The AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rockford IceHogs, advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 sweep over the Chicago Wolves. Thanks to some outstanding Blackhawks prospects playing in the AHL, this IceHogs team has the talent to make a run. 

On Thursday, they began their next series on the road against the Milwaukee Admirals. Milwaukee is the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators. They won the Central Division with a record of 40-21-5 (91 points), so the IceHogs are being presented with a challenge in this series. 

At the start of Game One, the Admirals looked every bit like the team that dominated the regular season. After no scoring in the first period, Milwaukee came out firing in the second. Before a minute passed in the middle frame, the Admirals had a 2-0 lead thanks to two goals in 15 seconds. Being outshot 14-5 and outscored 2-0 didn’t look good. 

However, Rockford didn’t think they were out of it for one second. In the third period, they found a way to get it tied. Just after the halfway point of the final frame, Paul Ludwinski put the IceHogs on the board. Under five minutes later, Gerry Mayhew evened it up. 

Overtime was needed to decide this intense game. Of course, the Blackhawks would love to see one of the call-ups make an impact. They got their wish when Colton Dach scored the winner just :12 into the extra frame. The brilliant shot put Rockford up 1-0 in the best-of-five series. 

Kevin Korchinski, who has been good in the playoffs so far, assisted on the goal, which is another call-up contribution. These guys, along with the veterans, all need to be on top of their game if they want to continue this run. 

Rockford’s next playoff game will again be in Milwaukee as they look to take a 2-0 lead. This match will occur on Saturday at 6 PM CT. 

It isn’t every year that an NHL franchise can expect its AHL affiliate to make a run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. It happens when a great farm system turns a bunch of players pro at the same time, and solid veterans complement them. Through one game of the second round, things are trending up.

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

The Rangers are hiring Mike Sullivan as the 38th head coach in franchise history. 

Sullivan had long been rumored as one of general manager Chris Drury’s top candidates to take over behind the bench for Peter Laviolette if he were to become available this offseason. 

That became a reality earlier this week as he and the Penguins decided to part ways after their aging core and rebuilding roster failed to reach the postseason for the third consecutive year. 

“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Drury said in a news release. “Given his numerous accomplishments throughout his coaching career - including two Stanley Cups and leading Team USA at the international level – Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. I’ve gotten to know Mike very well over the years, including as teammates in the 1997 World Championships, when he coached me as a player in New York and through our shared time working together with USA Hockey. As we began this process and Mike became an available option for us to speak with, it was immediately clear that he was the best coach to lead our team.”
Added MSG executive chairman and CEO James Dolan:

“I would like to welcome Mike back to the Rangers organization. Mike’s track record and success in the NHL and internationally speaks for itself, and I look forward to seeing him behind the Rangers bench.”

Sullivan has plenty of ties to the Rangers organization. He was selected by the Blueshirts in the fourth round of the 1987 NHL Draft but elected to stay at Boston University until 1990 -- when he signed with the Sharks and began his 11-year playing career.

He spent four years behind the Rangers’ bench as an assistant under John Tortorella -- a handful of which Drury served as the captain -- and the two are plenty familiar from their BU ties and overlap with USA Hockey. 

He was also the head coach for a United States squad during this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off that had Drury in the assistant GM role and a handful of key Rangers filling out the roster.

Sullivan will now be tasked with turning things around after the Rangers underperformed mightily during Laviolette’s second year at the helm -- becoming just the fourth team in league history to miss the playoffs the year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

He has plenty of experience under his belt -- having reached the playoffs eight different times during his 12-year coaching career. He’s also the only American-born coach to win the Stanley Cup twice and currently owns the record for the most wins in Penguins history (409).

When your team doesn’t perform, firing the coach is typically the first move in a GM’s arsenal.

And the offseason is the next best time to fire off your underperforming coach into the sun.

Luckily, the Colorado Avalanche have a Stanley Cup-winning coach at the helm. Jared Bednar isn’t going anywhere, but someone who once played for the Avalanche (who now coaches) is on the move.

Bookmark The Hockey News Colorado Avalanche team site so you never miss the latest news, game day coverage, and information on the Avalanche players.

And they are a dark horse option for several head coach openings.

Adam Foote served on Rick Tocchet’s coaching staff with the Vancouver Canucks. He served in that position for two years and change.

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With Tocchet moving on from the Canucks, Foote’s future is not being called into question. According to a Daily Faceoff report, Foote is being considered for multiple head coaching vacancies and is expected to interview for a few.

Before then, Foote spent one year as the head coach of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. He posted a 29-28-6 record that year in 2019-20.

Foote had a long playing career as a hard-nosed defender. He spent the majority of his 20-year career with the Avalanche. He played nearly three years wit the Columbus Blue Jackets as well. 

He played 1154 games and recorded 1534 penalty minutes over his career. Foote won two Stanley Cups as a player.

It’s a long offseason but long-time Avalanche fans will be keeping their eyes and ears peeled on where Foote goes.

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Since being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in January, former Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas has undoubtedly had plenty of success. In 30 regular-season games following the trade, the 26-year-old forward recorded 11 goals, 28 points, and a plus-1 rating in 30 games. Now, he is only continuing to make a big impact during the post-season.

In a win-or-go-home Game 6 for the Avalanche, Necas delivered in a big way for the Central Division club. The former Hurricanes star had a big night for the Avalanche, as he scored a goal and recorded an assist in Colorado's 7-4 win over the Dallas Stars. With this, the Avalanche have now forced a Game 7 and will look to defeat the Stars in it from here.

For his assist, Necas made a nice pass to Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. From there, Makar one-timed Necas' feed, and Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen put home the superstar blueliner's rebound.

As for his goal, Necas received a perfect feed in front of the net from Makar and one-timed it past Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger. This goal gave the Avalanche a 3-2 lead in the second period.

With this impressive performance from Necas, he now has one goal and four points in his last two games alone for the Avalanche. The Canes' 2017 first-round pick is certainly heating up, and it is coming at the perfect time for Colorado. It will be interesting to see how he builds off it in Game 7 from here.

Recent Hurricanes News

Hurricanes Surging Forward Is Continuing To ImpressThe Carolina Hurricanes had an excellent first-round series against the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes knocked the Devils out in just five games and are now set to face off against the Washington Capitals in the second round because of it.  Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour Makes NHL HistoryWith their 5-4 double overtime win over the New Jersey Devils on April 29, the Carolina Hurricanes have officially moved on to the second round. The Hurricanes are now set to face off against the Washington Capitals in the next round, which should be a great series between the two Metropolitan Division rivals. Carolina Hurricanes Recall 3 Players From AHLThe Carolina Hurricanes officially advanced to the second round with their 5-4 double overtime win over the New Jersey Devils in Game 5. Now, they have made some roster moves in preparation for the second round.  Hurricanes Hit Home Run With Taylor Hall ExtensionThe Carolina Hurricanes made a major move on April 30, signing forward Taylor Hall to a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension. This news was announced shortly after the Hurricanes knocked out the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the post-season. 

The Ottawa Senators finished their season on home ice in front of 19,007 people in attendance.

That number wasn't all Sens fans, with the blue and white jerseys of their rival visible in parts of the crowd. But the team's prioritization of season ticket holders and newsletter followers in its ticket sales seems to have paid off.

Although the Senators couldn't come back from 3-0 down in their first-round series to force a potentially historic Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Sens crowd gave a standing ovation and chanted "Go Sens Go" after the game for a team with lots to look forward to.

The fans also chanted "Brady, Brady, Brady" in honor of Ottawa's captain, Brady Tkachuk, who scored his fourth goal of the series Thursday night to cut the Leafs' lead to 2-1. David Perron tied the game in the third period before Leafs left winger Max Pacioretty retook the lead in an eventual 4-2 Toronto victory.

The #Sens season comes to an end.

Ottawa’s crowd was chanting “Brady” and now “Go Sens Go” while giving a standing ovation as the teams shake hands.#GoSensGopic.twitter.com/dHEN0ZRafu

— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) May 2, 2025

Tkachuk led the Senators in scoring in the series with seven points, one for every season the team missed the playoffs as it went through a full rebuild and worked its way back up with a new core.

The 25-year-old captain remarked on the crowd's support at the end of the game and over the years.

"It's been a long eight years for them, and to experience it, honestly, I don't really realize the impact that it's made on me and this team," Tkachuk told reporters in the dressing room post-game. "Just really want to do it for them. They were absolutely amazing, and I know it sucks right now, but I really can't wait for what the future holds."

Tkachuk was Ottawa's first player drafted when the rebuild unofficially began. Only two players have been with the organization for longer, including defenseman Thomas Chabot, who was drafted 18th overall in 2015.

While Chabot played his first NHL game in 2016-17, he did not play in the Senators' run to the Eastern Conference final that campaign. This year was his first time on the ice experiencing Stanley Cup playoff hockey.

"It was f-----g unbelievable, to be honest," Chabot told reporters. "The fans, everybody, the city, everyone. Get off the plane the other night from the airport, there's about 30, 40 people there waiting at whatever on a Tuesday night at 1 a.m. You don't get that anywhere else. 

"We have said it all along, even in the tough years, we do have the best fans in the league, I believe. They've been there all eight years that I've been... I think that's what hurts the most right now is we thought for sure coming back home, we were going to pull it off for them."

The Senators drafted seven players in between their playoff appearances who played for them against the Maple Leafs this post-season. They include Tim Stutzle (five points in the round), Jake Sanderson (overtime-winner in Game 4), Shane Pinto (shorthanded breakaway goal in Game 5) and Drake Batherson (scored the Senators' first playoff goal since May 2017). 

Ottawa also made trades and free agent signings to strengthen the squad as it looked to take the next step. On came Claude Giroux, Linus Ullmark, David Perron, Dylan Cozens and more.

"I'm really happy with the way that we have taken strides to become a better, a more stable team, that's going – hopefully, for a long time going to always be up there and battle for the playoffs and the Stanley Cup," goaltender Ullmark said to reporters.

Toronto nearly swept the Senators in the Battle of Ontario, but Ottawa won Game 4 at home and Game 5 in enemy territory to raise questions about whether the Leafs could finish the job. The Senators could have become the 11th team in NHL history to tie a series 3-3 after trailing 3-0. The stat that the Leafs have been 1-13 in closeout games since 2018 circulated all week long.

The Leafs are now 2-13 in closeout games during that span. The top seed in the Atlantic Division will now face the defending Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. 

That matchup should remind everyone how challenging the Atlantic Division can be. The Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning have won the Stanley Cup a combined three times in five years. The Leafs have the longest active playoff streak. The rebuilding Montreal Canadiens even made the playoffs. The Boston Bruins earned a record-breaking 135 points in 2022-23 and only dropped out of the playoff race this year, opening a spot for Ottawa to take.

That means for the team and its fan base to see more progress and playoff hockey, there's still much work to do.

"Crazy thing is, it's not going to get easier – next year is going to get harder to get back in the same position," Perron said to the media. "If we asked the team over there, that's what they would tell you. You make one step, and then the next step is a little bit even harder to win one round, win two rounds, all that. But I'm proud of these guys, the way we worked all year to get better and put ourselves in this situation."

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Well, all those Toronto fans who keep chanting “We want Florida” are going to get their wish.

The Florida Panthers, who eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games on Wednesday night, spent less than 24 hours waiting to find out their second-round opponent.

Thanks to their 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs punched their ticket past round one and will face the Panthers for the second time in three postseasons.

Back in 2023, Florida knocked out the Leafs in five games en route to their first of two straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

Toronto, who won the Atlantic Division this season, will host Florida for the first two games of the series.

Florida will host Game 3, Game 4, and, if necessary, Game 6.

During the regular season, the Panthers went 3-1-0 against Toronto, winning both games in Sunrise while splitting the two up north.

Panthers fans will see some familiar faces wearing blue in this series as there are not one, not two but three current Maple Leafs who won the Stanley Cup with Florida last season.

Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Steven Lorentz are all enjoying strong seasons with the Leafs and will be doing everything they can to knock out their former teammates.

The series could begin as soon as Saturday or as late as Monday, according to Pierre LeBrun, depending on how things shake out in the Western Conference.

Stay tuned.

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For the fourth time in as many years, the Kings’ season came to an end with a first-round playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The coup de grace came Thursday in a 6-4 Oilers win at a raucous Rogers Place, which has become a house of horrors for the Kings.

Edmonton got goals from Adam Henrique, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Darnell Nurse, Trent Frederic and Connor Brown. For the Kings, Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence and Anze Kopitar scored.

The Kings haven’t beaten the Oilers in the postseason since 1989, but this loss may be the most painful of the nine playoff series they’ve dropped to Edmonton. The Kings tied franchise bests for wins (48) and points (105) and won a team-record 31 times at home this season, finishing ahead of the Oilers in the Pacific Division for the first time in seven years.

Read more:After 44 seasons, Nick Nickson's retirement will mark end of an era for Kings

They seemed primed for a long playoff run, but once again, they couldn’t beat Edmonton.

“Having the season that we had, the group of guys in this locker room, to come up short again, it sucks. It's frustrating,” Kopitar said. “This one, this one hurts a little more.

“Having home ice and getting off to a good start with the first two games, winning the first two games. And then just not able to close games out. It cost us ”

The Kings went out like warriors though, carried out on their shields after a wild end-to-end Game 6 in which the teams combined for at least 10 goals for the third time in the series. There were 51 total goals, an average of 8.5 per game.

So much for conservative playoff hockey.

“We believe we could have won the series,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “We believe we should have won the series. We didn't. So that's the bottom line.

“They outplayed us, in my mind, one game. And the [Game 4] overtime. We lose the series.”

With their backs against the wall the Kings set the frenetic pace early, with Byfield scoring 79 seconds into the game, one of four goals in a manic and exhausting first 5 minutes 55 seconds. Only one potential Stanley Cup elimination game in the last 60 years featured the first four goals scored more quickly.

Byfield’s goal, his third of the series, came on a breakaway in which he beat Leon Draisaitl up the slot, deked Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard to his left, then slipped the puck behind him and into the net. It was the second-fastest goal to begin an elimination game in franchise history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky’s score in the first minute of Game 7 versus Edmonton in 1989.

That should have been a good omen since that was the last time the Kings beat the Oilers in the deciding game of a playoff series. It wouldn’t happen again Thursday.

Edmonton evened things on Henrique’s deflection in traffic less than two minutes later, but Clarke needed just 33 seconds to put the Kings back in front on a snap shot from inside the right circle. That lead was short-lived too, with Nugent-Hopkins equaling things for the Oilers on a wrister from the edge of the left circle less than six minutes into the period.

Hyman then put the Oilers ahead for good with their third goal on a play that began innocently enough, with Nugent-Hopkins sending the puck off the boards after a faceoff in the Kings' end. The carom found Nurse at the point and he sent a one-timer toward the goal that Hyman redirected into the net.

Nurse, given plenty of space in the high slot, doubled the advantage on a wrist shot that got just under the crossbar late in the second period; Frederic made it 5-2 just 96 seconds later on a tip-in from the crease at the end of an Oilers breakaway.

But still the Kings would not quit, with Spence scoring two minutes before the second intermission to keep the score close. The Kings pulled Kuemper for an extra attacker with 4:18 left and were rewarded when Kopitar scored with 53.3 seconds to play, but the Kings got no closer thanks to Brown's empty-net goal, Edmonton’s fourth of the series, in the final two seconds. That left the Kings to begin focusing on next season while the Oilers moved on to play Vegas in the second round.

“We felt like we were the better team,” forward Adrian Kempe said. “We couldn't close out the games that we should have. So that came back to bite us.

“It's tough. It sucks when you play that well over five or six games like this.”

Read more:Kings must overcome power of rabid Edmonton Oilers fans after faltering in Game 3

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

EDMONTON – Bye Bye Bye, Los Angeles Kings.

The Edmonton Oilers are moving on from the first round of the playoffs after dispatching the Kings for the fourth consecutive year. 

However, things don't get easier for the Oilers. They are very familiar with the Vegas Golden Knights, the team they will face in Round 2. Aside from being divisional rivals in the regular season, they have also met in the playoffs before.

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

The Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild on Thursday to win their series in six games. 

The Oilers have only played the Golden Knights in the playoffs once. They lost that series during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, 4-2.

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The defense of the Golden Knights was too much for the Oilers to overcome. They played an incredibly patient game and made the Oilers pay whenever they made a mistake. 

The Oilers can’t have a repeat of that series.

For three consecutive playoffs, the Oilers had their playoff run ended by the (eventual) winner of the Stanley Cup. In 2022, it was the Colorado Avalanche, in 2023, the Golden Knights, and in 2024, the Florida Panthers.

The Oilers were outscored 19-22 over the six games. All things considered, there wasn’t that much separation between the Golden Knights and Oilers.

The Golden Knights' starting goalie, Adin Hill, has a regular season save percentage of .896 against the Oilers. He fared much better against them in the playoffs.

Hill started four games against the Oilers in that round, posting a save percentage of 1.00, .879, .914, and .950.

There is no schedule released for the second round at this time.

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During his postseason press conference on Apr. 21, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas provided a glimpse into what the summer could look like for the organization.

He mentioned some potential movement in the trade market as well as interest in the restricted free agent market, and he also specified a glaring area of need for the Penguins.

"I think the left side of our defense has been a problem," Dubas said. "There's just no other way [to put it]. Especially moving [Marcus Pettersson] out to Vancouver in that trade... I think the trade will serve us a great purpose in the future, but it hurts the left side of the defense corps now."

He added: "You can't just wish that all of [their current left defensemen] are going to improve and all move up into 1-2-3, left side of the defense. That's an area, I think, externally, that we have to improve. So, we’ll be on the lookout for that."

The unrestricted free agent market for left defensemen is not the greatest, and the Penguins desperately need to improve the position as urgently as possible, even from a minutes standpoint. With Matt Grzelcyk remaining unsigned and about to hit free agency, there are no current left-side blueliners on their roster who have shown they're capable of playing consistent top-four minutes.

So what can they look for in the trade market? Here are four defensemen Dubas would be well-served to make some calls about.

'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.

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Pavel Mintyukov - Anaheim Ducks

Mintyukov, 21, is perhaps the most intriguing option on this list. He has one year remaining on his entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, and on the surface, he seems like a player the Ducks would not want to part ways with.

However, the fact of the matter is that Mintyukov had a disappointing sophomore campaign (five goals, 19 points in 68 games; minus-4) to follow up his excellent rookie season (4-28-63; minus-20), and in a crowded defensive pool of young, talented players, others are simply outperforming him. With the emergence of youngsters Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger, Mintyukov may not have the adequate space or opportunity to further grow and develop his game with the Ducks.

Mintyukov's game is raw, and the defensive side of his game could use some work. But there's no denying the high-upside potential of Anaheim's 10th overall pick in 2022.

If he's even remotely on the market, he's someone worth surrendering that conditional first-round pick from the New York Rangers for. 

---

Bowen Byram - Buffalo Sabres

It was a season of ups and downs for Byram, who completed his first full season with the underachieving Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25. He finished the year with seven goals and 38 points in 82 games to go along with a plus-11.

The productive potential is certainly evident for the 23-year-old blueliner, who is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA). However, the defensive side of his game was shaky at times this season, and his play was inconsistent in a general sense throughout the season. 

But he still qualifies as a pretty steady option for a second-pairing defender - with the potential to develop his two-way game more - which is something the Penguins need. With Buffalo at an organizational crossroads, some changes may be on the horizon, and they may be willing to part with Byram's RFA rights if the return meets their asking price.

Realistically, this would probably involve either a prospect and a pick or a swap for a talented rostered player. Buffalo would probably prefer to hold onto him otherwise.

Signing Evolving Young Star Defenseman Must Be Priority For Sabres This SummerThe Buffalo Sabres have clear goals in this off-season, including being a better defensive team. But one of the biggest tasks for the Sabres has to be getting a key defenseman locked up under contract for as long as possible.

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K'Andre Miller - New York Rangers

When talking about other organizations at a crossroads, it's difficult to leave out the Rangers.

They are a bit cap-strapped. They fired their coach and are on the verge of hiring ex-Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. They missed the postseason one year after winning the President's Trophy. They have an underperforming, aging roster to go along with underperforming youth and not much promise prospect-wise on the horizon.

Miller, 25, is another pending-RFA. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenseman - like many of his teammates - had a somewhat forgettable season in blue and red, registering a downward-trending seven goals and 27 points in 74 games and sporting some poor defensive metrics to go along with it.

The Rangers will have some big decisions to make about their roster during the offseason. Even if Miller had a down year, he is still a very capable two-way defenseman with size, and he is a top-four defenseman at his best.

Given the Rangers' cap and roster situation, this is exactly the type of RFA that Dubas should target - especially after the Penguins' GM said that they'll look into RFAs that other teams can't afford to re-sign.

Report: Former Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan Closing In On 'Rich' Contract With RangersAfter parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, it was clear that former head coach Mike Sullivan was going to be in high demand.

---

Mason Lohrei - Boston Bruins

More than likely, the Boston Bruins are on a crash-course destination to tank next season. Their roster was blown up almost entirely over the past year, and they finished at the bottom of the East along with the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Lohrei, 24, is a pending-RFA and showed high-upside potential offensively this season, putting up five goals and 33 points in 77 games. He is a good puck carrier, skates relatively well for his size, and has some offensive instincts.

But it's hard to ignore the fact that Lohrei was also a minus-43 on the season. Yes, this is plus/minus - but a number that extreme is a bit worrisome. Even though Boston was a mess defensively as a whole, Lohrei certainly was one of the guilty parties, and the Penguins shouldn't surrender the farm for him.

More than likely, the Bruins bring Lohrei back. He played top-four minutes this season and figures to be part of their future. But, if the Bruins are looking for assets - which, they will be - he might be someone they're willing to engage in discussions about. At the right price, he'd be a worthwhile gamble.

Former Bruins Defender Had Career Year With New TeamDuring this past off-season, the Boston Bruins let defenseman Matt Grzelcyk leave in free agency. This was after his placement on the team's depth chart dropped, with him being scratched in 10 out of the Bruins' 13 playoff games. 

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Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist, Adin Hill made 29 saves and the Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in Game 6 of their first-round series Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Hill improved to 4-0 all-time in Game 6 as the Knights' goaltender.

With the win, Vegas eliminated the Wild and will next face the winner of the Los Angeles Kings-Edmonton Oilers series. The Oilers led the series 3-2 ahead of Game 6 in Edmonton on Thursday night.

Captain Mark Stone and defenseman Shea Theodore also had a goal and an assist each to help the Knights advance into the second round for the fifth time in eight seasons.

"I think ever since I got here, that's the message, that we want to win," Theodore said. "Guys care about it every year; that's our goal in training camp. It's good to see us playing well at the right time."

Stone, who assisted on Eichel's goal with a stretch pass out of the zone that was inches out of reach of the stick of Minnesota star Kirill Kaprizov after he dived to try to prevent the breakaway, had four points in the last three games of the series.

Ryan Hartman scored both goals for Minnesota, which has lost nine consecutive series in the NHL playoffs.

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This is a breaking story and will be updated by 1 am eastern

The Winnipeg Jets will be without star forward Mark Scheifele for Game 6 in St. Louis on Friday.

His absence is directly related to an injury suffered on a check in Game 5 at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night. 

The 32-year-old was crunched early in the first period on a punishable hit by Brayden Schenn, who jumped into an open-ice hit, catching Scheifele without the puck in Winnipeg's defensive zone. 

"Well, clearly they’re trying to do a job on our skilled guys, and trying to make them pay a price," Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo said on Thursday. "We're trying to do the same too. It's a physical series. This has been right up there with some of the most physical hockey I've played in the playoff series. And we knew that going in, and they're going to continue to try to do that."

Scheifele bounced back up rather quickly and played another seven shifts. However, he was later hit in the open ice by Blues' forward Radek Faksa, which also knocked him down heavily to the ice.

After the game, coaches Jim Montgomery and Scott Arniel went back and forth on what caused Scheifele to miss the second and third periods, ultimately walking away undecided. 

Although pleading with the NHL Department of Player Safety to look at Schenn's high hit, Arniel had no success, and the Blues' captain will remain in the lineup for the pivotal Game 6. 

"We've talked to the league, like I said," Arniel said Thursday. "We've been talking. There's a supervisor that's here every day. So they know how we feel. We've passed on our message and we hope that those things don't happen. I'm not saying that we're going out to (get) retribution. But we've got to win hockey games. So however that comes about, we've got to get it done."

Scheifele, on the other hand, will not travel with the Jets and remains out of the lineup. 

"Obviously extremely (disappointed)," Arniel added. "You're hoping that maybe for the best, you wake up today and things are better. But right now he won't be making trip and we'll see, we'll just go day-to-day, moving forward."

Winnipeg missing star players come the postseason is not a new storyline, by any measure.

Scheifele, for instance, has missed games against Calgary alongside Patrik Laine (in 2020), sat out due to suspension in 2021 against Montreal and injured his shoulder against Vegas in 2023. 

Cole Perfetti also missed the postseason in 2023 against the Golden Knights. Nikolaj Ehlers made it into just one game that year after a dirty check from Ryan Hartman near the end of the regular season, while Josh Morrissey got hurt on his first shift of Game 2 against Vegas. He sat out the rest of the series. And who could forget Morgan Barron's nasty slice to the cheek - fortunately, he didn't need to sit out.

Brenden Dillon and Vlad Namestnikov both missed time in the opening round against Colorado last season, giving way to Cole Perfetti, who made his playoff debut in Game 5. 

As history shows, the Jets have rarely had a full lineup of regulars come playoff time since their rip to the Western Conference Final in 2018 vs. Vegas.

It appears as though that will also be the case this postseason. Already missing Ehlers until at least the second round (lower-body), Winnipeg was without Gabe Vilardi until Wednesday, who made his return to action after missing a month of time due to an upper-body injury.

“This is going to be a meat-and-potato kind of, work zone-to-zone, get out of our zone, get through that neutral zone and then make them spend some time in their end of the rink," Arniel said of Game 6. "You know, not having Nik, not having Scheif, kind of knocks out a couple of your top six players. So this is straightforward, grind it out kind of work for, fight for every inch and get those greasy goals, a lot like we scored last night."

Now, with Scheifele on the mend, the Jets will look to take care of business on the road for the first time this postseason, as they battle St. Louis in what could be the final test of the round. Or, the game could follow the script set over the first five games with the home team proving victorious. 

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time on Friday. The game can be viewed live on Sportsnet.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got the job done against the Ottawa Senators in Game 6.

With the Maple Leafsat risk of blowing a 3-0 series lead, they beat the Senators 4-2 to make the second round for the first time since 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and just the second time since 2004, the last time they faced the Senators in the playoffs.

At the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ont., Toronto took the lead against Ottawa on Thursday night off a power-play goal by Auston Matthews. William Nylander extended the lead to 2-0.

Senators captain Brady Tkachuk tipped a shot into the net to cut the lead to one entering the third period, and David Perron tied the game by banking a shot off the back of the head of Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

Just over a minute later, however, Max Pacioretty capitalized on some offensive zone time to take the lead back. It was his first playoff goal since 2021 with the Vegas Golden Knights. He has a goal and an assist in four games this post-season after recovering from injury issues. His last regular-season game was Feb. 8.

Despite the Senators piling on the pressure in the final minute with an empty net, Nylander scored at the other end to seal the deal.

The Maple Leafs next face the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, in the second round. The Panthers, which finished third in the Atlantic Division in the regular season, eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.

When the Leafs beat the Lightning in 2023, they faced the Panthers in the second round as well. Florida won in six games and eventually made it to the Stanley Cup final before falling to the Golden Knights.

As for the Senators, they finish their first playoff appearance since 2017, when they made it to the Eastern Conference final. Tkachuk led the Senators in scoring in this series with seven points (four goals, three assists) in six games, while Matthews led the Leafs with two goals and five helpers for seven points.

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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, Katie Gaus and Michael Augello react to the Toronto Maple Leafs beating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in Game 6 and winning the series.

The Maple Leafs lost twice before winning the series, and they now face the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, in the second round.

Leafs vs. Sens Game 6 - Playoff FrenzyWelcome to Playoff Frenzy Live by The Hockey News, where we're recapping all of the action from Game 6 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators.

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.

It was a valiant comeback effort by the Ottawa Senators, but in the end, losing the first three games of their first round playoff series was just too much to overcome. 

The Senators' 2024-25 season came to an end in Game 6 on Thursday night with a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. William Nylander led the way for Toronto with two goals and an assist. Max Pacioretty, who was moved up to the second line tonight, had two points, including the winning goal with 5:39 to play. Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for the Sens, who were dead even in shots with Toronto at 23 apiece.

The opening period was one of the most wide-open we've seen in the series. Both teams had some excellent chances, but the scoring dam refused to break until Brady Tkachuk’s interference penalty in the neutral zone with just over two minutes left in the period. The hit was slightly late, but it's the kind of hit that officials frequently overlook, especially in games as important as this one.

After going cold for two games, Toronto then finally capitalized with the extra man. From the left point, Auston Matthews directed a puck at the net with the approximate speed of a firm pass. It made its way through traffic, and just as a screened Linus Ullmark came off the post in search of a view of the puck, the puck slid past his skate, just inside the post.

It was reminiscent of an intermission contest where a fan successfully shoots a puck through a tiny slot in a board covering the net.

That gave the Leafs some momentum heading into the intermission, and they built on their lead in the first minute of the second period. Pacioretty knocked the puck away from Nick Jensen at the Ottawa blue line and it ended up on the stick of  Nylander. Thomas Chabot, who backed up way too far, allowed Nylander all the time he needed to pick his spot under Ullmark's blocker.

Less than seven minutes later, both Chabot and Tkachuk made amends, teaming up for Ottawa's first goal of the game. Chabot's knee-high wrist shot from the left point was handled masterfully by Tkachuk, who tipped it over Anthony Stolarz's right shoulder to cut the lead in half.

The Senators came out strong in the third period. Tim Stutzle had an early chance, deflecting one off the goal post, and he created several great opportunities for himself throughout the period. However, he couldn't capitalize.

But Canadian Tire Centre erupted when veteran David Perron scored from down below the goal line, banking the puck in off of Stolarz's back to tie the game at 2.

The celebration was short-lived.

Less than two minutes later, with everyone thinking about yet another overtime, Toronto's Max Domi outworked Ottawa's defense behind the Senators' net and found Pacioretty alone in the high slot. Pacioretty then beat Ullmark to restore Toronto’s lead with less than six minutes to go.

Nylander then put the game away with an empty netter to seal the deal, ending Ottawa's season.

"I'm proud of the guys," Perron said. "(The loss) is tough to think about too much right now. You can always look at plays, but I'm proud of the guys and how much they grew this year. And even from game to game, it felt like we really had a chance to kind of push this to 7 and that's tough."

The fans shared Perron's emotions. During the player handshakes, the building was still fairly full, with fans applauding the effort. Not only did the Senators get back to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the future appears to be extremely bright, o and off the ice.

Some of the fans began chanting Brady Tkachuk's name. Despite dealing with a nagging injury, big number 7 led the Sens with 7 points in 6 games, and after the game, the captain was highly emotional when asked about the loss.

"I mean, it's devastating, Tkachuk said, his voice barely a whisper. "I really believed... It's just a tough pill to swallow right now."

Tkachuk said he was proud of the team, even the guys who don't lace 'em up every night.

"I'm really proud of every single guy in this room. Everybody who wasn't playing – staff, trainers, everybody. Everybody in this organization. I mean, I think it takes will, it takes guts. 

"We didn't get the job done, but I think we're going to take these lessons and be that much better because of it. I know it's tough to realize right now, but everything happens for a reason, and I'll be better because of it."

As for Toronto, they win the first Battle of Ontario in 21 years, improving their playoff record against Ottawa to 5-0. The Leafs will have their hands full, facing the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who just mowed down the Tampa Bay Lightning in round one.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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