If there’s one thing that has held about Juraj Slafkovsky since the start of his career, it’s that he’s always his harshest critic. On Wednesday night, it was still the case after the Montreal Canadiens dropped game two of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals 3-1.
It was a visibly emotional Slafkovsky who spoke to the media, providing a tough assessment not only of himself, but of the whole team:
Everyone here has to be better, starting with me and then everyone else. We’ve got to show a different kind of energy and a different kind of game on Friday at home.
- Juraj Slafkovsky on the need to be better
The Capitals play a tough physical game, but it’s not beyond what the 21-year-old power forward expected. After the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the former first overall pick said he needed to play a more physical game to succeed in the NHL and would like to bring the kind of game Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk brings, and at times, he has done it. Still, he has yet to find that kind of game consistently, and he knows it:
I just got to play more physical myself, got to be better.
- Slafkovsky on the need to be more physical
In game two, the big Slovak landed three hits and sent seven shots to the net, although only five made it there. Still, he committed giveaways attributed to a lack of concentration or execution. The no-look back passes can fly in exhibition games or scrimmages, but they have no place in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and he’s learning it the hard way.
Asked if the fact that they knew they didn’t play their best the whole way through was something the Canadiens could build on, Slafkovsky indicated that it was often the case:
You know, there’s always something lacking. We always talk about, "Oh, today was this, tomorrow it’s something else." We have to have an almost perfect game to win.
-
Visibly, the youngster had had enough of the team’s and his own uneven effort. The Canadiens showed a knack for coming from behind in the third period this season, but only providing your best effort in the last frame will rarely be enough come playoff time. Coach Martin St-Louis will preach to the converted the next time he tells his players they must play better earlier.
The Canadiens slept in Washington last night and will fly back to Montreal this morning. There will be a media availability early, before the flight, but no practice is scheduled. This isn’t surprising as St-Louis appreciates the value of a rest day, but when the Canadiens hit the ice for morning skate on Friday, the bench boss will have some adjustments to make.
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Day 5 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs involved some big returns.
Gabriel Landeskog led the headlines, making his first appearance in nearly three years for the Colorado Avalanche.
The Edmonton Oilers got a couple of veterans back in their lineup, and the popular harmonica group returned for a second straight performance of the American national anthem at Crypto.com Arena.
Here are the storylines from the three games from Wednesday.
Washington Capitals Defeat Montreal Canadiens 3-1 (WSH Leads Series 2-0)
Aside from the Battle of Florida series, every Eastern Conference matchup has a standout goaltender. The Carolina Hurricanes have Frederik Andersen, the Toronto Maple Leafs have Anthony Stolarz, and the Washington Capitals have Logan Thompson.
The 28-year-old had a solid outing in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens, but because of the Habs’ late push to force overtime, he was overlooked. However, it was impossible to miss his performance in Game 2.
In this contest, the undrafted netminder posted a .962 save percentage, stopping 25 of 26 shots on goal. He was forced to make some outstanding saves, but was there for the Capitals when they needed him.
It wasn’t a one-man effort, as Washington’s defense played a role in only allowing one goal. The Canadiens went through nine minutes in the second period without registering a shot attempt.
When talking about his game, Thompson couldn’t wait to get the classic hockey cliche answers to the reporters.
“Luckily, things went my way tonight, and we got the two points."
Capitals center Dylan Strome quickly reminded him there are no two points to earn in the playoffs.
Dallas Stars Defeat Colorado Avalanche 2-1 OT (DAL Leads Series 2-1)
It wasn’t difficult to find a storyline to highlight from Game 3 between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars. Gabriel Landeskog played his first NHL game since he hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2022, 1,033 days ago.
Colorado’s captain received plenty of cheers, chants, and salutes from the home fans at Ball Arena. He also had a friendly exchange with former teammate Mikko Rantanen at the opening faceoff. Not long after, Landeskog knocked over Rantanen and was immediately involved in the game.
Landeskog took 18 shifts and had 13:16 of ice time, adding six hits and one block to his name. “It felt great in all areas tonight, in terms of just being back,” he said.
He recalled how special a moment it was for him in his family. “That was as close as I got to losing it during warmup, when I looked over at that and seeing their big, smiling faces,” he said. “They’ve probably been thinking that I’ve been lying this whole time that I play hockey.”
Despite his return, the Stars took Game 3 in overtime for the second straight game. This time, the hero was Tyler Seguin, giving Dallas a 2-1 series lead.
Los Angeles Kings Defeat Edmonton Oilers 6-2 (LA Leads Series 2-0)
After gaining plenty of attention from Game 1, the Harmonica Class from the Koreatown Senior and Community Center returned for another performance of The Star-Spangled Banner before Game 2, this time wearing Los Angeles Kings jerseys.
However, the harmonica players weren’t the only ones who returned for this contest. The Edmonton Oilers got two players back: left winger Evander Kane and defenseman John Klingberg.
Kane was out for the entire regular season with a sports hernia and a knee injury. Klingberg, who picked up an assist against the Kings, has been absent from the Oilers' lineup since March 28 with an undisclosed injury.
Despite getting healthier and having Klingberg record an assist, it wasn’t a good night for the Oilers by any stretch.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed five goals for the second straight game, which resulted in Calvin Pickard switching places with him with just over nine minutes remaining in the third period.
Oilers right winger Corey Perry stood up for his goaltender, saying it’s not Skinner’s fault.
“He’s making good saves, playing hard and battling for us,” Perry told reporters. “It's the play in front of him.”
Added Darnell Nurse: “We’ve been hanging our goalie out to dry.”
Providence Bruins goaltender Michael DiPietro has been awarded the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award, it was announced Wednesday.
The award, voted on by coaches, players and media representing all 32 cities across the AHL, is given annually to the AHL's most outstanding goaltender.
Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, DiPietro is in third season with the Bruins, having posted a record of 26-8-7 to go along with a 2.05 GAA and a .927 SP in 40 appearances this year. Those numbers placed him second in the AHL in wins and save percentage while putting him third in goals against average.
Across 145 career AHL regular season games with the Bruins, Utica Comets and the Abbotsford Canucks, DiPietro has posted a statline of 84-42-15, a 2.54 GAA and a .914 SP. He has also made three career NHL appearances, going 0-2-0 along with a 5.28 GAA and a .771 SP.
Prior to making the jump to the pro game, DiPietro spent parts of four seasons in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires and the Ottawa 67's.
With DiPietro being given this award, it only further solidifies him as the best goalie in the AHL. His play throughout the season was a major factor for Providence's success and he has the chance to be a difference maker for them as they get set for their Calder Cup playoff journey.
After losing game one of their first-round series 3-2 in overtime, the Montreal Canadiens needed a win on Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals. Despite calls for Arber Xhekaj to be inserted into the lineup, bench boss Martin St-Louis decided to stick with his six defensemen. However, he moved Ivan Demidov away from Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook by swapping him with Joel Armia.
The second line got a defensively responsible player while Demidov got to play with Jake Evans, who’s more of a two-way center than Newhook.
Anderson stepped up
Without Xhekaj in the lineup, Josh Anderson has been one of the Canadiens’ best hitters in the tail end of the season, and that trend continued in the playoffs. In game one, he landed four, and early in game two, he had an opportunity to rock Capitals’ hitman Tom Wilson, and he didn’t miss it.
It earned him a two-minute boarding call and a cross-checking one when Tom Wilson skated up to him to complain, but it was entirely worth it. Washington got a two-minute power play on the play as Wilson was also assessed two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the penalty kill stood tall.
Anderson's hit put Wilson on notice that the Canadiens were not about to back down and that they, too, could play heavy. Minutes later, Wilson passed on an opportunity to flatten Lane Hutson against the boards.
Have To Be Ready For The Pushback
Early in the second frame, the Canadiens took a 1-0 lead thanks to the tenacity of the Anderson-Christian Dvorak-Brendan Gallagher line. It was the Habs’ first lead of the series, and they weren’t ready for what came next.
The Capitals attacked with a vengeance and pretty much had the Canadiens in the ropes. As a result, within three and a half minutes, the hosts were ahead 2-1, and any trace of momentum the Habs had vanished. Spencer Carbery’s men were relentless for the rest of the frame. Both teams had twice as many shots in the middle frame, which meant eight for the Canadiens and 18 for the Capitals.
Samuel Montembeault did very well weathering the storm, but he could only help at one end of the ice.
Finding The High Gear Earlier
For a second game in a row, the Canadiens found their high gear in the third period and proved to be a handful for Logan Thompson. Montreal had 12 shots on net through 40 minutes, yet they found the net 14 times in the final frame.
Thompson multiplied the big saves and received some help from his post, but what good goaltender doesn’t? The question is, if the Washington goaltender had been solicited that much in the first two frames, would he have been that efficient in the third? Chances are, he would have been running on empty.
For a second time in as many matches, Brendan Gallagher was hit by a cross-check in the face that went uncalled, just like the one on Cole Caufield later in the game. The Canadiens’ sniper fell to the ice, Nick Suzuki raised his arms in protest, but both referees kept their arms down. While it’s nothing new for fewer calls to be made in the playoffs, it usually takes a couple of rounds for that infraction to go unpunished.
Laine didn’t see a second of action in the third frame; he rode the pine for the full 20 minutes. It has to be said that he struggled through the first 40 minutes. Even though he was often in space on the power play, he elected not to shoot quite a few times, waiting for the picture-perfect pass that never came. It was even worst at even strength, he made hazardous passes and he just couldn't get in the game. Asked about it, the coach said:
These are decisions you make as a coach. I shortened our bench a lot. Honestly, went with the nine, 10 players I felt could help us
- St-Louis on shortening his bench
As for Armia, he saw a single shift in the same frame. With St-Louis deciding to put Newhook and Evans together with Demidov, he became collateral damage, just like Heineman, who only stepped on the ice twice in the last 20 minutes.
Down 2-0 in the series, the Canadiens do not have much wiggle room left, and changes will have to be made before game three, which will take place on Friday night at the Bell Centre.
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The Rockford IceHogs have a plethora of players who are in the plans of the Chicago Blackhawks. Whether they make it to the NHL on a full-time basis one day remains to be seen for a few of them.
The AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs are their chance to shine when the stakes are high. Not all of their great young players cracked the lineup for their first game of the postseason, but most should get their chance if the team goes on a run.
Game One took place at Allstate Arena on Wednesday night against their biggest rival, the Chicago Wolves. It was a physical affair that had good pace to it throughout.
The first period was scoreless, but there were plenty of disagreements and animosity. That led to a high-octane second period that had a touch more offense.
First, the Wolves took a 1-0 lead thanks to a power-play goal scored by Juha Jaaska. He redirected a shot on the power play taken by Ty Smith.
Before the period was over, the Hogs tied the game as Kevin Korchinski threw one off the back boards that went into the net off the paraphernalia of Wolves goaltender Spencer Martin.
Despite a ferocious effort by the Wolves to win the game in the final minute of regulation, the IceHogs hung on and made sure that the game reached sudden-death overtime.
In the extra frame, while on a power play that they earned, Artyom Levshunov scored the game-winning goal. The second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft played the role of hero in his first AHL playoff game.
With GM Kyle Davidson in the building, Levshunov got the job done. Davidson must be content with his decision to select him at this stage. After the game, there was some high praise for Levshunov's game.
"I liked his intensity level," interim head coach Mark Eaton said about Levshunov following the win. "All the things that made him successful at the NHL level, our expectations [are] that he brings that down here, [and] relishes this playoff opportunity that he's getting. I think he was able to do that."
When Levshunov made his NHL debut and finished the rest of the season, there were a few rookie mistakes here and there, but he always looked like he belonged. Now that he's down in the AHL for the Calder Cup Playoffs, he has a chance to excel.
"He's been great," IceHogs captain Brett Seney said of Levshunov. "Since coming down from Chicago, you can tell he's got the confidence. A couple of plays up top, he danced a couple of their forwards; he's just playing confident. He knows he's got the talent to do it at this level. I think there's probably a couple of plays earlier in the game when they blocked some shots he wanted to get through, but you give a player like that enough opportunities, eventually it's going to go in for him."
Seney has been around pro hockey for a long time and that includes playing with some good players. He thinks the world of Levshunov and the kind of talent that he brings to the table.
Levshunov's overtime winner is the highlight, but it isn't the only impressive part of his evening. He cleared a puck from the blue paint defensively, was a physical presence in tense moments, and never wavered from the big moment. He seems to be a high-character player, which is an asset when you have that much skill.
The IceHogs now have a 1-0 lead in the series as it shifts back to Rockford for Game 2 on Friday night. If they win, they will move on to face the Milwaukee Admirals in round two. If they lose, a decisive game three will take place on Sunday.
The Florida Panthers will look to build on their series-opening victory when they hit the ice on Thursday night in Tampa.
Florida skated to an impressive 6-2 win in Game 1 against the host Tampa Bay Lightning and can return to Sunrise with a commanding 2-0 series lead if they can pull off a repeat performance in Game 2 at Amalie Arena.
Despite finishing the regular season with the third-most shots per game in the NHL at 31.6, Florida mustered only 17 shots on a paltry 35 attempts during Tuesday’s win.
Fortunately, the Cats were incredibly accurate and timely with their shots, beating world class goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy six times, including a stretch during the second period in which Florida scored on three consecutive shots.
The Panthers received a massive boost during Game 1 with the return of Matthew Tkachuk.
After suffering an apparent groin injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk had gone over two months since playing in a hockey game and was chomping at the bit to get back out there.
Skating on the Sam Bennett line and receiving his usual reps on the top power play, Tkachuk provided an instant spark both physically and offensively.
He finished the game with two goals and an assist while only playing 11:43 of ice time.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 2 in Tampa:
Carter Verhaeghe – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Evan Rodrigues – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist
Gus Forsling – Seth Jones
Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov
Uvis Balinskis – Nate Schmidt
Scratches: A.J. Greer, Jonah Gadjovich, Tomas Nosek, Jaycob Megna
Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke reacts after scoring in the first period of Game 2. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Kings and Edmonton Oilers are old postseason foes, with this first-round matchup marking their 11th meeting in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But with Wednesday’s 6-2 win in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, the Kings have done something they’d never accomplished.
They’ve taken a 2-0 lead.
The Kings, who have yet to trail in the series, got two goals from Adrian Kempe and scores from Brandt Clarke, Quinton Byfield, Andrei Kuzmenko and Anze Kopitar, with Clarke, Kuzmenko and Kopitar all scoring on the power play.
Leon Draisaitl and former King Viktor Arvidsson got the goals for Edmonton, which has been outscored 12-7 in the two games.
The win was the Kings’ NHL-best 33rd at home, but now they’ll go on the road, where they had a losing record this season. Edmonton will play host to Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. Game 5, if necessary, will be at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
After winning a Game 1 shootout in which the teams combined for 11 goals — seven in the final 20 minutes 6 seconds — the Kings went in front to stay in Game 2 on Clarke’s first career playoff goal 8:44 into the first period. And they got help from an unexpected source.
Winger Evander Kane, who was making his season debut for the Oilers, was on the ice just 95 seconds before drawing a cross-checking penalty, giving the Kings the man advantage. And Clarke made the Oilers pay, deflecting in a pass from former Oiler Warren Foegele for the power-play goal.
Anze Kopitar scores past Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner in the third period of Game 2. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Byfield then doubled the margin shortly after the first intermission before Kuzmenko made it 3-0 with another power-play goal midway through the second period.
The Kings have scored five times with the man advantage in the two games while holding Edmonton’s power play scoreless in five tries. In last year’s playoff loss to the Oilers, the Kings were 0 for 12 on the power play and killed just 11 of 20 Edmonton power plays.
Draisaitl got Edmonton on the board, scoring on a deflection at 13:54 of the second. It was the second goal of the series for Draisaitl, who led the league with 52 in an injury-shortened season.
Draisaitl’s second-period goal in Game 1 helped the Oilers rally from a 4-0 deficit, only to lose 6-5. His Game 2 goal started another rally, and Arvidsson’s tip-in four minutes into the third period made it a one-goal game.
Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper stops the puck in the third period of Game 2. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
But the comeback stalled there with Kempe and Kopitar answering with goals less than three minutes apart to restore order. After Kopitar’s power-play goal the Oilers pulled goaltender Stuart Skinner and replaced him with Calvin Pickard, who gave up a goal to Kempe on the first shot he faced.
Kempe had two assists to go with his two goals while Kopitar had three assists.
The Kings and Oilers, who are meeting in the first round for a fourth straight season, split the opening two games each of the last three years before Edmonton went on to win the series. The last time a team won the first two games was in 1990, when Edmonton won four straight.
The Wheeling Nailers not only came back home to WesBanco Arena trailing 2-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Norfolk Admirals, but they were starving for a goal after back-to-back shutouts.
On Wednesday, the Nailers snapped the Admirals' shutout streak, but one goal wasn't enough as Wheeling is now on the verge of being eliminated following a 5-1 loss.
Neither team scored in the first period before Denis Smirnov put Norfolk on the board at 8:49. Shortly after, Sean Montgomery extended the lead to 2-0 at 11:11. Finally, Nailers' Matt Koopman tallied his team's first of the series at 15:16 on a shorthanded breakaway.
🚨 THE SEAL HAS BEEN BROKEN 🚨
Matt Koopman ends the Nailers offensive drought with a shorthanded goal to make it a 2-1 game!
— x - Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) April 24, 2025
However, Ryan Chyzowski restored the Admirals' two-goal lead with a late tally at 17:37. Despite having an advantage on shots, 21-16, the Nailers gave up three second-period goals on only ten shots.
Meanwhile, Norfolk secured their third win with two goals in the third period on just six shots. First, Colton Young scored at 7:00 before Bryce Brodzinski sealed the deal with a lamplighter at 18:57.
Only Chyzowski (goal, two assists) and Crone (two assists) had multiple points on Wednesday, with 12 players finding their way on the scoresheet. Between the pipes, Thomas Milic earned his third win, giving up his first goal of the series to see his save percentage (SV%) drop to .989 through nine periods. He's stopped 98 out of 99 shots.
Unfortunately, Sergei Murashov has continued his struggles in the net for the Nailers, making 17 saves on 21 shots for a .809 save percentage. Overall, in the series, he has surrendered 11 goals and made only 66 saves on 77 shots, resulting in a save percentage of .857.
Wheeling will look to avoid elimination in Game 4, which takes place Friday night with puck drop scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.
The many Avalanche fans who waved their rally towels during warmups chanted "Landy, Landy, Landy" while the 32-year-old prepared for his first game since June 26, 2022, 1,032 days ago.
The "Landy" chants returned when Landeskog hit the ice before the American national anthem. When the P.A. announcer revealed Landeskog was in the starting lineup, the crowd roared and chanted his name again.
That shows just part of the significance of the Avalanche's captain returning to the NHL.
He had a right knee injury that involved multiple surgeries, including a cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023. He had multiple setbacks in his recovery.
"I found myself thinking about this moment a lot over the last three years, and now that it's here, it's reversed," Landeskog told Altitude Sports' Kyle Keefe before the game. "I'm thinking a lot about kind of the hard work that's gone into it. Some of the ups, a lot of the downs, the sacrifices and support I've had along the way. Thankful for everybody and all their support."
"He had every right to pull the plug at any time he wanted to but wanted to see it through," Avalanche teammate Erik Johnson told NHL.com.
Added defenseman Cale Makar: "It's going to be really exciting to have him back in the room, and have the Captain back doing his thing."
Landeskog spoke about how he felt leading up to game time.
"I feel surprisingly calm and in control right now," he said. "I know the butterflies and the nerves will come, I'm sure. But, excited."
His second shift lasted 18 seconds, but his third shift lasted 1:06. The Avalanche will now try to win their second game of the series in front of the Avs and Landeskog faithful.
The Pittsburgh Penguins just wrapped up their 57th season, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. Despite their lack of recent successes, the franchise has played in the playoffs 37 times and won five championships.
Our newest series will take a look back at how the Penguins performed on specific days leading up to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
Today, April 23, Pittsburgh has compiled a 6-6 record in 12 games on this date.
1970: Win vs. St. Louis Blues (3-2)
1989: Loss vs. Philadelphia Flyers (4-1)
1991: Win vs. Washington Capitals (3-1)
1992: Win vs. Washington Capitals (6-4)
1994: Loss vs. Washington Capitals (4-1)
1997: Win vs. Philadelphia Flyers (4-1)
1998: Loss vs. Montreal Canadiens (3-2 OT)
2001: Win vs. Washington Capitals (4-3)
2009: Loss vs. Philadelphia Flyers (3-0)
2014: Loss vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (4-3 OT)
2016: Win vs. New York Rangers (6-3)
Notable Penguins Performances On This Day
April 23, 1991 - Hall of Famer Mark Recchi factored in all three Pittsburgh goals, scoring a game-tying goal in the first, and set up both goals in the third period for a 3-1 win.
April 23, 1992 - Franchise icon Mario Lemieux had six points, thanks to three goals and three assists in a 6-4 win over the Capitals.
April 23, 1997 - Ian Moran collected his only career multi-point playoff game with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Flyers.
April 23, 2016 - Bryan Rust recorded his first two-goal playoff game, adding an assist for three points in a 6-3 win over the Rangers. That night was only his fourth career playoff game.
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 Andrew McInnis react to the Washington Capitals beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to take a 2-0 first-round series lead. They also take a look around the NHL, including the return of Gabriel Landeskog to the Colorado Avalanche's lineup.
Ottawa Senators prospect Luke Ellinas scored in overtime of game seven to win the series for Kitchener and complete a reverse sweep of the Kitchener Rangers. It is the first OHL reverse sweep since the Guelph Storm achieved the same feat during the 2019 playoffs.
Windsor blasted through Kitchener in the first three games of the series, quickly establishing a 3-0 lead. Things seemed hopeless for Kitchener, seeing as a reverse sweep is such a rare occurrence. For context, they are just the sixth team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in OHL history.
Ellinas, whom the Senators drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, has been a key contributor for Kitchener throughout the playoffs. He is tied for the team lead in goals (6) and points (13).
It can be argued that Ellinas started and finished the comeback since he scored all three goals in Kitchener's 3-0 win in game four as well as the overtime winner in game seven.
Another player who played a huge role in Kitchener's win is Clarkson University commit Jackson Parsons, whose .919 save percentage and 2.12 goals-against average lead all goalies in the playoffs after two rounds.
The comeback is another feather in the already well-endowed hat of Rangers' Head Coach Jussi Ahokas, who was awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy, which is given to the OHL's Coach of the Year.
The Rangers return to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2018 when they narrowly lost to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. This time around, they will face the London Knights, who have yet to drop a single game this postseason.
The Rangers were one of only a handful of teams to defeat London multiple times during the regular season. That said, they did lose the six-game season series against the Knights 4-2.
The Knights will be well-rested going into the series, having played eight games compared to the 12 the Rangers have played. When the series kicks off on Friday, London will not have played in over a week.
Kitchener will enter the series feeling incredibly confident after completing the comeback. While they won't be as well-rested as London, they will not have had the opportunity to develop any rust either.
If they take even a game off of the 2024 OHL Champions, they will have done better than any other team to play the Knights so far in the postseason. Puck drop for game one of the Western Conference Finals will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Canada Life Place.
The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled seven players from the Henderson Silver Knights to form their playoff taxi squad.
The Silver Knights fell short of making the Calder Cup Playoffs this season, allowing the Golden Knights to recall seven players to form a taxi squad, who will serve as extra players available if the Golden Knights are ravaged by injuries.
The taxi squad is made up of four forwards: Cal Burke, Tanner Laczynski, Raphael Lavoie, and Matyáš Šapovaliv, two defensemen: Dysin Mayo and Robert Hagg and goaltender Carl Lindbom.
Burke, Laczynski and Lavoie have all played several games with the Golden Knights this season, mostly playing in fourth-line roles. The Golden Knights have Jonas Rondbjerg, Alexander Holtz, and Tanner Pearson currently serving as healthy scratches, leaving a lengthy list of players standing in their way.
Sapovaliv is one of the Golden Knights' top prospects who completed his rookie season in the AHL this year, scoring 11 goals and 19 points in 71 games. The 21-year-old is known for his defensively responsible game but has not made his NHL debut yet.
Mayo and Hagg are veteran defensemen who can step into the lineup and provide stability if need be. With Kaedan Korczak and Ben Hutton serving as healthy scratches, it's unlikely that Mayo and Hagg will be needed.
Lindbom, like Sapovaliv, completed his rookie season in the AHL. He played in 36 games, posting a .912 SV% and a 2.65 GAA, shaping up to possibly be the future netminder for the Golden Knights.
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On Wednesday morning, following the Ottawa Senators’ tough 3-2 overtime loss in Toronto, winger Drake Batherson stepped in front of the media in Ottawa and took full responsibility for his role in the Maple Leafs' game-winning goal.
"You live and you learn," Batherson told the media. "I mean, you make a mistake and you learn from it, and sometimes it's the hard way. And obviously, it costs us the game. So, you live and you learn but like I say, you get to move on to the next one. But I definitely wish I could have that one back, to say the least.
"The best thing you do is come out tomorrow and try to make a difference."
While Batherson taking accountability is both appropriate and admirable, in reality, there was more than one contributor to the series of unfortunate events.
Prior to the game-winning goal, Batherson carried the puck up the left wing as the Senators entered the Leafs' zone. He attempted a soft backhand pass to the middle, trying to connect with Dylan Cozens, but Simon Benoit easily intercepted the pass and rushed up ice. It could have been a disaster, but not because it led to an odd-man rush. It didn't. Toronto made a line change on the rush, so it was a relatively harmless 2-on-4.
The Senators, however, were also in the process of changing their D on the fly. When Batherson lost the puck, Tyler Kleven and Nikolas Matinpalo were heading off, and as Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen jumped on, Ottawa even briefly had too many men on the ice. Matinpalo made it off, but Kleven didn’t. Because of the turnover, Jensen had to return to the bench, while Kleven scrambled to get back into the play.
That confusion allowed Benoit, who isn’t exactly Cale Makar, to gain the Ottawa blue line with little resistance. Still, it was just a 2-on-4. That play never should have resulted in a shot, let alone a high-quality scoring chance.
Cozens had a chance to defend against Domi but overcommitted on a soft stick check and missed. Batherson also whiffed completely on his attempt to recover. Both players could have ended the threat with even the lightest body contact.
Chabot should have been in a perfect position to provide an extra layer of protection, but instead made a critical mistake by backing in far too deep when Domi was the only threat.
Chabot then tried to block the shot, but only ended up helping to screen Sens goalie Linus Ullmark, while giving Domi a clean shooting lane. Benoit was also there to help with the screen and probably could have been slowed down by Kleven, who had no one else to cover.
For Sens fans, the goal may have been the hardest pill to swallow since Chris Kunitz’s double-overtime winner in the 2017 Eastern Conference Final — a goal that, coincidentally, came from almost the same spot on the ice.
Batherson deserves some serious blame for the winning goal, no question. But he doesn’t need to carry it all — there was more than enough blame to go around.
For the first time in what feels like a while, the Philadelphia Flyers have a strong contingent of young talent featuring for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs.
The Phantoms, who kick off Game 1 of their Calder Cup run against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night, have had an infusion of exciting prospects in recent weeks with hockey seasons elsewhere coming to a close.
So, while the Flyers themselves missed the playoffs, they have several potential future stars drawing attention to themselves this spring.
With that said, I’ve identified five Flyers prospects, in particular, worth watching and becoming more familiar with during the Phantoms’ Calder Cup run.
No. 5: Emil Andrae, LHD
Flyers fans became very familiar with Emil Andrae throughout the 2024-25 NHL season. After a four-game cameo last season, Andrae impressed again in training camp, and despite not making the Flyers’ initial roster, ended up playing a significant amount of minutes at the NHL level for the first time.
In 42 NHL games, Andrae finished with one goal, six assists, and seven points. And despite the unimpressive scoring relative to his skillset, the 23-year-old controlled the run of play more often than not.
The Flyers presumably re-assigned Andrae to the Phantoms on April 18 with the intention of giving him more reps in meaningful, intense games. He has three goals, 13 assists, and 16 points in 25 AHL games this season, and the longer his seasons, the better off he’ll be as an NHL regular down the line.
With his rock-solid play in the NHL and hard work to get there, Andrae could position himself nicely to make the Flyers outright next season with a strong finish to the season.
No. 4: Helge Grans, RHD
In a contract year, Helge Grans is finally showing some signs of life as a pro player again.
Acquired by the Flyers from the Los Angeles Kings, Grans was once one of the most enticing defense prospects in the world due to his alluring combination of size, skating, and passing abilities.
Going into the 2020 draft, Grans was ranked 19th overall by EliteProspects, who gave his skating a 6.5 grade out of 9 and passing a 7.0 out of 9.
The 6-foot-3 Swede scored 24 points in 56 games in his first season in the AHL with the Ontario Reign, but in the next two seasons between the Reign and the Phantoms, scored a combined three goals, 14 assists, and 17 points in 105 games.
Grans sought to pursue an NHL roster spot this season, and although he, like Andrae, didn’t get the call immediately, he still ended up making his NHL debut for the Flyers, filling in for an injured Jamie Drysdale.
Overall, Grans played six NHL games this year, earning his first NHL point in his first NHL game with an assist against the Colorado Avalanche.
And despite playing limited minutes, the former second-round pick played quite well for the Flyers in a contract year.
According to MoneyPuck, Grans led all Flyers defensemen in 5-on-5 on-ice expected goals percentage with 55.8% of the share.
A pending RFA, Grans’s development could prove to be a revelation for the Flyers heading into next season.
Flyers GM Danny Briere revealed in his end-of-season press conference that Rasmus Ristolainen, a fellow right-shot defensemen, could miss the start of the season, which may open the door for Grans to make a name for himself going forward.
As far as the Calder Cup playoffs go, Grans was benched for a game by head coach Ian Laperriere last season, so this postseason campaign will be an opportunity to prove himself in more ways than one.
Grans has a career-high eight goals and 23 total points in 66 games with the Phantoms this season.
No. 3: Nikita Grebenkin, LW
Nikita Grebenkin may have only been with the Flyers for 30 minutes this season, but I have a feeling he’ll spend more time with them than that at some point next season.
In 11 games with the Phantoms, the former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has produced three goals, four assists, and seven points, giving him a total of 12 goals, 16 assists, and 28 points in 40 AHL games between the Phantoms and Toronto Marlies this season.
Grebenkin did play seven NHL games for the Maple Leafs earlier this season, but failed to record a point whilst playing in a limited role.
It might be a while before Grebenkin becomes a full-time NHLer, but his bubbly personality, size, aggressiveness, hands, and shooting and passing skills are sure to make him a Flyers fan favorite in due time.
When he makes his Calder Cup playoffs debut, Grebenkin will be playing postseason hockey for just the second time as a pro; Grebenkin played 23 Gagarin Cup (KHL) playoff games for Metallurg Magnitogorsk last season, scoring three goals and three assists.
No. 2: Jett Luchanko, C
Expectations should probably be tempered for Jett Luchanko over the next few weeks, but I’d be remiss to exclude him from this list of Flyers prospects.
Between the Flyers, the Phantoms, the Guelph Storm, and World Junior Championships, Luchanko has played at four different levels of competition this season.
The Flyers' top 2024 NHL Draft selection joined up with the Phantoms in recent weeks and has since played in nine games, recording no goals and three assists.
Luchanko's future, as far as next season goes, is totally uncertain, but a nice finish to a whirlwind season can help give the Flyers a better idea of what to do with him next season.
The 18-year-old's offensive game, particularly in the end-product department, has not taken off quite as fast as many would have hoped, but there is still plenty of time. It’s entirely plausible that Luchanko may need another four or five seasons to become an NHL regular, as the Flyers are most concerned with identifying his peak and helping him get there.
But he won’t get there without stringing together strong AHL seasons, which makes this playoff run all the more important.
No. 1: Alex Bump, W
All eyes are on newly-signed Flyers prospect Alex Bump heading into the Calder Cup playoffs.
Joining the Phantoms on an amateur tryout offer, Bump made his pro debut on April 18, earning an assist. In his encore, one day later, Bump added a goal and an assist, giving him three points in two AHL games.
Another thing to chew on: in two games with the 21-year-old in the lineup, the Phantoms are undefeated and have out-scored opponents 11-6.
Bump just won the NCAA championship two weeks ago, jumped right into the lineup, and immediately started playing at a high level.
There is a reality where Bump is on the Flyers’ opening night roster next season, so, for all intents and purposes, these next few games in the AHL can be considered an early audition for that.
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