Category: Ice Hockey

The Florida Panthers will play their first elimination game of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night.

Fortunately for the Cats, they're on the potential giving end of the elimination, as the host Tampa Bay Lightning need to pull out a win in order to keep their season alive.

It wasn't until Monday's Game 4 that a home team finally picked up a victory, and now Florida will look to start their postseason a perfect 3-0 on the road and knock out their cross-state rivals in the process.

So far during the four games in the series, Florida has scored 13 goals. Five have come off the sticks of defensemen.

Nate Schmidt is tied for the team lead with three goals while Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad each added tallies of their own during Monday's Game 4 win.

Between Schmidt in Games 1 and 2 and Jones in Game 4, those defensemen have also accounted for all of Florida's game-winning goals in the series.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, they will have to play without one of those defenseman for the next couple games.

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday that Ekblad had been suspended two games for an elbow to the head of Tampa forward Brandon Hagel.

A likely reason for the suspension length being two games instead of one is that Hagel had already been ruled out of Game 5 by Tampa Head Coach Jon Cooper.

Considering how the intensity has been building with each game this series, Wednesday night should be quite a barn burner.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 5 in Tampa:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart

Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

A.J. Greer – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist

Gus Forsling – Seth Jones

Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov

Uvis Balinskis – Nate Schmidt

Scratches: Mackie Samoskevich, Jonah Gadjovich, Tomas Nosek, Jaycob Megna

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3 Florida Panthers Who Must Step Up In Game 4

The Carolina Hurricanes became the first team to advance to the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, thanks to a Sebastian Aho double overtime winner.

The Canes eliminated the New Jersey Devils in five games, completing the deed in a 5-4 double overtime thriller Tuesday night at Lenovo Center.

It wasn't the easiest win in the world, as Carolina had to overcome a 3-0 deficit to force overtime in the first place, but once they got there, they weren't going to be denied.

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I can't overstate how bad the Hurricanes were in that opening frame. I 100% figured the game was over after giving up three goals in the first 10 minutes of the game and even had the title written: 'Horrendous Start Keeps Series Alive.'

The team was just listless through the first 20 minutes, unable to clear pucks, skate through the neutral zone or set up in the offensive zone at all.

It was especially tough as the former Hurricanes kept being the ones to make the Hurricanes pay.

Brett Pesce continued to plague the Hurricanes with a pair of primary assists, banking one in off of Dawson Mercer's butt and then setting up Timo Meier in the slot off of a failed clear, and then Stefan Noesen grabbed the third goal with a redirection right in front of the crease.

The game looked well over at that point, so there's a lot of credit to be handed out to the Hurricanes for their maturity and composure in battling back and finishing off New Jersey.

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And funny enough, speaking of maturity and composure, it was actually two rookies that got the ball rolling for Carolina.

At the tail end of the power play to start the second period, Logan Stankoven one-timed a Taylor Hall pass that squeaked through Jacob Markstrom (although Hall helped it the final way across the line).

Then it was Jackson Blake with a short-side shot on a curl around from behind the net.

And not too long after that, Andrei Svechnikov rifled one past Markstrom with a clear lane to tie it back up.

Three goals in 3:54 of game time.

The Hurricanes were back into it.

And then they weren't, as Nico Hischier put the Devils back ahead less than two minutes after Lenovo Center got rocking with an unimpeded look from the low circle.

But the wacky game kept getting wackier with the Hurricanes getting a 5v3 power play opportunity not too long after that and Aho scored his first of the night, putting home a great feed by Seth Jarvis.

It looked from that point it was going to be whoever could stop a puck would be the winning team, but actually both teams' goalies really stepped up their play from there, with Pytor Kochetkov shaking off a bad start and coming through with some clutch third period, shorthanded saves.

But Markstrom was the real show down the stretch as he kept the Devils alive through the first overtime that was all Carolina.

The Hurricanes had chance after chance after chance against a gassed Devils squad, but they just couldn't find a way to beat the Swedish netminder.

That was until the Canes got a power play early into the second overtime period as Jesperi Kotkaniemi took a high stick to the eye.

Upon review, Carolina was awarded a four-minute power play and Aho finally found a way to beat Markstrom for the final time this season.

The Canes now await the winner between the Washington Capitals (3) and Montreal Canadiens (1).

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Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!  

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LAS VEGAS -- Minnesota backup goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury returned the ice at T-Mobile Arena to oppose the Golden Knights, as Wild starting goalie Filip Gustavsson didn't return to the game due to illness, per the team.

Fleury stopped six of the seven shots he faced, including all three in regulation, but allowed the game winner to Brett Howden at the 4:05 mark of overtime.

Vegas' 3-2 win gave it a 3-2 series lead, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday in Saint Paul, Minnesota. 

"It would have been perfect with a win," Fleury said. "As a goalie, you always feel like you can stop it, and should stop it. I haven't seen the replay yet. It happened pretty quick. I saw (Howden) in the corner of my eye and knew he was down there and he just put it in the corner."

Gustavsson stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced in the first two periods and wasn't on the bench for the third period.

Fleury entered the game with the Wild trailing 2-1, and became the goalie of record when Matt Boldy scored his fifth goal of the postseason to tie the game at 2-all.

Fleury said he knew Gustavsson wasn't feeling well before the game and coming off the bench was a possibility.

"He battled through those first periods, and I talked when he come off and he said that was it," Fleury said.

Winger Ryan Hartman scored what appeared to be the go-ahead goal with 1:15 left, but a coach's challenge overturned the goal when it was determined Wild center Gustav Nyquist was offside. 

"Inches, right?" Fleury said  It happens. It happens to anybody, and that's just a bad break. Obviously, there was still a minute left, and they have a good team, so nothing was over, but it was a good feeling to have had that goal.

"It was definitely tough to have it taken away, but nobody panicked, I thought. We kept playing."

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has replaced Filip Gustavsson (illness) to start the third period. #mnwild

— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) April 30, 2025

Fleury, who played four seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, is in the final season of his 21-year career. It marked the first time he faced Vegas in the postseason.

Since leaving Vegas, Fleury is 1-4-0 against his former team with a 4.33 goals-against average and .877 save percentage.

The 40-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup champion was making his 170th career playoff appearance.

"I think coming in in overtime (I) felt better, too, after playing 20 minutes," Fleury said. "I was excited to have a chance to play again. And in this building, too. In front of the crowd and getting a little chant going too, it gives you a few butterflies. That was pretty sweet, too."

Fleury's appearance between the pipes sent a portion of the 18,441 in attendance into a "FLEU-RY! FLEU-RY" chant, something he added that he didn't expect.

"No, definitely not," he said. "In the playoffs and opposing team, rink, obviously. I guess it'll always be a special place for me."

Marc-Andre Fleury has now seen action in 18 total postseasons, moving past Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy (17 postseasons) for the most total Stanley Cup Playoff years by a goalie in NHL history.#mnwild#NHLStatspic.twitter.com/iKBB7GGU8H

— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) April 30, 2025

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The Carolina Hurricanes are the first NHL team to advance to the second round of this year's playoffs after eliminating the New Jersey Devils.

The Devils, however, were one goal away from forcing a Game 6. They withstood a bombardment of shots by the Hurricanes from the third period to double overtime, with Carolina outshooting them 32-12 in that span. 

But a double-minor penalty for high sticking 70 seconds into the second overtime frame led to the Hurricanes sealing the Devils' fate.

Devils center Dawson Mercer carried the puck out of the defensive zone when Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi challenged him. Mercer passed the puck off the boards and tried to lift his stick around Kotkaniemi to get by him.

Instead of avoiding contact, Mercer lifted his stick and caught Kotkamieni underneath the visor.

Dawson Mercer is assessed a double-minor for high-sticking on Jesperi Kotkaniemi at the start of double overtime. pic.twitter.com/u9ErnWdwab

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 30, 2025

The referees called the double minor and reviewed the incident to see whether to keep the penalty or rescind it. The call on the ice stood.

Carolina set up in the offensive zone, passing the puck around to look for the right chance to shoot. When Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere passed the puck to Sebastian Aho, the center took that chance.

Aho wired a one-timer slapshot that beat Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom. While Markstrom made some massive saves in overtime to keep his team alive, he and the Devils exited the first round with a 5-4 double-overtime loss in Game 5 and a 4-1 series loss.

Mercer did open the scoring on Tuesday night as the Devils took a 3-0 lead in the first period, but the Hurricanes responded with three unanswered goals in the second. Devils captain Nico Hischier gave the Devils another brief lead before Aho marked his first of two goals on the evening.

Aho is just the second player in Hurricanes franchise history to score the series-clinching goal in a game that required multiple overtimes. Brock McGinn was the first when he scored in Game 7 of the first round in 2019. Aho's eight points led the team in the first round.

The Hurricanes, which finished second in the Metropolitan Division in the regular season, are now just the fourth franchise in NHL history to win a round in seven straight post-seasons and the first since the New York Islanders accomplished the feat from 1979 to 1985.

As the Devils' off-season begins, the Hurricanes await the winner of the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens series. Game 5 of their series is on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, with the Capitals leading 3-1.

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.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho hammered a one-timer past Jacob Markstrom at 4:17 of the second overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 5-4 on Tuesday night to clinch their first-round playoff series.

The score came with the Hurricanes on a four-minute power play on a double-minor high-sticking penalty by Dawson Mercer that sent Jesperi Kotkaniemi skating off to the tunnel with a towel to his face. Aho provided the capper, the only lead the Hurricanes would have in a wild game that pushed them into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They’ll next play the winner of the Montreal-Washington series, with the Capitals leading 3-1 in that one.

Carolina won this game despite falling behind 3-0 in the first 10 minutes.

After three consecutive postseason misses, Pittsburgh Penguins POHO and GM Kyle Dubas made it pretty clear in his postseason press conference on Apr. 21 that he will mainly put his focus on the RFA and trade markets this summer as his team transitions through a rebuild.

But there's one analyst who thinks the Penguins could possibly swing bigger on July 1.

In an appearance on the Pat McAfee show, NHL analyst and former player Paul Bissonnette was discussing what Pittsburgh's summer could potentially look like. And there was one big-name free agent he brought up as a story to watch.

“One that probably sticks out is Mitch Marner," Bissonnette said. "Hasn’t signed yet,” Bissonnette said. “He’s a Toronto Maple Leaf. Kyle Dubas loves Mitch Marner. He was with him in Toronto.

”There’s a little hostility between the Maple Leafs and Marner, based on the fact that they tried to trade him at the deadline for Mikko Rantanen, who was available. And they were willing to part ways with Mitch Marner, even though he had a 100-point season.”

"Mitch Marner is gonna be a free agent and Kyle Dubas loves em..

He's a guy that's probably gonna command $14M a year on the open market" ~ @BizNasty2point0#PMSLivehttps://t.co/GwWMNox2gjpic.twitter.com/nJ9MEpgSzu

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 28, 2025

Regardless of whether or not the Penguins decide to involve themselves when the time comes, the story around Marner is going to be interesting, to say the least. 

Marner, 27, is set for a big pay raise on July 1, which will come in the form of either an extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs or a free agent contract elsewhere. Rantanen set the precedent for the market when he signed an eight-year, $96 million contract extension after being traded to the Dallas Stars, which averages out to $12 million per year.

NHL Trade Deadline: Mikko Rantanen Shoots For The (Dallas) Stars With Blockbuster Move, ExtensionMikko Rantanen’s time with the Carolina Hurricanes ends after 42 days. His time with the Dallas Stars is expected to be much, much longer.

Yes, that $12 million AAV is a good baseline when projecting what Marner's next contract would look like, especially if it comes in the form of an extension with Toronto. But given the bidding war that would likely ensue if Marner elects to head to unrestricted free agency, he could command even more than that - potentially, in the range of $14 or $15 million.

Truth be told - even with the rising cap - that puts a lot of teams out of the conversation. Even Toronto will have some decisions to make in order to extend Marner, as Matthew Knies is a pending-RFA and veteran John Tavares is a pending-UFA - both of whom should command pretty significant dollars. And they'll still need to fill out the depth on their roster, too.

'That's What You Have To Do At This Time Of Year': Matthew Knies' Play In Game 1 Against Senators Highlights His Value To Maple LeafsMatthew Knies is the definition of a playoff performer with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

So where does this leave the Penguins?

Well, for one, it's worth noting that Dubas has pretty much said that the Penguins wouldn't be focusing on the UFA market this summer. He said that with the rising cap, the dollars allocated to signing elite players - and older ones, at that - add up pretty quickly.

"I think the effect in free agency is probably going to be somewhat of a spike in salary, and so it’ll dry up the cap space rather quickly for us, and those players are mostly into that late-20 to early-30 category," Dubas said. "I think it's going to allow us to maybe trade for players that other teams can't afford that are restricted free agents, and then sign them longer range ourselves, using that cap space that way.

"So, you're signing a player that's 23-24 for seven or eight years versus going into free agency for someone who's 27 to 32 and getting them for seven years."

'We Have To Stick To A Very Concise Plan And Then Execute Our Butts Off': Dubas Clarifies Penguins' Summer PlansTo close out the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke with the Pittsburgh media on Monday.

Makes sense, right? For a team in the Penguins' situation, absolutely. As of now, the Penguins are projected to have just over $23 million in cap space, and if they truly want to target players in the RFA market, signing Marner for $14 million would severely limit their ability to do so. 

However, something else to consider is that the cap is going up significantly year-by-year, and the Penguins have no obligations to long-term extensions currently on their roster. A lot will change before then, but as of now, they are projected to have $54.75 million in cap space during the 2026-27 season and $87.4 million the season after.

They also have a few players on their roster - guys such as Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Tristan Jarry - who eat up chunks of their cap and may or may not be moved this summer, which would, presumably, open up more cap space and give them the freedom to dabble in both the UFA and RFA markets.

Getting ahead of signing someone like Marner might not be the worst thing when shedding a light on those factors, as free agents are only going to get more and more expensive year over year, and the Penguins actually have the space to afford something like that down the line.

And - unlike in the RFA market - the Penguins wouldn't have to give up any significant assets in terms of prospects and draft capital to simply sign someone who can help them in the near- and long-term.

It's unclear what path the Penguins plan to take next season. They could tank for Gavin McKenna, but the risk in doing that is that several other teams across the NHL - such as the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Ducks - are better-positioned to do that because they lack some of the high-end talent on their roster that the Penguins have.

It's Time To Redefine 'Generational NHL Player' With Gavin McKennaGavin McKenna will go first overall in the 2026 NHL draft. It's not a matter of if, but when.

What's more likely is that they will neither intentionally tank or intentionally try, and they will end up finishing right around where they did this season - within the top-10 in draft order. If that's the case, there's no real hurt in at least exploring the market for Marner, as he alone is unlikely to change their fortunes in any significant way, anyway.

Regardless, it should be interesting. And even Bissonnette threw some caution at the wind when discussing the possibility of Marner and Dubas reuniting in Pittsburgh.

"I think it's going to take them at least two or three years to get good again," Bissonnette said. "I'd be shocked if they made the playoffs next year unless they do what [the Washington Capitals] did in the offseason and have a complete home run as far as free agent signings. 

"If Mitch Marner ends up there, and you're paying him $14 million, and all of a sudden, all you have is $12 [million] left over... it's hard to address other areas."

More than likely, Marner is donning a Maple Leafs sweater to kick off the 2025-26 season. But if he does elect to test the free agent waters, don't be overly surprised if an old friend decides to, at least, make a phone call.

Mitch (Marner) Really Held The Fort For Us": Leafs GM Gives Strong Vote Of Confidence In Marner Ahead Of PlayoffsMitch Marner's performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs could ultimately define his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Toronto Maple Leafs are to have any success during their 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, their top stars are going to have to perform and Mitch Marner is certainly no exception.  

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After a Game 4 overtime victory on Saturday night, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk skated off the ice, confidently yelling at the fans, "We'll be back!"

He was spot on.

Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle each had a goal and and two assists as the Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0. Sens goalie Linus Ullmark played his best game of the playoffs, making 27 saves for the shutout. Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens each scored for the Sens, who now force a Game 6, which will take place back in Ottawa on Thursday night.

Both teams had some solid early chances in the first six minutes. In a goalmouth scramble, the puck trickled behind Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz, and Drake Batherson dove to try to swat it in. However, Morgan Rielly was quick to clear it away, a split second before Batherson’s stick blade arrived. 

Shortly after, at the Toronto blue line, Nick Jensen made a pass right onto the stick of John Tavares, sending him alone on a breakaway. But Jensen hustled back in time to disrupt the play, taking away Tavares's forehand shot. Tavares's backhand attempt, however, wasn't particularly threatening.

Things got feisty near the end of the first period as the Senators and Leafs traded cross-checking penalties. Ridly Greig caught Matthew Knies, and then Morgan Rielly clobbered Thomas Chabot. While Greig's penalty was barely a minor, Senators head coach Travis Green was hollering for a major penalty on Rielly for the hit on Chabot.

Despite just three shots in the first period, Ottawa got on the board first.

After a faceoff win by Tim Stützle, Claude Giroux used a bit of interference to create some space for Thomas Chabot at the point. Chabot had time to walk the line, dust it off, and snap one in from distance off Stolarz’s shoulder, off the crossbar and in.

The game was filled with great chances at both ends that were stolen away by desperate defenders with last second stick checks.

In the third period, after a bad neutral zone holding penalty on Ridly Greig, it appeared to open up an opportunity for the Leafs. However, Ottawa slammed that shut when Dylan Cozens scored shorthanded to make it 2-0 on a perfect 2-on-1 feed from Adam Gaudette.

The Sens played smothering defense after that, continually chipping the puck out of the zone and getting pucks deep. At times, it seemed almost too conservative. The Leafs had several great chances in tight, including Auston Matthews ringing one off the post.

But it worked.

The Leafs pulled the goalie early, and after the Senators got it deep, Claude Giroux fed Stutzle in front and he somehow got it through a couple of sprawling Leaf defenders. Tkachuk added a second empty netter to close out the scoring, threading the needle through the legs of Mitch Marner.

The Senators have now cut Toronto's lead to 3-2 and will host Game 6 for their final home game of the series on Thursday night. Not only do Ottawa fans get to enjoy playoff hockey in May for the first time in eight years, but now they're starting to believe in what seemed impossible three days ago.

By Steve Warne
THN Ottawa Site Editor

Tough Love Fuels Impressive Growth of Young Ottawa Senators DefencemanThe Ottawa Senators owe a lot to the University of North Dakota. The institute played a significant role in developing many pieces of this team's young core. During Saturday night's thrilling 4-3 overtime victory, the impact of the North Dakota boys was on full display.

Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.

After the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines, provide updates on the rest of the night's NHL slate and read your opinions.

On tonight's show, Emma Lingan and Michael Augello react to the Ottawa Senators beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 and cutting the Buds' series lead to 3-2.

Leafs vs Senators Game 5 - Playoff Frenzy | The Hockey NewsWelcome to Playoff Frenzy Live by The Hockey News presented by STIX.com, where we give our live reactions and break down the latest news to all the biggest g...

Are the Leafs' playoff demons haunting them? How did Linus Ullmark look in net in his first career playoff shutout? And what else is going on around the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments and live chat, and the hosts may discuss your message during the stream.

Check out the show right now.

The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad for the next two games on Tuesday.

Ekblad laid a high hit on Tampa Bay Lightning left winger Brandon Hagel during Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Monday. Ekblad’s forearm landed on Hagel’s face. Hagel was forced to leave the game, and Bolts coach Jon Cooper said Hagel won’t play in Game 5.

“Ekblad takes his right hand off of his stick, raises his elbow, pulls it back and uses the extended arm to deliver a blow that strikes Hagel in the head with force, causing an injury,” NHL player safety’s video explanation said.

“This is a direct blow to an opponent’s head with an extended elbow delivered with requisite force for supplemental discipline,” the video said.

Cooper Frustrated After Hagel Injured In Game 4 'It’s Getting Tiresome Answering Questions About A Hit Every Single Game'Jon Cooper sounded frustrated. But he also sounded defeated.

Ekblad played his second game of the series on Tuesday after returning from a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Ekblad scored a crucial goal in the Panthers' dramatic Game 4 comeback. He and Seth Jones scored a goal each within 11 seconds to take a 3-2 over the Lightning late in the third period, eventually winning 4-2 and taking a 3-1 series lead.

The 29-year-old has a minus-three rating in his two appearances and averaged 21:16 of ice time.

There have been a handful of disciplinary actions from NHL player safety involving this series. Hagel was suspended for Game 3 after a heavy hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. Florida D-man Niko Mikkola was also fined $5,000 for boarding Zemgus Girgensons in Game 4.

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.

The first-round playoff series between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning has had no shortage of physicality.

On Tuesday, the NHL Department of Player Safety made yet another ruling in regard to a play that occurred during the series.

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for two games for elbowing Tampa's Brandon Hagel during Game 4 on Monday night.

Florida’s Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for two games for elbowing Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel. https://t.co/X3QeNt39Va

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 29, 2025

There was no penalty called on the play, which led to Tampa Head Coach Jon Cooper having a heated interaction with one of the officials on the ice.

"One, two, three, four," Cooper yelled while pointing to each of the four officials on the ice. "There's four of you. Holy f---!"

Hagel has since been ruled out of Game 5.

"He's not playing tomorrow," Cooper said Tuesday. "And you know why."

The big, controversial hits have been a trend in this series.

In Game 2, Hagel caught Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov with a high check during the third period that cost him a one-game suspension.

Barkov did not return following the hit, but was fine for Game 3 two nights later. 

During that Game 3, Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk was essentially sent off for good, receiving a five-minute major in the final minutes of the game, after hitting Tampa's Jake Guentzel at center ice.

The difference between the hits and supplemental discipline is that Guentzel had just touched the puck while Barkov never had it, the Department of Player Safety takes that into account.

As the series has progressed, both head coaches, Tampa's Jon Cooper and Florida's Paul Maurice, have been asked about the hits.

At first, the coaches had a cheeky back-and-fourth as Cooper repeated a Maurice quote about Florida players only hitting guys with the puck.

Now, as the series has progressed, it seems the time for lightheartedness is over, based off an interaction Cooper had with a media member after Game 4.

"I think it's getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every single game," Cooper said. "I'll ask you, you asked me the question, why are you asking me the question? Do you have anything to say about it? If anybody in here has something, stand up and let me know."

When the room remained silent, Cooper said, "Alright, let's move on."

As for Maurice, he did address the Ekblad hit when asked about it postgame, but didn't have much to say about it.

"I think I want to be consistent with what I've said on Hagel," Maurice said. "I saw it. I've seen it before, saw it last year. And then we'll all coach, the players will play, the refs will make the calls, and the league will do with it what they will. I don't want to use this platform to start making my case on this. Everybody's got a job to do. I'll stay in my lane."

That lane will take Maurice and the Panthers back up to Tampa for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

A win means Florida will advance to the second round for the fourth consecutive postseason.

A loss means the Panthers will host Tampa in Game 6 on Friday.

Stay tuned.

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Mike Sullivan is the winningest coach in Pittsburgh Penguins history, finishing his ten-year tenure behind the bench with a 409-255-89 record in 753 games. Those totals don't include his postseason numbers, which are 44-38 in 82 games, including two Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017.

Of course, when you have a roster with three bona fide Hall of Famers like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury, the wins tend to come a little easier. However, thanks to his longevity, Sullivan was able to not only break Dan Bylsma's win record but also become the only Pittsburgh head coach to collect 300 and 400 wins.

Here is a look back at all his milestone victories leading the black and gold. 

Win #1 - Nov. 19, 2015 vs. Colorado Avalanche (4-3)

Sullivan won his first game as Penguins head coach when they defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 at CONSOL Energy Center. In the game, Ian Cole had two helpers, while Crosby, Malkin, Chris Kunitz, and David Perron had goals. Fleury made 28 saves for the win. 

Win #100 - Dec. 16, 2017 at Arizona Coyotes (4-2)

Carter Rowney opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal, and Crosby secured Sullivan's 100th win with the Penguins with an empty net goal. Meanwhile, Malkin had a goal and an assist with Olli Määttä chipping in another lamp lighter. Matt Murray earned the win between the pipes. 

Win #200 - Jan. 7, 2020 at Vegas Golden Knights (4-3)

Dominik Kahun had a goal and an assist while Kris Letang had two helpers to help Sullivan secure win #200 versus the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, at T-Mobile Arena. Pittsburgh also got goals from Patrick Hörnqvist and Brandon Tanev, while Tristan Jarry made 31 saves. At the other end, Fleury had 12 saves in the loss. 

Win #253 - Oct. 16, 2021 vs. Chicago Blackhawks (5-2)

Sullivan became the franchise win leader with his 253rd victory on Oct. 16, 2021, against the Chicago Blackhawks. In the 2021-22 home opener, the Penguins erupted for four first-period goals en route to a 5-2 win at PPG Paints Arena. 

Inside the Numbers: Mike Sullivan's Decade As Penguins Head CoachOn April 28, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they mutually parted ways with head coach Mike Sullivan. As the winningest coach in franchise history, it's a monumental day for the organization, which will begin its search for a new leader for the first time since 2015.

Pittsburgh got goals from Brock McGinn, Drew O'Connor, Teddy Blueger, Danton Heinen, and Jason Zucker. Both McGinn and O'Connor had two points, while Jarry made 18 saves in the win. Interestingly, Fleury took the loss for the Blackhawks, giving up four goals in just 11:25 before being pulled.

Win #300 - Oct. 20, 2022 vs. Los Angeles Kings (6-1)

Jeff Petry scored a goal and had two helpers to help the Penguins defeat the Los Angeles Kings at PPG Paints Arena on Oct. 20, 2022, to get Sullivan his 300th win. In the highest-scoring milestone victory of his coaching career, Pittsburgh also got goals from Jeff Carter, Jake Guentzel, Ryan Poehling, Rickard Rakell, and Jan Rutta. Once again, Jarry earned the win, making 39 saves. 

Win #400 - Mar. 9, 2025 vs. Minnesota Wild (3-1)

In one of the final matchups between the Penguins and their former goalie Fleury, now with the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh won 3-1 thanks to Crosby's two goals, giving Sullivan his 400th win as head coach. Of course, Malkin had the other Penguins goal as Jarry led the way with 29 saves. 

In the wake of Canada's federal election on Monday, there is going to be continued speculation about the relationship between Canadians and Americans. However, one thing is pretty clear -- the tensions between political leaders is unlikely to affect the time-honored, stress-tested connection between Buffalo hockey fans and their Canadian counterparts. 

The truth is, for as long as the Sabres have been around -- and well before it -- there have been scores of Buffalonians and Western New Yorkers who've loved hockey. And if Toronto Maple Leafs tickets weren't so exorbitant , we'd be seeing many Buffalonian traveling to Toronto to see the Buffalo Sabres play, the same way many Torontonians and Southern Ontario residents make the trip to Buffalo when the Maple Leafs play there. And nothing that happens politically is going to change that.

The Leafs consistently bring out hundreds, if not thousands of their fans to games no matter where they play. It's a result of being an Original Six team, it's a result of a team being from Canada's largest city, and it's a result of the tribal pride people have in the Blue & White. And having the ability to take a brief ride down the Queen Elizabeth Way to convene with their fellow Leafs supporters is a luxury Leafs fans aren't going to give up anytime soon. 

Even with the punishing current exchange rate for the American dollar, Canadian Leafs fans can rest assured ticket prices for Leafs/Sabres games in Buffalo are far cheaper than they are for games in Toronto. And so you're going to continue to see Torontonians at the rink in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. It makes financial sense for Leafs fans to travel for an hour or so, and let's face it -- those trips are one of the ways Leafs fans deepen their bond with one another. (And the way Toronto traffic has devolved, it can take you an hour to travel from one part of the city to another, so the journey to Buffalo might wind up being about as long as it is between Point A and Point B in Toronto.)

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of ChangeThe Buffalo Sabres, at their season-ending press availability, were all singing from the same hymn book, and the song was Bruce Hornsby’s “Gonna Be Some Changes Made”. The questions that will be utmost in the minds of a frustrated fanbase will be what kind of changes, and in the end, will those changes have the desired effect of ending the club’s 14-year playoff drought. 

But really, sharing an appreciation for the sport of hockey will always bond together people from countries around the world. And that's one of the reasons why the connection between Torontonians and Buffalonians is so strong. We're linked by geography and weather patterns, and a history that has included a terrific rivalry between our NHL teams. That's why Toronto has its share of Buffalo Bills fans, and that's why Buffalo has its share of Toronto Blue Jays fans. We're all going to root for one another to some degree, and that's always going to stay the same, no matter what obstacles are put before us.

So if you've got any anxieties about the connection between Canadians and Americans in the Buffalo/Toronto region, lay them to rest. We're all good friends here, we all appreciate the best sport there is, and it's going to stay that way for as long as there are pucks and sticks to go around.

The Florida Panthers picked up a massive win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4. With this, the Panthers extended their series lead to 3-1 and now need only one more victory to advance to the second round.

The Panthers' win was undoubtedly well-earned, as the reigning Stanley Cup champions scored three unanswered goals late in the third to defeat the Lightning by a 4-2 final score. This included goals from Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones just 11 seconds apart with less than four minutes remaining in the contest.

The Panthers worked incredibly hard to pick up this impressive comeback win, and veteran forward Brad Marchand dove into why it was possible.

"Belief is a dangerous thing, and we had that," Marchand said. "You could feel it. I don't think that we're sitting there on the bench thinking we're going back to two-two. You know, we believe that we can make a play, and you know, you're one shot away at that time."

pic.twitter.com/LQzsvTVWyU

— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 29, 2025

Marchand then added:

"It's a different ballgame if it's 5-1 with two minutes left, but one-goal game, crazy things happen, and we've all went been through it. You know, teams that have gone far and had success, you learn from these moments, and you learn in the regular season. You build the belief in your structure and what you have. Doesn't mean it's going to happen go our way, but it did tonight."

This is a great message from Marchand, and one that the Panthers should keep following as the post-season continues. Instead of losing hope when they were losing, the Panthers stayed positive and secured a major win in Game 4 because of it.

Machand had a solid performance for the Panthers in this matchup, too, as he recorded the primary assist on Anton Lundell's game-opening goal. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice also shouted out Marchand's positivity and leadership following the matchup, so No. 63's presence is undoubtedly being felt.

Recent Panthers News 

Comeback Cats strike Lightning, Panthers win Game 4 to take commanding series leadThe Comeback Cats made their first appearance of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday night in Sunrise. Panthers' Nate Schmidt Ties NHL Record With Hot Playoff StartThe Florida Panthers have had a fantastic start to the 2025 NHL playoffs. After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning by a 6-2 final score in Game 1, the Panthers followed that up with a hard-fought 2-0 win over the Bolts in Game 2. With this, they are now heading back home for Games 3 and 4 with a 2-0 series lead.

1. There are a lot of Nervous Nellies out there worried about mean, tough and nasty postseason hockey. I've got news for them; that's what playoff hockey is all about.

2. The hissing and moaning over what are and are not  "dirty hits" is as old as the NHL. Repeat: THIS IS WHAT PLAYOFF HOCKEY IS ALL ABOUT.

3. About the dumbest thing I've seen on the internet is some schlemeel writing that Canadian hockey announcers put more emotion into their broadcasts  than their American counterparts.

Playoff Notes For Rangers Fans And Others1. When it comes to a pair of teams being even in a series the Oilers-Kings battle sure fills the bill. Edmonton's late comeback and OT winner last night could be a major demoralizer for LA.

4. By The Maven's standards, the Capitals should get it over with tonight and simply crush the Canadiens. 

5. If the Caps fail today, I'll begin worrying about the Habs actually winning the series.

6. Anyone surprised at the Stars' success so far should check The Hockey News' Yearbook. Dallas is picked to win The Stanley Cup - ahem, by beating New Jersey.

7. The injury-wracked Devils will be fortunate to stay alive tonight in Raleigh. After all, the Canes are kings of home ice advantage. 

8. I'm rooting very-very-very hard for a Senators win over the Leafs tonight. For that to happen, Linus Ullmark must come up bigger in goal. Much bigger!

9. For my money, the most interesting series pits the upstart Blues against Chevy's Jets. You have to love Jim Montgomery's coaching except that The Maven is at a loss to define how JM makes it work.

10. That said, I have to root for Winnipeg. Hey, the Jets have never won Stanley!