Four Colorado Avalanche all-time great superstars and three Pittsburgh Penguins icons led the way as the NHL’s final Quarter-Century Team was revealed this week.

The Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames also had two players each named to the Quarter-Century team, which was selected via a fan vote from Feb. 12 to April 1.

The four Avalanche players named to the team are no surprise. Goalie Patrick Roy, centers Joe Sakic and Nathan MacKinnon, and defenseman Cale Makar made the cut, while Penguins legends Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury also made the team. In addition, Oilers star centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were honored by being named to the team, as were Bruins stars Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. Finally, Red Wings stars Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom made the team, as did Flames stars Jarome Iginla and the late Johnny Gaudreau.

Otherwise, ten other franchises had one player named to the team, including Washington (Alex Ovechkin), Tampa Bay (Steven Stamkos), Toronto (Auston Matthews), Anaheim (Teemu Selanne), San Jose (Joe Thornton), Montreal (Carey Price), New Jersey (Martin Brodeur), Florida/Vancouver (Roberto Luongo), the New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist) and Chicago (Patrick Kane). And really, there’s no arguing any of the choices.

Winning a Stanley Cup made it easier to make this list, as 16 of the 25 players had won a Cup at some point in their career. But approximately one-third of the list included players who either didn’t win a Cup in their on-ice days or who are still competing for one today.

In total, the 25 players who made the Quarter-Century team combined to win 35 Stanley Cups, 14 Hart Trophies as the league MVP, nine Conn Smythe Trophies as the playoff MVP, 14 Art Ross Trophies as the top point-producer in the game, 19 Rocket Richard Trophies as the top goal-scorer, nine Norris Trophies as the best defenseman, and 10 Vezina Trophies as the top netminder. In short, if you were an NHL star who had their name engraved on one of the NHL’s trophies, you had a good chance to make the Quarter-Century squad.

Twenty-five years from now, when the NHL compiles this kind of list again, you’ll be seeing some of the same names that we saw from this Quarter-Century list. For instance, MacKinnon and Makar are both young enough and successful enough to make the next Quarter-Century team, as are Matthews, McDavid, and Draisaitl. But there will be other youngsters who step up and impose their will on games when they matter most, and for that reason, there will be a new batch of honorees to celebrate in 2050.

For now, though, there’s plenty to appreciate about this Quarter-Century team. You’d want to have any of the 25 players on your side, for good reason. They could (and can) do it all, and they’re all proven winners in their own right. 

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Maple Leafs aim for commanding 3-1 lead while Panthers look to even up the series

The Maple Leafs stunned the Cats in the first two games of their second round series but Florida responded with a hard-fought overtime victory in game three. The game was another battle with both sides looking to inflict as much pain as possible. 

Game three will make for an exciting showcase as the Panthers will look to even up the series while the Maple Leafs aim to put Florida on the ropes with a 3-1 series lead headed back to Toronto for game five. 

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 33-25 record on our last 58 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series. 

More NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Best Bets:

• Panthers ML (-190)
• Under 6.5 goals (-134)
• Anton Lundell Over 0.5 points (+142)
• Maple Leafs Under 2.5 goals (-108) 

The Panthers have life once again and it's mainly because of their red hot third line. Headlined by Brad Marchand, the offensive unit has combined for four goals including the game winner in game three. Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen have worked well with the former Bruins captain and Lundell works as the best value option as he also mans the second power play unit with Marchand.

More NHL: Jonathan Toews NHL Return Could Be With Anaheim Ducks, According to NHL Insider

Florida's Finnish centre played a significant role in their run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season with 17 points in 24 games. He's been red hot with three goals and five assists for eight points over his last five games and should get back on the board after failing to do so in game three. 

The game may once again be high-scoring as every game of the series has gone over but I expect that we will finally get a big Sergei Bobrovsky game. The Russian netminder has experienced his career-worst stretch versus the Maple Leafs over the last three games with 13 goals allowed.

He should bounce back when the team needs him and keep the Panthers in this game. I expect Joseph Woll to do the same for the Buds as his career playoff numbers show he is far better than his 11 goals allowed over three appearances this postseason.

More NHL: Utah Hockey Club Announces New Team Name

It never fails. Never.

Every single day one reporter or another -- not to mention endless numbers of fans -- beef about officiating.

And, if the Rangers were in the playoffs right this minute, you'd be hearing about this play or that infraction being missed or called incorrectly.

What The Maven has tried to do is find an impartial, rational critic who can simply explain this vexing situation.

My choice is Vic Morren, co-host with Neil Smith, on the insightful NHL Wraparound, The Maven's favorite podcast above all.

Exhibit A took place last night after his favorite Alberta team was beaten.  Edmonton columnist David Staples began ranting about the officiating in the Oilers-Vegas series. (Of course, it was sinful that the Knights won.

Which brings me to the question and Vic to the answer: So what does Morren think? Listen up.

"Everything is so magnified at this point," Vic explains.  "The default for many teams is officiating and Vegas may have a point regarding the Arvidsson/McNab play in overtime on Thursday.

"In reality, teams have so many self-inflicted wounds that officiating is a convenient outlet. 

"The game is lightning fast, everything is split second and officials can’t outskate the puck or players so stuff gets missed. I'll give you another example:

"In the case of the Ekblad hit on Hagel, Marchand and Glendening skated in the referee’s field of vision for the entire sequence of that incident.  He’d turned to look back and was blocked.

"They miss stuff? Sure do.  As long as humans are playing and officiating, it comes with the territory.

"And when robots start calling games, people will have problems with that too."

The Maven adds: There's no question but that the NHL works overtime trying to make the officiating as accurate as possible and will continue to do so. The following example might clarify the discussion just a bit:

One day, while I was having lunch with Commissioner Bettman, I lodged a complaint about officiating in a game I had recently worked.  Upon hearing that, the league's boss pulled a letter out of an envelope and read what was a tough-tough rip on NHL officiating, but without telling me who wrote the critique.

"Take a guess who wrote this and when," the Commissioner said. 

At the time outspoken Brian Burke was g.m. at Hartford. "It was written by Brian Burke," I snapped. "Last week."

Bettman smiled and said; "Wrong guy; wrong team, wrong time."

He handed me the missive and at the bottom I realized how wrong I had been. The letter was written in 1932 by Lester Patrick, manager and coach of the New York Rangers!

When it comes to whistle-blowers, nothing changes!

On Sunday, the NHL announced the six goaltenders who were voted by fans to the Quarter-Century Team. Among the six was former Vancouver Canucks goaltender and Hockey Hall of Fame member Roberto Luongo. The other five who were voted to the list are Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury, Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Patrick Roy.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

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Luongo arrived in Vancouver via trade back in 2006. Over his eight-year career with the organization, he recorded 252 wins and 38 shutouts, which are both franchise records. Luongo is also the only goaltender to serve as captain for the Canucks and, along with Cory Schneider, picked up the franchises only William M. Jennings Trophy.

During his time in Vancouver, Luongo was able to produce memories that Canucks fans will never forget. He led the team to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and helped capture Gold at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Luongo also finished top five in Vezina voting three times during his Canucks career and was the runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2007.

On December 14, 2023, the organization elected to induct Luongo into the Ring of Honour. This decision is still debated among the fan base, as many believe Vancouver should have retired his jersey. Regardless, Luongo's legacy with the Canucks is now on full display as his name and face are etched into the walls at Rogers Arena. 

Based on his career stats, it is hard to argue that Luongo isn't a top 10 goaltender of all time. He sits fourth in wins with 489 and ninth in shutouts with 77. Luongo also finally has his name on the Stanley Cup, as he is a Special Advisor to the General Manager for the Florida Panthers.

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.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner got a chance to play again this post-season.

Skinner got the start in Game 3 since backup-turned-starter Calvin Pickard is out day-to-day. It was a chance at redeeming himself after going 0-2 to start the playoffs and watching from the bench as the Oilers won four straight games against the Los Angeles Kings and two straight against the Vegas Golden Knights.

But despite making some big saves at times, he lost again.

In what may have been one of the more improbable sequences of the playoffs so far, a last-minute centering attempt by William Karlsson ended up on Reilly Smith’s stick. He got a shot toward the net that deflected off Leon Draisaitl and into the Oilers' net as Skinner tried to cut down the angle.

“Karlsson, he just threw it out there, which you knew he was going to do, and I thought (Smith) was going to shoot it right away,” Skinner said. “I thought he didn’t have that much time so I kind of just sprawled, went out there, stayed with him for another half second, and then he catches us with 0.4 seconds left. Devastating.”

Game 3’s loss can’t be hung entirely on Skinner. He did make several solid stops to keep Edmonton in Game 3, including a diving save on Tomas Hertl in the second period and a glove grab on a Grade-A chance from Nicolas Roy in the third.

But at the end of the game, Skinner allowed four goals on 24 shots for a .833 save percentage and a minus-1.69 goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com.

While Pickard has a 2.84 goals-against average and .888 save percentage for a 6-0 record this post-season, Skinner is 0-3 with a 5.36 GAA and .817 SP.

“That’s a goalie’s job to give your team a chance to win every night, right?” Skinner said. “I thought I did, but again, it was just a couple of tough bounces here and there. We had a great bounce that kind of went off a skate and went in (McDavid’s game-tying goal) – those types of things happen. I was happy to make a couple of big saves when we needed but again wasn’t able to finish it out.”

For The Edmonton Oilers, Corey Perry’s Not Getting Older, He’s Getting BetterWhen Corey Perry advanced the puck to Connor McDavid to set up Leon Draisaitl’s overtime winner in Vegas on Thursday, that marked the first time in NHL history that three Hart Trophy winners had ever combined for an overtime goal — in the regular season or the playoffs.

If Pickard can return from injury ahead of Game 4, it seems certain he’ll get a chance to go to 7-0 this post-season. If not, Stuart Skinner will have yet another shot at redemption.

“No matter what’s going to be happening in the future, I’m going to stay ready,” Skinner said. “Whenever they call my name, I’ll be ready to go in and just do my best out there.”

Avry Lewis-McDougall has more in his latest video column.

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.

Who are the top 25 NHL players for the past 25 years?

Experts around the league selected them, but fans have had the final say in the second phase of voting for the Quarter-Century team over the past couple of weeks -- and we now have the final results. 

Two local legends were selected to between the pipes -- first ball Hall of Famers Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur. 

Lundqvist was a seventh-round pick of the Rangers back in the 2000 Draft -- he took over between the pipes five years later and never looked back, serving as the backbone of numerous deep playoff runs during his 15-year career. 

He was named to the NHL’s First All-Rookie Team after recording 30 wins and a .922 save percentage during his first year in the league. He went on to top that win total in 10 of his 15 seasons with the Blueshirts. 

Nicknamed ‘The King,’ he currently ranks sixth in NHL history in wins and is the all-time leader in that category among Swedish-born goaltenders. He’s a five-time Vezina Trophy finalist and took home the award once (2011-12).

“I am humbled to be a member a this team alongside so many great players,” Lundqvist said in a statement. “Throughout my career I was fortunate enough to have the support of so many people — family, friends, teammates, coaches, and of course Rangers fans.

“Their love and support helped me play my best and allowed our teams to have the success that we did. I cannot thank them enough for the impact they had, and I share this amazing honor with all of them.”

Brodeur spent all but one of his 22 seasons with the Devils. He helped lead them to the Stanley Cup three times, is a seven-time All-Star, five-time Jennings Trophy award winner, and four-time Vezina award winner. 

The former first-round pick is the NHL’s all-time leader in games (1,266), wins (691) and shutouts (125). He also still owns the second-most playoff wins (113) and most playoff shutouts (24) since the turn of the century. 

Islanders coach Patrick Roy also landed a spot for his domination in net with Colorado.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone exited Saturday's Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers with an upper-body injury and has been announced day-to-day.

The 32-year-old will find out more about his injury today, said HC Bruce Cassidy, and has not been ruled out for Game 4. 

When Stone sustained the injury is still unknown, but he fell to the ice and collided with Corey Perry's knee in the first period. According to Jesse Granger, he played three shifts following the collision but did not play the final 6:20 of the opening frame.

"When (the captain) goes down, everybody’s going to elevate their game and step up," Noah Hanifin said. "We’ve always kind of had that in us. No matter what happens, super high or super low moments, I think we do a good job just staying even-keeled and knowing that we’re never out of it."

Despite their leader's injury, the Golden Knights mounted a comeback and responded when they gave up the lead. Reilly Smith scored the third latest regulation game-winning goal in playoff history with 0.4 seconds remaining. 

The Golden Knights will attempt to tie the series at two games apiece on Monday when Game 4 commences, where the organization hopes to be accompanied by their four-goal and eight-point leader. 

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.

3 Takeaways: Reilly Smith's Goal With 0.4 Seconds Left Lifts Golden Knights To 4-3 Victory Over Edmonton In Game 3Forward Reilly Smith's goal with 0.4 seconds remaining in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal against the Edmonton Oilers did more than break a 3-3 tie, it breathed life into the Golden Knights.

My grandma Etel Friedman liked to say "There are three sides to every story: Your side; My side; and the truth."

When it comes to the latest Rangers coach hire, there are about 23 sides to the Mike Sullivan saga. Start with the fact that Sullivan and GM Chris Drury are bosom buddies. So there.

Friendship, friendship; that's the perfect blendship!

Can Mike Sullivan Do For The Rangers What Craig Berube Did For The Maple Leafs?Could Mike Sullivan do for the Rangers what Craig Berube is doing for the Maple Leafs? It's possible. 

Add the fact that Drury – despite all the outside guessing – had nobody else in mind for the job but Michael. You gotta believe that the hire was  conceived the very moment that Sullivan's Penguins were eliminated from playoff contention. 

But that matters a lot less than what Sullivan can do to rehab the ruined Rangers for 2025-26.

Some savvy fans who I know are tickled that Sully is in charge now. Lloyd MacKay from the West Side of Manhattan puts it this way:

"It's a good hire," MacKay explains, "because Sullivan knows the structure of the Rangers organization. Plus, he's had a long-term stable relationship with the Penguins without dramatics.

"Once you're in 'The Stanley Cup Winners Club' you've proven that you are capable of winning the whole thing."

Former Islanders goalie – current Devils radio analyst – Chico Resch is more equivocal with his Sullivan X-Ray:

"The Rangers got their guy," says Resch. "But it will be the same players, so it will only help for a while."

Another Manhattanite and longtime Rangers fan, Mark Linde, chimes in with doubts similar to Resch's.

"I'm not so sure that Sullivan is the right man," Linde argues. "It seems to me that he'll have the same core issues in New York that he had in Pittsburgh – players who feel they have reached a point in their careers where they are above coaching and benching.

"And Sullivan's reluctance to give young players a fair crack at playing time seems like 'Peter Laviolette 2.0.' Sullivan has to give the kids a real shot at finding their NHL game; and not a few games for a few minutes here or there."

THE MAVEN'S VIEW: Since the logical assumption is that – going forward – Drury is going to shake up the roster and add a free agent, it's too soon to make any judgement about next season's lineup until the end of training camp.

Really, it's time for Rangers fans to have amnesia about what Sullivan did and focus on the present and his moves as they develop ahead!

In the end, whether you like the coaching change or not, it's time to look beyond the blue horizon and hope for a playoff-bound season .

Let Sully show the Gloom Dodgers that there are still plenty of W's in his bag of tricks!  (OK, readers, so what's the PunchLine?)

Correct:  TIME WILL TELL!

There is no question that Roberto Luongo is one of the best goaltenders of his generation.

The longtime Florida Panthers netminder and first ballot Pro Hockey Hall of Famer enjoyed a spectacular NHL career that spanned 19 seasons and 1,044 games.

On Sunday, the NHL announced the goaltenders named to its NHL Quarter-Century Team, comprised of those who played from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2024.

You better believe Luongo was among the group.

Now a member of the Panthers front office, with which he won the Stanley Cup in 2024, Luongo’s accolades during his playing career are quite impressive.

Here are some of the statistics shared by the team:

His 1,035 career regular season games and 486 wins were the second-most among goaltenders in that span behind only Marc-Andre Fleury (1,036 appearances, 567 wins).

• Luongo’s 28,114 saves were 1,274 more than the next-closest netminder (Fleury, 26,840).
• He led all goaltenders with at least 600 games played with a .919 save percentage.
• His .928 save percentage at even strength (21,999 saves on 23,715 shot attempts) tied for the best mark among goaltenders with at least 600 games played with Tomas Vokoun.
• His 76 shutouts ranked behind only Martin Brodeur (87) for the league lead.

Joining Luongo on the NHL Quarter-Century team are Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury, Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price.

Read more about the team and the goaltenders selected here.

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The Buffalo Sabres are looking to make more changes to their management structure in addition to the hiring of Eric Staal as a special assistant last week, and reportedly have contacted some big names who are in the mix for other open positions. 

According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, Buffalo has approached former Detroit and Edmonton GM Ken Holland and former New Jersey, Toronto, and New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello to gauge interest in the senior advisor role that the club is looking to fill. Holland is reportedly in the mix for both the LA Kings and Islanders GM positions, and Lamoriello has in the past baulked at positions that did not have him in day-to-day control. 

Two factors that make the senior advisor with the Sabres questionable are the tenuous position of GM Kevyn Adams and what kind of say this advisor would have in hockey decisions. Adams is entering the final year of his contract, and if he is fired during or after next season, it would likely be a clean sweep of the club’s management structure. 

Other names mentioned, like former NHL GM and ex-Sabres head coach Rick Dudley, have a similar position with the Florida Panthers, and might hesitate to leave an organization where his opinion is respected for a position in Buffalo more ceremonial.    

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In Team USA’s 6-0 win over Hungary in Herning, Denmark on Sunday, Sabres forward Tage Thompson was +1 and had four shots on goal in 16:09 of ice time. 

Here is how some former Sabres performed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday:

Carolina - 4, Washington - 0, Hurricanes lead 2-1

William Carrier(CAR) 12:51 TOI, 3 SOG, 7 Hits

Eric Robinson(CAR) 1G, +1, 13:14 TOI, 2 SOG, 3 Hits

Taylor Hall(CAR) 1A, 14:42 TOI, 3 SOG, 3 Hits

Mark Jankowski(CAR) Did Not Play

Vegas - 4, Edmonton - 3, Oilers lead 2-1

Evander Kane (EDM) 14:06 TOI, 2 Hits

Jeff Skinner(EDM) Did Not Play

Jack Eichel(VEG) 1A, -1, 22:12 TOI, 1 SOG

Victor Olofsson(VEG) 13:05 TOI, 2 SOG, 2 Hits

Brayden McNabb(VEG) 1A, 19:39 TOI, 3 Hits 

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Former Columbus Blue Jackets are sprinkled all around the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs; last night, they were showcased in both games. 

In the Carolina vs. Washington series, Columbus-area native Jack Roslovic scored his first goal of the playoffs while on the power play, putting the Canes up 2-0. In the third period, Eric Robinson also would net his first goal of the playoffs to make it 3-0. Roslovic recorded an assist on the Robinson goal as well. The two ex-Jackets had three points on the night. 

Pierre-Luc Dubois was held off of the score sheet for Washington as they were shut out. 

Later in the evening, the Vegas Golden Knights were taking on the Edmonton Oilers. Former Columbus forward William Karlsson would break a 2-2 tie when he scored his 3rd goal of the playoffs in the second period. Karlsson would also add an assist on the game-winning goal that was scored with just .04 seconds on the clock to win the game. 

In the same game, former CBJ draft pick Keegan Kolesar, who was drafted 69th overall in 2015, assisted on VGK's first goal of the night. 

Not a bad night for a group of former Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 

Johnny Gaudreau Named As One Of The Best Players Of The Last 25 YearsToday, the great Johnny Gaudreau was named to the NHL's Quarter Century Team, celebrating the best NHL players of the last 25 years.  Worlds Update: How Blue Jackets Players Fared In First Two DaysThe 2025 IIHF World Championships kicked off yesterday, and six members of the Columbus Blue Jackets were in action. Let’s take a look at how they did. 2025 Columbus Blue Jackets Potential Free Agent Targets: Patrick KaneThis summer, Jason Newland and I will continue our series looking at potential free agent targets who could be available on July 1.

When Corey Perry advanced the puck to Connor McDavid to set up Leon Draisaitl’s overtime winner in Vegas on Thursday, that marked the first time in NHL history that three Hart Trophy winners had ever combined for an overtime goal — in the regular season or the playoffs.

DYNAMIC DUO 😤 #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/8aMJcIFwY2

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 9, 2025

In less than a week, on May 16, Perry turns 40. For the last few days, he has had arguably the best job in hockey — riding shotgun on a line with the two Oilers superstars. 

Saturday night, Perry opened the scoring with a first-period goal in Edmonton’s first loss in their last seven playoff games — cruising down Main St. as the finisher on another tic-tac-toe play with McDavid and Draisaitl.

MCDAVID FINDS SCOREY PERRY TO GET THINGS GOING‼️ pic.twitter.com/czWqqSIN2t

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 11, 2025

Four minutes later, parked in his office at the top of the crease on the power play, he tipped an Evan Bouchard shot past Adin Hill for his second of the night and fifth of the playoffs.

Corey Perry with his 2nd of the night pic.twitter.com/wsjiBEPwWh

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) May 11, 2025

If Mikko Rantanen is hell-bent on showing the Colorado Avalanche why they shouldn’t have traded him in January, Perry has been sending a similar message to the Anaheim Ducks for nearly six years since they decided to buy him out.

During Perry’s 14 seasons in Anaheim, the Ducks made the playoffs 11 times and won the Stanley Cup in 2007. But when they got swept in the first round in 2018, then missed entirely one year later, GM Bob Murray decided that some of his veteran core was reaching its expiry date. 

That turned out to be Ryan Kesler’s last season, at age 34, as he couldn’t overcome his hip issues. Perry was the same age and had managed just 10 points in 31 games that year after returning from knee surgery. 

With two years remaining on a contract that carried a cap hit of $8.625 million, Perry was bought out of that deal by the Ducks on June 19, 2019. 

He wasn’t out of work for long. On July 1, he inked a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars and joined fellow Pacific Division castoff Joe Pavelski, who walked in free agency from the San Jose Sharks.

Neither the Ducks nor the Sharks have appeared in a playoff game since. 

But Pavelski appeared in 67 post-season contests over four years with the Stars before hanging up his skates at the end of last year. And Perry, the mercenary, reached the Stanley Cup Final in four of his next five seasons — with the Stars, the Montreal Canadiens, the Tampa Bay Lightning and now the Oilers. 

Over 14 years, he played 118 playoff games with the Ducks. But in just six seasons since he left, he’s now up to 106 games with his late-career teams, for 224 in all. He could eclipse his Ducks total with 13 more games played this year, but yet another trip to the final would be needed.

In these 2025 playoffs, Perry has already passed Mike Keane, Bryan Trottier and Kris Draper to get into the top 10 all-time in playoff game appearances. Ten more games would get him to a tie with Claude Lemieux for fourth place all-time. If he plays another 13, he’d also pass Mark Messier to move into the No. 3 spot — behind only Chris Chelios (266 games) and Nicklas Lidstrom (263 games).

At this stage of his career, Perry is using his smarts to make up for anything that his body might not be able to deliver. During the regular season, he put up 19 goals thanks to a career-best shooting percentage of 19 percent. And don’t talk to him about puck luck and regression: with five goals on 14 shots over nine games, he’s shooting nearly 36 percent in the playoffs.

As Draisaitl said recently, “I honestly think he could play until he’s 50, just because of his brain. We’ll see if the boots keep up there, but, uh, he’s just a gamer.”

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.

EDMONTON – “Obviously, it stings right now.”

Leon Draisaitl faced his own disappointment when speaking to the media after the Edmonton Oilers' deflating 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

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

POST-RAW | Leon Draisaitl 05.10.25Leon speaks to the media as the Oilers lost 4-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 at Rogers Place.

“It’s an unfortunate way to lose,” Draisaitl said. “But that’s on us.”

The German Gretzky expanded on that idea by addressing two costly mistakes in his game from Saturday night. The first one is on the first Golden Knights goal.

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“On the first one, I get stripped there,” Draisaitl stated. “That puck should probably just go in (to their zone) so that’s obviously, that’s on me.”

“I think the quickness of the two (goals) deflated us a little bit.”

Leon Draisaitl On Reilly Smith's Last-Second Goal

Draisaitl then shared his view of the buzzer-beater goal.

“We didn’t sort it out very well to let the puck get into the slot,” Draisaitl revealed. “After that, I think It’s unlucky, it’s unfortunate…It’s just a bad bounce.”

REILLY SMITH SCORES WITH 0.4 SECONDS LEFT ON THE CLOCK 🤯pic.twitter.com/enPYrAB53q

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 11, 2025

“It goes off my stick, I’m just trying to keep it out of the net.”

On the bright side, the Oilers are up 2-1 in the series. They must feel the sting of the loss to harness it as motivation to put the Golden Knights on their heels. Draisaitl knows what they need to do to get the win in Game 4.

“Get back to what we did in the first 10 minutes,” Draisaitl said. “Moving our feet, making plays, just get back to that.” 

“Tomorrow’s a new day, we’ll move on.”

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The Chicago Blackhawks had a handful of players who exceeded expectations during the 2024-25 season.

It is hard for everyone to play well when the team around them isn’t strong you but a few guys found a way. 

3 Blackhawks Who Exceeded Expectations In 2024-25The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t have a winning season in 2024-25. They came in expecting to be much better but they failed to come out of the league’s basement. For a consecutive year, Chicago finished with the second worst record. 

On the flip side, a handful of skaters failed to be the players that the Blackhawks were hoping for when they were brought in.

Some of these men didn’t have bad years necessarily, but they certainly failed to meet expectations. These are the three who will look back at 2024-25 and view it as a lost season:

1. Jason Dickinson

Jason Dickinson was good for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2023-24 season. He had 22 goals and 13 assists for 35 points in 82 games. Those aren't superstar numbers or anything like that, but a bottom-six forward reaching the 20-goal plateau is always nice. 

Most contending teams have guys playing Dickinson's role who put up numbers like that. The team around Dickinson wasn't great that year, so they had another bottom-three finish. 

It was also his goal-scoring career high by 11, so you can't expect him to do that over and over again. With that said, his drop-off in 2024-25 was significant. He only had 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points in 59 games played. 

There were some injury issues for Dickinson throughout the year as well, but overall, his performance was not what he (or the Blackhawks) wanted it to be. 

Unless he is traded over the summer, Dickinson will be on the Blackhawks in 2025-26 as his contract has one more year on it. If he plays well, he will likely be traded to a contender, which would be good news for both sides. Everyone would benefit from him bouncing back from this below-expectations 2024-25 season. 

2. Lukas Reichel

Lukas Reichel had a career high in goals (8), assists (14), and points (22) in 2024-25. He also played a career-high 70 games. However, that wasn't enough of a jump for him to be happy with his year. 

Reichel was a first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, so the skill and pedigree are there, but he hasn't taken a step into being a true top-six forward. 

If the Blackhawks retain him in the coming years, he likely will have to reverse course and become okay with being a full-time bottom-six player. There is no shame in that, but he will never be a star offensive producer based on what was shown in 2024-25. 

Although he never met the expectations placed on him, there are plenty of players who carved out solid NHL careers despite not being offensive forces as they were drafted to be. 

3. TJ Brodie

TJ Brodie has had a nice NHL career. He spent time with the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs before making his way to Chicago ahead of the 2024-25 season. 

He was brought in to help the young defensemen grow their game, but he did not play well. In 54 games, he contributed two goals and eight assists for ten points.

Brodie has been an offensive contributor in his career, but that is not why he was brought to Chicago in his age-34 season. Being a veteran presence was his role. 

By the end of the year, however, Brodie was a healthy scratch on a nightly basis. Once young studs like Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Ethan Del Mastro, Kevin Korchinski, and Nolan Allan started getting regular playing time, Brodie was out. 

Connor Murphy was the only veteran Blackhawks defenseman who was getting regular playing time down the stretch. 

When it came to playing in his own end, Brodie was unable to get it done. The Hawks are going to continue looking to get younger, so he can't expect much more playing time with this team. With one year left on his contract, the Blackhawks may be forced to buy him out.

Can any of these three players mentioned bounce back to help the team be better in 2025-26? Dickinson and Reichel are likely to be given the chance, but Brodie may be forced out. Kyle Davidson has some hard decisions to make as he looks to get this team to take another step. 

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

Forward Reilly Smith's goal with 0.4 seconds remaining in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal against the Edmonton Oilers did more than break a 3-3 tie, it breathed life into the Golden Knights.

After losing the first two games in Vegas, the Golden Knights were in desperation mode with their backs against the wall.

Smith's last-second shot deflected into the net off Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl's stick to give Vegas a shocking 4-3 victory on Saturday night, and cut the Oilers' series lead in half.

🎥 Cassidy: You don't see too many finishes like that. Good for us to get one to go in our favor. pic.twitter.com/fUANrX6Zie

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 11, 2025

"You leave it all out there, and fractions of a second can break your heart or do the opposite," Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Corey Perry gave Edmonton an early 2-0 lead, but Nicolas Roy and Smith tied it with goals in 54 seconds late in the first period.

Center William Karlsson gave Vegas a 3-2 lead with 2:55 left in the second frame when he beat goalie Stuart Skinner off a give-and-go play with defenseman Noah Hanifin. Oilers star Connor McDavid tied it with 3:02 left in the game when his centering pass caromed off defender Brayden McNabb's skate and into the net.

Adin Hill stopped 17 shots for Vegas, while Skinner made 20 saves for Edmonton.

Skinner was making his first appearance in the series, as he stepped in for Calvin Pickard, who injured his left leg when Vegas forward Tomas Hertl landed on his left pad in Game 2. 

Game 4 is scheduled for Monday in Edmonton.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

IRONMAN MCNABB: Despite being injured during overtime of Game 2, McNabb was a pleasant surprise for the Knights in Game 3. McNabb was considered day-to-day after sustaining a controversial injury in Vegas' 5-4 overtime loss in Vegas. No call was made on what appeared to be tripping, and rather than Vegas skating with a man advantage, Draisaitl ended the game 17 seconds later. McNabb finished with an assist and three hits for the Knights on Saturday night.

STONE INJURED: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone was lost when he left the game with an upper-body injury. Stone, who has been a major contributor for Vegas during the postseason with four goals and eight points, exited in the first period, three shifts after he lost his balance and collided with Corey Perry. Cassidy said he's hoping for better news in the morning, but is considered day-to-day. Cassidy also said Stone has not been ruled out for Monday’s Game 4.

"When (the captain) goes down, everybody’s going to elevate their game and step up," Hanifin said. "We’ve always kind of had that in us. No matter what happens, super high or super low moments, I think we do a good job just staying even-keeled and knowing that we’re never out of it."

HILL'S RESPONSE: It was not only a much-needed win for the Knights, but also Hill, who has been one of the least efficient goaltenders during the postseason. Among netminders that have made at least five appearances, he's tied with the second-worst save percentage (.872) while he has the fourth highest goals-against average (3.14). Hill, who led the Knights to the 2023 Stanley Cup title, will need a big game Monday, as the Oilers have scored the most goals out of any team in the postseason so far with 36. They lead the NHL in total shots on goal this postseason (276) and are leading in most shots on goal by a forward group (190) and defensive corps (86). The team is also first in the league in high-danger shots on goal with 81.