, and if it is something significant, that's definitely an area to to look at. We have some players coming up, but that'll be an area to look at for sure."

Should the Senators' front office look to add another quality defenceman, the free agent options will be limited.

The Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad headlines the class, but the relatively weak crop of free agents means his combination of age (29) and championship pedigree will make him highly sought after. The demand for him will drive his cost, likely pricing him out of the Senators' range, assuming he would be interested in coming to this market in the first place.

Another unrestricted free agent who will likely command some decent money coming off a strong season in Columbus is Dante Fabbro. The 26-year-old rearguard had his best season in the NHL, recording nine goals and 26 points in 62 games for the Blue Jackets.

As one of the youngest players on the free agent market, that consideration alone will afford Fabbro a real opportunity to earn a significant raise on this season's $2.5 million salary.

Regarding the Senators, I do not see a fit for Fabbro. Most of his value is tied to his puck-moving and offensive abilities, and with the presence of Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen, the Senators already have several of these types.

Adding size, physicality, and defensive aptitude to their top four should be the preferred route. A free agent like Nick Perbix could make more sense, but the risk is that he predominantly played a third-pairing role on an excellent Lightning team. HockeyViz's data show that his minor isolated impacts suggest he's closer to a league-average player than not, so the risk is overpaying for a defenceman who could be worse playing an elevated role on a weaker team.

The rest of the unrestricted free agent options are underwhelming, which will pressure the Senators to make a trade and fill that void.

Local talent Mackenzie Weegar would be a pipe dream if the Senators could pry him out of Calgary, but a Flames defenceman they should avoid is Rasmus Andersson. The 28-year-old Swede will enter the 2025-26 season in the final year of his six-year contract, carrying a $4.55 million cap hit.

Calgary is known for its 'Sea of Red', but a close inspection of Andersson's underlying metrics reveals its own sea of red.

Andersson played with a broken fibula down the stretch last season, which would have explained his horrendous metrics, but Andersson's defensive metrics have cratered in recent seasons. Evolving-Hockey's 'total defence' metric (DEF) combines all of a player's defensive contributions at five-on-five and shorthanded into a single value. This proprietary metric shows that Andersson has not created positive defensive value since the 2021-22 season.

His performance while playing hurt could help the Senators buy low, but if Andersson's defensive metrics continue to suffer, it would put the team in a difficult position. The Senators already have one of the thinnest farm systems in the league, so they can ill afford to trade prospect capital or valuable draft currency for a player who will not address a need.

If the Senators are going to move that capital, they would be better suited moving picks for more predictable veterans like Connor Murphy or Andrew Peeke. Alternatively, they could target younger options who could grow with this core, like Simon Nemec or a Jordan Spence (who, admittedly, is a smaller puck-moving type who relies on skating and his stick to defend well).

While researching prospective defencemen to target, one of the things that struck me was how many organizations are willing to use defencemen on their off-side. One solution for the Senators could be to use Tyler Kleven in this capacity, freeing them from using resources to bring in a top-four defenceman.

Kleven has experience playing his off-side from his time at the University of North Dakota. The maturation and growth that he displayed down the stretch and into the postseason was remarkable. He was already one of the team's best defenders, but watching his poise and play with the puck improve markedly leaves me wondering whether or not he could thrive in this role if given the opportunity.

The Senators could elevate Kleven and sign an excellent defender like Jon Merrill, giving the Senators three strong pairings.

If the Senators elect to acquire a right-shot defenceman, however, there is an option that they should consider pursuing.

Why 2024-25 Was The Best Season Yet For Senators Centre Tim StützleOttawa Senators centre Tim Stützle just enjoyed the best season of his NHL career.

If you are a regular viewer of the 'Coming in Hot Podcast' and saw yesterday's episode, you will have seen me mention the name of Michael Kesselring.

The 25-year-old right-shot defenceman stands at 6'5" and 216 lbs. He registered seven goals and 29 points in 82 games while averaging 17:41 of ice time per game. Kesselring finished tied for 32nd amongst NHL defencemen in blocked shots with 124 while tying for 69th in hits with 87.

His most iconic NHL moment occurred during a tilt in which the Maple Leafs' Simon Benoit attempted a Superman punch, but Kesselring possesses a nice mix of traditional hockey stats and analytics.

Although he played almost exclusively with noted analytics darling and legendary Senators defenceman Ian Cole, Kesselring's defensive numbers were strong.

When Kesselring was on the ice at five-on-five, Utah generated 53.91 percent of shots (CF%), 53.79 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 56.47 percent of the goals (GF%), and 54.05 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per NaturalStatTrick.

According to HockeyViz's data, Utah was a stronger defensive team with Kesselring on the ice than off it.

Evolving-Hockey's data substantiate Kesselring's defensive gains. According to their DEF metric, Kesselring posted his first positive season of defensive value, accumulating the second-highest DEF among Utah's regular defencemen behind Olli Maata.

Advanced Hockey Stats also recognized his defensive improvements.

Kesselring is entering the last year of his two-year contract, worth a real and average annual value of $1.4 million. He has one year left of restricted free agent status before he can become an unrestricted free agent, meaning, he should have some negotiating leverage on his next deal.

It may also represent the last opportunity to acquire Kesselring before his value and price tag go up significantly.

If the belief is that his offensive value can be preserved while his defensive aptitude continues to trend up, he could be an interesting target for consideration.

Given the alternatives, it may not be a bad bet. 

Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News Ottawa

Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. 

It's been a poor display by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs, and now they find themselves on the brink of elimination, trailing the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in the series.

Heading into Game 5 at home, coach Bruce Cassidy wants his players to play their game and give everything they've got. 

"This has got to be something you embrace if you expect to be the last team standing... It's on. Show up and put your best foot forward and see what happens," said Cassidy about this series.

Cassidy previously mentioned that with all due respect to the other six teams in the division, he believes the Golden Knights and the Oilers are the two "kings" of the division. The previous two seasons indicate that he is correct. The Oilers were the final Western Conference team standing last season, and the year prior, it was the Golden Knights. Once again, the final two Pacific Division teams are the Golden Knights and the Oilers. 

The key difference between the two teams this season is that the Oilers have embraced a step-on-their-throat mentality, something the Golden Knights have uncharacteristically lacked this postseason. 

The Golden Knights went up 2-0 in Game 1 but took their foot off the gas and allowed the Oilers to steal Game 1. With momentum on their side, the Oilers found another way to pull out an overtime win. The Golden Knights scored a clutch last-second winner in Game 3, but Game 4 was once again all Oilers.

They took an early lead and shut out the Golden Knights, outshooting them 32-23. Working their way back into the series with the mindset the Oilers have developed will be difficult, but the Golden Knights don't have any other option than to put their head down and find a way to get positive results. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

EDMONTON – It’s hard enough on teams in the playoffs.

The playoffs are a grueling endeavor, no matter if you play for the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, or Winnipeg Jets.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

The Oilers were able to weather the storm of injuries to Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, Mattias Ekholm, Stuart Skinner, and Zach Hyman at the end of the year before starting the playoffs. Since then, they have only had the injury of Calvin Pickard crop up as a result of postseason play.

With a 3-1 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Oilers will play the same lineup for Game 5 in Vegas on Wednesday night.

The Golden Knights aren’t so lucky.

Trending Oilers Stories

'Remarkable': Messier On How Unique Oilers' McDavid & Draisaitl Really AreEDMONTON – “Edmonton, since its inception in ‘79, have had some pretty good teams and some pretty good players to cheer for as fans.”

10 Worst Oilers' Trades & Signings By Ken Holland

Oilers Injury Report: Mattias Ekholm & Calvin Pickard

REPORT: Oilers Calvin Pickard Now Out Longer

REPORT: Ex-Oilers' Ken Holland Lands Surprising New Gig

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Messier On Oilers, Budweiser, His Future & More

Surging Oilers Now Have Destiny On Their SideEDMONTON – Well, wouldn’t you look at that.

Wounded Golden Knights Will Hobble Out Against Oilers

The Golden Knights ran some curious line combinations and defense pairings at Wednesday's morning skate. Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden McNabb, Brandon Saad, and Mark Stone were absent.

After practice, the players who were taking Pietrangelo and McNabb’s spots in line rushes stayed out with the healthy scratches. That seems to indicate that the Golden Knights defense pairings will (likely) remain unchanged.

However, the Golden Knights-centric publication SinBin.vegas reports on X that Saad will not return for this series and Stone will not play Game 5.

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that VGK are proceeding forward with the expectation that Mark Stone will NOT play tonight.

Both McNabb and Pietrangelo are expected to go.

Brandon Saad is not expected back in this series.

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 14, 2025

This is massive news for the Oilers, just as much as it is for the Golden Knights. Stone is an incredibly challenging player to play against, which makes the Oilers job just a touch easier without him in the lineup.

This will be something to watch out for tonight during warmups, as Golden Knights head coach labelled all four players as “game-time decisions.”

One way or another, there will be a lot to pay attention to with Wednesday night’s potential series-clinching game.

Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

The Philadelphia Flyers hired Rick Tocchet as the 25th coach of the franchise on Wednesday. 

Tocchet returns to the Flyers organization behind the bench after playing 11 seasons for the team in his playing days.

Philadelphia’s coaching gig opened up when they fired John Tortorella on March 27. Associate coach Brad Shaw filled in on an interim basis until the end of the season, and the Flyers finished last in the Eastern Conference.

“I am very happy to welcome Rick Tocchet as our head coach,” Flyers GM Daniel Briere said in a news release. 

“During this process, it became clear that Rick was the absolute right coach to lead our team. He has enjoyed the highest level of success both as a player and coach. Rick’s ability to teach and understand his players, combined with his passion for winning, brings out the best in young players at different stages of their development and has earned the respect and confidence of highly talented all-stars and veteran players alike,” Briere added.

This will be the fourth team Tocchet will lead behind the bench. He was the bench boss for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes and the Vancouver Canucks.

Tocchet is coming off a two-and-a-half-year stint with the Canucks as their coach. The team decided not to exercise its option to extend his contract, which allowed Tocchet to make his own decision about his future with the team. He ultimately decided to part ways.

Tocchet coached the Canucks for 200 regular-season games, earning a 108-65-27 record. 

The 2023-24 campaign was his best of his coaching career. The Canucks finished the regular season on top of the Pacific Division, and Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. He led the team to the second round of the playoffs, where the Edmonton Oilers eliminated them in seven games.

This past season was a massive drop-off, highlighted by a rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The Canucks ultimately traded Miller to the New York Rangers, and the Canucks lost a former 100-point scorer.

Vancouver missed the playoffs by six points. Nonetheless, Tocchet put the Canucks in a better position than when he arrived – he ended a three-year playoff drought, and he replaced Bruce Boudreau when the Canucks were fifth-last in the Western Conference.

With the Coyotes, Tocchet had a similar effect in terms of the team’s performance and achievements. They were a team in a similar position to the team he is now joining: a young, unproven squad that wants to take big steps forward in quick fashion.

Arizona finished last in the Western Conference during Tocchet’s first season in 2017-18. However, the Coyotes made a push the following season and finished one spot outside a playoff position.

One year later, during the shortened 2019-20 season due to COVID-19, Tocchet took the Coyotes to the playoffs. They defeated the Nashville Predators 3-1 in the best-of-five qualifying round. After that, they were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in five games. 

In his final season with Arizona, the team finished one spot outside of a playoff position yet again.

Flyers' Matvei Michkov Can Follow Bill Barber's Path After NHL Calder Trophy SnubMatvei Michkov did all he could to become the first player in the Philadelphia Flyers’ history to win the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s rookie of the year.

Tocchet’s first gig as an NHL head coach was with the Lightning, where he took charge for parts of two seasons. He was promoted in the middle of the season, replacing Barry Melrose. That Lightning team finished second-last in the NHL.

The next season was better for Tampa but not great, as they finished 12th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.

Tocchet had multiple roles as an assistant and associate coach, including the Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, the Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won the Stanley Cup twice.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Another piece in the NHL head coaching puzzle has been placed, as former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet will be joining the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers announced on Wednesday that Tocchet will be the 25th head coach in franchise history.  

Latest From THN's Vancouver Canucks Site:

Vancouver Canucks Sign Tom Willander To A Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract

Vancouver Canucks Name Adam Foote As Next Head Coach

Vancouver Canucks 2025 NHL Draft Target: Jonas Woo

The Flyers had been rumoured to be interested in Tocchet even before the coach announced he would not be returning to the Canucks. Around this time, Tocchet’s agent, Steve Mountain, made note of how they had not had any discussions with Philadelphia regarding a possible deal. Other teams that were rumoured to be on Tocchet’s radar were the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken. During an interview on the 100% Hockey with Miller & Shannon Podcast, Canucks President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford, explained that part of Tocchet’s reason for departing was wanting to be closer to family back on the east coast. 

“During this process it became clear that Rick was the absolute right coach to lead our team. He has enjoyed the highest level of success both as a player and coach. Rick’s ability to teach and understand his players, combined with his passion for winning, brings out the best in young players at different stages of their development and has earned the respect and confidence of highly talented All-Stars and veteran players alike,” said Flyers GM Daniel Briere regarding the hire. 

History between Philadelphia and Tocchet extends decades. The coach was drafted 121st overall by the Flyers back in 1983 and spent eight seasons in a row with them before ending up with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nearly a decade after his departure, Tocchet was traded back to the Flyers by the Arizona Coyotes, spending two more seasons with them before retiring from playing in 2002. He was inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame in 2021. 

Tocchet’s most recent coaching stint was with Vancouver. Despite joining the Canucks in January 2023, rumours of Tocchet being Vancouver’s bench boss emerged weeks — if not months before — due to some blunt assessments from Canucks management. Shortly after Tocchet was brought in, Vancouver’s captain at the time, Bo Horvat, was dealt to the New York Islanders. 

Because of this, fans weren’t sure what to expect from the Canucks come 2023–24. However, following a dominant 8–1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers to open the season, Vancouver surged to the top of the Pacific Division and took down the Nashville Predators in six games during the first round of playoffs. They took the Oilers to seven games in the second round, but ultimately couldn’t surpass them. Their 50-win season helped Tocchet win his first Jack Adams Award. 

Tocchet will join a room full of youth in Philadelphia. 2023 seventh-round draft pick Matvei Michkov is going into his sophomore NHL season, while 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster will play in his third full season. Other young players on the Flyers include defender Jamie Drysdale and forwards Jakob Pelletier and Bobby Brink. 

Earlier today, Tocchet’s replacement was also announced, as his former assistant coach with the Canucks, Adam Foote, was named the 22nd head coach in franchise history. 

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The New York Islanders division rival Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rick Tocchet as their head coach:

🔶 WELCOME HOME, TOCC! 🔶

We’re proud to announce that Rick Tocchet has been named the 25th head coach in franchise history. https://t.co/pY0ljNFtoq

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) May 14, 2025

Tocchet, 61, left the Vancouver Canucks bench this summer after three seasons as their head coach, citing a desire to be on the East Coast, closer to family. 

The Ontario native was drafted by the Flyers in the sixth round (No. 121) of the 1983 NHL Draft, playing his first eight seasons in Philadelphia. He returned to the City of Brotherly Love for the final three seasons of his career (1999-2002)

The Flyers fired John Tortorella on March 27. 

They become the second team in the Metropolitan Divsion to hire a new coach, with the New York Rangers firing Peter Laviolette and hiring former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan in his place. 

The Penguins are currently the only team in the Metro without a head coach. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Los Angeles Kings named Ken Holland the 10th GM in franchise history on Wednesday. 

Next season will be the Hockey Hall of Famer’s 27th campaign as an NHL GM as the Kings look to take the next step.

“As we did our due diligence, we identified Ken as the absolute best option and acted decisively to make him our general manager,” team president Luc Robitaille said in a news release.

“His track record of success is undeniable, and after our conversations with him, we were clearly convinced he was the right person for us at this time. He has the experience to lead us on the proper path that will help us win now and compete for the Stanley Cup.”

Holland replaces Rob Blake, who mutually agreed with the team to part ways on May 5. Blake was the GM of the Kings for eight seasons and VP of hockey operations since 2013-14.

Holland was formerly the GM and president of hockey operations of the Edmonton Oilers and served them for five seasons before stepping down after last season. Stan Bowman replaced Holland, who became a hockey operations consultant for the NHL in November 2024.

Holland took the Oilers to the 2024 Stanley Cup final, where the Florida Panthers defeated them in seven games.

The Kings will look for some of that playoff success, as they’ve been bounced in the first round for four straight seasons by Holland’s former team. 

Screen Shots: Is Former Red Wings And Oilers GM Ken Holland The Right Fit For The Kings?Welcome, once again, to Screen Shots, a regular TheHockeyNews.com series in which your humble senior digital correspondent tackles a few different hockey topics and breaks them down in a handful of short paragraphs. Let’s get right down to business.

Holland spent most of his time as a GM with the Detroit Red Wings, lasting 22 seasons and winning three Cups. 

He’s been a GM for 2,061 games in total, the fifth-most in NHL history. In that span, he earned a 1,145-644-200 record and 72 ties.

Holland has been an executive for Team Canada on several occasions. He was an assistant GM for Canada four times: the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the 2014 and 2010 Olympics and the 2005 World Championship. In 2006, he earned the GM role for Canada at the World Championship.

The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Holland as a builder in the Class of 2020 for his expertise in team development and building a strong foundation for his clubs.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.