Well, who doesn’t love a Game 7?

After winning three straight games to send the Toronto Maple Leafs to the brink of elimination, the Florida Panthers faltered on home ice Friday, falling 2-0 to knot the best-of seven at three games apiece.

The two teams combined for only nine shots on goal during the opening frame, with none getting past Sergei Bobrovsky, who made seven saves, and Joseph Woll, who had two.

Despite only registering the two shots, Florida still had eight scoring chances and 17 shot attempts.

When the second period began, the Panthers came out like gangbusters.

While there were still no goals scored, Florida outshot the Leafs 10-0 and had the edge in shot attempts 24-1 during the first 10 minutes of the second.

By the time the period was over, the Panthers had the edge in shots, attempts and scoring chances, but the game remained scoreless heading into the final frame.

A rare giveaway by Gus Forsling led to the game’s opening goal.

Auston Matthews picked up the puck just outside the blue line and carried it into Florida’s zone, snapping a shot that beat Bobrovsky through the legs to give Toronto a 1-0 lead with 13:40 left in the period.

Toronto doubled their lead on a rush play that developed after Nate Schmidt drove into the offensive zone and couldn’t recover.

Max Pacioretty finished off a cross-ice pass from Bobby McMann with 5:43 to go.

That would be more than enough for the Maple Leafs, who will drag the Panthers back to Toronto for a deciding matchup.

On to Game 7.

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Photo caption: May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) covers the puck from Toronto Maple Leafs center Bobby McMann (74) during the first period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Ottawa Charge will advance to the PWHL Finals after a 2-1 win over the Montreal Victoire in Game 4 of the semifinals on Friday night.

Rebecca Leslie — an Ottawa-native — opened the scoring just two minutes into the game, giving the Charge an early lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Maureen Murphy made things interesting late in the third period, cutting the Ottawa lead in half with five minutes remaining. But the Charge — backed by strong goaltending from Gwyneth Philips — were able to secure the win and pull off the upset.

Montreal entered the playoffs as the No. 1 team in the league and got to choose its semifinal opponent, the third-ranked Charge. Montreal was heavily favored to win the series, according to Dom Luszczyszyn’s model, with 63 percent odds. But the Victoire mustered only one win — 3-2 in quadruple overtime — en route to another early exit from the postseason.

“We had to grind for every win. That’s a great hockey club over there that gave us a great challenge,” Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner said. “I think we’re playing our best hockey at the right time of year, so it’s exciting.”

As the top remaining seed, Ottawa will have home-ice advantage in the PWHL Finals against the Minnesota Frost. Game 1 will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET at TD Place Arena.

Here are some takeaways from Friday’s deciding game.

A quick opening goal

Ottawa had about as good a start as it could have hoped for, scoring just two minutes after puck drop. That it was Leslie, a local product, who started the two-on-one and buried the rebound that kicked out off Ann-Renée Desbiens’ pad was a nice touch.

🚨 Rebecca Leslie (1)
🍎🍏 Anna Meixner pic.twitter.com/PhJ6XtPHQ6

— x – Ottawa Charge (@PWHL_Ottawa) May 16, 2025

The Charge are known for strong starts, with the most games scoring first (21) in the league through the regular season and into the playoffs. At times during the regular season, maintaining leads was perhaps Ottawa’s biggest issue, with a modest 10-1-3-4 record when scoring first.

But in the first round, Ottawa has been able to gain and hold a lead much more effectively, scoring first three times and winning each time, including on Friday night.

Montreal’s top line

One of the reasons to believe Montreal could get the job done against Ottawa was that it has the best forward in the world (Marie-Philip Poulin) and arguably the best top line in the PWHL (Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner).

Poulin led the league in scoring this season with 19 goals and has been named a finalist for Forward of the Year. She is sure to be a finalist for MVP when it is announced.

No duo combined for more goals than Poulin and Stacey during the regular season. Gardiner fit in on the top line perfectly, putting together an excellent rookie season bested only in points by Sarah Fillier.

But Ottawa did an excellent job shutting that line down, with its top line of Gabbie Hughes, Emily Clark and Mannon McMahon getting most of the head-to-head minutes. The trio played Poulin tough and did well to stop her from getting the puck, especially in high-danger areas of the ice, keeping Montreal’s captain off the scoresheet in games 2 and 3 and for most of Friday’s game — until Poulin’s secondary assist on Murphy’s late third-period tally.

It’s a credit to Poulin that, despite the stingy defense, she still found pockets of open space and got more shots off in the series than anybody (27), save for Stacey (28).

But she was able to beat Philips only once all series. Similarly, Stacey had only one goal.

It’s the second year in a row that Stacey and Poulin have been completely shut down in the first round of the playoffs.

Friday, Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie made some tweaks to the top line, replacing Gardiner with Lina Ljungblom, last year’s Swedish Women’s Hockey League MVP. In the second period, she moved Dara Greig to that line.

None of those moves could get Montreal’s stars going with the season on the line.

“You want to put the puck in (the net) and I think we came short,” Poulin said after the game. “I came short.”

Clark scores her first

As excellent as Clark’s line is on the defensive side of the puck, it also added a ton of value offensively over the last two games.

In Game 3, it was McMahon who scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win to give Ottawa a 2-1 series lead. Friday, the top line combined again for a massive goal just 31 seconds into the third period to give Ottawa a much more comfortable 2-0 lead.

It was Clark’s first goal of the playoffs, and the 8,011 fans at TD Place Arena erupted with “Clarky” chants for the fan-favorite player.

🚨 Emily Clark (1)
🍎🍏 Unassisted pic.twitter.com/dZaSa0dstP

— x – Ottawa Charge (@PWHL_Ottawa) May 17, 2025

Throughout the semifinals, the Charge have been at their best in the third period, with five of their seven goals scored in the final frame. In Game 1, it was Shiann Darkangelo with the game winner. In Game 2, Aneta Tejralová and Jenner scored two goals in the final five minutes to force overtime — and ultimately quadruple overtime.

It’s been quite the departure from Ottawa’s issues earlier in the season (and last season) with closing out games. And it has come at the right time.

Philips wins the goalie battle

This series was far different from the Toronto Sceptres versus Minnesota semifinal, which featured 32 goals scored between the teams and a league record for goals scored in a single game.

Goaltending was at times optional. That was not the case between Ottawa and Montreal.

All four games were close, decided by one goal. Both teams combined for only 14 goals — only two more than the record-breaking 7-5 Minnesota win Sunday in an entire series. And it’s not because the games were low-event. There were more shots on goal in the Ottawa-Montreal series than in the Toronto-Minnesota series.

The low scores were largely due to excellent goaltending by Desbiens and Philips, who lead the PWHL postseason in shots against, saves, save percentage and goals-against average.

“The whole series has been a battle of the goaltenders,” said Cheverie.

Philips — the rookie goalie who has been thrust into the starter’s crease, with Emerance Maschmeyer on LTIR — has the edge in nearly every category, with a league-leading .956 save percentage and 1.14 goals against average. Desbiens finished the series with the most saves (132). In Philips’ last two games, she has made 45 saves on 46 shots for back-to-back wins to lead Ottawa to the Finals.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

NHL, Women's Hockey

2025 The Athletic Media Company

With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching fast, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins have their work cut out for them. 

Since the Penguins have a total of 30 picks over the next three drafts, including 11 this year - which could reduce to 10 if the conditional first-round pick from the New York Rangers defers to 2026 - there will be plenty of opportunity for the Penguins to add impact players. Of their 11 picks in 2025, six of them are in the first three rounds.

After the results of the draft lottery on May 5, the Penguins will officially select 11th overall, dropping down two spots from where they originally were at ninth. As such, we have compiled a list of potential draft prospects that should fall around the Penguins' selection. 

We recently profiled center Jake O'Brien, forward Victor Eklund, defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, and forward Brady Martin. Next up? Center Roger McQueen.

Penguins Drop Two Slots In NHL Draft, Will Pick 11th OverallIn past draft lotteries, the Pittsburgh Penguins have seen their fair share of luck.

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Roger McQueen

DOB: Oct. 2, 2006
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 197 pounds
Team: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

There is, perhaps, no 2025 NHL Draft prospect more polarizing than big-bodied centerman Roger McQueen.

A native of Saskatoon, Saskatachuwan, there isn't anyone quite like McQueen in this draft class. Standing at 6-foot-5, 197 pounds, the 18-year-old has a rare mix of size, mobility, and skill that is such a rarity at the NHL level, especially on the forward front. 

But the biggest questions about McQueen is whether or not his skillset will translate to the NHL level - and whether or not he can stay healthy.

McQueen missed nearly all of the 2024-25 season with spondylosis, which is a stress fracture in the spine. He played in only 17 total games and registered 10 goals and 20 points in that span, which seemed to pretty much be a continuation of his 2023-24 campaign that featured 21 goals and 51 points in 53 games.

Wheat Kings' Roger McQueen Re-joins Team, Records Assist In Second Game BackAfter four and a half months away from the team, Roger McQueen has returned to the WHL.  One of the most intriguing prospects of the 2025 NHL Draft, THN's Dawson Petryshen had the opportunity to sit down with McQueen and catch up on how his recovery went and look ahead to the remainder of the regular season.

The big forward is good with the puck on his stick, and he is quite effective down low and at the net-front, especially on the power play, as seven of his 21 goals in 2023-24 came on the man advantage. He can also take the puck end-to-end with a powerful stride and the ability to deke out opponents along the way. 

Any player with size and skill is attractive to NHL teams, and that's not a secret. If McQueen can continue to put up numbers and produce - as well as build on his skating just a bit - the sky is the limit for him becoming an effective power forward at the NHL level.

However, a lot of the details in McQueen's game aren't quite there, and he doesn't always use his frame to his advantage. There is some left to be desired as far as physicality, and, at times, he can be caught either in the wrong areas of the ice or not anticipating up to the level of his skill.

Some of the "hockey-IQ" that is often referred to with regard to prospects isn't necessarily as prominent with McQueen. That isn't to say that he can't develop that more as he starts playing with better talent and players who do possess a strong hockey sense, but it is something to keep in mind, especially since POHO/GM Kyle Dubas and the Penguins have recently been honing in on high-IQ playmakers. 

He also tends to produce in waves, so the consistency in his production has also been a slight area of concern.

Roger McQueen is back in action for the Brandon Wheat Kings, and while there's still some injury rust left to shake off, he's flashing the same toolsy upside that has scouts excited. When he gets going he's a real handful

Here are some clips from his two most recent games (#13): pic.twitter.com/zXu6gks4K8

— Derek Neumeier (@Derek_N_NHL) March 18, 2025

Overall, McQueen is an intriguing prospect, and he has all the tools to be the kind of player that any NHL team would want to deploy every night. However, given the pool of talent that projects to be around the area the Penguins will be picking - and considering their desperate need for more surefire talent at the center position in their system - it's hard to say whether or not the Penguins should take a gamble on a high-upside, low-floor player.

Whether or not Pittsburgh selects him should more so be determined by the players remaining when it's their turn to draft. If a center such as Jake O'Brien or Brady Martin is still available, they may be a bit safer because of the higher level of assurance that they'll at least become effective players at the NHL level. 

As mentioned before, the sky is the limit for McQueen. But the floor is also a pretty low one. So the Penguins should take that into consideration if he is available at 11th overall.

Penguins Draft Prospect Profile: Brady MartinWith the 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching fast, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins have their work cut out for them. 

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The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs continue to unfold as more teams head home empty.

But hope springs eternal, and a number of eliminated NHL playoff teams still have serious Cup aspirations in the near future. 

With that in mind, let’s look at three teams that failed in the early stages of this year’s NHL playoffs but could rebound to go further next post-season.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche were one period away from beating the Dallas Stars in the first round. But former Avs star Mikko Rantanen went on a tear in a third-period comeback to eliminate his former team.

Somewhat lost after Colorado’s exit is that this is still an excellent team, and the Avalanche have $8.7 million to spend this summer. Brock Nelson, Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Lindgren are among their pending UFAs.

That means a team that has superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, as well as star right winger Martin Necas and No. 1 goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, will be even more dangerous for all of next season if it re-signs some of its trade deadline acquisitions or finds an equivalent in free agency.

'Definitely Miss Him': Avalanche's MacKinnon Reflects On The Rantanen Trade In SwedenSTOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Nathan MacKinnon was all smiles as he arrived for the 2025 IIHF men's World Championship.

The Avalanche will be stronger out of the gate than they were this year, and that means home-ice advantage will be well within their reach.

Rantanen burned the Avalanche, but GM Chris MacFarland may have made the right choice for the franchise by dealing the star and giving his team more depth overall. That gamble will play out throughout the 2025-26 campaign, but no one should be surprised if the Avalanche go on a deeper playoff run next spring. They have the elite-level talent to do so, and they could win a Cup next year.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils were some observers’ sexy pick to go far in the past couple of seasons, but 2023-24 was a major letdown for New Jersey, which didn’t make the playoffs that year. This season, the Devils did better in the regular season, but they suffered unfortunate luck when key cog Jack Hughes was hurt late in the year and missed out on any playoff action.

It was no shock, then, that New Jersey didn’t have the firepower to contend with a very deep and skilled Carolina Hurricanes squad in the first round this year. The Hurricanes dominated the Devils, with only one of Carolina’s four wins being a one-goal game. 

But New Jersey fans shouldn’t get too down on their team, even as Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has said he “won’t be bringing back the same group” next season. New Jersey will almost assuredly have the same core of top-end talent, including Hughes, his brother and Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, blueliner Dougie Hamilton and captain Nico Hischier.

Even if New Jersey’s supporting cast changes notably, there are all kinds of talent there that will make the Devils a surefire playoff team in 2025-26 – and they’ve got $12 million in cap space to play with this summer. If the Devils can lock up home-ice advantage next spring, they have the ability to shake off the disappointment of the past couple of years and get far further in the post-season.

St. Louis Blues

For the last few minutes of Game 7, the Blues looked set to eliminate the Winnipeg Jets and move on to a second-round showdown against Dallas. But then it all fell apart in spectacular fashion, with Winnipeg forcing overtime with 1.6 seconds left in regulation, then knocking off St. Louis in double overtime. 

That had to be crushing to Blues fans, players and management, but it shouldn’t take away from the encouraging fact that St. Louis played and won must-win hockey for weeks at the end of the regular season just to get into the playoffs.

The Blues wisely chose not to break up their team at the NHL trade deadline, and St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong is well known for his aggressive moves to keep his team in playoff contention, year in and year out. 

It doesn’t always pan out for the Blues, but with a few tweaks here and there, St. Louis can once again be a playoff team next year – and with the right bounce, they could get to the second round at least.

The Blues have only $5.9 million in cap space at the moment, but that number could rise by $6.5 million if veteran defenseman Torey Krug can’t return from what could be a career-ending injury. You have to know Armstrong will use that cap space to better his team, and although the Central Division will likely be even more competitive next season, the Blues have the experience and internal drive to get back into the playoffs. From there, it’s about being in control for just a few more minutes than they were against the Jets this time around.

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Fabian Zetterlund has only been an Ottawa Senator for a couple of months, and he’s already asking the club for a raise. That wouldn’t fly in a normal workplace, but that’s how it goes in the NHL when you bring in a pending restricted free agent at the trade deadline.

The Senators acquired Zetterlund, minor league centre Tristen Robins, and a 2025 fourth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for winger Noah Gregor, centre Zack Ostapchuk, and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

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

Zetterlund’s current contract expires on July 1st, and he’ll be seeking an upgrade from the $1.45 million he earned over the past two seasons. He has a decent case: he led the Sharks in goals in 2023–24 with 24 tallies and 44 points. He was on a similar pace this season before the trade to Ottawa, where things got… well, a little more fourth-liney.

Coming to a new team can be a little awkward at first, but it sounds like the transition for Zetterlund was relatively easy.

“I would say it's been great,” Zetterlund said. “It felt like I stepped into a big, big family and yeah, it's been great. I mean, the group is so tight and so close with each other, so it was easy for me. Even hockey-wise didn't go that well at the beginning, but I felt comfortable when I learned the system more and more.”

Fans who recall the pesky NHL playing career of Claude Lemieux, who’s now a player agent, would never think of him as a guy who brings people together. But he’s the agent for both Zetterlund and Tim Stützle, so it’s quite likely Lemieux asked Stützle to take the new guy under his wing.

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

“Yeah, (Stützle) reached out right away and told me I could live with him,” Zetterlund said. “And yeah, it was an easy, easy choice. And we had a lot of fun together. It just made when I came here so much easier. He showed me around everything, so yeah, it's just great to have a guy like that.”

Zetterlund says he would love to return to the Senators this season, but he clammed up when he was asked at the season-end media availability whether there has been any contract talks.

“No. You can talk to Steve (Staios).”

Translation: not touching that one with a ten-foot composite stick.

Staios and Lemieux occasionally butted heads as players, and it’s possible they’ll do so again while trying to agree on Zetterlund’s worth this summer. Lemieux is likely to be after a deal that reflects his client’s stats and performance with the Sharks, the worst team in the NHL the past two years.

In San Jose, Zetterlund played in the top six, frequently making calls on the “Lund Line” with Mikael Granlund and William Eklund. Last season, he played almost 19 minutes a night. This season, almost 17 minutes.

But on a superior team in Ottawa, his path to top-six minutes was often blocked. Zetterlund got some games up there but also frequently played on the fourth line. So, in 20 games with the Sens, he had just 2 goals and 5 points, and his ice time with the Senators was just over 14 minutes a night.

That said, he's quick, has a lethal release, and based on his Instagram workouts, he can deadlift a Zamboni.

A lot will depend on other moves Staios makes this summer, but one thing’s for sure: Staios will be negotiating based on Zetterlund’s value in Ottawa, not in San Jose. And unless Zetterlund breaks into the top six regularly, getting the minutes he needs to repeat those California stats will be a challenge.

With Zetterlund under club control for two more years, Staios has the upper hand. He’d probably like to get a deal done at around $2 million or under, but Lemieux will look at the recent contracts signed by Ridly Greig ($3.25M) and Shane Pinto ($3.75M) and want to be in that salary range, especially since Zetterlund had more points than both of those players last season.

Will The Ottawa Senators Sign Shane Pinto To An Extension This Summer?Shane Pinto is eligible for a contract extension this summer. As with every deal, the Ottawa Senators would like to be sure they're getting what they pay for.

But the difference is this: Staios probably has more of a desire to keep Greig and Pinto happy because they're likely to be part of the long-term solution here, while the jury is still out on Zetterlund, who isn’t a UFA until 2027.

Most likely, both sides split the difference: a short-term deal around $2.5 million. It’s a nice bump for Zetterlund and gives Ottawa flexibility in case he turns into more than just a depth scorer with great quads.

If Zetterlund works his way into core player status, there’s plenty of time to revisit things in a year or two.

Steve Warne, Site Editor
The Hockey News - Ottawa 
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EDMONTON – It’s only a matter of time.

The Edmonton Oilers' hardest (and easiest) part right now is waiting—waiting, waiting, waiting.

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It’s easy for them to wait because of wanting their team to be as healthy as possible before engaging in the second half of their playoff run. To get the best out of Connor McDavid, Corey Perry, Stuart Skinner, Leon Draisaitl, Jake Walman, and Evan Bouchard, being healthy is important.

Not to mention the eventual return of Calvin Pickard and Mattias Ekholm.

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At the time of this writing, the hardest part of waiting is knowing who they will play against next. They know it will be the Winnipeg Jets or Dallas Stars. But they don’t know where or when.

Stars vs Jets Remaining Schedule

However, there is light at the end of this tunnel. The Oilers will know who they are playing very soon. Here is the schedule for Games 6 and 7 of the Jets and Stars’ series.

Game 6: May 17th (Saturday) - Winnipeg at Dallas - 6:00 PM Mountain Time

Game 7: May 19th (Monday) - Dallas at Winnipeg - 5:30 PM Mountain Time

The @NHL announced start times and broadcast information for Game 6 between the @NHLJets and @DallasStars as well as a potential #Game7 between the @MapleLeafs and @FlaPanthers. #StanleyCup

Details: https://t.co/rzIhqbDxAapic.twitter.com/xT3ZJH8ZVQ

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 16, 2025

There are a three different potential outcomes from the final games of this series:

Scenario 1: The Stars win Game 6, they go on to play the Oilers.

Scenario 2: The Jets win Game 6 but lose Game 7. Stars go on to play the Oilers.

Scenario 3: The Jets win Game 6 & 7. The Jets go on to play the Oilers.

The Oilers have a higher probability of playing the Stars in the Western Conference Series. However, the Jets could still pull off something miraculous and win the series.

It’s not over, till it’s over. Until then, wait, wait, wait.

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Reilly Smith is coming to the end of a three-year, $5M contract he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, but maintains he wants to remain a Golden Knight. 

The team held their end-of-season press conferences today, two days after the Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Golden Knights in Game 5 of the second round. The conclusion of the offseason brings new questions and challenges for the players and coaches, but more importantly, the management staff. 

Heading into the offseason, the Golden Knights roster six UFAs and three RFAs. One of those six UFAs includes Smith, a long-time Golden Knight whom they traded in the offseason after winning the Stanley Cup. The move was purely for salary cap reasons, and when the right moment occurred, the franchise reacquired the 34-year-old. Upon returning, Smith fit in like a glove. He and William Karlsson renewed their electric chemistry on the penalty kill and at 5-on-5, and Smith went on to score three goals and 11 points in 21 regular season games.

He chipped in an additional three goals and four points in 11 postseason games, maintaining his attentiveness to the defensive side of the puck. His best seasons have come while wearing the Golden Knights crest, and he isn't all that ready to move on. 

"If there's an opportunity to stay here, that would be great," said Smith. "I think the best hockey I've played in my career has been wearing this jersey."

He went on to mention how much he loves the city and how his family loves it too. The Mimico, On., native has played 919 career games, closing in on 1000, mentioning he'd love to achieve that in Vegas.

"I would like to play 1000 games in my career, and to do it in this jersey would mean a lot."

The Golden Knights fell short of their goal, and Smith knows that, but when he looks around the locker room, the possibility of making another run still exists in his eyes. 

"It was a fun few months, but it obviously wasn’t where we wanted to go. I think you need a lot of things to go right to challenge for the Stanley Cup. We just fell short."

At his age and where his production currently sits, Smith won't earn anywhere close to his current $5M salary, but cutting his salary under $2M will keep him on a cost-efficient contract and allow the Golden Knights to seek upgrades to their roster with the additional cap space. 

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At the beginning of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, this writer picked the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the Florida Panthers in seven games. 

While the Maple Leafs still can make that prediction accurate with a win in Game 6 Friday in Florida, the way the Maple Leafs played in Game 5 – or more to the point, the way they did not play in that game – we’re now of the opinion the Leafs will lose in seven games.

Isn’t that exactly what we’ve come to see from this core group of Leafs? We’re probably going to see them win Game 6, just to give their long-suffering fans some hope. But if they can extend the series, it would be just like these Leafs to lose another Game 7.

To be sure, there are things the Maple Leafs can do to win their next two games – things we saw in Games 1 and 2, when they beat the Panthers to establish a 2-0 series lead.

For one thing, the Leafs established their offensive presence early in the games. 

In Game 1, Toronto outshot Florida 14-3 in the first period and had a 2-0 lead 12:51 into the opening frame, eventually winning the contest 5-4. In Game 2, after the Panthers scored the first goal of the game, the Leafs answered back to tie it and built a 3-2 lead in an eventual 4-3 Toronto win.

Those performances gave Leafs fans hope that this year would be different, that the Buds would somehow get to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2002. But those hopes have evaporated after Florida roared back to win the next three games, outscoring the Leafs 13-5. 

While there wasn’t always a connection between the number of shots on net the two teams were putting up – Toronto matched Florida in Game 5 with 32 shots apiece in the game that ended with a demoralizing 6-1 drubbing – it was the quality of shots that told the story. 

Indeed, the Panthers were far superior when it came to limiting Toronto shots to the periphery, preventing second and third follow-up scoring opportunities, and allowing Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to build confidence in allowing only one goal in Games 4 and 5 combined.

And now, because of their inability to close out the series, the Maple Leafs are tasked with the near-impossible challenge of winning two games in a row yet again in this series. That’s why we’re seriously skeptical that, even if Toronto does win Game 6, they’ll eliminate the Panthers in a Game 7. Far more likely is the possibility that the Leafs either lose Game 6 or lay an egg in Game 7. 

NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On The Maple Leafs, Golden Knights And AvalancheA crushing 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round series has the Toronto Maple Leafs facing elimination on Friday. 

If the Buds do fail to come back and win this series, the anger among Leafs fans will be hellacious and justified, and major roster changes will follow this summer. At the beginning of the season, Leafs players and management knew the stakes that were in play – get out of the second round, or get out of town – so there’s no sense of surprise that the mix of talent could change drastically for Toronto this summer.

It feels that bleak for Leafs fans, and while stranger things have happened than a Leafs comeback in this showdown, the likelihood that an era is coming to an end for the Blue and White is unmistakable.

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It’s been a very busy week in the world of the National Hockey League.

Between the Stanley Cup Playoffs moving toward the conference finals and head coaching and front office vacancies being filled, there was a lot to get to on this week’s episode of The Hockey Show.

Joining hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork to talk some playoff puck was friend of the show Adnan Virk from Prime Monday Night Hockey on Amazon.

First and foremost, the Florida Panthers are on the brink of advancing to their third straight conference final.

After falling behind 0-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in their second-round series, Florida has come storming back with three straight wins and can eliminate the Leafs with a Game 6 victory on Friday.

Waiting for the Panthers in round three are the Carolina Hurricanes, the most boring team to ever play hockey. Jokes aside, the Hurricanes are leaning into their identity and hoping for a rematch of the 2023 conference final in which they lost to Florida in four straight.

Among other topics were the Oilers and Hurricanes advancing to their respective conference finals, Ken Holland being hired as the new GM in Los Angeles and a pair of coaching vacancies in Vancouver and Philadelphia being filled.

You can check out the full episode in the video below:

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After playing for one season in his native Russia, former Nashville Predators draft pick Egor Afanasyev may be back stateside in 2025-26.

The 24-year-old, whose deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL was mutually terminated after the 2024-25 season, is now eligible to return to North America and sign with the San Jose Sharks. The Predators traded Afanasyev to San Jose last offseason when he became a restricted free agent, so his rights are still owned by the Sharks.

The Predators selected Afanasyev in the second round (No. 45 overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he spent three years in Nashville's system. A steady performer for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, he had 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 56 games in 2023-24. However, Afanasyev wasn't able to put it together at the NHL level, scoring just one goal in 19 games for the Predators.

Afanasyev's season in Moscow wasn't overly impressive, as he notched just seven goals and 14 assists through 53 games. He became an impact player in the postseason, however, recording four points in six playoff games.

If Anasyev does decide to give it another go with San Jose, he will be waiver-eligible if he doesn't secure a spot on the Sharks' roster. 

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Everything about the Washington Capitals in 2024-25 was a feel-good story. Until, of course, they ran into the buzzsaw known as the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Capitals' vaunted offense dried up, and they bowed out meekly, scoring just six non-empty-net goals in five games against a red-hot Frederik Andersen.

It was an enormous missed opportunity for the Capitals, who almost certainly will not have the confluence of great mojo they experienced this season ever again.

The off-season moves made by then-GM Brian MacLellan all worked out wonderfully, and almost every player on the roster had a career year. Alex Ovechkin chased, and passed, Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring record, which brought a focus on both the Capitals and the NHL.

But what now? Logic would suggest that there's no way all those players are going to outperform their career numbers again. Some might, but not all of them. A regression looks to be in the cards here. The only question is how dramatic and quick it is.

Watch today's video column for more.

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Promo image credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

EDMONTON – The waiting game.

No one likes to wait, least of all hockey players. The Edmonton Oilers will have a breather while the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars duke it out to determine who will play Edmonton.

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

In the meantime, that provides something injured players desperately need: time. Time to recover, rehab, and get back into game shape.

On Friday morning, Kris Knoblauch updated the press on Mattias Ekholm's and Calvin Pickard's status heading into the third round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Calvin Pickard

Pickard has been injured since Game 2 of the Oilers series against the Vegas Golden Knights. He finished the game, securing his sixth consecutive victory during this postseason.

Knoblauch said he won’t be available early on in the series, but he did say that he should return in the middle of the third round.

Mattias Ekholm

Ekholm has been injured for a while now, and his prognosis has been poor. Now, the Oilers appear to be getting some good news regarding his situation.

Knoblauch said that Ekholm would not be available for Games 1 or 2. He’s optimistic that Ekholm will return in the third round and describes him as “day-to-day.”

If the Oilers could get Pickard and Ekholm back for Game 3 or 4 of the third round, that would be a huge morale boost for the team. If not, they can keep trucking along with the current roster.

After all, they did finish off the Golden Knights without them.

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Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Birthday Backcheck features Edmonton Oilers right winger Corey Perry, who turns 40 on May 16.

Perry has played for six different teams in his NHL career, including 14 years for the Anaheim Ducks. The Stanley Cup champion also has a Hart Trophy and Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy win in his career.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.    

Promo image credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs aim to force Game 7 as they trail 3-2, heading to Florida for a must-win Game 6 against the Panthers on Friday

One of the most important games in the recent history of the Toronto Maple Leafs as they stare down a daunting 3-2 series hole to the defending champions in the Florida Panthers.

The odds are stacked against them as only ten teams in history have come back and won a series after winning the first two games before dropping three straight.

A loss for the Buds on Friday would be the first time this season that they lost four straight games and with the way game five went, they should respond with a much better effort. 

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 38-29 record on our last 67 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series. 

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

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Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Best Bets:

• Under 5.5 goals (-105)
• Panthers Under 3.5 goals (-128)
• Sergei Bobrovsky Over 22.5 saves (-102)

The game got out of hand for Toronto in game five and because of it the over hit with the Panthers continuing to pile on to a emotionally defeated Leafs team. 

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I expect a much better response on defence as they will be playing for their playoff lives and put extra effort on the back end to prevent another blow up performance. 

It should lead to a busy night for netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who has made 23 or more saves in three of the five games this series and with Toronto desperately looking to extend the series, I expect him to do it once again. 

Florida should respond with a similar type game as they will work extra hard to close out this series and punch their ticket to the Conference Finals versus Carolina. The home atmosphere has proven to be a massive advantage for the Panthers with a league-best 17-9 home playoff record over the last three postseasons. 

Their goals per game isn't especially terrifying during that stretch at three on average but their 2.54 goals against average is one of the best. It should mean a challenging night for the already-struggling Leafs offence that has just one goal over the last two games. 

Toronto typically finishes playoff series with tight, low-scoring games. For instance, their game seven against Boston last season ended with just three total goals. In their final game against Florida in 2023, only five goals were scored and their 2022 series-ending loss to Tampa Bay, totaled just three goals in game seven.

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This trend has been with the Buds in six of their last eight postseason runs dating back to 2017 so expect them to tighten up when they need to. The Panthers should find a way to win but it will be narrow and certainly not with four or more goals.